PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: July 13, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001567 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: July 13, 2009 SUMMARY: Reports on the initial return of "two million IDPs" to their homes dominated front pages in all newspapers on Monday. Also highlighted were stories that "military planes continued bombing and shelling suspected Taliban position in the Mehsud area of South Waziristan." All newspapers reported that "eleven suspected militants were captured for their involvement in attacks on (NATO) container terminals." Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik's statement that "Osama and other Al Qaeda leaders are on other side of the border in Afghanistan" also received prominent coverage. The English daily, "Dawn," reported that U.S. Secretary of State Clinton "will focus exclusively on India during her forthcoming visit to South Asia and will visit Pakistan in October." Also front-paged were reports of the government announcement that "sending indecent, provocative and ill-motivated stories and text messages through emails and mobile telephone Short Messaging Service (SMS) was an offence punishable up to 14 years of imprisonment." Most major dailies ran editorials on the state of the Pakistan-India relations in the backdrop of the impending meeting between the prime ministers of both the countries on the sidelines of the forthcoming NAM conference in Egypt. The English daily, "Dawn," noted that "sincere cooperation in the battle against militancy and dialogue on outstanding issues can point us to a new and healthier direction. The need to talk has never been greater." Another English newspaper, "Daily Times," observed that "while discussion on Kashmir can go on, hopefully leading both sides to stand down a little from their maximalist positions, they can move on to more trade and investment deals, the only way to defeat the terrorists who want Pakistan and India fighting rather working as partners in South Asia." The second-largest Urdu daily, "Nawa-i-Waqt" wrote: "The Government of Pakistan does not express itself due to its weakness or American pressure and President, Prime Minister and Interior Minister are scared of alluding to Indian involvement in terrorism in Pakistan areas. However, it does not mean that no one is aware of the terrorism perpetrated by Manmohan Singh and his associates in Punjab, Balochistan and tribal areas." End Summary. -------------- News Stories -------------- "Home Return Of Over 2m IDPs' Begin Today" "The News" (07/13) "Spending more than two months in camps after the commencement of the military operation in Malakand Division, over two million internally displaced persons (IDPs) are set to return home from today (Monday). The convoys of the IDPs would be streaming in the beautiful valley amid tight security arrangements, backed by military gunship helicopters." "IDPs Living Outside Camps Allowed To Return Home" "Dawn" (07/13) "With the return of the internally displaced persons living in camps officially beginning on Monday, the NWFP government has also allowed the IDPs living outside the camps to go back to some areas in the district of Swat. It is learnt that the Emergency Response Unit took the decision after a large number of 'off-camp IDPs' met its officials and said they also wanted to return to their homes." "Bhittani's Men Leave Tank After Troops' Entry Training Centres In Mehsud's Areas Bombed" "Dawn" (07/13) "Military planes continued bombing and shelling suspected Taliban positions in the Mehsud area of South Waziristan on Sunday, killing a number of militants. Witnesses said planes bombed training centres and other structures in areas considered to be strongholds of Baitullah Mehsud. Officials and local people said eight militants were killed in an attack on a training centre in Maulvi Khan Serai." "11 Held For Attacks On Terminals, Airport" "Dawn" (07/13) "Eleven suspected militants were captured after two helicopter gunships attacked their positions in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency on Sunday morning." "Osama, Other Al Qaeda Leaders In Kunar: Malik" "Dawn" (07/13) "Interior Minister Rehman Malik has described US drone attacks in tribal areas as futile and said that the Al Qaeda leadership is on the other side of the border in Afghanistan. In an interview with the British newspaper The Sunday Times, he brushed aside CIA's claims that drone attacks had been effective in disrupting Al Qaeda's ability to carry out attacks." "Clinton To Visit In October" "Dawn" (07/13) "US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will focus exclusively on India during her forthcoming visit to South Asia and will visit Pakistan in October, diplomatic sources told Dawn. Pakistan Embassy officials in Washington had hinted earlier that Secretary Clinton might also go to Islamabad after completing her visit to India next week." "U.S. Missed Chance To Stabilise Pakistan: Senator" "Dawn" (07/13) "The United States missed an opportunity to bring stability to Pakistan when it decided not to allow its troops to help those displaced during the Swat offensive, says a senior US lawmaker. Senator Mark Udall, a Democrat, who recently visited Pakistan on a fact-finding mission, told a Senate panel that because US troops were unable to help displaced Pakistani civilians, civilian loyalty was shifting to the radicals who have infiltrated refugee camps." "US Should Work To Build Trust Partnership With Pakistan: Experts" "Daily Times" (07/13) "Billing Pakistan's ability to overcome multiple challenges as critical to regional stability, top experts have said anti-terrorism success in South Asia depends on US fostering a trusting partnership with Islamabad in the years ahead. Lisa Curtis, a former State Department adviser on South Asia and a senior fellow at Washington's conservative Heritage Foundation, praised Islamabad's recent anti-militancy drive and urged Washington to support economic development in the country." "US Warns Banks Against Terror Finanancing In Pakistan And Iran" "The News" (07/13) "The united States has warned banks and other financial institutions in the country against shortcoming in measures against money laundering and terror financing in five nations including Pakistan and Iran." "Punishment For Indecent SMS And Emails" "Dawn" (07/13) "The government announced on Sunday that sending indecent, provocative and ill-motivated stories and text messages through e-mails and mobile telephone Short Messaging Service (SMS) was an offence under the Cyber Crime Act (CCA) and its violators could be sent behind bars for 14 years. . . The announcement does not elaborate what is meant by ill-motivated e-messages, but it is believed that the 'civilian leadership' meant President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and other politicians." "Indian HC Never Met DG ISI Shuja Pasha" "The News" (07/13) "Highly placed sources here on Sunday expressed their utter surprise over the statement of Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, suggesting that the Indian high commissioner posted in Islamabad had a meeting with the Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI),Lt-Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha, in Islamabad.' No meeting has ever taken place between the DG ISI and the Indian high commissioner in Islamabad,' said the sources." "Five 'Foreign' Militants Killed In Lower Dir" "Dawn" (07/13) "Security forces claimed on Sunday to have killed five foreign militants in Maidan tehsil of Lower Dir. Official sources told Dawn that troops fired mortar shells on a vehicle carrying militants, killing five of them. The militants were foreigners and local people did not know them" "12 Militants Die In South Waziristan Air Strikes" "The News" (07/13) "About 12 militants were reportedly killed in shelling by fighter planes on suspected hideouts of the Taliban militants in Sarwakai Tehsil of South Waziristan Agency (SWA) on Sunday. Sources said the fighter planes pounded the compounds and hideouts of the militants in Parwand and Novely Khan Serai areas in Sarwakai Tehsil." "2 Men Linked To TTP Arrested In Karachi" "Daily Times" (07/13) "Two men accused of having links with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and plotting 'chaotic terror activities' have been arrested in Karachi, said police on Sunday." "Deoband Ulema Declare Suicide Bombing Forbidden In Islam" "The News" (07/13) "A meeting of religious scholars declared suicide attacks forbidden in Islam here on Sunday. About 150 religious scholars from the Deoband school of thought and Mohtamims of various Deoband institutions of the Rawalpindi region, including Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Attock and Chakwal districts, attended the meeting." "Elders Oppose Merger Of Fata With NWFP" "Dawn" (07/13) "The tribal elders and parliamentarians have reacted sharply to the Awami National Party's demand of merging Federally Administered Tribal Areas into NWFP and sought an elected and independent legislative council for the tribal areas. Talking to Dawn, Federal Minister for Environment Hamidullah Jan Afridi termed merger of Fata into NWFP as an unreasonable demand of ANP." "IMF Tranche Hangs In Balance" "Dawn" (07/13) "The fate of the $850 million third IMF tranche hangs in the balance following 'inconclusive' talks between a Pakistani delegation and Fund's officials. 'The International Monetary Fund has linked the release of the third tranche with the performance of the economy and fulfilling of the remaining conditions in the first quarter (July-September) of 2009-10,' a source told Dawn." -------------- Editorials/Op-eds -------------- "Need For Dialogue," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (07/13) ". . . Most recently, an Indian defense ministry report openly accused organs of the Pakistani state, not individuals or organizations, of aiding and abetting terrorism in India. Pakistan, for its part, has admitted that non-state actors operating from its soil were behind the terror unleashed in Mumbai. To overcome the trust deficit, Islamabad also needs to demonstrate that its decision to take on militants is not limited to 'jihadists' operating within the country or on the western front - those who seek to destabilize our neighbor to the east must also be neutralized. Sincere cooperation in the battle against militancy and dialogue on outstanding issues can point us to a new and healthier direction. The need to talk has never been greater." "Moving To Indo-Pak Dtente," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (07/13) ". . . Pakistan has gone through the trauma of dealing with the Taliban and has finally got rid of its ambivalence about terrorism. It now thinks that it has to come to some sort of understanding with India over terrorism that spills in from Afghanistan and queers the pitch for the Pakistan Army in the tribal areas. . . While discussions on Kashmir can go on, hopefully leading both sides to stand down a little from their maximalist positions, they can move on to more trade and investment deals, the only way to defeat the terrorists who want Pakistan and India fighting rather working as partners in South Asia." "Move On Please, Decisively," an op-ed By Beena Sarwar in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (07/13) "The forthcoming meetings of the Pakistani and Indian foreign secretaries and prime ministers on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Egypt on July 14 and 15, again raise hopes for a revival of the composite dialogue process, suspended since the Nov 26 2008 attacks in Mumbai. India accuses Pakistan of not doing enough to contain terrorism. Pakistan counter accuses India of not cooperating in terms of sharing evidence and translations. . . . There may be no immediate results to any of these initiatives. But the fact that the governments allow them to take place itself speaks for the realization of the need to at least maintain such contacts. And in the long run, they create a pressure for peace from below, something for the political and bureaucratic establishments to bear in mind when they next meet." "Indian Help To Terrorists: Government Of Pakistan Should Break Silence," an editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (07/13) "The Government of Pakistan does not express itself due to its weakness or American pressure and President, Prime Minister and Interior Minister are scared of alluding to Indian involvement in terrorism incidents in Pakistan. However, it does not mean that no one is aware of the terrorism perpetrated by Manmohan Singh and his associates in Punjab, Balochistan and tribal areas.... The other day, Asian Tribune reported that India is working with Baitullah Mehsud to take over Pakistan's nuclear weapons.... After the evidence of the terrorism has surfaced the Government of Pakistan should break its silence and should place all the proofs before the international community." "Pak-India Relations: Manmohan's Conflicting Stand," an editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (07/13) "Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that the international community should press Pakistan for shunning terrorism path.... Evidences are now available that Indian secret service is involved in sabotage in Balochistan and according to press reports on Sunday the government has acquired proof of Indian sponsored terrorism in Swat, Malakand and tribal areas.... Now it is time for Manmohan Singh and the international community to tell whether friendship with India is possible in such a situation." "Need To Be Aware Of Indian Designs," an editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (07/13) "Asian Tribune reported that India is providing funding to Baitullah Mehsud for attack on Pakistan nuclear installations.... Pakistan is the only Islamic country that has nuclear weapons which is intolerable for the Islamic countries' enemy, Israel. Moreover, Israel's patron, America is helping Israel in its endeavors. The trio of India, Israel and America is expanding their network of conspiracies against Pakistan." "Taliban's Tactics," an editorial in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/13) ". . . The war being fought by our army with the Taliban is itself changing, and changing fast in some ways - especially in the way the Taliban are learning to adapt their tactics and operations to the 'asymmetric' form of warfare . . . Their great weakness lies in their vulnerability to air strike and electronic intelligence/surveillance. . . If the Taliban ever acquired ground-to-air missile capability things would change again. The Russians retreated from Afghanistan within three years of the jihadis gaining the ability to shoot down their helicopters and other aircraft. No doubt many military fingers are currently crossed in the hope that this is a capacity our current foes will not acquire. "Taliban's Tactics," an op-ed by Jason Burke in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (07/13) ". . . The Taliban have also learned to focus fire on their opponents' heavy weapons or radios. Nato officers also say the Taliban's command and control has also been improved to coordinate fighting with foot soldiers and to allow rapid engagement or disengagement. According to American soldiers who served in Iraq, Afghan fighters compared favorably to the disorganized militants they had faced before. Yet the work done by the Taliban high command - based mainly in Pakistan - goes way beyond tactics." "Strategic Reorientation," an op-ed by Talat Masood in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/13) "The threat from Taliban is total. Taliban are a threat to the economy, politics, Constitution and indeed to our way of life. More significantly, Taliban are a threat to the world, including that to China and the Muslim world. As regards controlling the jihadi outfits of LeT and LJ and others are concerned these are now not only militant organizations but also a significant part of our social structure. They in guise of other names are operating in Kashmir earthquake relief camps, in IDPs and spread across the country performing social services. Needless to mention, that there are many supporters of theirs in media and other branches of civil society and government. In this environment strategic redirection would be a Herculean undertaking and require a minimum generational effort. It has to be a well thought out process having a national consensus." "Suicide Bombers," an op-ed by Syed Mansoor Hussain in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (07/13) ". . . Concerning the fight against the Taliban in the field, the Pakistan Army is doing a great job. Whatever the Taliban 'fellow travellers' in the Pakistani media and public might have to say about them, they have not proven to be an effective fighting force. Their primary military strategy can be summed up in the old saw 'he who runs away lives to fight another day.' But the suicide bombers are of a real and immediate concern for me. And I am convinced that they are not doing what they do in the name of Islam but rather for what they expect in the life Hereafter as promised to them by their handlers in the madrassas." "Innovative War Tactics," an op-ed by Zeenia Satti in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/13) ". . . The military's relief brigades should be made ready both for the IDPs and for returning civilians. A benign, 'messianic' face of the military must be in public view of the Pakistanis throughout the counterinsurgency. The US troops' failure to achieve this is their biggest setback in Afghanistan." "Mingora Still Looks Like A Ghost City," an op-ed By Essa Khankhel in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/13) "As the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are preparing to return to Swat Valley, there was a frightening silence in the main Mingora city of the valley, which would once bustle with different activities. . . The residents of this largest city of the valley would be returning to their homes from July 17, hopefully to resume their routine life. Relaxation in curfew would have sent a positive signal to the residents and would help restore normal life. . . Now there are no militants and no fighting, of course. The city has been wrested from the militants and security forces are in full control." "Politicians And Rah-e-Raast," an op-ed by Talat Farooq in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/13) ". . . As the Pakistani nation suffers, the politicians cannot be absolved of their complicity in the rise of the Taliban in both the tribal and the urban areas of Pakistan." "Waziristan: Back To Square One," an op-ed by Ayaz Wazir in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (07/13) ". . . Leaving the problem to the Army alone would not be fair. It would amount to prolonging the matter which we can hardly afford. Let us rise to the occasion. Let us give up the policy of going round in circles. The operation that started from Waziristan has come back to it after engulfing the whole of FATA and the NWFP. We are back to square one. Let's extinguish this fire through the collective wisdom of the nation before it is too late. That is the only recipe. Let us put it to use, the sooner the better." "Dissent In South Asia," an op-ed by Dr Syed Farooq Hasnat in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (07/13) "The FATA tribal areas, along with Malakand Division, the insurgency have acquired exclusive features. There, an ethnic group has not taken up arms for the rights of its community or area but for imposing its dogmatic religious views on the country, and even beyond. This has provided a new meaning to the theoretical concept of insurgency, with few comparables." Patterson