Insurgents Make Inroads in Key Pakistan Province

Insurgents Make Inroads in Key Pakistan Province

By SABRINA TAVERNISE, RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr. and ERIC SCHMITT
This article was reported by Sabrina Tavernise, Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Eric Schmitt and written by Ms. Tavernise.(NYT.COM)

DERA GHAZI KHAN, Pakistan — Taliban insurgents are teaming up with local militant groups to make inroads in Punjab, the province that is home to more than half of Pakistanis, reinvigorating an alliance that Pakistani and American authorities say poses a serious risk to the stability of the country.

The deadly assault in March in Lahore, Punjab’s capital, against the Sri Lankan cricket team, and the bombing last fall of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, the national capital, were only the most spectacular examples of the joint campaign, they said.

Now police officials, local residents and analysts warn that if the government does not take decisive action, these dusty, impoverished fringes of Punjab could be the next areas facing the insurgency. American intelligence and counterterrorism officials also said they viewed the developments with alarm.

“I don’t think a lot of people understand the gravity of the issue,” said a senior police official in Punjab, who declined to be named because he was discussing threats to the state. “If you want to destabilize Pakistan, you have to destabilize Punjab.”

As American drone attacks disrupt Taliban and Qaeda strongholds in the tribal areas, the insurgents are striking deeper into Pakistan — both in retaliation and in search of new havens.

Tell-tale signs of creeping militancy abound in a belt of towns and villages near here that a reporter visited last week. Militants have gained strength considerably in the district of Dera Ghazi Khan, which is a gateway both to Taliban-controlled areas and the heart of Punjab, police and local residents say. Many were terrified.

Some villages, just north of here, are so deeply infiltrated by militants that they are already considered no-go zones by their neighbors.

In at least five towns in southern and western Punjab, including the mid-sized hub of Multan, barber shops, CD shops and Internet cafes offensive to the militants’ strict interpretation of Islam have received threats. Folk ceremonies have been halted in some areas. Hard-line ideologues have addressed large crowds to push their idea of Islamic revolution. Sectarian attacks, dormant here since the 1990s, have erupted once again.

“It’s going from bad to worse,” said a senior police official in Dera Ghazi Khan. “They are now more active. These are the facts.”

American officials agreed. Bruce Riedel, who led the Obama administration’s recently completed strategy review of Pakistan and Afghanistan, said that the Taliban now has “extensive links into the Punjab.”

“You are seeing more of a coalescence of these militant groups,” said Mr. Riedel, a former C.I.A. official. “Connections that have always existed are becoming tighter and more public than they have in the past.”

The Punjabi militant groups have had links with the Taliban, who are mostly Pashtun tribesmen, since the 1980s. Some of the Punjabi groups are veterans of Pakistan’s state-sponsored insurgency against Indian forces in Kashmir. Others target Shiites.

Under pressure from the United States, former President Pervez Musharraf cut back state support for the Punjabi groups. They either went underground or migrated to the tribal areas, where they deepened their ties with the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

At least 20 militants killed in American drone strikes in the tribal areas since last summer were Punjabi, according to people from the tribal areas and Pakistani officials. One Pakistani security official estimated that between 5 to 10 percent of militants in the tribal regions could be Punjabi.

The alliance is based on more than shared ideology. “These are tactical alliances,” said a senior American counterterrorism official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss intelligence matters.

The Pashtun Taliban and Arab militants, who are part of Al Qaeda, have money, sanctuary, training sites and suicide bombers. The Punjabi militants can provide logistical help in Punjabi cities, like Lahore, including handling bombers and target reconnaissance.

The cooperation between the groups intensified greatly after the Pakistani government’s siege of Islamic hard-liners at the Red Mosque in Islamabad, in mid-2007, Pakistani and American security officials say. The siege has since become a rallying cry.

One such joint operation, an American security official said, was the Marriott bombing in Islamabad in September, which killed more than 50 people.

As this cooperation intensifies, places like Dera Ghazi Khan are particularly vulnerable. This frontier town is home to a combustible mix of worries: deep poverty, a growing phalanx of hard-line religious schools and a uranium processing plant that is a part of Pakisitan’s nuclear program.

It is also strategically situated at the intersection of two main roads. One is a main artery into Pakistan’s heartland, in southern Punjab. The other connects Baluchistan Province in the west to the North-West Frontier Province, both Taliban strongholds.

“We are being cornered in a blind alley,” said Mohammed Ali, a small local landlord. “We can’t breathe easily.”

Attacks intended to intimidate and sow sectarian strife are becoming more common. Police point to a suicide bombing in Dera Ghazi Khan on Feb. 5. Two local Punjabis, with the help of Taliban backers, orchestrated the attack, which killed 29 people at a Shiite ceremony, local police said.

The police arrested two men as masterminds on April 6: Qari Muhammad Ismail Gul, the leader of a local madrassa; and Ghulam Mustafa Kaisrani, a jihadi who posed as a salesman for a medical company.

They belonged to a banned Punjabi militant group called Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, but were tied through phone calls to two deputies of the Pakistani Taliban leader,Baitullah Mehsud, the police said.

“The phone numbers they call are in Waziristan,” said a police official, referring to the Taliban base in the tribal areas. “They are working together hand in glove.”

One of the men had gone for training in Waziristan last summer, the police said. The operations are well-supported. Mr. Kaisrani had several transfers worth about $11 million from his Pakistani bank account, the authorities said.

Local crimes, including at least two recent bank robberies in Dera Ghazi Khan, were also traced to networks of Islamic militants, officials said.

“The money that’s coming in is huge,” said Zulfiqar Hameed, head of investigations for the Lahore Police Department. “When you go back through the chain of the transaction, you invariably find it’s been done for money.”

After the suicide attack here, the police confiscated a 20-minute inspirational video, titled “Revenge,” for the Red Mosque, which gave testimonials from suicide bombers in different cities and post-attack footage.

Umme Hassan, the wife of the fiery preacher who was killed during the siege, now frequently travels to south Punjab, to rally the faithful. She has made 12 visits in the past several months before cheering crowds and showing emotional clips of the siege, said a Punjabi official who has been monitoring her visits.

“She claimed that they would bring Islamic revolution in three months,” said Umar Draz, who attended in Muzzafargarh.

The situation in south and west Punjab is still far from that in the Swat valley, a part of the North West Frontier Province that is now fully under Taliban control after the military agreed to a truce in February. But there are strong parallels.

The Taliban here exploit many of the same weaknesses that have allowed them to expand in other areas: an absent or intimidated police force; a lack of attention from national and provincial leaders; a population steadily cowed by threats, or won over by hard-line mullahs who usurp authority by playing on government neglect and poverty.

In Shadan Lund, a village just north of here, militants are openly demanding Islamic law, or Sharia, said Jan Sher, whose brother is a teacher there. “The situation is sharply going towards Swat,” Mr. Sher said.

He and others said the single biggest obstacle to stopping the advance of militancy was the attitudes of Pakistanis themselves, whose fury at the United States has to blind support for everyone that goes against it.

Shabaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, said he was painfully aware of the problems of insurgent infiltration and was taking steps to restore people’s faith in government, including plans for new schools and hospitals. “Hearts and minds must be won,” he said in an interview Monday. “If this struggle fails, this country has no future.”

But people complain that landowners and local politicians have done nothing to stop the advance, and in some cases, even assist them by giving money to some of the religious schools, or madrassas.

“The government is useless,” said Mr. Ali, the resident. “They live happy, secure lives in Lahore. Their children study abroad. They only come here to contest elections.”

The police are left alone to stop the advance. But in Punjab, as in much of the rest of Pakistan, they are spread unevenly, with little presence in rural areas. Out of 160,000 police in Punjab, fewer than 60,000 are posted in rural areas, leaving frontier stations in districts like this one virtually unprotected, police officials said.

Local people feel helpless. When a 15-year-old boy vanished from a madrassa in a village near here recently — his classmates said to go on jihad — his uncle, a grocery shop owner, could not afford to take time away from his shop to go look for him, let alone confront the powerful men who run the madrassa.

“We are simple people,” the man said. “What can we do?”

ZARDARI SURRENDERS TO TALIBAN, signs Nizam-e-Adl regulation

ZARDARI SURRENDERS TO CRIMINALS,THUGS,RELIGIOUS FANATICS AND MURDERERS OF PUKHTUNS.


ISLAMABAD :President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday signed the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation-2009 after its approval from the National Assembly with thumping majority. According to presidency sources, the document was duly signed by President Zardari after getting approval from the Parliament, which was widely appreciated in the restive parts of NWFP including Swat.Earlier, the document was presented and passed in the National Assembly with thumping majority. Lawmakers belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement abstained from voting in favour of the Regulation while ANP protested against tabling of the document in the National Assembly.

Violence subsides in Balochistan

QUETTA: Protest against the killing of three Baloch leaders subsided to some extent on Monday, although four people were killed in incidents of violence in different areas of the province.Gunmen killed a policeman, Niaz Muhammad, in Quetta suburbs and took away his weapon and motorcycle. Six people were injured in a grenade attack in the Killi Baramzai area. A truck driver and a cleaner were killed when their truck was ambushed in the Rarkan area of Barkhan. Another truck also came under attack but escaped.In Mastung, an employee of the Quetta Electric Supply Corporation was killed in a shootout in the main market. The situation remained calm in the troubled Makran belt after three days of violent incidents which followed the killing of Baloch National Movement’s Ghulam Muhammad Baloch and Lala Munir and Sher Muhammad Baloch of the Baloch Republican Party.Shops and markets opened in main cities and towns, including Quetta, Gwadar, Khuzdar, Kalat and Mastung. Meanwhile, activists of Baloch nationalist parties held a protest rally in Nushki.

550,000 displaced in NWFP(PUKHTUNKHWA), tribal belt: USAID

PUKHTUNS ARE BEING FORCED TO LIVE IN REFUGEE'S CAMPS ON THEIR OWN SOIL BY RELIGIOUS FANATICS, BOURGEOIS AND IMPERIALISTS.

PESHAWAR: A recent report of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has estimated the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in conflict zones of the North West Frontier Province and tribal belt at 550,000.Quoting UNHCR data, it says among them 74,884 persons were registered IDPs residing in government established camps while 300,737 IDPs were forced to take shelter outside government-run camps in NWFP.The report came after visit of high-level joint mission of World Food Programme (NWFP) and office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to Peshawar & Islamabad from February 20 to 28, 2009. The mission met officials, donors, humanitarian agencies and implementing partners providing assistance to IDPs in NWFP, according to PPI.It says total USAID and US assistance for conflict-affected people of Pakistan for year 2008-2009 is $14.6 million. It states according to UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) effect of recent ceasefire between militant groups and government in Swat and Bajaur Agency remains unknown, adding that to date, relief agencies have not reported significant IDPs return to their hometowns.UNHCR says security situation in recent weeks has remained challenging and unpredictable in Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber agencies. Insecurity also continues to impede service delivery at IDP camps due to concerns for safety of humanitarian agencies staff.

Pakistan to US Senator: No Conditions on Aid

Pakistan has told an influential visiting U.S. senator that Washington should not put conditions on a massive aid package expected for Pakistan.
US Sen. John Kerry, right, shakes hands with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi prior to their meeting in Islamabad, 13 Apr 2009
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's office Monday said he told U.S. Senator John Kerry that "aid with strings attached would fail to generate the desired goodwill and results in Pakistan."Kerry, who heads the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has backed legislation that would triple U.S. non-military aid to Pakistan, to $1.5 billion a year for five years. The measure would also require Pakistan to make measurable progress in fighting terrorism and militancy.Kerry met with Mr. Gilani and with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad Monday.
The United States and Pakistan have expressed sharp differences over some key issues in the battle against extremism in the region.U.S. officials say Pakistan needs to crack down on militant groups in its northwestern tribal regions, near the Afghan border, and do more to stop cross-border militant attacks.U.S. officials have also expressed concern about Pakistan's intelligence services, which have a history of backing Islamist militant groups operating in Afghanistan and the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan has denied allegations that its intelligence services are continuing that support.Pakistan has publicly objected to missile strikes by U.S. drones on militant targets in Pakistan, saying the attacks undermine the country's sovereignty and outrage the Pakistani people.

Balochistan outrage

Dawn Editorial
THE charges are grave and must be answered immediately. The abduction and murder of three nationalist leaders has sparked riots across Balochistan amidst accusations that the state’s security apparatus was behind the killings. Official denials or attempts to shift the blame to nameless ‘anti-state elements’ will not soothe tempers in Balochistan.

Gen Musharraf’s army operation, the killing of Nawab Bugti and the forced disappearance of hundreds of civilians are still fresh in the minds of the Baloch people. Nor can they shake off the sense of alienation engendered by decades of neglect, exploitation and outright brutality by the centre.

As such it is understandable why federal agencies are quick to be accused of any new atrocity in Balochistan. This time round too the blame has been laid at the door of the intelligence agencies. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, ‘The facts strongly suggest that members of state security picked up the three victims, [and] tortured and killed them before dumping their bodies.’ Quoting ‘credible sources’, the HRCP said the three men were taken away in cars that were closely followed by Frontier Corps vehicles. Meanwhile, a lawyer in Turbat has claimed that the three were kidnapped from his chambers on April 3 by a number of men in civilian dress.

That said, judgment cannot be passed until the facts are known. Inquiries have been ordered and the Balochistan High Court has taken notice of the gruesome incident. It is now up to the authorities to get to the bottom of things and unmask the guilty parties. This is critical in many respects. First and foremost, justice must be served. Second, the security apparatus will remain guilty in the eyes of the Baloch people until its innocence is proved beyond doubt. This can only be done by tracking down the killers and building an ironclad case against them. While this may not be standard procedure – a person is, after all, innocent until proven guilty – the agencies need to provide solid evidence that they had no hand in the triple murder. For that to happen, the killers will have to be produced.

Balochistan’s troubles had been dying down since the 2008 elections, the PPP’s public apology for ‘atrocities and injustices’ committed against the people of the province, and the exit of arch-nemesis Gen Pervez Musharraf. More recently, the president travelled to Quetta in an attempt to bring dissidents on board and give reconciliation efforts a boost. Kick-starting much-needed development activities in Balochistan was also on the agenda. Progress may have been slow but at least the process had begun. In the light of what has transpired this week, the authorities must act swiftly and decisively because one tragic incident must not be allowed to derail the journey towards reconciliation.

Projecting soft image of Pukhtunkhwa

PESHAWAR: The three-day Frontier Food Festival concluded on Sunday on the bank of Indus River near Indus Bridge on motorway with participation of an impressive number of visitors. The cultural-cum-tourism event attracted a large number of visitors from the nearby localities besides guests from Peshawar, Mardan and Swabi districts of NWFP and Kamra, Attock, Islamabad and Lahore in the Punjab. The event was aimed at promoting domestic tourism through introducing Frontier’s cuisine to wider public as well as presenting the soft image of the province to counter the negative propaganda of extremism and terrorism against it.It was really a joyful moment when Indus turned into twinkles with firework by Artifissimo Pvt Ltd late Saturday, the second night of the festival, which continued for about 10 minutes. The festival site was decorated with different stalls right from traditional food cuisines, garments, footwear, handicrafts, jewellery items and kids fun area. Boating and camel riding were also part of the activity. A reception chalet with big turban model on the top was much attractive that was surrounded by illumination on trees and plants. High-sound music and Khattak, Bethani, Chitrali, etc dances were enough to entertain the visitors and relieve them of tension of fear of terrorism and polluted environment of congested cities.The SMEDA, PCSIR, PC, Enhancer, Euro Sausages, Haleemghar, Khyber Charsi Tikka, Bakshipul Chapal Kabab, Shah Mansoor Special Foodstuff were among the prominent stalls erected at the festival site, where Alexander the Great had crossed the Indus in 326 BC.The turnout was encouraging beyond expectations, said Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, general manager, Sarhad Tourism Corporation (STC). The official said not only people from different parts of the country visited the festival but foreign nationals like French, German and Japanese also enjoyed the festival, arranged by the STC.Arranging the festival was aimed at promoting tourism and breaking with the atmosphere vitiated by terrorism, he added. He said “tourism, not terrorism” was the slogan of STC and the corporation was working on promotion of peace and harmony through healthy activities like tourism keeping in view the Islamic injunctions. “You see how the visitors, including men, women and children were enjoying different activities with exemplary discipline in the open without any tension or fear,” he said while pointing towards Chitrali dance show.The food festival revived the memories of Jashn-e-Khyber that could not be held for almost two decades, he added.

Syrian envoy to U.S. says he prefers Lieberman over Livni

The Syrian ambassador to Washington told CNN on Sunday that the election of Barack Obama gave him reason to be optimistic that Israel and Syria could clinch a peace deal, and that he was not deterred by the prospects of working with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman."Personally I believe it is better to deal with someone like Lieberman than it is to do deal with someone like [former foreign minister Tzipi] Livni," Imad Moustapha told CNN on Sunday. "At least Lieberman is candid. He exactly says what he believes in. Tzipi Livni and her colleagues were talking all the time about their desire to make peace while committing the atrocity in Gaza or doing other similar things in the Palestinian territories." Moustapha said the U.S. has "a moral obligation to sponsor peace talks between the Arabs and the Israelis [because it is] U.S. support for Israel that has enabled [Jerusalem] to sustain policies of occupation" and that Washington must apply pressure on its ally to change course.
"Israel will be very careful not to say no to the U.S. administration and the U.S. president," Moustapha said. "This is a historical moment. Here is a president that has said in a vigorous way that the U.S. is making peace in the region."Moustapha also praised Obama's envoy in the region, former senator George Mitchell, as "a person known for his integrity, fairness, and his capability to deliver.""We are a little bit more on the optimistic side right now, but we need to be careful and realistic," the Syrian ambassador said.Moustapha warned that Mitchell will be more limited in peacemaking efforts between Arabs and Israelis than he was in brokering the Good Friday accords in Northern Ireland due to the "omnipotent power of the pro-Israel interest groups in Washington."

Pakistan is in danger of collapse within months

PAKISTAN could collapse within months, one of the more influential counter-insurgency voices in Washington says.The warning comes as the US scrambles to redeploy its military forces and diplomats in an attempt to stem rising violence and anarchy in Afghanistan and Pakistan."We have to face the fact that if Pakistan collapses it will dwarf anything we have seen so far in whatever we're calling the war on terror now," said David Kilcullen, a former Australian Army officer who was a specialist adviser for the Bush administration and is now a consultant to the Obama White House."You just can't say that you're not going to worry about al-Qaeda taking control of Pakistan and its nukes," he said.As the US implements a new strategy in Central Asia so comprehensive that some analysts now dub the cross-border conflict "Obama's war", Dr Kilcullen said time was running out for international efforts to pull both countries back from the brink.When he unveiled his new "Afpak" policy in Washington last month, the US President, Barack Obama, warned that while al-Qaeda would fill the vacuum if Afghanistan collapsed, the terrorist group was already rooted in Pakistan, plotting more attacks on the US."The safety of people round the world is at stake," he said.Laying out the scale of the challenges facing the US in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Dr Kilcullen put the two countries invaded by US-led forces after the September 11 attacks on the US on a par - each had a population of more than 30 million."But Pakistan has 173 million people and 100 nuclear weapons, an army which is bigger than the American army, and the headquarters of al-Qaeda sitting in two-thirds of the country which the Government does not control," he told the Herald .
Added to that, the Pakistani security establishment ignored direction from the elected Government in Islamabad as waves of extremist violence spread across the whole country - not only in the tribal wilds of the Afghan border region.Cautioning against an excessive focus by Western governments on Afghanistan at the expense of Pakistan, Dr Kilcullen said that "the Kabul tail was wagging the dog". Comparing the challenges in the two, he said Afghanistan was a campaign to defend a reconstruction program. "It's not really about al-Qaeda. Afghanistan doesn't worry me. Pakistan does."But he was hesitant about the level of resources for, and the likely impact of, Washington's new drive to emulate an Iraq-style "surge" by sending an extra 21,000 troops to Afghanistan."In Iraq, five brigades went into the centre of Baghdad in five months. In Afghanistan, it will be two combat brigades [across the country] in 12 months. That will have much less of a punch effect than we had in Iraq."We can muddle through in Afghanistan. It is problematic and difficult but we know what to do. What we don't know is if we have the time or if we can afford the cost of what needs to be done."Dr Kilcullen said a fault line had developed in the West's grasp of circumstances on each side of the Durand Line, the disputed border between Afghanistan and Pakistan."In Afghanistan, it's easy to understand, difficult to execute. But in Pakistan, it is very difficult to understand and it's extremely difficult for us to generate any leverage, because Pakistan does not want our help.
"In a sense there is no Pakistan - no single set of opinion. Pakistan has a military and intelligence establishment that refuses to follow the directions of its civilian leadership. They have a tradition of using regional extremist groups as unconventional counterweights against India's regional influence."In the absence of a regional diplomatic initiative to build economic and trade confidences before tackling the security issue, the implication, Dr Kilcullen said, was that India alone could not give Pakistan the security guarantees required by Islamabad.The special US envoy Richard Holbrooke has been charged with brokering a regional compact by reaching out to Iran, Russia and China, and Dr Kilcullen said: "This is exactly what he's good at and it could work."But will it? It requires regional architecture to give the Pakistani security establishment a sense of security which might make them stop supporting the Taliban," he said."The best-case scenario is that the US can deal with Afghanistan, with President Obama giving leadership while the extra American troops succeed on the ground - at the same time as Mr Holbrooke seeks a regional security deal," he said. The worst case was that Washington would fail to stabilise Afghanistan, Pakistan would collapse and al-Qaeda would end up running what he called 'Talibanistan.'"This is not acceptable. You can't have al-Qaeda in control of Pakistan's missiles," he said."It's too early to tell which way it will go. We'll start to know about July. That's the peak fighting season … and a month from the Afghan presidential election."

Balochistan shut down for third straight day

QUETTA: The third consecutive day of wheel-jam and shutter down strike paralyzed normal life in vast areas of Balochistan on Sunday.

The protest was observed on the call of Balochistan National Party (Mengal), Baloch National Front and Baloch Students Organization to condemn the Turbat incident in which three Baloch political leaders were found dead.

The people and transporters responded to the strike call as all private vehicles, buses, coaches and rickshaws remained off the roads and business activities remained suspended for third straight day in the city.

The protestors blocked the national highways between Quetta-Sibi-Jacobabad, Quetta-Nushki-Taftan and Quetta-Khuzdar-Karachi at Mach, Mungochar, Hub Bridge and Nushki respectively.

The wheel-jam and shutter down strike was observed in Nushki, Dalbandin, Taftan, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Awaran, Kharan, Waushak, Panjgur, Pasni, Turbat, Hub, Lasbela, Mach, Dhadar, Sibi, Bhag, Dera Murad Jamali and Dera Allahyar.

BNP-M, BNF and BSO thanked the people for extending support to the strike that was observed for three consecutive days to condemn the barbaric killing of Ghulam Muhammad Baloch chief of Baloch National Movement, Lal Munir executive committee member of the party and Sher Muhammad Baloch leader of Baloch Republican Party.

The provincial government education department in the province and Balochistan University administration has extended closure of the educational institutions for another three days and now the these institutions would reopen on Thursday. The examinations of board of intermediate and secondary education and Balochistan University were also put off and the new schedule for the tests would be made public later on.

Meanwhile Senator Dr. Malik Baloch, chief of National Party, has demanded the probing of the Turbat incident by the United Nations to bring facts before the people.

The NP president, accompanied by Mir Hasil Bizenjo senior vice president, Tahir Bizenjo secretary general and Kachkol Ali Baloch senior leader of the party, addressed a press conference after offering fateha of Lal Munir with the bereaved family in Panjgur on Sunday.

Dr. Malik alleged that the plot for the killing of three Baloch political leaders was hatched in Islamabad and asserted that the intelligence agencies had arrested Ghulam Muhammad, Lal Munir and Sher Muhammad and then murdered them.

He said those elements that had assassinated Nawab Akbar Bugti were also behind the Turbat incident and dubbing it as state terrorism. He was also critical of President Asif Zardari assertion that intelligence agencies were not part of the conspiracy.

The NP leader said that if President Zardari could investigate the assassination of his wife Benazir Bhutto by United Nations then why couldn’t the Turbat incident also be probed by the same international organization.

Girls education in Swat to be restored.

PESHAWAR: Women Awareness & Development Organization (WADO) working for the welfare of women and young girls in Swat completed a challenging project on restoration of girl’s education in the war torn district under the active supervision of its Executive Director Ms. Zakia Noreen while its fruitful results were also evident then. Though this was an uphill task and it was very difficult in the present scenario of the area to undertake such project, but it was made possible due to the assistance of local elite. The support extended y the locals in the existing situation was of course unprecedented. The organization imparted training to thirty one local religious leaders in the light of Quran & Sunnah highlighting the need for women education. Besides a set of literature, emphasizing the need for awareness regarding rights of women was also disseminated. The training covered almost all aspects including the rights of women especially the right of getting education. The trained religious leaders were expected to deliver speeches in the Friday congregations in mosques. They succeeded in explaining with examples the correct and true version of Islam regarding rights of women where women education as well as women mobility is not prohibited any where; rather women education in all walks of life is compulsory in Islamic society. Similarly a peace walk was also arranged to show concern over the ban imposed by the so-called Islamists on women education. A peace message was conveyed to the militants to show mercy on the already pathetic condition of women of the area, who have already suffered a lot and deserve to be given kind consideration. Media has also shown keen interest and was not left behind in highlighting the cause of women of the area in the headlines of their news. The organization specifically trained fifteen media persons for the purposes, who highlighted the importance of girl’s education through articles in newspapers. The terrified community leaders also contributed in offering their services to avail such training and to further mobilize the community on this point. Since the community and the common man is fed up with the situation, so they want to get rid of it and so they very eagerly contributed their part in furthering the cause of the organization in the public at large. It is estimated that a vast population, approximately four hundred thousand women and girls got benefit of the endeavors made so far by the organization. The credit goes to the organization as the militants recently announced to take back their already imposed ban on women education, which will result into the opening of hundreds of girl’s schools in the area once again and the women teachers and staff will be again able to perform their duties and earn their livelihood in a prestigious manner.

California's anti-tax crusaders talk revolt

LOS ANGELES- Taking inspiration from a landmark 1970s tax revolt, a determined group of activists say the moment is right for another voter uprising in California, where recession-battered residents have been hit with the highest income and sales tax rates in the nation.And like Proposition 13, the 1978 ballot measure that transformed the state's political landscape and ignited tax-reform movements nationwide, they see the next backlash coming not from either major political party, but from the people.
If the anti-tax crusaders can galvanize voter discontent, they hope to roll back the latest tax hikes, impose permanent, iron-clad spending caps on Sacramento lawmakers and make the issue central in the 2010 gubernatorial election."There's a lot of latent anger boiling to the surface out there," said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, a group named after the California anti-tax crusader who spearheaded Prop 13.An angry mob of thousands converged on an Orange County parking lot in southern California on a recent Saturday morning for an anti-tax protest, stunning even the organizers with the size of the turnout. It was just one in a series of public demonstrations that have cropped up around the state.Talk of a brewing tax revolt has been largely ignored by the mainstream media, and many political analysts are skeptical, though they concede that the taxpayer mutiny that led to the landmark Prop 13 was similarly dismissed by political professionals.That referendum passed in a landslide despite furious opposition from the political establishment -- and highlighted the possibilities for grassroots campaigners to enact measures with ballot initiatives and bypass the legislature.It slashed property tax rates by 57 percent, capped future collections and required any new tax hikes to be approved by a two-thirds majority in both houses of the state legislature.
'CONDITIONS ARE RIPE'
"There's no way to predict whether we're going to see a reprise of the revolt that led to Prop 13 or whether this is a false start," said Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse Unruh Institute of Politics at USC and a onetime adviser to presidential candidate Sen. John McCain."But the economic conditions are ripe for tax revolt, and advances in technology certainly make it easier to organize a coalition without access to huge amounts of money."Those conditions include a heavy tax burden that is growing heavier plus a worsening economy.California already had the highest income tax rates of any state in the country when the legislature raised them in February to help close a $42 billion deficit that also required deep spending cuts and additional borrowing.The state's top income tax rate is now 10.425 percent, which is 1.5 percentage points higher than second-place Rhode Island and rises to 10.55 percent if certain economic triggers are hit. Most U.S. states have a top rate of less than 7 percent, and seven collect no income tax at all.California lawmakers also boosted the state's sales tax to 8.25 percent, nearly doubled the vehicle license fee and sharply reduced the tax credit for dependents.Though Prop 13 has become sacrosanct in California politics, it has its critics, who blame it for forcing the state to rely too heavily on sales and income taxes and limiting a critical funding source for public schools.The state, which was hard hit by the subprime mortgage crisis, faces sharply declining revenues and an unemployment rate over 10 percent."I certainly don't want my taxes raised but one thing I do recognize is that we are in the middle of a financial meltdown," California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, a Democrat, told Reuters in an interview."We have a constitutional obligation to balance the budget so we had no choice" but to raise taxes, Bass said. "Unfortunately when you fan the flames you can lead to things like a revolt but I'm certainly hoping it doesn't deteriorate to that."
'MASSIVE DISCONNECT'
Analysts also say the anti-tax revolutionaries would be met with fierce opposition from California's public employee unions, a powerful political force with considerably more money and unmatched influence over the Democrat-led legislature.
But the activists are undaunted by doubters within the establishment."Every chamber of commerce, every editorial board, every labor group, every tax-receiver group, everybody opposed Prop 13 except the voters," Coupal told Reuters. "That reflects a massive disconnect between the real people and the political elite, and that disconnect is right now as great as I've ever seen it."The first test of anti-tax crusaders' influence could come in a May 19 special election with voting on Proposition 1A, which is backed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic leaders and would extend the tax increases in exchange for a new cap on spending.At the Orange County anti-tax rally, sponsored by two radio talk show hosts, voters' resentment erupted as they chanted slogans, waved placards and demanded action in the state capital Sacramento."There was a huge amount of anger," said John Kobylt, talk show host on KFI-AM 640. "It was visceral. You could feel it. You could almost touch it. It was almost frightening to be out there. It was a tremendous expression of hatred over what's going on."

U.S. Captain Held by Pirates Is Rescued

United States Navy personnel rescued the captain of an American cargo ship on Sunday by killing three Somali pirates who had been holding him hostage for four days, government officials said.Right before his rescue, Richard Phillips, the 53-year-old captain of the Maersk Alabama, was being held in a 18-foot lifeboat in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia. The pirates were armed with AK-47s and small-caliber pistols, said Vice Admiral William E. Gortney, who spoke from Bahrain to reporters in Washington.Just after dark on Sunday, snipers on the U.S.S. Bainbridge saw that one of the pirates was pointing an automatic rifle at Captain Phillips, and that the captors’ heads and shoulders were exposed from the capsule-like lifeboat.



President Obama had previously authorized the use of force if the commander on the scene believed the captain’s life was in danger, so they fired, Admiral Gortney said. The lifeboat was about 100 feet from the Bainbridge when the shots were fired, shortly after 7 p.m. Somalia time (seven hours ahead of Eastern time). Asked where Captain Phillips was at the time the shots were fired, Admiral Gortney said he was not sure but that he had to be less than 18 feet away, the length of the lifeboat.While it was not clear whether he had jumped into the water, Captain Phillips was pulled out of sea and transported to the Bainbridge, where sailors delivered him a note from his wife, Andrea.“Your family is saving a chocolate Easter egg for you,” she wrote, according to Vice Admiral Gortney. “Unless your son eats it first.”According to John Reinhart, the Maersk Line president and chief executive, Mr. Phillips told him by telephone: “I’m just the byline. The real heroes are the Navy, the Seals, those who have brought me home.” A Navy photograph showed Mr. Phillips shaking hands with the commanding officer of the Bainbridge.American officials acknowledged that the deadly ending of this incident could lead to more confrontations with Somali pirates, who are currently holding more than 200 hostages.“This could escalate violence in this part of the world,” Vice Admiral Gortney said.Only three of the original four captors were in the lifeboat when Mr. Phillips was rescued.Admiral Gortney said that a small Navy vessel had made multiple trips back and forth between the Bainbridge and the lifeboat, carrying food and water to Captain Phillips and the pirates and delivering clean clothes to the captain.On Saturday night, the Navy fired warning shots at the lifeboat, followed by a brief exchange of fire, the official said. Hours afterward, the one pirate who was reportedly injured boarded the supply boat and surrendered to Navy personnel.Around the same time, the Navy managed to attach a line to the lifeboat and began towing it away from shore. Mr. Phillips was being held in a covered part at the back of the lifeboat, the official said, and one pirate typically stayed with him under cover. The lifeboat had gotten as close as 20 miles to shore, drifting after running out of fuel, off Gara’ad, Somalia.In Somalia, Abdirahman Muhammad Faroole, president of the Puntland region, where some of the pirates were thought to be from, said that on Sunday afternoon, American officials whom he’d been talking to throughout the crisis abruptly told him to stop pursuing negotiations with tribal elders affiliated with the pirates. Mr. Faroole was told the Americans “had another action,” and said it was no longer necessary for him to work with the elders, he said.The Justice Department will be reviewing evidence to decide whether charges will be brought against the surviving pirate.In Underhill, Vt., Captain Phillips’s hometown, Alison McColl, a Maersk official, was preparing to a statement from a family when a car pulled up to the house and three youngsters jumped out and ran into the house in jubilation.The pirates — allegedly demanding $2 million in ransom — seized Mr. Phillips on Wednesday and escaped the cargo ship in a motorized lifeboat.A standoff between the pirates and the United States Navy then ensued until Saturday when negotiations between American officials and the pirates broke down, according to Somali officials, after the Americans insisted that the pirates be arrested and a group of elders representing the pirates refused.The negotiations broke down hours after the pirates fired on a small United States Navy vessel that had tried to approach the lifeboat not long after sunrise Saturday in the Indian Ocean.The Maersk Alabama, a 17,000-ton cargo vessel, pulled into port at 8:30 Saturday evening in Mombasa, Kenya, with its 19 remaining American crew members.“The crew was really challenged with the order to leave Richard behind. But as a mariners they took the orders to preserve the ship,” said Mr. Reinhart, President of Maersk.When the crew members heard that their captain had been freed, they placed an American flag over the rail of the top of the ship. They whistled and pumped their fists in the air, The Associated Press reported.More than 250 hostages are being held by various Somalian pirate groups, including the 16 crew members of an Italian tugboat captured on Saturday.One pirate named Ali, in Galkaiyo, Somalia, said the American Navy rescue won’t discourage other Somali pirate groups at all.“As long as there is no just government in Somalia, we will still be the coast guard,” he said, adding: “If we get an American, we will take revenge.”

Allies Ponder How to Plan Elections in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan — Inside the office of the Afghan interior minister is a map showing that nearly half the country is a danger zone. Ten of Afghanistan’s 364 districts are colored black, meaning they are under Taliban control, and 156 are colored to indicate high risk.

The map raises a difficult question: How, in such an environment, can Afghanistan hold countrywide presidential elections in less than five months?

The election, plus votes for provincial council seats, has become a prime focus of discussion, according to Richard C. Holbrooke, the special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who visited Kabul last Sunday.

For now, Afghan officials and their American and NATO allies say they are absolutely determined to go ahead with the elections, scheduled for Aug. 20. Canceling or postponing them not only would be a significant recognition of how badly the war is going, but also would throw the country into a political and constitutional crisis.

At the same time, there is increasing concern that, even if NATO and Afghan forces can establish enough security in enough places, the vote will be so badly compromised that its credibility will be called into question, and with it the legitimacy of the current and future Afghan governments.

Taliban insurgents have such a strong grip on such a broad area — in particular the southern provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, Oruzgan and Zabul — that even with the anticipated arrival of an additional 30,000 American troops this year, the elections will not take place in some areas, several Western and Afghan officials in Kabul said.

“There will certainly be some districts where it will be difficult to have elections, especially parts of Helmand Province,” said Christopher Alexander, a deputy head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

“But the vast majority of districts, all but 8 or 10, took part in voter registration and are expected to take part in elections,” he added.

In interviews, some Afghans were less sure. They predicted that people were so disaffected by the war and the insecurity and the lack of progress from the government that many would not vote.

Opposition candidates, meanwhile, are already expressing concern about fraud and are pointing to widespread irregularities in the voter registration.

The recently appointed interior minister, Hanif Atmar, readily acknowledges the herculean challenge of getting his underpaid, poorly trained police force in shape to provide security for the elections.

Additional NATO troops and the added American forces will be deployed with Afghan security forces to the high-risk areas, he said, meaning virtually everywhere south of the capital, Kabul, in a country of mountains and deserts. Afghan forces will handle the safer northern areas largely on their own, he said.

But beyond providing security for elections, the American, NATO and Afghan security forces also have a broader mission: to stem the insurgency, which has sharply escalated in scale and casualties every year since 2006.

Some Western officials in Afghanistan warn that the extra American and NATO forces are too little, too late to change the military stalemate that exists across southern Afghanistan, and that all the military effort will be spent in securing the elections.

Admiral Mullen said that would not be the case. “I am convinced that the additional military capability will certainly start to allow us to turn the tide” in the war, the admiral said during his visit.

While election officials say voter registration has been successful, people in the south say Afghans, including Taliban members, were motivated to register less by any real interest in voting than by the fact that voter cards would ease their travel through government checkpoints.

“People cannot even travel to their homes,” said Abdul Rahim, 32, a landowner from Oruzgan Province, who moved his family to the provincial capital, Tirin Kot, to escape the fighting. “It’s beyond imagination that they will take part in the election.”

Whether the Taliban will try to sabotage the vote is not yet clear. In their statements, Taliban spokesmen say they oppose the presidential elections as a system imposed by foreigners.

But in previous years the Taliban have held back from large-scale disruption of elections, partly because of pressure from their mentors in Pakistan, and partly, analysts say, so as not to alienate the people, who are their base of support.

Nevertheless, the Taliban will be determined to respond to any influx of new American forces. Recent attacks by insurgents and Al Qaeda have indicated a growing sophistication and ambition, including spectacular bombings and wave attacks by multiple gunmen on government buildings. Those are likely to continue, Afghan officials said.

The strength of the insurgency and the distrust of the Afghan government is rapidly causing a collapse of authority in the many regions, warned a former foreign minister, Dr. Abdullah, who is expected to be named as the candidate for the main opposition movement, the National Front, which represents a broad bloc of largely northern tribes.

Dr. Abdullah, who uses one name, said the situation would continue to deteriorate under President Hamid Karzai, leaving an even more difficult task for the next president.

Mr. Karzai’s administration has grown increasingly unpopular and is seen as corrupt and ineffective as the war has engulfed half the country. There is a growing yearning among Afghans for a change.

But diplomats say Mr. Karzai remains the strongest contender, not least because the opposition is divided and may split any vote against him. Also, the most likely contenders may not be an improvement, some warn.

“Beware what you wish for,” said one diplomat, who requested anonymity to avoid the impression of interfering in Afghanistan’s election politics.

The National Front continues to question Mr. Karzai’s legitimacy after a Supreme Court decision that allowed him to extend his term past its constitutional end on May 21 because the presidential election was delayed. The court will let him stay in office until a new president is sworn in, and in a close race, that could include a second round of voting in October.

Almost all the known candidates complain of fears that Mr. Karzai will use government resources to his advantage in the campaign.

“We can say straight off that 600,000 to 800,000 votes will be stolen,” said Ashraf Ghani, a former finance minister and a prospective candidate. Mr. Ghani called for a commission to monitor the election commission and one to monitor the president’s use of government resources and institutions.

But Mr. Karzai’s opponents say the groundswell of dissatisfaction among the public and the desire for change may be enough to dislodge him, if the election is fair.

“Everybody is complaining, everybody is concerned, and everybody is unhappy with the situation,” said Nasrullah Baryalai Arsalai, who is from a prominent family in eastern Afghanistan and recently announced his candidacy. “But a free vote makes me think it is possible.”

Troops patrol streets in southwest Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan — Paramilitary troops patrolled the streets Sunday to deter any violence as the Pakistani city of Quetta came to a standstill for a strike in protest at the slaying of three local leaders.
An AFP correspondent said business activity came to a halt and public and private transport remained off the road in the southwest city in response to the strike call by the Baluchistan National Party (BNP).
Riots broke out Thursday in Baluchistan province after the bodies of three dissident Baluch politicians were dumped on the outskirts of Turbat, a town near the Iranian border.
Paramilitary Frontier Corps troops patrolled major roads in Quetta, capital of the oil- and gas-rich province.
"Our troops are on high alert, patrolling the main boulevards to prevent incidents of violence," senior police official Rasool Bakhsh Rind told AFP.
Gunmen shot dead eight people Saturday in separate incidents in Quetta and other southwestern towns amid protests over the killings.
The slain politicians were identified as BNP chief Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, his deputy Lala Munir Baloch, and Sher Mohammad, deputy secretary general of the Baluchistan Republican Party.
The late BNP chief had played an important role in securing the release of American UN official John Solecki a week ago, two months after he was abducted in Quetta, a party official said.
Rind, the police official, said a mob Sunday torched two vehicles and two tractors at a local government facility, while another group tried to set fire to a bank.
Baluchistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is rife with militant and sectarian violence.
Hundreds of people have died in the region since late 2004 when rebels rose up to demand political autonomy and a bigger share of profits from its natural resources.
The province, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has also suffered attacks blamed on Taliban militants.

Terrorists in Pakistan real threat for US: Holbrooke

ISLAMAB:Deteriorating Pakistan situation is of vital importance for Afghanistan peace, US special envoy Richard Holbrooke said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

"If Afghanistan had the best government on earth, a drug-free culture and no corruption it would still be unstable if the situation in Pakistan remained as it is today.

That is an indisputable fact, and that is the core of the dilemma that the Western nations, the NATO alliance, face today," Holbrook said.

Take the dilemma a logical step further, I suggest. The terrorists who threaten America are in Pakistan, but the US fights the Afghan Taliban, who don't. "That's a fair point," added Holbrooke, "but the reason for fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan is clear: The Taliban are the frontrunners for al Qaeda. If they succeed in Afghanistan, without any shadow of a doubt, al Qaeda would move back into Afghanistan, set up a larger presence, recruit more people and pursue its objectives against the United States even more aggressively."

Among Pakistani politicians, Zardari speaks most clearly about the threat emanating from the country's west, noting the assassination in late 2007 of his wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. But he is politically weak, and sounds disinclined to push the military to wage war against the Pashtun tribes in the mountains.

Praising President Zardari's efforts he said, "the president deserves credit for his personal courage" in holding the job. He welcomes the "statesmanlike" resolution of a recent political feud with rival Nawaz Sharif over the reinstatement of judges. The fight could have resulted, he says, in "civil war on the one hand or assassinations on the other."

"We are well aware of these accusations," says Holbrooke. "But our experience with [Pakistani Army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez] Kayani does not support them. We deal with him with respect and with the assumption that he is a serious person doing the best he can under difficult circumstances."

Quetta down Peshawar in thrill-packed Buzkashi clash

PESHAWAR: Three timely goals by Salam Behalwan steered Quetta to beat young Peshawar side by 9-6 in the thrill-packed Buzkashi match played here at Karnal Sher Shaheed Stadium.

NWFP Minister for Sports Syed Aqil Shah was the chief guest on this occasion and witnessed the matchless skills of the players on their horseback.

Secretary of the Pakistan Buzkashi Federation Zahir Hussain Sarwari, vice president Dr Abdul Baqi and other office-bearers of the federation were also present on the occasion amid a large number of spectators.

The skills of the riders and horses enthralled the spectators who responded with cheers.

The two famous Buzkashi players, Salam Behalwan and Muhammad Jan Behalwan, were the pick of the pack, which opened the account for Quetta team when they took the calf from the circle time and again and dropped after a busted ride of 200 yards. Both scored three individual goals each for Quetta in the first 10th minutes.

Peshawar, led by young strikers comprising Musa Jan, Shamas and Haji Abdullah reduced the margin in the next five minutes by scoring two goals each to make the tally 6-4.

Later, for Peshawar Najmuddin, who also delighted the spectators with his skilled riding, scored two quick goals to make the tally 9-6. In the dying moments both teams tried hard but mostly both defended the circle specified for the goal.

Shutter down strike across Balochistan, 10 killed

QUETTA: The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the killing of six people whose bodies were recovered from Quetta's Margat area on Saturday, DawnNews quoted a BLA spokesman as saying.

Also on Saturday, unknown armed men shot dead a Balochistan Constabulary personnel on Quetta's Jail Road, police told DawnNews.

Latest reports said three more people were killed in firing incidents, one on Quetta's Kirani road and another on the city's Sikri road. While two others were injured during an exchange of fire in the city's Jinnah town.

A shutter down strike was being observed in Quetta, Khuzdar, Kalat, Panjgur, Awaran, Kharan, Noshki, Turbat and other parts of Balochistan against the recent killings of three Baloch nationalist leaders.

Strict security measures were in place across Balochistan to avert any untoward incident as political activists blocked the Quetta-Karachi national highway at Kalat, police sources said.

Separately, police detonated an explosive device planted at a roadside on the Quetta-Karachi RCD highway in Khuzdar district's Wadh tehsil.

In Turbat, a mob set the Pakistam Muslim League - Quaid's office, the district nazim's office, an old museum and a bank on fire. While in Noshki, the new district jail building was set alight, police told DawnNews.

Violence continued in other parts of Balochistan as well. In Dera Bugti's Loti area, three rockets were fired at a security forces checkpoint, officials told DawnNews. However, no casualties were reported from this incident.

Meanwhile, an angry mob set on fire a zakat office and other official buildings in Panjgur.

Separately, the Balochistan Bar Association will boycott courts across the province on April 13 on the call of President Supreme Court Bar Association Ali Ahmed Kurd to condemn the nationalists' killings, Baz Mohammad Kakar of the BBA said.

The BBA has also demanded the unconditional release of all detained political workers and the recovery of Balochistan's missing persons, Kakar said.

Identification documents declared essential to enter capital Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police have arrested 325 suspects in a search operation while the police have instructed the residents and people coming to the federal capital from outside to keep identification documents.The police said security high alert has been issued across the city while suspects are being rounded up.Security surveillance of important personalities and buildings has been increased besides police patrolling.

Extraordinary security was also witnessed in the city during Friday prayers while embassies and some of the private schools remained closed.Police says the terror threat still looms in the city and stringent security measures are being adopted to deal with the situation.

Pakistani Taliban move closer to Islamabad

The Pakistani Taliban is moving closer to Islamabad, the capital, according to news reports. This week the militants advanced to within 60 miles of the capital, sparking concerns that their reach is growing.

A Pakistani Taliban-aligned group came to power in the Swat district of the North West Frontier Province in February, striking a controversial peace deal with Pakistani authorities. The deal allows, among other things, rule by a conservative interpretation of sharia law.

The terms of the sharia deal encompass Swat's neighboring districts, including Buner, which borders Punjab Province. However, the militants' power is more firmly established in Swat than in Buner. Reuters reports that militants arrived in Buner this week:

In a development that will deepen the West's concerns, scores of Taliban have moved into Buner district, 100 km (60 miles) northwest of Islamabad, from the Swat valley....

"About 20 vehicles carrying Taliban entered Buner on Monday and started moving around the bazaar and streets," said senior police officer Israr Bacha.

The locals in Buner district opposed the arrival of the militants, writes the Pakistani newspaper the Daily Times:

The officials told Daily Times that when tribal elders heard that Taliban had entered Buner, a grand jirga was held in the office of the Buner district coordination officer to devise a strategy to tackle the Taliban.

The jirga decided that prompt action must be taken against the Taliban and called on the people of Buner to take up arms to evict them from the district. They gave the Taliban one day deadline to leave the district, warning that the residents would otherwise be compelled to take action against them.

The police and armed civilians took up positions at Bhangra area to stop the Taliban from moving further into the district.

The insurgents refused to leave, so the locals decided to resist. They organized a type of tribal militia known as a lashkar and clashed with the Taliban, reports the Pakistani daily Dawn:

Three police officials, two Lashkar (militia) men and sixteen militants were killed in overnight clash between Taliban and Qaumi Lashkar in Buner district.... Following the battle, the Taliban took possession of the bodies of two Lashkar men and three police constables and even opened fire on Lashkar men when they tried to rescue the bodies early on Tuesday morning.

Dawn later reported that the Taliban intend to stay in the area and ensure that their version of sharia law is implemented.

The insurgents have steadily moved deeper into Pakistan's Punjab district, where Islamabad and some other major cities are located, over the past few months. In February, the Long War Journal, an online outlet that follows insurgencies in Pakistan and elsewhere, reported:

The Pakistani Taliban has expanded its insurgency beyond the Northwest Frontier Province after its forces assaulted a police checkpoint in a district in Punjab province.

Seven policemen were killed in the complex attack on a police checkpoint in the district of Mianwali in Punjab. The attack took place in the early morning when Taliban fighters detonated a bomb outside of what was described as an "an important checkpoint" in the region. The Taliban assault force then opened fire on the policemen, killing all seven manning the outpost.

In early March, militants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in the Punjabi city of Lahore, hundreds of miles from the North West Frontier Province. Later in the month they struck a police compound near Lahore, leaving eight dead and more than one hundred wounded. The Christian Science Monitor reported at the time that the militants are growing more sophisticated as they reach into the Pakistani interior, away from the North West Frontier Province and tribal areas:

The two Lahore attacks suggest the police are outgunned and outwitted by an increasingly sophisticated breed of militants. Monday's attack suggests careful planning, down to the blue uniforms and timing during a parade of unarmed trainees.

The cricket attacks caught police flatfooted, despite official promises there would be top-notch security for the game. Instead, nearby police failed to respond in time to prevent the gunmen from casually getting away, though police on the scene did manage to protect the cricketers.

"It's a new generation of terrorists – better equipped with better planning and better coordination," says Pakistani security expert Ayesha Siddiqa. The attack "makes a case for better equipping the police and training them."

The Long War Journal writes that militant influence has spread throughout the country. A map of militant influence on the website shows that all of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, which borders Afghanistan, and most of the North West Frontier Province, are under "Taliban control."

Girl’s flogging not Islamic

THE horrific sight purportedly of the Taliban’s public flogging of a girl and the sound of her heartrending screams have outraged many Pakistanis who have condemned this act of cruelty in the strongest terms.


"



It has also been condemned by some religious leaders. There is no question that the sight of the merciless flogging by a man of a powerless girl lying on the ground, being held down by other two men while others watched, evokes feelings that are too deep for tears.

This has been demonstrated by the outpouring of protests in many places in Pakistan. As a theologian who has worked for more than three decades on the rights of women in Islam, I am gravely concerned about the girl who has suffered such dreadful humiliation and pain.

The faceless, nameless and hapless girl seen in the soul-searing video clips must not be regarded simply as a statistic – as one of hundreds of girls and women who are routinely subjected to domestic and societal violence in a country that was created to provide safety and protection to all its citizens. It is a source of satisfaction to know that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has taken suo motu notice of the case, and has asked for the victim to appear in court. By doing this the court has recognised the girl’s fundamental right to be treated as a human being.

It is a moral and legal imperative now that all the particulars of the girl in question be known and scrutinised rigorously. At this time the story is shrouded in mystery. We do not know with certainty as to the offence, alleged or actual, for which the girl was flogged. Different statements have been made in this regard in the media. For instance, it has been insinuated that she had been living and thus having illicit relations with her father-in-law, and that was why she was flogged. I have also heard a rights activist say that she had been flogged because she had refused to marry one of the Taliban, whose proposal had been sent to her family.

Such statements have little logical or legal weight. Living in the same house with one’s father-in-law does not constitute any wrongdoing in terms of Islamic law. Incidentally, it should also be noted that a father-in-law is, in fact, a mehram and not a non-mehram, as clarified by verse 24: 31. Islam has made voluntary consent a precondition for marriage; therefore, non-acceptance of a proposal for any reason whatsoever does not constitute a wrongdoing for which one can be punished.

With regard to the insinuation that the girl had illicit relations with her father-in-law, and was, therefore, guilty of a hadd crime, the question arises: was she proved guilty beyond any doubt according to the conditions specified for an indictment of fornication under the Sharia? If so, where are the four witnesses who are known to be truthful, just, of upright, good moral character and unimpeachable integrity, who saw the commission of the act with their own eyes?

Also, if she was proved guilty in accordance with Islamic law, why was no punishment given to her father-in-law who would also be deemed equally guilty according to the following lines in verse 24:2? ‘As for the adulteress and the adulterer – flog each of them a 100 stripes, and let not compassion with them keep you from (carrying out) this law of God, if you (truly) believe in God and the Last Day; and let a group of believers witness their chastisement.’

Apparently, the girl was flogged 34 times. The hadd punishment for zina is 100 lashes. Why did the 100 lashes get reduced to 34 lashes if the girl was actually found guilty? Under the Sharia, every person is regarded as innocent until proved guilty. Since no evidence has been produced so far – in any court or even in the media – to demonstrate beyond any doubt that the girl who was flogged was guilty of any wrongdoing, she must be deemed innocent, and the cruel punishment meted out to her must be deemed to be totally unjust and in blatant violation of Quranic teachings and Islamic law.

The writer is a scholar of Islam and Iqbal, and teaches at the University of Louisville, US.

rshass01@gwise.louisville.edu

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/girls-flogging-not-islamic-ha

British Leader Urges Pakistan to Step Up Anti-Terrorism Effort

British leader Gordon Brown has called on Pakistan to do more to strengthen its counter terrorism efforts in the wake of the arrest of 12 suspects in Britain on Wednesday.Following the police operation that netted a dozen male suspects on Wednesday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown maintains that a "very big terrorist plot" had been thwarted.Those suspects, men ranging from their teens to the early 40s, continue to be questioned.Eleven of the 12 are Pakistani nationals. Most were in the Britain on student visas.Prime Minister Brown is urging Pakistan to do more in the fight against terrorism."Increasingly we have seen terrorist links with Pakistan and Britain. I will be talking to the Pakistan President Mr. Zardari," Brown said. "We want the closest of cooperation between Britain and Pakistan to deal with countering terrorism and I think one of the lessons we are learning from the events of the last few years is that Pakistan has got to do more to root out the terrorist elements in its country as well."But Pakistan's High Commissioner to the U.K. Wajid Shamsul Hasan says his country is already doing enough, it is Britain he says that needs to do more."We are already doing every day we are raiding people. We are arresting people," he said. "We are arresting suspects wherever we find them."Police forensic teams continue to scour 14 locations in northwest England. A number of British newspapers speculate that various Manchester shopping centers and a nightclub may have been targets. But police officials refuse to give out details, saying only that action was taken in the face of a perceived threat.Britain's top counter terrorism chief inadvertently tipped off the media that such a police operation was imminent when his detailed notes were exposed to cameras outside of Ten Downing Street. He resigned the next day.

Obama's liked, but is he respected?

Story Highlights
Ed Rollins: Obama returns home in triumph from his trip
He says Obama performed superbly in the role of world leader
Rollins: Obama didn't get policy changes he wanted from Europe
He says the real test will be whether the world respects the new president
By Ed Rollins
CNN Contributor
Editor's note: Ed Rollins, a senior political contributor for CNN, was political director for President Ronald Reagan and chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- President Obama has returned from his first trip abroad with praise ringing in his ears from the media elite and barely a word of protest from the Republican opposition.

It truly was an extraordinary introduction on the world stage for our celebrity president, and his only rival for attention was the first lady.

He is a true talent and performs with the best of them. You can like the man and disagree with his policies, but you're a fool if you underestimate him. The headlines said it all -- from California's Sacramento Bee: "President's overseas debut a love feast!" The Washington Post: "Obama portrays another side of the U.S." The Fort Wayne Journal: "Obama rallies troops in Baghdad."

But in spite of the rave reviews and talk of a brand new relationship with the world, it was also a week of reality. Great leaders are always looking at the past and learning from those who go before them. As William Shakespeare said: What is past is prologue.

The following quote, which could be written today, is from the past:

"The president continues to be highly regarded. By solid majorities of 65 percent or more, those surveyed said he has a vision for the country's future, has brought dignity back to the White House and is a strong leader willing to make hard decisions," reported a CNN/Gallup Poll.

The time was the end of 2003 and the president was the now despised-by-many George W. Bush after he visited Iraq at Thanksgiving for the first time.

So, the next time you hear the pundits chattering about the president's approval ratings on cable television, remember Bush's approval rating remained above 80 percent for nearly six months after 9/11 and above 70 percent for 10 months after that. He remained popular with a 63 percent approval rating at the time of the 2002 elections, helping Republicans to achieve rare congressional seat gains in a midterm election year.

As the second president to go stealthily into Iraq to praise our troops, President Obama warned our newest ally, the Iraqi government, that the ball was now in their court and that we are getting out of there on schedule.

I thought this was a wonderful way to end the trip as commander-in-chief, thanking our brave men and women who have given so much. But it did make me think of the immediate past president, who was equally praised on his first visit to Iraq. And on his last visit, an Iraqi journalist threw shoes at his head and was cheered on by his countrymen.

Even though President Obama spoke to the G-20 leaders as friends, addressed them more humbly then his predecessor and apologized for past perceived slights, the Europeans, especially France and Germany, weren't going to follow the United States in supporting an expanded stimulus program. They weren't going to follow us into Afghanistan, either, with their combat troops.

Even before the G-20 began, our new banker, China, expressed doubts about all its loans to us. Chinese officials stated, at a most inopportune time, that the world may need to find a new reserve currency rather than the U.S. dollar. We hope they will loan us the $100 billion we committed to the International Monetary Fund as a result of this meeting, money that we don't have and will have to borrow.

At almost the same time the president was advocating his vision of a world without nuclear arms and arguing that it is an achievable goal, reality came forth again. The North Koreans, who repeatedly dismissed as idle threats U.S. and U.N. warnings regarding their attempts at obtaining nuclear weapons and the systems to deliver them, on Saturday fired a rocket over Japan on its way to either space or Alaska.

Even though the alleged satellite didn't make it into orbit, the ripples it created went way beyond the Pacific Ocean where it crash-landed. Even our beloved governor of Alaska warned us that the North Koreans are coming, the North Koreans are coming.

The two old superpowers, China and Russia, wanted immediate sit-down summits later in the year to take the measure of the man. President Obama's reward for agreeing to the meetings was that both countries did everything possible to make sure the U.N. Security Council did nothing to condemn North Korea for its rocket blast. Beware of leaders calling you "comrade" on the first date.

The president's visit to Turkey, a key ally, was also historic. The first American president of color and Muslim heritage made great mileage with our important ally when he said:

"The United States has been enriched by Muslim Americans. Many other Americans have Muslims in their family or have lived in a Muslim-majority country. I know, because I am one of them." To the billion-plus Muslims in the world, those words had to be heartfelt and a welcome acknowledgement.

As an American, I am proud when our president does well overseas. Being humble worked much better than being cocky. But in order to lead, you must be tough. Being liked is important. Being respected will be the test. The president had a great opening round, but there are many more rounds to fight.

So welcome home, Mr. President. The financial mess is still here. Enjoy the Easter Egg roll on the South Lawn this weekend. And know that the decisions you make in the coming weeks and months will be all about those kids playing on your back lawn -- and every other child in America.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ed Rollins.

China, Venezuela to step up co-op in bid to curb global financial crisis

China and Venezuela agreed in Beijing on Wednesday to step up cooperation in fields such as energy, agriculture, and high technology and take joint actions in the face of the global financial crisis.The agreement was reached in a meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao and his visiting Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the two exchanged in-depth views on bilateral relations and other issues of common concern and reached an important consensus.Hu highlighted the robust growth of bilateral relations during the meeting, saying that China was satisfied with the positive outcomes from bilateral economic and technological cooperation, progress made on some key projects and close coordination on international and regional issues.Hu also suggested the two nations should work closer and boost the various pragmatic cooperation, which would not only help resolve the impact from the international financial crisis, but also be conducive to laying a solid foundation for the long-term development of Sino-Venezuelan relations.China highly values its ties with Venezuela and will join hands with the Venezuelan side to make efforts to push forward the bilateral strategic partnership to a higher level, Hu said.Echoing Hu's views on bilateral relations, Chavez also applauded the progress made on bilateral cooperation in energy, agriculture, industry and technology.He especially mentioned the successful launch and delivery of Venezuela's first telecommunication satellite thanks to cooperation with China.Chavez noted that the world order is undergoing a profound change and China already played a significant and positive role in an effort to address the challenges posed by the international economic turmoil.Venezuela is willing to cement its cooperation with China in such a new international context, the Venezuelan president added.As Hu's guest, Chavez arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night for a three-day working visit.He will also meet Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping during the visit, which is his sixth to China.