PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JANUARY 29, 2010

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000223 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JANUARY 29, 2010 Summary: The international community's endorsement of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's initiative to engage the Taliban in talks continued to dominate headlines on Friday morning. Newspapers highlighted a UN official's statement that members of the Taliban Quetta Shura secretly met with UN representatives in Dubai. Some dailies also reported the Leadership Council of Taliban's remarks calling the London conference "far removed from the ground realities in Afghanistan," and its renewed demand for the withdrawal of foreign forces and the "release of all prisoners from jails in Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere." Both TV networks and all newspapers extensively covered President Obama's first State of the Union address, highlighting his pledge to start bringing back American troops from Afghanistan by 2011. "The News" and "Dawn" covered Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin's statement that "the visa issue with the U.S. has been resolved and that Pakistan has been assured of the release of $480 million from the Coalition Support Fund and IDP support pledge by the first week of February." Media also reported that three U.S. Embassy personnel were detained in Gujranwala on charges of travelling in a vehicle with a fake registration plate, and later released. Newspapers also reported a bomb blast in Jaffarabad (Balochistan) that killed four people. "The Nation" front-paged a report, quoting "reliable sources," that U.S. trainers rejected the Interior Ministry's offer to move from the Police Training College Sihala to Karachi, and in order to extend their stay, directly approached the Presidency with an offer to train its staff. Prime Minister Gilani's statement that "Pakistan and India must not be held hostage" to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and should hold a composite dialogue received prominent display. "The News" reported Ambassador Patterson's visit to Fort Rohtas. End Summary. TOP STORIES News Story: West Backs Afghan Security Pledges, Taliban Plan - "Dawn" (01/29) "World powers agreed on Thursday Afghanistan should take increasing control for its own security from the end of this year and backed President Hamid Karzai's plan to reward moderate Taliban who disarm. Afghan security forces will take control of an unspecified number of provinces 'by late 2010/early 2011,' the powers said after a conference in London, saying it marked 'a new phase on the way to full Afghan ownership.'" News Story: UN Official Met Quetta Shura In Dubai -Karzai Seeks Saudi Help: West Endorses Taliban Talks - "Dawn" (01/29) "The Afghan government on Thursday invited the Taliban to a peace council of elders as part of efforts to find a way out of a conflict which is trying the patience and resources of Afghanistan's western allies. In an indication of the quickening pace of diplomacy, a UN official said members of the Taliban's leadership council had secretly met the UN representative for Afghanistan to discuss the possibility of laying down their arms. As leaders and ministers from 60 nations convened in London to discuss Afghanistan, the official told Reuters that members of the Taliban's Quetta Shura had met UN Special Representative Kai Eide on Jan 8 in Dubai." News Story: Taliban Reject London Conference - "The News" (01/29) "Terming the London conference as far removed from the ground realities in Afghanistan, the Taliban central leadership on Thursday argued that the U.S. and its allies should have freed all prisoners from jails in Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere, removed the names of all Taliban members from the UN 'blacklist' and refrained from sending more troops if they really meant to take the proper steps for ending the Afghan conflict. The long statement by the Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Pashto was sent to media organizations. Its English translation also became available later on the Taliban website." News Story: London Afghan Conference A Propaganda Ploy: Taliban - "Daily Times" (01/29) "The Afghan Taliban on Thursday dismissed the London conference on Afghanistan as a propaganda ploy and said the summit will fail to produce results, the SITE monitoring service reported. 'The war-mongering rulers under the leadership of U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown want to deceive the people of the world by holding the London conference to show that people still support them,' SITE quoted an Internet statement as saying. If the decision is taken to 'once again try to prolong the military, economic, cultural and political occupation of (Afghanistan),this conference will be a mere eye-wish like other conferences.'" News Story: Obama Whistles Past Afghanistan In Annual Address - "Dawn," "The News," "The Nation" (01/29) "In his first state of the union address on Wednesday night, U.S. President Barack Obama re-emphasized an earlier pledge to start bringing back American troops from Afghanistan by 2011 to satisfy his own people who do not want a prolonged engagement in a distant war. The U.S. President uses his state of the union speech - delivered in a joint congressional session - to underline his achievements in the preceding year and to spell out his plans for the future. 'In Afghanistan, we're increasing our troops and training Afghan security forces so they can begin to take the lead in July of 2011, and our troops can begin to come home,' said Mr. Obama, earning a standing ovation from the lawmakers and his guests." News Story: U.S. Visa Row With Pakistan Almost Over - "The News" (01/29) "The visa issuance controversy between Washington and Islamabad, that applied brakes on pledged financial inflows from the U.S., has now almost been fully resolved, said Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin while talking to a select group of journalists in Islamabad on Thursday. The controversy erupted when Pakistan's establishment for the first time gave tough time to Washington after people from the U.S. recently were found involved in 'highly questionable activities' and Pakistan decided to introduce security process for any visa seeker from the U.S." News Story: $480m From U.S. Soon - "Dawn" (01/29) "Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin has said that the visa issue with the United States has been resolved and Pakistan has been assured of the release of $480 million from the Coalition Support Fund and IDP support pledge by the first week of February, while talking to journalists in Islamabad on Thursday." News Story: 3 Employees Of U.S. Embassy Arrested in Gujranwala Over Suspicious Activities - "Jang" (01/29) "The Gujranwala police, on Thursday, arrested three employees of the U.S. Embassy, travelling in a vehicle bearing fake number plate, IDL-5264, over suspicious activities. Later, these people were released, but the police withheld the vehicle for bearing fake number plate. According to the police, Robin, Raja Mukhtar and Afad Ali, who were lodging in a hotel near Gulshan Iqbal Park in the precincts of Dhalay Police Station, were found involved in suspicious activities. The police intercepted them and asked to produce the documents of their vehicle, but they failed to do so. Resultantly, the police arrested and interrogated them for five hours. It is also said that official of some intelligence agencies also interrogated the arrested persons. Later, they were released on clearance." News Story: 'Trainers' Reject Karachi; Want To Move Near Simly Dam; Sihala Still Not Vacated - "The Nation" (01/29) "The issue of shifting the American trainers from Police Training College Sihala has become a headache for the government as Interior Ministry had announced about the closing of camp. Interior Ministry announced the closing of the U.S supervised training camp while the trainers were in the process of offering to train the President's security detail comprising SSG (Special Service Group) personnel, it has been learnt reliably. The Presidency accepted their offer and sent 20 names of personnel including 5 from the Prime Minister House. The sources further said that the Interior Ministry was not aware of the direct correspondence between the U.S. trainers and Presidency and therefore went ahead in the normal course of events to close down the American trainers' camp, in the face of growing protests. They had offered a site in Karachi for relocation of these trainers but their team, after visiting Karachi rejected the site, reliable sources informed 'The Nation.'" News Story: U.S. Envoy Visits Rohtas Fort - "The News" (01/29) "Pakistani nation has rich cultural heritage; people living here are hospitable and Rohtas Fort is the asset of the world. U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson said this while addressing at Rohtas Fort on Thursday. The U.S. Ambassador visited the different sites of the fort and appreciated the ancient artwork." TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES News Story: NATO Supply Convoy Ambushed In Karachi - "Dawn" (01/29) "A convoy of trucks carrying supplies for NATO forces fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan was attacked with guns and grenade on the Northern Bypass in the early hours of Thursday, leaving three people wounded." News Story: West Luring Taliban With 'Cash For Peace': Telegraph - "Daily Times" (01/29) "Western governments plan to buy off nearly 12,500 Taliban fighters, with the promise of being paid to defend their own villages, according to a report carried by the 'Daily Telegraph' on Thursday. According to the report, the objective of the move is to "reintegrate" half of the estimated 25,000 Taliban fighters by providing them with new jobs, thereby dividing the Taliban and allowing military forces to combat the remaining hardcore factions." News Story: Rift Among Bajaur Taliban Widens - "Dawn" (01/29) "Differences among militants in Bajaur Agency simmering for some time have widened and one group is reported to have replaced local Taliban chief Maulana Faqir Mohammad with Maulana Mohammad Jamal (Maulvi Dadullah). Maulana Faqir was the Deputy Chief of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and a close associate of Baitullah Mehsud." News Story: Aafia Denies Trying To Kill Americans - "The News" (01/29) "Aafia Siddiqui says she never picked up a gun and didn't try to kill American personnel in Afghanistan. Aafia testified at her New York trial on Thursday afternoon. She began her testimony by telling how she was educated in the U.S. Earlier in the day, Judge Richard Berman cleared Aafia to testify. Her lawyers had tried to block the testimony, saying her 'diminished capacity' would result in a 'painful spectacle.' Prosecutors said it would be unprecedented to deny a defendant such a basic right." News Story: Action Against Militants To Continue: Owais - "Dawn" (01/29) "The government has decided to continue action against militancy till complete elimination of the miscreants and restoration of the government's writ in the FATA." News Story: Nine More Militants Killed In Bajaur - "The News" (01/29) "Security forces on Thursday claimed to have killed nine militants and injured five others during a clash in Salarzai Tehsil of Bajaur Agency, official sources said." News Story: Blast In Jaffarabad Claims Four Lives - "Dawn" (01/29) "Four people were killed and 20 others injured in an explosion in Sobatpur town of Jaffarabad on Thursday, Jaffarabad's District Police Officer Syed Fareed Ali Shah told 'Dawn.'" POLITICAL ISSUES News Story: Luring Taliban The Only New Policy; Diplomats React Strongly To London Moot - "The Nation" (01/29) "The London Conference on Afghanistan held on Thursday fizzled out, as anticipated, without bringing about any significant outcomes. Though the event was a repetition of the already discussed issues, but it reflected a change in U.S. Afghan policy that now focuses on luring the Afghan Taliban. With the absence of key players like Iran, the event, as diplomatic circles in Islamabad see it, was nothing but a replay of U.S. ambitious future plans that were endorsed by International Security Assistance Force (ISAF),NATO and allied Western states.... Some diplomatic circles on Thursday reacted strongly towards the declaration and said that it lacked anything substantial, apart from harping on the same tune of 'dialogue with Taliban.'" News Story: Karzai Seeks Saudi, Pak Role In Afghan Peace - "Daily Times" (01/29) "Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday called for Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to play their roles in establishing peace in the war-torn country." News Story: S. Arabia Wants Taliban To Abandon Osama - "Dawn" (01/29) "The Taliban must deny sanctuary to Osama bin Laden before Saudi Arabia will agree to act as a mediator in any Afghan peace deal, the country's foreign minister said on Thursday. Prince Saud Al Faisal was replying to a call by Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saudi Arabia to help bring peace to Afghanistan." News Story: London Conference Not a Big Success: Maliha - "The News" (01/29) "Pakistan's former Ambassador to the U.S. Dr. Maliha Lodhi on Thursday said London Conference was not a big success and it could not bring any big change in the given situation. She said if America or Europe thinks that the Taliban could be weakened militarily or their loyalties could be bought, it was their mistake.... Talking to 'Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Saath,' she further said the present conference was 6th in nine years and Obama administration had given three Afghan strategies in just one year." News Story: Gilani Says 101 Mumbai-Like Attacks Have Rocked Pakistan Since 26/11 - "Dawn" (01/29) "Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said Pakistan and India must not be held 'hostage to the Mumbai terror attacks' and should resume the composite dialogue. 'People should not be made hostage to one incident. If we are hostage to one incident the beneficiaries will be terrorists,' Mr. Gilani said in an interview with India's CNN-IBN television channel on Thursday." News Story: Nisar Fears Govt. Heading For Clash With Judiciary: President Enjoys Immunity, Insists Gilani - "Dawn" (01/29) "Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani stuck to his stand in the National Assembly on Thursday that President Asif Ali Zardari remained immune from any criminal proceedings after his policy statement a day earlier was challenged by opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan as indicative of a clash with the superior judiciary." News Story: Judiciary, Executive Not On Collision Course, Says CJ - "Dawn" (01/29) "Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry observed on Thursday that the judiciary and the executive were not on a collision course." ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT News Story: No FoDP Pledges in Dubai Conference - "The News" (01/29) "Pakistan miserably failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity provided by the UAE government which organized a conference on January 26 in Dubai under FoDP platform on the topic 'Democratic Pakistan - Public-Private Partnership.'... The incompetence of the government officials emerged in the Dubai conference as one of the main reason for Pakistan's complete failure to attract financial inflows from FoDP." News Story: Release Of Full ADB Report On RPPs Withheld - "Dawn" (01/29) "The government withheld the release of full report of the Asian Development Bank on rental power projects for the time being, but cleared two of the most expensive RPPs to be set up at Naudero in Sindh under the Larkana Development Project, a senior official of the water and power ministry told Dawn on Thursday." MISCELLANEOUS News Story: U.S. Diplomats Meet Detained Nationals In Jail - "The News" (01/29) "A four-member delegation of the US Consulate met the five detained American nationals in the District Jail on Thursday. The delegation, led by Andra Hailry, arrived here under tight security and met Rami Zamzam, Umer Farooq, Iman Hassan Yamir, Ahmad Abdullah Manni and Waqar Hassan Khan. The meeting continued for four hours. A translator was also present on the occasion." EDITORIALS/OPINIONS Editorial: In Fact India Has No Role In Afghanistan, an editorial in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (01/29) "Strangely enough, the United States has urged India to be transparent with Pakistan about their activities in Afghanistan, implying that India has a right to be there in Afghanistan.... One wonders what role India has in Afghanistan when under no pretext India can interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan or use Afghan soil for terrorist and other activities against Pakistan.... The United States has made no secret of its desire to give India a predominant role in the region and wants India to assume responsibilities as a policeman in Afghanistan following withdrawal of the U.S. and Western occupation forces from that country." Editorial: Kayani's Plain Talking, an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (01/29) "General Kayani's reiteration of the need for NATO to recognize Pakistan's role in the fight against Al Qaeda and to give it a bigger role in finding a solution for Pakistan was also timely. Pakistan, as a neighbor of Afghanistan and as a state that has paid the heaviest price for the U.S.-led war there post-9/11, has to ensure that its interest are not sacrificed. It also has to ensure that its hostile neighbor India is not allowed space in Afghanistan. Unless the U.S. and NATO are prepared to concede this ground, Pakistan will find it difficult to continue its vital cooperation. Also, as General Kayani pointed out, to have the vital trust between NATO and Pakistan, there has to be meaningful intelligence sharing. Kayani's blunt message to NATO on military matters needs to be emulated by the political leadership for strategic cooperation with NATO in Afghanistan." Editorial: Pakistan's Enhanced Role Is Vital To Resolve Afghan Issue, an editorial in the leading mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (01/29) "In his briefing to the NATO military committee in Brussels, Army Chief General Kayani urged the international community to enhance Pakistan's role to resolve the Afghan issue because Islamabad is more cognizant of the ground realities and geo-political situation of Afghanistan as compared to all other countries. It has become clear during the last couple of years that peace in Afghanistan will remain elusive until India is stopped from using the Afghan soil to destabilize Pakistan. The U.S. needs to realize the difficulties of Pakistan rather than putting more pressure on Islamabad in order to get better results." Editorial: Gen. Kayani's Suggestion To The NATO Countries, an editorial in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (01/29) "Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has stressed upon NATO countries to enhance Pakistan's role in order to resolve Afghanistan issue on permanent basis.... General Kayani also said that the peace in Pakistan is linked with peace in Afghanistan.... General Kayani has given the right kind of advice when he said that those people should be trusted who know the realities of the region and no one knows them better than Pakistan. Pakistan-Afghanistan leaderships should be given a chance to play a role for peace in the region." Editorial: The Issue Of Pakistan's Inclusion In Talks With Afghan Taliban, an editorial in the liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (01/29) "Addressing the NATO Military Committee in Brussels, COAS Gen. Kayani has said that NATO should increase cooperation with Pakistan and should try to understand its strategy. He said that there is a need to increase intelligence sharing, and enhance Pakistan's role in resolving the Afghan issue... It can be said with certainty that any policy on Afghanistan cannot succeed until Pakistan is involved in it. Gen. Kayani is a hundred percent right. America and the whole world are paying for the mistake of not including Pakistan in these matters after Soviet Union's expulsion from Afghanistan. Hence this mistake should not be repeated, and Pakistan should be included in all decisions on Afghanistan." Editorial: Broader Indian Role In Afghanistan Will Be Dangerous For Pakistan," an editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (01/29) "It has now become crystal clear that the U.S. wants to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible. But question is that what kind of Afghanistan, it is leaving behind? Washington had deliberately assigned an effective role to India in Afghanistan. We urge the government and the armed forces of Pakistan to vehemently oppose any Indian role in Afghanistan and avoid any compromise on this issue. The U.S. and its allies must put an end to India's activities in Afghanistan and undertake sincere efforts to resolve all the issues." Editorial: Afghanistan Issue: Withdrawal of Foreign Troops Is The Only Solution, an editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) (01/29) "The efforts being undertaken by the U.S. and its western allies to reach out to the Taliban is being seen as the admission of defeat by these powers. Hence, it can be safely predicted that Americans will soon quit Afghanistan. The only thing they are desperately seeking now is the safe exit. At a time when Afghan freedom movement has reached its critical juncture, Pakistan also needs to objectively evaluate its standing keeping in view the fast-changing geo-political situation of the region." Opinion: The Afghanistan Problem, an op-ed by Ayesha Siddiqa in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (01/29) "Nothing could be clearer than the fact that there is an ever-widening divide in the perception, interests and understanding of the situation amongst the various stakeholders in Afghanistan. The regional states have their eyes on maximizing benefits as the U.S. reviews cutting its losses and bailing out of Kabul.... It is most unfortunate that the regional states, which will suffer the most when they are left to confront each other's interests in Afghanistan after a U.S. withdrawal, do not think of a joint strategy." Opinion: The Afghan Conundrum, an op-ed by Zafar Hilaly in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (01/29) "Branded by the U.S. and India as an 'epicenter' of terror, Pakistan is threatened with invasion, intervention and disintegration. Its territories have on occasions been traversed by friends and foes alike; its laws trampled upon and its people abused, kidnapped and rendered as much by their own rulers as those who pose as their mentors. Its citizens are on every watch list. Stripped, questioned, harassed and insulted, they are paraded, stared at and shunned at airport queues. The financial assistance it receives from the U.S. or other 'friends' is a morsel compared to what is required. Moreover, it is policed, supervised, audited, counted and recounted, withheld and then doled out sometimes with a sneer that conveys, more than words ever can, the condescension with which Pakistan is viewed. The fact is that today while foes view us with contempt, friends view us with a pity that alas seems all too closely allied with contempt. Ours is a sad predicament but we should not lose heart." (All circulation figures are based on estimation) Patterson