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| Army official calls Baitullah Mehsud, Fazlullah ‘patriots’ |
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Monday, December 01, 2008
By Hamid Mir
ISLAMABAD: All main militant groups fighting in Fata, from South Waziristan to Bajaur and from Mohmand to the Khyber Agency, have contacted the government through different sources after the Mumbai bombings and have offered a ceasefire if the Pakistan Army also stops its operations.
And as a positive sign that this ceasefire offer may be accepted, the Pakistan Army has, as a first step, declared before the media some notorious militant commanders, including Baitullah Mehsud and Maulvi Fazlullah, as “patriotic” Pakistanis.
These two militant commanders are fighting the Army for the last four years and have invariably been accused of terrorism against Pakistan but the aftermath of the Mumbai carnage has suddenly turned terrorists into patriots.
A top security official told a group of senior journalists on Saturday: “We have no big issues with the militants in Fata. We have only some misunderstandings with Baitullah Mehsud and Fazlullah. These misunderstandings could be removed through dialogue.”
The Indian allegations against Pakistan have suddenly forced the military establishment in Pakistan to finally accept that they are not fighting an American war inside the Pakistani territory.
On another level, the parliamentary leader of the 12 Fata members in the National Assembly, Munir Orakzai, has expressed optimism in this regard, saying: “I see a bright ray of peace in the tribal areas and if we come out of the American pressure, I can guarantee that there will be peace in the tribal areas in a few days and we will be ready to fight against India on the eastern border along with the Pakistan Army.”
The change in the attitude of the Pakistani military establishment is remarkable. Thanks to India, the security officials, who used to criticise the Pakistani media, are now praising its role in the recent days, saying: “You have proven that you are patriotic Pakistanis.”
Last year, the same officials were part of a decision to impose a ban on many Pakistani TV channels because of their alleged anti-state behaviour. Meanwhile, Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has made it clear to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani that if India escalates tensions, then Pakistan has to move its troops from the tribal areas to the eastern borders and it would not be possible to continue the war against terrorism.
Top military officials conveyed the same message to the media representatives on Saturday. It was learnt that Washington and London were very concerned over the rise of tension between the two nuclear powers.
The Pakistan Army officials have been describing 48 hours as very important. These sources claimed on Sunday that the situation was now stabilising. A very responsible government official in Islamabad told this scribe on Sunday that nothing would happen in the next 24 hours. Some late night telephone calls made from Washington and London helped to cool down the temperature in New Delhi and Islamabad.
Despite the assurances made by President Asif Zardari on sending a director of ISI to India for helping the Mumbai carnage investigations, it has also been decided by Islamabad that no ISI official will visit India, at least, in the next one week.
On the domestic level, thanks to the uncalled for Indian allegations, some ministers of the Yousuf Raza Gilani cabinet got an opportunity to criticise their prime minister on his face for giving an assurance to India that the ISI chief will go to New Delhi without consulting even his cabinet colleagues.
Angry ministers told Gilani clearly in Saturday’s cabinet meeting that his decision was not good and he should concentrate on “institutionalised decision-making” rather than going for solo flights in the future. Gilani was forced to change his decision. The cabinet, after discussing the Mumbai carnage and the Indian allegations in detail, also advised the prime minister that no ISI official should be sent to India in the near future.
It was discussed in the meeting as to why the militants made a ridiculous demand of liberating the Hyderabad Deccan (Andhra Pradesh). This issue was never raised by any hardline Muslim militant in India or Pakistan in the past. Why did they not demand the liberation of Kashmir, which was the prime objective of banned Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan?
The Indian government claimed that these militants reached Gujarat from Karachi by boat through a 500-km sea route. Why did the Indian Navy fail to stop this boat? The cabinet unanimously agreed that Pakistan will not come under any Indian pressure but efforts will also be made to decrease tensions without annoying the public opinion.
One minister was of the view that the Indian media war against Pakistan had helped Islamabad indirectly as the local media ignored all the domestic political issues and got involved in the tension created by India.
National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza was the most disturbed soul in Islamabad because of the media war between India and Pakistan. She talked to some journalists and advised them not to instigate the public opinion against India because this tension could hurt economies of both countries.
She fears a big conspiracy behind the Mumbai tragedy. She thinks that another attack like Mumbai will definitely create a war-like situation between the two neighbours. She is planning to call the Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Indian President Pratibha Patel to remove doubts and misgivings between the two nations. She told me: “As a mother, I am thinking to make a mothers’ alliance between India and Pakistan. Let the mothers come out and stop their sons from fighting each other.”
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20 die as bomber hits Peshawar Judicial Complex
By Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber blew himself up at the main gate of the Judicial Complex on the Khyber Road here on Thursday, killing 20 people, including three cops, and wounding over 50 others.
Hundreds of more |
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Finally, dreaded NRO list is out and official
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented to the government on Thursday a list of 248 politicians and bureaucrats, who were alleged to have plundered hundreds of billions of rupees but were more |
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Gilani to quit if wife proved NRO beneficiary
By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
& Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: In what could be described as a clear message to the beneficiaries of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to resign from their posts, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilan more |
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Multiple criteria agreed for NFC Award
By Imtiaz Ali
KARACHI: The Fifth National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting in the city on Thursday decided in principle to make population, revenue, backwardness and “inverse density population” (the less the population, the more |
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Karzai sworn in for second term
KABUL: Veteran Afghan leader Hamid Karzai was sworn in as president on Thursday, pledging to fight graft and take control of his country’s security before his five-year term ends, after a fraud-marred election more |
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US asked to take Pakistan into confidence on Afghan policy
KABUL: President Asif Ali Zardari has asked the US to take Pakistan on board regarding its new policy on Afghanistan, as it would also have an impact on Pakistan.
He expressed these views while talking t more |
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‘India failed to respond positively on peace talks’
KABUL: Reiterating his strong stance that India is not serious in the process of dialogue with Pakistan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday underlined that India had not given Pakistan a positive more |
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Dictators ruled for decades but civilians can’t complete tenure: Shahbaz
KARACHI: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Balochistan CM Nawab Aslam Raisani and Sindh CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah have vowed to make Pakistan a welfare state as envisioned by the Quaid-i-Azam.
Talking t more |
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Vehicle escorting CIA director overturns
By Shakeel Anjum
ISLAMABAD: A vehicle of a sensitive security agency escorting US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta, currently on a ‘secret’ visit to Pakistan, overturned near the KRL Chowk at Islamabad Ex more |
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Headley, Rana being probed for involvement in 26/11 attacks
By Sami Abraham
WASHINGTON: Two former students of Cadet College Hasan Abdal, currently living in Chicago, are being investigated for their possible involvement in Mumbai attacks last year in which more than 160 people were ki more |
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PM’s wife not NRO beneficiary: NAB
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau Thursday clarified that Fouzia Gilani, wife of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, was not a beneficiary of the National Reconciliation Ordinance as references agains more |
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Recovered billions can make real difference
By Mehtab Haider
ISLAMABAD: The 160 million people can be provided major relief and even increase in electricity tariff by 30 per cent can be avoided if Rs 165 billion (conservative estimate) are recovered from the beneficiarie more |
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China wants improved Indo-Pak ties
News Desk
BEIJING: The Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday gave the impression that it was merely interested in the gradual improvement in relations between India and Pakistan but was not trying to interfere with the pr more |
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US supports Pakistan-India dialogue
WASHINGTON: A senior American diplomat has said Washington is supportive of resolution of disputes between India and Pakistan through dialogue.
“Of course, we all share an interest in stability and peace more |
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Remarks on women pilots
News Desk
NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) vice chief, Air Marshal P K Barbora, on Thursday offered his apologies if anyone’s feelings have been hurt by his remarks on induction of women fighter pilots, and stressed more |
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Nato must not walk away from Afghanistan, says chief
BUDAPEST: Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday the alliance must not turn its back on Afghanistan as this would raise the threat from al-Qaeda and lead to insecurity throughout central more |
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BoP scam accused sent on 12-day remand
By our correspondent
LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday sent two main accused of the Rs 9 billion Bank of Punjab scam on 12-day physical remand, directing the NAB officials to produce them again in the court along with oth more |
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briefs...
Eid holidays
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced Eid-ul-Azha holidays from November 27 to 30, said an announcement made by the PM Secretariat here on Thursday.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
