When Pak President says that Swat deal for the enforcement of Nizam-e-Adl, was aimed for the provision of speedy justice, to some he is bemusing himself as Sufi Mohammed had no doubt at all that he has been given ‘carte blanche’ in Swat and thus he roared like a lion after the announcement declaring all infidels who are working under constitution other than Sharia. At the time of ordinance, in a rushed strategy rather than using this opportunity by extending political parties Act to FATA, Swat and other regions and bringing them all under one flag of constitution and jurisdiction of superior courts as was chartered in their 3D strategy in parliament, a new one sided ultra constitution court system was agreed.

A system where a judge’s quality was to be measured from the length of his beard than his intellect a mental capacity to administer justice. And hence some who do not wish peace in the region and has the capacity to call shots, pushed those disillusioned to advance on Buner and Dir district portraying a fear that soon Islamabad will be under those thugs, and questions on security of Atomic weaponry. To me they achieved desired results as in fear both a ‘half hearted pact’ and ‘ prospect of peace’ blown away. I will say, its haste, and poor negotiations on all fronts.

Army operation in any part of current Pakistan must be used as a last resort, due to variety of international vested interests in the region. It is open secret that no one can work at that length and breadth against Pakistan on its soil unless foreign money, weapons and money is involved. In Swat and other districts Pakistan army is not facing common criminals, the enemy has paid personnel alien to the concept of sympathy for locals, have heavy guns, latest wireless systems, intel and locations of pak forces and foreign currency. Pakistan is being cornered to a weaker kneeling position to barter. Any negotiated settlement which could bring calm to the area is not acceptable to those who matters, if it is made without their ‘nod’ people will start seeing videos of ‘whip lashing’, open court decisions shooting on site punishments and media avalanche against the myth.

As long as US forces are working in Afghanistan it is unthinkable that peace may return in the region unless a solution is achieved. When Mr. Zardari says, Pakistan Army was a “big institution and does have influence in the affairs of the country’ and that, the Army had now realised that its job was to defend the frontiers of the country and keep away from politics’ I think he still lives in Cukoo’s land. The whole idea is to sabotage that control and influence which hinders the greater goal and either finish it or coercively manipulate it for its own advantage. This Govt failed to eliminate, control or decrease that influence single handedly or by joint collaboration amongst political forces, though it tried to woo its main intelligence agency. West is now working on the second option which ha a history. Pakistan is facing a greater menace of a calculated and targeted campaign to keep its forces busy in those terrains.

It is ironic that groups like Bait Ullah Masud are working freely inside Pakistan and have the highly sensitive intel and appliances to create havoc, and are untouchables. As long as West does not realise that Pakistan needs to be aided militarily and otherwise to bring normality in that part of the land and that border security must be the prime concern for NATO with heavy walls, and mining the Durand line with security cameras and check post and army is provided watchdog heli’s and night goggles to combat to and from infiltration effectively to halve the attacks on each other’s forces. Army must be provided equipments to fight this war with intelligence sharing and joint collaboration without compromising each other’s jurisdiction and sovereignty and if both fight this war with mind rather than pride of might, there is a possibility to come close to a solution. We must not forget that wars are often fought on tables, going to battlefield is but to achieve that consulted and calculated target. The way it is fought now, is a way wire strategy. On top of it, Pakistan’s one sided hugs and kisses for India under pressure are embarrassing when the response to their zealous courtship wishes are returned by capturing its water with demands of the returns of the culprits of ‘bombay attacks’.

If Pakistan carrying on this adhoc policy of running the state of affairs on day to day basis , I am afraid its running short of time and fuel, however a concerted effort to keep federating unit intact with due consultation may be the ultimate solution to bring about peace and stability in Pakistan, in return in Afghanistan and the region. Pakistan is a small but a nasty piece of this big jig saw puzzle having the capacity, and geo strategic location. It can only safeguard its territorial integrity if it survives as winning is not on card, and survival is not possible if civil and military do not work together. As long as they can be divided, they can be ruled.

NATO and Pakistan must realise that ‘trust deficit’ between each other will cost both. This region, in particular Afghanistan has become a pivotal point for international experiments. China, Russia, Iran, India, and USA along with KSA have vested interests in the region due to close proximity or future scene of the globe. At present, world needs to focus on the 1.5 million refugees coming to cities of Pakistan from Swat. Pakistan is not new to this mass people movement. It could never return the same amount who came from Afghanistan during Russian invasion, with courtesy of USA who told Muslims how to do ‘jihad’ against infidels. Millions are marching again leaving their homes and what will happen to them if operation continues is any body’s guess, and again thanks to USA for being there to tell Pakistan that its their war, and extremism is a threat to them.

Swat operation is opening a window of international experiments in Pakistan and intl forces are frightening the country to come and do the job, unless they do it themselves. They want Pakistan to ruin itself first, so that they can aid later on receipt of disbursements, and as beggars can not be choosy so aid is not replaced with the slogan of trade. If army achieves the objective under civil, its fine, otherwise, people must be ready for a long haul as we are trying to crush a ‘myth’ not a visible enemy. A little weaker, Pakistan is used to the change of the chain of command in the middle of the battlefield

An event in the life of a nation sometimes has deeper significance than what appears on the surface. The accord by which the government all but ceded administrative and judicial control to militants and their Taliban affiliates in Swat is such a development. This has profound implications for the country that have been obscured by the facile discussions on many TV talk shows. It may well mark a turning point in the country’s struggle with rising militancy.

The Swat deal signifies several things all at once. First and foremost it represents a retreat for Jinnah’s Pakistan. Whatever the apologists of the deal may claim, it is the very antithesis of the vision and ideals inspired by the country’s founder, the core of which was a modern, unified Muslim state, not one fragmented along obscurantist and sectarian lines. Several times during and after the struggle for freedom, the Quaid-e-Azam emphatically ruled out anything resembling a throwback to obscurantism or any variant of theocracy. His leadership rested on principle and according to one of his biographers, he preferred “political wilderness to playing to the gallery”.

Today the country’s erstwhile leaders do not lead but are led by their dubious interpretation of what the “people want” in Swat, an act of monumental self-deception as any climate of ‘opinion’ created at gunpoint represents coercion, not consent. Rattled by more aggressive actions by militants, the political and security establishments caved in to the challenge rather than confront it. The Swat deal signaled weakness and bankruptcy on the part of the ruling elite that chose appeasement as the pathway to address the country’s mounting internal security challenges. While the government showed no leadership or capacity to govern, the country’s security institutions failed to protect its citizens, and legislators (save for the MQM) preferred expediency to principle. Can any of these actors claim to have upheld Jinnah’s ideals or legacy?

The agreement forged between the ANP government and Sufi Mohammed, head of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), on February 16 was effected through a presidential edict on April 13, and endorsed by a hastily contrived parliamentary resolution. This followed months of policy chaos, on again, off again peace accords and stop-go military operations, accompanied by rising violence and the virtual collapse of any civil administration in Swat. Indeed this backdrop of rudderless, directionless rule at the centre reinforced the state of national disarray and created the conditions for the eventual Swat surrender.

Amidst this policy confusion, political leaders seemed bereft of any vision or the courage needed to steer the country in a clear direction, and preferred instead to strike a Faustian bargain with little regard for the consequences. Just as government figures were portraying the latest financial bailout from the international community as a triumph of its hat-in-hand diplomacy, Islamabad was conceding ground to militants in Swat.

A combination of factors, including political short-sightedness and expediency, pursuit of narrow agendas and fear of reprisals by militants, has resulted in choosing a course in Swat that will have serious ramifications for the country. This indicates, above all, a loss of nerve and will by the political and military leadership that seems to have convinced itself that it can contain militancy by conceding to it. But it has set the dangerous precedent of state power surrendering to a local militant force on the dubious premise of ‘peace at any price’.

Advocates of the deal in and outside the government marshal a number of arguments to justify it. A major rationale adduced for the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation is that it is no different from the agreements reached in 1994 and 1999 by the Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif governments and is sanctioned by the special status enjoyed by the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas in the constitution.

The verdicts of Qazi courts provided in the Adl Regulation will in any case be subject to appeal in the High and Supreme Courts and so will ultimately be consistent with the laws in the rest of the country.

Moreover, it is argued, that the regulation is in consonance with the wishes of the people of Swat who want the restoration of peace above all else. Trading a form of Sharia justice in return for peace is not being lily-livered but pragmatic. As the NWFP governor and assorted ANP leaders have declared, this regulation was “the only way to bring peace.” The deal in fact aims to separate the moderates from the militant Taliban.

These claims ignore the political context in which the deal has been forged, with whom and on what terms. Invoking the parallels of 1994 and 1999 is spurious logic as 2009 represents a vastly transformed environment in which the militants entrenched in Swat are affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which, officials themselves say, poses a threat to the country’s security. How this agreement de-couples Sufi Mohammed’s TNSM from these allies no one has cared to explain. It is the TTP militants who hold sway behind the figure of Sufi Mohammed, who was the mediator between the government and the Swat Taliban.

Nor does the argument hold up that the system instituted in Swat will be consistent with Pakistan’s constitution. The fig leaf of the state’s writ overseeing the Nizam-e-Adl implementation has already been ripped apart by Sufi Mohammed who announced last Sunday that the decisions of the Qazi courts will be final and not subject to appeal in the High and Supreme Courts which he denounced along with the constitution and democracy as un-Islamic. He also declared that judges to the Qazi courts will be appointed with the consent of his organisation. This has thrown into sharp relief the reality of a parallel law being established.

The argument trotted out about Swat’s ’special status’ overlooks the fact that modern statehood requires that laws are unified whereas the regulation fragments the system of law and justice. And as the people who will administer the new regulation are no experts in Muslim jurisprudence or even theology, this cannot even be considered a move toward Islamisation. It is little more than surrender to a medieval form of obscurantism practised by the Taliban.

As for the rather rich claim that the regulation has been promulgated in deference to the popular will in Swat, this confuses coercion with consent. If the men of violence are able to create a climate of fear and intimidation and the army too fails to come to the people’s rescue, local inhabitants will obviously want a cessation of violence. But this is fundamentally different from people becoming instant converts to the worldview espoused by the TNSM and the Taliban.

Few will take issue with a peace agreement if it is forged with those prepared to renounce violence and predicated on an explicit acceptance of the writ of the state. The Swat deal doesn’t meet this criterion. Negotiated in haste and under duress, the agreement has not been accompanied by any explanation as to the obligations agreed to by the TNSM, much less about how these will be enforced. Even an undertaking of decommissioning weapons is shrouded in mystery, contrary to official claims that the TNSM will ask its Taliban allies to surrender their arms.

The Swat deal marks a dangerous precedent for several reasons. One, it sets up a parallel justice system that has been ‘won’ in the shadow of the gun. One-third of NWFP, which the Malakand division represents, has been placed under this parallel law. Two, it cedes space to the militants who wreaked violence, killed at will, burnt girls’ schools and spread mayhem that led to the exodus of tens of thousands of people from the valley. Virtually handing over Swat in this backdrop is tantamount to the state acceding to a form of Taliban warlordism. Far from halting creeping Talibanisation, Islamabad’s concession has unintentionally conferred legitimacy to their agenda.

Three, it serves to embolden militant forces to advance further and beyond Swat. Already Sufi Mohammed has vowed to spread the system he calls the ’sharia’ to the surrounding region and the rest of the country. The demonstration effect is also evident in the call given by the recently released cleric of Lal Masjid, Maulana Abdul Aziz, for the Swat success to be replicated in all of Pakistan. What is to stop a small band of militants from seizing territory, coercing the inhabitants and holding them to ransom until their cries for peace are responded to by Islamabad with another dose of ‘pragmatism’ and deference to public wishes? And four, the Swat experiment risks stoking sectarian tensions which will have further deleterious effects on the social fabric and the body politic.

Finally it is worth recounting what an Afghan friend once told me as she recalled her country’s experience: “They don’t have to seize the capital to take over the country”. The sense of distance and complacency that is bred by the atmosphere of power and privilege in Islamabad should not blind the government to the looming threat of militancy which its own missteps have heightened.
Courtesy:Arab News

The talk in the town these days is all about the in camera briefing to the senators about the current situation in Baluchistan and FATA. After the briefing most of the senators were quiet reserve with their thoughts but a few of them were bold enough to talk to the media and face their questions and speak their mind out on what they thought about the situation.

All the fingers though were pointing out to the present government’s attitude and performance but none of them seemed to have realized that after all it is the beauty of the democracy that they are speaking against the government and criticizing them on an issue that the PPP’s present government has inherited from the past Dictatorial Rule of Musharraf Regime. For eight years the parliament was being surpassed and the public representatives were not consulted on the most happening issues of the nation; but today the present government at least seem to believe in the supremacy and power of parliament and believe in the democratic values and customs and taking everyone in the parliament lodges in to the confidence before any initiative is taken is just a sign of their commitment to the word Democracy is the Best Revenge.

While talking to the news and media, senators looked like having a lot to say and criticise government’s policies but the alternate solution wasn’t given by anyone. Neither did they suggest anything nor did they completely rule out the possibilities of the concerns shown by Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior; Rehman Malik. At a really crunch time like today, when the talk in the town is all about Islamabad falling in the hands of Taliban Extremists, instead of coming together and working jointly, the public representatives are just following the one way lane of the road and that is opposition of the government.

Today is really not the time to point out and grab the collars of each other; instead it’s a time to come together over coming all the conflicts and differences between ourselves. After all our existence our identity and our worth lies in our proud that is Being Pakistani. Even I do not agree with the government on all the fronts in the public administration section but the one thing I admire about them is their commitment an their will at least to call for a national consciences and national government instead of nation splitting on the basis of parties.

The eyes of the world are on Pakistan again, the focus of the world politics is Pakistan again and the target of the foreign lobbies is again Pakistan. Please put back your differences, the nation has given you the mandate. Respect it, fulfill your commitments and don’t let the hopes of the people die as this may very well be the last time, unless you perform dramatically unlike yourselves.

God Bless Pakistan

Pakistan Zindaabad.

(No Hard Words No Harsh Feelings for No one at All.)

An Ordinary Pakistani Man

Presently Pakistan is passing through a series of chronic and painful problems include political, socioeconomic, energy crises, security, uncertainty in Balochistan, day to day suicide bombing, foreign Drones attacks and worst situation of law and order in FATA and NWFP. These all are brain blasting and heart pinching for all true Pakistanis.

Thanks to President Asif Ali Zardari who with great wisdom solved the issue of judiciary without harming and insulting sitting Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar; a good sign for Pakistan that tragedies of insulting judiciary were not repeated in the history of Pakistan.

However existence of extremists and terrorists at the Pakistani soils is not only dangerous for Pakistan but also posing threat for global peace. Not only Pakistani government but also people at large living in conflicted areas are passing through great trouble. The ongoing sectarian clashes and blood bath in around the country are adding problems to Pakistan. So far innocent people in thousands are being killed and kidnapped in D.I Khan and there is a silent war against a particular sect. In most areas of NWFP the writ of the government is in the hands of local militants. Situation in Kurram Agency because of so called sectarian clashes is getting worst day by day. The area recently had great disaster of sectarian clashes in which thousands of innocent lives have been lost and a great destruction to infrastructure.

President is keen to the rehabilitation of people of FATA but the situation in Parachinar is as it was. Here the families who had received casualties are neither financed nor asked about their loss even. Pakistan Peoples Party nominee for National Assembly from Kurram Agency Parachinar Dr. Riaz Hussein Shah tells that he is facing great embarrassment before the families of all those victims who had been killed with him in PPP’s election campaign rally on Feb 17, 2008 when a suicide bomb exploded and more than 70 innocent people killed and near 200 got serious injuries. The responsibility lay on the shoulders of Chairman and General Secretary of PPP that they should ask their party martyrs, their orphans in order to heal their wounds.

They all were together there for the cause of democracy and for the victory of their party and gave their lives. President is appealed that he should ask the families of Parachinar’s PPP martyrs and sanction funds for their rehabilitation. People of Parachinar either students in different universities and colleges or employees in different governmental and non governmental departments throughout the country; unfortunately have not seen their families from last two years due to the blockade of main Peshawar to Parachinar road by inhuman Tlibans. The road is blockade for the people of Parachinar from last two years and the people in emergency are reaching Parachinar through very dangerous route from Afghanistan.

The people in Parachinar are totally disconnected from rest of the country both through media and roads. Hospitals are lacking medicine and daily using food stuff is touching sky in prices. People there are passing through the bitter days of starvation and fasting. I am hurt while listening that number of children die there due to lack of primarily used medicine.

Opening of road on urgent bases is impossible due to security problems but the government must sanction the PIA trips on weekly bases to Parachinar as had done by Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto when she was the prime minister of Parachinar. Not sanctioning PIA flights to Parachinar is not only the insult of Benazir Bhuto’s wish for the people of Parachinar as well insult of there people whose patient children and women are traveling through dangerous way of Afghanistan.

Today Pakistan is surrounded by a number of socio-economic political and security problems which have engendered into a great national disaster. Presently as the Government is responsible to exert all efforts in positive directions for the survival of country the same responsibility comes to opposition. Opposition instead of to play their politics on the issues should look into the security and multi problems of the country.

Government did well by applying Justice System conditionally in Swat on the desire of masses living there. It will help bringing peace there but government must not ignore the reality how can all those elements work for justice who have tortured, killed, kidnapped and displaced the people of Swat.

We must not provide safe heavens to all those who are militants of warfare and involved in inhuman activities. Guilty must be punished according the true teachings of Islam and Pakistani law. Those who are involved in the weakening of country and are contributing to terrorism must not be dealt with soft hands. Islam does not forbid anyone for bloodbath.

In Islam the killing of one human equals the killing of whole humanity. Peace is highly valued by Allah and His Prophet (p.b.u.h). Government must keep in view the consequences; country will receive after years because of this ongoing unrest going around the country. ANP’s deviation from its motive as the people of NWFP are observing can take it away from political harmony which they had been received in election both at national as well as provincial.

Without long and strategic of political, economical, traditional, social bases bringing peace to FATA and Swat is impossible. Mr. President Asif Ali Zardari has said well that there are great faults with our system at grass root level without their eruption from roots peace, economical and political stability in Pakistan is a dream. In his first speech as Chairman PPP he has claimed this system responsible for the assassination of his party leader and promised that he would avenge the death of his leader by brining changes to the system.

I would like to say that it is very high time for president brought all those changes for which he has desired. Why all political parties of Pakistan especially PML-N can’t come at one table both in centre and in Punjab for the well being of country and people? Government has to take some serious decision for the elimination of terrorism and extremism and without national integrity these everything is impossible.

Today the most of the areas of NWFP and FATA as a whole are out of the writ of the government which is alarming. Control over own people by force is not a control in real senses. One can’t rule over an area through force unless we accept their will and respect their wishes in the circle of humanity and country’s laws. Ad hoc approaches toward the solutions of problems spoil the issues even more.

Toward FATA and NWFP’s solution we need a compact set of applications and it is need of hour to apply over there all possible solutions. People living there are fed up of ongoing clashes, killing, kidnapping, devastation and bombardments. They are going toward a great tribal war which will push the country great troubles and can hence become cause of disintegration (God forbid). Alone Zardari and ruling government can’t enable Pakistan to get rid of all these problems till all political parties do not help the government above vested and political interests.
Live Long Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has stressed that all provincial governments, FATA administration and law enforcement agencies should enhance vigilance and ensure protection and security of citizens as it is the basic responsibility of the government to maintain law & order.

A comprehensive and integrated policy involving all stakeholders will be devised to eradicating completely the scourge of terrorism and extremism from the soil of the country.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said this while chairing a high level meeting on National Security specially convened in the wake of recent increase in the incidents of terrorism in different parts of the country here at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat on Monday.

During the meeting various preventive measures to effectively combat the tendency of terrorism were discussed at length.

The meeting decided that the existing parliamentary committee on National Security in its report shall also incorporate the root causes of extremism as well as asses the present threats, prepare a draft National Policy to handle this extra ordinary state of insurgency, devise a De-radicalization program to bring the religious elements to mainstream, devise ways and means to bring the Madaris to mainstream and enhancing capacity building of law enforcement agencies.

In the preparation of its report, the Parliamentary Committee shall also co-opt Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, Secretary Interior, Chief Secretaries and IGPs of the four provinces, Chief Commissioner and IGP of ICT, AJK and NAs, all home secretaries, and DG FIA. The committee will finalize its report within two weeks time.

The Prime Minister further said that the time has come when all segments of the society should come forward and join hands to substantiate government’s efforts to curb extremism, militancy, intolerance, sectarian violence and terrorism as the enemies of the state are bent upon eroding the very foundations of our county, challenging the integrity, security and national cohesion. He said that his government would deal sternly with these threats.

During the meeting, it was decided that the provincial governments should monitor activities of banned organizations, misuse of loudspeakers and hate literature.

The Prime Minister urged that the media should play its due role in educating the people by highlighting the true face of Islam which preaches tolerance, humility and protection of human lives. He also underscored the need for the provincial governments to involve the religious scholars in its efforts to deal with this menace of extremism and militancy.

It was decided to hold the meeting on National Security every month to review the situation. Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Governor NWFP and DG FC will also be attending the meetings in future.

The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister of AJ&K, Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan; Federal Minister for Defence, Mr. Ahmad Mukhtar; Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira; Interior Advisor, Mr. Rehman Malik; Chief Minister Punjab Mian Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif; Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah; Chief Minister NWFP, Mir Amir Haider Khan Hoti; Chief Minister Balochistan, Nawab Aslam Raeesani; , Secretary Interior, Chief Secretaries and IGPs of all the four provinces, Chief Commissioner and IGP of ICT, DG FIA, DG IB.

Earlier Prime Minister AJK, Chief Ministers of all the four provinces and Advisor Interior held a meeting with the Prime Minister in his office to discuss the overall political and law & order situation in the country.

PESHAWAR: The Political Agent Bajaur Agency has urged the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to return to their homes as normalcy has returned to the area after flushing out militants from almost all parts of the Agency.

According to a press release issued by the Media Cell FATA Secretariat here on Tuesday that the political administration of Bajaur Agency have driven out the militants from most of the areas of Bajaur Agency and the writ of the government has been established.

There is complete peace in Tehsil Mamond, Tehsil Salarzai and Tehsil Utmankhel while in Tehsil Khar all areas including Agency headquarters Khar and surrounding areas upto Sadeeq Abad Pathak and in Tehsil Nawagai except Char Mang all areas have been cleared of militants.

The Political authorities have advised the IDPs to return to their homes and get themselves registered in Tehsil office Utmankhel Qazafi so as to ensure that relief assistance, when available reaches the affected and deserving persons. The Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) belonging to other areas of Bajaur would be allowed to return to their homes in the second phase and they would be informed through media.-SANA

ISLAMABAD: FATA MNAs unanimously submitted the adjourned motion against the ongoing US missile attacks on FATA area located near Afghanistan border. The Motion was forward by FATA’s Parliamentary Leader Munir Khan Aurakzai in the assembly which was backed by all the FATA’s MNA. Munir urged the government to debate over the issue mentioned in the motion.-SANA

ABBOTTABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that the imposition of section 144 by the government cannot halt the masses flood and the conspirators will have to rush from the scene. Addressing to public procession on Wednesday at Abbottabad he urged the people’s of the four provinces including Azad Kashmir and FATA to come out from their houses to get the long march succeeded.

He said “if we compromise with the government then we can establish our government in Punjab but we prefer the country’s interests”. He said that if the current system continues then it will be difficult to save Pakistan and PML-N will not compromise in this setup at any cost.

He further stated that the people who were talking about his insurgency but in reality the same mutiny were injected in their own spirits. Sharif said that the circumstances in the state were extremely at stake and the president Zardari was still busy in breaking the government. “We want to set up significant political tradition in the country and proud of our Hazara division’s leaders who turn down 60 millions and stick to their stance” he added.

He stated that the system was worsening day by day and it is the obligation of the politicians and the masses to safeguard the country and they can change the history. He further stated that it was expected to resolve the issues according to the masses’ will soon after the election and the candles would be lit in the poor’s houses but all the dreams of the poor have been shattered. He said that he hopefully inked the Charter of Democracy with Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif catered to his promises and he did not back out his promises like Zardari.-SANA

KABUL: The top US diplomat in Kabul warned ­ that Pakistan posed a bigger security challenge to America and the world than Afghanistan, as Islamabad grappled with the latest terrorist attack on its soil and the escalating Taliban on its north-western border.

Christopher Dell, who currently runs the US embassy in Kabul, was speaking in the aftermath of the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore and the news that Pakistani Taliban groups had formed a common front to attack NATO troops in Afghanistan, in what is widely expected to be a bloody and possibly ­decisive summer this year.

“From where I sit [Pakistan] sure looks like it’s going to be a bigger problem,” Dell said in an interview in the heavily fortified US embassy in Kabul. “It is certainly one of those nuclear armed countries the instability of which is a bigger problem for the globe.

“Pakistan is a bigger place, has a larger population, its nuclear-armed. It has certainly made radical Islam a part of its political life, and it now seems to be a deeply ingrained element of its political culture. It makes things there very hard.”

Fears over Pakistan’s ability to cope with the rise of violent religious extremism were intensified by claims yesterday that police in Lahore had abandoned the Sri Lankan cricketers whom they were supposed to be protecting when gunmen opened fire on Tuesday. Surveillance ­footage showed three of the attackers walking down the middle of a street, apparently under no pressure. But Pakistani officials pointed out that six police officers died in the attack.

Senior officials in the Foreign Office and the Obama administration have privately expressed concern that Pakistan could prove to be more of a danger to global peace and security in the long run than Afghanistan, because of its nuclear ­weapons and its highly politicised and Islamicised secret service, the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI).

Barack Obama is particularly alarmed at the decline in Pakistan’s stability, and appointed a special envoy, Richard ­Holbrooke, to Afghanistan and Pakistan to coordinate diplomatic efforts. In a ­reflection of rising anxiety in Washington, Dell expressed those concerns openly.

Dell, who is serving as the US chargé d’affaires in Kabul after a similarly outspoken stint as ambassador in Zimbabwe, said there were signs the rate of infiltration of insurgents across the frontier from Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal areas had increased in recent days. He said it was possible the increase was a result of ceasefire deals agreed by militants and the Pakistani government.

“Every time the Pakistanis have signed a peace deal, two things happen,” Dell said. “There is an uptick in the fighting on this [the Afghan] side, and the peace deals have fallen apart quickly. We think we’ve already seen an increase of fighters crossing the border.”

The epicentre of the problem is Pakistan’s Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) which have become a ­stronghold for an array of jihadist groups including al-Qaida and various splinters of the Taliban. “Everybody says: ‘We’ll go into the Fata and clean out those nests’. Well, you know you could do that in theory. But you’d only create another problem with the backlash against the presence of American or other foreign soldiers,” Dell said.

“There are no easy solutions in Pakistan. There is no silver bullet out there that we’re going to discover one day that will make the problem go away. I think for all those reasons it’s a deep challenge, and yeah, probably harder than Afghanistan.”

The Guardian reported on Tuesday that three warlords in Fata had settled their differences, formed a group calling itself Shura Ittihad-ul Mujahideen, or Council of United Holy Warriors, and had agreed to focus their efforts on launching attacks in Afghanistan.

Major General John MacDonald, the new deputy commander of US forces in Afghanistan, told the Guardian the insurgents were “most dangerous when they begin to collaborate with one another”. “We think we have already seen an increase in the number of fighters coming across the border particularly in the Kunar area right opposite Bajaur,” he added. He predicted that the coming surge in the number of coalition troops in Afghanistan would lead to an increase in fighting.

About 17,000 more US troops are due to arrive in the country in the next few months, and between three and five thousand are expected to reinforce British forces in Helmand province. General MacDonald said those troops would be used to push into places hitherto considered no-go areas for Nato troops. “So yes, this summer you will see more violence,” he said. “We’re just about to kick a beehive.”-SANA

ISLAMABAD: The ruling quarters emerged with overwhelming majority in upper house of the parliament. The senate elections were concluded Wednesday against 19 vacant seats leading Pakistan Peoples Party as major party in the house. According to initial results of Election Commission of Pakistan, PPP candidates won two seats from Islamabad.

Afrasiyab Khattak (Awami National Party) and Adnan Khattak (PPP) were elected as senator securing 55 and 45 votes on two seats for technocrats from NWFP assembly.

The votes held today in National Assembly, NWFP and Balochistan assembly.

An independent candidate Ali Gohar got 14 while Iqbal Zafar Jhagra (PML-N) secured 9 votes.

Total 34 candidates from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) contested for four seats of the Upper House.

Engr Rashid Ahmed and Abbas Khan secured eight votes each of nine votes cast with Abbas Khan and Haji Khan Afridi getting six votes each.

Dr Iftikhar Zafar, Bismillah Khan, Abdul Malik Qadri, Fakhar Zaman Khan, Abdul Salam Sherani, Abdul Wadood, Ghulam Haider Wazir, Qismat Khan Qazir secured one vote each.

Other 18 candidates could not secure even a single vote. And as only 11 members were to cast their votes, the polling was held in committee room of Parliament House.

The newly elected members from Balochistan assembly include four independent candidates, three from PPP, two from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, one each from National Party and Balochistan National Party (BNP) Awami, while the PPP has got its members elected in Punjab and Sindh assembly previously.-SANA