PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: December 22, 2008

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 003903 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: December 22, 2008 Summary: Indian External Affairs Minister Mukherjee's statement that Islamabad "must act" as it has been given "enough evidence regarding the Mumbai terror attacks" dominated headlines in all major newspapers on Monday. Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi's remarks that "Pakistan had all the rights to defend if driven to war," however "we are prepared to fully cooperate with India, but it should provide concrete evidences" were also highlighted. Most major newspapers front-paged reports that both Pakistan and India recalled their envoys for "consultations." Vice President-elect, Joe Biden's remarks that the Pak-Afghan situation "implicated India and a whole lot of other very complicated issues" were also highlighted. Most major English language dailies ran editorials on the latest polls conducted by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute (IRI). In its editorial the centrist national English daily, "The News" observed that the "overall picture is of an unhappy nation, disappointed and feeling let down, dismayed by the collective and constructive failures of a ruling elite who have once again performed as per script and not delivered the goods." Another daily, "The Post" noted that the survey "should serve as wake-up call for the government. It comes at a time when the new government is knee-deep in crisis of various kinds - political, economic and strategic." Commenting on Secretary Rice's remarks regarding Pakistan-India standoff, the Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" wrote: "Reliance on the U.S. in 1971 proved devastating for us, and now it is openly supporting our enemy (India). Hence there is no need to delude ourselves further." End Summary. -------------- News Stories -------------- "Enough Proof Given, Pakistan Must Act: India" "Daily Times" (12/22) "Pakistan has been given enough evidence regarding the Mumbai terror attacks and 'Islamabad must act', Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday. 'Not once, twice or thrice but as many as ten times we have given evidence. Please pursue those evidences and take action as per your (Pakistani) law,' he said addressing Pakistan at a conference at the Bengal Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata." "India Losing Its Cool, Warns Of Attack" "The News" (12/22) "Taking a tough stance Indian external Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said Pakistan must cooperate and not contradict us adding the option of unilateral attack against Pakistan was open. He said that Pakistan has been given enough evidence regarding the Mumbai terror attack and Islamabad must act." "Armed Forces Ready To Counter Any Aggression, says Qureshi" "The News" (12/22) "Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmud Qureshi on Sunday said Pakistan had all the rights to defend if driven to war. 'Pakistan does not want war and we are desirous of Peace, but if war is thrust upon us, we have all the rights to defend.' Qureshi said 'we are prepared to fully cooperate with India but India should provide concrete evidences.'" "India Can Hit Terrorists Using Pak Soil: Sonia" "Daily Times" (12/22) "Indian National Congress Chairwoman Sonia Gandhi has said her country was capable of giving a 'befitting reply' to those using Pakistani soil for abetting and promoting terrorism against it, a private news channel said on Sunday. 'Our wish for peace and friendship should not be taken as a sign of weakness,' Gandhi told an election rally in Dablehr area near the international border on Sunday." "Pakistan, India Recall Envoys For 'Consultations" "Daily Times" (12/22) "Pakistan and India have summoned their high commissioners for consultations amid rising tensions following last month's terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Shahid Malik and Satyabarata Pal will brief Islamabad and New Delhi respectively on their interaction with the authorities after the Mumbai attacks." "U.S. To Increase Pakistan's Military Assistance By $300 Million" "Daily Times" (12/22) "The United States has agreed to increase Pakistan's military assistance by over $300 million per year, a private TV channel reported on Sunday." "Pak-Afghan Situation Implicates India, says Biden" "The News" (12/22) "The US vice President elect- Joseph Biden Sunday said the Afghanistan-Pakistan situation implicates India and a whole lot of other very complicated issues. Calling it as one of the the immediate concerns for the Barack Obama administration." "Rumsfeld May Be Prosecuted For Prisoner Abuse: Biden" "Dawn" (12/22) "US Vice President-elect Joseph Biden has refused to rule out the possibility of prosecuting former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other high officials for prisoner abuse in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prisons. Mr Biden, in an interview to ABC News on Sunday, however, said that a decision whether or not to prosecute the officials would have to be taken by the US Justice Department." "Gwadar Port Becomes Fully Functional" "Dawn" (12/22) "The Gwadar port became fully functional on Sunday after a ship carrying fertilizer from Qatar anchored at the port. Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Nabil Ahmed Gabol and Baluchistan Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani attended the ceremony held at the port to mark its opening." "Lal Masjid Arms Seized During Operation 'Stolen" "Dawn" (12/22) "A large quantity of arms, seized by security forces during the Lal Masjid operation and stored in the Aabpara police station's heavily guarded armoury, is missing, reported 'stolen'. This paper has learnt that, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik has suspended Senior Superintendent of Police Ahmad Latif and Superintendent of Police Dr Shahzad Asif and ordered registration of a case against SHO Inspector Naeem Iqbal and 14 other police personnel on charges of criminal breach of trust, theft and burglary." "Taliban Enforce Sharia In Parts Of Orakzai" "Daily Times" (12/22) "Local Taliban announced to impose sharia and to ban cutting forest trees in several areas of Upper Orakzai Agency on Sunday, local sources said. The sources said the announcements were made in sermons from mosques in Khangarpur, Ghundako, Kundi Mushti and Qaum Aakhel areas of Orakzai Agency in the agency. The announcement directed the residents to contact local Taliban centers to seek solution to their disputes adding all disputes would be decided in accordance with Sharia." "Omar Offers Power Sharing To End Afghan Crisis" "The News" (12/22) "Afghan Taliban Mulla Muhammad Omer has suggested a formula for ending conflicts and bringing peace into his war-torn country a local newspaper reported, in a statement the Taliban leader warned that the increasing U.S. troops in Afghanistan would have a direct relation with the level of violence here and vowed to direct attacks at NATO forces. But as an alternative he offered a formula for resolving the conflict which includes power-sharing with the current Afghan regime." "Another Kabul Bound Tanker Set Ablaze" "The Nation" (12/22) "Unknown armed miscreants Sunday attacked another NATO oil supplying tanker and set it on fire at Landi kotal Khyber agency. The tanker was reduced to ashes however no human loss was reported. Besides the owners of such tankers have already been threatened by the militants to not to supply logistics support to NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The militants have demolished over 270 vehicles during the last couple of weeks." -------------- Editorials/Op-eds -------------- "The Crystal Ball," an editorial in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (12/22) "IRI has a long history of polling in Pakistan and is considered both credible and reliable. What its most recent poll of 3500 adult men and women, conducted between the 15th and 30th of October indicates is a populace that is deeply unhappy - they feel the country is going in the wrong direction, that the next year will be worse than the last and that the much-lauded return to a local version of democracy has made little or no difference to the quality of their lives... The overall picture is of an unhappy nation, disappointed and feeling let down, dismayed by the collective and consecutive failures of ruling elite who have once again performed as per script and not delivered the goods." "A Gloomy Picture," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (12/22) "The IRI survey should serve as a wake-up call for the government. It comes at a time when the new government is knee-deep in crisis of various kinds - political, economic, and strategic. It also shows the pessimism of the nation with the political leadership. The poll highlights the discontentment of the masses with their overall condition in the country..." "Plunging Popularity," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (12/22) "The survey conducted by the International Republican Institute in the second half of October makes for grim reading for the government: Pakistanis are deeply troubled by the state of the nation and are pessimistic about the future. The government's performance in key areas, the economy, governance and security, has left the country unimpressed, and its standing is already comparable to Gen Musharraf's widely disparaged regime earlier this year." "Indian war preparations and our national attitude" an editorial note in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 125,000) (12/22) "Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that Pakistan's measures were insufficient and that calling terrorists non-state actors is not enough, action should be taken against them to India's satisfaction. This means that the U.S. is fully encouraging India and by pressing Pakistan, is pushing [both] towards a war that will cost both countries dearly, but the benefits might be reaped by the U.S. and Israel... Reliance on the U.S. in 1971 proved devastating for us, and now it is openly supporting our enemy (India.) Hence there is no need to delude ourselves further." "Comprehensive consultation required to counter Indian strategy," an editorial in the leading mass circulation centrist Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (12/22) "It is essential to take political, religious parties and all segments of society into confidence about the current security situation, and the growing tension with India. We can deal with the Indian aggressive designs and war plans only through an effective military strategy with the support of people of Pakistan." "Why is India moving towards an undesirable venture?" Editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (12/22) "Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said in New Delhi a few days back that a weak Pakistan would be detrimental for the entire region. We feel that efforts to weaken Pakistan would be equally harmful for the region. In this entire episode, India stands to lose the most. This is what happens to those who consider their enemies to be weak. Why can't the Indian establishment and leadership understand this simple fact? The U.S. must try to stop its strategic partner [India] from making this grave mistake." "U.S. impractical and unlimited demands," an editorial note in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (12/22) "U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice while addressing the Council of Foreign Relations has said that the Pakistani measures following the Mumbai attacks are not enough.... If the government of Pakistan does not resist the unlimited demands of the United States; it will put the national security in danger." "Media War And Indo-Pak Tension," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (12/22) "Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers and any conflict between them is bound to escalate into a holocaust for the region. Then why are the two sides hyping up a conflict neither can afford?" "The need for unity to counter Indian designs" an editorial note in the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (12/22) "Indian leaders making war threats should not forget that confrontation between two regional nuclear powers could turn into a protracted war and bring about destruction for both the countries. It is in the interests of both the nations to be tolerant, move towards peace talks and control the possibility of war." "War preparations against Pakistan?" an editorial note in the Karachi-based, pro Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) (12/22) "It seems that the big powers have given green signal to India for a limited military action inside Pakistan. At this critical juncture, the government of Pakistan and all other parties must be united, and shun their internal differences to give a befitting response to any aggressive move from any side. Moreover, Pakistan must not yield to any undue pressure of the big powers, as this is the only way to our survival and security." "Restore Normalcy," an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (12/22) "The NWFP government headed by Chief Minster Ameer Haider Hoti termed on Saturday the military operation in Swat as a failure. It is not the presence of troops that is pinching it, quite the contrary. What it is really angry about is the failure of the security forces to establish the writ of the state besides turning a blind eye to the deaths of non-combatants." "The 'Fall' Of Dhaka And After," an op-ed by Kamal Siddiqi in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (12/22) "Our foreign policy is in tatters. Even our best friends do not want to help us. Possibly it is time to look inwards and see where we are going wrong. And we need to give our friends and neighbors the confidence that we are a progressing nation and not a failed state which some paint us as. We need to focus more on our economy. There are calls to jumpstart the system, instead of throttling it with higher interest rates." Patterson