Naming..Shaming..and Taming pakistan-Full Version

[sorcerer]

Anti-Pakistan protests break out in PoK against construction of dam on Neelum river; locals demand end to Islamabad's rule

Protests broke out in Muzaffarabad city in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, demanding an end to Pakistan's stronghold in the area. The protestors also opposed the construction of a dam on the Neelum river.

According to India Today, the protest was led by the United Kashmir People's National Party and its student wing. The demonstrators were asking to be an autonomous area, free of Pakistan and Indian government intervention, the news channel reported.

ANI reported that 'Azadi' (freedom) slogans were also raised in the protest:

#WATCH Protests break out against Pakistan in Muzaffarabad(Pakistan Occupied Kashmir), 'Azadi' slogans raised. pic.twitter.com/nfJqT0kRyj

— ANI (@ani) October 5, 2018

This is the second time locals have protested in PoK, this week, against the construction of the Neelum-Jhelum dam. On Tuesday locals had staged protests accusing Pakistan and China of misusing their resources. The locals claimed that they were being deprived of even drinking water as the Neelum river is drying up due to the construction of a dam. They also alleged that the administration has acted against the interest of the common people.

Local activists protesting against Pakistan in Muzaffarabad city in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. ANI

Demonstrations, strikes, and protests have become a part of the PoK's daily political circuit, ANI said. However, they have remained unsuccessful at forging anything concrete for the people of the region.

Activists in the region are now contemplating asking international organisations for help.

According to ANI, A local activist, in his speech, said, "It is futile to demand your rights from a toothless government. How long are we going to demand our rights from the Pakistan government? If we do not get a satisfactory response here, we will go to an international forum. It is a matter of our life. Similar protests took place in front of the UNHRC in Geneva and Pakistan High Commission in London as well. People from London are also part of our committee and have been supporting us."

"I request you to consider it as your personal matter. This issue is of all. If somebody believes that life is possible in Muzaffarabad even after the water of Neelum is controlled or stopped then he is living in a fool's paradise," he added.

According to the ANI report, Islamabad has, for years, been accused of looting the resources of the occupied territory and filling its coffers, leaving people reeling from abject poverty.

Since the advent of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Islamabad, has, the report claims, stepped up activities including land grabbing in PoK. Locals say Islamabad is exploiting them to please its Chinese masters, the report added.

According to ANI, addressing the protestors, another activist said, "A conspiracy has been hatched to destroy Muzaffarabad. First, they destroyed Muzaffarabad by not signing any agreement and then they made us realise that PoK Assembly has no power and reputation. Here, the Prime Minister announces that a certain project will not be built. A local MLA also reinforces his decision and what we see is that the project gets inaugurated in the next 24 hours."

With inputs from ANI

https://www.firstpost.com/india/ant...ls-demand-end-to-islamabads-rule-5322981.html

 

[Kshatriya87]

Promenade for power without a proper plan

Imagine a newly contracted employee demanding of the employer a free run for 100 days before his/her performance is called into question. Even a half-intelligent employer could possibly start thinking of the first firing opportunity.

Imagine a head of an organization or a company seeking similar latitude at the time of joining. Not only would he/she become a butt of all sorts of jokes within the organization, but they could definitely lose respect as a team lead.

Now raise that bar to the highest level and think of a head of a government demanding similar leniency from the country’s media, knowing fully well that the media is already down and out due to crippling and coercive working conditions.

Worry would be the only expression because the party that is now tasked to run Pakistan has been making us believe that they have fielded a better team and carry better plans in their bags – not only to re-rail the country on the road to prosperity but also to free the masses from the clutches of the decades-old status quo.

Imran Khan was sworn in as Pakistan’s prime minister on August 22. Forget how he achieved the political nirvana; he is supposed to prove the hopeful right and the hopeless wrong. There is no harm in waiting for another 50 days to experience the miracles, hopes of which have been sold publicly and privately for years. Fears, however, are creeping in fast of lasting damage to Pakistan’s internal and external affairs due to the way the incumbents have started their innings.

There was tentative clarity about what was expected of the last Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government – that they would fix a nose-diving economy, put into place infrastructure to rid the country from acute power shortages, arrest the terrorism monster that had tormented Pakistan for well over a decade, improve on internal governance, and brush up Pakistan’s softer image abroad.

Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has none of these tasks to undertake. They rode on the Tabdeeli steed for years, shouting slogans of culling corruption wherever they found it once in power. Their cheerleaders also made their followers believe that corruption only existed within the opposite camps.

A cursory glance at the working of the PTI governments at the Centre and in Punjab so far offers little to celebrate. A rushed disposal of eight black beasts, whose milk had whitened or lightened millions of tea or coffee cups of the prime ministerial retinue, for a paltry Rs2.3 million, and raising another Rs200 million by getting rid of a few motorcars whiling away in the PM House junkyard are the only original star acts. The government’s austerity drive may raise a few more millions here and there, but would it be enough to underpin the trembling, crumbling edifice called the federal government?

Many remain unsure why Imran Khan needed to introduce terms like ‘Naya’ to Pakistan’s political jargon. Pakistan needed reformation through evolution, rather than revolution sans solutions. Demagoguery in a dilapidating democracy remains a dangerous tactic.

Promises and propaganda borrowed from non-political sources can distort skimpy gains towards building a functioning polity.

Gloating about “selective” accountability that is yet to complete its judicial course, bureaucratic postings and transfers based on questionable intent, and dismantling departmental or organizational heads after declaring them as “darlings” of the erstwhile rulers would buy momentary support from party loyalists. It would not translate into lasting or meaningful “change”. Chances are that the changes being hastily introduced would be quickly reversed once the PTI government is shown the door. That has been Pakistan’s style of politics.

A crusade against corruption is commendable. However, it remains a tedious process. Laws are either archaic or anarchic. Courts only crawl and litigants languish for decades. Corruption is pandemic and those bragging about controlling it are either fools or foolhardy. That does not mean the menace should not be curbed. It would be curbed through institutional consistency rather than cosmetic posturing called plea bargains or backdoor deals.

Cacophony about accountability does not allow governments to pursue a policy based on principles. Politicians in power remain above the law and those in opposition face endless charges about their questionable pasts. Resultantly, nothing gets resolved. Investigators follow leads based on presumptions. Their knowledge of foreign lands and laws remains frivolous or flimsy, hence the repetitive mockery in the name of judicial action for accountability.

It is sad that the PTI remains a naïve political player, despite wandering for over two decades in the political wilderness. The party seems clueless in power. Long briefing sessions aimed at knowing the challenges and possible responses make good copy for the government’s PR spin masters. But the public won’t accept them after a few weeks.

It is a shame that the expatriate Pakistanis have neither registered for voting nor have they emptied their bank accounts to help Imran Khan. Helping his effort to build a cancer hospital was a cause worth donating for. Handing him dollar upon dollar to run a nuclear state is not what they would opt for. It’s like helping a beggar who is not ready to admit their addiction to beggary.

While the prime minister is being briefed on important subjects of statecraft, his team is running helter-skelter, like those in the previous governments, begging for dollars. Donors are only a few and they are asking questions and tightening their conditions for largesse. Imran Khan used to say he would never beg from international institutions. Once in government, his finance minister seems to know no other way to run the state thanto beg.

Presenting plans is easy. Putting plans into practice is painful, especially when those at the helm are either clueless or clumsy. Hoping that these pied pipers would lead us all to Shangri-La would be futile. But let’s remain hopeful for another 50 days that those who promised us an Eldorado would soon find their feet on the ground, and move beyond retributive rhetoric of imprisoning the previous rulers for destroying the country through corruption.

People often start forgetting slogans when their stomachs start churning. The time of joy is over. The time to get the job done is now.

 

[sorcerer]

Bangladesh refuses to accept Pakistan envoy

Sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, alleged that Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka was misusing social media tools such as Facebook to spread disinformation campaign.


New Delhi: Pakistan's ties with Bangladesh are set to dip further with Dhaka refusing to accept Islamabad's new envoy following allegations of Pakistan’s diplomatic mission being misused to perpetrate ISI activities against Dhaka and Delhi.

The post of High Commissioner of Pakistan in Dhaka has been vacant since this March.

While Islamabad nominated a new envoy to Dhaka Saqlain Syedah, the Hasina government has refused to accept her. The Pakistan High Commission is being charged with encouraging activities against the Bangladesh government.

Bangladesh government sources told ET from Dhaka that the Pakistani High Commission in Dhaka has emerged as a centre of anti-government activities as well as activities against India.

Sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, alleged that Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka was misusing social media tools such as Facebook to spread disinformation campaign.

It is no secret that Pak-Bangla ties are far from cordial and the Hasina government did not budge from executing the 1971 pro-Pak war criminals over the past 10 years despite Pakistan’s plea.

The previous BNP regime has been accused of promoting ISI designs from the Bangladeshi territory against India, including support to the insurgent groups from Northeast India. However, within months after coming to power in 2009, Hasina cracked down and handed over all insurgents to Delhi. The ISI has also been accused of promoting activities against Awami League.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...ccept-pakistan-envoy/articleshow/66127658.cms

 

[Mikesingh]

Anti-Pakistan protests break out in PoK against construction of dam on Neelum river; locals demand end to Islamabad's rule

Protests broke out in Muzaffarabad city in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, demanding an end to Pakistan's stronghold in the area. The protestors also opposed the construction of a dam on the Neelum river.

According to India Today, the protest was led by the United Kashmir People's National Party and its student wing. The demonstrators were asking to be an autonomous area, free of Pakistan and Indian government intervention, the news channel reported.

ANI reported that 'Azadi' (freedom) slogans were also raised in the protest:

#WATCH Protests break out against Pakistan in Muzaffarabad(Pakistan Occupied Kashmir), 'Azadi' slogans raised. pic.twitter.com/nfJqT0kRyj

— ANI (@ani) October 5, 2018

This is the second time locals have protested in PoK, this week, against the construction of the Neelum-Jhelum dam. On Tuesday locals had staged protests accusing Pakistan and China of misusing their resources. The locals claimed that they were being deprived of even drinking water as the Neelum river is drying up due to the construction of a dam. They also alleged that the administration has acted against the interest of the common people.

Local activists protesting against Pakistan in Muzaffarabad city in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. ANI

Demonstrations, strikes, and protests have become a part of the PoK's daily political circuit, ANI said. However, they have remained unsuccessful at forging anything concrete for the people of the region.

Activists in the region are now contemplating asking international organisations for help.

According to ANI, A local activist, in his speech, said, "It is futile to demand your rights from a toothless government. How long are we going to demand our rights from the Pakistan government? If we do not get a satisfactory response here, we will go to an international forum. It is a matter of our life. Similar protests took place in front of the UNHRC in Geneva and Pakistan High Commission in London as well. People from London are also part of our committee and have been supporting us."

"I request you to consider it as your personal matter. This issue is of all. If somebody believes that life is possible in Muzaffarabad even after the water of Neelum is controlled or stopped then he is living in a fool's paradise," he added.

According to the ANI report, Islamabad has, for years, been accused of looting the resources of the occupied territory and filling its coffers, leaving people reeling from abject poverty.

Since the advent of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Islamabad, has, the report claims, stepped up activities including land grabbing in PoK. Locals say Islamabad is exploiting them to please its Chinese masters, the report added.

According to ANI, addressing the protestors, another activist said, "A conspiracy has been hatched to destroy Muzaffarabad. First, they destroyed Muzaffarabad by not signing any agreement and then they made us realise that PoK Assembly has no power and reputation. Here, the Prime Minister announces that a certain project will not be built. A local MLA also reinforces his decision and what we see is that the project gets inaugurated in the next 24 hours."

With inputs from ANI

https://www.firstpost.com/india/ant...ls-demand-end-to-islamabads-rule-5322981.html

The Kashmiris in POK should start an armed insurgency there too. Why they haven't so far is a mystery.

What is Messrs Doval and Co doing about it?

 

[Kshatriya87]

The Kashmiris in POK should start an armed insurgency there too. Why they haven't so far is a mystery.

What is Messrs Doval and Co doing about it?

pakis are too strict in POK. Regular killings & disappearances are common there. They brutally suppress any attempt of a large scale protest.

 

[indus]

The Kashmiris in POK should start an armed insurgency there too. Why they haven't so far is a mystery.

What is Messrs Doval and Co doing about it?

Its not feasible. How can we use the same route to pour funds/ arms into PoK which Pakistan uses to arm millitancy in Kashmir valley. That will be a reverse infiltration of sorts. :biggrin2:

 

[Butter Chicken]

Anchor: Why are we not winning in Afghanistan? Defence Secretary: One word - Pakistan

 

[sorcerer]

FAFT team not happy with Pakistan's efforts to combat terror financing: Report

ISLAMABAD: Not impressed with Pakistan's efforts to combat terror financing, a delegation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has asked it to do more to strengthen its legal framework if it wants to avoid being blacklisted by the Paris-based anti-money laundering watchdog, according to a media report on Thursday.

Currently placed on the FATF'S 'grey list', Pakistan has been scrambling in recent months to avoid being added to a list of countries deemed non-compliant with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regulations by the FATF, a measure that officials here fear could further hurt its economy.

A second team of experts from the FATF arrived over the weekend to review the progress made by Pakistan on an action plan agreed in June to address global concerns.

Dawn reported that the delegation of the Asia Pacific Group (APG) of the FATF was not impressed with the progress made by Pakistan so far as it found the legal framework insufficient, and the institutional arrangements weak.

According to sources, the delegation feared that the setup installed for scrutinising the activities of non-profit organisations, brokerage houses, exchange companies and donations of corporate entities - registered under the companies act - was not robust enough.

The sources said that the APG believed that even in areas where the legal framework appeared vigorous, the implementation mechanism was not geared to track down financial flows of the entities in question, because the agencies involved were not well-connected, according to the report.


This weakness was prominent in real estate brokerages where large business transactions remained outside the ambit of legal records.
A team of the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) reported to the APG that brokerage houses were largely documented though real estate dealers and their operations were generally outside its area of regulation.

The APG also noticed shortcomings in commodity trading - and the effectiveness of laws against money laundering through cross-verification of service providers.

The sources said the delegation asked the relevant authorities to issue deadlines for resolving the flagged weaknesses so that the problems could be remedied and future performance evaluations be made on the proposed matrix.

The authorities would also have to properly record the number of donation boxes placed by religious and other organisations at restaurants and business centres among other places. Besides, all currency and real estate dealers would have to record every transaction - both small and large.

The purpose of the mutual evaluation visit is to assess the effectiveness of Pakistan's Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime under FATF methodology.

The visiting team included Ian Collins of the United Kingdom's Scotland Yard, James Prussing of the United States Department of the Treasury, Ashraf Abdullah of the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Maldives, Bobby Wahyu Hernawan of the Indonesian Ministry of Finance, Gong Jingyan of the Peoples Bank of China and Mustafa Necmeddin Oztop of the Turkish Ministry of Justice.

In June 2018, Pakistan made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and the APG to strengthen its AML/CFT regime and to address its strategic counter-terrorism financing-related deficiencies by implementing a 10-point action plan.

The successful implementation of the plan and its verification by the APG is a prerequisite for the FATF to remove Pakistan from its grey list.

Earlier in August, the APG - as part of the mutual evaluation -identified a series of deficiencies in Pakistan's AML/CFT mechanisms. By the end of September next year, Pakistan must comply with the 10-point action plan it committed to with the FATF or else it will fall into the black list.

The authorities are required to upgrade agencies and their human resource assets to be able to handle foreign requests to block terror financing and freeze illegal assets. The authorities are working on strengthening laws for extradition of those involved in terror financing and money laundering on requests from FATF-member countries.

By January next year, Pakistan will identify and assess domestic and international terror financing risks to and from its system to strengthen investigations and improve inter-agency cooperation, the Federal Investigation Agency, the State Bank of Pakistan, the SECP, banks, the interior department as well as all other associated federal and provincial agencies, the report said.
Read more at:
//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66162378.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

[sorcerer]

Under WB Pressure : Pakistan may reverse course on Indus water dispute with India

The government is likely to backtrack from its plan to take the dispute with India over the Kishanganga and Ratle hydropower projects to a World Bank-appointed Court of Arbitration, a top official privy to the development told The News.

Instead, it may listen to the World Bank’s advice to move for a neutral legal expert to resolve the case, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Last month, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi asked the World Bank to empanel the Court of Arbitration to hear Pakistan objections to the illegal dimensions of the hydropower projects built by India on the western tributaries of the Indus River.

The World Bank brokered the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty between Pakistan and India, under which Pakistan was awarded the flows of the Chenab and Jhelum rivers.

But it has so far failed to constitute the seven-member Court of Arbitration sought by Pakistan. India does not want the dispute to be referred to the court and has sought the neutral expert option. Pakistan is reluctant because the neutral legal expert who heard the Baglihar Dam dispute ruled in favour of India in 2011.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/37...erse-course-on-indus-water-dispute-with-india


pakistan bowing down and bending down in front of India ..
as always!!!!!

 

[sorcerer]

Pakistani defenders of Prophet Muhammad call for jihad against Dutch over cartoon contest

LAHORE, Pakistan — Those convicted of dishonoring the Prophet Muhammad or desecrating the Koran in Pakistan face the death penalty — one of the harshest punishments in the Islamic world.

But the harshness doesn’t stop at the South Asian’s country’s borders. Many Pakistanis, whose nation was birthed as a harbor and homeland for South Asia’s Muslim population, say they expect the same punishments to apply to non-Muslims abroad.

A diplomatic rift opened between Pakistan and The Netherlands after populist right-wing Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders announced in June a Prophet Muhammad cartoon competition with a $10,000 prize. The contest, now canceled, was clearly designed to provoke Muslims, who rioted in the past after Muhammed caricatures appeared in foreign newspapers. About 200 people submitted cartoons before Mr. Wilders‘ November deadline. Others in the Muslim world expressed disapproval of the stunt, but the reaction was far sharper in Pakistan.

After news of Mr. Wilders‘ contest spread, demonstrators in Pakistan called to sever diplomatic ties with the Dutch government.

Leading the demonstrations was cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, whose far-right political party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik, aims to protect “the honor of the prophet.” Confident after garnering 2 million votes in the July parliamentary elections, Mr. Rizvi took to the streets and asked the government to launch a missile strike against the Netherlands.

“The only way to stop the release of blasphemous cartoons is through jihad,” Mr. Rizvi said at a rally at Data Darbar, a Sufi Muslim shrine in Lahore. “Pakistan should end diplomatic ties with Netherlands. We demand the government to launch Ghauri missile on Holland.”

His followers agreed. “Dutch are kafirs” — nonbelievers, said Muhammad Tayab, a public school teacher in Lahore. “They dared to humiliate our prophet. They should all be killed for hurting our religious sentiments.”

New Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the contest but tried to calm angry constituents with a video statement saying people living in the West didn’t understand Muslims’ religious sensitivities.

Westerners “have their own way of looking at their religions, while we look at it in a very different way,” said Mr. Khan, adding that he would raise the issue at the U.N. General Assembly.

Along with India and the Kashmir dispute, blasphemy has long been the hot-button political issue domestically. The country is sharply divided over the case of a Christian mother of four who would be the first woman put to death under the country’s draconian blasphemy laws.

The Pakistani Supreme Court last week heard an appeal for mercy in the case of Asia Bibi, accused of making derogatory remarks about Islam after her Muslim neighbors complained about her drinking water from their glass. Global Christian groups have condemned the sentence, and a leading hard-line Islamist group warned of “terrible consequences” if the execution is not carried out.

In late August, Dutch police in The Hague arrested Junaid Iqbal Gujjar, a 26-year-old Pakistani who threatened to attack Mr. Wilders and the Dutch Parliament to stop the cartoon contest. In a Facebook video, he vowed to send the Dutch politician “to hell.”

“I am a true lover of prophet,” Mr. Gujjar said in the video, adding that he needs support and help from other Muslims to achieve his goal. “I have come here from France and will not return until I reach to the person who is conducting the competition.”

Mr. Wilders canceled the competition the next day.

The Pakistani government claimed victory. “The cancellation of the blasphemous contest is a great moral victory of Muslim [community],” said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

But Mr. Wilders warned on Twitter, “Don’t claim victory too soon Pakistan government, I am not finished with you yet. I will expose your barbarism in many other ways.”

Uniquely aggressive

The episode reflects Pakistan’s unique — and uniquely aggressive — stance against perceived slights and blasphemy targeting the national religion.

In 2005, Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The same set of cartoons was reprinted in 2006 by some publications in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and several other European countries.

The reaction was violent in Egypt, Afghanistan and other Muslim-majority countries, but the fury was particularly intense in Pakistan, which was engulfed in protests.

Vandals looted storefronts of the Norwegian phone company Telenor, KFC fast-food restaurants and Western banks. Several people died in the violence. A Pakistani cleric, Maulana Yousaf Qureshi, announced a $1 million bounty and a car for anyone who killed the Danish cartoonists. Denmark closed its embassy because of security concerns.

Nearly 10 years later, French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo printed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Protests again broke out in Pakistan, with thousands thronging the streets, leading to clashes with police.

Many say the intense reaction is rooted in Pakistan’s history. The country was formed along with India in the breakup of colonial British rule, a partition that uprooted an estimated 14 million people and killed an estimated 1 million to 2 million people.

“Since independence from India in 1947, Pakistan has made religion, rather than a more inclusive, multicultural and more secular state narrative, it’s raison d’etre both at home and abroad,” said Farahnaz Ispahani, a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington who specializes in Pakistan’s minorities.

Mr. Khan has used the blasphemy issue to improve his standing among voters, she said. Now he needs to follow through with his rhetoric and condemn anyone who appears to trespass against the rule.

“The present and past governments live entrapped by jihadi rhetoric and the Islamist mindset that believes the world would be better off cast in its image,” she said.

Critics accuse Pakistan’s political and religious establishment of stoking popular anger of perceived insults to Islam abroad.

Rabi Pirzada, a pop singer who was not even aware of Mr. Wilders‘ competition, tweeted that “freedom of expression can never justify blasphemy. We strongly protest against disrespect of our beloved prophet in France. The sketchmakers must be hanged immediately.”

A legal analyst at the Pakistan International Commission of Jurists, Reema Omer, noted that Christians and other religious minorities are most likely to run afoul of the country’s blasphemy laws.

She said the country’s supreme court and the National Commission for Human Rights raised concerns about the misapplication of the law but added that officials had done little to follow up with those worries.

“Change seems unlikely,” she said.

Mr. Khan’s support for the laws would only erode Pakistan’s standing abroad, she said.

“The current government’s pretense that its extremist positions will somehow bring the rest of the world round to its point of view will only isolate Pakistan further,” Ms. Ispahani said
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/14/geert-wilders-muhammad-cartoon-contest-sparks-paki/

 

[sorcerer]

Poor Pak’s rich army sitting on assets worth $20 billion
Top Pakistan military officers are unlikely to be affected by the economic crisis that the volatile country is going through and has sought a financial bailout package of $7 billion from International Monetary Fund (IMF)—the first in five years and the 13th overall in Pakistan’s history.

The Pakistan army is comfortably sitting on assets and companies whose worth, according to Pakistan based experts, is more than $20 billion. This has never been allowed to be impacted by any economic recession. The extent of financial control that the Pakistan military exercises is phenomenal.

The details of the assets owned by the Pakistan army were officially shared by the Pakistan Defence Ministry in July 2016 with members of the Pakistan Senate. These include 50 housing projects that are run through several foundations, oil and gas drilling projects, stud farms, an aviation company and a diesel producing company, which has tied up with the world’s largest US-based oil and gas company, Exxonmobil.

All these and many more such companies, whose capital is generated by the top generals of the armed forces of Pakistan over the years, are managed by the “Army Welfare Trust” (AWT), a conglomerate that came up in 1971 and is entirely managed by top officials of the Pakistan army.

Those tracking the developments in Pakistan state that most of these companies—which are controlled by the military indirectly through funds—have at least 120 entities that are virtually into every aspect of life, from phosphorus, aviation, sugar and apparels to academic institutions and even security guards.

“Many of these companies are used as shell companies and as a front for taking bribes from arms dealers. They are protected by any ‘external interference’ from the civil departments. Prime areas of the country are under the control of the Defence Housing Authorities (DHAs) in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Peshawar and Quetta. These are the fronts used by serving and retired generals to acquire properties across the country,” an official said.

In a book released in May 2007, Pakistan-based military scientist, Ayesha Siddiqa, who also served at the position of director in the Pakistan navy, wrote that the worth of the capital controlled by the Pakistan military officers at the time was $20 billion.

The launch function of the book, which was supposed to be held at an elite club in Islamabad, had to be restricted to a third-floor room after the organisers of the club cancelled it and not one of the hotels in the capital city agreed to host it citing phone calls from the Pakistani army.

And this was more than 11 years ago. Since then, as per Pakistan defence ministry’s own admission, the AWT has added at least 11 new businesses and projects that include a bank as well as cement manufacturing companies in its arsenal.

https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/poor-paks-rich-army-sitting-assets-worth-20-billion

 

[sorcerer]

US Congressman seeks immediate designation of Pakistan as state sponsor of terrorism


A top Republican lawmaker has urged the Trump administration to immediately designate Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism and terminate its non-NATO ally status, asserting that Islamabad consistently defends Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and condemns US' counterterrorism efforts.

Congressman Ted Poe said in the House of Representatives that Pakistan will not receive any financial support from the US if terrorists continue to live safely in the country.

"Now is the day of reckoning. All assistance to Pakistan must end, its Major non-NATO ally status must be terminated, and the State Department should immediately designate it as a state sponsor of terrorism," Poe said last week, according to Congressional records.

In his remarks, the Republican Congressman from Texas slammed Pakistan's Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi for what he described as lecturing the US on aid.

"While I do not oppose open engagement with Pakistan, our position must be clear: Pakistan will not receive a dime of US support if terrorists continue to live safely on their soil," he said.

"For too long the opposite has been the case. Fortunately, President Donald Trump has disrupted the status quo and suspended most of the funding we give to Pakistan, specifically calling them out for their support to terrorism. But more should be done," he said.

Poe said if Qureshi was truly interested in restoring the relationship between the two countries, he would accept responsibility and acknowledge that countless terrorists still live inside Pakistan.

"His country has been the epicenter for extremism for decades, where extremists are still able to hold massive public rallies to incite young men to violence. This isn't conjecture, the evidence is well documented," he asserted.

Poe said Mumbai terror attack mastermind and the founder of the US and UN-designated terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba Hafiz Saeed operated freely in Pakistan.

Despite his role in the 2008 Mumbai attack, Saeed leads public rallies and can raise money for extremists causes, he said.

"Yet, Pakistan, including its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consistently defends Saeed and condemns US counterterrorism efforts," Poe said.

He said Qureshi even claimed terrorist groups that target Pakistan had safe haven in Afghanistan under the US' watch.

"Yet it is Pakistani officials who somehow claim there is a 'good' Taliban, while the US makes no distinction," he said.

"If the Foreign Minister wanted to earn our trust, his government could demonstrate good faith by taking action. This includes handing over Saeed, the leaders of the Taliban and Haqqani Network, and banning all extremist groups on its soil. But this is a fantasy," Poe said.

The relations between Pakistan and the US nosedived this January after President Trump accused Islamabad of giving nothing to Washington but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists.

The US Congress also passed a bill to slash Pakistan's defence aid to USD 150 million, significantly below the historic level of more than USD one billion per year.

https://indianexpress.com/article/i...n-nsg-armoury-for-counter-terror-ops-5405344/

 

[Mikesingh]

Mr. Rizvi took to the streets and asked the government to launch a missile strike against the Netherlands. We demand the government to launch Ghauri missile on Holland.”

Huh? Launch Ghauri missiles on Holland?? Lol! Which world are these morons living in?? Such childish statements reflect complete intellectual bankruptcy. Seeing that the Pakis have been fed with a daily diet of jihad and the 'invincibility' of their Paki army and their nuclear arsenal, what else can one accept?

 

[Mikesingh]

Poor Pak’s rich army sitting on assets worth $20 billion
Top Pakistan military officers are unlikely to be affected by the economic crisis that the volatile country is going through and has sought a financial bailout package of $7 billion from International Monetary Fund (IMF)—the first in five years and the 13th overall in Pakistan’s history.

The Pakistan army is comfortably sitting on assets and companies whose worth, according to Pakistan based experts, is more than $20 billion. This has never been allowed to be impacted by any economic recession. The extent of financial control that the Pakistan military exercises is phenomenal.

The details of the assets owned by the Pakistan army were officially shared by the Pakistan Defence Ministry in July 2016 with members of the Pakistan Senate. These include 50 housing projects that are run through several foundations, oil and gas drilling projects, stud farms, an aviation company and a diesel producing company, which has tied up with the world’s largest US-based oil and gas company, Exxonmobil.

All these and many more such companies, whose capital is generated by the top generals of the armed forces of Pakistan over the years, are managed by the “Army Welfare Trust” (AWT), a conglomerate that came up in 1971 and is entirely managed by top officials of the Pakistan army.

Those tracking the developments in Pakistan state that most of these companies—which are controlled by the military indirectly through funds—have at least 120 entities that are virtually into every aspect of life, from phosphorus, aviation, sugar and apparels to academic institutions and even security guards.

“Many of these companies are used as shell companies and as a front for taking bribes from arms dealers. They are protected by any ‘external interference’ from the civil departments. Prime areas of the country are under the control of the Defence Housing Authorities (DHAs) in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Peshawar and Quetta. These are the fronts used by serving and retired generals to acquire properties across the country,” an official said.

In a book released in May 2007, Pakistan-based military scientist, Ayesha Siddiqa, who also served at the position of director in the Pakistan navy, wrote that the worth of the capital controlled by the Pakistan military officers at the time was $20 billion.

The launch function of the book, which was supposed to be held at an elite club in Islamabad, had to be restricted to a third-floor room after the organisers of the club cancelled it and not one of the hotels in the capital city agreed to host it citing phone calls from the Pakistani army.

And this was more than 11 years ago. Since then, as per Pakistan defence ministry’s own admission, the AWT has added at least 11 new businesses and projects that include a bank as well as cement manufacturing companies in its arsenal.

https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/poor-paks-rich-army-sitting-assets-worth-20-billion

People ask why Pak has lost all wars against India. This is the reason.

 

[mayfair]

People ask why Pak has lost all wars against India. This is the reason.

Not just that. Shitistan is made up of people whose ancestors chose to GUBO to the invaders rather than stand up and fight and die for their land, their wives and children, their culture and their way of life.

An apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

 

[sorcerer]

Not just that. Shitistan is made up of people whose ancestors chose to GUBO to the invaders rather than stand up and fight and die for their land, their wives and children, their culture and their way of life.

An apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Darwin Approves...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sorcerer]

Pakistan wants to kill Kashmiri 'Jihadis' for aid, says Hafiz Saeed

Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, one of the most-wanted terrorists in South Asia, has lashed out at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government for seeking aid from the Trump administration and walking into what he termed as an American trap of giving aid for the killing of Kashmiri and other 'Mujahideen' in the country.

"The US has ordered Pakistan to capture Afghan and Kashmiri Mujahideen with an aim to convert Pakistan into an extended territory of the US", Saeed said while addressing a huge crowd at Markaz Al Qadsiya in Lahore city.

He added, "The US puts pressure on Pakistan government to close the madrasas (Islamic seminaries) and stop teaching the Holy Quran. They say those studying here are all 'jihadis'. The US gives such diktats while coming to Pakistan. They also want syllabus on religious teachings to be removed as it gives birth to 'jihadis'. The government of Pakistan agrees on such orders and informs them about banning 'jihadi' outfits in return of receiving monetary aid and support."

Saeed founded Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, which waged the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks. The organisation is on the United Nations list of global terrorist groups.

Emphasising on the need to promote religious teachings, Saeed said, "We must reform our educational syllabus and to train our professors in accordance with Islamic education based on Quran and Hadith so that they can handle the economic, political and the various problems created by the U.S.".

Saeed, who carries a USD 10 million bounty for his role in terror activities, criticised the Pakistani government for accepting suggestions to ask the US and International Monetary Fund (IMF) for aid.

He further asked Imran Khan to fulfill promises made during the election campaign of turning Pakistan into a true Islamic State. "We have to safeguard Islam and Pakistan and should not get trapped into the US and IMF's entrap", said Saeed in his address. Saeed strongly criticized those studying and supporting the Western education system in Pakistan

https://www.timesnownews.com/intern...ligence-chief-killed-by-guards-taliban/301245

 

[sorcerer]

PoK activists hold anti-Pakistan protest in London

A large number of activists from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) gathered outside the Pakistan High Commission in London to mark October 22 as 'Black Day'.

They shouted pro-freedom and anti-Pakistan Army slogans to demand the security forces leave PoK and Gilgit Baltistan who illegally occupied the region on this day in 1947.

Sajjad Raja, President of Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party, UK said, "We all have gathered here to protest against Pakistani invasion of Jammu and Kashmir on October 22, 1947. We are protesting against Pakistan because we think that is the day which caused the division of our state and that is the day when the ill-planning was conceived to suppress our people and victimize our people. That was the conspiracy which still ongoing, which still continuing".

Sajjad added, "We want to convey a message to the world that this sort of activity, this sort of brutality is not acceptable, come what may, we will never ever give up and continue our struggle against the Pakistani occupation in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and we believe this was a Pakistani act which resulted in Indian interference as well and consequently our country was divided between India and Pakistan. So, the whole root cause of this division is October 22 which was done in the name of Islam and in the name of brotherhood. We condemn this activity and will continue our struggle".

The protesters carried banners like "Is Azad Kashmir Really Azad?", "Abolish Act 74 & GB Order 2018", "Arrest the Killers of Arif Shahid Shaheed" and "Restore basic human rights and social rights in Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir".

They strongly demanded Pakistan-backed terror outfits including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Hizbul Mujahideen to leave the PoK territory.

Rizwan Siddique, General Secretary of Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party, UK said, "We believe, if that adventure was not conducted by Pakistan on October 22 our state would have remained independent. The bloodshed in Kashmir is the result of that blunder by Pakistan".

The protesters raised apprehensions that Islamabad is planning to make Gilgit Baltistan its 5th province to make the path clear for China for its multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Sarfaraz Raza, a protester said, "We will continue to expose Pakistan's nefarious plans. We have apprehensions that Pakistan is planning to take a big decision on Gilgit Baltistan, but we will never allow it to happen because Kashmir is a disputed territory and Pakistan can't take any such decision with the consent of Kashmiris".

Many women from Pakistan occupied Kashmir also participated at the protest and exposed Pakistan for its ill-treatment to the residents.

Shazia GD, Chairperson, Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (Women wing) said, "The Hindus and Sikhs were brutally killed. The tribal invaders sent by Pakistan first kill the Kashmiri Muslims and then Hindus and Sikhs. How long will you (Pakistan) continue to kill people in Kashmir and claim to be sympathizer of Kashmiris?".

"We don't have clean drinking water in Azad Kashmir (PoK), our children are not safe there. They are born outside of hospitals and die. However, your officials and politicians are going abroad for medical treatments. If you claim that Azad Kashmir is part of Pakistan, why don't we have all facilities and why we are all forced to live in exile"?, said Shazia while criticizing Pakistan for its dubious stand on Kashmir.

The protesters also accused Pakistan of sponsoring terrorists and jihadists in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We demand you should immediately abolish 80A and National Action Plan in Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir (PoK), release Baba Jan, Comrade Iftikhar and other prisoners in Gilgit Baltistan ", Sajjad said.

https://www.business-standard.com/a...akistan-protest-in-london-118102300018_1.html

 

[sorcerer]

US says will hold Pakistan accountable if it doesn't curb terrorism in Afghanistan
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/sto...b-terrorism-in-afghanistan-1374745-2018-10-24

 

[sorcerer]

India, Israel Choke Pakistan From All 4 Sides Including Afghanistan, Iran and Now Oman - EurAsian Times

Can Israel’s relations with Oman and India prove threatening for Pakistan? Recently, Israeli PM Netanyahu paid a secret visit to Oman which may have serious consequences for Pakistan. Oman already has collaborated with India for Duqm port, while Delhi is working with Iran for Chabahar port project. EurAsian Times analyses an editorial of globalvillagespace.


On a secret trip to Oman, Benjamin Netanyahu was accompanied by Mossad intelligence Chief Yossi Cohen, National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and with other defence officials. As per secondary research by EurAsian Times, it was the first visit by an Israeli leader to Oman in over two decades; the last Israeli PM to visit Oman was Shimon Peres in 1996. Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Friday, 26th October that the visit came at the invitation of Sultan Qaboos and followed “lengthy communications between the two nations”.

Just three days before Netanyahu’s visit, President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas also paid a visit to Oman on 21st October. Surprisingly, on 28th October, Omani officials went again to Palestine to meet President Mahmoud Abbas which symbolises the developments pertaining to the Middle-East peace process.


Why Israel Exposed her Relations with Oman? Through Oman, Israel can build secret ties with any player in the region. For instance; India used Oman’s assistance to develop ties with Iran. If Israel gets a strong foothold in Oman through her embassy it can test both Pakistan and Iran.

As per experts that EurAsian Times talked to, Israel will only seek to develop covert or overt ties with Sunni nations to prevent Iran’s spread through the region as well as collaborate with India to deter Pakistan. Oman’s geographical position is such that it can provide all the tools they need to materialize this strategy against both Iran and Pakistan.


Critics claim that international propaganda is being administered against Islamabad; recently it was Israeli newspaper spreading a false story that PM Netanyahu visited Islamabad (after the visit to Oman) a story which created ripples in Pakistan. Pakistan has no official ties with Israel and considers the nations the biggest enemy of Islam.

Critics also blame the United pr ifs seeding civil unrest in Pakistan. After Supreme Court overturned the death sentence of Aasia Bibi, Washington has pressed the government of Pakistan to release another 40 individuals imprisoned in “very dangerous” Blasphemy charges and repeal the blasphemy laws. This step has the potential to create massive unrest in Pakistan and do an irreparable damage to the country.

As defence experts whom EurAsian Times talked to state: Pakistan must realize that they are now surrounded from all the four sides by India and their key allies i.e. Afghanistan, Iran, India itself and now possibly Oman (as Pakistan and Oman share maritime boundary).

Oman is the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member to formalize Defence ties with India from joint military exercise and cooperation in anti-piracy and security matters. If Israel succeeds in controlling or micro-managing Oman’s defence policies, a new forth India-Israel maritime front could open from Oman which would encircle Pakistan from all the four sides

https://eurasiantimes.com/pakistan-danger-surrounded-4-sides-india-afghanistan-iran-now-oman/