U.S-Pakistan Brainstorm on WoT

[Munir]

Dear fatman17, sir
What i dont understand is, why most of these genrals always needed , crupt politicians? 60 years of the indepence of pakistan, why cant we go for a revolution.
Which can produce, a real patrotic admin to run pakistan.

REvoluTion? Let me put it plain and simple. Education and non religous parties will do a lot more then anything else. The way west wants to introduce democrac is like starting a top science class in a group of uneducated morons. It is death before it is born.

Maybe the generals shoudl start political party?

 

[fatman17]

That is quite true, but there is a limit to how much Gen. Kiyani can accomplish in 3 years.

What is more important is continuity of policies, the results if which I believe we are seeing in the PAF, and to that extent I am concerned over the direction a 'President Zardari' will take.

How much influence will Gen. Kiyani have over the shortlist of candidates to be his successor? How much influence does he have to mold the field of prospective candidates within the PA (through promotions etc.) before he leaves?

Gen. Kiyani has started the transformation, and laid out the path, but it is equally important that our political leadership not deviate from that for shortsighted political gains.

well if he keeps the army out of politics and the politicians somehow bail the economy out, i am sure Gen.Kiyani would be rewarded a 1-yr extension under the rules. BB wanted to do this with Gen. Waheed Kakar but he refused because he was sick of the politicians shenanigans!

 

[fatman17]

Pakistan terror war focus finally on target, says US:
Kayani attends secret talks with American military chief on aircraft carrier

By Anwar Iqbal

WASHINGTON, Aug 28: After a secret meeting between senior US and Pakistani generals, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told a briefing at the Pentagon on Thursday that the military-to-military relationship between the two countries was “growing every day”.

Admiral Mullen also told the briefing he believed Pakistan’s focus in the war on terror was where it should have been.

The meeting, held on Wednesday aboard US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean, considered various proposals for fighting extremists in Fata.

“I came away from the meeting very encouraged that the focus is where it needs to be and that the military-to-military relationship we’re building with Pakistan is getting stronger every day,” said Admiral Mullen.

Other top US generals who attended the meeting included Gen David Petraeus, top US commander in Iraq, who will soon take charge of the US command for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan; Gen David McKiernan, Nato’s top commander in Afghanistan; and Admiral Eric Olson, head of the US special operations command. Also present were Lt-Gen Martin Dempsey, acting commander of American forces in the Middle East, and Rear Admiral Michael LeFever, senior American military liaison to Pakistan.

The Pakistani side was represented by Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and his key commanders.

The meeting underscored the great concern both Pakistan and the US feel about the grave threat posed by a resurgent Taliban and a determined Al Qaeda to the stability and integrity of Pakistan and Afghanistan, US officials said.

The extreme secrecy surrounding the talks came amidst a series of worrying developments: continuing political turmoil in Pakistan, increasingly deadly attacks against Afghan and western targets in Afghanistan and a US top general’s complaints that the Pakistani military is not doing enough to stop militants from launching attacks into Afghanistan.

Admiral Mullen said the daylong meeting was a continuation of the dialogue both Pakistan and the US had been trying to maintain about common security challenges they faced, particularly in the border regions.

“There is a growing complexity and coordination among extremist groups there, an almost syndicate-like behaviour that has resulted in new and ever more sophisticated attacks on coalition forces,” he said.

The meeting, he said, was a chance to better understand a very complex challenge in a critical part of the world and “to try to do that through the eyes of the leadership who live and work and fight there every single day”.

Pakistani diplomatic sources in Washington, however, told Dawn that the decision to hold such a meeting was made in the US capital last month when Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani visited the White House.

During the visit, US officials repeated their complaints that Pakistan was not doing enough and that there were people in Pakistani intelligence agencies and the Frontier Corps who sympathised with the militants.

“The Americans also said that they were afraid to share intelligence with Pakistan because such data is often leaked to the militants,” said a senior Pakistani diplomat.

The prime minister, according to the sources, told the Americans that since the two militaries had dealt with each other directly in the past as well, it would be better if top generals from both sides met and sorted out their differences.

“One of the main objectives of this meeting was to rebuild trust between US and Pakistani militaries,” the diplomat said.

Admiral Mullen also emphasised similar points while talking about the meeting.

“We certainly talked about the complexity, the challenges that we have in the border area, the pressure that we believe needs to be brought there for lots of reasons, not the least of which is the effects it’s having on the fight in Afghanistan,” he said.

Pakistani diplomatic sources, however, claimed that the two sides also discussed a proposal to end unilateral US military strikes in Fata, although they did not say if the Americans agreed to stop the strikes.

Admiral Mullen said the US and Pakistan were also discussing a US proposal to train Pakistani troops for fighting militants.

“That’s a continuous, ongoing discussion. No big breakthroughs there. Still committed to, where we can and where they ask us, committed to help them and train them where they ask for the kind of assistance that they think they need,” he said.

http://www,dawn.com

 

[batmannow]

Pakistan terror war focus finally on target, says US:
Kayani attends secret talks with American military chief on aircraft carrier

By Anwar Iqbal

WASHINGTON, Aug 28: After a secret meeting between senior US and Pakistani generals, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told a briefing at the Pentagon on Thursday that the military-to-military relationship between the two countries was “growing every day”.

Admiral Mullen also told the briefing he believed Pakistan’s focus in the war on terror was where it should have been.

The meeting, held on Wednesday aboard US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean, considered various proposals for fighting extremists in Fata.

“I came away from the meeting very encouraged that the focus is where it needs to be and that the military-to-military relationship we’re building with Pakistan is getting stronger every day,” said Admiral Mullen.

Other top US generals who attended the meeting included Gen David Petraeus, top US commander in Iraq, who will soon take charge of the US command for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan; Gen David McKiernan, Nato’s top commander in Afghanistan; and Admiral Eric Olson, head of the US special operations command. Also present were Lt-Gen Martin Dempsey, acting commander of American forces in the Middle East, and Rear Admiral Michael LeFever, senior American military liaison to Pakistan.

The Pakistani side was represented by Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and his key commanders.

The meeting underscored the great concern both Pakistan and the US feel about the grave threat posed by a resurgent Taliban and a determined Al Qaeda to the stability and integrity of Pakistan and Afghanistan, US officials said.

The extreme secrecy surrounding the talks came amidst a series of worrying developments: continuing political turmoil in Pakistan, increasingly deadly attacks against Afghan and western targets in Afghanistan and a US top general’s complaints that the Pakistani military is not doing enough to stop militants from launching attacks into Afghanistan.

Admiral Mullen said the daylong meeting was a continuation of the dialogue both Pakistan and the US had been trying to maintain about common security challenges they faced, particularly in the border regions.

“There is a growing complexity and coordination among extremist groups there, an almost syndicate-like behaviour that has resulted in new and ever more sophisticated attacks on coalition forces,” he said.

The meeting, he said, was a chance to better understand a very complex challenge in a critical part of the world and “to try to do that through the eyes of the leadership who live and work and fight there every single day”.

Pakistani diplomatic sources in Washington, however, told Dawn that the decision to hold such a meeting was made in the US capital last month when Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani visited the White House.

During the visit, US officials repeated their complaints that Pakistan was not doing enough and that there were people in Pakistani intelligence agencies and the Frontier Corps who sympathised with the militants.

“The Americans also said that they were afraid to share intelligence with Pakistan because such data is often leaked to the militants,” said a senior Pakistani diplomat.

The prime minister, according to the sources, told the Americans that since the two militaries had dealt with each other directly in the past as well, it would be better if top generals from both sides met and sorted out their differences.

“One of the main objectives of this meeting was to rebuild trust between US and Pakistani militaries,” the diplomat said.

Admiral Mullen also emphasised similar points while talking about the meeting.

“We certainly talked about the complexity, the challenges that we have in the border area, the pressure that we believe needs to be brought there for lots of reasons, not the least of which is the effects it’s having on the fight in Afghanistan,” he said.

Pakistani diplomatic sources, however, claimed that the two sides also discussed a proposal to end unilateral US military strikes in Fata, although they did not say if the Americans agreed to stop the strikes.

Admiral Mullen said the US and Pakistan were also discussing a US proposal to train Pakistani troops for fighting militants.

“That’s a continuous, ongoing discussion. No big breakthroughs there. Still committed to, where we can and where they ask us, committed to help them and train them where they ask for the kind of assistance that they think they need,” he said.

http://www,dawn.com

HOW ironic. Having reiterated time and time again over the past years that the then president of Pakistan, Gen Pervez Musharraf, was (and remains) the best of the worst lot, it was highly amusing to read in a column headed “Musharraf’s Pakistan had true potential” printed in the Boston Globe of Aug 26: “The sad thing is that Musharraf was the best of the current lot.”

And how factual was an editorial in The Independent (London) of the same day which opened up: “Even by the notoriously low standards of South Asian politics, Asif Ali Zardari, leader of the PPP, is a compromised figure, dogged by corruption charges. So it is hard to be enthused by the PPP’s decision to nominate its leader as the country’s next president.”
This was one day after the Financial Times had broken the news of the medical reports compiled by two New York-based psychiatrists, which had been filed in a London court to support an application to delay corruption cases brought against him by the Pakistan government. The diagnoses were delivered in March 2007 and successfully served their purpose. The FT report opens “Asif Ali Zardari, the leading contender for the presidency of nuclear-armed Pakistan, was suffering from severe psychiatric problems as recently as last year, according to court documents filed by his doctors.”
The FT report has also been picked up and commented upon internationally. Pakistan is in the news again to its detriment. Presidential candidate Zardari has been diagnosed as suffering from “emotional instability”, memory loss and concentration problems, and major depressive disorder. These court papers have caused alarm amongst the citizens of his country who question his ability, and his fitness, to occupy the presidential chair.
We must wonder how our armed forces feel about all this. After all, the president is not only their supreme commander but he has his finger on the nuclear button. Zardari and his sycophantic supine political party must ask themselves if he truly qualifies to be a head of state. [/B]He has five days in which to prove himself a patriot and a democrat. Democracy, no matter what the party slogan may proclaim, is not a form of revenge and for him to carry through his ambition (which he has nursed ever since he made up his mind to rid himself of Musharraf) would be an act of vengeance upon his country and its people.
Of the three presidential candidates, Mushahid Hussain is by far the cleanest (the ‘best of the worst’). I have suggested to him that, as a directly affected party, he go to the courts immediately and at least attempt to obtain a stay order. The frightened people of the world and the people of Pakistan will undoubtedly support his move. n
arfc@cyber.net.pk(What a bloody mess!)
By Ardeshir Cowasjee

Write to Mr. Cowasjee
The DAWN

August 31, 2008 Sunday Sha'aban 28, 1429

 

[batmannow]

Bajaur mission fulfilled: army: Chance to net Zawahiri ‘missed’, says govt
September 02, 2008 Tuesday Ramazan 1, 1429
The DAWN

ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: The army said on Monday it had routed Taliban militants in Bajaur, killing 560 Pakistani and foreign fighters and thwarting a push to make Bajaur into a militant fortress.

Maj Gen Athar Abbas, the chief of ISPR, told a western news agency about 20 members of the security forces had died and 30 were missing.

“In our view, the back has been broken,” he said. “Main leaders are on the run and the people of the area are now openly defying whatever the militants had achieved there.”

Last week, the government had ordered a halt to the operation to allow some of the 300,000 families which fled air strikes and combat in the Bajaur region to return home for Ramazan.

However, officials reported that troops fired on militants seen moving toward a security post late on Monday, and that stray mortar shells killed at least two civilians.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY:
Maj Gen Abbas said many foreigners were reportedly in Bajaur before the operation, but that many had probably fled to Afghanistan or other parts of the NWFP and that the operation had turned up no trace of Al Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri.
However, the prime minister’s adviser on interior, Rehman Malik, told a press conference that security forces had recently missed a chance to catch Al Qaeda’s second in command, Ayman al Zawahiri.

Rehman Malik did not say when security forces had missed the chance to catch Zawahiri. He would only reveal authorities had received a report that Mr Zawahiri’s wife had recently been seen in Mohmand Agency.

Soldiers stormed the location, but did not find the couple, he said, without indicating when the raid took place. He said Zawahiri had been travelling back and forth between Mohmand and the Afghan provinces of Kunar and Paktika of late.
He parried a question as to where Osama might be.

The adviser said Pakistani Taliban were working hand in glove with Al Qaeda, providing them with shelter and acting as their mouthpiece.

“They have not only connections, I would say Tehrik-i-Taliban is an extension of Al Qaeda.”
Mr Malik accused the Afghan government of letting many of the estimated 3,000 militants who had gathered in Bajaur flee over the frontier.

According to him, the three weeks of fighting in Bajaur had killed an uncertain number of civilians and badly damaged several villages. Of about 500,000 people who fled, many of them to government relief camps, about 30,000 had returned by Monday.
Some, just scraping by, said they could not afford to make the journey home for Ramazan and would instead remain in sweltering, mosquito-infested tents.

Others were gathering up their few belongings and piling into buses and pickup trucks.

“God knows what will happen once we get there,” said Bakhsh Ali Khan, who was heading with his wife and five children to their home in Pashat, an area of Bajaur. “But we’re living in shambles here. Our family has been separated, we do not have enough food, proper clothing or beds.” Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar told a reporter on Monday by telephone that he welcomed the lull in fighting.
However, he said militants would not lay down their arms.

Defence analyst Talat Masood said the suspension of military operations in Bajaur risked squandering any gains made by security forces so far.

“Definitely it will give a fair chance to the militants to regroup, consolidate their strength and stage a comeback,” he said. “This has happened in the past.”

Sergeant Christopher Peavy, a spokesman for US-led forces in Afghanistan, said that while it was too soon to tell if infiltration had decreased, “we are encouraged by the operations that Pakistan’s military is conducting”.Agencies

 

[batmannow]

E.U. Eases Off on Economic Threats After Russia Suggests Troop Pullback
By Philip P. Pan
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, September 2, 2008;

washingtonpost.com

MOSCOW, Sept. 1 -- The European Union on Monday backed off threats to impose economic sanctions on Russia but said it would suspend talks on a wide-ranging partnership agreement with Moscow until Russian troops withdraw from positions inside Georgia.
The decision, made at an emergency summit of European leaders in Brussels, followed Russian statements suggesting a renewed willingness to pull back its troops if international forces replaced them and guaranteed the security of the two breakaway Georgian republics at the center of the crisis.

Britain and some Eastern European nations had called for tougher action against Russia after it recognized the two republics, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as independent states last week. But other nations urged further dialogue with the Kremlin, arguing that trying to isolate Russia would be counterproductive, especially given Europe's dependence on Russian oil and natural gas.
"I think we found an excellent compromise, not going back to business as usual but still making clear that we want to maintain contact with Russia," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters in Brussels after the meeting.

She added that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, by telephone that Russia planned to pull its troops back to positions they held before their five-day rout of the Georgian army last month.
The Reuters news agency quoted Merkel as saying that troops were expected to withdraw from Poti and Senaki, two key cities in western Georgia that are still patrolled by Russian soldiers.

The European decision came as huge crowds in Georgia rallied in solidarity against Russia in cities across the country, including Poti. Some of the protests occurred near Russian checkpoints.

In Tbilisi, the capital, residents held hands to form human chains, recalling the 1989 protests in which residents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia lined up to protest Soviet occupation. "We came here to show the world that we are a strong nation," said Sophio Jikidze, 31, whose 7-year-old daughter was among the multitude waving red-and-white Georgian flags.

Russia, which sent troops deep into Georgia during the war, has withdrawn from most of the territory it seized but is keeping troops in what it calls security zones around South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The United States and Europe say that violates cease-fire terms, but Russia says the troops are necessary to deter further Georgian attacks and are allowed under the terms.

Before the European leaders' decision, the Russian Foreign Ministry declared that Moscow did not want to keep its forces on Georgian soil beyond Abkhazia and South Ossetia permanently. In a statement, the ministry said that up to 100 European military observers were expected in Georgia soon, and added, "Russia is ready for further enlargement of this number."
The statement also proposed an "international police presence" in the Georgian security zones. "Once the international mechanisms are ready and start to function," it said, Russia would reexamine the need for its troops in the buffer zone.
In tougher remarks, though, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the West to stop supporting the government of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, whom Moscow blames for starting the war and has portrayed as an unstable war criminal. "If instead of choosing their national interests and the interests of the Georgian people, the United States and its allies choose the Saakashvili regime, this will be a mistake of truly historic proportions," Lavrov said.
But European leaders seized on the possible softening of Russia's position on the troop withdrawal and adopted a resolution saying "the urgent issue at the moment is to finalize the international monitoring mechanism . . . so as to replace the Russian additional security measures."
The resolution also condemned Moscow's "disproportionate" military response to Georgia's attempt to seize South Ossetia and the Kremlin's formal recognition of the two republics. It said nothing about economic sanctions, announcing instead a thorough review of Europe's relations with Russia as well as its dependence on Russian energy supplies. Russia supplies as much as a third of the E.U.'s oil and about 40 percent of its natural gas.
"The European Union doesn't want to create an insurmountable obstacle in its relationship with Russia," said Vladimir Chizhov, the Russian ambassador to the European Union. "That is only sensible."

Special correspondent Temo Bardzimashvil in Tbilisi contributed to this report.

I guss, the main worries for NATO +USA is comming from RUSSIA, they forgot the bear and now their plans going seriously blown up, it couldbe another reason.... to ask GEN. KIYANI PLZ JOIN US ON THE SHIP?

 

[batmannow]

A Conversation on Global Issues
Anwer Sher
Dubai, UAE
Originally from Pakistan, Anwer Sher is based in Dubai and writes for Gulf News, Khaleej Times and Emirates Today. His varied career experience includes banking, consulting, and real estate development. He has a Masters degree in International Relations.


The Current Discussion: In their campaign, should Barack Obama and running mate Joseph Biden advocate a clean break in U.S. foreign policy, or should they rely on continuity and experience

The past eight years of U.S. foreign policy have been perhaps the worst ever for the image of the United States. I am not supporter of either Democrats or Republicans, especially when it comes to foreign policy. The U.S. policy towards other nations has been one of dictation, coercion and feeding off the fear that is being bred within the U.S. domestic policy. The war on terrorism has been made such a priority that upon its pretext two countries were invaded resulting in more than 5,000 U.S. deaths alone (many more than the 2,800 who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.) After seven years, the man they seek is still at large, Iraq is a mess and unfortunately the U.S. image in almost every country is at rock bottom. It has become such a farce that the U.S. policy makers (and indeed the fellows in Homeland Security, too) do not know friend from foe, and a criticism of U.S. policy has been equated with being an enemy of the U.S. There must be a departure from this policy of alienation that the present U.S. administration has engaged upon.
So what should Obama-Biden do on foreign policy? First deal with the world fairly, and fairly means ALL parties are treated fairly. Bring the Palestinian question to the forefront, open a sincere dialogue with Iran, disengage in an honorable way from Iraq and Afghanistan, and most of all stop propping up governments that are unpopular (Musharraf is gone, though I suspect now 'General' Zardari will be the vanguard against terrorism in Pakistan.) Let the world see that actually most Americans are actually great people. The U.S. is the only true superpower left, which brings a responsibility to show leadership in world affairs, not hegemony. All these things that have to be done to fix things will be difficult, but they have to be done to make the world a better and safer place.
What will the hawks say about terrorism? Terrorism is a threat that has been made bigger than life; more people died in road accidents in the U.S. than by any other violent acts (42,815 in 2002, of which 4078 alone died on the roads in California, according to Fatality Accident Reporting System and the IRTAD.) Does this mean we wage a war on automobiles? More than 35,000 people each year are killed in the U.S. by guns and another 65,000 are injured, and yet there is no noise about this being an epidemic. But the war on terrorism has been pushed into such a major problem that the broader picture has been ignored.
The U.S. has to lead and it has to assume a responsibility to lead with fairness, a problem-solving attitude and statesmanship that has been frankly absent on the world scene. It is time to bring this all together; it's time for Obama and Biden to step up and do it. There cannot be another way forward because confrontation has never solved issues. While this may sound too aggressive, all I can say is that we have seen a major failure of U.S. foreign policy and it is now time to fix it.


Please e-mail PostGlobal if you'd like to receive an email notification when PostGlobal sends out a new question.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Please post in the politics section in a separate thread Nitesh

 

[RabzonKhan]

U.S.-Pakistani Brainstorming on Border Violence
By ERIC SCHMITT
Published: August 27, 2008
NYTimes.com


WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff secretly convened a highly unusual meeting of senior American and Pakistani commanders on an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday to discuss how to combat the escalating violence along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

I believe this is one of the fruitful outcomes of that meeting.



Balochistan militants observe truce

By Saleem Shahid

QUETTA, Sept 2: No terrorist attack or incident of sabotage was reported from any part of Balochistan since the announcement of a suspension of resistance by three Baloch militant organisations.

“We have received no information of any bomb blast, rocket attack, landmine explosion, blowing of gas pipeline, rail track and power pylon from any part of the province till late Tuesday night,” a senior police officer told Dawn.

The last incident was reported on Monday afternoon from Khuzdar where an attempt was made to blow up the official vehicle of a DSP with a remote-control bomb.

Spokesmen Beebargh Baloch and Sirbaz Baloch of the Baloch Liberation Army and Baloch Republican Army had announced on Monday night suspension of their movement for an indefinite period.

They denied having reached any deal with the government in this connection.

Political circles here have reacted positively, albeit with surprise, to the organisations’ sudden decision to stop militant activities and said this will pave the way for initiating political dialogue for resolving the Balochistan issue.

 

[fatman17]

I believe this is one of the fruitful outcomes of that meeting.



Balochistan militants observe truce

By Saleem Shahid

QUETTA, Sept 2: No terrorist attack or incident of sabotage was reported from any part of Balochistan since the announcement of a suspension of resistance by three Baloch militant organisations.

“We have received no information of any bomb blast, rocket attack, landmine explosion, blowing of gas pipeline, rail track and power pylon from any part of the province till late Tuesday night,” a senior police officer told Dawn.

The last incident was reported on Monday afternoon from Khuzdar where an attempt was made to blow up the official vehicle of a DSP with a remote-control bomb.

Spokesmen Beebargh Baloch and Sirbaz Baloch of the Baloch Liberation Army and Baloch Republican Army had announced on Monday night suspension of their movement for an indefinite period.

They denied having reached any deal with the government in this connection.

Political circles here have reacted positively, albeit with surprise, to the organisations’ sudden decision to stop militant activities and said this will pave the way for initiating political dialogue for resolving the Balochistan issue.

what makes u say that? i think it has more to do with the GoP(read AZ and rehman malik) compromising with the politicians and militants of balochistan to get their support for the presidential election.

 

[RabzonKhan]

what makes u say that? i think it has more to do with the GoP(read AZ and rehman malik) compromising with the politicians and militants of balochistan to get their support for the presidential election.

I don’t think these terrorists give a damn about AZ or Malik, the terrorists have their remote controls in Afghanistan.

 

[fatman17]

I don’t think these terrorists give a damn about AZ or Malik, the terrorists have their remote controls in Afghanistan.

the politicians are the militants or terrorists or whatever we want to call them. BLA, BNF etc.

 

[RabzonKhan]

the politicians are the militants or terrorists or whatever we want to call them. BLA, BNF etc.

The terrorists are too big for the shoes of AZ or Malik.

 

[fatman17]

The terrorists are too big for the shoes of AZ or Malik.

that is why they (AZ and malik) have compromised. slam bam thank you mam!

 

[batmannow]

GEO Pakistan
PM safe after firing at his motorcade
Updated at: 1643 PST, Wednesday, September 03, 2008
RAWALPINDI: The Prime Minister’s vehicle was partially damaged when two bullets struck its window glass here at Islamabad highway today.
According to the Prime Minister House, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and members of his entourage were safe after firing on his motorcade on the Islamabad Highway.

Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik has ordered an enquiry into the incident and submission of its report within 24 hours.

According to the sources, the place of the incident is a security zone and that the Prime Minister’s vehicle was a specific target of the fire.

Federal minister for information told that the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani escaped completely unscathed and is now busy in his routine engagements.

It may be recalled that the Prime minister was returning to Islamabad today after completing his visit to Lahore when his motorcade came under attack at a place near Chaklala Airport.

Security of the prime minister has been put on high alert after the incident.


GEO Pakistan
Swat militants claim responsibility of attack on PM’s motorcade
Updated at: 1758 PST, Wednesday, September 03, 2008 ISLAMABAD: Swat militants have claimed responsibility of attack on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s motorcade on Islamabad Highway.


Great ! work rehman malik!

Pakistan terror war focus finally on target, says US:
Kayani attends secret talks with American military chief on aircraft carrier