PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: MAY 26, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001138 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: MAY 26, 2009 SUMMARY: Reports on North Korea's second nuclear test dominated headlines in all newspapers on Tuesday. Also front-paged were reports that "Pakistani security forces captured Maalam Jabba, a stronghold of militants, after heavy clashes." All newspapers highlighted a statement by the militants' spokesman that "Taliban have asked their men to stop battling government troops in Mingora." Reports and photographs of visiting U.S. Congressional delegation also garnered wide coverage. Newspapers quoted the President and Prime Minister as telling the U.S. senators that "Pakistan is committed to wiping out militants from its soil." Most major dailies also reproduced a report by "The Los Angeles Times" noting that the "U.S. urged China to help Pakistan in terror war." Most major dailies ran editorials on the recent signing of a deal between Pakistan and Iran to construct a gas pipeline. Commenting on the issue, the national English daily, "Dawn," noted that "Pakistan has displayed a measure of independence vis-`-vis Washington which has been a persistent opponent of the pipeline deal." Another English newspaper, "Daily Times," observed that "the changing of the name of the pipeline to 'peace pipeline' is not without significance. The signatories, Iran and Pakistan, cannot avoid the innuendo that 'peace' has prevailed after a period of 'non-peace' between the two." The second largest Urdu daily, "Nawa-i-Waqt," wrote: "Pakistan and Iran are the direct targets of American conspiracies and ill intentions and both the countries should combat the situation jointly. Pakistan and Iran should complete the project as soon as possible despite efforts by America to halt the project." End Summary. -------------- News Stories -------------- "N. Korea Stuns World With Nuclear Test" "Dawn" (05/26) "North Korea conducted its second nuclear test on Monday that was far more powerful than its first one, triggering an emergency UN Security council meeting and drawing condemnation from around the globe." "Troops Take Over Maalam Jabba" "Dawn" (05/26) "The army claimed on Monday that security forces had captured Maalam Jabba, a stronghold of militants, after heavy clashes. It said troops were facing 'stiff resistance' to wrest the control of Swat from the Taliban." "Fazlullah Asks His Men To Stop Fighting" "Dawn" (05/26) "Taliban's Swat chieftain Maulana Fazlullah has asked his men to stop battling government troops in Mingora, a stronghold of the militants. 'Maulana Fazlullah has directed all his Mujahideen to stop resistance in Mingora and its surroundings to avoid hardships to the people and losses to the civilian population,' Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told AFP on Monday." "Army Dismisses Taliban 'Ploy'" "The News" (05/26) "The Taliban on Monday urged civilians to return to the Swat Valley's main city, promising they would not attack security forces battling for control out of concern for the safety of trapped residents. Pakistan's military dismissed the gesture as a ploy that would allow the militants to blend in with the residents of Mingora, and said it had no intention of halting its offensive in the valley." "Pakistan To Wipe Out Militants, U.S. Senators Assured" "Dawn" (05/26) "The President and the Prime Minister assured a delegation of U.S. Senators on Monday that Pakistan was committed to wiping out militants from its soil and expressed hopes that success in the fight against terrorism would ultimately benefit the entire world. Talking to the U.S. delegation at the Presidency, President Asif Ali Zardari said Pakistan was fighting against militants not only for its own survival but for the peace of the whole world. In his meeting with the senators, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani resented insinuations about Pakistan's sincerity in the war on terror and said the entire nation and all institutions were supporting the military operation which would be taken to its logical end." "Nation Stands United Against Taliban: Taseer" The News" (05/26) "An 11-member American parliamentary delegation led by Senator Thomas Carper called on Punjab Governor Salman Taseer on Monday in Lahore at the Governor House. Governor Taseer apprised the delegation of the political situation in Pakistan and the war on terror. Senator Thomas Carper assured that the U.S. stood behind the political leadership and armed forces of Pakistan in curbing terrorism." "U.S. Senators' Visit PML-N, PML-Q Unanimous Against Drone Attacks" "Dawn," "The New," "The Nation" (05/26) "Both the 'N' and 'Q' factions of the Pakistan Muslim League are unanimous in opposing violation of Pakistan's airspace by U.S. drones resulting in civilian casualties in the tribal areas and in reminding Washington of its promise to help solve Kashmir issue. The unanimous views on the issue were expressed when a five member American senators' delegation called on PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif and PML-Q provincial leader Pervaiz Elahi, separately, in Lahore on Monday." "U.S. Urges China To Help Pakistan In Terror War; Officials Concerned Over Tide Of Displaced Persons" "Dawn" (05/26) "The Obama administration has appealed to China to provide training and military equipment to Pakistan amid signs that the offensive against the extremists may turn out to be a long and bloody fight, the U.S. media reported on Monday. 'The proposal is part of a push to enlist key allies of Pakistan to stabilize the country,' The Los Angeles Times reported." "Pakistan Seeks OIC Support To Stem Terror" "Dawn" (05/26) "Pakistan on Monday urged the OIC member states to support its efforts aimed at eradicating the menace of terror while reiterating its commitment to fight against extremism and radicalism." "Govt., Army Under U.S. Pressure: Fazl" "The News" (05/26) "Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday said that the government and the Army were helpless in the face of the 'unreasonable pressure' from the United States. Talking to the media in Bannu, the JUI-F Chief said the problem of militancy could not be resolved through the military means alone." "UN To Seek Pause For Access To Conflict Zones" "The News" (05/26) "The United Nations is considering asking Pakistan to pause its military offensive against the Taliban insurgents in Malakand Division in order to provide aid to hundreds of thousands trapped by the conflict, Manuel Bessler, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Pakistan, told AlertNet in an interview." "Advocacy Group Urges U.S. To Expand IDPs Aid To $1 Billion" "The News" (05/26) "An advocacy group working on the Capitol Hill has urged the United States to expand its assistance for more than two million displaced Pakistanis of Malakand region to $1 billion to help meet their escalating needs, the Pakistani American leadership Center said in Washington." "Camps Set Up For IDPs Dismantled; Partial Strike In Sindh Against Influx" "The Nation" (05/26) "Strike call given by Jeay Singh Qaumi Mahaz (Areesar) against the entry of Internally Displace People (IDPs) of Swat and Malakand, backed by nationalist parties got mixed reaction in Karachi on Monday. Partial strike was observed in the Karachi city while routine business activities remained completely suspended in different towns and districts of the interior Sindh." "Taliban Seeking Money, Men And Weapons" "Daily Times" (05/26) "The Taliban are seeking money, men and weapons from the residents of the conflict-hit areas, urging them to 'live and die together' fighting against the security forces, a resident of Kanju town in Swat district said Monday." "Three Militants Posing As IDPs Arrested In Talash" "Dawn" (05/26) "The security forces on Monday arrested three militants of Maidan from a house in Ajo Talash village where they had taken refuge as internally displaced persons, official sources said." "Showdown Looms In South Waziristan" "Dawn" (05/26) "Security forces are reported to have moved tanks and heavy artillery into the Frontier Region of Jandola for a possible showdown with militants in the adjacent South Waziristan agency. According to sources, sporadic clashes between militants and troops continued in South Waziristan for the fourth day on Monday." "Taliban agree to stand down in Mamond" "Dawn" (05/26) "Taliban in Bajaur tribal region assured a Jirga of Mamond tribe that they would not display arms publicly and end checking of weapons in bazaars, sources said on Sunday. Sources added that talks between Taliban leaders and a 30-member Jirga of Mamond tribe agreed to continue dialogue to find out viable solution to controversial issues." "CD Shop Blown Up In Peshawar" "Dawn" (05/26) "Suspected militants blew up a CD centre in Bahadur Kilay in the suburbs of Peshawar early Monday morning, an official of the Bana Manai Police Station, Peshawar said." "U.S. Choppers Enter Pak Airspace" "The News" (05/26) "Seven gunship helicopters of the United States violated Pakistan's airspace and kept hovering over the area of Landi Kotal for four minutes on Monday. The flights of U.S. choppers created panic among the local people." "N-Smuggling Probe In U.S. Angers Switzerland" "Dawn" (05/26) "Switzerland has warned a U.S. Senate investigator not to interview a Swiss lawyer suspected of association with nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, a spokesman for the Swiss justice department said on Monday." -------------- Editorials/Op-eds -------------- "Peace Pipeline At Last," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (05/26) "Iran and Pakistan have signed a deal to construct a gas pipeline that had been on the cards since 1995, notwithstanding the numerous turns and twists in negotiations.... The international implications of the Iran-Pakistan pipeline accord also have great significance.... Very importantly, Pakistan has displayed a measure of independence vis-`-vis Washington which has been a persistent opponent of the pipeline deal. With changes in the global equations in the offing and there being a possibility of a U.S.-Iran dialogue, one can only say that Pakistan stands vindicated." "IPI Becomes 'Peace Pipeline'," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (05/26) "It seems that the dream of Pakistan becoming a transit country for gas supply to India and China is on hold for some time. But the destiny of Pakistan as a transit hub will not be negated by war forever. The changing of the name of the pipeline to 'peace pipeline' is not without significance. The signatories, Iran and Pakistan, cannot avoid the innuendo that 'peace' has prevailed after a period of 'non-peace' between the two." "Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline Deal: Encouraging Move To Exclude India," an editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (05/26) "Noteworthy progress in this tripartite conference (Pakistan, Iran Afghanistan) is the exclusion of India from the gas pipeline project by Pakistan and Iran. However, the agreement still has room for Indian inclusion in the project at a later stage.... The security of the pipeline will become an issue with the inclusion of India in the project, for Indian intelligence RAW agents will be there to undermine it and all Pakistan resources will be spent for the pipeline security.... Pakistan and Iran are the direct targets of American conspiracies and ill intentions and both the countries should combat the situation jointly. Pakistan and Iran should complete the project as soon as possible despite efforts by America to halt the project." "Peace And Power," an editorial in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (05/26) "The issue of terrorism is also significant in the context of the pipeline, which is to run in equal parts between both Iran and Pakistan. Issues of security will need to be tackled given the terrorist threat posed to the line, a major portion of which in Pakistan will run through the restive province of Balochistan." "Peace Pipeline," an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (05/26) "Hopefully, the deal, which President Zardari and President Ahmedinejad inked at Tehran on Sunday, would finally put an end to the dithering that has for so many years marked the project under which Pakistan would get natural gas from Iran to help meet its growing energy needs.... It seems that Washington has also relented in its pressure on Islamabad against striking the deal, which it had been opposing because of the substantial economic benefit that would accrue to Tehran.... The new U.S. administration, which has realized that development of the country (Pakistan) holds the key to defeating the forces of extremism, appears to have softened its stance on this issue." "Pakistan-Iran Gas Pipeline: Don't Break Pakistanis' Back While Setting The Price," an editorial in the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (05/26) "We hope that the agreement on gas pipeline project between Iran and Pakistan, when implemented, will be helpful in minimizing shortage of energy in Pakistan and will also strengthen the brotherhood between the two countries. We hope that while deciding the price of the imported gas, efforts would not be made to break the back of Pakistani people." "Pakistan-Iran-Afghanistan Issues And Trilateral Conference," an editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (05/26) "The trilateral [Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan] conference can be termed a positive development in promoting ties and economic relations among these countries... Being in the same region, these countries have several common issues and being Islamic states, they share common interests as well. Hence it is not possible that events in one country would not have an impact on the other two.... The biggest achievement of President Zardari's trip to Iran has been the signing of the gas pipeline deal...." "Pak-Iran Gas Deal," an editorial in Lahore-based populist Urdu daily "Waqt" (cir. 10,000) (05/26) "The need is for these three brotherly states [Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan] to sincerely implement the Tehran declaration and to jointly counter our common enemy, keeping in mind the root causes for terrorism." "Mere Resolve Wouldn't Eradicate terrorism," an editorial in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (05/26) "The trilateral Summit of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan held in Tehran in a joint communiqu has resolved to make every effort to eliminate extremism, militancy and terrorism from the region.... Therefore instead of issuing hollow statements, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan need to handle the issue on a broader front through practical steps to wipe-out the menace of terrorism from the region as the problem has regional and international dimensions because when terrorist feel the heat, they move from one place to the other to avoid total annihilation." "U.S. Should Not Tilt The Balance Of Power," an editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (05/26) "U.S. dual policy towards South Asia has once again come to the fore. According to Israeli magazine 'National News,' Israel has handed over 3 AWACS to India.... No one can deny that there is U.S. support behind every Israeli action, whether that relates to trade, defense or even to the extent of actions against Palestinians.... The strategic balance of power in South Asia was tilted the moment India and the U.S. signed the civil nuclear energy deal; to add to it the U.S. has now provided AWACS to India through Israel.... In view of this situation, the Pakistan government should also strive to bring the Pakistan Air Force at par with India." "1500 Missing Women," an editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (05/26) "According to media reports, 1500 women went missing during the rule of previous government (Musharraf's).... No one knows whether they are kept at Guantanamo Bay or are undergoing torture at Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan.... If these women were sold to America like Afia Siddiqui then this money should be paid back to America to get the custody of the women. This payment should be deducted from former President Pervez Musharraf's account and a police case should also be lodged against him." "For IDPs," an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (05/26) "While there are no two opinions that the military should flush out the militants from the Malakand region, the sooner the operation achieves its objectives, the better for the country and the IDPs.... As soon as the army action comes to an end in Mingora and other parts, the government should help the IDPs' return to their homes...." "Unwelcome Guests," an editorial in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (05/26) "The IDPs now travelling in all directions did not have their current misfortune as a part of their life-plan.... They are on the road or in camps or enjoying the hospitality of friends and extended family is not a situation they have themselves sought in any way; and they are entirely the victims of circumstance. As such they are entitled to a good deal of latitude and the support of all of us.... They have a constitutional right to travel and settle freely in their own country. They are displaced because of the actions of their own government in Islamabad...." The Swat Operation: Peril And Possibility," an op-ed by Dr. Maleeha Lodhi in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (05/26) "Of all the challenges posed by the Swat operation, the most urgent is the displacement crisis, which has acquired dire proportions. The point has been widely made and merits reiteration: managing the humanitarian crisis is paramount to winning hearts and minds. Public and political support for the military operation can evaporate if the plight of the two million displaced people is not adequately addressed.... Until a secure environment, local law enforcement arrangements and an adequately resourced and managed rehabilitation plan is in place, sending refugees back will be a high-risk endeavor. This should be avoided unless the IDPs can be amply enabled to rebuild their lives and homes and of course live without fear." "Have We Turned The Corner?," an op-ed by Shahid Javed Burki in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (05/26) "The decision by the elected government in Pakistan to send the military to chase out Islamic militants from Malakand in the north-eastern part of the country may have ushered in a process that could bring the country back towards religious moderation and political modernization." "The Quest For Pakistan," an op-ed by Tariq Islam in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (05/26) "We have done well to acknowledge that this is now our war as much as America's. But the Americans need a few lessons of their own. They went into Baghdad, a seat of ancient civilization, and destroyed it. They went into Afghanistan, a veritable wasteland with an opportunity to build, and squandered that opportunity. They come to us now but they must come bearing the right gifts. They have to win the hearts and minds of the Pakistani people. The din of their drones must be replaced by container-loads of consumables." "Talibanization," an op-ed by Mohammad Jamil in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (05/26) "There is no doubt that Maulana Fazlullah is in league with Baitullah Mehsud who is being accused of carrying out his criminal and anti-Pakistan activities with the backing and funding of the U.S. and India.... Anyhow, before opposing the military action against Taliban, one should see the course of events that forced the government to establish the writ of the state." "Begging For Change," an op-ed by Ahmed Quraishi in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (05/26) "Our American allies continue to create worldwide confusion about Pakistan's strategic weapons programs. And our silence on Washington's Afghan blunders has been purchased for a few billion dollars in U.S. aid pledges on humiliating terms.... Then there's the statement by our Ambassador to the U.S. informing the world that we are ready to 'phase out' our nuclear capability if India does the same. While Mr. Haqqani's statement may have some diplomatic value, its damage far outweighs its benefit." "A Nuclear Deal That Isn't," an op-ed by Asif Ezdi in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (05/26) "The Zardari government has continued the policy of putting the nuclear issue in cold storage because he too, like Musharraf, is not prepared to risk losing Washington's support.... The government's claim that it has won French agreement to supply nuclear technology is either knowingly false propaganda to boost its sinking popularity or sheer misunderstanding arising from diplomatic inexperience. Either way, it reflects poorly. If the government is really serious about the matter, it will have to make the issue of civilian nuclear cooperation a central item on our bilateral agenda with the supplier countries and do some heavy lifting in the key capitals, first and foremost in Washington." Patterson