Iraq al-Qaeda chief not captured

May 9 ,2008


The United States military in Iraq says a man detained in the northern city of Mosul is not in fact the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq.


An earlier statement from the Iraqi defence ministry said that al-Masri had been captured.

But an American military spokeswoman, Peggy Kageleiry, said Abu Ayyub al-Masri had not been arrested.

She said confusion had arisen because a man with a similar name to the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader had been detained.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq has been blamed for or has claimed responsibility for some of the bloodiest insurgent attacks in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.

Members of al-Qaeda are believed to have regrouped in the northern city since the beginning of the US troops "surge" last year.

Al-Masri is believed to have helped Abu Musab al-Zarqawi form the first al-Qaeda cell in Baghdad. Zarqawi was killed in June 2006.

In April 2007, he was named "minister of war" in the 10-man cabinet of the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella organisation of Sunni militant groups.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7391423.stm

‘Pakistan has receievd $1bn a year since 9/11’

* Patterson says money is transferred to Finance Ministry rather than to security forces

KARACHI: The United States has been providing almost a billion dollars annually to reimburse Pakistan for its fight against militancy since 2001, US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W Patterson said on Thursday.

Talking to members of the Management Association of Pakistan (MAP), she said Pakistan was now the third largest recipient of the US assistance in the world.

Finance Ministry: “Contrary to what you may see in the press, this money does not go directly to security services, but is deposited in the central government’s account,” Patterson said, adding that in other words it was a direct cash transfer to the Ministry of Finance.

“Our objective in providing this assistance is simple and clear,” she said, pointing out that a stable, democratic and prosperous Pakistan, free of militant extremism, would make the US safer and more prosperous.

The ambassador said Pakistan was a critically important country for the US. “Important to our security, important to our relations with others in the Muslim world, and important to America’s continued economic success,” she said.

Patterson said the US was trying to conduct its policy and programmes in Pakistan in a transparent manner.

“We want people to know and understand varied ways in which the US is engaged,” she said.

She said the US also wanted to dispel rumours that it only worked with the Pakistani military. app

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...9-5-2008_pg1_3

Nawaz-Zardari meeting on judges in London today

* Coalition partners to discuss report of expert committee
* Sherry says Zardari will also meet Bilawal and Altaf Hussain

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif are likely to meet in London today (Friday) to discuss the report of the committee tasked to devise a framework for the restoration of the judges sacked on November 3, 2007.

Zardari arrived in London on Thursday, accompanied by Interior Affairs Adviser Rehman Malik. Nawaz is already in the city. PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and Khawaja Asif have also reached London.

Nawaz told reporters on Thursday that the sacked judges would be restored by May 12 and that the decision required “political will”. PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said a meeting between the two leaders was not scheduled, but likely on Friday. He said it would not matter if the restoration took a day or two more than the May 12 deadline.

Information Minister Sherry Rehman said Zardari will meet his son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain in London today (Friday). He will also make a courtesy call on Nawaz and his wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who underwent surgery this week. Talking to reporters before leaving for London, Petroleum Minister Khawaja Asif said the differences between the coalition partners related only to the procedure for the restoration. “The May-12 deadline will not be extended,” he said. “The legal experts have explained the procedures for the restoration of the sacked judges, which Nawaz and Zardari will discuss in London,” he said. zulfiqar ghuman/agencies

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...9-5-2008_pg1_6

Troops block road to South Waziristan

* Intelligence official says move aimed at pressurising militants to remove checkposts
* Taliban attack FC convoy in Bajaur Agency, kidnap 30 troops

WANA: Troops blocked the main road leading to the South Waziristan Agency on Thursday in a confrontation with Al Qaeda-linked militants who operate there, Reuters quoted a security official as saying.

Residents of the ethnic Pashtun tribal region said tension was running high because of the blockade, which came as the new government was pursuing negotiations in an effort to end militant violence.

The blockade of the road leading to South Waziristan on the Afghan border came after fighters loyal to Baitullah Mehsud, chief of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, set up checkposts on the road to exert control over the region.

Pressure tactics: “The road is blocked to put pressure on the militants to remove the checkposts,” said an intelligence official based in the area.

Hundreds of trucks and cars were backed up along the road from the town of Tank in North West Frontier Province, residents said. The new government, led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), is trying to negotiate peace through elders of the Pashtun tribes in the region.

Mehsud is accused of being behind many of the bomb attacks across the country, including the one in which PPP chairwoman Benazir Bhutto was killed in December. Mehsud announced a ceasefire last month but his men later said they were rejecting negotiations mediated by tribal elders after the government refused to withdraw troops from the tribal region. Tribal elders in Waziristan said authorities had asked them to re-establish contacts with Mehsud to revive the talks.

On Wednesday night, militants attacked a police station in the Swat Valley in the NWFP killing one policeman and wounding another. They also torched two girls’ schools in the valley.

Abductions: Also on Wednesday, the Taliban attacked a Frontier Constabulary (FC) convoy in the Bajaur Agency, kidnapping 30 FC troops along with their four vehicles and ammunition, BBC Radio reported.

It quoted Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar as saying that the Taliban had attacked the convoy because it was traversing the area without ‘seeking permission’ from the Taliban. BBC added that the Taliban later released 24 FC troops following interventions by local tribal elders however six soldiers and official vehicles were still in militants’ custody. The radio quoted Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesman as saying that he knew about the attack, but did not know about the FC troops taken hostage. Local Taliban leaders said they did not want to initiate attacks against security forces even in the absence of a ceasefire agreement, BBC added. reuters/daily times monitor

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...9-5-2008_pg1_1

Rupee hits record low against US dollar

KARACHI: The Pakistani rupee fell 0.95 percent against the US dollar on Thursday to a new record low and it has now depreciated 8.9 percent since the beginning of the year. Dealers said the rupee was under pressure from increased demand for dollars from importers, particularly for purchases of oil, with crude prices scaling record highs. The rupee closed at 67.08/20 to the dollar compared with the previous closing low of 66.45/55 set on Wednesday. “We are not seeing any inflows and at the same time international oil prices keep rising,” said a bank trader. Dealers said the rupee could fall to as low as 70 to the dollar in coming days. reuters

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...9-5-2008_pg1_8



KARACHI: Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the president of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), is likely to be released within the next 24 hours.

Sindh Home Secretary Arif Ahmed Khan said the Sindh government would likely approach the relevant court on Friday for the withdrawal of the last remaining case against Mengal. Hundreds of party supporters had rushed to Karachi’s Liaquat National Hospital on Thursday after rumours that Mengal was being released from an 18-month detention on Thursday. The party has announced protest rallies across Balochistan and Sindh at 4pm today (Friday). staff report

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...9-5-2008_pg1_5

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Regards

Aarwaa

Pakistan is ruled by three As - Army, America and Allah.

By M. Ziauddin

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You are an eagle, flight is your vocation:
You have other skies stretching out before you.

London talks end in deadlock

LAHORE: Deadlock over how best to implement a parliamentary resolution to restore the sacked judges is still continuing between the PPP and the PML-N, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday.

He told Dawn News that the legal committee formed to work out the modalities of the implementation could not reach consensus. He said the two sides were also unable to remove their differences despite detailed talks on Friday. He claimed that the PML-N had done its best to break the deadlock, adding that it was now up to the PPP.

PML-N leader Khawaja Asif, meanwhile, said that there was no further chance of a meeting between PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif before the May 12 deadline.

Formula: Meanwhile, Zardari told a private TV channel that the reinstatement of the judiciary could not be separated from the constitutional context. PPP sources said that the party had presented a 13-point formula for the reinstatement of the judiciary to the PML-N. Also on Saturday, PML-N spokesman Siddiqul Farooq told Aaj TV that his party might quit government if the sacked judges were not restored. He said a joint meeting of PML-N’s Central Working Committee and its parliamentary party had been convened in Islamabad on May 12 and would determine the party’s future course of action.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...1-5-2008_pg1_5

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Marwatone.

PML-N decides to quit from cabinet

ISLAMABAD: Following the failure of London talks on the re-instatement of judges; Pakistan Muslim League (PML)-N has decided to resign from federal cabinet in central executive committee meeting underway here.

Earlier, federal ministers reached to attend the meeting without official car and other privileges.

The meeting has discussed that coalition with Peoples Party was made for the restoration of deposed judges but Peoples Party has failed to fulfill its commitment therefore PML-N has decided to quit the coalition.

http://www.geo.tv/5-12-2008/18005.htm

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Truth is the most powerful force on earth because it can not be changed. (Mike Murdock)

Thousands dead in Chinese quake

Monday , 12 May 2008
A powerful earthquake has killed at least 8,500 people in China's south-western Sichuan province, up to 5,000 of them in just one county.

Many more are feared killed and injured in other parts of the country after the 7.8-magnitude quake struck at 1428 local time (0628 GMT).

At least 50 bodies have been recovered from the rubble of a school where an estimated 900 students were buried.

President Hu Jintao has urged "all-out" efforts to rescue victims.

The epicentre of the earthquake was about 92km (57 miles) from Chengdu, Sichuan's provincial capital
Because the earthquake struck in the middle of the day, it is feared that many schoolchildren may be among the victims.

'Major disaster'

One of the worst-hit areas appears to be Beichuan county, part of the Mianyang city municipal area, about 50km from the epicentre.

Some 80% of buildings there were reported to have been destroyed, leaving between 3,000 and 5,000 people dead and up to 10,000 injured.

Meanwhile hundreds of people were reported to have been buried in two collapsed chemical plants in Shifang in Sichuan, and at least five other schools were reported to have collapsed.

The death toll could turn out to be much higher once the damage in Wenchuan county - the epicentre - is assessed, says BBC China analyst Shirong Chen.

The area is very rugged, full of mountains and valleys and a number of roads are connected with bridges from one mountain top to the next, he says.

Nine hours after the quake, Xinhua reported, a rescue team had still not been able to get to Wenchuan.

"We are doing everything we can, but the roads are blanketed with rocks and boulders," said top Sichuan official Li Chongxi.

There were fears that China's programme to save the endangered giant panda may have been affected.

Wenchuan county is home to the Wolong Nature Reserve, the country's leading research and breeding base for pandas - but the centre could not be reached by phone.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who flew to Chengdu immediately, said China needed "calm, confidence, courage and strong leadership".

"We will definitely overcome this major disaster," he promised.

US President George W Bush expressed condolences to victims' families, while Japan offered to send aid.

The Chinese Red Cross has sent hundreds of tents and thousands of blankets to the afflicted area.

Cries for help

There were harrowing reports from the scene of a school collapse in Dujiangyan city - just south-east of the epicentre - where 900 students were buried and 50 dead.


Teenagers buried beneath the rubble of the three-storey Juyuan Middle School building were struggling to break free, while others were crying out for help, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Parents were watching as cranes excavated the site. Villagers rushed to help with the rescue.

Two girls said they escaped because they had "run faster than others".

Dozens of aftershocks have been reported since the quake, which was felt in Beijing, 1,545km (960 miles) away, and the Thai capital Bangkok, 1,800km (1,200 miles) away.

It was the strongest to hit Sichuan province in more than 30 years, Xinhua said.

The province is the most populated part of China - home to 87 million people.

The provincial capital Chengdu, which has a population of more than 10 million people, was comparatively lightly damaged - though Xinhua cited an official with the local seismological bureau saying 45 people were killed there.

Helicopters and 5,000 troops have been sent to help with relief work.

The BBC's Quentin Somerville says this is probably the most significant natural disaster to hit China in recent memory, but that the Chinese army has a good record of mobilising and getting people to safety.

He also says it is one of the most open and speedy responses to an emergency he has ever seen from Chinese state media.

The quake was felt as far away as Beijing, he says, meaning millions of people will feel connected to the disaster and will be watching TV screens closely to see how the government responds.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7396400.stm

__________________
Time is the longest distance between two places.

Commonwealth lifts suspension of Pakistan

LONDON, May 12 (AFP)


The Commonwealth lifted Monday its suspension of Pakistan from the grouping, its secretary general said after a meeting of key ministers in London.

“Pakistan is now restored to the councils of the Commonwealth,” said Kamalesh Sharma after the talks at the Commonwealth's Marlborough House headquarters.

Pakistan was suspended from the councils of the 53-nation Commonwealth on November 22 last year, with the organization saying that conditions under President Musharraf were in violation of its fundamental values.

http://dawn.com./2008/05/12/welcome.htm

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The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta,
held as a votive, not in vain, for the value
and veracity of such shall one day vindicate
the vigilant and the virtuous.
*********************************

Iran offers plan to tackle global challenges

Thursday, May 15, 2008

BRUSSEL/WASHINGTON: Iran presented on Wednesday proposals to tackle “global challenges” in a bid to seize the diplomatic initiative as world powers argue over the best way to convince Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment.

The proposals on ways to deal with terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and the Middle East conflict come as major powers are divided over whether to offer security guarantees to entice Iran to suspend uranium enrichment.

But the package, released in Brussels, at the United Nations, and other world capitals, does not directly address the nuclear issue and fears in the West that the Islamic Republic could build an atomic bomb.

“We have presented a wider approach, beyond the nuclear issue,” said Iran’s ambassador to the European Union, Aliasghar Khaji. “It gives you a general picture on how to deal with the question of peace and security in the world.”

He said he had not been given permission to go into details.

However he added: “We believe that if some countries take our proposals seriously, and if they try to work together to address common concerns, another resolution could be avoided” at the UN Security Council.

The United States said on Tuesday that it was expecting little of substance. “Given the track record, if they continue on the trend and pathway that they’ve been on, I don’t think anybody’s going to hold their breath,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. A European diplomat said the proposals were: “public relations, that’s all.”

Iran insists it has the right to enrich uranium to make nuclear fuel to help meet its electricity needs and has so far defied Security Council resolutions which demand it halt the process.

At highly refined levels, such work can also make the fissile core of a bomb but Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful and has vehemently denied that it is seeking to make weapons.

In an effort to persuade Iran to suspend enrichment, permanent Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany have been re-working an offer of incentives originally made in 2006.

EU diplomats say the “reviewed and updated” offer contains little new.

The European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it would contain “a little more on the economic front and in terms of energy, but barely. It’s mainly an update, a re-organisation”.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged the top powers - the so-called 5+1 group - to give Iran security guarantees to help resolve the crisis, after talks with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

He said they “could put concrete proposals on the table guaranteeing the security of Iran and ensuring Iran a worthy, equal place in talks on resolving all problems in the near and Middle East,” RIA Novosti news agency reported. “Unfortunately not all members of the ‘six’ are prepared for this, but I am convinced that this is an effective way to remove the tension in the region and resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear problem,” he said.

Russia has relatively close ties to Iran and has built the Islamic Republic’s first nuclear power station, for which it is also supplying the uranium fuel.

With Russia, and possibly others, out of step on how much to offer and US elections looming, the whole process could be bogged down for some time. “I can’t see anything moving forward,” the diplomat said. “Things could be blocked until the end of the year.”

Meanwhile, a US official threw cold water on Wednesday on a call by Russia to give Iran security guarantees to help resolve the deadlock over its nuclear programme.

“It’s not something that we think would be appropriate,” State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters when asked about Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s call for leading powers to give Iran such guarantees.

“It’s not something we’re looking for, although we do think it would be appropriate if Iran would stop threatening the existence of Israel,” Casey said.

At talks with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Russia, Lavrov hoped the proposal would be taken up by six powers that are trying to negotiate a halt to Iran’s uranium enrichment programme, Russian news agencies reported.

Official vehicles’ registration completed

Thursday, May 15, 2008

LAHORE
COMPUTERISED registration of vehicles of various sections of the excise and taxation, police and transport departments has been completed with the coordination of the Information Technology Department.

This was informed to Punjab Minister for Works, Human Resource and Information Technology, Muhammad Ashraf Khan Sohna, by Secretary Information Technology, Shumail Ahmed Khawaja, during a briefing on Wednesday.

The secretary Information Technology further informed the minister that besides computerisation of property tax collection of the Excise and Taxation Department and land revenue record of the Revenue Department, record of the Auqaf, Food, Agriculture, Prisons, Baitul Maal, Health and Law departments was also being computerised.

He informed that coordination was also being extended to the provincial departments to launch websites while internet facility was being provided to more than 40 provincial departments

Motorway Police seize 3,450 wheat, flour bags

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Islamabad

National Highways & Motorway Police (NH&MP), foiling various smuggling attempts captured 23 trucks loaded with 3,450 bags of flour and wheat that were being smuggled from Punjab to NWFP, official sources said.

During the routine patrolling near Sukheki, the Motorway Police officers SPO Atif Nawaz, SPO Muhammad Imran, SPO Aman Ullah and PO Qamar Hussain Qadri observed that 13 trucks — C-3622, C-3473, Z-2100, P-4747, C-1914, E-968, GLTA-2913, K-7309, C-1331, E-9497, K-2275, RPT-8182 and P-2345 — entered the Motorway by cutting the fence from different places.

The Motorway Police later intercepted them and recovered huge quantity of wheat and flour which was being smuggled to Peshawar. The Motorway Police arrested all the culprits and took the trucks into their custody.

In another incident, the Motorway Police observed that three trucks bearing registration numbers E-5353, E-9705 and RIN-6765, were violating the lane discipline. As the trucks were intercepted and checked, huge quantity of wheat and flour were recovered from them.

The drivers of trucks were arrested and trucks were taken into custody. Similarly, two trucks — TKR-697 and RIN-6367 — entered Motorway near Pindi Bhattian after cutting the fence they were also carrying the wheat for smuggling, which was seized by the Motorway Police. The Truck driver informed that the wheat belongs to Asad Sheikh, who threatened the Motorway Police officer of dire consequences for capturing his trucks.

Near Khan Ka Dogran, two more trucks (P-9681 and RIN-8387) were intercepted by the Motorway Police special squad and it was observed that they were also smuggling wheat to Peshawar.

Three robbers burnt alive in Karachi

Thursday, May 15, 2008

By Salis bin Perwaiz

KARACHI: In a shocking incident of vigilante justice, a mob in Karachi on Wednesday burnt three bandits alive near the Timber Market, venting their anger and disgust over the rising crimes.

The gory incident took place when four robbers barged into Akbar Soomro’s apartment on the third floor in the Somiya Mukarram Palace, situated near the Timber Market. The robbers barged into his house at around 1:30 pm and held the children hostage at gunpoint. They cut the telephone line and electricity wires and locked the house from inside and started misbehaving with the women.

The bandits looted cash and jewellery. When they were about to flee, the door bell rang. When the bandits opened the door, they found Akbar, the head of the family. They shot and injured him and started fleeing.

Akbar, a seaman by profession, chased the bandits and made a hue and cry. The passers-by and residents of the area caught the three bandits and started beating them, while the fourth escaped. They immediately shifted Akbar to a hospital where he was declared out of danger.

In the meantime, 800 to 1,000 people gathered at the scene and started beating the robbers with fists, blows and sticks. Some people brought kerosene and petrol and sprinkled it over the bandits and the mob torched them. Some people resorted to aerial firing and also shot and injured the bandits before they were killed.

A large contingent of police tried to rescue the bandits but the public resisted and pushed the police back. Edhi workers who tried to save the bandits who were aflame were also beaten by the public. After a tough struggle of 20 minutes, the police managed to shift one injured bandit to hospital, while two bandits who were completely burnt died on the spot. The third bandit died in the hospital after struggling for life for two hours.

The residents said they were happy over the incident and praised the persons who had torched these robbers alive. The robbers, they said, looted the area people and had been killing them for just a cell-phone or cash. They added due to this, they had instructed their children not to resist and surrender cell-phones to the robbers. They said what the people achieved was justice because had the bandits been arrested, they would have been granted bail by the courts and would have resumed looting.

According to the residents, bandits regularly robbed the passers-by on Nishtar Road late at night and deprived the poor vendors of their day’s earnings. Station House Officer, Eidgah, Nasir Mehmood, said the bandits were unidentified and their bodies were shifted to the morgue. He added that they had found two TT pistols from the bandits and jewellery and Rs 20,000 looted from Akbar’s house.

The SHO said two FIRs were lodged – one by Akbar Soomro and the other on behalf of the state under the Arms Ordinance for the pistols recovered from the bandits.

LHC grants time to govt in Sharifs tax evasion case

Thursday, May 15, 2008

LAHORE

Justice Nasim Sikandar of the Lahore High Court Wednesday granted three-week time to state counsel to submit his arguments on the petitions of ex-premier Nawaz Sharif, his wife Kulsoom Nawaz and brother Shahbaz Sharif, against the notices of tax department for tax evasion.

The income tax department has accused Nawaz Sharif of evading tax on purchase of a helicopter, which he used for his election campaign in mid-1990s.

Kulsoom was asked to pay Rs 2.9 million as additional wealth tax and Rs 1.9 million as additional income tax for her income during the years 1994-95, 95-96, 96-97 and 97-98. While Shahbaz was directed to pay Rs 2.3 million as additional wealth tax and Rs 1.6 million as additional income tax for the years 1994-95, 95-96,96-97, 97-98.

On Wednesday, petitioners’ counsel Tariq Aziz Malik extended his arguments about Nawaz Sharif case and said the tax department never disclosed as to what amount of tax was due from him and it was a vague notice, which does not have legal sanctity.

He said the order of income tax commissioner was repugnant and inconsistent with Section 31 of Wealth Tax Act 1963, which states that no penalty or additional tax can be imposed during the pendency of appeal. And the appeals of the petitioners were pending for the last seven years. He said Kulsoom Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif had paid the income tax during the stipulated time and no objection was raised against it at that time. Tariq said the notices were issued to them after year 2000. He said the objection about the assessment was raised about 1213 days instead of the normal 60 days period and as such, this decision on face of it was illegal.

Counsel further said the re-opening of the case was illegal, as the department already accepted the tax and now it could not raise any objection.

He said the show cause notice was not issued which was necessary before taking any action. He said the notice was a violation of the Section 177 of the Income Tax Ordinance. He prayed the court to declare the assessment made by the department after such a delay as illegal. After the arguments of petitioner’s counsel, the counsel for income tax department sought three-week time to file his arguments, which was granted.

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/

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Time is the longest distance between two places.

PPP can be justifiably proud that it is the only party that has its support base in all four provinces. It has made enormous sacrifices, including the lives of its two leaders, to earn that position. But in a highly dynamic domestic and external environment, past glories and residual political capital are not enough

Pakistan has once again been plunged into a deep crisis.

The euphoria that gripped the nation after the elections on February 18, 2008 and the tremendous amount of goodwill that poured in internationally has largely evaporated and the country now faces uncertainty.

For all practical purposes the government has been fairly ineffective since its inception as it has been deeply distracted by the judges’ controversy. What makes things worse is that the previous government too in the last eighteen months was a victim of institutional paralysis.

Of course the judges’ issue is central to the current crisis but there are broader issues that are at play in the ongoing power struggle. The weakening of civilian democratic forces does not necessarily mean a stronger President Musharraf either. No doubt, he would have additional political space to maneuver things but to what end? With the government’s hold getting weak and state structures crumbling, the levers to exercise power also diminish.

In any case, politics is not necessarily a zero-sum game. PMLN leadership was expecting that by restoring the judges, the president’s legitimacy would be challenged which would lead to his ouster. In the changed scenario they are likely to side fully with the lawyers and the civil society movement for restoration of the judges and simultaneously put pressure for the president’s exit.

The Bush administration still considers President Musharraf as the best interlocutor for the war on terror and considers him a stabilizer among the opposing political forces. The ground reality is to the contrary, and by supporting President Musharraf the US makes itself more unpopular with the masses which neither helps the war on terror nor the stability of Pakistan.

The PPP’s stance on the question of judges and the perception of its siding with or at least being soft on President Musharraf is eroding its credibility and popularity. The party leadership would lose a lot if it were to discard its ideological moorings.

Lately, leaders who represent the soul and spirit of the party and have roots among the people seem to have been marginalized and should be brought back and reintegrated in the central decision making process. It is crucial for national cohesion that PPP holds together at this critical time and leads the nation with clarity on short- and long-term issues.

Circumstances have thrown Mr Zardari into the role of the most powerful leader of the country. He has to seize the moment by aligning the party with the positive and progressive forces that are yearning for a genuine change in our political and social landscape.

Advice from the US, European capitals, or for that matter China or other Muslim countries is welcome but the answers and solutions to Pakistan’s problems are to found from within if they have to be acceptable and enduring.

PPP can be justifiably proud that it is the only party that has its support base in all four provinces. It has made enormous sacrifices, including the lives of its two leaders, to earn that position. But in a highly dynamic domestic and external environment, past glories and residual political capital are not enough.

Mr Nawaz Sharif has stated that his party will continue to support the PPP in the parliament and pursue the cause of the judges relentlessly from outside. PMLN is expected to align with the APDM, lawyers and the civil society in this struggle and that would ultimately pitch them against the government.

With this major contradiction it is not difficult to foresee it is not long before the two parties will part ways. Punjab is the key, being the driver of Pakistan’s politics and economy. In case tensions heighten between PPP and PMLN, will it be possible to govern and function with a hostile Punjab? Could that lead to governor’s rule and return to a repressive state?

As of now, Nawaz Sharif, by taking a clear position on the question of judges and standing firm on his commitment, has become a leader by default. On the contrary the PPP is giving the impression that the judges’ reinstatement is a trivial matter.

Already there are fissures in the federation owing to the insurgency in Baluchistan and the shrinking writ of the state in the tribal belt and NWFP. The breakdown of the coalition could weaken the bargaining position of the government while dealing with the insurgent tribes in Baluchistan and the radical militants on the western border.

Militants in FATA are likely to expand and deepen their influence after the fall of the coalition. Nothing suits them more than a weak, ineffective government and a divided political and social milieu. Radical groups thrive when governments fail to provide security, justice, employment opportunities and food security to the people. The task of building national consensus on the “war on terror” is likely to be more arduous as well. Therefore, much depends on how the PPP addresses these issues.

Deep economic problems coupled with the political crisis are a combustible mix. The fiscal position has deteriorated due to lax policies of the previous government and the adverse global economic climate. At a recent seminar, eminent economist Hafiz Pasha pointed out that the fiscal deficit could rise to an alarming 9.5 percent, more than double the laid-down target for macro-economic stability.

Trade deficit is also likely to reach 8.5 percent. High inflation, rapidly increasing oil and food prices and long hours of load shedding are creating acute hardships to millions of people in Pakistan. All these are contentious political issues and the government has to take these challenges upfront to avoid social unrest and political violence.

Our leaders will have to devise ways of enabling Pakistan to survive and prosper in a chaotic domestic and regional situation coupled with a highly aggressive international order. The best way of doing it is to find ways of cooperating rather than confronting each other.

Retired lieutenant general Talat Masood

Official: Suicide bomb kills 15 in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An official says a suicide bomber wearing a burqa has killed 15 people and wounded 22 others in a crowded market in southwestern Afghanistan.

Farah province official Younus Rasoul said the bomber struck in Dilaram district Thursday. The dead included three policemen and 12 civilians.

Afghanistan is battling a raging Taliban-led insurgency.

At least 1,200 people — mostly militants — have died in insurgency-related violence in 2008, according to a tally compiled by The Associated Press. The U.N. says more than 8,000 people, most of them militants, died in insurgency-related violence in 2007.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2...tan-bomb_N.htm

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UN: Foreign agents behind Afghan killings

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A U.N. rights official has alleged that foreign intelligence agents have taken part in secret raids in Afghanistan that have killed civilians.
U.N. special rapporteur Philip Alston told reporters Thursday he is aware of at least three such recent raids in the country's south and east. He said no one was taking responsibility for the killings.

He said one raid in January that killed two Afghan brothers was conducted by Afghans and personnel from a U.S. special forces base in Kandahar. He said Afghan government officials said the victims had no connection to Taliban insurgents.

Alston said foreign intelligence agencies were operating with "impunity" in certain provinces. He said such operations were "absolutely unacceptable."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2...killings_N.htm

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