The Daily PakistanPolitics Nov1-15, 2014

• Nov14-2014--Nawaz Sharif seems tobe a primeminister only for industrialists as he increases load shedding of gas and electricity on domestic consumers and exempts punjab's worthless textile units
  
• Nov14-2014--Misbah Ul Haq becomes teh best test capcricket captain by winning 15 matches out of 33 thus eclipsing imran khan and javed miandad
  
• Nov13-2014--Rawalpindi PTI office bearers beatup Imran Khans cousin...
  
• Nov13-2014--An ATC judge has issued arrest warrants for Imran Khan, Qadri and several other leaders for invading PTV HQ's and parliament...even PTI supporters had opposed such violent tactics...
  
• Nov13-2014--five killed in attacks on shops in quetta
  
• Nov13-2014--In one of the quickest moves from the PMLn...Marium Nawaz(the talented daughter(Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had called mumtaz bhutto my talented cousin)) resigned as head of the primeminister youth loans scheme...while she seems to have acquired a daily beautician she was one of the latest many say to have shifted to Dubai during the Dharna crisis...many had critisized the scheme as well as the appointment of a daughter without any management or financial expertise...the LHC had suggested yesterday that the PMLn appoint someone else to the position...many now suggest that the cranky Marvi Memon who has a permanent sneer for the PTI in television appearances may be appointed to the position...The LHC judge had questioned her education qualifications and suggested that the appointment was not appropriate...she has suggested that she was just a volunteer honorary worker...others had said that when youth suggested that the small amounts are impossible to utilize she suggested that they loan the money to her and that she was willing to take the entire 100 billion...she also suggested that the youth would find it difficult to return the loans and they must eventually be converted into grants in aid...one has not noticed any new schemes sprouting from the loans which are supposedly charitable in intent...The concept that involving a few youth in commerce will obviate the massive need for new jobs without an appropriate social security setup is a pipe dream of the rich...the countries system only helps those that are already employed or involved in business activities, the military or agriculture
  
• Nov12-2014--three Levies men die in a roadside blast in Bajaur during polio duties..soldier dies in another convoy blast in Bannu...six of a family killed on Sibi-quetta highway
  
• Nov12-2014--Army chief praises ISI's unknown activities as new ISI chief turns up in a suit...suggesting that they are parallel organizations...others say that the ISI chief's new uniform is not yet ready..!
  
• Nov12-2014--drone attack kills six in north waziristan...airstrikes kill 13 in Tirah while two die in clashes in jamrud
  
• Nov11-2014--The judges have referred the Nawaz Sharif disqualification case to the CJ for advice and formation possibly of a different or larger bench...That means the three judges disagree totally...while Jawwad Khawaja wants to define how articles 62 and 63 are tobe used, how and by whom...while the other judges probably want just a decision on the disqualification and differ on that too...many feel that there is not enough evidence unless the COAS and Nawaz Sharif both testify...upto now the returning officers, Election tribunal judges as well the high courts have attempted to handle the issue of articles 62 and 63 which are not well defined as politicians lie all the time...many feel that the courts should tell the national assembly to define the two articles more clearly so that they can be applied...both prior and after elections!!
  
• Nov11-2014--retired CJ Tassaduq Jillani declines the CEC position which many regard as an appropriate solution for a recent CJ...Now the PPP is stuck with Tariq Pervez who is not opposed by the PTI although they can suggest a new name...since the PMLn nominees are unacceptable
  
• Nov10-2014--The killer indian defence minister has apparently been fired
  
• Nov10-2014--The Thar fiasco demonstrates the PPP's apparent inherent problems in its approach to ruling Sindh thru the dynasty while the slow moving Qaim ali Shah sits on the throne..The backing down of the Zardari clan suggests that Qaim holds more power than it seems...Qaim is a status quo person who only only intervenes in a situation when in trouble and he is seen as having been pushed to handle the Thar situation...with no particular ideology the PPP is left with just its senior members who are not particularly populist and work for a beaurocratic process rather than a people oriented strategy...The sindh situation makes change difficult as even opponents vote for the PPP to prevent any major upheaval...Bilawal should work to become the defacto chief minister and than produce some brilliance in governance...
  
• Nov10-2014--at leat 13 militants including a suicide trainer killed as military planes bombed hideouts in the Tirah Valley
  
• Nov10-2014--Imran Khan showing his partiality for non political forces asks that MI and ISI representatives sit on an SC commission to probe rigging...while there have been instances of retired police officials and beaurocrats on past commissions... serving personnel of police and military theoretically cannot be included as they are not part of the judicial process...however retired officials of the rank of major generals can be appointed or used by the commission to investigate...Imran Khan should judge the speed of commissions by what happened to the Abbottabad commission whose report has still not beeen published...probably it would take an year or two unless only senior SC judges are appointed...also the commission cannot go against the constitution which forbids anybody from impugning an election..at present there is no evidence of organised rigging as the allegations can work against both sides...!
  
• Nov9-2014--17 killed in Bara after 60 militants attacked army positions
  
• Nov9-2014--Bilawal falls prey to the entrenched Qaim Ali Shah and backs out of show cause notices...!
  
• Nov9-2014--The PMLn backs out of the unpopular OGDCL privatisation...as the pathetic Mohd Zubair could not drum up the necessary buyers...also they acquired a new IMF loan and asked the chinese to build coal power stations...one hardly understands what they need any extra money for...on the other hand Imran Khan has no idea about the countries revenues which are largely based the people paid Sales Tax
  
• Nov9-2014--while pakistan has a pathetic record in dealing with terrorism it agree's to help china deal with internal troubles in Xinjiang where the chinese have been bringing in huge numbers of Han chinese to change the muslin uighurs into a minority just as they are doing in Tibet...
  
• Nov8-2014--68 armed forces cases including terrorist related cases/army act cases transferred to a single LHC judge in Lahore who will constitute a full bench...many have been clamouring for the courts to make the Army Act subject to the judiciary even though the constitution/Army Act bars judges from intervening in personnel matters
  
• Nov8-2014--TTP to fight alongside the weakening LI in Khyber agency
  
• Nov8-2014--Rizwan Akhter a mild pro indian/US trained takes over the ISI from the hard nosed Zaheerul Islam whose reputation was in the end clouded with his falling out with General Kayani and other end of term controversies in the PPP era...Lt Gen Rizwan has served in south waziristan and ran the recent operations in karachi which has resulted in a quieter karachi and a muted mqm...generally he served the mqm interests and probably is a coaccused with the former ISI chief in an attack on Hamid Mir...however the Sharif government remained a strong supporter of Zaheerul Islam and in the end the mqm was seen portraying the views of the army chief...the mqm has been fighting the armies views thruout karachis troubled times including the recent karachi operation...
  
• Nov8-2014--The controversial OGDCL shares are falling in value suggests Mohd Zubair the chairman for the governments Privatisation commission...The PC seems to have adopted the adage sell anything that has some value including gas assetts and OGDC shares...many believe that OGDC have been undervalued to suit the governments friends..On the other hand PIA which Nawaz Sharif was interested in selling for peanuts without liabilities is still not on the chopping block...another important icon the Pakistan Steel Mills has also been put up for sale as the PMLn lacks expertise to run most organizations...there are not many who would want to buy an unviable steel mill except the arab's and indians...the last privatisation was cancelled after the government sold it to some offshore company
  
• Nov8-2014--Nasir Aslam Zahid becomes the controversial dark horse for the Chief Election Commissioner...the only negatives seem tobe the support of the PTI and MQM who are generally the bad boys of politics..on the government side Tassaduq Jillani is probably the favorite...The last CEC Fakhruddin was the the best but for being critisized after a whole year had passed...he too had the support of the PTI and PMLn...another character could emerge however with no worthwhile names on the government and PPP lists
  
• Nov8-2014--Robin Raphael a retired beaurocrat whose husband was riding the ziaulhaq C-130 being investigated for spying...generally a supporter of pakistan's views the only country for whom she could spy has tobe pakistan...she also served in india...
  
• Nov7-2014--An LHC judge theatens to ask shahbaz sharif to appear before the court if a 1990 commission report of an attempt on Qadri's life is not presented..The case seeks a ban on the pro violence PAT..The SC controversially shifts the nawaz sharif disqualification hearing to a quetta bench...In another case a judge ordered the sharif's industrial group to pay a markup of Rs3.5 billion after banks pleaded that the main amount has been recovered on loans issued between 1982-1998 but not the markup
  
• Nov7-2014--The extremist indian defence minister has refused talks with pakistan on kashmir...his statements make pakistan's desire for a negotiated settlement meaningless...pakistan was moving towards liberalizing contacts, travel and trade with occupied kashmir with previous indian governments which negated their position of seeking what many regard as pakistani territory under occupation...the Modi government has made a mockery of that stance...
  
• Nov7-2014--Facebook which has a generalized policy not to antagonize governments has prohibited pakistani's to see over 1773 sites at the pakistani governments request
  
• Nov7-2014--Army chief offers the afghans any military training that they require and offered to outfit an infantry brigade...many are perturbed by the supposed Ashraf Ghani offer to Baloch's to join afghanistan...
  
• Nov7-2014--many feel that the adage "when in trouble go to china" applies to pakistani primeministers...so Nawaz Sharif is off to china as probably the chinese refused to visit...
  
• Nov7-2014--former judges Tassaduq Jilani and Tariq Pervez Khan lead the nominated for the prized position of the Chief Election commissioner...Most judges have a controversial nature and past...others nominated include Bhagwandas, Ajmal Mian and SaeeduzZaman Siddiqui..even the even natured Jillani is considered a minorities supporter...Judges many feel should avoid personal causes if they aspire to top of the line jobs...The PPP supports changes including other sectors but has made no move to change the constitution...many feel retired beaurocrats, academics and generals could be acceptable choices too...or even a foreign person
  
• Nov3-2014--In a major change in tactics terrorists struck the wagah border flag ceremony killing 60 and injuring many more...while the TTP had agreed not to attack the people the Jamaatul Ahrar a group of splinter taleban terrorists say their Hanif Hanifullah was the suicide bomber...Jundullah also claimed the attack while the JA seems more authoritative...The area is far away from the Fata abode of the taleban and many suggest that it could be due to a widening of actions by a newly formed south asia al qaeda wing...many link it to the continuous electricity terrorism despite the fall in petroleum prices worldwide of the PMLn regime which has a diehard almost nasty anti people attitude...others also see it as linked to the violence prone Qadri's exit from the country...many in the opposition groups were noticed as justifying the need of another bomb blast...The government saw clear signs of orchestration by the anti pakistan terrorist natured security group formed by the indian premier Modi...The indian defence minister has been cruelly justifying the killing of pakistani border dwellers in a propaganda campaign against pakistan...the people seem wedged in between the uncaring PMLn regime and terrorism of the JA...it also reflects on the many factions that have seperated from the ineffective Taleban after failed talks and military operations...many place the blame on the governments preoccupation with protecting the minority but more influential shiites...others point to a blind natured pakistani internal security system which is never prepared despite some say clear warnings
  
• Nov3-2014--13 die in attacks on militant hideouts in Bara and lower Orakzai...a soldier also was killed on the attack on a convoy while LI claimed to have killed 25 soldiers
  
• Nov3-2014--In the same terrorist context a tribal jirga met Said Sajna the head of the TTP in South waziristan in the shawal area which is still regarded as a save haven
  
• Nov3-2014--In what can be said tobe pathetic bowling by the australians pakistan's slow batter misbah ul haq struck a test record for the fastest fifty and equalled the world record for the fastest hundred...pakistans test batsmen are batting better in the dry heat of UAE as they would like tobe considred for the one day team which is a different ball game altogether...the australian spinners who were turning the ball for miles in the smaller formats were just bowling straight and were totally ineffective...
  
• Nov2-2014--six troops and 18 militants killed in clashes in orakzai while a Levies man is killed in Bajaur...another 13 militants and two soldiers killed in airstrikes on LI hideouts around Bara
  
• Nov3-2014--In a pathetic move the uncaring PMLn regime increases wheat procurement prices to Rs1300...while the agricultural community is one of the richest in pakistan the higher price will cause in an increase in the already high roti prices...one wonders what the people are todo when the government protects the income of a small community against almost the entire populace