The Daily PakistanPolitics Jan 21-31, 2013

• Jan31-2013--An Indian newspaper says that pakistan did not announce publically the beheading by indian soldiers in cross LOC attacks of 12 pakistani soldiers and teh killing of 29 civilians over the last 15 years...but only complained to teh UN
• Jan31-2013--three die in bomb blast in karachi's sohrab goth as seven more are shot dead in political killings
• Jan31-2013--seven bodies found in balochistan...three near quetta and four in pirkoh...two others shot dead in quetta and khuzdar
• Jan30-2013--Farhatullah Babers response to not approving a bahawalpur province was the faulty response that former states cannot be made provinces ...teh same is true for south punjab too...it was not a province before either...many donot have any objection to making karachi, hazara, swat, khairpur and kalat provinces as well...The PPP/mqm's duality/animosity of attitude towards punjab viz other provinces is quite clear
• Jan30-2013--24 militants killed in Tirah valley bombing by military planes
• Jan30-2013--policeman killed in swabi while protecting polio team..hand grenades thrown at police post in swabi...PTI elections marred with violence in peshawar
• Jan30-2013--two constables shot dead in quetta riding on one motorbike...four motorcycle riding gunmen attacked sohrab goth police station killing one constable...six shot dead in karachi in seemingly ethnic political killings
• Jan30-2013--The SC was told that balochistan faces a serious crisis as marri, bugti and kohlu areas are nogo areas and over 250000 have been displaced and not listed in voters lists...with it being under governors rule for two months many feel teh caretaker appointment process will be complicated at best...they argue that governors rule has been illegally applied despite it being under a PPP chief minister...The JUI and BNP-a distributed pamphlets aginst governors rule
• Jan30-2013--The PPP's absconding Tauqir Sadiq was arrested in Abu Dhabi who is probably the only criminal to have caused a Rs83 billion loss to the country and been appointed illegaly as well...!!!
• Jan30-2013--PPP many say lacks a cohesive countrywide approach and its mentality is mired in sindhi seperatism or nationalism causing its anti punjab attitude and attempts at sindhi superiority by breaking punjab into smaller segments...Punjab which is teh oldest province of the area has a control mechanism which is being whittled into punjabi nationalism by teh PPP attitude...The PPP has deliberately caused punjab problems by reducing gas and electricity supplies which are more important to teh largest province...PPP's meanness is apparent in going against its own commission and suggesting as an after thought that the new province be named bahawalpur seraiki province...that probably wont be acceptable to even teh south punjab based PTI...many feel the PPP is trying at teh end to suggest that it will change for the better but many are now too tired of teh problems that it has been unable to solve and its semi criminal mentality despicably apparent in the escape from teh country of anti country people like hussein haqqani and tauqir sadiq...it has also been unable to run the state sector as organisational autonomy never solves problems...The PPP's lack of effectiveness was apparent in not getting along with all sectors that were autonomous or independent...autonomy many feel just does not work in running the state sectors or even the army and judiciary for that matter...The PPP also showed that it could not get along with the only province being run by another political party while teh provinces run by teh PPP became increasingly mired in sectarianism and terrorism...The PPP has been unable to get any of its names approved for caretaker positions and now has come up with hussein haroon or some other beaurocrat...that leaves it to the CEC to select a name from the two offered by teh PPP and PMLn...The PMLn has some negotiating strength onits side as teh PPP wants elections on teh same day in teh provinces and the approval required by teh opposition leader...and that with teh PPP desire for a seraiki province will make it stronger in negotiations...many feel that the inability of teh PPP to negotiate positively will cause teh province issue tobe left to the next government...The PPP attitude that we will serve the people in teh next term just does not gel with their apparent negative attitudes in teh last five years...
• Jan29-2013--Taleban say they will wipe out the AI group from khyber agency and tirah...The Afridi group says that the taleban operations are unislamic as military stands idly by allowing taleban control on a significant and important area..military bombs orakzai...
• Jan29-2013--Two ST men in seven shot dead in karachi as unruly mob attacks sohrab goth police station
• Jan29-2013--NAB chief offers to resign suggesting that teh SC is obstructing or interfering in his job...NAB has been almost idle and not initiating anything as teh SC forces it do some work...but being pro government it finds it difficult to take any serious action on any matter....!
• Jan29-2013--The governments commission on janoobi punjab has run into trouble as ANP and JUI oppose bhakkar and mianwali inclusions and a complete shutter down strike takes place in mianwali against teh commission...teh PMLn too came out openly and called the commission an election stunt..others suggest that sindh theoretically will lose all rights to irrigation water in a 50-50 division with punjab as it no longer is a lower riparian...punjab will now have to negotiate with the seraiki province and many suggest that sindh's share will be reduced possibly to a level of its population which could be 50% of present supplies..if the province comes into existence a new NFC will also have to be announced or possibly a division on teh basis of its population could be made on an interim basis...smaller provinces could also lose teh reductions made in the punjab NFC share by teh zardari regime...theoretically south punjab may lose some of its share which is calculated on earnings...
• Jan29-2013--Lt Gen Shahid Aziz than in the ISI says they were not informed of teh Kargil operation and a later GHQ briefing suggested that it was meant to cutoff teh indian supply lines to siachen ...A person who has been in a senior position in teh ISI and also teh CGS suggesting that he did not know anything until they intercepted indian communications shows an isolated personality... while troops or non regulars improperly armed did reach teh heights surrounding the leh-kargil road they apparently did not cut it off or destroy it militarily as if on a siteseeing visit...the indians mounted a serious military operation to dislodge the soldiers and after fierce fighting teh pakistanis withdrew leaving a few behind to fight it out...according to most reports there were only a few casaulties although graves had apparently been dug all over teh country...a colonel sher was supposedly leading teh group..photos published at the time showed that the soldiers carried antique weaponry and were supposedly had a supply line of a vietnam era american helicopter..most reports suggest that nawaz sharif was completely aware of the operation and even attended a GHQ briefing...however nawaz sharif had to eat humble pie and ordered the withdrawal in a closed door meeting with president clinton and teh indians in washington...musharaf had suggested to nawaz sharif that they had achieved their objectives and were willing to withdraw as american pressure mounted...however teh bad blood generated between nawaz sharif, musharaf and teh ISI chief ziauddin butt eventually ended in a coup...nawaz sharif delayed teh removal of musharaf despite reports of a coup being planned...musharaf's hastily arranged removal after he made remarks about taking over in a sri lanka meeting with an indian military official was botched and the karachi corp commander than opposed the government and handed musharaf teh coup on a platter...musharaf many say could possibly have been an indian agent...!
• Jan29-2013--Two PAF men from rawalpindi and skardu shot dead in Pasni alongwith a shopkeeper
• Jan28-2013--The PPP which has tried to create an impression that the qadri march was a popularity contest rejected all the demands barring the "elections in ninety days" which was teh Zia ul Haq plank...The PPP probably feels that it needs ninety days to rearrange the peoples perceptions about its disjointed rule...Apparently teh PPP has only increased its votebank in balochistan and it is losing popularity even in sindh which has no real other party...The PPP now says that it will announce its dissolution on Feb16 to live upto teh elections in ninety days...obviously Tahir Ul Qadri cannot takeover teh responsibilities of teh CEC or election commission...however a Qadri success can be that even teh PMLn is asking other parties for caretaker names...apparently there is no consensus on teh issue yet...with teh PPP asking for a political heavyweight and teh PMLn for a judicial retiree...most of the government will be in the hands of teh CEC anyway...
• Jan28-2013--The PMLn has reiterated that it supports two new provinces in punjab...such a move can be said to benefit it in the senate where there would than be 46 more seats and it could increase development in the poorly developed areas of north and central punjab and even usurp more irrigation water...many feel that raja ashraf who had attempted to be a more open primeminister willing to change has run into teh PPP wall or resistance to change...The PPP's sheer defiance of its struggling minority rule and loss in popularity is continuing to help teh PMLn in punjab and teh PTI and mqm in other provinces...if teh current slide continues the PPP could end up with around forty seats
• Jan28-2013--The PPP rush to create more provinces only in punjab seems tobe struggling despite nominal support from the PMLn which insists on two new provinces in punjab rather than teh PPP's one...teh current PPP governance has created a general feeling that new provinces countrywide are the only solution to a peaceful future and some sort of equalized development...the sheer size of balochistan and its ethnicities makes it unmanageable...the terrorism in sindh, KP and Fata make it necessary to create more provinces too...only new provinces in punjab might reduce teh punjabi power which is at best limited to the province but it will also reduce the power of the PPP's sindh only base...The mqm and PPP seem to think that they will thus benefit in seraiki areas but others feel that PPP's haste and selfishness could shift support to other organized parties and seraiki nationalist types from the PPP's support base of pirs and shiites...it must also be noted that since power is concentrated in sindhi hands their has been relative peace only in interior sindh...however all teh three small provinces, Fata and GB have suffered at teh hands of PPP misrule and ethnic/tribal/religious terrorism...with many analysts pointing to south punjab as teh source of sectarian and tribal terrorism the future might not be peaceful for the south which is also divided into baloch, seraiki and other ethnic groups...bahawalpur however could be a peaceful province as it has no history of violence apart from being teh birthplace of teh anti indian Jaish mohammed
• Jan28-2013--The US IRI survey suggests that countrywide teh PPP has slipped to third place with the PTI falling into second place from its earlier high...Imran Khan seems tobe losing steam as he lacks policies and ideologies and many feel that he is only aginst teh top leaders rather than trying to implement any agenda for change...The IRI also suggests that the PTI leads in nwfp and balochistan with the PPP making a comback in balochistan into second place...PPP support is falling even in sindh where it stands at a miserly 32%...the only surprise in teh IRI survey is the PTI 32% in KP and teh mqm rise to 16% in sindh...there have been no notable groups or leaders joining teh mqm..The PMLn rise to 49% in punjab is expected as teh PMLq fades and the PPP attempts to bring in new leaders...PTI seems to have created a countrywide base and it must give leadership positions to specific ethnic groups as well to create a countrywide image...The IRI seems to suggest that a majority opposes new provinces in punjab
• Jan27-2013--karachi feeds on terrorism..violence based on ethnic and sectarian groups...another seven were shot dead while two were killed in apparent criminality
• Jan27-2013--India again threatens pakistan as it despicably promotes anti pakistan and anti muslim terror groups in india and runs covert terror groups in pakistan...many feel that india promotes terrorism and hindu extremism to avoid solutions on major issues...The pakistani regime almost a failed cowardice prone government refuses to even take note of teh indians attempts at forcing them into regional subjugation
• Jan27-2013--The taleban groups in khyber agency launch fierce assults on teh AI group losing 45 fighters...while teh AI which has been overrun lost 23 fighters and many area bases...!
• Jan27-2013--The seraiki commission a one sided PPP body brings out a controversial report on a bahawalpur janoobi punjab province which prima facie is a slap on teh face of both bahawalpuris and seraikis and obviously punjabis...despite it being a punjab matter the commission includes anti punjab elements such as farhatullah baber and mqm activists and it completed its work despite teh punjab majority party PMLn's boycott...while seraikistan comes out as a relatively smaller entity it is set to become a contentious province since the three entities involve opposing factions such as teh balochis, seraikis and bahawalpuris...also there has been non consultation with the minority ethnic blocks in teh areas...many feel that the PMln which was advocating bahawalpur as well has been opposed by the PPP because teh senate would be overwhelmed if three new provinces were created which would not serve the anti punjabi sindhi interests...the proposal could pass the national assembly where it is suppposed to face a stiff test as teh smaller provinces refusal to create new provinces in hazara and karachi will create a stark contrast...many however feel that the punjab assembly could oppose the bill as the reasoning is not clear even ethnically as the province contains other large ethnic groups as well...development wise they were more powerful politically than northern punjab and many donot see any major development differences...the only reason for the new province seems tobe jealousy with development in lahore...the differences observed in teh commissions attitude suggests that creating two capitals in such a small province would still not solve teh area antagonisms...with tribal components in DG khan and rajanpur many see it as being a divisive explosive province with enough material for internal conflict as in teh countries other small provinces which have been destabilized with a constant terrorist orientation...The PMLn could however fall for the gambit that teh PPP is trying to gain political advantage in an area that is dominated by all four punjab based parties with teh PTI having a definitely seraiki based leadership edge...The PPP's corrupt pir base and anti populistic politics could knock them out given teh Gilani's corruption and teh makhdooms split in affiliations...there have been demos in mianwali on including it in south punjab without even consultations..mianwali has a general pukhtun orientation and has been associated with bannu, rawalpindi and now sorgodha divisions...bhakkar too is not considered seraiki by many....
• Jan26-2013--The three leaders of pakistans top political parties have varying educations...Imran Khan has a masters in Political science from Oxford...Asif Zardari is an FA from Petaro Cadet College and Nawaz Sharif has a BA from Punjab University...Nawaz Sharif was studying in teh George Mason University when he failed the first semester...He informed his father who said "comeback i'll get u a ministry' ..he became teh finance minister of punjab with no experience and than used his influence to setup twenty industries for teh sharif family...the smaller fry includes altaf hussein who has a masters in pharmacy...and i dont know the educations of amir haider hoti, raisani and shabaz sharif while qaim ali shah is a lawyer...a huge number of politicians have been identified as having fake degrees while some leaders such as Mustafa Khar are just matriculates...The only thing that is common amongst them is the art of complaining about everything from law and order, ethnic rivalries, political situations and obviously teh attitudes of other politicians...The prize of lying apparently goes to a Gilani family politician called Abdul Qadir Gilani who had failed in two out of his three BA papers...islamiyat and pakistan studies...
• Jan25-2013--The current joke is that asif zardari after being shunned by Dubai has asked raja ashraf to share his RPP house in london in case he has to make a run for it...this after raja ashraf refused to share his RPP millions...others say that while small fry like Gilani, Benazir, raja ashraf, rehman malik became corrupt in government teh zardari's are born that way ...many joke that Bilawal has already asked for his share from teh gilanis and raja's if they want to remain in politics...many suggest that Gilani and the BISPwali have already made their donations...
• Jan25-2013--The PPP trying to get a few mna's from seraiki areas to agree on a new south punjab province...many feel that the PPP is doing a disservice to most of teh country by trying to divide teh punjab for sindh's benefit...
• Jan25-2013--DSP, ASI and two others die in a karachi blast which could be terrorism from across the border since it is totally meaningless...The PPP and mqm known to have anti police policies...
• Jan25-2013--The PPP bereft of any real honest thinking is suggesting the Pir Pagara a controversial sindhi ally as teh caretaker....many feel that the PMLf which has support amongst PPP workers and teh pir community in south punjab could pose some problems to the PPP although they have remained allies for most of teh five years...raja ashraf too is controversially sanghar born..many feel that the PPP's and other pirs have been participating with teh mqm in karachi violence...The pirs are supposed to grant even controversial wishes of their followers... The PMLn is in a fix as it thought that the PML-f was moving towards its camp...however it does not oppose the appointment of sheikh rashid its former mna from rawalpindi who is at best considered by many to have no chance of success in rawalpindi poltics...
• Jan25-2013--The SC has again ordered the NAB to file a reference against Raja Ashraf and others in the tauqir sadiq appointment case...one reference is supposedly tobe filed for aiding the disappearance of tauqir sadiq against rehman malik and others
• Jan24-2013--The PPP weaknesses in the punjab are self apparent as they rope in a PMLn khosa,a PML-f makhdoom(governor punjab) and a jhelum raja(raja afzal)...all three come from PMLn and PMLf dominated areas...most feel that with teh PPP and bilawal aligning with the seraikis(the PPP had no seraiki mandate) the PPP punjab vote will be further alienated...
• Jan24-2013--The government seems to have an anti sunni attitude with an ASWJ man shot dead in talahgang and a JUIf leader shot dead in quetta..many feel that the mqm and PPP are running country wide death squads...
• Jan24-2013--PPP attempting to fool punjab, bahawalpur and seraiki areas...by suggesting a three division seraiki sooba with the bahawalpur as its capital...punjab has no input in the commission and many feel that outsiders want to bring punjab under their control thru divide and rule...others reject teh argument that south punjab is anyway disadvantaged...they seem to have more politicians than teh erst of punjab...cities and other districts can obviously not get the same treatement or attention as lahore...
• Jan23-2013--two private school buses blownup in swabi...!
• Jan23-2013--ASWJ man killed in hyderabad as another 12 are gunned down in karachi including a shiite medical superintendant, CID inspector and a PMLn father and son...also a man nominated in the killing of a bugti grandson...The ethnic,sectarian and political killings are generaly blamed on the sindh police/govt. and mqm...the government blames them on teh taleban but many donot see any link to the taleban's politics apart from reputation that all assassins usually belonged to the fata...!
• Jan23-2013--The weak LHC suggests that asif zardari who has literally boycotted teh presidency for 49 days issue a statement that he will not use teh presidency for political purposes...since asif zardari hardly meets anybody other than PPP hangers on he has denuded teh presidency of much of its respect and privilege
• Jan23-2013--The PPP is being blamed for delaying teh announcement of an election date which is teh only thing inits power at the moment...teh PPP wants to play politics with teh seraiki issues, trying to down the PMLf powerbase in teh seraiki areas and douse teh PMLn's bahawalpur province strategy...the PPP could lose the gamble heavily if teh national assembly and punjab provincial assembly oppose its suggestions asit has not taken teh PMLn on board in teh decision making...the PMLn, PMLq and PTI are quite strong in the seraiki areas and a decision or no decision on new provinces in teh punjab could impact it heavily...Dawn has suggested that the numerical increase in provinces could make sindh lose a large portion of its share of water and also end the political nonsense spread by teh PPP on kalabagh dam...provincial assemblies have no power on federal decision making and only teh chief minister has teh yes or no power on such issues...with more provinces the effect of sindhs no will cease to have any effect politically
• Jan22-2013--Brig Ali Khan who was court martialled for suggesting that General Kiani was responsible for teh abbottabad Ossama fiasco says the abbottabad commission refused to listen to him...
• Jan22-2013--security man killed in khyber agency while fetching water
• Jan22-2013--balochistan assembly meets and critisize's teh anti islamic zardari regime suggesting that they initiated NAB cases to pressurize assembly members...
• Jan22-2013--another five shot dead in karachi
• Jan22-2013--two security men killed in mohmand cleanup operation
• Jan22-2013--Raja Ashraf withdraws review petition against teh SC decision on the RPP case in which all those involved are tobe investigated...That can either mean an admission of guilt or that teh NAB wont be able to proceed against teh primeminister or order his arrest...!
• Jan21-2013--PMLn seeking provincial alliances avoiding teh bigger parties in sindh and nwfp...
• Jan21-2013--PPP's raja ashraf who is seen as climbing teh ladders of corruption behind asif zardari and benazir bhutto is seen as hiding behind NAB to avoid arrest under the SC's instructions...The RPP scheme was a total disaster and teh PPP after that left the power sector for good...many feel that there is a definite need for around 5000MW of thermal generation but the PPP continues to hide behind its inefficiencies of governance...Raja ashraf was also said to have minted quite a lot and the SC apparently wants its share...?
• Jan21-2013--After a humiliating recent defeat by PMLn's Khadim Gurmala...Raja Afzal and his two sons jump into teh PPP...Earlier in jhelum the PPP had drafted in Chaudhry Altaf Hussein but he too could not last and his son and brother joined the PMlq...The PPP vote bank in jhelum has shrunk drastically due to teh PPP's anti punjab policies and a decided inability or refusal to pay heed to punjab's problems...Asif zardari has spent five years on contempt, swiss cases and the mqm...and many point to the PPP's inability to acquire even a single railway engine or solve teh electricity or gas issues...urban areas see the excessive price hikes where atta is now available at Rs850 per twenty kilos...CNG problems are also seen as urban oriented and thus the PPP will definitely be restricted to a few rural areas at best...