PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: SEPTEMBER 25, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002320 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: SEPTEMBER 25, 2009 Summary: The U.S. Senate's approval of a legislation to "triple non-military aid to Pakistan" received extensive coverage in all major newspapers on Friday. Almost all the Urdu and English language dailies highlighted the story of the "establishment of a multi-donor fund to rebuild Pakistan's conflict-hit areas" during a meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP). The prestigious English language daily, "Dawn" gave front-page coverage to Saudi Arabia's pledge to "provide $100 million to Pakistan for rehabilitation of the IDPs". All major newspapers ran story of the "killing of seven pro-government elders in Bannu by the militants" and the "death 8 people in a fresh drone attack in Miranshah". The daily "Dawn" reported as a back-page news that the "Army to support the formation of 12,000-strong Lashkar in Swat." The populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" gave front-page to President Asif Zardari's statement in which he had "urged the FoDP to ensure the early provision of assistance to Pakistan." It also published former President Pervez Musharraf's claim that "Nawaz [Sharif] a 'closet Taliban'" as a back-page story. As an exclusive story, the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" wrote that "Quetta Shura [will be]top issue in U.S. talks with Pakistan." Several Urdu and English language dailies highlighted, in their lead editorials, the potential for large-scale corruption associated with foreign aid for Pakistan and the concerns of the donor countries in this regard. The leading mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu daily "Jang" wrote that "it is almost impossible to discard all of the contents of the recent report of Transparency International regarding the corruption of Pakistani politicians and bureaucrats is report" and urged the government to take effective steps to restore the confidence of the donor states. In its editorial, the English daily "The News" analyzed General Stanley McChrystal's report on growing Indian influence in Afghanistan and the ISI's support for Taliban. The center-right national English daily "The Nation" termed President Barack Obama's address to the UNGA as "Doublespeak" in its leading editorial. The newspapers writes that "President Obama is clearly a confused man. On the one hand, he has the Bush policies which he cannot seem to reverse; and, on the other hand, he has his pre-election positions and promises, many of which seem to be receding into the background." End Summary. -------------- News Stories -------------- "Senate Triples U.S. Aid To $1.5 Billion" "Dawn" (09/25) "The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved compromise legislation to triple non-military aid to Pakistan, President Barack Obama told an international summit in New York. How nice that the U.S. President could announce it personally,' U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke later told a briefing while emphasizing the importance of the announcement made at the Friends of Democratic Pakistan summit. President Asif Ali Zardari also stressed the significance of Mr. Obama's gesture, telling the reporters that it reflected the confidence the international community had in the new democratic set-up in Pakistan.... He added: 'A stable, prosperous Pakistan is the world's greatest hope against the spread of extremism and terrorism.'" "Fund To Rebuild Pak Conflict Areas Set Up" "The Nation" (09/25) "In an unprecedented show of support for Pakistan, major economic powers on Thursday agreed on the formation of a multi-donor trust fund to help the country build its tribal areas, which have suffered greatly due to the ongoing fight against militant. President Barack Obama, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gordon Brown co-chaired a meeting of Friends Democratic of Pakistan (FoDP). Richard Holbrooke, top U.S. official dealing with Pakistan and Afghanistan, said Kerry Lugar Bill will become a law next week but disbursement of aid under the measure is a complicated process. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called the summit a 'diplomatic success', saying it represented a vote of confident in the Pakistani nation." "S. Arabia Pledges $100 Million For IDPs" "Dawn" (09/25) "Saudi Arabia has made a $100 million pledge to help the humanitarian efforts of the United Nations and its partners in Pakistan, where more than one million people uprooted by violence between troops and militants are yet to return to their homes. An announcement to this effect was made by the United Nations on Thursday." "Militants Kill Seven Pro-Government Elders In Bannu" "Dawn" (09/25) "Seven members of a local peace committee were killed and seven others injured when militants ambushed their vehicle in the Frontier Region Bannu on Thursday, local people said." "Drone Strike Kills Eight In North Waziristan" "Dawn" (09/25) "Eight people were killed and two others injured when two missiles fired by a drone hit the Markaz of Afghan commander Ahmad Haqqani, son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, in Dandi Derpakhel area of North Waziristan on Thursday night. The area is a stronghold of the Taliban and Jalaluddin Haqqani is believed to be living here." "Army To Support Initiative: 12,000-Strong Lashkar To Be Formed In Swat" "Dawn" (09/25) "About 10,000 people of Kabal tehsil assembled at Saidu Sharif airport on Thursday and decided to raise a Lashkar to help security forces clear the area of militants. Kabal Operation Commander Brig Salman Akbar and other military officers, Swat Qaumi Jirga's Chief Syed Inamur Rehman attended the event. Brig Akbar said that the army would fully support the Lashkar." "Security Forces Kill Eight Militants In Malakand" "Dawn" (09/25) "Security forces said they killed eight Taliban after an abortive attempt to ambush a military convoy in Malakand. Troops retaliated and killed all the eight militants,' the military spokesman in Swat, Colonel Akhtar Abbas, told AFP." "Delay Won't Serve, Hurry Up, Asif Tells FoDP" "The News" (09/25) "President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said that democracy in Pakistan during last one year had opened a window of opportunity to finish militancy once and for all and urged the Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) to intervene with timely assistance to his country." Nawaz A 'Closet Taliban,' Claims Musharraf" (09/25) "Former President Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf said that he 'will return to Pakistan' despite the possibility of facing trial while terming Nawaz Sharif a 'closet Taliban,' Musharraf said in an exclusive interview with ABC News." "Quetta Shura Top Issue In U.S. Talks With Pakistan" "Daily Times" (09/25) "The so-called Quetta Shura issue is now at the top of the United States' agenda in its meetings with Pakistani officials, the New York Times reported on Thursday. Citing senior American officials, the paper said Taliban leaders were using sanctuaries in Pakistan to stoke a widening campaign in Afghanistan. American military and intelligence officials told the paper the Quetta Shura was directly responsible for the recent wave of violence in northern and western Afghanistan." "Historic UN Move For N-Free World" "Dawn" (09/25) "World powers adopted on Thursday a landmark resolution seeking to rid the planet of nuclear arms at an unprecedented Security Council summit hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama. The resolution, adopted unanimously, commits member nations to work towards a world without nuclear weapons and endorses a broad framework of actions to reduce global nuclear dangers. It urges all states to comply with the obligations of the NPT, to refrain from conducting nuclear test explosions and ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)." "U.S. Not Sending Troops To Pakistan: Holbrooke" "The News" (09/25) "U.S. Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke has dispelled news reports regarding sending U.S. troops to Pakistan. Talking to a private Pakistani TV channel in New York, Holbrooke said that U.S. is friend of Pakistan and there is no truth in such media reports." "Hillary Meets Zardari" "The Nation" (09/25) "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday and discussed wide-ranging issues including economic development of Pakistan and common security concerns." "Kerry-Lugar Bill's Passage Jacks Up KSE, Gains 277 Points" "The Nation" (09/25) "Positive developments after Eid vacations favored the local bourse on Thursday as the KSE-100 index added notable 277 points. The approval of US$2.37 billion, (market sentiment suggested that the approved amount will be invested in the local equity market) by the U.S. Congress, kept the momentum alive." "U.S. Embassy Mini Pentagon In Pakistan: JI" "The Nation" (09/25) "Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Chief Syed Munawar Hassan on Thursday said that U.S. Embassy in Pakistan had become mini-pentagon in the country and U.S. interference in Pakistan has created hatred against U.S. in the country. He alleged that U.S. and NATO forces had fully involved in the destabilization of the region and demanded of the government to clarify in the meeting of Friends of Pakistan that the peace in the region would not be possible in the presence of U.S. and NATO forces." "U.S. Still Wants More Against Taliban: NYT" "Pakistan Observer" (09/25) "Senior Taliban leaders, showing a surprising level of sophistication and organization, are using their sanctuary in Pakistan to stoke a widening campaign of violence in northern and western Afghanistan, senior American military and intelligence officials say." "Pakistan Can Ask Others To Do More: Rehman" "Pakistan Observer" (09/25) "Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Thursday said that owing to better policy of the government now Pakistan was in a position to ask other countries to do more. Talking to a private TV channel he said in recent past, U.S. and other countries used to say do more 'but now we are in a position to ask others to do more' and the credit for this giant change went to the incumbent government whose finer policies altered the thinking of others." "Danger For Pakistan, India If U.S. Quits Afghanistan: Musharraf" "Daily Times" (09/25) "Pakistan and India will face great danger from Al Qaeda if the United States pulls out of Afghanistan, former president Pervez Musharraf said in an exclusive interview with ABC News on Thursday." "No Action Against Saeed Sans Solid Evidence: Malik" "The News" (09/25) "Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik said that during his meeting with CIA Chief he had made it clear that no action would be taken against Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) Chief Hafiz Saeed without concrete evidence regarding his involvement in Mumbai attacks. He was talking to media persons after meeting with CIA Chief in New York." "Call To Ensure Transparency In Armed Forces Expenditures" "Dawn" (09/25) "The Transparency International (Pakistan) and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority have asked the Chiefs of the Army and Navy and the Defence Ministry to implement the Public Procurement rules to ensure transparency, it has been learned reliably." -------------- Editorials/Op-eds -------------- "Doubts On The Use Of Foreign Assistance," an editorial in the leading mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (09/25) "The Transparency International's recent report regarding irregularities in the utilization of foreign assistance has been issued at a time when the Pakistan government is making all-out efforts to garner maximum possible aid from the international community. All prejudices aside, it is almost impossible to discard all of the contents of this report. The huge assets of our politicians and bureaucrats and their clandestine bank accounts in foreign countries speak volumes about the level of all-pervasive corruption and discrepancies in the use of financial assistance provided to Pakistan in the past. That is why, some countries having friendly relations with Pakistan are feeling the need for more transparency in the use of their funds, while the FoDP, despite holding several meetings, is still reluctant to fulfill its pledges of assistance. When an ordinary Pakistani is attributing the bad economic conditions and political and social chaos to the large-scale corruption in the utilization of foreign aid, then the reservations of the donor countries, in this regard, cannot, and should not, be ignored." "General Alert," an editorial in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (09/25) "The general (McChrystal) notes that the Afghan insurgency is supported from the Pakistan side and repeats the oft-made allegation that elements of our security services (ISI) support the Taliban for their own reasons. Conversely, the ISI have worked closely with the Americans in the capture of key Al Qaeda figures and we may also assume that there is an exchange of intelligence prior to drone strikes. The general has every right to be concerned, and for our part we need to have a tight rein on our own intelligence services as well as staying alert to machinations to the east." "Obama's Doublespeak," an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (09/25) "President Obama is clearly a confused man. On the one hand, he has the Bush policies which he cannot seem to reverse; and, on the other hand, he has his pre-election positions and promises, many of which seem to be receding into the background. His address to the UN General Assembly conveyed the same dialectical message. For instance, he stressed the need for a multilateral approach to global problem solving and pledged to work with other countries, but made it clear that U.S. interests would reign supreme. The problem is that U.S. interests often tend to undermine other countries' interests. So unless the U.S. learns to respect the interests of other countries, there can be no 'new era of engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect.'" "U.S. Will Have To Do It Alone," an editorial in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (09/25) "U.S. President Barack Obama used his first UN address making a clarion call for world unity to tackle stark challenges saying the U.S. cannot face them alone. He referred to global problems including nuclear proliferation, war, climate change and economic crisis and said in this scenario all nations bore responsibility for addressing them. Though on the face of it, the address by President Obama sent a message of conciliation and cooperation yet we would like to point out that most of the burning issues facing the world today including Palestinian problem, Iraq and Afghanistan, human degradation and environmental pollution are the creation of U.S. alone as hardly any other country had contributed much that worsened the situation that we are in today.... Unless and until it changes policies of dictating its viewpoint on international issues and gives due consideration to the thinking of other countries, U.S. would continue to come under criticism and not receive total global cooperation. We would therefore emphasize that the United States alone will have to first address the issues." "President Obama And The Afghan Conundrum," an editorial in the country's premier business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000) (09/25) "In his address to the UN General Assembly, President Obama once again repeated the pledge to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies. He denounced the terrorists and vowed to stand by the US friends on the frontline.... Meanwhile, parts of a report sent to the President by top U.S. and NATO Commander General Stanley McChrystal were leaked out to the press. Among other things, the report supports claims by American officials that al Qaeda maintains safe havens in Pakistan and that the ISI is aiding the Taliban. Islamabad has its own complaints regarding U.S. policies. These include the failure to fulfill commitments.... Unless Pakistan's concerns are addressed, the situation is likely to remain unchanged." "Obama's Assurance," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (09/25) "Though the U.S. seems to have realized that the social and political structures of Pakistan have suffered heavily as a result of militancy against the state and society, ironically, the huge outlay of the American assistance in the war against terrorism has yet to produce uplift in the economic fortunes of the common Pakistanis.... The U.S. financial assistance in the war needed to be a workable and equitable combination of military expenditure and public welfare initiatives. But that was not the case. Successive U.S. governments have been investing more heavily in individuals rather than in government institutions. Now, with President Obama becoming the U.S. President and raising the slogan of change, one may hope that his commitment and expression of hope to rid Pakistan, and the world at large, of terrorism and unilateralism will be translated into reality." "U.S. Should Make Amends," an editorial in Lahore-based populist Urdu daily "Waqt" (cir. 10,000) (09/25) "President Obama and Ambassador Holbrooke should implement what they have said: that they will not abandon Pakistan. The U.S. must work to make the Friends of Pakistan meeting a success. We hope that the U.S. will not repeat past mistakes and would remove any misunderstandings that are creating a rift between the two countries." "U.S. Vice President's Dangerous Suggestion Of Operation In Pakistan," an editorial in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (09/25) "U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's advice to American commandoes to focus on Pakistan is a moment of reflection for Pakistan.... Pakistan is being turned into a battle field on the pretext of financial assistance. Efforts are afoot to accelerate al-Qaeda presence propaganda against Pakistan in order to ultimately pave the way for guerrilla action and wider drone and missile attacks inside Pakistan. In the final analysis, this all could result in the U.S. control over Pakistan's nuclear program and danger for the country's security." "International Community's Role In The War On Terror," an editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (09/25) "According to a news item, President Obama is reviewing different possibilities, including one suggested by Vice President Biden to reduce troops in Afghanistan and take action against Al Qaeda in Pakistan. Allow us to warn that any such adventure by the U.S. would worsen the situation and would lay waste gains made by Pakistan in its campaign against terrorism. The better thing to do would be to arm Pakistan so that the on-going operation against terrorism can yield better results." "President Obama's Address To The General Assembly," an editorial in the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (09/25) "President Obama has rightly praised Pakistan's effort in the war against terrorism, but the need of the hour is the disbursement of the promised aid.... The government of Pakistan wants to receive the aid directly, but the reality is that there a complaints about the usage of the aid money. The government of Pakistan should pay attention to the fact and should try to secure the confidence of important circles of the American administration.... On the other hand, U.S. General McChrystal has written a report in which he has talked about the threat to U.S. effort in the war against terror going down the drain due to increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan.... President Zardari and Foreign Minister Qureshi are in New York and they should speak with the American President and other dignitaries about the content of the U.S. General's report and to discuss ways to stop Indian interference in Balochistan.... As far as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's proposal for U.S. military action inside Pakistan is concerned, the U.S. President and his team should know that Pakistan would not tolerate U.S. military action inside its territory and Pakistan army reserves the right to retaliate." "Implications Of Indian Presence In Afghanistan," an editorial in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (09/25) "The latest assessment by the U.S. Commander strengthens the belief that Americans generally plan and execute strategies in haste without doing necessary homework. There are no two opinions that New Delhi was encouraged and supported by the United States to gain a foothold in Afghanistan and increase its political, economic and strategic influence there. This was in line with the U.S. policy of giving India greater say in regional affairs without realizing its grave consequences.... There is another dimension of the situation - if Taliban or ordinary Afghans are not ready to accept presence of American or NATO troops on their soil then how can they tolerate questionable existence of Indians in their homeland. While urging Pakistani authorities to exercise greater vigilance in thwarting Indian designs, we would urge Obama administration to pay heed to the assessment of its own general and dissuade India from meddling into the internal affairs of Afghanistan and Pakistan." "General Stanley McChrystal's Report To Pentagon," an editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (09/25) "U.S. General Stanley McChrystal, in his report to the Pentagon, has warned that Indian activities in Afghanistan will stoke tensions in the region. Although General Stanley is right in his assessment but, surprisingly, he ignored the important issue of a dozen of Indian consulates in Afghanistan which actually operates as the outposts of India's intelligence agency 'RAW.' Established in an area which falls under the U.S. suzerainty, these consulates not only impart training to the Baloch rebels but also foment terror activities in Pakistan. The U.S. should be held answerable for allowing the establishment of these outposts of the RAW." "Indian Red Rag In Afghanistan," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (09/25) "General McChrystal thinks that the growing Indian political and economic influence in Afghanistan 'is likely to exacerbate regional tensions.' This is clearly a reference to Pakistan whose Afghan policy is greatly influenced by the growing Indian presence in Afghanistan. The burden of his message to President Obama, in addition to the increase in troops he has demanded, is that India must downsize if Pakistan's cooperation is to continue in Afghanistan.... It looks that instead of normalizing their relations, India and Pakistan may escalate their conflict. The Afghanistan imbroglio will not be sorted out if this conflict heats up.... The Indo-Pak normalization of relations is also important because getting India to 'rationalize' its presence in Afghanistan is going to be difficult for President Obama. As long as there are tensions between the two countries, the problem in Afghanistan is going to become more compounded." "U.S. Should Rectify Past Mistakes," an editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (09/25) "America, which does not tire of calling Pakistan an ally, has made numerous announcements, but not acted on them. It is due to Pakistan's participation in the war on terror that Indian activities near the borders have increased and it has adopted a harsh tone against Pakistan. Suffice it to say that the U.S. is responsible for the majority of problems Pakistan faces. It is encouraging that the U.S. President feels that it is time for a new beginning. We feel that if this new beginning means a journey towards peace, the U.S. should rectify past mistakes in addition to acknowledging them." "Displacement From Mohmand Agency Begins Again," an editorial in the Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 55,000) (09/25) "The displaced people had returned to their homes after the government cleared 80 percent area of Mohmand Agency. But now hundreds of the families have once again left their homes form three tehsils, including Safi, Baizai and Pandiali, during the last four to five days. If this has been cleared then why people are leaving their abodes? The government should take immediate steps to alleviate the concerns of these people." "No Cakewalk In Waziristan," an editorial in the country's premier business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000) (09/25) "Despite U.S. officials continuing to press for military operations in Waziristan, the army has delayed moving troops into the area. Instead it has concentrated on aerial bombardment of suspected militant hideouts. Air attacks and artillery fire however tend to increase civilian casualties many fold. While the government needs to eliminate terrorism, it must thoroughly review all aspects of the military operation. Unless civilian casualties are minimal and the operation is short and decisive, it might start losing public support, which is indispensable for its success." "Preparing To Beat A Retreat?," an op-ed by Najmuddin A. Shaikh in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (09/25) "We should note that the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS),the influential think tank at which President Zardari spoke last Friday, has said in its annual review that 'Pakistan remained the biggest source of instability for Afghanistan.' We should note also that in a recent interview to Free Internet Press, Ambassador Patterson talked of the differences between Pakistan and the U.S. on the treatment accorded to various groups of Afghan Taliban stating that 'Where we differ, of course, is the treatment of the groups who are attacking our troops in Afghanistan. And that comes down to Haqqani and Gul Bahadur and Nasir, to a lesser extent Hikmatyar.... While she said that Pakistan has taken more actions against these groups than was generally known, the end picture that emerged from the interview was that Americans believe that Pakistan is still playing footsie with the Afghan Taliban." "Reversing 800 Years Of History," an op-ed by Ayaz Amir in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (09/25) "The fight against the Taliban may yet prove our salvation. It is putting us through a formative experience. We were not willing to take on this fight, using all the mental resources at our disposal to avoid it. But this struggle has been forced on us by circumstances. The Taliban had become a domestic headache. To this was added external pressure from the American presence in Afghanistan, forcing the Pakistan army to shed indecision and adopt a decisive course of action. What does the idea of Talibanism tell us? That it is a foreign importation and as such alien to our soil and condition." (All circulation figures are based on estimation) Patterson