PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JANUARY 14, 2010

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000094 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JANUARY 14, 2010 Summary: Coverage of U.S. Special Representative Holbrooke's visit to Pakistan dominated front pages on Thursday morning. Newspapers reported a wide variety of statements made by Ambassador Holbrooke. Nearly all major dailies reported his remarks that new U.S. security measures (are) not discriminatory towards Pakistan. Media also highlighted his discussions with Prime Minister Gilani and Foreign Minister Qureshi regarding delayed Coalition Support Fund disbursements. Holbrooke's remarks that Indian Army Chief, General Kapoor's recent statements do not "reflect India's national policy" also received prominent coverage. Several papers misquoted Ambassador Holbrooke's statement that Secretary Clinton would soon host Pakistani officials in Washington for the Strategic Dialogue, reporting instead that Clinton will "soon visit Pakistan to address Islamabad's concerns." In the wake of prevailing energy crisis in Pakistan, Ambassador Holbrooke's announcement of 16 million dollars in aid to upgrade the Tarbela power plant, and one billion dollars over the next four years to alleviate electricity blackouts received extensive coverage both in print and electronic media. "The News" reported U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's statement that Pakistan is selective in its action against the Taliban. Media continued to report reaction from Pakistani parliamentarians to new U.S. screening measures. "The Nation," quoting "well-placed" sources, reported that the U.S. is "placing pressure on Pakistan by offering assistance for alternate energy sources or by arm-twisting over the terrorism issue" to "abandon the Iran pipeline accord." News of the devastating earthquake in Haiti was reported on several front-pages. Several editorials chose to focus on the "trust deficit" between the U.S. and Pakistan. Headlines included: "Have We Lost The Courage To Even Raise A Question?" (Urdu daily "Ausaf"), and "U.S. and the Trust Issue" (English daily "The Business Recorder"). "The Daily Times" published an editorial titled "Engaging with the U.S.," advocating that Pakistan should find a "more practical way," between extremes of "defiance and shameful diffidence" to "deal with a country that is as much part of our national problems as it can be of solutions." End Summary. TOP STORIES Drone Attacks, Ground Operations Will Hurt Ties: Qureshi: US Won't Leave Pakistan Alone, Says Holbrooke - "Daily Times" (01/14) "Any campaign to intensify drone attacks or launch ground operations inside Pakistan will harm bilateral relations with the U.S., Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi warned on Wednesday as U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke said his country will 'not leave Pakistan alone' and help it steer through the prevailing security situation. Addressing a press conference along with Holbrooke after a meeting, Qureshi said he had told Holbrooke that there were some very clear 'red lines,' and Pakistan hoped the U.S. would never cross them. Holbrooke - without a reference to drone attacks - acknowledged Pakistan's concerns, and tried to play down differences between the two key partners in the war on terror. He promised long-term ties, and said while the two countries differed on certain issues, 'friends can disagree.'" Sorry, But Screening Will Continue: Holbrooke - "The News" (01/14) "The United States says it is sorry that the Homeland Security's enhanced security screening at the U.S. airports has caused concerns to Pakistanis but the screening will continue. 'I am sorry for this. I am sorry that this is causing concerns, but these (enhanced security screenings) are not discriminated against Pakistanis. Pakistan is not being singled out. Even I am subjected to screening when I travel in my personal capacity,' U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke said while speaking at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the Foreign Office." Holbrooke Hints Gen. Kapoor's Statements 'Personal Opinion' - Daily Times" (01/14) "Recent statements by the Indian Army chief do not reflect New Delhi's national policy, said U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke on Wednesday - suggesting that it was the Indian Army Chief's personal opinion. Talking to a group of editors and columnists, the U.S. Special Representative said his country would not broker relations between Pakistan and India." U.S. To Provide $1 Billion To Bail Out Energy Sector - "The News" (01/14) "Richard Holbrooke has said Washington will extend one billion dollars in the next four years in the energy sector to bailout the power-deficient Pakistan. He said this here on Wednesday on the occasion of the signing ceremony of $16 million Tarbela Dam Repair and Maintenance project inked between Pakistan and the U.S. The project would be undertaken through the USAID." $16 Million U.S. Aid To Upgrade Tarbela Power Plant - "Dawn" (01/14) "The United States will provide $16 million for improving the operational capacity of the Tarbela dam hydroelectric plant. It will help generate additional electricity of 375MW. An agreement to the effect was signed by Economic Affairs Secretary Sibtain Fazal Halim and U.S. Ambassador Anne W. Patterson in Islamabad on Wednesday in the presence of U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke." PM Seeks Quick Payment Of U.S. Support Fund - "The News" (01/14) "Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has reiterated the need for expeditious disbursement of long withheld Coalition Support Fund payments to Pakistan as delay in payments by the U.S. is eroding the capacity and capabilities of Pakistan security forces in the war against terror. In a meeting with U.S. Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, who called on him at the Prime Minister's House on Wednesday, it was agreed that both sides would work out the modalities for immediate release of U.S.$200 million to Pakistan." U.S. Pledges Release Of $200 Million Under CSF - "The Nation" (01/14) "Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has sought American assistance for reconstruction of Swat and Malakand, while visiting U.S. Envoy has promised immediate release of $200 million under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF). The Prime Minister urged the U.S. to provide assistance through established channels of Government of Pakistan on immediate basis to effectively implement the Malakand reconstruction strategy." U.S. Screening Plan 'Genocide' Of Cultural Values: Rabbani - "The News" (01/14) "Senators have demanded that the President and the Prime Minister should not undertake visits to the United States till the U.S. government withdraws new screening guidelines for body search of Pakistani citizens.... Leader of the Opposition Senator Wasim Sajjad demanded that the U.S. should officially be conveyed that such a treatment of Pakistani passengers was not acceptable.... Earlier, initiating the debate, Mian Raza Rabbani, who was one of the two co-movers, said these screening guidelines are sheer violation of the International Human Rights Charter and the government should raise the issue at global forums." Massive Quake Flattens Haiti Capital: Over 100,000 Feared Dead, Says Premier - "Dawn" (01/14) "More than 100,000 people were feared dead in Haiti on Wednesday after a calamitous earthquake razed homes, hotels and hospitals, leaving the capital in ruins and bodies strewn in the streets. Schools collapsed, trapping the dead inside, and cries of desperate victims escaped from flattened buildings in the centre of the capital Port-au-Prince, which an AFP correspondent said was 'mostly destroyed.'" TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES McCrystal Flies in Regularly, Goes to GHQ, Flies Back to Kabul: Holbrooke - "The News" (01/14) "U.S. President's Special Envoy for Afghanistan & Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke revealed that the U.S. and Pakistan army were working in an exceptionally close relationship which according to him was not limited to high level contacts between top military guns like Admiral Mullen and COAS Kayani but also existed at the tactical operational level. He was talking to a group of newspaper editors in Islamabad on Wednesday in a candid sometimes on and sometimes off the record, exchange of views. Ambassador Holbrooke, dispelled the impression of the presence of significant differences between the U.S. and Pakistani military establishments. To augment his assertion he said that, 'General McCrystal, Commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan - flies into Islamabad very regularly, he goes straight to the GHQA, and then flies back to Kabul' adding that the degree of such consultations was extremely close and intense." Pakistan Selective in Action Against Taliban: U.S. Congressmen - "The News" (01/14) "Pakistan is being selective in its action against Taliban while cracking down on elements, which it feels are causing trouble inside the country, but avoiding a campaign against other factions, according to the U.S. Congressmen. Fresh from their visit to Islamabad and an in-depth interaction with the leadership of the country, a group of U.S. Congressmen said on Wednesday that Pakistan is not yet convinced that they need to take action against all groups of Taliban, as they do not pose a security threat." Pakistan, Afghanistan Doubt U.S. Commitment - "Dawn" (01/14) "U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has warned that leaders in Pakistan and Afghanistan worry about the American commitment to the region after the Summer of 2011. The Senate Republican leader led a delegation of Republican lawmakers on a whirlwind visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan last week. They had left the United States last on Wednesday and returned on Monday." Aafia Not Linked With Al Qaeda: U.S. Judge - "Dawn" (01/14) "A U.S. federal judge has determined that Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist, would not be linked with the fundamentalist Al Qaeda outfit during her trial scheduled to begin on January 19." POLITICAL ISSUES Pakistan Warns India Against Hegemonistic Mindset - "Dawn" (01/14) "Pakistan warned India on Wednesday against its relentless pursuit of military preponderance and said it would have severe consequences for peace and security in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. The National Command Authority, which met in Islamabad under Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, took serious note of recent Indian statements about conducting conventional military strikes under a nuclear umbrella and said such irresponsible statements reflected a hegemonic mindset, oblivious of dangerous implications of adventurism in a nuclearized context." India Interfering In Balochistan: Malik - "The News" "Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Wednesday categorically said that India was interfering in Balochistan while missing Baloch were forcibly taken to training camps in Afghanistan. He was making a statement in the Senate in response to points of order raised by some members from Balochistan about missing persons." Zardari Says Nobody Will Be Allowed To Undermine Military - "Dawn" (01/14) "Praising the sacrifices rendered by troops in the fight against militancy, President Asif Ali Zardari declared on Wednesday that no one would be allowed to undermine the institution of armed forces for advancing his political agenda, President Zardari said while talking to a delegation of ANP, Sindh chapter, at Bilawal House." Post-NRO Govt. On Path Of Showdown With Judiciary - "The News" (01/14) "The Presidency-led federal government seems to be heading for a showdown with the superior judiciary as not only the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court has been blocked but even high court judges are not being appointed where the need is urgent. This unusual behavior of the federal government and the Punjab governor reflects the post-NRO non-cooperative attitude of the PPP towards the superior judiciary." ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT Rebuilding Of Secured Areas Key To Success, U.S. Told - "Dawn" (01/14) "Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that reconstruction and development of areas cleared in military operation is imperative to win the hearts and minds of people and for the success of campaign against militancy and terrorism. Talking to U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke here on Wednesday, the prime minister said that the U.S. should speed up the process of providing assistance through government channels for effective implementation of the Malakand reconstruction strategy.... Mr. Holbrooke said Pakistan-U.S. ties had been expanded beyond the security cooperation. He said the foreign assistance program for Pakistan had been restructured and changes in this program had been made in coordination with the Pakistani government." Pakistan Seeks U.S. Investment In LNG - "Dawn" (01/14) "Pakistan is seeking U.S. investment to establish a liquefied natural gas project to meet the short-term energy requirements of the country. This was stated by the Petroleum Minister, Syed Naveed Qamar, during a meeting with U.S. Special Representative Richard Holbrooke. The Minister, who discussed bilateral energy cooperation and investment opportunities in the country, gave an overview of fuel demand-supply gap, and said significant progress had been made to meet oil and gas demand, particularly in the short and medium term, especially through LNG imports.... Mr. Holbrooke said Pakistan is an important country and meeting Pakistan's requirements is top U.S. priority. He said that the U.S. government is keen to address the country's need by extending support in areas of oil and gas and water." Abandon Iran Pipeline Accord: U.S. - "The Nation" (01/14) "The U.S. has once again put Pakistan in a fix asking to abandon the Iranian gas pipeline project to qualify for extensive American energy assistance especially for importing LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) and electricity. Well-placed sources told 'The Nation' on Wednesday that U.S. Special envoy Richard Holbrooke made this conditional offer to Petroleum Minister Syed Naveed Qamar during a meeting that also discussed bilateral energy cooperation and investment opportunities in the country." U.S. Presses Pakistan To Open Afghan-India Trade Route - "Dawn" (01/14) "The United States is pushing Pakistan to allow Afghan agricultural products to pass through its territory to India, says US Agriculture Sectary Tom Vilsack. 'We hope to be able to conclude that agreement in the very near future,' Mr. Vilsack told journalists in Washington during a teleconference from Kabul." MISCELLANEOUS U.S. Media 'Failed To Form Civic Citizenry' Our Correspondent - "The News" (01/14) "A powerful critique of the failure of American intellectuals and journalists to promote a civic and informed citizenry in their country was presented here on Wednesday by Dr. Safeer Awan who spoke at length about post-9/11 media images. Dr. Muhammad Safeer Awan, assistant professor at the Department of English (FLL) of International Islamic University (IIU),was delivering a lecture on 'War of Words: American Media & Popular Narratives Since September 11, 2001' at the Area Study Centre for Africa, North & South America, Quaid-i-Azam University." NA Condemns Blasphemous Sketches - "The News" (01/14) "The National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously condemned publishing of blasphemous caricatures of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) by a Danish newspaper and demanded an international law to penalize those involved in this heinous act." EDITORIALS/OPINIONS Opinion: Engaging With The U.S., an op-ed by Syed Talat Hussain in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (01/14) "It is either capitulation or confrontation. And in between the two pendulum swing-points exists a vast territory ruled by ambiguity, confusion, and contradiction. This about sums up Pakistan's present-day outlook - policy is too sophisticated a word to be used here - towards the U.S. As a result, one of the fundamental pillars of our diplomacy - i.e. engagement with Washington - is hobbled by deepening controversies. We are far from achieving our national objective of stabilizing the bilateral equation with the U.S. We are in no way near the point where we can realistically use regional changes to our long-term advantage. Pressures on our borders are mounting. Worse, growing drone attacks are complicating the domestic challenge of combating local militants. The allegation from the U.S. Embassy that its diplomats are being harassed is symptomatic of the aggravating bilateral trouble. It is rare to find such expressions of discontent being dramatized as public protest and penned down in the shape of a press release. And that too between countries which continue to profess to be 'together' in the fight against terrorists. There is nothing friendly about the charge from the U.S. and the cool response from Pakistan." Opinion: U.S. And The Trust Issue, an op-ed by Saida Fazal in the country's premier business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000) (01/14) "When a U.S. Senate delegation, headed by Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Carl Levin, called on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani last Monday, he stressed the need to bridge the existing trust deficit between Pakistan and the U.S.... The problem though is that the relationship of trust that our government has been trying to build is not based on the principle of reciprocity.... Our rulers, in fact, trust the Americans more than they do their own people.... Despite local resentment, armed Americans, of unspecified status, have gone on to cock a snook at the people of this country. Which other government would let another country to do this? So far, there is no other example except of occupied Iraq and Afghanistan. Our government has placed its unconditional trust in America, which is why, the latter is taking advantage of it, and the entire nation. In order to bridge the trust deficit, the Prime Minister talked about this government needs to change the terms of engagement, with the U.S., from give-and-give to give-and-take, as well as respect for our national dignity." Opinion: But The Mountains Are The Same, an op-ed by I.M. Mohsin in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (01/14) "U.S. President Barack Obama, who inherited the mess, has been haunted by the worsening situation which dates back to 2005. While Obama is fighting to make the U.S. 'secure,' he is being viciously attacked by the rightwing Republicans for an alleged softening of stance.... The U.S. is currently plagued by the killing of seven CIA operatives in Khost along with two from the Xe Worldwide (Blackwater) by, reportedly, a 'double/triple agent' developed by the U.S. agencies. Many accounts have appeared in the media to decipher as to why should Dr. Al-Balawi, the son of a Palestinian family forced to live in Jordan, have gone so desperate. A simple explanation appears to be that the U.S. is paying for the sins of its ally, Israel, and due to domestic pressures the United States' interest cannot prevail in defining the policy of the beleaguered superpower. It appears that the American good guys, generally, are made to look the other way to absorb the costs debited to the U.S. a la ally's atrocities." Editorial: State Bank Report, an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (01/14) "Pakistan's economy has come a long way in the last one year.... Fiscal and external account deficits have narrowed, foreign exchange reserves have improved and inflation has declined significantly. The country's sovereign ratings have also improved. The State Bank of Pakistan's report discusses all these positive trends in detail.... The external side, nevertheless, is expected to improve over the last financial year due to generous funding from the IMF and the U.S. under the Kerry-Lugar act. Therefore, it is difficult to expect a major pick-up in growth, at least in the foreseeable future. Unless obstacles to growth are removed, it will be futile to expect sustainable growth even over the long term." Editorial: Don't Repeat The Blunder, an editorial in the country's premier business newspaper, "Business Recorder" (cir. 25,000) (01/14) "What CENTCOM Chief General David Petraeus said regarding America's contingency plans to attack Iranian nuclear sites is highly worrisome.... The attack could turn out to be a precursor to an all-out war; similar to the one the U.S. fought in Iraq, with unpredictable consequences.... On Thursday, Moscow clearly stated that it had no evidence that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb. Any military adventure against Iran by Washington would further damage the US image in the Muslim community all over the world.... A peaceful solution based on pragmatism is the best way out." Editorial: The Afghan Factor, an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (01/14) "As the DG ISI pointed out in his briefing, the increase in militancy in Pakistan has coincided with the rise of the Indian influence and presence in Afghanistan. It is now clear that the confluence of anti-state elements in Afghanistan has been a big factor in the ongoing campaign to destabilize Pakistan. Pakistan has also rightly expressed its concern over the new U.S. Afghan policy whose lynchpin is a military surge and a new offensive against the Taliban.... U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan has assured that as a result of the military surge in Afghanistan there will be no infiltration into Pakistan. Only time will tell how the situation will actually work but our previous experience in this regard has not been very encouraging." Editorial: DG ISI's Briefing And Threats To Country's Security: Answer The Enemy In Its Own Language, an editorial in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (01/14) "ISI Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha briefed parliamentary committee on national security issues wherein he said that situation in Pakistan is getting worse via Afghanistan from where interference in Pakistan is being made.... DG ISI report presented to the parliamentary committee is a moment of reflection for our government and military leaderships.... Our government and military leaderships should not sit silently after this briefing and should take practical steps to end the root cause of the problem." Editorial: Terrorism In Pakistan Through Afghanistan, an editorial in the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (11/14) "ISI Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha has said that Afghan soil is being used for terrorist activities inside Pakistan.... Pakistan's top leadership should think over changing its strategy as to overcome the situation. President Obama's new strategy will impact negatively on Pakistan and there should be a strategy to evade the impact. Military action is not the only solution to the problem and the issues should be resolved in a social way. The local population of the tribal areas should be taken into confidence and their help should be sought for having a strategy to combat miscreants coming from Afghanistan." Editorial: Have We Lost The Courage To Even Raise A Question?, an editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (01/14) "It was being ceaselessly said for the last few years that the Afghan territory is being used against Pakistan. Now, in his briefing to the Parliament's Special Committee on National Security, ISI Chief has confirmed such reports. It has become a routine for us to raise hullaballoo over the growing influence of Delhi in Kabul but we do not utter even a single word against Afghanistan which is working as India's accomplice in its designs against Pakistan. Nor we have ever talked to the U.S. to rein in these countries. Have we lost the courage even to raise a question?" Editorial: DG ISI's Briefing To The National Security Committee, an editorial in the liberal Urdu daily "Express" (circ 25, 000) (1/14) "Briefing the National Security Committee of the National Assembly, DG ISI Lt. General Ahmad Shuja Pasha has said that Afghan soil is being used for terrorism in Pakistan and creating unrest here. He also said that peace in Pakistan will not be possible until cross-border infiltration is stopped.... It is now the National Security Committee's duty to give effective and workable recommendations to the government to deal with this situation. On the other hand, the U.S. should take steps to decrease and eventually eradicate drug production in Afghanistan so that the money being earned from this business is not used to foment trouble in Pakistan. The U.S. needs to take these steps if it wants peace in Pakistan." Editorial: Afghanistan Origin Terrorism In Pakistan, an editorial in the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (01/14) "Though it is an open secret that the Afghan soil is being used for terrorist activities in Pakistan yet the statement of General Pasha carries more substance and weight as it comes from a person who has the authority and necessary knowledge to speak on the subject. Ground realities also substantiate his assertions because the way the militants are resisting the full might of the Pakistan armed forces for about a year makes it abundantly clear that they have full foreign backing. Otherwise, it was next to impossible for a handful of elements to put up organized resistance without financial support, training and supply of arms and ammunition." Editorial: A Timely Realization, an editorial in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (01/14) "Yet the government continues to maintain a strange silence on the U.S. problem in Pakistan - from drones to their support for India militarily in the region especially in Afghanistan, and in the nuclear field. In fact, the Interior Minister continues to be in a strange form of denial regarding the mercenary security operatives employed by the U.S. in Pakistan, despite ample proof to the contrary. It is time for the government to seriously get down to formulating a cohesive national security policy that delinks itself from that of the U.S. in the region, so that our indigenous roots of terrorism can be dealt with more effectively; while at the same time taking a cold hard line on the U.S. role in Afghanistan where certain forces are fomenting terrorism within Pakistan." Editorial: Tehran Killing, an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (01/14) "Mystery shrouds Tuesday's bomb attack in Tehran which targeted an academic described by Iranian officials as a leading nuclear scientist. Tehran was quick to voice its outrage, claiming that initial investigations indicate that two foreign powers and their "mercenaries in Iran" were responsible for the assassination of physicist Massoud Ali Mohammadi. The U.S., named in the "triangle" along with 'the Zionist regime,' dismissed the charge as absurd. Mr. Mohammadi's killing comes on the heels of U.S. CENTCOM head Gen David Petraeus' statement that Iran's nuclear sites are not fortified enough to withstand powerful ordnance, an indication that attacking the facilities has not been ruled out. Tuesday's incident also comes soon after Tehran missed a year-end U.S. deadline for accepting a UN-drafted deal under which Iran would swap enriched uranium for fuel rods used in nuclear power plants. And then there is fresh talk of a new round of sanctions or other coercive measures to make Iran toe the western line. Given this backdrop, some see Mr. Mohammadi's murder as a warning shot." Editorial: The Government Should Also Do Something For Dr. Aafia Siddiqi, an editorial in the independent Urdu daily "Din" (cir. 5000) (1/14) "Yesterday, Dr. Aafia Siddiqi was presented in the federal court of Judge Richard M. Brehman (sp?). During the hearing, the U.S. administration's attorney said that he does not intend to bring any charges against Dr. Aafia of having links with Al Qaeda or any other terrorist group, except attempting to kill American soldiers.... American government tries to do a million things to improve its image in Pakistan, but there is no one who can suggest to it that its image would improve if it releases Dr. Aafia and other women like her. This is a task for the Pakistani government to do." Editorial: Confirmation Of Dr. Aafia's Innocence, an editorial note in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (0q/14) "Dr. Aafia Siddiqui was accused of having contact with al-Qaeda and Taliban and firing on American troops. Now that American administration's lawyers have confirmed that both the charges have not been proved then there is no justification left for keeping her under detention. The government of Pakistan is duty bound to take immediate steps to secure her release." Opinion: Without Constitutional Liberalism, an op-ed by Roedad Khan in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (01/14) "Contrary to what President Zardari says and believes, today the greatest threat to Pakistan's democracy, in fact Pakistan itself, stems not from religious militancy and sectarianism but from (a) the absence of a genuinely democratic political order, and (b) the surging American imperialism. The Farewell Address of George Washington will ever remain an important legacy for small nations like Pakistan. In that notable testament, the Father of the American Republic cautioned that 'an attachment of a small or weak towards a great and powerful nation dooms the former to be the satellite of the latter.' 'It is folly in one nation,' George Washington observed, 'to look for disinterested favors from another ... it must pay with a portion of its independence for whatever it may accept under that character.' No truer words have been spoken on the subject. Pakistan is paying, and will continue to pay, a very heavy price for the folly of attaching itself to America. In this country democracy is only permissible when the results are favorable to America." Opinion: India's Unhelpful Attitude, an op-ed by Tariq Fatemi in the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (01/14) "What has been particularly galling is the failure of the Obama administration to act on its seemingly wise policy pronouncements during the election campaign. Instead of encouraging India to reduce its presence in Afghanistan and ceasing to stir up trouble in Balochistan, the U.S. appears to have gone along with Indian allegations, agreeing to inject into the U.S.-India joint statement a provision 'to work jointly to deal with terrorism emanating from India's neighborhood.'... The Indian army chief's latest statement in which he spoke of his army's capacity to fight a two-front war has evoked great surprise and disappointment. But while it conveyed hostility and belligerence, his words are neither realistic nor achievable as India does not have the capability to successfully initiate its much-heralded 'cold start' strategy, much less wage two wars against two neighbors simultaneously. This does not mean, however, that we can dismiss these statements as mere rhetoric. It could be more evidence of the increasing inclination of the Indian forces to have a role in the India-Pakistan equation.... Another important factor is the newfound confidence acquired from the special relationship that the U.S. has so eagerly conferred on India, not only as its strategic partner, but also as a potential counterweight to China." (All circulation figures are based on estimation) Patterson