PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: FEBRUARY 06, 2009

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000260 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: FEBRUARY 06, 2009 Summary: All newspapers ran as their lead story reports on a "bomb blast that killed 30 (Shiite) mourners in Dera Ghazi Khan (a southern city of Punjab)." Newspapers also front-paged report that "polling for the Senate's 50 vacant seats will be held on March 4 2009." Former President Musharraf's statement that the "new American Administration has lost trust in political leaders of Pakistan" made during a BBC interview received prominent coverage in newspapers. Several major newspapers highlighted reports that a "six-member team of the FBI investigators arrived in Quetta to probe the kidnapping of a top American UN official." Most major dailies ran editorials on a variety of subjects including the setting up of the UN probe commission on Benazir assassination case, the Kashmir solidarity Day, and the deteriorating security situation of Swat valley. Commenting on the UN's decision to form the probe commission, Lahore-based liberal daily, "Daily Times," noted that "it has allowed an international investigative instrument into the sovereign domain of a state on the government's own request." The second largest Urdu daily, "Nawa-i-Waqt," expressed skepticism regarding "the need of establishing the commission spending a huge sum of money from the exchequer of a poor country when the UN Commission is unlikely to bring the murderers to justice" Whereas, another English language daily, "The Post," articulated reservations that "given the way things were allegedly hushed up after Benazir's tragic killing, it would be a daunting task for investigators to be wary of the leads from the sections trying to bury this tragedy." End Summary. -------------- News Stories -------------- "30 Die As Terrorism Rears Its Head In D.G. Khan" "The News" (02/06) "At least 30 (Shitte) mourners were killed and more than 20 others sustained injuries in Muslim Town, Dera Ghazi Khan, when a powerful bomb planted near an Imambargah went off on Thursday evening." "Senate Polls On March 4" "The News" (02/06) "Polling for the Senate's 50 vacant seats will be held on March 4, as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued the election schedule in Islamabad on Thursday." "U.S. Loses Trust In Pak Leaders: Musharraf" "The News," "The Nation," "Daily Time" (02/06) "Former President General (R) Pervez Musharraf has said that new American administration has lost trust in political leaders of Pakistan. He said the U.S. government has severe reservations about the Pakistani leaders. Talking to the BBC at his residence, the former President said that political leaders were unsuccessful in creating mutual trust with the new American administration." "Six-Member FBI Team In Quetta For Kidnapping Probe" "Dawn" (02/06) "A six-member team of U.S. investigators arrived in Quetta on Thursday to probe the kidnapping of a top UN official, local police and security officials said. Asked about the reported FBI involvement, the U.S. Embassy declined to speak on the subject. 'I cannot comment,' spokesman Lou Fintor told AFP in Islamabad. 'We are cooperating with UN and Pakistani authorities to determine the facts,' he added." "Arrival Of U.S. Investigation Team In Quetta Denied" "The News" (02/06) "The Balochistan police strongly denied late on Thursday the report telecast in a private television channel about the arrival of American investigation team in Quetta for probing into the abduction of provincial UNHCR chief John Solecki, a provincial police spokesman said." "Troops Rewriting History In Terror War; Over 1,450 Personnel Martyred, 3,500 Seriously Wounded" "The News" (02/06) "So far, over 1,450 officers and men had embraced Shahadat and over 3,500 seriously wounded. This is an unprecedented contribution. Pakistan Army has suffered more than the combined casualties of 37 nations operating in Afghanistan." "TTP Threatens To Intensify Attacks On NATO Supplies, Govt. Installations" "The News" (02/06) "The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Thursday threatened to intensify attacks on the government installations and NATO supplies if the military operations in Swat and the tribal areas were not stopped, a spokesman for the banned TTP, Maulvi Omar, made a phone call to 'The News.'" "Militants In Swat Expanding Network" "The Nation" (02/06) "The militants led by Maulana Fazlullah of Swat chapter's Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP),also known as Radio Mullah, are spreading militancy to other cities and town near Swat valley, an official of the security forces and local inhabitants of Swat told 'The Nation' on Thursday." "Two More Schools Blown Up In Swat" "The News" (02/06) "Unidentified armed men shot dead three women of a family and kidnapped the male members, while suspected militants blew up two more schools and the house of a police constable in Swat Valley on Thursday." "Key U.S. Lawmaker Confident Of RoZs Progress" "Daily Times" (02/06) "United States Congressman Chris Van Hollen, the Chief proponent of legislation on Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (RoZs),has pledged to step up efforts towards passage of the preferential trade initiative that would allow duty-free export of products from designated areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan to the American markets. The lawmaker, who last week visited Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of a congressional delegation, said in a conference call with reporters that the creation of economic opportunities for local people in the impoverished areas in both countries would greatly aid the struggle against Al Qaeda." "U.S. Plan To Arm Militias In Afghanistan" "The Nation" (02/06) "A U.S.-backed plan to create militias and give them guns to fight the Taliban is drawing criticism from local authorities in areas where the first units are being rolled out, raising questions as to whether the effort can succeed in Afghanistan.... One skeptical Afghan official said only criminals would join because most citizens wouldn't want to face the Taliban in combat." "UN Won't Try To Determine Who Killed Benazir" "Dawn" (02/06) "The mandate of the UN commission that will probe the 2007 slaying of PPP leader Benazir Bhutto will not exceed six months and will not extend to conducting a criminal investigation, according to a UN letter released on Thursday.... 'The duty of determining criminal responsibility of the perpetrators of the assassination would remain with the Pakistani authorities,' the letter said." "New Delhi's Allegations Against ISI Rejected" "Dawn" (02/06) "Pakistan on Thursday rejected Indian allegations that the country's premier intelligence agency - the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) - was linked to the Mumbai attacks and said such statements were not helpful for a probe into the killings." "India Says ISI Linked To Mumbai Attack Culprits" "The News" (02/06) "Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon has said the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was linked to planners behind the Mumbai attacks, the first time the Indian government has directly blamed the organization over November's raids. 'The perpetrators planned, trained and launched their attacks from Pakistan, and the organizers were and remain clients and creation of the ISI,' Menon said in a speech in Paris on Wednesday." "India Keep Heat On Pakistan" "Dawn" (02/06) "In a flurry of statements ahead of Mr. Richard Holbrooke's visit to South Asia next week, Indian officials have kept the heat on Pakistan as an epicenter of global terrorism, signaled New Delhi's continued interest in joining international alliances to curb the menace, and have deftly succeeded in keeping the Kashmir issue out of the purview of the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan." "Kashmir Solidarity Day Marked" "The Nation" (02/06) "Kashmir Solidarity Day was observed throughout the world including Pakistan on Thursday with a pledge to continue diplomatic, moral and political support to the just cause of the Kashmiris fighting Indian oppression." -------------- Editorials/Op-eds -------------- "UN Commission On BB's Assassination," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (02/06) "The UN, by taking the decision to go ahead with the setting up of the Commission, has broken new ground: it has allowed an international investigative instrument into the sovereign domain of a state on the government's own request. For most analysts the question that arose was: if Pakistan is sovereign, why should the UN come and find out who murdered a former prime minister? Will not such a probe prove that Pakistan's institutions are not under sovereign control and therefore Pakistan cannot do its own investigation without the government appearing to be partisan in the eyes of a divided national polity?" "Announcement Of UN Probe," an editorial note in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 125,000) (02/06) ".... The question is could assassin be punished on the basis of the commission's report? A formal First Information Report (FIR) was not registered after the murder of Benazir Bhutto. How could a court try someone without having the FIR? What was the need of establishing the commission spending a huge sum of money from the exchequer of a poor country when UN Commission is unlikely to bring the murderers to justice?" "UN Probe," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (02/06) "It would be a daunting task for investigators to be wary of the leads from the sections trying to bury this tragedy..... It is ironic that the tragic death of Pakistan's illustrious leader faces the danger of going into oblivion.... It is no hoped that the real culprits behind the murder of Benazir Bhutto will be exposed and brought to book." "Benazir Bhutto's Assassination And UN Commission To Investigate It," an editorial in the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (02/06) "We pray that the commission really presents its report in six months time and the government announces the contents of the report the commission is supposed to submit. This will save the people of Pakistan from the agonizing wait that Lebanon people are undergoing as UN hasn't filed the report of Rafiq Hariri's murder even after four years of investigation." "Benazir Bhutto Murder Case: Establishment Of Three-Member UN Probe Commission," an editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (02/06) "President Zardari and his government are being criticized for not being serious in investigating Benazir's assassination. Expressing views on his wife's first death anniversary, President Zardari had said that he knows Benazir's killers but cannot name them yet. Why he is not able to name the killers even when he knows them? However, questions will still be asked as to why PPP cannot probe the killing through the domestic intelligence agencies even though it is in power." "Good Decision To Establish Investigation Commission," an editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (02/06) "Benazir's killing was not the first political assassination in Pakistan. Several important Pakistanis, including the first PM Liaqat Ali Khan and President Ziaul Haq, died of unnatural causes, but the killers were never revealed. This trend encouraged miscreants and international [intelligence] agencies, and they got an open playing field in Pakistan. One major reason why these killers were not unveiled is Pakistan's imbalanced foreign policy; based on which our rulers supported the U.S. more than was necessary, while in return we only got a cold shoulder, and conspiracies." "UN Murder Probe," an editorial in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (02/06) "... The reality is that such an investigation is unlikely to solve very much at all.... The fact too is that the answers to Ms. Bhutto's meticulously planned killing almost certainly lie within Pakistan." "Independent International Commission To Investigate Benazir's Assassination," an editorial in Hyderabad based independent and liberal daily "Kawish" (Cir. 105,000) (02/06) "In Pakistan investigations of high profile assassinations have increased ambiguities rather than help resolve the mysteries. The government and the UN took too much time to set up a commission to investigate the Benazir's assassination case. More than one year has passed and there is hardly any evidence left." "UN announces Investigation Commission," an editorial in the Karachi-based right-wing pro-Jamaat-e-Islami Urdu daily "Jasarat" (cir. 3,000) (02/06) "UN is not an investigation agency, therefore is it appropriate to assign this task to UN? Benazir returned to Pakistan after intervention from the U.S. and U.K. after brokering a deal with the then President Musharraf, but she ultimately paid price for indulging in this game." "Kashmir Is Biggest Dispute In South Asia: Ban Ki-Moon Should Perform His International Obligation Properly," an editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 125,000) (02/06) "The sentiments expressed by Kashmiris worldwide on February 5 must have reached UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Now he should fulfill his international responsibilities in keeping with principles of justice and add a new chapter in the world history. However, he has disappointed Pakistanis by stating in Islamabad that the issue be resolved through bilateral talks and UN will also cooperate in this respect." "Kashmir Issue And Responsibility Of International Community," an editorial in the leading mass circulation centrist Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (02/06) "If the UN could send its troops to East Timor following a brief uprising, held a referendum to find out the aspirations of the minority, and could offer an opportunity to establish their separate homeland, then what is the good reason of depriving the people of Kashmir from their right of self-determination even after the struggle of more than 50 years?" "UN Chief In Pakistan," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (02/06) "Following the Mumbai attacks and a new U.S. administration that has flirted with the idea of nudging along a Kashmir settlement, Mr. Ban was quite expectedly asked about terrorism and South Asia's flashpoint.... This will have disappointed both countries: India because it is hoping for more pressure from the UN to make Pakistan act on the Mumbai dossier; Pakistan because it is hoping to rope in the international community to convince India to work on a Kashmir settlement." "Ban Needs To Do More," an editorial in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (02/06) "The visit of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to the South Asian region came at a very critical juncture when the war on terror was at its peak resulting into killing of innocent people, sovereignty of a UN member state was being violated by U.S. drone attacks, and above all Pakistan nation with one voice was drawing attention of the world community towards unresolved issue of Jammu and Kashmir threatening peace and security of the region.... However, it is regrettable that Mr. Ban Ki-Moon's attitude towards most of these burning issues was lackluster confirming the widely held belief that the UN was unable to play any meaningful role in any respect without a clear nod from the United States." "Obama's Concerns," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (02/06) "The change in the White House has made no difference to Washington's Fata policy, and drones often miss the target and cause collateral damage. While Obama's concerns about Pakistan's stability need to be welcomed, his administration - like the previous one - has yet to realize the negative consequences of American attacks in FATA. These violations of Pakistan's sovereignty create sympathy for the militants, strengthen the pro-Taliban lobby in the country." "Madness In The Mountains," an editorial in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (02/06) "The men of Maulana Fazlullah have run amuck. There can be no doubt about this. It is absurd that some in high places continue to defend them. Force is needed to halt them before they inflict still greater damage. The stories emerging from Swat speak of terrorized people who feel helpless in the face of the brutality unleashed on them." "No More Collateral Damage, Please," an editorial in the country's premier business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000) (02/06) "The Provincial Government's contribution to resolve the Swat imbroglio is quite dismal.... Military operation is going apace with extensive collateral damage that has begun taking its toll. The public support for the military operation is diminishing.... Every day that passes brings nothing but more killings and stepped-up exodus of worried non-combatants. Let there be a cease-fire. Militants are not asking for a separate state; theirs is an ideological struggle which should be encountered with a superior ideology and stronger logic." "Causes of concerns," an op-ed by Nazir Naji in the leading mass circulation centrist Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (02/06) "The former Bush administration sought to establish a democratically elected government and stability in Afghanistan besides flushing out the terrorists. To achieve this objective, it provided facilities and support to the Karzai administration, but the outcome of all this exercise was quite contrary. The Karzai administration got caught up in corruption instead of winning the trust of the Afghan people, and a large number of Afghan officials became partners with the drug mafia. Even a sibling of President Karzai is now identified as a drug baron. In contrast, the Obama administration resorted to a shortcut rather than improving the state of affairs. And this approach is practically the same as the classic imperialistic strategy. According to this strategy, the U.S. administration will prefer to act against the terrorists rather establishing and strengthening a democratic government there. Obviously this strategy will cause more military operations, and more destruction in the coming days." Patterson