The Daily PakistanPolitics Nov 16-30, 2011

• Nov30-2011--The shamsi airbase is at best an unused airfield with three large hangers and a long paved runway...The google 2010 picture shows an empty airfield while its 2004 picture shows three drone type aircraft...In 2003 it had no hangers...it seems too far away for drone runs on fata so they have tobe using an air field in or around fata given the drone range of 400 kilometers...not many airfields are near enough barring peshawar or kohat so they have to have some hidden airfield near torkham...
  
• Nov30-2011--while it is openly suggested that the AKFD is a front for musharaf and his cronies the SC says that the sellout of 50% of HBL and its management to the agha khan foundation for a paltry Rs22 billion completely transparent...HBL had assets of over 400 billion...many suggest that just a few of HBL's properties should be worth more than that..?AKFD which is at best a semi sectarian organisation many suggest should not have been considered...others suggest that musharaf travelled to Boston to countersign a $400 million loan for the banks purchase...?
  
• Nov30-2011--The PPP regime which is ruling pakistan with a group of small time hoods and supposed pukhtuns should remember what happened to bahadur shah zafar and tipu sultan who lost entire empires when they refused to handle internal spies and teh british east india company...many suggest that the burmese already have a house ready for our bahadur shah zafars who want to rule thru appeasemnent and are not ready to stand up and defend teh country...when rulers are not in tune with the populace than they are left with neither respect nor honour...the rulers want to sell the blood of their countrymen and shaheeds for personal gain...their addition to their frightened earlier reactions to a bloody US raid on their borders is to not attend teh Bonn conference...when u cant defend your own country our run your railways than you can hardly be able to attend to teh affairs of a neighbour state whose only problem or so it seems is a US occupation...
  
• Nov29-2011--speculators found teh troubled political situation a good time to push teh rupee to 88 to the dollar...The PPP has been unable to protect the rupee despite record remittances and exports...It is almost like wheat...the supposed costs dictate the price...
  
• Nov29-2011--The PPP regime has turned pakistan into a punching bag for teh rest of teh world as teh NCC committee left the matter of retaliation to the armed forces...zardari who has become after teh memo a bit more suspect congratulated the karachi troublemaker altaf hussein for teh dire situation that pakistan is in...many suggest that teh NCC should have clearly decided to retaliate rather than according to teh dawn wait for US offers...?The US posture and attitude has all along been anti pakistan and again overlooking their animosity means that pakistan is weak, unsure and at best cowardly...
  
• Nov28-2011--three blasts on railtracks in sindh
  
• Nov28-2011--around 300 containers and tankers leave karachi every day to make the 10-15 day round trip to afghanistan...with the government closing its borders the hugely profitable and at times perilous bussiness comes to a standstill...around 5000 vehicles involved..
  
• Nov28-2011--in karachi cars and motorcycles set on fire as two are killed in sectarian and ethnic politicking
  
• Nov28-2011--As the PTI looks at winning individual seats shah mahmood qureshi joins PTI after a good jalsa at ghotki which had sindhis sitting up..shah mahmood says that the PTi is not a family concern like teh PPP and PMln.....many suggest that the politically subdued sindhis could look at the imran khan option as could karachi's ethnic and troublesome mohajirs...sindhis and mohajirs have been literally subjugated by teh PPP and mqm...
  
• Nov28-2011--Chaudhry Nisar quits as public accounts committee chairman
  
• Nov27-2011--Nato or US helicopters attacked pakistani checposts on teh mohmand border killing upto 26...The pakistani regime which is generally inclined to cowardice and fooling teh populace did not retaliate immediately..they only stopped US supplies at two border crossings and asked tamely that the shamsi airbase be vacated in 15 days......In contrast if taleban attack a military convoy or checpost they immediately retaliate with gunship helicopters...the corp commander peshawar when queried the last time such an attack took place..said that the US is an ally...?some allies can get away with anything...even attempting to have teh army chief removed...many suggest that for peace in pakistan whether they like teh taleban or not ground level cooperation with USA will have to stop...The US has little regard for pakistani lives and teh governments wailing about sacrifices are only met with an embarassed silence...pakistan should look after its own interests only..getting so many people killed is obviously a clear indication of our armed forces weakness and they seem tobe little more than sitting ducks...u allow drone attacks and mortar attacks and helicopter attacks...it will eventually come down to air attacks and than an invasion...a clear policy of not tolerating any nonsense from teh afghan side should be implemented...The US and afghanistan are no longer our responsibility...covert actions against US interests or in afghanistan are not reccommended as they only complicate things...if pakistan has the courage it should retaliate directly...
  
• Nov26-2011--another 16 militants killed in orakzai fighting...
  
• Nov26-2011--The PMLn policy seems tobe to boycott the national assembly as the the rubber stamp parliament approves further gas taxation and levies...increasing direct population taxes seems tobe a popular policy for teh government and many suggest that the government should not do so if it wants to privatize..The government seems unable to use the normal revenues of almost 3.5 trillion for anything substantial and goes for loans or taxing gas and electricity bills to raise revenues...government should straighten its priorities and stop wasteful spending...
  
• Nov26-2011--The SC rejects NRO review...many suggest that with teh courts themselves having become NRO's there is little justification left...nobody including mqm troublemakers, PMlq, PPP or any beurocrats who benefited from teh NRO have been brought to justice by teh courts...letting everyone of teh hook and teh NRO are not very different...
  
• Nov25-2011--government continues its failed policy of increasing teh prices of staples such as wheat, atta, vegetables, milk, gas , electricity as the duped public start to look at imran and nawaz sharif as alternatives who might provide some stability...
  
• Nov25-2011--The Gilani regime reluctantly replaces the inefficient railways chairman and defence secretary but not the ministers who seem unable to handle even normal relations with teh finance ministry..or answer why somebody in teh USA was trying to remove teh army chief...
  
• Nov25-2011--with teh government suggesting that the removal of hussain haqqani was enough the SC is moved to put haqqani on the ECL...
  
• Nov25-2011--despite teh naming of two mqm activists involved in the killing of imran farook the pakistani government refuses to admit their arrest in karachi...
  
• Nov24-2011--Government raises support prices for wheat which already has a surplus production and whose use is steadily declining due to high prices..governments price hike economics is designed to subdue or crush urban areas where their support is now almost non existent and help teh much richer agricultural lobby...
  
• Nov24-2011--two policemen die in militant rocket attacks on a dera ismail khan police station
  
• Nov24-2011--As the PPP tries to snuff out opposition, parliament and develops a cruel anti people reputation the industrialist nawaz sharif again moves the SC to intervene and investigate the origin of teh memo that smacks of treason and teachery towards teh army and undermines teh government
  
• Nov24-2011--45 militants killed in upper kurram and orakzai insurgent attacks and retaliations by teh military while five soldiers also died in teh fighting
  
• Nov24-2011--The appeasement oriented Sherry Rehman pulled out of semi disgraced obscurity and made ambassador to teh USA...she was made the head of the red crescent soceity after teh PMLq realizing that they would not survive teh next elections joined teh government..she was supposedly cooperating with teh PMLq in teh previous regime...Sherry Rehman who many say forced Benazir to stand in her pajero as a bomb blast went off in liaqat bagh, rawalpindi is known for a lacklustre participation in track 2 diplomacy..a former editor of a semi radical newsmagazine and also known to have written a book on kashmiri shawls...considered to have had a brawl with teh PPP leadership when she said that Nusrat Bhutto was teh parties boss who than kicked her out as a minister...others say that her husband wanted her back in karachi given certain rumours about her and zardari...others say she ran into trouble after she misappropriated millions in information ministry secret funds...before teh elections she had become the sindhi think tank for Benazir Bhutto and was travelling in her pajero when it was hit by a suicide blast in rawalpindi... many thought that she aspired tobe made teh primeminister after her death...Gilani many say has sidelined almost all primeministerial aspirants...considered similar to many retired generals who prefer a dialogue that goes no where to an antagonistic artillery firing cold war with india the PPP's appeasement policy mirrors her views...while she is a senior to Hina Rabbani Khar many regard her suspect peacemaking abilities maybe of some help in washington whose thinking is now more indian oriented than before..with the pakistani generals moving into the background as their philosophies flounder in teh dust she could reemerge in teh future although another karachiite primeminister without a huge personal following or constituency is considered an impossibility...
  
• Nov23-2011--Shah Mahmood Qureshi meets Nawaz Sharif as Pir Pagaro throws a spanner in the wheel...The PML-F's punjab factionhas been attracted to teh PTI and is on teh verge of a split between teh PTI and PMLn...as Shabaz Sharif plays dirty and seals PTI lahore office...?
  
• Nov23-2011--In what looks like a frightened ISI a failed suicide bomber escaped with relative ease as ISI officials watched outside teh ISI headquarters in islamabad where a suicide bomber jumped in front of a high officials staff car but failed to detonate...two hours later the ISI located a suicide jacket loaded with C4...!!!
  
• Nov23-2011--The not so efficient ambassador to the US Hussein Haqqani resigns... toppled by a suspicious memo whose origins are in doubt...many suggest that the memo looks like treason and treachery...the appeasement lobby going to extremes to get rid of the pro US musharaf appointed army leadership who have had a falling out with teh US army...There has been a visible distancing between pakistan and teh USA which was literally destabilizing pakistan...pakistan still frightened of going after US drones which leads many to teh conclusion that the pakistani regime is frightened of even stopping drone invasions by force or there is obvious collusion between teh the two...since the taleban are also fighting pakistan...
  
• Nov23-2011--The TTP says they have declared a ceasefire in south waziristan suggesting that each area has its own taleban controllers...they also say they have started negotiations and have not attacked inside pakistan...ISPR says no negotiations by the military while dawn says there have been three attacks on military convoys in the area..
  
• Nov22-2011--In sindh shazia marri makes a comeback as information minister...
  
• Nov22-2011--In balochistan teh coal mining town of musa khel was teh scene of an attack on a military convoy killing a major and 14 personnel of teh FC...The military was in charge of providing security to coal mines...militants say teh casaulties were much higher
  
• Nov22-2011--two military officers and 47 militants die in kurram-orakzai when a convoy was attacked and the military retaliated with helicopters...there were also attacks on checposts and the military bombing out militant hideouts...
  
• Nov22-2011--The memo seems to have a life of its own...first mullen did not remember it..than remembered it.. and now it was delivered by James Jones teh NSC advisor...how senior US figures get memos from suspicious characters is quite shocking...It is however known that the military after the abbottabad attack was dazed and unable many think of being capable of a coup...u cant stop two helicopters and want to take over teh country...Zardari must be crazy if he thinks coups start and stop in the USA...however the feeling is that hussain haqqani has outlived his utility and teh PPP is desperately trying to save his skin...many believe that it was probably a US draft on how to further subjugate teh pakistani regime...ie if Mullen could convince teh entrenched duo to move on...Kiani many believe has teh staying power of a coup plotter who usually want to die in office..In related news the ISI chief apparently dashed off to london to question mansoor ijaz and was present in a meeting between teh Lugar aid munching Cameron Munter and Imran Khan...?..was the memo sourced to imran khan or is he likely to emerge as teh front for another coup...?
  
• Nov19-2011--In the ongoing Fata war another 22 killed in orakzai and upper kurram battles..one can remember how the first operation in north waziristan was started to root out militants...four-five years later teh war still goes on after having spread all over nwfp and fata...the militants say that the army suffered heavy casaulties...
  
• Nov19-2011--The PPP and mqm coalition can at best be refered to as the bootlickers association as zardaris PMLn attacker Sharjeel memon resigns for being on teh same plane as zulfikar mirza...many suggest that teh PPP sindh is now completely damaged and teh dissidents should band together to form teh sindhi PPP...many now suggest that the mqm is following PMln instructions..?This as PPP women mpa supports zulfikar mirza and a mirza asociate loses teh jail portfolio...
  
• Nov19-2011--The admiral memo is not a short note but a comprehensive policy paper about what pakistan would do if assisted in removing the regional strategist army chief and his ISI crony...among other things the appeasement lobby suggests that they would address all US and indian concerns...it is something many say that probably came straight out of the PPP appeasement lobby that u can say would comprise of zardari, sherry rehman, gilani and hina...and to add further insult to injury the pakistan ambassador says that he was an illegal alien in the US for many years...
  
• Nov18-2011--No wonder that the rich get richer in pakistan...with over Rs.629 billion of non performing bank loans...
  
• Nov18-2011--musharaf had three primeministers i think who he now blames for the murders of benazir and akber bugti...while akber bugtis death had aspects of military involvement many say the MI quickly cleared the scene of Benazirs death suspiciously...others say a PMLq meeting was held in dubai so that all the participants could be silenced...
  
• Nov18-2011--shahbaz sharif also faces problems after dengue...education board burnings and result cancellations and some say the problems of former daughter in laws and former wives...!!
  
• Nov18-2011--The PTI on the other hand sensing that they could win a large number of seats look for electables as entire sheikupura PMLq setup joins them...imran however insists that they will be able to deliver as their policies wont change..?
  
• Nov18-2011--eight die in continued drone attacks on fata
  
• Nov18-2011--security forces say that they killed upto 31 militants in orakzai and kurram asaults
  
• Nov18-2011--asif zardaris political debts might have been paid but his supposed allies like hussein haqqani, altaf hussein and zulfikar mirza are dragging him thru the mud day in and day out...hussain haqqani emerges as the prime culprit of the remove army bosses memo and teh PPP eternally slow has not yet fired teh Kerry Lugar Bill designer which is also one of teh many PPP failures..?
  
• Nov18-2011--even sindhi ministers are being heard saying that the PPP is now almost finished...in sindh the mqm successfully drives a wedge between PPP loyalists and many say the mqm objective seems tobe the humiliation of teh PPP...the sindh chief minister after zardari considered closest to teh mqm suspended the membership of a sindh mpa as teh mqm went after teh associates and friends of zulfikar mirza...many say the mqm action comes after zulfikar mirza met scotland yard with supposed information on the mqm elimination of imran farook which many suggest was carried out by known mqm members either on teh instructions of teh coordination committee or the london secretariat...the PPP which is now almost a reactionary organization has suffered because of mqm attacks onits unity in sindh,losing shah mahmood qureshi and the hussain haqqani controversy...even the sindh chief minister said that the impression was that teh PPP had crashed into rocks..already alienated from teh public because of its policies the attacks on its organization are directly linked to asif zardaris association with diehard ppp enemies like teh mqm and PMLq...others suggest that with the PTI emerging as an alternative in punjab, raja riaz caught stealing gas and PPP inefficiencies in dealing with rental power plants and electricity price hikes the suggestion that teh PPP might still be around after the next elections are met with mockery...!!!
  
• Nov17-2011--In taunts being heard country wide on the PPP's hurried action on MFN status to india...ashfak kiani and hina rabbani khar have made a joint application to import indian scooters many say rather than study teh consequences of the indian 3500km missile test...indian scooters tobe given free to pakistani soldiers to visit amritsar...to study the indian military moves against pakistan...!
  
• Nov17-2011--drone attacks kill 16 in the tribal areas while five killed in a tirah blast
  
• Nov17-2011--5 killed in karachi suicide blast
  
• Nov17-2011--one major and 31 militants killed in upper kurram and orakzai fighting
  
• Nov17-2011--ambassador to teh USA haqqani who has not done much of a job in handling teh americans in deep trouble over a letter to admiral mullen suggesting the removal of teh kiani/pasha duo
  
• Nov17-2011--The PPP and mqm seem tobe unable to take flak from teh opposition as well as each other.. many suggest they have a deep anti democratic streak...in a democratic system fixed terms are not the norm and it is always better to hold new elections when things seem to be not moving in any direction...in other news teh mqm finds it difficult to believe that sharjeel memon had run away with zulfikar mirza while rehman malik suggests that he,zulfikar mirza and altaf hussein are ethnic terrorists...the ppp and mqm now seem tobe realizing that they are the problem and keep blaming each other while gilani has still not realized that teh primeministers job includes looking after teh economy and solving major public problems...as ministers and primeminister critisize the finance minister...The childish PPP and mqm seem to get hurt by public comments about their attitudes and behaviours...Gilani is now being blamed for being a zia ul haq minister and getting agricultural loans in that time...
  
• Nov16-2011--amongst PPP dissidents ready to jump ship are being included karachi's gabol and enver baig many say and even sherry rehman and raza rabbani...? the zardari-gilani group sure has angered a lot of people...
  
• Nov16-2011--Shah Mahmood Qureshi whose urdu eloquence was ridiculed by PPP's top leaders suggests that kaira and zardari dont have the intelligence of even Benazirs shoe...like everyone else he now regards the PPP regime as low in intellect and ability...cant solve anything..neither prices nor electricity nor jobs nor regionalism...
  
• Nov16-2011--many suggest that teh army chief took up the matter of zardaris letter to the USA asking for help in removing teh army top brass...zardari suggested that it must be that crook haqqani who has been recalled as ambassador and many suggest that teh army chief could ask for a senior general tobe appointed in his place...
  
• Nov16-2011--another drone attack on teh hapless tribals kills seven..while 28 militants were killed in orakzai as the military bombed out 11 supposed hideouts...The airforce chief seemed to suggest that many of teh drone attacks might have been carried out by teh pakistan airforce in over 5000 sorties in swat, malakand and fata...? Bara residents protest that teh army is bombing and mortaring residential areas...
  
• Nov16-2011--As the PPP becomes increasingly isolated at teh top with parliament turning into little more than a rubber stamp unable to even discuss important issues which are taken up by the supreme court instead...many consider that teh PMLn might go for quitting teh assemblies before the senate elections while the bleeding PPP being pulverized by teh PTI strength might also decide for early elections as many suggest that teh PPP will be finished if it waits another two years...The PPP has deliberately increased people problems and blocked all methods of their solutions...Asif zardari is left with nobody to talk to apart from the ethnic terrorist altaf hussein...he has deliberately created problems for teh punjab government and avoided any federal development programs in teh province with most peopel suggesting that the federal budget is little more than a joke with teh people with everything being flown out of teh country...which is referred to as corruption...India which does not allow anybody to setup shop inits country has been given teh MFN status without approval of parliament or the people...many suggest that exports from pakistan to india are literally trivial as importers rush to open LC's to import useless indian consumer items...many suggest that teh PPP is now little more than a sindhi party and punjab might vote only for punjab parties too...??