The Daily PakistanPolitics Nov1-15, 2013

• Nov15-2013--a migrant crackdown mostly on east africans has teh saudis limping with cleaning gangs, small bussiness and contractors shutting down as saudi citizens take on protesting migrants personally in poverty stricken saudi neighbourhoods
  
• Nov15-2013--with the congress regime in india continuously obstructing real engagement Sartaj Aziz says we are prepared to work with Narendra Modi if he emerges as primeminister in india
  
• Nov15-2013--five LJ men shot dead in karachi police encounter while an afghan suicide bomber held in islamabad...two afghan security men found dead on teh outskirts of Chaman
  
• Nov15-2013--the breakup of teh PTI coalition in KP on wednesday has led to allegations of tit for tat corruption... allegations against imran khan and teh QWP...teh QWP says teh bone of contention was teh appointment to the KP Oil and Gas company which they refused...that leaves teh PTI with 52 seats with two elections coming up on two PTI held seats and with two supporters having an independent stance...they have a total of 52+8JI+2ind+5AJIP...if teh 5 member AJIP breaks off they would be left with a one seat majority in a house of 124...Imran Khan needs to create a more popular image in KP and obviously he needs to crack down on the loosening law and order problems and teh image of being ruled from Bani Gala and interference by other PTI outsiders
  
• Nov14-2013--The JI complains of army attitudes in attacking a JI leaders statement on martyrdom...teh JI says teh supposed institution has never before attacked directly a political statement...shiite philosophies as well as ppp suggestions that their leaders were martyrs have lead to a confusion over army attitudes which depict soldiers dying in any action as martyrs no matter where and who they fight...and than there are teh baloch nationalist and mqm martyrs..the police also consider their dead in action tobe martyrs...many suggest that martyrs be categorised as political, military, police and militant..usually the military dead in wars with india are the only genuinely accepted martyrs
  
• Nov14-2013--The SC approves rescheduling local polls to Dec7 in balochistan...Jan18 in sindh, Jan30 in punjab and in February in KP...
  
• Nov14-2013--in karachi Rangers mount a raid in Gulshan e Buner killing three suspectted TTP men and losing a ranger in a firefight
  
• Nov14-2013--Imran Khan walks out of a coalition with teh QWP asits senior minister sikander sherpao resigns and teh chief minister fires two QWP ministers for corruption...apparently the ministers were refusing to obey PTI orders on appointments and transfers while teh QWP was opposing teh move to stop Nato supplies...
  
• Nov14-2013--three bomb and grenade attacks injure 20 in karachi
  
• Nov14-2013--the pakistani foreign office and Nawaz Sharif both seem oblivious to realities in relations to india...They donot hear salman khurshid when he says they donot want any status changing talks on kashmir and teh puppet nature of teh two minorities at teh top of teh indian government is hardly conducive to any visit to pakistan by a frightened manmohan singh who feels that teh nationalists already surging ahead would play hardball with that too...the indians refusal to start teh Sir Creek demarcation and withdraw from Siachen create teh obvious impression that they feel that at least Siachen would signal teh acceptance of a pakistani domination on teh area...teh acceptance of an LOC as a possible future border with some changes also hinges on teh basis of india accepting that Siachen was is pakistani territory...india is still trying to prove that militarily they are able to frighten pakistan given teh tame reactions from pakistan on recent indian LOC firings...
  
  
• Nov13-2013--The pathetic PMLn governance has seen teh rise in prices of ordinary daily use commodities such as tomatoes Rs140 per kilo...sugar Rs65 per kilo and potato to Rs50 per kilo...
  
• Nov13-2013--Jamshed Dasti fails in getting a constitutional amendment even tabled in teh national assembly to increase retirement age of judges to 67...The national assembly weaknesses were also expressed in another resolution demanding a more appropriate date for LG elections something that is really not inits domain...In these matters teh ECP , provincial governments and teh SC have more power it seems showing as usual that parliament is really not supreme...it would probably require a constitutional amendment to make parliament supreme on the issue of LG election dates...!!!
  
• Nov13-2013--The martyrs controversy has no end...even martyrdom is controversial when muslims fight muslims or teh country fights its own people...as teh JI backed out of its controversial martyrdom utterances nawaz sharif and general kayani went to a dua at the martyr's monument in teh GHQ...he seemed to suggest that the fauj who initially handpicked him tobe punjab finance minister is his benefactor...It is indeed funny when a government relies on minor issues to save face when teh primeminister finds it impossible to visit any people oriented or public place...nawaz sharif's choice of suit and upturned collar was odd and he seemed to represent a bright republican who seemingly has no agenda barring a wholesale meaningless privatization in a non governance mode...The governments malleable lack of sovreignity/solidity/nature has been expressed recently by its volte face on taleban negotiations, elimination of a taleban leader plus an innocuous nasiruddin haqqani...and the clearly depicted uselessness of any negotiations with india...and on teh gas pipeline which teh government said was a mere contractual obligation to mollify again teh USA...the nawaz sharif regime seems powerless in taking any stand on relations with teh usa depicting itself as a small power obliged to have subjugated relations with teh USA...teh killing of nasiruddin haqqani many suggested was another attempt to appease teh USA...cant do anything to further trouble the USA..!
  
• Nov12-2013--with teh security situation less than stable teh ECP refuses to hold LG elections for another four months...
  
• Nov12-2013--The JI has made a differentiation between teh faujis killed on teh borders or by americans and called teh army statement interference in politics...The army has a huge apparatus running teh shaheed appreciation system with even one senior lt. general being teh brother of a nishan e haider receipient...teh dragging of teh shaheed status thru the muck of internal security is termed unfortunate...many also question why no major medals have gone to those involved in the fight against teh terrorist taleban...as even though it is an internal fight teh bravery is greater than in fighting teh indians...The JI suggests that it has always priased teh bravery of soldiers who have died fighting on teh countries borders...they also question why someone fighting the attackers of teh salala camp cannot be a shaheed
  
• Nov12-2013--The fruits of teh nawaz sharif US visit are becoming clearer as Nasiruddin Haqqani a son of Jallaluddin Haqqani was shot dead in islamabad with automatic weapons...the talks scenario with teh taleban has ended as the TTP has moved closer to teh more controlled haqqani group...this can be said to be a consequence of teh killing of hakeemullah mehsud...teh use of automatic weapons suggests either a security agency was involved, the TTP or US agents...obviously teh US could be becoming braver under teh soft underbelly of nawaz sharif...in consequence Nawaz sharif has realized that it would be more appropriate to appoint an army chief quickly...general kayani has ingratiated himself with teh government with amongst other things teh karachi operation, teh possible elimination of hakeemullah and nasiruddin haqqani...it could also be a result of teh behind scenes takeover by haroon aslam who is regarded as a tough no nonsense commander...one feels that Nawaz Sharif might not go for a wholesale change in teh army leadership and kayani maybe appointed as Joint chief with one of his three juniors as army chief...the army is still apparently handling teh internal security imbroglio as nawaz sharif heads to teh GHQ for a briefing on teh new taleban setup...
  
• Nov11-2013--government tries to unbundle the relatively well organized state owned sui gas companies to encourage purchasers of expensive imports and private distribution companies...many feel that it will result in teh same disorganization that one sees in teh electricity sector...teh governments attempts to hike prices by almost 100 billion are also seen as pathetic...the government should realize that its evasive economic policies are teh cause of teh trouble and not the state sector or teh amount of tax revenues...
  
• Nov11-2013--In a massive typhoon almost 10000 people have been killed in teh phillipines with even huge ships thrown ashore..
  
• Nov11-2013--three more killed in karachi's lyari war as teh sindh government increases karachis districts to six and mulls a lyari district too
  
• Nov11-2013--In a major outburst which is uncharacteristic of teh army...teh JI chiefs ecolade of martyrtdom for Hakeemullah Mehsud has angered teh army chief and they have demanded an apology for what they percieve are teh actual martyrs in this war...the religious and anti islam parties are on teh opposite sides in this debate...where maulana fazlurrehman has said that even a dog killed by a drone attack would be a martyr...some taleban too could be undercover agents...with the pakistan government calling drone attacks an infringement of pakistans sovreignity the ecolade would be correct as the drones thus become an act of an enemy...one can almost see some participative anger from the army who could be the ones who approved the attack...many people regard the army and police acting against teh people as an infringement of their rights...some people would have been happy to see the taleban win and attempt an islamic state viz iran and JI has been supportive at least of teh idea of islamic rule...The army many have noticed has a holy fervour of controlling pakistan at times resulting in killing and being killed...others feel that teh army has been more interested in enriching itself rather than solving the countries endemic security problems...the taleban also project themselves as an army that would not cost the country a dime...many have also felt that the army despite a lot of preparedness has needed special training from US marines for an internal war...given our history many feel that they should just try to protect our borders...the taleban have made the army look completely unprepared by challenging their control over army bases and a woefully inadequate system of perimeter defences which have made many think that teh taleban work for the indians...while general kayani has attempted to control teh use of force against teh taleban teh scenario has been utterly demeaning for pakistanis who have at times regarded the army as heros even without winning any war...the desperados have made a mockery of the supposed invincibility of our armed forces...this is nothing new and it goes back to the suppression operations in balochistan, karachi and teh wars with india which have made many think that we can only fight thru desperados... the martyrdom debate many suggest is completely unfocussed as martyrs were those who went to jihad to fight for their religion and country...in country fights many see as squabbles or rebellions rather than a jihad...if in a rare scenario teh taleban emerge as eventual victors one wonders who would be a martyr and who an evil agent of unislamic regimes...teh government supported relatively moderate mullahs have opposed the accolade of martyrdom...many however feel that teh army should eventually move towards solving issues rather than getting themselves and others killed unnecessarily...which of course is difficult with teh amount of weapons and bombing material available.Even teh PTI despatched asad umar to teh USA to suggest that they regard hakeemullah and teh taleban as terrorists but are opposed to drone attacks which are mere troublemaking...
• Nov10-2013--shiites protest as three shot dead in imambargah's in gujranwala
• Nov10-2013-- five shot dead in karachi
  
• Nov9-2013--Karachi operation to continue says nawaz sharif despite a spate of bank robberies...The mqm has been unable to substantiate that it is being victimized in any way as most of teh rangers actions are focused on their opponents
  
• Nov9-2013--Nawaz Sharif stubbornly refuses to accept reality and insists they want talks despite not being able to initiate even initial talks...with the TTP now saying that they will not talk anymore and attack punjab, army, police, government and its leaders...the TTP which has attacked bazaars in peshawar and teh Fata say they will now not attack public places...many feel that teh TTP is being led by asmatullah shaheen and that mullah fazlullah will remain in teh background...The TTP should realize that any major attack will result in further drone attacks...The TTP is also accused of bank robberies and kidnapping for ransom
  
• Nov8-2013--five killed in lyari violence
  
• Nov8-2013--In a reaction to the continued interference in LG polls by teh SC the national assembly reacted to teh hasty nature of teh SC interference when even delimitations are not complete...The SC had started to interfere when its orders for LG elections in cantonments were ignored and teh governments evasionary tactic on provincial LG polls became apparent...It is a similar kind of evolving SC attempt to take control as teh governments in power avoid governance realities as happened in teh PPP era...In a more concrete involvement the LHC rejected non party LG polls and allowed provincial governments to proceed with LG delimitations...
  
• Nov08-2013--In a continued reaction to the hakeemullah elimination Asmatullah Bhittani announces a relatively hardline replacement of Mullah Fazlullah as TTP chief and Khalid Haqqani from swabi as his deputy...This many say could remove pressure from teh north waziristan base as well as bring in politicisation as mullah fazlullah is supposedly teh ustad of opposing polio vaccinations and girls education...Asmatullah Bhittani also announces a hardline position viz the PMLn and punjab and suggest they will continue teh fight against teh security forces. Punjab has relatively avoided teh daily terror attacks although many high profile attacks did occur in teh aftermath of teh lal masjid although the punjabi taleban groups were identified and arrested...asmatullah who could emerge as teh behind scenes leader also clearly identifies teh PMln leaders as having literally sold Hakeemullah's life for some pecuniary gains despite some voluble opposition to drone attacks and US interference...also suggested are some high profile retaliations against punjab's political leadership...Mullah Fazlullah who started teh swat violence by creating a popular FM radio station...as his support in swat mounted teh government tried negotiations thru malakand's mullah sufi ..however teh agreements failed and as mullah fazlullah initiated a reign of terror in swat...teh government started a military offensive...and some say in its only success in counter terrorism operations cleared swat and malakand...mullah fazlullah escaped to afghanistan and his huge stocks of weapons was confiscated...earlier mullah fazlullah in a failed attempt had led thousands from malakand to help teh beleagured taleban in afghanistan...however mullah fazlullah has the experience to run an area wise anti government campaign using harsh islamic punishments and repeated attacks on security, government offices and opponents...many perceive that teh outside appointments could be to avoid further losses in the mehsud domain and loss of public confidence although others suggest that teh mehsud commanders were becoming more peace oriented...swat and swabi have smaller TTP terror operations...it could also be seen as an attempt to increase area influences as people from swabi also live all over pakistan and mullah fazlullah could control thru his base in a much safer afghanistan where teh US does not conduct drone attacks despite widespread terror attacks...the pakistani taleban could also go after attacks inside afghanistan where a waning influence of teh afghan taleban could be countered thru renewed attacks...!
  
• Nov7-2013--musharaf free on bail
  
• Nov7-2013--The PPP supported senators sit on the road in protest at inadequate answers from teh interior minister...despit a majority the senators seem tobe unable to make their case
  
• Nov7-2013--In gujerat militancy on teh rise as an army driver is killed in an ambush and a colonel injured after gun attacks by three motorcyclist
  
• Nov7-2013--ASWJ mullah killed in shahdadkot as rivals attack their procession
  
• Nov7-2013--two more kileld in karachi sectarian attacks
  
• Nov6-2013--In continued attacks on teh ASWJ six died in karachi in apparently sectarian atatcks
  
• Nov6-2013--blasts at two railway tracks in sindh interior
  
• Nov5-2013--five killed in karachi sectarian attacks as army chief ruffles feathers by closing traffic for his visit to the Rangers office while mqm says the karachi operation is a failure as they have continued dacoities and bhatta and killings
  
• Nov5-2013--after two nato oil tankers were set on fire three suspects killed in FC firing
  
• Nov5-2013--On teh domestic front the zardari heir Owais muzaffar tappi resigns from teh sindh cabinet...!
  
• Nov5-2013--The two men most suspect at having given teh order to eliminate hakimullah were seen riding together in a jeep seeing how low flying drones could be shot down ...which many say is not too difficult a task...others point to the kidnap by americans of a hakimullah deputy named Latif who had bought him teh house that his family lived in..others suggest that the belief that drones violate pakistan's sovreignity and international law by teh lilliputian nawaz sharif who as is usual for pakistani primeministers is afraid of teh use of military force...too...should result in drones being shot down...since teh americans won't stop...!...many believe that the nawaz sharif regime and teh military like teh previous PPP regime are behind teh scenes supporters of drone attacks otherwise they would be shot down...and pakistan is literally an underdog to teh USA and there is nothing independent about its security and foreign policies...slaves as they say cannot dictate or be sovreign...!Imran Khan too says he will stop Nato supplies on teh 20th from which position he will supposedly back down as even right wingers suggest that stopping supplies will not stop drones although one JUI-F supporter did say that there were no drone attacks during teh salala nato supply stoppage...!in such circumstances shooting down drones will not be senseless while teh present policy of nawaz sharif is...ie senseless...until teh pakistanis become independent teh taleban say like iran which experts syuggest is a horrifying alternative for a nuclear power teh current imbroglio cannot end...although many point to teh quickening attempt to get Musharaf out of teh country before kiani says farewell to his sovreign state...!hopefully teh new army chief will be able to handle internal security concerns and drones more astutely and preferably with a hint of bravery...and pakistan's sovreignity will be restored...USaid advertisements suggest that it is they who are trying to solve our other problems as well...are we sovreign in any matter or issue...we leave that to teh declining intellect of one of teh two in teh jeep...!
  
• Nov4-2013--The syrians are now blaming foreign jihadi's for polio...i suddenly realized that teh pakistani government had been playing teh polio card for teh same reason even though nobody ever could explain why the jihadis thought it was an attempt at genetic birth control...almost like shahbaz sharif playing teh dengue card when he is in trouble...nobody could explain it ...from a non dengue country we have almost become infested by teh dengue mosquito in a few years almost as if someone was breeding and releasing teh specific mosquitos...
  
• Nov4-2013--after teh elimination of hakeemullah mehsud teh TTP has received extensive publicity...teh $120000 orchard that hakeemullah lived in... his successor and what sort of retaliation would take place...there were suggestions that teh shura was waiting for PMLn mediatories who never arrived...asmatullah shaheen took over as interim TTP chief...the TTP has moved from one terrorist event to another with enough variations such as teh recent elimination of a major general in malakand and teh two blasts in peshawar...they have run teh gamut of attacking the GHQ, military HQ's,attempting to occupy swat and malakand, sectarianism, bazaar attacks, attacking airfields, eliminating benazir, attacking military convoys etc...each time they have come up with something new...each time the people seem shocked and surprised and unaware that teh country has been living with terrorism that the army and government have been unable to handle it...nawaz sharif many feel is responsible for recent events and many suggest that he had to back down and allow the attack on hakeemullah...when a government eliminates an opponent it cannot even crow about it...in fact pakistan's last two governments have always blamed teh USA and its nastiness towards pakistan...with an attitude that reflects that of a complainant rather than someone ruling a country he has started to look ineffective and seems tobe just going alongwith teh tide...something similar to teh pathetic PPP era...a coal power station which will start to function in three years time hardly seems tobe something that will solve teh problems...The PMLn wants us to think that they are going to reexamine relations with teh US while teh PTI and JUI-f want to stop nato supplies again...with only teh JUI-f asking for a new APC...!
  
• Nov2-2013--Taleban bury hakimullah mehsud who dies in a drone attack on his vehicle at teh gates of his home...aspirants to the top position are khan said, fazlullah and umar khalid...possibly there should be a calm during teh selection process...Chaudhry Nisar says that they had told teh USA not to target hakimullah
  
• Nov2-2013--PMLn suggestions that only 67 civilians died in 2008-2013 drone attacks while no civilian died during attacks since 2012 are being considered tobe concocted and contrary to generalized thinking...a move many say is supportive of teh US refusal to stop drone attacks which would have stopped terrorist activities in teh country to a very large extent...others suggest that Nawaz Sharif is playing the people and teh taleban for a fool by suggesting that he is opposing drone attacks sincerely...
  
• Nov2-2013--A US drone attack on friday kills TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud at his home alongwith 5 others including waliur rehman...many feel that hakeemullah might have been lured out of hiding by teh dubious PMLn tactics while others suggest that mullah fazlurrehman might be behind teh attack who recently met teh US ambassador...Others point to usual american tactics of acting as teh spoiler in negotiations which apparently were about to takeoff...many however suggest that information usually pours in when teh TTP leader emerges into teh open...hakimullah has been teh fiercest TTP chief who had started going against targets that were politically difficult to accept by the army and the US...he has been able to avoid a drone elimination for two years by letting smaller subsidiaries carryout attacks and not being too voluble or too visible...claimants to power include teh TTP chiefs of south waziristan khalid mehsud and teh mohmand area chief who claims to have always achieved his bombing targets...while eliminating teh TTP chief usually quites things down for a while...if talks fail to takeoff than the next chief could be able to reassert his power and restart the violent activities which are teh hallmark of teh TTP rebellion against teh state...intermediatories many say should start putting out feelers for a ceasefire and fresh start immediately while teh TTP has a reputation of retaliating as soon as possible
  
• Nov2-2013--six hazara coalminers gunned down by motorcycle riders near Machh
  
• Nov1-2013--while Nawaz Sharif says talks with taleban underway...chaudhry Nisar says dialogue to begin soon...Nawaz Sharif continued to plug his meaningless power hikes which could lead to trouble for his anti people regime
  
• Nov1-2013--four killed in quetta cylinder blast...drone attack kills another three in miranshah main bazaar...blast in south waziristan kills five soldiers