Tuesday, November 20, 2012

4Pakistani.com

4Pakistani.com

Analsying the internal attacks on the military

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST



The Abbottabad raid of May 2, 2011, in which Osama Bin Laden was taken out by US Navy SEALs, unleashed two unmistakable influences in public opinion in Pakistan. Each came with its own ferocity. Those who felt Pakistan had been betrayed by an ostensible ally — the majority — had reason to further whip existing anti-American fervour. Then there were those who felt that the military (read the army) was complicit in sheltering Osama — a very small minority felt this way — and had been finally exposed in its duplicitous play. There was a third category, miniscule, that had other reasons, such as inadequacies of response and professional failure, which seethed for the shame and embarrassment that the episode brought to the armed forces.

Those who questioned the military's double-play belonged to what in Pakistan is called the 'liberalists club'. They found a veritable partner in the US in engineering a hype of mal-intent against Pakistan's military establishment, which was painted as allegedly cavorting with the Taliban despite participating in the war on terror as America's ally. There were, however, bigger objectives at play at the domestic plane. The return of a democratic government following General (retd) Pervez Musharraf's stint at the helm seemed tentative. Benazir Bhutto's untimely demise had laid open the institution of a relatively green and weak coalition at the helm. The rise of Asif Ali Zardari, as president, with his shady past, meant that democracy may remain suspect under a strong military establishment and not sustain. It, therefore, needed to be supported from the outside.

Two parallel factors came into play: one, latent anti-army sentiment among the literati of a particular kind, non-vernacular, gradually began to play up an anti-military stance. The explosion of electronic media and a turnaround in the character of the print media enabled a platform to these individuals who slowly coalesced into a uniform voice bringing into question everything related to the military and its omissions and commissions. The aim was simply to subjugate the army, to break its will and cause it to second-guess itself on its role and alleged excesses whether those related to sponsoring terrorism as a policy, Balochistan, or something as remote in time as its role in the former East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. The army's past record of usurping the right to rule from the politicians was especially brought to the fore in a widespread discourse.

Sometimes this pressure was relentless when there were weak moments in the military's conduct as in Abbottabad, and sometimes simply frustrating when the military stood confounded against a barrage coming from its own countrymen, its traditional bastion of support and moral succour especially when it was fully extended in its deployments in the ongoing war against terrorist groups. The military was being hit at its vitals, as strategists like to explain an offensive by an adversary. There were allegations of money being fed by external sources to some individuals, as well as some media houses, to keep the onslaught going, but these largely remained unsubstantiated. There certainly was an outside interest to see the Pakistani military belittled, but there existed within the liberalists as well an equal urge to see the military cut to size regardless of its occupation in fighting a threat that was labelled existential.

When a chink presented itself, there was help available to force the army to retreat from its traditional position of strength in the national, cultural, social or ideological arenas — all places where the military had retained a focal position through the decades. The US, in its effort to help civil primacy over the military, added two clauses to its planned bill of aid to Pakistan that practically seemed dictating obedience to the civilian government. Some claimed it was the handiwork of a useful Pakistan hand in Washington as he sought to malign the Pakistani army with restraining clauses through legal binds. The fact that such an attempt came through co-opting a foreign nation on behalf of the political set-up at home left its own debris in its aftermath.

By some counts, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani's personal proclivity to see a democratic set-up sustain and succeed prompted an overdose of self-righteous moral high ground by those whose singular focus remained to malign the army into submission, disregarding any concerns for disabling an important institution of the state. Through all this, somehow, the military made through till its next challenge.

That came soon after. Just as the Supreme Court was struggling through its own tribulations of credibility at the highest level, it delivered a verdict on a 16-year-old case against a former army chief and a director general of the ISI. That opened the floodgates for another round of a renewed attempt to bring the army down, based on an indictment of two former generals by the highest court. Two other cases against six other generals by different agencies added further spite to the coterie of voices that found another opportunity to debilitate the military. The army chief had to give a statement to those indulging in rabid verbiage to separate the institution from the act of an individual. There was a derived sense in army chief's statement asking all, including the Supreme Court and a supercharged media, to desist from damaging the institution by calling into question the fidelity of some of its ongoing operations.

There continue to be institutions in the country that nurture hate against the military. They remain as extreme in their manner of discourse as any extreme religious school of thinking. If, on one hand, slitting throats of those who disagree with their thought is kosher, on the other, we see a ferocity to rail against the military with abuse and innuendo. The majority that is centrist continues to be squeezed under the two extremes, both of which are hopelessly intolerant.

If it seems like an obituary to a system or an ode to what could have been, that is precisely how close we stand today in our national make-up to undoing what has been so painstakingly achieved through an especially cohesive effort. The choice to progress or regress from where we are is entirely ours. Flagging red to a bull has never paid dividends; it could, however, make for a grand spectacle.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21st, 2012.

PMA demands Raisani’s resignation

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 11:12 AM PST



KARACHI: The Pakistan Medial Association (PMA) on Tuesday demanded the immediate resignation of Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, expressing deep concerns on the plight of the doctors.

PMA President Prof S Tipu Sultan, along with a delegation of doctors from the PMA, addressed a press conference at the PMA House and expressed their anguish over the hundreds of doctors who were brutally attacked by security forces as they staged peaceful demonstrations for the recovery of their colleague, Dr Saeed Khan.

They said several doctors were critically injured including some senior lady doctors. More than 100 doctors were arrested and locked up in police stations.

Along with their demand for Raisani's resignation, the PMA insisted upon the release of all arrested doctors and withdrawal of cases lodged against them. They also demanded an unconditional apology from the government of Balochistan, immediate recovery of kidnapped doctors, and arrest of all criminals, kidnappers and murderers.

If their demands are not met, doctors all over Pakistan will protest, warned the PMA leaders.

The doctors added that the PMA is extremely concerned about recent activities of the regime and pledge full support to the doctors of Balochistan under all circumstances.

Israel to end ‘aggression’: Egypt brokers ceasefire

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 10:10 AM PST



CAIRO: Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi said Israel’s “aggression” against Gaza will end on Tuesday and Cairo-mediated truce efforts will produce results within hours, the official MENA news agency reported.

“The farce of the Israeli aggression will end today, Tuesday, and the efforts to reach a ceasefire between the Palestinians and Israelis will produce positive results within a few hours,” it quoted him as saying.

A senior Hamas official told AFP “the agreement is expected to crystallise in a few hours.”

The main sticking point, he said, was whether Israel would begin easing its six-year long blockade of Gaza coinciding with the truce or at a later date.

“A compromise solution is for there to be agreement on lifting the siege, and that it would be implemented later at a specified time,” he said.

Israel on Tuesday said it was holding off a threatened Gaza ground offensive to give the truce talks a chance, after an overnight meeting of senior Israeli ministers weighed the Egyptian proposal.

Morsi’s announcement comes amid intense diplomatic efforts that brought UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on a visit to Cairo on Monday and Israel on Tuesday to bolster efforts to end the week-long conflict.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a Southeast Asia tour with President Barack Obama, was also travelling to the region to meet leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Arab countries meanwhile ratcheted pressure on Israel by sending a delegation of foreign ministers headed by Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi to Gaza on Tuesday.

Imran Khan a positive force in politics: Bilawal

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:09 AM PST



ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hailed Imran Khan’s decision to contest the upcoming general elections , reported Radio Pakistan.

He expressed his approval of Imran Khan's decision to take part in the next general election during the Pakistan Leaders of Tomorrow conference in Islamabad, adding that he is certain that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief will be a positive force for politics in the country. “I am confident his inclusion will have a positive impact on politics of Pakistan.”

Bilawal also spoke about Nawaz Sharif and called him an ally in supporting democracy in Pakistan.

Unite against terrorism

Bilawal called upon all political parties to collectively fight for eradicating terrorism from Pakistan.

The PPP chairman highlighted that both the Awami National Party (ANP) and the PPP have suffered from terrorism. He further stated that despite his party's past differences with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), they are ready to set aside their differences and unite against a common enemy.

Bilawal added that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has been a part of PPP's joint efforts to end Taliban rule in Swat.

He stated that the political parties must fight to protect Jinnah’s Pakistan from the threat of the Taliban.

Drone strikes

During his speech, Bilawal unequivocally stated his opposition to drone strikes.

He condemned US, calling the CIA operated programme a violation of international laws.

1st Test: Spin the nemesis as England go down in Ahmedabad

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 08:08 AM PST



England's worries against spin bowling continued as the tourists were thrashed by nine wickets on the final day of the opening Test against India.

Cheteshwar Pujara was named man of the match for his unbeaten double century, but it was Pragyan Ojha and Ravi Ashwin who gave England the most pain, sharing 13 of the 20 wickets to fall. Captain Alaistair Cook and Matt Prior did start with the final day with hopes of clinging on for a draw but the Indian spinners, ably assisted by a deteriorating pitch and invariable bounce, dismissed the tourists with a lead of just 76.

While England look for answers against spin, Cook hoped for an improved show in Mumbai.

"We can look at a number of reasons why we didn't win, but our first-innings wasn't good enough," said the England captain. "It was a great fightback in the second-innings and there was a glimmer of hope but it always had to be something special. We'll work hard going into Mumbai. The pitch got slower as the game went on. We needed runs in the first-innings, they are crucial. Now we need to keep working as hard as we can."

His counterpart, MS Dhoni, said that the win came as a result of hard work put in by his side.

"There was something in the pitch to start with but as the game progressed there was low bounce but not much turn," said Dhoni. "It was hard work for the spinners and it was a fantastic effort from them. Even if you misjudged the flight you had time to adjust and not much carried to the slips. It was important not to give many runs.

"It was a fantastic game for Pujara. He has the temperament to play big innings and has shown that on the domestic circuit. He makes sure he converts fifties to hundreds. Ojha looks to bowl tight and he knew it was up to him to take responsibility."

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2012.

 

Gunmen kill NATO driver in Jamrud: Officials

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:07 AM PST



PESHAWAR: Gunmen on Tuesday killed the driver of a Nato supply truck in the Jamrud area of Khyber Agency, officials said.

"Two gunmen on a motorcycle fired at a Nato truck and killed its driver when a convoy of three trucks was passing," local government official Asmatullah Wazir told AFP.

He said an assistant of the driver was wounded and that the gunmen escaped.

Imran Ahmed, a doctor at the local hospital, said the driver was shot in the head, and that his assistant was shot twice on the shoulders.

"We have received the dead body of the driver. He was hit in the head. The helper was hit by two bullets on shoulders," he said.

Wazir said the authorities conducted a search operation in the area after the attack and arrested 19 suspects.

Khyber Agency's top administration official, Mutahir Zeb, confirmed the attack on the Nato truck and the driver's death, saying there had been no immediate claim of responsibility.

Islamabad reopened the Afghan border to Nato traffic in August, ending a seven-month blockade imposed after botched US air raids killed 24 soldiers of the Pakistani Army in November 2011.

Pakistan and the United States signed a deal allowing Nato convoys to travel into Afghanistan until the end of 2015.

Big Bash cancels Umar Akmal’s contract

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 06:06 AM PST



The organisers at Australian Big Bash League (BBL) cancelled Umar Akmal's contract on Tuesday a day after he was allowed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to play the series, reported Express News.

The PCB on Monday had allowed Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and Umar to play in the Twenty20 series after initially refusing permission. Afridi, however, had cancelled his contract with Big Bash expressing his willingness to play the domestic series.

Umar's contract was cancelled because the team he was representing, Sydney Sixers, claimed that the player had a contract of five matches but was only going to play one or two matches as allowed by the PCB.

Umar's brother Kamran Akmal had said on Monday that the middle-order batsman was contracted to play at least three matches for his side.

"Initially, Umar signed a contract for five matches but after the sudden change in the domestic schedule, he had to cut it down to three," said Kamran. "But since he's unlikely to play three matches due to the board's permission, he's unsure about his plans."

For the people: SHC says no to 10-day motorcycle ban in Karachi

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 05:04 AM PST



KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC), allowing the Sindh government to impose a ban on motorcycle riding, said it could only do so on holidays and not on working days as a large number of the population uses this mode of transport, Express News reported.

Chief Justice Musheer Alam made this statement while hearing the case and deeming the government's request unjustifiable.

The Sindh government had earlier filed a request with the SHC to allow an imposition of a 10-day ban on motorcycle riding in light of terrorism threats for Muharram.

Sindh Additional Chief Secretary (home) Waseem Ahmed and Advocate General Sindh Adul Fateh Malik were present in court where the chief justice heard their arguments.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Alam deemed the ban unjustified and said the relevant authorities take better security measures as it was their responsibility, not the people's.

Remarking that security measures should not be taken at the people's expense, the SHC allowed for a ban on motorcycles for holidays.

Balochistan security: Recover missing persons, SC tells provincial govt

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:03 AM PST



ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday, reiterating that the Balochistan government has failed in providing security to its people, issued an order for immediate recovery of missing persons, Express News reported.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was heading the bench hearing the case pertaining to the security situation in Balochistan.

The court said that 432 Frontier Corps (FC) officials have been killed and more than 1,000 people have been victims of target killings and minority persecution.

Enquiring from the Crime Investigation Department (CID) officials present in court, the chief justice asked them why they were not working in Balochistan and why no intelligence-gathering was being put into effect.

The court said that not even one person involved in these killings had been brought to justice as yet, to which the CID officials responded saying that 34 officials of their own had been victims of target killing.

The attorney general said that a review petition in the Balochistan case had been filed with the SC registrar but it had been turned down saying it "scandalised" the Supreme Court.

Justice Chaudhry directed the AG to pursue the matter and resubmit the petition.

Ordering the Balochistan government to recover missing persons, the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing till December 5.

Clinton heads to Middle East for Gaza crisis talks

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 03:02 AM PST



PHNOM PENH: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday dispatched Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Middle East for urgent talks with Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian leaders in his most decisive move yet to try to halt the Gaza crisis.

Clinton left an Asian summit in Cambodia’s capital, which she was attending with Obama, and headed for Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first round of a new US diplomatic initiative.

“We want to … send a clear message that it’s in nobody’s interest to see an escalation of the military conflict,” US deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters in Phnom Penh.

Clinton’s mission appeared to signal growing US alarm over the prospects of a threatened Israeli ground invasion of Gaza as Palestinian rocket fire and Israeli air strikes continued for a seventh day.

Washington has seemed powerless to affect unfolding events and has faced criticism of a hesitant response, and the Gaza crisis has dogged Obama on an Asia trip meant to show a “pivot” East as the United States winds down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rhodes said the onus remained on Hamas to halt its rocket barrages into Israel and stuck to the administration’s stance that Israel had a right to defend itself.

But he said, “We all agree that the best way to resolve this is through diplomacy, so that you have a peaceful settlement that ends that rocket fire and allows for a broader calm in the region.”

Clinton was due to meet Netanyahu on Wednesday and then go to Ramallah in the West Bank to meet with Palestinian Authority leaders, presumably President Mahmoud Abbas.

She was then to travel to Cairo, where Rhodes would say only that she would meet “Egyptian leaders.”

That would likely mean an encounter with Egypt’s President Mohamed Mursi, who has spoken by phone several times with Obama since the Gaza crisis erupted and is seen as a possible linchpin in getting Hamas to back down.

“Secretary Clinton will emphasise the United States’ interest in a peaceful outcome that protects and enhances Israel’s security and regional stability, an outcome that can lead to improved conditions for the civilian residents of Gaza, and that could re-open the path to fulfill the aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis for two states living side by side in peace and security,” Rhodes said.

Asked whether Obama was specifically asking Netanyahu to hold off on any ground assault to give more time for diplomacy, Rhodes said: “No. The president has been very clear that Israel is going to make decisions on its security.”

Obama, weighing in with his first comments on the crisis on Sunday, said t would be “preferable” to avoid an Israeli ground invasion but urged Egypt and Turkey to do more to rein in Hamas, which Washington considers a terrorist group.

Obama promised to make Israeli-Palestinian peace diplomacy a high priority when he took office in 2009, but his administration’s on-again-off-again efforts have done little if anything to bring the two sides any closer to the negotiating table.
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