The DailyPakistanPolitics Feb 01-15, 2014

• Feb15-2014--After being accused of literally caving in to indian demands the PMLn embarrassingly suggests that trade will be linked to a composite dialogue...earlier the pakistani government was almost suggesting that they are working for teh indians
  
• Feb15-2014--with things going topsy turvy in karachi with teh taleban seemingly executing mqm orders the peace talks seemingly stumbled as a Rangers sector commander survives suicide blast
  
• Feb14-2014--In a terror oriented attack on a police van in karachi 13 police commandos are killed...the policemen were going to replace the night shift at teh residencies of present and former presidents...while teh TTP claimed responsibility many suggest that teh MQM whose workers are being picked up for questioning might be behind teh attack ...mqm known tobe behind attacks on more than 300 policemen...teh mqm works on both sides of teh fence and have been able to avoid widespread responsibility...with teh mqm and PPP both known tobe against taleban negotiations one of teh two could have used a terror attack to torpedo the talks...however with teh taleban claiming teh attack and threatening to open a new front in GB teh talks could easily be in trouble if there is no possibilty of a worthwhile solution
  
• Feb13-2014--a tribal lashkar volunteer and eight others killed in a militant attack in mashokhel near peshawar
  
• Feb13-2014--teh opposition up in arms in the Senate over imran khan telling an interviewer that former army chief said that there was only a 40% chance of success in a military operation against teh taleban...teh taleban have been able to escape losing operations and regroup in new areas...!
  
• Feb12-2014--In what many say is an exercize in mediocre decision making/futility the nawaz sharif PCB appoints moin khan as coach, zaheer abbas as batting consultant and to top it all appoints the hairdresser shoaib mohammed as fielding coach...shoaib seems in no shape to be a fielding instructor...and they have continued with teh selection committee of mediocrities azhar khan, saleem jaffer and farrukh khan...many donot see too much talent in teh appointments...eg.mohammed hafeez goes upto zaheer abbas and says i just dont how to play outside teh off stump...the consultant says my fees are $200...okay says hafeez...well dont worry steyn will be bowling in just one or two matches...!!zaheer abbas who was a square cutter as far as i know has not been a coach and moin khan too has only a limited reputation for coaching...and there is apparently nobody in pakistan qualified to coach fielding
  
• Feb12-2014--mullah aziz says teh taleban have upto five hundred female suicide bombers..while there has been no evidence of such female involvement it can be suspected that mullah aziz might be training his female students in teh arts of individual warfare...some even suggest that burqa clad women have been staking out possible sites/practising blowing up troublemaking people and shops...!!!
  
• Feb12-2014--three grenades lobbed into cinemaviewers in a peshawar cinema killing 13...while taleban deny involvement and usually donot use grenades it cud be a new group or someone after teh failing cinema's property...taleban talks cud be scuppered if terrorism continues...policeman escorting polio team shot dead in DI Khan while going home...many suggest that with teh availaibility of military weapons in teh KP even if teh taleban stop their war individuals cud still continue attacking whatever they oppose..in this case it might be just opposition to lewd films or a bad story or even bad acting
  
• Feb11-2014--19 FC men in three vehicles injured in IED blast near Sibi
  
• Feb11-2014--four women killed as suicide bombers and associates attack an opponents home near peshawar...landmine blast kills one near dera bugti...three teachers killed by militants in Hangu...in landikotal a polio vehicle hit by an IED blast...soldiers injured in north waziristan IED blast and attack on checpost
  
• Feb11-2014--Taleban committee comes back after meeting the guerrillas and there is hope for a ceasefire although terrorism incidents are continuing...the primeminister and army chief said tobe reluctant to meet teh taleban committee and there has been no specific explanation yet to teh extent of teh government committees powers...others suggest that since Fata is still ruled by teh FCR there is no real constitution role in fata governance it being ruled by agency agents under teh KP governor...the negotiation committees could create a new system of governance in Fata...others question teh role of negotiations as a method of solution finding although teh government is not directly negotiating with teh taleban
  
• Feb11-2014--After an utter failure in teh ICC teh PPP hanger on Zaka Ashraf removed as head of PCB by Nawaz Sharif and his handyman Najam Sethi and teh eight member committeee reappointed to handle cricket affairs
  
• Feb11-2014--slow gas pipeline repairs cause gas availaibility problems in much of punjab which has already been suffering at the inability of nawaz sharif to get proper gas supplies for punjab an control oversue by CNG operators...many suggest that an IRSA type gas distribution system be evolved otherwise sindh will always cause problems to punjab in this regard...
  
• Feb11-2014--sindh says it is opposing privatisation of PIA and power distribution companies...while government says they have approved teh policy in teh CCI...earlier privatisation has not shown any improvement in teh economy or teh reduction in teh governments loan guzzling or improvement in any infrastructure...the governments attempt to selloff working distribution companies and a PIA denuded of extra staff and liabilities is causing many to mock teh government and its failed industrialist nawaz sharif...one wonders what teh goverment will do with teh liabilities...
  
• Feb11-2014--the rahimyar khan multiple pipeline blast exacerbates gas availaibility problems in teh punjab and shows teh shortage of pipeline repairing units in teh gas distribution utilities...many feel the decades old pipes are not strong enough and rust cause pipelines to burst at high pressures
  
• Feb10-2014--IMF says GDP growth better than expected...actually it means that teh January electricity bill will be Rs2 per unit costlier...Actually it was Rs1 but Ishaq Dar negotiated another Rs1 of electricity price hikes im exchange for another 550 million in useless IMF loans...
  
• Feb10-2014--On the sindh balochistan border a family of teh dera bugti peace forec eliminated by militants six of whom were later killed by the FC
  
• Feb10-2014--three gas pipelines blownup in rahim yar khan on saturday...gas supplies shutdown for most of punjab
  
• Feb10-2014--TTP negotiators visit teh Taleban shura where they keep shifting as drones keep flying overhead...Taleban present 15 demands including stoppage of drone attacks, release of prisoners and withdrawal of teh army
  
• Feb10-2014--motorcycle gunmen attack an astana in karachi which was setup by teh police and a thatta pir...killing seven
  
• Feb9-2014--The mqm strike call fizzled out and the mqm backed out of teh strike call at midday with most of teh city shutdown
  
• Feb9-2014--Ishaq dar shows his anti people nature by increasing electricity prices by Rs2 for January sitting Dubai where he said he would never go to meet teh IMF...
  
• Feb9-2014--TTP negotiators arrive in miramshah to meet teh taleban shura
• Feb9-2014--18 apply for HEC position with most being heads of government universities...no exceptionally brilliant person has come up...three former heads also apply
  
• Feb9-2014--275 deer stolen from Bahawalpur's lal sohanra national park enclosure
  
• Feb08-2014--musharaf again did not appear in teh court despite assurances... but teh court again asked for his appearance on teh 18th
  
• Feb08-2014--a gas pipeline blewup in Pirkoh while an FC man and two attackers were killed near teh iran border in Kech
  
• Feb08-2014--after the initial session the issue of shariah enforcement has caused one delegate mullah abdul aziz of teh lal masjid to refuse to participate...he says he was ignored at teh first session...teh government has suggested that teh discussions will be applicable only to Fata which has no real governing system at present...the taleban cordinator said he will participate
  
• Feb07-2014--The opening session of teh taleban talks took place with bothsides suggesting some limits...the government side wanted talks restricted to conflict zones such as fata although many also joked that karachi too could end up under taleban rule...the government side also wanted a cessation of taleban hostilities...while the taleban side suggested that Nawaz Sharif was on weak ground and wanted a meeting with teh former powers that is teh army chief, ISI chief and primeminister...The government side also suggested they would like to know who led teh tTP and asked for a meeting with teh shura...
  
• Feb07-2014--The IHC in a judgement which many regard as idiotic allowed three days gas to CNG stations and asked the government to decide teh matter in teh CCI...the result no gas to domestic users...teh IHC has caused immense problems to domestic gas users in winter with the gas supply intermittent for almost two months...The Nepra increased electricity prices for january by Rs2...
  
• Feb07-2014--Musharaf again tries to avoid appearing in teh treason trial many say
  
• Feb06-2014--The taleban talks were stalled as maulana samiul haq used his new found prominence to address a difaa e pakistan meeting to suggest that pakistan should become an independent country...while teh lal masjid militant maulana aziz suggested that shariah the basically harsh and unexplained islamic criminal law should form teh basis of the discussion with the taleban...many feel that while teh people are ready it is the politicians, women groups, maulvis, militants, sects and terrorists who wont accept it as shariah will be applicable to everyone and islam brooks no mischief of any sort from teh people or teh rulers...others suggested that teh mullahs asked for a helicopter to go meet qari shakeel in a taleban hideout...while islamic rule or application of islamic law could be teh basis of a solution the issues tobe resolved are subservience to teh government, laying down of arms and cessation of all attacks on civilians and teh military...
  
• Feb06-2014--nawaz sharif who comes across as an indian apologist urges the reluctant indians to talk on a kashmir solution...a PTV discussion run by another indian apologist pitafi also seemed to suggest that the government and the media are afraid to talk tough on any real solution on kashmir and all they expected was an opening of teh kashmir border
  
• Feb05-2014--a selector who had failed miserably earlier and one supposedly a sifarishi who kept reccomending his own son in law appointed as senior and junior cricket selectors...aamir sohails first stint was after teh disastrous 2003 world cup when pakistan were knocked out in teh first round...mohamed ilyas an aging ex cricketer is seen as a controversial selector who is not known to recognize/promote new talent...with teh present structure one has to pick and drop continuously as players fail due to a myriad of reasons including deliberate bad playing and want tobe selected just because they did well in teh past...at the moment it takes almost forever to drop a player losing his way and form and trying out new players...the board must make it clear that whatever teh conditions players have to perform adequately to keep getting selected...Moin Khan was doing well as a selector but they also made him teh tour manager which turns a person into an apologist...Amir sohail will also be head of teh academies and he can force selected out of form players to report for training and reorientation...The board suggests that measures to create cricketing centers in sindh, balochistan and Fata should pay dividends...In the present 2020 tournament new teams from fata, dera murad jamali and larkana will be seen in action
  
• Feb05-2014--terror attacks continued with a suicide blast at a shiite restaurant in peshawar killing 9 while a banned TNFJ leader was shot dead earlier...a blast near karachi derailed a train killing one...these attacks could be non taleban as other organisations are known for such activities...
  
• Feb05-2014--The talks did not take off as Irfan siddiqui refused to meet maulana samiul haq after inviting him to meet on tuesday in islamabad...teh government team which is itself quite weak wanted to clarify who is on the taleban team now and whether they would be able to get an agreement implemented...it was finally conveyed that teh three existing members would form the full team...while one tv channel discussed whether anyone would be able to meet such taleban demands that wearing of jeans be disallowed for women...teh answer...jeans provide much better protection against teh weather and prancing mullah's...!!samiulhaq said that the government would have to talk whoever is on teh team and not ask for at least a senior taleban qari or spokesman tobe on teh team...
  
• Feb04-2014--four policemen shot dead in karachi as Uchh power shuts down as gas pipeline blows
  
• Feb04-2014--The JUI-f and PTI pulled out of the Taleban negotiating committee much to teh chagrin of the PMln who would have liked to paste them if teh talks failed...!both have moved closer to the Pmln position...mullah kifayatullah many say looked quite similar to mullah fazlullah...That only leaves the heritage destroyer mullah billa zardari out in teh cold saying that teh PMln, PTI, JUIf, JI were taleban apologists ...The PTI and JUIf held teh position that drones caused much of teh terrorism although teh taleban have benefited from regional terrorists who later claim affiliation to teh umbrella group...even teh haqqani group have moved closer to teh TTP manys say..Orya maqbool jan and ansar abbasi being considered to replace teh dropouts...Dawn suggests that qari shakeel from the TTP will handle teh negotiations...since teh ouster of general kayani teh taleban are moving to become a cohesive group although their control on outlying units is minimal...The JUIf has failed since they were earlier regarded as teh main support group of teh taleban...The Dawn suggests that teh army is still apprehensive of teh talks although they have greater respect for nawaz sharif after his latest moves..there is no way out but talks as it is pretty difficult to identify locations in Fata for bombing without drones...
  
• Feb03-2014--in what might be a new threat formation two apparently film viewers hurled grenades inside a cinema killing four in peshawar...
  
• Feb03-2014--while one of teh taleban's committee has turned turtle teh taleban say their new khalid haqani led shura will handle the negotiations and that they have given the PMLn negotiators the freedom to visit taleban areas...while teh formation of teh PMLn committee has caused much heart burning with some suggesting that negotiations are not allowed under teh constitution while others suggest that they are all taleban right wing sympathisers with little or no negotiating experience...many however point to the expertise developed on talk shows and point to teh obvious first point in creating a peaceful environment for talks...while teh PPP/ANP/mqm/christians might attempt to sabotage teh talks some sort of contacts are necessary to eventually stop teh country fighting itself in any form or manner...with the mobile phone many suggest as the first negotiating tool for both sides...with both committees available and not under any sort of threat the first meeting could take place quickly to setup some sort of framework of how talks are tobe conducted and teh initial topics...as far as sharia is concerned the PMLn could argue that teh courts are free to apply any acknowledged shariat laws alongwith teh CCI and pakistanis are generally religious and teh government is according to acceptable islamic traditions and a caliph or acknowledged islamic ruler cannot be appointed due to their being no one acceptable person for teh job...an islamic ruler as is generally acknowledged must be universally acceptable according to teh ahle-bait...taleban say imran khan included in their team on nawaz sharif's suggestion so that he cannot run away from the responsibility in teh event of a failure of talks
  
• Feb02-2014--one hundred Bugti's return to Dera Bugti as a slow process starts for teh Bugti's return to their homeland from where they were evicted nine years ago...
  
• Feb02-2014--four badabher peace lashkar men killed in peshawar alongwith one militant...this is being termed teh first taleban attack in peshawar since teh peace process took off..while four militants are killed in swabi...police and FC vehicles targeted by bombs in shabqadar, charsadda...4000 police deployed in peshawar as a polio muhim takes off and motorcyclists are banned for a day...imran khan says that he will provide top level healthcare to people under teh Health ka insaf scheme and wants 2 billion for polio vaccinations of 800000 children in Kp....!The KP is providing health kits for nine immunisations and not running a seperate polio campaign...the major immunisations are all a necessity and teh government does not state how many children die or eaffected from other known immunisation health risks...
  
• Feb02-2014--In a departure from their usual diversionary tactics the taleban include mainline politicians, mullahs and even a liberal politician in their negotiations team...Imran Khan, maulana abdul aziz of lal masjid, maulana samiul Haq, akora khattak, Mohammed Ibrahim JI's KP chief,and mufti kifayatullah a former JUI-f mpa. Most are considered supporters of teh taleban in some context or the other although Imran Khan has denied that he is a talebani...!many believe Imran Khan should participate as an observer to lend credibility to teh process...with islamic rule said tobe teh main context of teh talks many say Nawaz Sharif was seen chortling at teh suggestion that he could end up as teh caliph of pakistan or Emir-e-pakistan...the assemblies could be turned into powerful shura and strict laws to control violence and mischief could be enforced...it could leave teh liberals, elite,armed forces and shiites crying their hearts out but what else can u achieve...others suggest a milder path that teh primeinister of pakistan be declared teh Emir khilafat-e-fata with a powerful shura nominated by teh taleban, religious and people oriented groups...
  
• Feb01-2014--gas pipeline from shikarpur to balochistan blows up
  
• Feb01-2014--In what many see as an indictment of teh AFIC trying to impede teh process of teh judiciary teh treason court issued arrest warrants for musharaf and theoretically he has to appear in teh court on Feb7... hear teh charges and apply for bail and non appearance as teh case actual is heard
  
• Feb01-2014--the committee of four asks teh TTP to name its negotiators
  
• Feb01-2014--four FC men die in an IED blast in jhal jaho, awaran where they were escporting earthquakeworkers