Friday, September 7, 2012

Violence claims 7 more lives in Karachi

DUNYA TV
At least seven people were killed in incidents of violence in different parts of Karachi. According to details, three dead bodies were recovered from Pak Colony. Police said that the hands and feet of the victims were tied and they were shot dead after abduction from different areas of the city. The identity of the deceased is not yet known. In another incident of violence, some unidentified gunmen shot dead Abdur Rehman in Karimabad while Muhammad Nawaz was gunned down in Machco area. In yet another incident of violence, some unidentified miscreants shot dead a man named Saim in Nazimabad area while Tariq was shot dead in Shah Faisal area of Orangi Town. Meanwhile, residents nabbed a dacoit near Islamia College and subjected him to severe torture before handing him to police while two dacoits were arrested from a shop near Yousuf Plaza.

Obama takes slim post-convention lead over Romney: Reuters/Ipsos poll

REUTERS President Barack Obama regained some footing and overtook his Republican rival Mitt Romney in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday, a day after the end of the Democratic convention. In what appears to be a convention-induced bounce, Obama jumped ahead in the latest daily tracking poll with 46 percent of 1,434 likely voters saying they would vote for him if the November 6 elections were held today, topping Romney's 44 percent. The rolling four-day online poll was conducted through early Friday. The Democratic convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Obama accepted his party's nomination for a second term, wrapped up late on Thursday night with the president's nationally televised speech. "The numbers only moved a little bit but they moved in the direction that suggests that we may be seeing the first inkling of a post-convention bump," Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said. Romney in the past few days had held a 1 or 2 percentage point lead in the poll in the wake of the Republican convention last week. The poll does not reflect sentiment following the Labor Department's release on Friday of August employment numbers, which showed that jobs growth slowed sharply last month. Seventy-two percent of 1,670 registered voters surveyed in the poll said the national economy and the federal budget deficit are heading in the wrong direction. Sixty-eight percent of polled voters said the same about the employment and jobs. "These are the metrics against which the candidates have to battle it out. This backdrop is very challenging and it's turning into a blame game," said Clark, repeating her earlier predictions of a very close race all the way until the election. Friday's poll likely reflected the views of those who had heard the well-received convention speech by former President Bill Clinton but not Obama's own speech that offered a steady-as-you-go message. Asked who was the more likable candidate, 52 percent of registered voters surveyed favored Obama compared to 29 percent for Romney. Among independents, Obama enjoyed a likability advantage of 50 percent to 22 percent for Romney. Obama also widened his lead over Romney in categories of "represents America" (Obama 44 percent, Romney 37 percent), "tough enough for the job" (Obama 42 percent, Romney 37 percent) and "will protect American jobs" (Obama 40 percent, Romney 37 percent). The precision of the Reuters/Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points for all respondents.

No love lost for Hafiz Saeed: Hina

Ahead of India-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' talks in Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar in an exclusive interview to NDTV has said that there's no love lost for 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Pakistani government and he is not a crony of the establishment. She also said that Pakistan will welcome any evidence against Saeed that can stand in court.

CRICKET: Pakistan seal series with tight win

Pakistan tied the Super Over but won on boundaries scored in the second Twenty20 international against Australia in Dubai on Friday, after the visitors tied the match on 151 for eight.

S M Krishna calls on President Zardari

President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said that Pakistan had abiding interest in the promotion of regional peace and stability, which would only enable the people of the region to exploit enormous opportunities available in South Asia. During his meeting with S. M. Krishna, Indian External Affairs Minister, here at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the President said that finding amicable and just solutions to resolve outstanding issues was important for Pakistan and India to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region. Briefing about the meeting, Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the President emphasized that it was time for the two countries to move beyond reiteration of their positions to more substantive results. He said that showing greater understanding of each others' concerns and sensitivities would help in solutions of the mutual issues. The President reiterated his call for the two countries to make determined efforts for friendly, cooperative and good neighbourly relations, treading the path of productive and result-oriented dialogue. He stressed the need for exchange of visits of businessmen and entrepreneurs of the two countries to enhance bilateral trade. He said that multifaceted cooperation between the two countries was imperative for the socio-economic development of the people and to cope with the common challenge of terrorism. He said that terrorism was a common enemy afflicting both the countries. Calling for the need to fight the menace jointly, the President said that Pakistan stood resolute to fight it till it was finished. The President also said that the two countries must not allow the derailment of normalization process. In this regard, he also suggested reviving the Anti-Terrorism Mechanism comprising representatives of Foreign Office, Home/Interior and intelligence agencies of the two countries. He said that the frequent interactions of the leadership of the two countries would help providing impetus to the efforts for ensuring peace and creating better understanding on various issues. We have great respect for Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and hold Dr Manmohan Singh in high esteem, he said and appreciated the Indian Prime Minister's vision for peace in South Asia. The Indian minister thanked the President for meeting and conveyed best wishes of the Indian leadership and people for the government and the people of Pakistan. He said that his country desired good relations with Pakistan and wanted to work together in coping with the common challenges and issues. Those present during the meeting from the Indian side included Ranjan Mathai, Foregin Secretary, Sharat Sabharwal, Indian High Commissioner, Raghavendra Shastry, and Advisor to External Affairs Minister, Y.K. Sinha and Syed Akbaruddin. Foreign Minister Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar, Secretary General M. Salman Faruqui, Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar, Senator Sughra Imam, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, Pak High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir and Asif Durrani were present from the Pakistan side.

State Department Blacklists Militant Haqqani Network

In a report to Congress on Friday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton formally designated the militant Haqqani network — responsible for some of the deadliest attacks against American troops in Afghanistan — a terrorist organization, two days before a Congressional deadline. Mrs. Clinton signed the order in Brunei before departing to Vladivostok for the annual Asia Pacific Economic Conference, and State Department officials began notifying senior lawmakers. She issued the report after a last round of internal debate that took place in Washington on Thursday hours before President Obama spoke at the Democratic National Convention. The decision is the culmination of nearly two years of spirited debate inside the administration that reached a peak in the past month under the pressure of Sunday’s reporting deadline. Several State Department and military officials had argued that designating the organization would help strangle its fund-raising activities in countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and pressure Pakistan to open a long-expected military offensive against the militants. Many other senior officials, including several in the White House, expressed deep reservations that blacklisting the group could further damage badly frayed relations with Pakistan, undercut peace talks with the Taliban and possibly jeopardize the fate of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only American soldier known to be held by the militants. But in the past few days, supporters of designating the group apparently eased most concerns or put forward contingencies to mitigate the risks and potential consequences. “This shows that we are using everything we can to put the squeeze on these guys,” said one administration official who was involved in the process, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity on Thursday because the decision had not yet been formally announced. Another senior administration official said the designation “is a very strong signal of our resolve to combat the Haqqanis.” Mrs. Clinton and others had already discussed the issue with their counterparts in Pakistan, the State Department said. “This is an internal matter for the United States,” Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, said in a statement. “It’s not our business. The Haqqanis are not Pakistani nationals.” “We are not in the business of coddling terrorists and those who challenge the writ of our state,” she continued. “We will continue to work with all international partners, including the U.S., in combating extremism and terrorism.” Critics had contended that a designation by the Treasury Department or the United Nations could achieve largely the same result as adding the network to the much more prominent State Department list, with far fewer consequences. But many senior counterterrorism officials as well as top American military officers, including Gen. John R. Allen, commander of American and NATO troops in Afghanistan, had said designating the organization should be a top priority. “F.T.O. designation could reduce a critical capability of the Haqqani network by increasing the cost of doing business, reducing access to capital, and constraining the network’s financial resources, thereby limiting their freedom to operate in a local, regional, and international context,” Jeffrey Dressler, senior Afghanistan analyst for the Institute for the Study of War, a research organization here, said in a paper issued this week, referring to foreign terrorist organizations. Mr. Dressler said the Haqqani network’s business interests stretched from Afghanistan and Pakistan, to the Persian Gulf, and included car dealerships, money exchanges and construction companies, import-export operations and smuggling networks. Since 2008, Haqqani suicide attackers have struck the American Embassy and Indian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, as well as the headquarters of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and hotels and restaurants there. American officials confirmed last week that a senior member of the Haqqani family leadership, Badruddin Haqqani, the network’s operational commander, was killed recently in a drone strike in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Pressure in Congress to add the group to the terrorist list had grown this year. “The Haqqani network is engaged in a reign of terror,” Representative Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in July. “Now is the time for action, not simply paperwork and talk.” With virtually unanimous backing, Congress approved legislation that President Obama signed into law on Aug. 10 giving Mrs. Clinton 30 days to determine whether the Haqqani network was a terrorist group, and report her decision to lawmakers by Sunday, coincidentally three days after the end of the Democratic National Convention. Critics of designating the group a terrorist organization say the action could drive a wedge between the United States and Pakistan, just as the countries are gingerly recovering from months of grueling negotiations to reopen NATO supply routes. Pakistan closed the routes through its territory after an allied airstrike near the Afghan border last November killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. These same critics say such a move would appear to bring Pakistan a step closer to being designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. American officials say Pakistan’s main spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, is secretly aiding the insurgents. Pakistani officials have said the agency maintains regular contact with the Haqqanis, but deny that it provides operational support.

Chinese, Russian presidents reach consensus

President Hu Jintao has met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin ahead of the annual Economic Leaders’ Meeting of the APEC in the Russian city of Vladivostok. The two leaders reached an important consensus on the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between their countries and on regional and international issues. Hu Jintao said they had set the principles and directions of bilateral relations and priorities for cooperation during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Beijing this year. He made four proposals. First, the two sides should deepen mutual strategic trust, increase political support and ensure the bilateral political relations develop to a higher level. Second, the two sides should strengthen cooperation in investment, high technology and innovation, promote cooperation on big strategic projects, and raise the scale and quality of economic and trade cooperation. Third, the two countries should negotiate actively within the framework of the China-Russia Neighbourly Friendly Cooperation Treaty and implement the objectives, principles and spirit of the treaty. Fourth, the two countries should build a cooperation mechanism of law enforcement and security to consolidate and develop friendly relations between the two militaries.

Haqqani network is considered most ruthless branch of Afghan insurgency

Group that started as part of anti-Soviet jihad has moved into mafia-like violence, intimidation and extortion
The US has decided to blacklist as a terrorist group the Haqqani network, perhaps the most ruthless and feared branch of the Afghan insurgency, the New York Times has reported. For many, the surprise was not the decision itself, but how long it has taken. The group is believed to have been behind most of the spectacular attacks in Kabul in recent years, including a rocket assault on the US embassy, as well as deadly suicide bombings of US troops. But there have been concerns that targeting the group will worsen already difficult relations with Pakistan, long suspected of supporting the group through its feared ISI intelligence agency. Some officials also thought it might dim hopes for peace talks, although the Haqqanis have always been considered the faction least open to reconciliation. The group was founded as part of the anti-Soviet jihad by Jalaluddin Haqqani, the network's patriarch, who has now delegated most day-to-day operations to the next generation. He was once funded by the CIA and lionised by some in the US, including the congressman Charlie Wilson, who reportedly described him as "goodness personified". Haqqani joined the Taliban government as minister for tribal affairs after they captured Kabul in 1996, fleeing after they were ousted in late 2001 and taking up arms again. His stronghold is in the eastern province of Khost, a lawless area where the Afghan government over which has little control, although the group's leaders are widely believed to live across the border in Pakistan. There they are out of reach of the US forces that regularly capture senior insurgent leaders inside Afghanistan, but are still targeted by drones that last month killed Jalaluddin's son and operational commander, Badruddin Haqqani. They are considered the most sophisticated, ruthless and well-organised of the groups that make up the Afghan insurgency, and claim nominal allegiance to the Afghan Taliban. In addition to the embassy attack they are believed to have co-ordinated or supported a string of other deadly attacks including assaults on Kabul's high-end Serena and Intercontinental hotels, a bombing of the Indian embassy, and several kidnappings. Since the 1980s, however, the group has expanded beyond insurgency to become a mafia-like operation, as focused on "the pursuit of wealth and power" as it is on "the Islamist and nationalist ideals for which [they] claim to fight," according to a recent paper by Gretchen Peters, at the Combating Terrorism Centre in West Point. "Over the past three decades they have penetrated key business sectors, including import-export, transport, real estate and construction in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Arab Gulf and beyond," Peters wrote in the paper, Haqqani Network Financing. "The Haqqanis employ violence and intimidation to extort legal firms and prominent community members and engaged in kidnap-for-ransom schemes … they protect and engage in the trafficking of narcotics and the precursor chemicals used to process heroin."

ANP announces to boycott NA session

Awami National Party (ANP) Friday voiced strong protest in National Assembly (NA) against promulgation of Sindh Local Bodies Ordinance, staged walk out and announced to boycott sitting session. Speaking on a point of order, Pervez Khan, ANP MNA, alleged President was mutilating the constitution by interfering in provincial affairs. ANP would not become part of any game on division of Sindh, he added. In the darkness of night two parties promulgated ordinance on division of Sindh, he said adding that restoration of Musharraf regime system in favorite cities of Sindh and enforcement of district council system in remaining district of the province was tantamount to dividing Sindh. Where the justice stands that a part of Sindh has been placed under Musharraf regime system through division of Sindh, he questioned. He indicated that ANP had withdrawn his minister from Sindh cabinet under protest against promulgation of this ordinance. PPP is out to dismember Pakistan and ANP will not become part of this game, he announced. He charged over 5 million Pakhtoons were settled in Karachi and their voice was being stifled. ANP denounces role played by President Asif Ali Zardari and his interference in provincial matters, he declared. Federal minister Syed Khurshid Shah said no new ordinance was promulgated in Sindh with reference to local bodies system and only old system has been changed. Government does not intend to defer general elections and they will take place on time, he announced. MQM legislator Waseem Akhtar said stake holders of Sindh had together devised a system, therefore, no one should raise any objection to it. Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi directed Syed Khurshid Shah to resolve the problem through consultation process with the coalition partners. NA session has been adjourned till Monday evening.

Pakistani court grants bail to girl in blasphemy trial

A young girl accused of burning pages of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, has been offered bail at an appeal hearing in Islamabad. The court is also investigating whether the teenage Christian could have been framed. Judge Muhammad Azam Kahn announced the decision in an Islamabad court on Friday. "I accept her bail application," the judge said. "The bail application has been accepted against two sureties of 500,000 rupees (4179 euros, $5,284) each." Rimsha Masih's lawyer, Tahir Naveed Chaudry, told reporters that his client would spend at least on more night in custody. "We are processing the bail bond but court timings have ended so my client could not be released today [Friday]," Chaudry said. "She is likely to be freed on Saturday."There are fears for her safety if she returns to her village, as she is accused of burning pages of the Muslim holy book, the Koran. Framed? The development comes almost a week after police arrested a Muslim cleric for allegedly planting evidence that led to the girl's arrest. Imam Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chishti, who was turned in by his assistants, is accused of adding pages from the Koran to pages that the young girl had allegedly burned in an effort to strengthen the case against her. The imam claimed that he had moved to protect the girl by turning her in to the authorities. "People were demanding to burn their house," he said. "But I went to police and called them to avoid a major incident." Christi said his colleagues at the mosque had turned him in based on "fabricated" information. Human Rights Watch in Pakistan welcomed the care taken in the case with these counter-accusations, saying the courts were being unusually thorough. "They are actually taking a look at incitement to violence and false allegations. It is a welcome and positive development," HRW Pakistan director Ali Dayan Hasan said earlier in the week. The case has brought further attention to Pakistan's controversial laws on blasphemy. If convicted of committing a perceived insult against Islam, a person can be sentenced to death. Christians make up less than two percent of Paksitan's primarily Muslim population of around 180 million people. Masih is believed to be 14 years old, a panel of doctors has told the court she suffers from learning difficulties.

Terrorism not mantra of future, don't be emotional

"Terrorism was mantra of the past, terrorism is not the mantra of future," said Pakistan Foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Friday ahead of her talks with Indian counterpart S M Krishna, asking India to see the Mumbai terror attack trial "realistically" and not "emotionally". She also indicated that the new visa agreement will be inked during Krishna's visit.Asserting that Pakistan has sent some very "serious signals" in viewing India in different light and on moving with India in various sectors, for instance trade relations, Khar told PTI in an interview that by doing this her country was "breaking away from many positions we have held". Making a strong pitch for the resumed dialogue process to continue, she said, moving forward will mean "Pakistan and India being able to sit around the dialogue table and convert the baby steps into medium-sized strides, which I think is already happening, and then big leaps forward and for that we need to change the mindset. "I am appalled when I am told that terrorism continues to be an issue. Who can tell me that terrorism is not an issue for Pakistan. And this is all old-time (things)..."

Pak textbooks: Alarming rise in hate content

indiatimes.com
At a time when Pakistan is plagued by terrorism, its official academia has been unable to stop the inclusion of hate material targeting Hindus, Christians and Sikhs and fanning sectarian hatred in school curriculum. This hate material included in text books being used in Punjab and Sindh provinces mainly targets the country's religious minorities - Hindus, Christians and Sikhs - and India and westerners, says the NGO National Commission for Justice and Peace. "The latest text books have more hate content than those written previously," the NGO said. According to a content analysis of books published by the Punjab and Sindh text book boards that was done by the NCJP, the hate content has increased manifold with the passage of time. "Many textbooks that had no hate material in their earlier versions, now carry such material in Punjab and Sindh provinces. The issue of religious intolerance should be discussed openly and that must lead to some action to save younger students from such influences at the outset," the NCJP said in a report entitled 'Education or Fanning Hate'. The report said there were 45 lines containing hate material in books published in Punjab during 2009-11, and the figure increased to 122 lines this year. The text books for Urdu and Pakistan Studies for Classes VII, VIII, IX and X were found to be the "most affected", as hate material increased from 15 lines to 86 lines. In all, 22 lessons in the current curriculum for primary and secondary schools have hate content, the report said. Rights and civil society groups have often blamed such contents in text books for fanning sectarian hatred and animosity towards countries like India.

Krishna hopes to see a stable Pakistan

Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna on Friday arrived in Islamabad on a three-day visit to Pakistan to hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar, saying he had come with a mandate for building trust and confidence between the two countries. “I wish to reiterate the desire of India to see a stable and prosperous Pakistan living in peace with itself and the world. That would be in the best interest of everyone,” Mr. Krishna said in an arrival statement. The minister said leadership of India and Pakistan have mandated building of trust and confidence between the two countries. “We are committed to finding solutions of all issues that have beset our relationship through peaceful bilateral dialogue,” he said. Mr. Krishna stressed: “We look to the future where our two countries are able to live together in an atmosphere of friendliness and all-round cooperation free from terror and violence.” Speaking about the objective of his visit, Mr. Krishna said, “My endeavour during this visit will be to promote the objectives that I have just mentioned“. The minister was received at the airport by Pakistan High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir and Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal. Mr. Krishna will call on Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf later in the day. He will also hold meeting with leaders from various Pakistan political parties. While no substantive outcome is expected from the visit, both the countries are likely to sign a new liberalised visa agreement, which would be a boost for people-to-people contact.

Blasphemy case: Rimsha granted bail

The court of the additional sessions judge in Islamabad granted bail to the girl accused of blasphemy on Friday, DawnNews reported. “I accept her bail application,” Judge Mohammad Azam Khan announced to a packed courtroom. “The bail application has been accepted against two sureties of 500,000 rupees each.” The judge also ordered that Rimsha be placed under protective custody due to security concerns. Earlier, the court had reserved its ruling after hearing the arguments made by the counsels of both the complainant and the defendant. The lawyer for the accused girl had submitted before the court that the girl was entitled to bail as she was a minor and that the FIR lodged by the police did not say that she desecrated a copy of the holy Quran. On the contrary, the complainant’s counsel alleged that the girl had confessed to her guilt and hence was not entitled for bail. The officer investigating the case told the court that Khalid Jadoon, the cleric who had been accused of tampering evidence, had deliberately added pages of the holy Quran to the plastic bag that the minor girl, who belonged to the Christian community, was carrying. The prosecution lawyer alleged that the police, including the investigating officer, and doctors were manipulating the case to get the girl freed under international pressure, adding that, they feared the accused would be immediately sent abroad if bail was granted and that then the case would come to an end. Moreover, the district attorney told the court that the blasphemy accused girl had stated her age to the magistrate as 16 years, adding that, the complainant in the case was receiving threats. A large number of security personnel, members of civil society and international media persons were present outside the court as Judge Azam Khan heard the bail application of the accused girl whose case has made headlines in the international and local media. The girl has been in custody since she was arrested in a poor Islamabad suburb more than two weeks ago after being accused of burning papers containing verses from the holy Quran. Earlier on Monday, the case was adjourned until Sept 7 because of a lawyers’ strike, following a request from the lawyer for the girl’s neighbour Hammad Malik, who had filed the original complaint against her.

Pakistan's Three ex-generals to face court martial

The services of three retired generals of the Pakistan Army have been restored for their court martial for having been involved in National Logistics Cell (NLC) scam. In a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday, NAB officials briefed the body about the NLC scam involving corruption of billions of rupees. They said the NAB chairman has held three meetings with Chief of Army Staff about the matter. They said the army officers involved in the scandal were Lt General (r) Khalid Munir, Lt General (r) Afzal Muzaffar and Major General (r) Zaheer Akhtar. NAB said the army had assured that would inquire into the cases of three generals involved in the scandal, while NAB would hold civilian inquiries. They said the GHQ was not cooperating in the case in the beginning, but NAB then warned them of forcibly taking into custody all relevant record under the NAB ordinance. “Now the GHQ has agreed to cooperate,” they said. They added that they had been informed that the three generals had been restored on service for court martial. Audit officials said they had been informed that proceedings of court martial against three generals had already been initiated. PAC Chairman Nadeem Afal Gondal observed that these were delaying tactics and remarked that while action was taken immediately against post-office officials, there was a delay in cases of VIPs. The PAC asked the defense secretary to submit a report on progress in the case in fifteen days and asked NAB to provide the relevant record. NLC Director General Major General Junaid told the committee that the department had retrieved loan of Rs 9.5 billion and this year it earned a profit of Rs 6.5 billion. He said the NLC was no more transporting goods of Afghan transit trade, which was a business of Rs 100 billion. He said if the government so desired, they could get the contract once again. Member of the Committee Hamid Yar Hiraj said smuggling had increased after the Afghan Transit trade contract was given to the private sector. Planning Commission Secretary Javed Malik informed the PAC that 191 projects would be completed during the current financial year and it was the effort of the government that no new project was launched until December so that work was completed on the ongoing projects.

White House Backs Blacklisting Militant Organization

The Obama administration has decided to blacklist as a terrorist organization the Haqqani network, the militant organization responsible for some of the deadliest attacks against American troops in Afghanistan, several American officials said late Thursday. The decision, which is expected to be announced as early as Friday, culminates nearly two years of spirited debate inside the administration that reached a peak in the past month under the pressure of a Congressional reporting deadline this Sunday. Several State Department and military officials argued that designating the organization would help strangle the group’s fund-raising activities in countries like Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates and pressure Pakistan to open a long-expected military offensive against the militants. Many other senior officials, including several in the White House, expressed deep reservations that blacklisting the group could further damage badly frayed relations with Pakistan, undercut peace talks with the Taliban and possibly jeopardize the fate of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only American soldier known to be held by the militants. But in the past few days, supporters of designating the group apparently eased most concerns or put forward contingencies to mitigate the risks and potential consequences. “This shows that we are using everything we can to put the squeeze on these guys,” said one administration official who was involved in the process, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision has not been formally announced. Another senior administration official said the designation “is a very strong signal of our resolve to combat the Haqqanis.” Spokeswomen for the National Security Council and State Department declined to comment on the decision, but four administration officials said late Thursday that the government was going ahead with the designation. Critics have contended that a designation by the Treasury Department or the United Nations could achieve largely the same result as would adding the network to the much more prominent State Department list, with far fewer consequences. But many senior counterterrorism officials as well as top American military officers, including Gen. John R. Allen, commander of American and NATO troops in Afghanistan, have said that designating the organization should be a top priority. “F.T.O. designation could reduce a critical capability of the Haqqani Network by increasing the cost of doing business, reducing access to capital, and constraining the network’s financial resources, thereby limiting their freedom to operate in a local, regional, and international context,” Jeffrey Dressler, senior Afghanistan analyst for the Institute for the Study of War, a research organization here said in a paper issued this week, referring to foreign terrorist organizations. Mr. Dressler said the Haqqani network’s business interests stretch from Afghanistan and Pakistan, to the Persian Gulf, and include car dealerships, money exchanges and construction companies, import-export operations, and smuggling networks. Since 2008, Haqqani suicide attackers have struck the American Embassy and Indian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, as well as the headquarters of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and hotels and restaurants there. American officials confirmed last week that a senior member of the Haqqani family leadership, Badruddin Haqqani, the network’s operational commander, was killed recently in a drone strike in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Pressure in Congress to add the group to the terrorist list has grown. “The Haqqani network is engaged in a reign of terror,” Representative Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said this year. “Now is the time for action, not simply paperwork and talk.” With virtually unanimous backing, Congress approved legislation that President Obama signed into law on Aug. 10 giving Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton 30 days to determine whether the Haqqani network is a terrorist group, and report her decision to lawmakers by Sunday, Sept. 9, coincidentally three days after the end of the Democratic National Convention. Critics of designating the group a terrorist organization say the action could drive a wedge between the United States and Pakistan, just as the countries are gingerly recovering from months of grueling negotiations to reopen NATO supply routes. Pakistan closed the routes through its territory after an allied airstrike near the Afghan border last November killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. These same critics say such a move would appear to bring Pakistan a step closer to being designated as a state sponsor of terrorism. American officials say Pakistan’s main spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, is secretly aiding the insurgents. Pakistani officials have said that the agency maintains regular contact with the Haqqanis, but deny that it provides operational support. Two Pakistani officials said last week that the decision was “an internal American issue.” American analysts believe Pakistan would be reluctant to publicly protest the designation, because to do so would substantiate American beliefs that Pakistan supports the Haqqanis. Critics also voiced concern that designating the Haqqani network could undermine peace talks with the Taliban and complicate efforts to win the release of Sergeant Bergdahl. Those talks were suspended by the insurgents in March, largely over a delayed prisoner swap for Sergeant Bergdahl, who has been held by the Haqqani network since 2009. The United States would have released five insurgents from Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to win his release.

Pakistan: Fighting out terrorism

EDITORIAL: THE FRONTIER POST
The two counter-terrorism legislative measures the federal cabinet has approved for parliamentary approval are worth it. Those indeed were long overdue. The measure aiming at stiffening the anti-terrorism law to come heavy on terrorism funding should help snap the financial lifeline that aids terrorists to acquire deadly weapons and munitions, and recruit the brigands and suicide bombers as well as carry out their murderous strikes. The bill that provides for investigations and collection of incriminating evidences by modern techniques and methods and holds emails, SMSs, phone calls and audio-visual recordings as admissible evidence should go a long way to bringing the terrorism suspects to justice, who otherwise had been getting off the hook in the courts. The measure is sure to raise heckles from sections of the rights groups, civil society and commentariat. But if adequately plugged off with tight safeguards against its misuse, the measure will certainly leave the courts with very little reason to release the suspects on the ground of insufficient evidence. But these measures would just scratch the surface. They would, at best, tackle a few symptoms, not root out the scourge goring the nation so horribly. The monstrosity of terrorism afflicting the country is too complex and multifaceted and accordingly needs a comprehensive multidimensional strategy to counter it and throw it out from its roots. Yet, appallingly, the ruling echelons are still to put in place such a strategy. A fairly comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy was hammered out at a top-level inter-provincial conference in Islamabad soon after the new rulers made their debut, which if put under execution would have certainly long ridded us considerably of the monstrosity that is clobbering our nation, our people and our country so devastatingly and fatally. It rested on security actions, political initiatives and development works. But for reasons best know to the ruling echelons, they threw the strategy into the archives to gather dust and came out with no alternative either. Not just that. They just made a hash of the worthwhile idea of creating a national counter-terrorism authority to act as the focal point of the state’s entire effort to combat terrorism and extremism. And consequently what was envisaged to become a nodal agency is lying crippled in some embryonic form in some obscure official corridor despite the passage of nearly four years. Furthermore, the move to modernise the curricula of madrassas to help produce their pupils as fuller human beings imbued richly in spirituality and modernity is now since long a wholly forgotten enterprise. Worse, the provincial administrations appear to have given themselves to the belief that fighting terrorism is exclusively the job of the federal government, particularly its military and intelligence agencies, not theirs at all. None seems to have thought out and carried out any special administrative or security plan, leave alone bigger things, to combat terrorism on their domains whereas maintenance of law and order, fighting urban terrorism and curbing extremism in their territories is primarily their job. There indeed is a queer kind of hiatus to the entire act of the ruling echelons. They are still to imbibe that fighting out terrorism is not the exclusive responsibility of the military or the federal agencies. Wherever it has been overcome successfully, it is by combining the might of the state’s military power and the civil power. But, here, while the military power is out fighting terrorism, the civil power is simply resting along with its security apparatus. Worse, systematically the military and the federal agencies are being run down at various forums, including state forums. In fighting terrorism, they are incurring huge losses in lives and limbs. Yet, quite dangerously, they are being painted as a villain of the piece and being driven to a tight corner. And wittingly or unwittingly, with gaudy shows of ostentatious self-righteousness the terrorists are being encouraged at the cost of demoralisation of the military, paramilitaries and federal agencies. Mere insinuations with no evidence to substantiate are blithely being peddled as facts of the agencies’ collusions with terrorists. And the men in uniforms are being deemed as necessarily liars and their accusers as necessarily truthful. The things are really going very bad. And if they continue like this, the country is sure to hit to rock, sooner than later. Someone has to take control of the things right now to avert this horrific eventuality. A robust counter-terrorism strategy needs to be evolved and put in place at once. The wholesale vilification of the military and federal agencies, too, must come to a halt. There are no angels staffing any of the state institutions. And none should behave as such. Human infirmity is not any particular institution’s monopoly. It spreads across all the state institutions, unexceptionably and measurably.

Indian FM S.M Krishna arrives in Islamabad

RADIO PAKISTAN
High level officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Saharad Sabarwal received him at the airport Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna arrived in Islamabad on a two-day visit to Pakistan a shortwhile ago. High level officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Saharad Sabarwal received him at the airport. During his stay in Islamabad‚ the Indian External Affairs will hold talks with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to discuss outstanding issues between the two countries. The talks will be preceded by a meeting of the foreign secretaries of the two countries. Progress made on various issues including peace‚ security and confidence-building measures‚ Jammu and Kashmir‚ Siachen Glacier‚ Sir Creek‚ and economic cooperation will top the agenda of the talks. Both Ministers will also co-chair plenary session of Pak-India Joint Commission. It is expected that both the sides will sign agreements to improve trade ties and new visa regime. S. M. Krishna will also call on Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss important matters of common interest.

VIDEO: PRESIDENT OBAMA ACCEPTS DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION

President Barack Obama accepted his party's nomination for a second term as president Thursday, with a speech that focused on the progress he has made in the past four years, and where he hopes to take the country in the next four. "When all is said and done – when you pick up that ballot to vote – you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation," he told the delegates and guests assembled at the Time Warner Cable Center in Charlotte, N.C. "Over the next few years, big decisions will be made in Washington, on jobs, the economy; taxes and deficits; energy, education; war and peace – decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and our children’s lives for decades to come." President Obama balanced his optimism for the future with an acknowledgement that the country is facing tough times. “Know this, America: Our problems can be solved. Our challenges can be met. The path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better place. And I’m asking you to choose that future," he said. He recalled the first time he spoke at a Democratic Convention, saying about that speech was full of hope and change and that "eight years later, that hope has been tested." The final day of the Democratic National Convention was originally scheduled to take place at the outdoor Bank of America stadium in front of up to 74,000 people, including delegates and volunteers for the campaign. The convention made the decision Wednesday to move the proceedings into the Time Warner Cable Center where Tuesday's and Wednesday's events were held due to the risk of inclement weather.