Pakistan's spy chief briefs lawmakers on terrorism

[muse]

A timely post - While Pakistan is literally bombed into pieces, who is it that cannot get it's act togother? Who is it that cares more about their piece of the pie than the good of Pakistan? Who wants to pin Musharraf instead of deal with the problem of terrorists?

Many Pakistanis have been congratulatory about the religion of so called "democracy" in Pakistan -- but exactly what is the substance to congratulate ourselves over this vicious, vile, petty, form of governance?

If Pakistan have a problem, it is the lack of a Pakistani political system.

All forms of governance are basically kleptocracies - a small group, which itself produces little to nothing, in Pakistan's case, not even laws, devises the transfer of wealth within segments of society, with particular attention to ensure that control over significant amounts of that wealth accrues to and remains in the control of a small group.

Through out history, societies have seen in this arrangement merit, on the condition, that this small group is efficient and effective with regard to it's mission in the public interests.

Have Pakistani politicians ever, through out it's entire history, been effective or efficient, when it comes to the public interest?

When we assert that this "democracy" is a kind of a religion, we point to the defence of it that some in society mount on it's behalf - while these same will lay open to critical review every other construct, but not this idea - this idea is beyond of critical review and even when they are open to examine it critically, it is on the condition that whatever it's faults, it's inefficiencies, it's ineffectivesness, it is not irredeemable.

Is the only option available to Pakistan, this religion of democracy or martial law? can Pakistan not devise a system free of the Westminster style, free of politicals built on victimization and patronage, free of politicians who not only authorize expenditure but also determine where and whom will be the benficiaries of this expenditure?

If these misrepresentatives cannot even agree as to who and what are the enemies of Pakistan, why should we have any confidence that they would care about our well being?

 

[fatman17]

ASIA PACIFIC
Date Posted: 09-Oct-2008

Jane's Defence Weekly

Pakistan Army seeks political backing for its anti-terror campaign

Farhan Bokhari JDW Correspondent - Islamabad

Pakistan's army, which is leading the country's 'war on terror', asked the country's main political parties on 8 October to back its anti-terror effort in the country's northern districts close to the Afghan border.

The appeal for support, issued by Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, who was appointed head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) counter-espionage agency the week before, came in a closed joint session of the country's two houses of parliament.

The briefing was the first time since Pakistan joined the US-led 'war on terror' in 2001 that the country's top intelligence chief had addressed parliamentarians in any detail.

Western defence officials based in Islamabad and senior Pakistani government officials said the in-camera briefing was aimed at forming a national political consensus in support of anti-terrorist operations.

The day after the briefing, a suicide car bomber attacked a compound used by anti-terror policemen in Islamabad, killing at least eight people.

"It is vital for Pakistan's political establishment to back the military," a senior Pakistani security official told Jane's . "Only with such backing are you going to have popular support for the campaign against terror."

A Western official added that the briefing was a "crucial first step to establish the fact that this is a war by Pakistan, for Pakistan".

One parliamentarian who attended the briefing told Jane's that Gen Pasha gave a graphic account of the challenges faced by the Pakistani military in the areas along the Afghan border, where up to 150,000 troops have been deployed. In one particularly striking image that has never been shown publicly, a 10-year-old boy was seen shooting a man tied to the ground, the parliamentarian said.

"The shooter was a Taliban apprentice and the victim was a suspected US spy. This was absolutely the most gruesome sight that I have ever seen," he said.

© 2008 Jane's Information Group

 

[RabzonKhan]

ANP slams Fazl for ‘dual’ policy on terror war

October 18, 2008

By Irfan Ghauri and Tahir Niaz

ISLAMABAD: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Friday criticised the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), its partner in the coalition government, for ‘dual’ policies in the war on terror.

Sources privy to developments during parliament’s in-camera session told Daily Times ANP member of the National Assembly (MNA) Pervez Khan, taking part in the debate, criticised JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for adopting dual policies on various issues, especially the war on terror.

“Maulana Fazlur Rehman is trying to ride two boats at the same time. The JUI-F was in power in the NWFP along with other religious allies for five years and their dubious policies resulted in chaos and the worst law and order the province has ever witnessed,” Khan was quoted by the sources as saying.

Khan noted Fazl had offered mediation between the government and Taliban on Thursday, but that he had not specified whom he wanted to engage with on the negotiating table, they added.

“Does he want the government to talk with Al Qaeda, foreign militants or the Pakistani Taliban and what is the yardstick to differentiate between all these groups?” the sources quoted Khan as asking the House.

Taliban: The ANP legislator favoured dialogue with Pakistani Taliban provided they respected the supremacy of tribal elders. He accused the Taliban of violating peace agreements they had signed with the ANP in Swat.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid MNA Ameer Muqam criticised the ANP for using the ‘Pashtun card’ to serve the party’s interests. Sources said Muqam’s speech focused on the situation in Swat and its adjoining areas, saying the policies of the ANP-led provincial government had met with abject failure.

Clash: Members of the PPP and the PML-N, former allies, clashed when Minister for Information Sherry Rehman objected to the stance PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar took regarding the status of evidence given by women.
Sources said PML-N MNA Abid Sher Ali was prompt to contradict Sherry’s stand. Members of the two parties advanced towards each other, but a physical clash was avoided after Jan Muhammad Jamali, chairing the session at the time, intervened. The sources said Dar had conveyed the proposals of his party leadership to the House on formulating a consensus policy on the war on terror.

The House will resume the debate on Monday, October 20, after a two-day break.

 

[Imran Khan]

why isi weste his time to breaf them. no one intrest in this .

 

[dr.umer]

Unfortunately some "elected" members so called people's representatives are playing politics on national interests. These "elected" members should be ashamed of themselves. As a matter of fact, their this attitude will help in "dividing nation" instead of "uniting" them.

ISI chief's warnings should not be taken for granted by these thick heads. President asked him to give "in-camera" briefing and thanks to him, he accepted. But these bloody illiterate elected trash seem to take it lightly.

ISI will carry on defending the national interests irrespective of the out come, that's for sure.

 

[RabzonKhan]

Zardari calls for civilian response to terrorism

October 22, 2008

By Sajjad Malik

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari urged civil and political leaders on Tuesday to own the war on terror, saying the military and security agencies could not be left to fight the war alone.

“This is total war and should be fought in totality, and on multiple fronts,” he told participants of a top-level meeting on the FATA and NWFP security situation at the President’s House. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani accompanied him.

“Pakistan’s civilian political leadership has successfully confronted terrorism in parts of the country in the past, and drawing lessons from that experience, is determined to carry out the ongoing fight against terrorism to a logical conclusion,” Zardari said.

NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti and Interior Adviser Rehman Malik made presentations on the terror threat and the government’s strategy to tackle it.

“The fight against terrorism is part of a larger struggle to save the country, the federation and its democratic structure,” the president said. “That is why the government has put together the strategy of three Ds – dialogue, development and deterrence – to wipe out the menace.”

He said the government had expanded the consultative process and consult the parliament on the issue, for the elected representatives from across the political divide to own the war. Zardari was referring to an in-camera parliamentary session on national security, now in its second week. The Military Operations director general and the information minister briefed the session before a debate on counterterrorism policy.

The president also accepted a proposal by Law Minister Farooq Naik to for unspecified ‘special regulations’ under Article 247(5) of the constitution for ‘peace and good governance’ in the Tribal Areas.

The law minister also briefed the meeting about the progress made by a committee to recommend amendments in the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR), a British-era set of laws implemented in the Tribal Areas that Pakistan chose to continue with after Independence.

The president said people in the Tribal Areas were not terrorists but victims of terrorism – repeating a statement made by Hoti while addressing the concluding session of a workshop on southern FATA arranged by the Benazir Democracy Institute of the Shaheed Bhutto Foundation on Monday.

In Tuesday’s meeting, Zardari said similar meetings would be held every month to ‘closely monitor the progress made and the difficulties encountered’. Another top-level meeting on militancy in Balochistan involving ‘stakeholders and political leaders’ would be held in ‘the next few days’, he said. Zardari said he would also hold a separate meeting with the Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the Pakistan People’s Party.

Information Minister Sherry Rehman, Environment Minister Hameedullah Jan Afridi, provincial ministers, legislators from FATA and senior officials also attended the meeting.

“Various dimensions of the prevailing situation were discussed from the perspective of participants,” state media reported.

 

[waraich66]

I am not agreed with those who are in favour of present government/ISI of pakistan .

Kurran Dastagir is 100% right.ISI/PPP Govt. is trying to eye wash member parlimentarians.





How can you deny the involvement of RAW of innocent killing of civilian.Please read below cutting.

Talaban alway accept their targets.



Arrested militants name RAW for funding
Updated at: 1127 PST, Wednesday, October 22, 2008
ISLAMABAD: The three arrested members of a militants’ gang especially deputed by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan have disclosed that RAW has been funding suicide bomb attacks in Pakistan and that the Indian agency has funneled Rs 680 million through its links with the Afghan secret agency.

The gang of three persons have brazenly admitted that they belong to the group of persons who had been deputed to ‘destabilise democratic Pakistan’ with the sole purpose of ‘enforcement of Shariah’ in the country.

Operators of an intelligence agency, working beyond the call of their duty, came into contact with a source ready for a tip-off against a reward and led to the arrest of Khurram Ishtiaq, Ghulam Mustafa and Shamim. The persons had been working under Qari Hussain, second-in-command to Baitullah Mehsud. All the three had been arrested on Aug 13 this year while they were on the prowl for a target. The militants had been arrested ‘red-handed’ as they possessed complete suicide kits, including two jackets and 70kg of explosives and detonators.

The accused were hardened militants and took a lot of time to break in and make confessions. They revealed that Qari Hussain had been working to help three adjutants—Farukh Usman alias Shahjee, Tayyab alias Baba; Ustad, the trainer to destabilise democratic government.

Source GEO TV