19 March, 2009

Pakistani Accused of Role in Kabul Attacks
New York Times – United States
India has also blamed Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence for being behind a suicide attack on its embassy in Kabul last year and the attacks in Mumbai. …
www.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/world/asia/20afghan.html?ref=world

Pakistan Fines Stock Exchanges for Trading Curbs
Bloomberg – USA
By Khalid Qayum and Farhan Sharif March 19 (Bloomberg) — Pakistan fined its three stock exchanges for imposing trading curbs last year, the first action by …
www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20
601091&sid=apdmmGl7ik90&refer=india

Global Voices Online “ Pakistan: The Way Ahead
By Rezwan
The whole Pakistan is overjoyed with the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and a happy end to the Lawyers’ Long March movement. Although apparently president Zardari is in back foot by giving the nod to to reinstate …
globalvoicesonline.org/2009/03/19/pakistan-the-way-ahead/

Counterterrorism Blog: Who Rules Pakistan?
By Farhana Ali
An email today from Dr. Hassan Askari-Rizvi, who writes regularly on political trends in Pakistan stated, “There are several negative aspects of this development which will have implications for politics in Pakistan.…
counterterrorismblog.org/2009/03/who_rules_pakistan.php

U.S. and Pakistan
By ROBIN KOERNER
U.S. and Pakistan. March 18th, 2009. By ROBIN KOERNER. Print. Pakistani child. Two worthy reads on one of the U.S.A.’s most critical relationships – the one with Pakistan. This one from the Daily Jang, translated from Urdu by the people …
themoderatevoice.com/27226/us-and-pakistan/

JURIST – Paper Chase: UN rights chief praises reinstatement of …
Pillay’s spokesman called the move “an important step in the process of restoring the rule of law in Pakistan,” adding that judicial integrity is needed if Pakistan is to make progress in upholding human rights laws such as the UN …
jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2009/03/un-
rights-chief-praises-reinstatement.php

Pakistan: Ex al-Qaeda aide rebuts Syria’s al-Assad on Obama …
By webinfo@adnkronos.com
(AKI) – By Syed Saleem Shahzad – Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is wrong to be optimistic about the the prospects for a change in attitude by the United States during the presidency…
www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=3.0.3123122989

Saving Pakistan
Washington Post – United States
PAKISTAN’S LATEST crisis has eased, after President Asif Ali Zardari capitulated to protesters who threatened to march on the capital, Islamabad. …
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2009/03/18/AR2009031803384.html

Briton: Extremists in Pakistan a Key Target
Washington Post – United States
By Ann Scott Tyson British Defense Minister John Hutton said yesterday that top goals for the military effort in Afghanistan and Pakistan over the next…
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
2009/03/18/AR2009031803527.html?hpid=topnews

Global Voices Online “ Pakistan: Sari Makes A Comeback To Fashion
By Rezwan
During the 80s it started disappearing in Pakistan after it was declared un-Islamic by then president Zia-ul-Haq . Pak Tea House reports that Saris are making a comeback in Pakistani fashion. #. “Have you ever heard of an international …
globalvoicesonline.org/2009/03/18/pakistan
-sari-makes-a-comeback-to-fashion/

Epoch Times – A Dangerous Void in Pakistan
By By Ahmed Rashid
As the United States plans to send more troops to Afghanistan, the country next door seems rudderless.
www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/13875/

Jihad Watch: Pakistan: “Religious extremists” murder Ahmadiyya man …
By Raymond
Yet if this is the case, if Ahmadiyyas, who consider themselves Muslims, are being killed by “religious extremists” (i.e., other Muslims), what can Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, et al expect in countries like Pakistan …
www.jihadwatch.org/archives/025292.php

Anger in Pakistan at US plan to expand drone attacks
guardian.co.uk – UK
Pakistan reacted with anger yesterday to an American proposal to expand its drone missile strikes inside the country against Taliban and al-Qaida targets. …
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar
/19/pakistan-us-national-security

Reconciliation Urged in Pakistan Crisis
Washington Post – United States
By Pamela Constable ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 18 — Pakistan’s ruling party, which narrowly survived a meltdown this week in the face of massive street …
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
story/2009/03/18/ST2009031803401.html

18 March, 2009

The Hazards of Expanding the War into Pakistan (Cato @ Liberty)
By Malou Innocent
The war would have a very different character if the Pashtun and Balochi areas of western Pakistan did not act as de facto sanctuaries for the leadership of al Qaeda and the Taliban. As I’ve written before, NATO’s stalemate will …
www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/03/18/war-in-pakistan/

FT.com | Gideon Rachman’s Blog | Attacking Taliban safe havens in …
By Gideon Rachman
There is a fascinating and slightly alarming story in the New York Times, suggesting that the Obama administration is thinking of extending US military action in Pakistan – in a bid to go after the Taliban and al Qaeda. …
blogs.ft.com/rachmanblog/2009/03/
attacking-taliban-safe-havens-in-pakistan/

UN ‘concerned’ about kidnapped official in Pakistan
AFP
QUETTA, Pakistan (AFP) — The United Nations said Wednesday it was “very concerned” about the health of an American UN official kidnapped in Pakistan six …
www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/
ALeqM5hiEYfQv-On3xRz9PrROEkdEXVSjg

India: Pakistan’s Mumbai probe ‘sketchy’
United Press International – USA
Pakistan, meanwhile, has reportedly shared little about its investigation into the attacks, particularly about suspects who have been arrested in connection …
www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/03/18/India_Pakistans_
Mumbai_probe_sketchy/UPI-21471237400445/

US considers broadening drone airstrikes in Pakistan | csmonitor.com
Obama urged to expand attacks beyond tribal areas to territory controlled by the Pakistani government.
www.csmonitor.com/2009/0318/p99s01-duts.html

Pakistan’s Swat Gets 7 Sharia Courts | Sweetness & Light
By Steve
From an elated Al Jazeera: A delegation from pro-Taliban leader Soofi Mohammad leave after an agreement with government officials in Peshawar February.
sweetness-light.com/archive/pakistans-swat-gets-7-sharia-courts

Who Is IOZ?: Whither Pakistan
By IOZ
Whither Pakistan · Larison and Bose both make points that will by now be familiar to readers of this little compendium of mental-ward graffiti. One of the most curious pseudo-ideas lurking in the corridors of consensus thinking on …
whoisioz.blogspot.com/2009/03/whither-pakistan.html

UN concern over Pakistan kidnap
BBC News – UK
The UN has said it is “very concerned” about the health of a foreign official from its refugee agency who was kidnapped last month in Pakistan.…
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7951297.stm

Pakistan Needs A Coalition Government
Washington Post – United States
The Current Discussion: With President Zardari forced to reverse his bans on political opponents, is Pakistan on the brink or is this a positive sign? …
newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/vivian_salama
/2009/03/pakistan_needs_a_coalition_gov.html

Sharia courts open in Pakistan’s Swat
AFP
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) — Islamic courts have started work in Pakistan’s Swat valley under a controversial deal that the government hopes will end two …
www.google.com/hostednews/afp/arti
cle/ALeqM5ggEYnrkX0cP5W3z1e4L4s2SJZPZQ

UN worried for American abducted in Pakistan
The Associated Press
Solecki is one of a string of foreigners kidnapped in Pakistan’s border regions in recent months. In February, Taliban militants released a Chinese…
www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM
5hFd0Kiy8VRP-Y5kmDyfMaq6ygfVQD970H4L02

Pakistan rejects US strike report
BBC News – UK
Pakistan’s foreign ministry has dismissed a newspaper report suggesting the US is considering expanding military operations in Pakistan. …
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7950417.stm

A New Dawn in Pakistan
Washington Post – United States
Today is a new dawn in Pakistan – not a perfect dawn, but a dawn nonetheless. As millions celebrate the reinstatement of the twice-deposed Pakistani Chief …
newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/need
toknow/2009/03/a_new_dawn_in_pakistan.html

Behind-the-scenes crisis role seen for Pakistan military
Reuters India – Mumbai,India
By Zeeshan Haider ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan’s army chief played a crucial role behind the scenes in resolving a political crisis this week,…
in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-38573320090318

New elections chief in Pakistan
BBC News – UK
They say such that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) should have been consulted by the governing Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) under the terms of an …
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7949913.stm

NewsDaily: U.S. mulling expanded covert war in Pakistan: report
President Barack Obama and his national security advisers are considering expanding the covert US war in Pakistan far beyond the tribal areas near the border with Afghanistan, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.
www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre52h0qt-us-usa-pakistan/

Gunmen kill 3 police, 1 guard in NW Pakistan
The Associated Press
MINGORA, Pakistan (AP) — Dozens of gunmen opened fire at a university in a northwest Pakistan region near the Afghan border early Wednesday, killing three …
www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h
kiMxbHNH0BqgpWA2ZG6VD6wVTmAD9708UEO0

US May Expand Strikes In Pakistan
By The Huffington Post News Editors
US May Expand Strikes In Pakistan – The Huffington Post.
www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/17/
us-may-expand-strikes-in_n_176107.html

Obama May Widen Drone War Over Pakistan | Danger Room from Wired.com
By Noah Shachtman
Six times in the last two months, the new administration has used unmanned aircraft to strike at Taliban camps in the largely-ungoverned tribal wildlands on Pakistan. That could be just.
blog.wired.com/defense/2009/03/obama-may-widen.html

What we learned from Pakistan’s recent political crisis By Dan …
By WILL INBODEN
Pakistan’s political crisis of last weekend was precipitated by opposition leader Nawaz Sharif’s pledge to march on Islamabad in support of freedom of the judiciary after both Nawaz and his brother Shahbaz, who had been chief minister …
shadow.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/03/17/what_
we_learned_from_pakistans_recent_political_crisis

Scoop: Restoring Rule Of Law In Pakistan
The United Nations human rights chief has welcomed the Pakistani Government’s decision to reinstate the former Supreme Court Chief Justice and other judges, who had been removed from their posts in 2007, as an important step in …
www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0903/S00338.htm

Supply route attacks resume
Washington Times – Washington,DC,USA
PESHAWAR, Pakistan | While the government was embroiled in a dispute over the reinstatement of deposed judges this week, militants struck twice within 24 …
www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/
mar/18/supply-route-attacks-resume/

US May Widen Strikes in Pakistan
New York Times – United States
According to senior administration officials, two of the high-level reports on Pakistan and Afghanistan that have been forwarded to the White House in…
www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/world/asia/18terror.html?ref=world

British man alleges torture in Pakistan
International Herald Tribune – France
AP LONDON: A British man alleged that he, his son and a family friend were tortured in his native Pakistan, and he urged the British government to push for …
www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/18/europe/EU-Britain-Pakistan.php

17 March, 2009

Pakistan Likely To See Giant Increase In US Aid
By The Huffington Post News Editors
Pakistan Likely To See Giant Increase In US Aid – The Huffington Post.
www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/17/
pakistan-likely-to-see-gi_n_176022.html

Wajahat Ali: Pakistan’s Long March to Democracy
By Wajahat Ali
Pakistan’s Long March to Democracy – The Huffington Post.
www.huffingtonpost.com/wajahat-ali/
pakistans-long-march-to-d_b_175015.html

Why Pakistan’s president gave in | csmonitor.com
President Zardari lacked the full backing of the Army and US that his predecessor Musharraf enjoyed, Pakistani and US officials say.
www.csmonitor.com/2009/0318/p25s03-wosc.html

In Pakistan, Shakespeare was wrong – Nicholas D. Kristof Blog …
By By Nicholas Kristof
Shakespeare’s line about lawyers from Henry VI — “the first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” — was gravely misguided, as least as concerns Pakistan. Like almost anyone who has spent time in Pakistan, I love the country and it’s …
kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/
17/in-pakistan-shakespeare-was-wrong/

US have role in Pakistan’s internal politics: Haqqani – GEO.tv
WASHINGTON: Pakistan Ambassador in US, Hussain Haqqani has said that US as an ally might have concerns over Pakistan’s emanating internal situation, but it has no role in the internal politics of Paki.
www.geo.tv/3-17-2009/37573.htm