The Daily PakistanPolitics Dec1-15, 2013

• Dec15-2013--Nawaz Sharif seems to have changing views on foreign ministry appointments as juniors, seniors and various lobbies fight for the positions...Iran stops loan for constructing pakistan section of gas pipeline...Iran sends monkey into space as chinese vehicle lands on moon
  
• Dec15-2013--In the Balochistan LG polls with over 500 seats yet tobe contested teh JUIf leads with 964 seats, PkMAP 765 and NP 562, PMln 472..there is also a huge number of independent winners...the pukhtuns could emerge as teh largest ethnic group in balochistan minimising teh ethnic baloch
  
• Dec15-2013--Ishaq Dar ask's pakistan's millionaires generally big bussiness and textile mill owners who have huge dollar hoard's inside and overseas to sell their dollars as he would see to it that teh dollar rate comes down...while teh dollar rate has never been reduced ever since Zulfikar ali Bhutto raised it by 130%...the pakistani banking systems insistence on low interest rates on dollars and rupees has seen to it that teh dollar remains attractive for investment as well as hoarding of wealth even by teh countries generals and middle class...
  
• Dec14-2013--Nawaz Sharif's supposed investment in teh countries youth has become floundered in controversy as Mariam Shareef who aspires tobe a primeminister in waiting turns it into a dole for PMln workers...the first allocation was Rs20 billion but it has supposedly been increased to Rs.150 billion which is around half teh countries development budget allocation...Nawaz Shareef has to realize that a small section of teh youth are not teh only stakeholders in teh country..it shows taht teh federal government now has little todo but deal with teh dole, power, water and finances as their only responsibility...Mariam Nawaz has been trying to remove all conditions on teh dole and supposedly they want teh best young entrepreneurs to get teh five lakhs each which barely amounts tobe enough to invest in a very small scheme or bussiness...eg. even a rickshaw supposedly costs 2-3 lakhs
  
• Dec14-2013--Altaf Hussein who is being investigated for terrorism as well as money laundering by London Police does not realize that the police there will have him jailed for teh offences if they get teh required evidence and that he will not be able to escape as he did from pakistan..huge amounts from teh bhatta rackets/extortions in karachi have been money laundered to altaf hussein and he is also known tobe on teh list of government payoffs by teh military in the late eighties...many say altaf hussein has already tried to escape to canada and south africa and that he was attempting to buy properties in canada ..?
  
• Dec14-2013--two polio teams associated policemen shot dead in swabi and one polio worker in khyber agency
  
• Dec14-2013--The hanging of JI leader abdul qadir molla by the extremist bengali regime of hasina wajid has raised concerns in pakistan as teh JI was pro pakistan while teh secessionist Awami League was anti pakistan...the Awami League has gone after teh JI on supposed forty year old incidents thru a one sided trial court as teh JI power has risen in bangladesh in recent years thru organizational strengths on teh street and ability to create instability ...many now realize the domination of teh indians over teh Awami League leadership even though pakistan has attempted to stay away from bangladesh politics...teh hanging would be something like hanging hasina wajid for treason and secessionist tendencies...The pakistani government should take a clear stand on teh killing of former pakistan supporters for whatever reasons...
  
• Dec14-2013--while new CJ Tassaduq Jilani wants less security former CJ chaudhry iftikhar wants more...
  
• Dec13-2013--four soldiers die as roadside bomb hits vehicle
  
• Dec13-2013--The extremist regime of hasina Wajid hanged an opposition member of teh Ji in what is widely regarded as an attempt to subdue teh resurgent JI which supported pakistan in the 1971 secession of bangladesh...The JI says that bengalis have abrogated an agreement beytteen Zulfikar ali Bhutto and Sheikh Mujibur Rehman
  
• Dec13-2013--Policeman shot dead in Orangi as a ranger dies in a remote motorcycle blast in karachi
  
• Dec10-2013--not much news apart from chuck hagels threats of stopping coalition funds again...the US says it has stopped Nato traffic thru peshawar while a punjab minister says that nato taffic sneaks thru as teh PTI goes to sleep at night..The US could very easily solve teh issue for pakistan by stopping drone attacks but according to chuck hagel they like confrontations with even supposed allies...
  
• Dec10-2013--PMLn says it cant find a courtroom for the treason trial...
  
• Dec10-2013--PPP suggests that Nawaz Sharif despite running a country with no need of any further industrialization or even banking institutions still oposes the Bhutto nationalization of teh 1970's after teh State Bank had gotten fedup with non repayment of loans and market/price manipulations by cement, sugar, atta and ghee manufacturers which saw commodities dispappear from teh markets often...teh nationalized state sector developed teh industrial sector to an extent that there is an abundance of cement, atta and ghee while sugar/atta is still destabilized by price manipulators of teh private sector...There is literally no need for any further industrialization after the country developed a sort of consumer economy that follows world trends..banks are so abundant that most branches are usually empty...what teh federal government is left to do is develop the gas and energy generation sector which has been neglected...however it is still unable to stabilize the monetary sector despite a decade of macro economics and without teh State bank most banks would be wiped out...
  
• Dec9-2013--Imran Khan is being described as the cocker spaniel of indian relations after he returned gnawing at an indian bone...while india wont even talk on substantive issues he wants them to build a joint nuclear power plant on the border to take potshots at...supporters suggest that he is better than the poodle on a leash ie Nawaz Sharif
  
• Dec9-2013--The government to charge musharaf with various charges related to overthrowing teh constitution and supreme judiciary...The government probably will hold a second treason trial if musharaf escapes this treason case...the second case will pertain to the planning and execution of teh musharaf coup which began in April many say in connivance with the indian army and the US army
  
• Dec8-2013--ASWJ bocks mall road, lahore in protests at the killing of its leader...ASWJ calls for ending all shiite processions which have been used recently for attacks on a mosque and gunning down people...earlier there have been attacks and bomb blasts in mosques as well as shiite religious places...while the islamic practice of mourning does not include street processions apart from teh burial procession shiites have continued to suggest that it is part of their religion and have steadily increased teh processions and majalis to an extent that it becomes a serious security issue...sunnis suggest that it is not a practice ordained by teh prophet or quran...mostly it is a story telling reenactment routine that takes on unreligious proportions...sunni-shiite rivary beginning in seventies was initially based on gunning down opponents which moved onto bombing imambaraghs...sectarian armed militant organisations emerged which were banned and off shoots emerged which were initially peaceful but have again become violence prone...while mostly the fight took place in karachi it is now spreading in punjab with the government attempting to blame teh police and suggesting that they themselves are immune to teh issue...
  
• Dec8-2013--Nawaz Sharif suggests that his party is behind teh disappearances and price hikes in sugar,onions and tomato's..many suggest that while it is generally a period of low availability of the products government policies of exporting them is causing the problem as at least onions can be stored as can tomato's in tinned form...many suggest that while Nawaz Sharif has been trying to concoct situations mostly related to indian relations he has been unable to create an impression that he is behind teh solutions..In a similar vein Imran Khan suggests that he cannot talk to india openly on kashmir and wants secret talks suggesting that he will be unpopular if he suggests unpopular solutions...like other politicians he seems unable to understand that india is an intransigent nation opposed to any solutions in relation to pakistan...Recently teh indian army refused to vacate siachen while pakistan has been suggesting that they had reached a workable agreement...he fails to understand that talks on kashmir are yet to even take place...india has failed yet to see beyond face saving measures which are generally called confidence building measures...and amount to restricted travel and trade
  
• Dec8-2013--blochistan LG elections take place peacefully with reports of boycotts in some areas by militants...almost half were elected unopposed while independents lead the winners followed by teh NP...PTI also wins a few seats here and there
  
• Dec8-2013--In a drama that continues to look like confusing teh judges and teh people the acting defence secretary brought about fourteen people to the SC tobe identified by an SC judge who have been disppeared by teh army...The men were covered with chadars and seemed tobe part of the whole coverup...reports suggest that six were identified by teh judge...the defence ministry suggests that a few more will be brought tobe identified...however there seems tobe no reason for secrecy as teh men had been handed over to the malakand police in group of 65 but teh police handed back 35 of them as illegaly detained ...The military than suggested that they did not have custody of them but have been forced to acknowledge their detention or whatever it might be...the person named yasin shah is not known to have been pproduced
  
• Dec7-2013--The bearer of good news Khawaj Asif who seems to think that he will be credible as a defence minister just by wearing a balck suit...has been unable to present to teh court 35 internees picked up from malakand by teh armed forces...many feel that teh SC should visit internment centers particularly in parachinar, malakand and other ISI and army centers
  
• Dec7-2013--In escalating sectarian warfare teh ASWJ chief of punjab was shot dead in lahore...The ASWJ is one of two ofshoots of teh SSP and comprise's mostly mosque preachers who regard shiism as an afront to islam...given teh increasing killings many feel that teh sect based MWM and ASWJ should be banned and only mainstream religious groups should be allowed to function..althoughsome blame the killings on mqm style killers roaming around in the country
• Dec6-2013--five militants and one FC soldier killed in a clash in teh Pat feeder area
  
• Dec6-2013--According to the Dawn former army chief Kiani is also refusing to leave teh army house and moving to teh safe environs of teh DHA...It shows what shape Kiani left teh country and teh armed forces in when even the army chief is frightened of living in his home in literally teh safest area in the cantonment...however to ease his fright teh PMLn regime has given him another four canal plot in teh same area where he is building another fortress in teh army house area...
• Dec5-2013--US halts cargo movements thru peshawar in reaction to PTI blockade
• Dec5-2013--Aizaz Chaudhry made foreign secretary
• Dec5-2013--US has disbursed around $10.775 billion on teh war on terror since 2001-02 with a high of $1.806 billion in 2012-13
  
• Dec4-2013--The PMLn fired the Nadra chief in teh middle of teh night and teh IHC restored him in the morning...the Nadra chief many say has been trying to fool teh masses and the government by suggesting that he cannot verify records without magnetic ink which is unavailable in teh country...even when addresses and ID cards have been used..many also find funny that they cannot verify thumb imprints which make them useless...Since votes are usually verified by agents counting of votes is teh only method...many feel that politicians want to find out who voted for whom and with Nadra unable to verify anything it is only an exercise creating doubts about the legality of teh polls...opponents suggested that teh PMLn wanted Nadra not to create doubts about the elections or harass its winners
  
• Dec4-2013--foreigners amongst 15 killed in karachi as religious violence sores
  
• Dec3-2013--PMLn regime resists informing LHC of its views on Lt.gen ziauddin butt's request for release of his retirement benefits and declaring musharaf's action against him illegal...many would like to know if teh president had recorded his signature on teh primeministers appointment order of Ziauddin Butt as army chief before teh musharaf coup..!
  
• Dec3-2013--In balochistan FC man killed in landmine blast in Lehri area as they chase gunmen
  
• Dec3-2013--IJT sets government bus on fire to protest clampdown on militant activities in teh Punjab University
  
• Dec3-2013--Nasirul Mulk new acting Election Commissioner insists that sindh LG polls will be on Jan 18 and Punjab on Jan 30 and they tell KP to huury up on its legislation...bigger parties find it difficult to nominate their candidates on say 50000 LG seats in teh punjab...and will have to decide after nominations while some say PMLn only to nominate chairmen and deputy chairmen
  
• Dec3-2013--In teh 35 missing persons controversy ministry of defence tells SC two of them are now dead and that there is military internment and at least 48 provincial internment centers in KP...nobody seems to know who is jailed where and by who...it seems tobe dump them in jails and wait and see...should imran khan look into teh matter of KP internment centers..!
  
• Dec2-2013--From karachi comes teh story that mqm's former mayor Mustafa Kamal has disappeared without a trace and so has terrorism involved Anis Kaim Khani...rumours about qaimkhani have been rampant that he runs teh mqm's terrorist outfit and is close to mustafa and both had a runin with warlord altaf hussein...could be possible avoidance of teh karachi operation although suggestions are that he has foreign wife problems...mqm's governor also disppears when he has problems with teh government as did altaf hussein
• Dec1-2013--The pro indian Karzai gets support for access to mullah baradar
• Dec1-2013--Bilawal launches himself with the same high pitched tone as his mother who also lacked fluency in urdu...however like his mother he too does not realize that politics is about ones agenda and he could not distance himself from teh zardari agenda of high prices and meaningless promises...the supporters of teh PMLn are a different breed and one doubts he can dent teh support of teh two bigger parties...the support of teh PPP is down to around 10% in punjab and one thinks that he can hardly change that with a sindhi family of zardari's as his only diehard supporters...
• Dec1-2013--Justice Nasir ul Mulk becomes teh acting CEC
• Dec1-2013--policeman killed in attack on a polio team in peshawar in the 5th such incident in peshawar this year
  
• Dec1-2013--two writeups on General kiani's departure in teh Express Tribune paint a picture of a character who went about his work even when disillusioned without visible angst and played a key behind teh scene political role as teh PPP sat out their five years and Nawaz Sharif continued the "people donot pay taxes" and electricity prices have tobe jacked up because teh world bank and IMF says so...most of teh taxes in this country are paid by teh people thru indirect mechanisms such as sales taxes on phones, electricity and petroleum products and literally all consumer products...However kayani or the generally accepted Kiani was still teh first to go and tell Nawaz Sharif that he was welcome back...still under military rule are we...as the new doctrine of raheel sharif takes over...One writeup looks like a military handout and teh other protests pakistan armies india centric military...The first paints a picture of a general willing todo battle with teh indians and teh US on strategy...polite with politicians...but not stopping his FC, MI and iSI from bashing down seperatists in balochistan and vanishing ordinary baloch and religious militant types...many say he ran covert prisons with hundreds locked up in Parachinar...however he was different in person to the swaggering junta leader, loquacious and boastful musharaf...his creaky anti terrorism strategy was based on quick retaliations and military movements if they did not submit...when teh taleban blewup a major general and attacked a church in peshawar than hakeemullah mehsud did not last long...but strangely he did not force a showdown in north waziristan despite daily skirmishes...2011 saw the americans turning nasty with attacks on pakistani border posts, cia operatives shooting down people in lahore and teh abbottabad operation which forced teh american nurtured PPP to finally end a drone base in balochistan but they just moved across teh border to afghanistan...at teh end nawaz sharif turned teh tables on kiani and became a total stooge to teh USA and india and General Kiani limped away replaced by his key strategist general Raheel Sharif...but not before teh ISI forced allegations of corruption against teh Asif Zardari ally in DHA bussinesses run by relatives...!!!...but also not before proving to the sharifs that u can keep shouting at teh indians without any positive response...eighty per cent of pakistans problems finds the indians or teh americans on teh other side of teh fence and both have a similar intransigence......the one thing that emerges from pakistans years of doctrinal strategical counterterrorism is that u cannot change how a people think especially those in strife torn tribal ethnic lands...whether it be polio drops or education for girls...pakistan had a network of small schools thruout KP and Fata of which hundreds were bombed out during teh Kiani era ending in teh malala gun attack and run of fame...the west felt easier in playing up malala rather than involving itself in dangerous work on teh ground...however as teh kiani doctrine goes u must build teh bunkers, rebuild teh schools, roads and protect yourself against bomb blasts by blocking roads with cement boulders and cutting edge barbed wire but u must also be down on teh ground hugging your support groups who might act nasty behind your back...This goes back to teh ayub khan days when some innocuous buildings always were protected by barbed wire...the peopel always knew that they were intelligence offices...in those days they were the problems because they were behind everything ...nowadays they are teh problem because they never know what is going to happen...it really does not matter when your best military officers have served in teh iSI or not because if they donot have realtime intelligence,controlling contacts with underground leaders and cannot infiltrate militant organisations successfuly than no intelligence organisation can succeed...one writeup suggests that teh iSI now only monitors government offices and military centers from aabpara(bengali word)...and relies mostly on phone calls from strangers...but from teh ground level their modus operandi still seems teh same as in teh ayub khan era when majors headed military intelligence...