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India-Pakistan
Pahalgam round-up, Day 2, Part II: Pak Defence analysts call Pahalgam attack possible ''false flag operation'' by India, and more from Pakland
2025-04-24
Of course they did, since the Mighty Pak Army planned, trained, funded, and guarded the execution of it. Enjoy your dry riverbeds, O Pakistanis, while you ponder how it all went so horribly wrong. See here for the Indian view of Day 2 of the Pahalgam attack.
[GEO.TV] Defence analysts are sceptical of the recent attack in Pahalgam, a hill station in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir
...a disputed territory lying between India and Pakistain. After partition, the Paks grabbed half of it and call it Azad (Free) Kashmir. The remainder they refer to as "Indian Occupied Kashmir". They have fought four wars with India over it, the score currently 4-0 in New Delhi's favor. After 72 years of this nonsense, India cut the Gordian knot in 2019, removing the area's special status, breaking off Ladakh as a separate state, and allowing people from other areas to settle (or in the case of the Pandits, to resettle) there....
(IIOJK), that resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists, including a navy officer, suggesting it could be part of a planned false flag operation by India.

At least 17 people were also injured in the shooting on Tuesday in the Baisaran valley in the Pahalgam area. The dead included 25 Indians and one Nepalese national, police said.

It was the worst attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai shootings, and shattered the relative calm in Kashmir, where tourism has boomed as an anti-India insurgency, opens new tab has waned in recent years.

Defence expert, Brigadier (retd) Ahmed Saeed Minhas, denounced Indian media for blaming Pakistain without evidence, pointing out that the attack occurred 400 kilometres inside IIOJK.

Talking to Geo News, Brig Minhas referred to India's past response, mentioning that Pakistain showed great restraint in 2019 by returning Indian pilot Abhinandan safely.

Another analyst, Brigadier (retd) Rashid Wali, also raised questions about India's approach, noting that propaganda against Pakistain started doing the rounds almost immediately after the attack, with Indian media spreading baseless claims.

"If India attempts any action, it may face embarrassment like the Balakot episode," he warned.

Former senator, Mushahid Hussain Syed, who is also a veteran foreign affairs expert, condemned India's practice of jumping to blaming Pakistain following terror incidents in India or IIOJK.

He called it an "automated response" by the Indian government and mentioned that such actions, like the Jaffer Express attack and now the Pahalgam incident, fit into India's routine of shifting blame without investigation.

Commenting on India's allegations, national security expert Syed Muhammad Ali said that New Delhi's alleged ''false flag operation'' serves to defame Islam, Pakistain, and the Kashmiri people, while distracting from domestic issues.

India pledges strong response after IIOJK attack kills 26 tourists
[GEO.TV] Indian security forces launched a massive hunt on Wednesday for attackers suspected of killing 26 men at a tourist destination in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in the worst attack on civilians in nearly two decades, with New Delhi pledging a strong response.

At least 17 people were also injured in the shooting that took place on Tuesday in the Baisaran valley in the Pahalgam area of the scenic, Himalayan federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The dead included 25 Indians and one Nepalese national, police said.

It was the worst attack on civilians since the 2008 Mumbai shootings, and shattered the relative calm in IIOJK, where tourism has boomed as an anti-India insurgency has waned in recent years.

India suspends Indus Water Treaty, bans entry of Pakistanis
[GEO.TV] India on Wednesday suspended the Indus Water Treaty and banned the entry of Pak nationals, a day after the killing of at least 26 tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The new measures announced by New Delhi mark a sharp escalation between the two nuclear-armed South Asian nations.

Speaking to journalists after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security — India's highest decision-making body on national security, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) detailed five measures as part of what officials called a "decisive response to cross-border terrorism".

"The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect, until Pakistain credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism", Indian diplomat Vikram Misri told news hounds in New Delhi.

The Indus Water Treaty is a water-sharing agreement between Pakistain and India, facilitated by the World Bank. It gives India control over the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej) of the Indus basin while it gives Pakistain authority over the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab).

Furthermore, he said, the Integrated Check Post Attari would be closed with immediate effect. "Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1, 2025," he added.

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India-Pakistan
Senate body unanimously adopts bills about senior citizens and domestic violence
2021-06-17
Passing laws is easy. Enforcing them is another kettle of locusts.
[DAILYTIMES.PK] The Senate’s Standing Committee on Human Rights on Wednesday unanimously adopted ’The Islamabad Capital Territory Senior Citizens Bill, 2021’ and ’The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2021’.The bills, which have already been passed by the National Assembly, were presented in the maiden meeting of the committee, held here at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Waleed Iqbal.

Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari, while presenting the bills, briefed the committee on the salient features of two bills. The committee members appreciated the efforts of the Human Rights Ministry in tabling such bills which were pivotal for the well-being of citizens.

After detailed deliberations, the members suggested some editorial amendments and thereafter the committee unanimously passed both the bills.

A report to the House in pursuance of the ruling of the Senate chairman was presented in the meeting.

Earlier, Committee Chairman Waleed Iqbal welcomed the members and stressed the need to work on human rights
One man's rights are another man's existential threat.
across party lines and beyond politics.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed highlighted the issue of curbs on media and the proposed Pakistain Media Development Authority Ordinance. Dr Mazari, however, termed it an unauthentic news, saying no such ordinance was being issued.

Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizinjo suggested that the committee should also look into the attitudes and mindset that prompted violent mostly peaceful behaviour.



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India-Pakistan
Pak military officers to get training in Russia
2018-08-13
[DAWN] Pak military officers will receive training in Russian Federation military institutes under a recent agreement signed between the two countries.

The deal underscores Pakistain’s increasing reliance on Russia for its military needs amid strained relations with the US. It was signed earlier this week during a visit by Russian Deputy Defence Minister Col Gen Alexander Fomin.

The agreement comes as local media reported the US has stopped financing military training in the US for Pak soldiers ‐ a step that Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed called "wrong and counterproductive."

Mr Hussain, chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, said the US is repeating past mistakes through failed policy of trying to bully and browbeat Pakistain with such short-sighted sanctions.
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Afghanistan
Pakistan fixed 2009 elections in favour of Karzai, Pak Senator claims
2016-10-28
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A Pak senator has claimed the country fixed the 2009 Afghanistan's Caped Presidential Elections in the favour of the former Afghanistan's Caped President Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai
... A former Baltimore restaurateur, now 12th and current President of Afghanistan, displacing the legitimate president Rabbani in December 2004. He was installed as the dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001 in a vain attempt to put a Pashtun face on the successor state to the Taliban. After the 2004 presidential election, he was declared president regardless of what the actual vote count was. He won a second, even more dubious, five-year-term after the 2009 presidential election. His grip on reality has been slipping steadily since around 2007, probably from heavy drug use...
Senator Mushahid Hussain made the revelation during an interview with a locla newspaper.

Pointing towards Pakistain’s role in shaping the polling results, Senator Hussain explicitly told The Express that "the election, we know how to rig, and they were duly rigged in favour of Karzai."

The Senator further added that he had told American officials that Karzai was smarter than any of them and had the capacity to outsmart and still survive.

"President Hamid Karzai knew that Americans were gunning for him. He switched from America to Pakistain, earned a good will, and there were three million Afghan refugees in Pakistain and we were supposed to be holding their elections, and all the threemillion voted for Karzai," he said.

He also also asserted that President B.O.’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistain, Richard Holbrooke met with him in Lahore in 2009 before the presidential elections in Afghanistan in August.

"Holbrooke took out a notepad and he said to me, ’Tell me who should be the next president of Afghanistan," Mushahid said he found the remark very arrogant and pompous. "I said, Holbrooke, are you deciding the presidency today? Is it just pick and choose? It’s not going to happen," he said.

The 2009 Presidential Elections ended in Karzai’s favour after his rival Abdullah Abdullah
... the former foreign minister of the Northern Alliance government, advisor to Masood, and candidate for president against Karzai. Dr. Abdullah was born in Kabul and is half Tadjik and half Pashtun...
decided to pull out of the vote during the second round of the election.

Abdullah had said the decision was taken "in the best interests of the country".

In a gathering organized late in 2009, Abdullah made it clear he did not want to provoke a confrontation with Karzai or risk partisan violence.
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India-Pakistan
Pakistan seeks bigger Saarc to counter India’s influence
2016-10-14
[DAWN] Pakistain is exploring the possibility of creating a greater South Asian economic alliance to counter India’s controlling hold on the eight-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), diplomatic observers say.

A parliamentary delegation from Pakistain, which is now in New York, pitched this idea during its five-day visit to Washington last week.

"A greater South Asia is already emerging," said Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, in one of his interactions with the media. "This greater South Asia includes China, Iran and the neighbouring Central Asian republics."

He described the China-Pakistain Economic Corridor as the key economic route linking South Asia with Central Asia. The Gwadar port, he pointed out, would be the nearest warm water port, not only for China but also for the land-locked Central Asian states.

"We want India to join this arrangement as well," said Mr Hussain, an offer Indians are unlikely to accept as they are comfortable with the advantage that Saarc provides them.

Last month, India used its influence in Saarc to isolate Pakistain when it announced that it would not attend the regional group’s 19th summit, scheduled in Islamabad on Nov 15 and 16.
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India-Pakistan
No role for militancy in Pakistan’s policy-making
2016-10-10
[DAWN] There’s no role for militancy in policy-making and non-state actors cannot be allowed to operate from the Pak territory, says a parliamentary delegation from Pakistain, which completed its five-day visit to the US capital on Saturday.

In a briefing to Pak, and later an Indian, journalists at the end of their visit, the prime minister’s special envoys on Kashmire also said that the United States was doing "positive pushing and prodding" for reducing tensions between India and Pakistain.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, one of the two envoys sent to the United States to present Pakistain’s case on Kashmire, said that they would not be surprised if Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally came to Islamabad to attend the Saarc summit "and embrace Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
".

"There is no alternative for talks. And this is a message that the Americans are also sending to both India and Pakistain," said the other envoy, MNA Shezra Mansab Ali, while explaining why she believed India and Pakistain would soon engage one another for reducing tensions.

A Pak media report that the civilian government sent a blunt message to the country’s military leadership last week, saying that Pakistain would be completely isolated if it did not stop cross-border Death Eater attacks, also echoed at the briefing.

Senator Syed said that there was complete consensus on this issue in parliament, where all parties have jointly drafted a 22-point resolution, asking the government to end militancy. "There is no role for militancy in policy- making and non-state actors cannot be allowed to operate from the Pak territory," he said

The militancy, particularly cross-border attacks, was an issue that the delegation had to confront at almost each of more than a dozen meetings it attended in Washington.

Since Sept 18, when murderous Moslems attacked a military facility in Uri and killed at least 18 Indian soldiers, the US State Department, the White House and the Pentagon have almost daily spoken about the situation in held Kashmire and the consequent tensions between India and Pakistain.

In these statements, US officials regularly mentioned the Uri attack, calling it an act of "cross-border terrorism" and urging Pakistain to stop these attacks.

US officials and think tank experts also raised this issue with the Pak parliamentary delegation, reminding it of the need to end cross-border attacks if Pakistain wants its stance on Kashmire to be heard.

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Afghanistan
Pak envoy links peace in Afghanistan to resolution of Kashmir issue
2016-10-09
[Khaama (Afghanistan)] A Pak envoy has reportedly linked peace in Afghanistan to the resolution of Kashmire issue as the Afghan officials are pessimistic regarding Islamabad’s honesty to bring the Taliban group to negotiations table.

Pakistain Prime Minister’s special envoy on Kashmire Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed has said a solution to both is required for peace and they cannot be "compartmentalised".
That's actually true: the Paks are perfectly capable of stirring a shitstorm up in Afghanistan whenever they like, and link that to whatever they like...
"Road to peace in Kabul
...the capital of Afghanistan. Home to continuous fighting from 1992 to 1996 between the forces of would-be strongman and Pak ISI/Jamaat-e-Islami sock puppet Gulbuddin Hekmayar and the Northern Alliance, a period which won Hek the title Most Evil Man in the World and didn't do much for the reputations of the Northern Alliance guys either....
lies in Kashmire in the sense that when you talk of peace, you cannot compartmentalise peace, you can’t segregate a section... ok you can have peace in Kabul and let Kashmire burn. That is not going to happen," Syed was quoted as saying in a report by Economic Times.

Syed who is the chairman of the Pakistain Senate’s Defence and Defence Production Committee was speaking during an interaction at Washington-based think-tank Stimson Centre.

"So you (US) talk of a comprehensive peace settlement, so let the people of South Asia not be hostage to the hostility of the past. Let them move forward," Syed added.

Shezra Mansab, a member of the National Assembly of Pakistain, as Special Envoys of Pakistain Prime Minister on Kashmire, said "Our core issue this time is Kashmire and no peace can prevail in the region, if this issue is not solved. It is an international dispute. It is not an internal problem. The stakes are very high now, we are nuclear neighbours so we need to have peace on the issue of Kashmire and then rest of the things can be solved."

This comes as the Afghan officials earlier said that they will not expect Pakistain to help revive the Afghan peace talks with the Taliban group.

Efforts in the framework of Quadrilateral Coordination Group consisting of Afghanistan, Pakistain, US and China failed after the Taliban group rejected to participate in peace talks and announced their spring offensive.

The Afghan officials criticized Pakistain for remaining reluctant to act against the leadership councils of Taliban and Haqqani terrorist network based in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
and Quetta cities of Pakistain.
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India-Pakistan
India criticised for sabotaging efforts for Siachen peace
2014-10-02
[DAWN] The Chairman of the Senate Defence Committee, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, has criticised the Indian military establishment for sabotaging all efforts for peace in Siachen.

India, he said, had consistently rejected all proposals made by Pakistain for peace in Siachen, even in the aftermath of the Giyari tragedy.

He was addressing the troops during a visit to Siachen along with members of the committee.

About two and a half years ago, an avalanche had killed 140 soldiers and officers of the army in Giyari.

The delegation laid a wreath at the monument for the deaders of Giyari.

According to a blurb, Mr Hussain expressed concern
...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended...
over consequences of climate change and global warming which has adverse consequences in Siachen because of freak weather incidents like the Giyari avalanche.
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India-Pakistan
Opp senators question Nisar's claim on judge's killing
2014-03-09
[Pak Daily Times] The politicians in Upper House of parliament on Friday questioned the claim of Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan that late judge Rafaqat Awam fell prey to the bullets of his own security guards in the F8 suicide kaboom.

There was long discussion between the interior minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan and opposition politicians over the death of a judge in F-8 attack. The senators said that the statement of the minister is beyond comprehension as the joint investigation team (JIT) is yet to submit its report, adding the entry and exit points suggest it was either Kalashnikov or SNG.

Senator Raza Rabbani of Pakistain People's Party (PPP) said that the way the incumbent government portrays the terrorist activities gives an impression as it is defending the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP). He continued that the government is confused to the extent that the prime minister comes up with a different statement while his interior minister narrates something else. "The prime minister blamed Indian spy agency RAW for the F8 suicide attack and his interior minister could be seen defending the Taliban," he lamented.

Rabbani also severely criticized the federal government for declaring Taliban as patriotic. The interior minister should know that people who defy the constitution, he added, in no way deserve to be treated the way they are being projected. He called upon the government to convene a joint-sitting of the parliament, adding the secret talk rhetoric being pursued by government for striking a peace deal with the hard boyz must be shared with the parliamentarians.

Zahid Khan, a senator of Awami National Party (ANP) dubbed the statement of the minister as 'pack of lies and joke of the day'. "There were four other people in the room of the judge at the time of the attack and how did it possible that all the three bullets hit the judge", he questioned. Another ANP politician Afrasiab Khattak also came down on the minister for declaring majority of Taliban as patriotic, adding how come you say that the mindset hell-bent to destroy the people turned out to be patriotic all of a sudden. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed of Pakistain Mohammedan League-Quaid (PML-Q) expressed similar reservations like his other colleagues with a demand to hold a judicial inquiry into the matter to ascertain the fact.

In the aftermath of the incident, he said there came three different statements -- the prime minister blamed RAW for the F-8 suicide attack; the interior minister has created a new controversy and the medical report is totally opposite.
In the aftermath of the incident, he said there came three different statements -- the prime minister blamed RAW for the F-8 suicide attack; the interior minister has created a new controversy and the medical report is totally opposite. Chairman Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokari went berserk over the remarks of ANP politician Abdul Nabi Bangesh after he blamed him of giving special favours to PPP senator Syeda Sughra Imam for asking supplementary questions. "All the time you allow more than four supplementary questions for Sughra Imam while we're not allowed to ask even one supplementary, this is not justified", the ANP backbencher lamented.

The senators kept seeking permission to speak on point of orders without paying any heed to the rules and putting all the blame on the chair at the end of the day like fellow senator Abdul Nabi Bangesh. "I've been quite fair to each and every member here in this house but you never acknowledged it", he said, adding, "You must have patience now and follow the rules. But the rumpus continued to win the race in getting a point of order for speaking against the interior minister.

However,
a lie repeated often enough remains a lie...
the environment of the upper house of parliament somewhat turned into a junior class, forcing the chair to spring into action, who was already annoyed at Abdul Nabi Bangesh, adjourned the house till Monday at 30:00pm. ANP Senator Farah Aqil moved a calling attention notice to draw the attention of government towards anti-women practices and victimization of maidens of tender years and women by tribal jirgas for acts committed by the men folk. The lady senator flayed the government for its lukewarm response in taking action against the decisions of the tribal jirgas which often goes against women.

Meanwhile,
...back at the pie fight, Bella grabbed the cocoanut cream...
the house also condemned India for filing sedition charges against 67 Kashmiri students after some of them cheered for the Pak cricket team during a televised match with India on Sunday last. The senators severely criticized suspension of Kashmiri students from the university by Indian authorities, saying it speaks volume of its double standards and exposed the so-called largest democracy of the world. The Senate witnessed introduction of two bills seeking amendment to the Anti-terrorism Act, 1997. State Minister for Interior introduced the bills which were referred to the relevant committees. These include the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2014 and Anti-terrorism (Second Amendment) Bill, 2014.
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India-Pakistan
Senate committee proposes 7-point Action Plan for Cyber Secure Pakistan
2013-07-09
[Dawn] The Senate Committee on Defence and Defence Production organised a policy seminar on "Defending Pakistain Through Cyber Security Strategy" in coordination with Pakistain Information Security Association (PISA) in order to address security issues related to the internet.

The event was held at the Pakistain Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS) in the federal capital city of Islamabad in wake of startling revelations made by Edward Snowden who claimed that the American National Security Agency (NSA) was spying on Pakistain through internet and online communication systems with 13.5 billion pieces of email, phone and fax communications intercepted.

Senator Mushahid Hussain, Chairman of Senate Committee on Defence and Defence Production, in his welcoming address, highlighted the cyber security threat and how it can affect Pakistain's national defence, security, intelligence, diplomacy, nuclear and missile programme, economy, energy, education, civil aviation as well as industrial and manufacturing units both in the private and public sector.

"Cyber security is an issue of paramount importance for Pakistain's stability and progress," the Senator added.

"Our cyber security must have three fundamental elements. Pakistain's digital infrastructure must have the ability to resist attacks, cyber penetration and disruption; Defend against emerging cyber threats, whether state sponsored or otherwise, and ability to retaliate regionally, at least; Ability to recover quickly from cyber incidents, whether caused by cyber aggression, accident or natural disaster," said Mushahid Hussain while addressing the participants of the moot.

Since last year, the Senate Committee on Defence & Defence Production had identified cyber warfare as a new, non-military security threat to the country given its location and strategic role.

During the Q&A Session, Senator Farhatullah Babar suggested the formation of a focal ministry or division exclusively to handle cyber security issues.

He said laws for data protection should be introduced and in this regard, industry experts have to join hands with Parliamentarians.
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India-Pakistan
APC calls for immediate peace talks with Pakistani Taliban
2013-03-01
[Dawn] Pakistain's government should take immediate steps to initiate peace talks with Talibs, says a declaration by the All Parties Conference (APC) called to discuss ways to restore peace in the country's militancy-hit tribal areas.

The APC, summoned by the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam
...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability...
-Fazl (JUI-F) and attended by major political parties and tribal leaders, also agreed on using the platform of a grand tribal jirga for peace negotiations with the Pak Talibs.

The declaration also agreed on expanding the membership of the grand jirga to include stakeholders representing all schools of thought.

The APC statement also emphasised on taking steps towards peace, keeping in consideration the law and the writ of the government.

The main ruling Pakistain People Party (PPP) and the leading opposition party, the Pakistain Moslem League-Nawaz (PML-N), assured their complete support for steps taken for the establishment of peace in the country.

Addressing the conference, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif
... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
urged all political parties to play their due role in meeting challenges faced by the country.

Sharif said that the offer of dialogue by the Pak Taliban should be taken seriously. He said that today not only Pakistain, but the entire region was plagued by terrorism.

He congratulated the JUI-F for convening the APC, adding: "We should keep aside our political differences and play our due role in maintaining peace in the country."

PPP President Makhdoom Amin Faheem said that his party would support every step taken for peace in accordance with the Constitution.

Speaking earlier at the inaugural address of the APC, the JUI-F chief said that talks with Pak Talibs would be useless without taking the military into confidence. Fazl also stressed that peace in Pakistain's tribal region is closely linked to peace in neighbouring Afghanistan.

"Peace in the tribal areas is linked to peace in Afghanistan. We should put the past behind us and move forward towards peace talks," said Rehman.

Pakistain Moslem League-Quaid Secretary General Mushahid Hussain asked that if dialogue with India could be pursued, then why not with the Taliban.

The moot was also attended by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami
...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
(JI) chief Syed Munawar Hassan
... The funny-looking Amir of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. He joined the National Students Federation (NSF), a lefty student body, and was elected its President in 1959. He came into contact with the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) Pakistan and studied the writings of Mawlana Syed Abul Ala Maududi, The Great Apostasizer. As a result, he joined IJT in 1960 and soon he was elected as President of its University of Karachi Unit and member of the Central Executive Council. He was Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistain in 1992-93, and became Secretary General in 1993. After years of holding Qazi's camel he was named Amir when the old man stepped down in 2009...
, MQM Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
Chief Minister Akram Durrani, Mehmood Achakzai of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP), tribal elders and other leaders.
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India-Pakistan
Islamabad sit-in ends: A revolution that did not happen
2013-01-19
[Dawn] He came, he talked and he talked and then he left with little more than a few promises that fell far short of most of the demands he had been making since Dec 23.

Dr Tahirul Qadri had asked for a clean-up of the system, consultation with the army and judiciary and dissolution of the assemblies and the Election Commission of Pakistain.

He went back with a vague date for the dissolution of the assemblies and a promise that he would be consulted again by the government and that he would suggest two names for a caretaker prime minister.

But admittedly, his about-turn was caused more by the heavens above and not mere mortals.

When on Thursday morning the skies brought down rain on the protesting thousands, Dr Qadri, who had threatened deadlines, declared the government corrupt and unfeeling and predicted a revolution, finally ran out of steam and demanded that the government which he had declared dismissed a few days ago negotiate with him.

Luckily for him, the ruling alliance behaved as maturely as had the opposition a day earlier. Instead of ignoring the doctor, the government immediately dispatched a heavyweight team to talk to him. This gave the doctor a face-saving option as by his demand for negotiation it was quite clear that Dr Qadri had failed to achieve anything and that the government was willing to let the capital be paralysed as it waited for the protesters to exhaust themselves.

The government team reached D-Chowk within the 45-minute deadline set by Dr Qadri.

From the PPP to the PML-Q to the MQM and the ANP, every party sent its representatives to greet the doctor, who embraced warmly those he had been calling Yazid and corrupt earlier.

Afrasiab Khattak, Farooq Sattar, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Amin Fahim, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Babar Ghauri, Syed Khursheed Shah and Farooq H. Naek, led by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, negotiated with the protesting doctor for about five hours which for once was carried out in the windowed container and in the glare of television cameras.

This was not a revolution that happened, but it was still televised.

The cold and wet but bravely enthusiastic crowds waiting outside saw phone calls being made and papers being read and discussed -- for five long hours.

Once they finally came out at 8.50pm, the doctor announced: "We have reached an agreement to be known as Islamabad Long March Declaration. Give them space, a government team is going to the Prime Minister's House for signatures on the document and then it will be signed by all of us and read out before you."

The suspense was still to continue.

The agreement was rushed to the prime minister for him to sign and then brought back.

Then all the politicians and the doctor took their turns on the mike before the un-earth-shattering declaration was released -- to the media and not by the doctor.

But by then the end was a foregone conclusion.
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