Area under cultivation reduces to 1.1m hectares

KARACHI - The net area under cultivation of Pakistan has been declined to 21.2 million hectares from 22.3 million hectares due to water shortage and raise in soil salinity during 8 years (from FY02 to FY09) in country.

 

State Bank of Pakistan in its annual report about economy of country for FY08-09 has also disclosed that a huge decline of 1.1m hectares has been observed in area under agriculture purpose.

 

However, the stress on the available cultivable land has increased in recent years and the share of area cultivated more than once, in total cultivated area, rose from 29pc in FY02 to 35.1pc by FY09.

 

Discussing the key issues faced by agriculture sector, the central bank said the repeat cropping reduces soil fertility, causing reduction in yield.

 

Maintaining yield then requires higher inputs, thus increases cost of production and reduces farm incomes. The reduction in net cultivated area is principally due to lower availability of canal irrigation water, water loses between canal heads and farm gate and rising underground water levels that raises soil salinity.

 

However, the intensity of these losses may be reduced through cut down in water losses with concrete lining of water courses to reduce irrigation seepages, enhancing of irrigation efficiency with use of laser technology for land levelling and adoption of sprinkling and drip irrigation, particularly for selected minor crops.

 

SBP noted that not only net area under cultivation has declined in Pakistan, but inappropriate use of inputs with traditional cultivation methods are also hindering the achievement of higher yields.

 

With efficient use of fertilizers, the SBP indicated that the yield of wheat may be increased by 34.2 percent, rice by 57.1 percent, cotton by 77.5pc and sugarcane by 45.8 percent relative to FY09 yields.

 

It should be remembered that rise in yields cannot be achieved without substantial investment in agriculture. In practice, levels of investment in this sector are negligible in Pakistan, with downward trend seen during most recent years, SBP says, adding that the surge in international commodity prices, including food commodities, reinforced the importance of food security as it is high time that Pakistan invests heavily in agriculture to improve supply of quality inputs, research and extension services.

 

SBP stressed that it is necessary to raise yields to meet the domestic food and fiber demand to ensure food security of the country as well as produce exportable surplus to earn foreign exchange.

 

Meanwhile, discussing the performance of agriculture sector during last year, the SBP noted that a robust agriculture sector performance provided a major impetus to FY09 GDP growth, with both, the crops and the livestock sub-sectors exhibiting above-target growth.

 

Particularly impressive contribution by crops was a result of clearer incentives to farmers in terms of higher prices, which motivated them to increase area under cultivation. The impact of this was supported by very favourable weather that helped mitigate under-utilisation of other key inputs due to uncertainty over fertilizer prices and lower availability of canal water. The weakness in usage of inputs was reflected in lower growth in fertilizer off-take and the fact that growth in credit disbursement for the agri-sector decelerated during FY09. This suggests that even the strong yields seen in FY09 could have been exceeded comfortably, given the use of optimal inputs mix, SBP says.

 

The most prominent feature of the FY09 agri-growth profile is the record harvest of three major crops (wheat, rice and maize), that together generally account for around 59.0 percent of value-addition by major crops; in FY09 this share reached 62.7pc, SBP maintained.

 

Consequently, despite a massive decline of 21.7 percent in sugarcane output, major crops recorded an impressive growth of 7.7 percent in FY09 against the target of 4.5 percent. The growth in minor crops was also impressive despite production declines in few crops including canola, onions, mangoes and some pulses; the 3.6pc growth seen in FY09 was higher than the target of 2.0pc.

 

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Business/30-Oct-2009/Area-under-cultivation-reduces-to-11m-hectares/

 

To Learn more about Pakistan Agriculture: http://www.parc.gov.pk

 

Posted by Sajjad Ahmad - http://www.markthetruth.com

US scientist faces death for plot to spy for Israel

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A leading US scientist who had worked at the White House and NASA could face execution for offering to sell secrets to Israel for two million dollars, according to documents filed in federal court.

 

Stewart David Nozette, 52, is set to appear in court Thursday for a hearing on whether he should remain in detention after he was arrested in a sting operation involving an FBI agent posing as an Israeli official.

 

Nozette, arrested October 18, is charged with two counts of attempted espionage for allegedly trying to sell secrets to Israel, according to court documents filed late Wednesday. Based on the indictment allegations, "the maximum penalty the defendant faces, if convicted, is death," said the government filing supporting Nozette's continued detention pending trial.

 

In Nozette's talks with the alleged Israeli agent, the scientist said he wanted "roughly two million dollars as compensation for his espionage."

 

Nozette "delivered and communicated this classified information to an individual he believed was an Israeli intelligence officer in exchange for an alias, a foreign passport, and cash payments," and therefore should remain in detention, the court documents said.

 

In their final discussion, the undercover FBI agent handed Nozette 10,000 dollars in one hundred dollar bills, which he tried to hide inside a hotel bathroom toilet tank when federal agents arrested him.

 

The FBI also searched Nozette's safe deposit box at San Diego, California bank. He earlier told the undercover agent that he had opened safe deposit boxes "out of state" to hide valuable information in case US authorities searched his home in the suburbs of Washington.

 

"In the box, agents discovered (among other things) three computer drives, eight videotapes, fifty-five gold 'Krugerrand' coins worth roughly 50,000 dollars, and 30,000 dollars in savings bonds," read the document, suggesting Nozette would use the funds in case he had to flee.

 

The investigation appears to have been sparked by his consulting work with an Israeli company along with comments he made to a colleague.

 

A prominent scientist credited with helping discover water on the moon, Nozette had worked at the US space agency NASA, the Energy Department, and even served on the White House's National Space Council in 1989 and 1990, under then-president George H.W. Bush.

 

Between November 1998 and January 2008 Nozette also did monthly consulting work for an Israeli government-owned aerospace company. He was paid a total of 225,000 dollars for giving the company technical data and advice, according to the indictment.

 

On January 30 Nozette pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges, and agreed to pay more than 265,000 dollars restitution to the government.

 

He earlier told a colleague "that if the government attempted to imprison him for fraud and tax evasion charges, he would flee the United States and disclose classified information to a foreign government," the document said.

 

Nozette "was plotting his departure from the United States long before he was charged with attempted espionage," it said.

 

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/International/30-Oct-2009/US-scientist-faces-death-for-plot-to-spy-for-Israel/

 

For more information about this news: http://www.ciacademy.com/spycase/NOZETTE_Stewart_David.html

 

Posted by Sajjad ahmad - http://www.markthetruth.com

Sino-US relations

If there is one issue which will determine the future course of the 21st century, it is the direction and substance of US-China relations in the coming decades. The driving factors behind this relationship are twofold: the US determination to prevent the emergence of a power in any part of the world capable of challenging its global supremacy and the phenomenal economic growth of China over the past three decades which in due course would translate itself in the growth and strength of its military power. The combined effect of China's huge size and rapid growth makes it inevitable that the world would, at first, see increasing rivalry between the two nations in the economic field followed by a challenge to the US global supremacy in the military field by China in the second half of the 21st century. Of course, this conclusion is based on the bold assumption that the present trends of growth in the economic power of the two nations are sustained in the coming decades. These developments would transform the global geopolitical scene with far-reaching strategic, political and economic implications for the whole world.

There is no denying the fact that the current world order has been shaped primarily by the West under the leadership of the US - a reflection of the Western countries' domination of the global political and economic scene since the end of the World War II. The structure, the procedures and the functioning of the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, the World Bank and the IMF, established after the World War II, were such that no major decision could be taken without the backing of the West. The position has remained more or less unchanged since then. This state of affairs is going to change dramatically in the coming decades reflecting the redistribution of the economic and ultimately the military power globally.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union did pose a challenge to the military supremacy of the West. The defeat and disintegration of the Soviet Union made the world unipolar briefly with the US emerging as the global hegemon. However, the rapid growth of China and other powers like India and Brazil, the re-assertiveness of Russia, and the emergence of other power centres such as the European Union, Japan and the ASEAN indicate that the US unipolar moment has already passed. The world is increasingly turning multipolar with several centres of power emerging on the scene even though for the time being the US is the only country capable of projecting its military power in the different corners of the world. It is inevitable that these developments would ultimately lead to the re-writing of the rules which determine the way in which the world functions in the political and economic fields. China's rapidly growing economic and military strength would make it a major player in this process of global transformation. An example of the kind of changes that can be expected in the coming decades was the call by the Governor of China's Central Bank, Zhou Xiaochuan, in March 2009 for the replacement of the dollar as the world's reserve currency by Special Drawing Rights (SDR's). Changes can, thus, be expected in the structure and functioning of multilateral institutions like the UN Security Council, the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO. The net effect of these changes would be the gradual decline in the influence of the US and the West and increase in the role of China and other emerging powers.

The changes in the structure and functioning of the international political and economic institutions will be only one consequence of the growing rivalry between the US and China. There will also be important consequences of this development for US-China bilateral relations. The US-China relationship is both cooperative and competitive at present. China is an extremely important trading partner of the US. In 2008, China's exports to the US were estimated to be $338 billion whereas its imports from the US amounted to $70 billion. China is also the recipient of the US private investment on a large scale. Many US firms have established their manufacturing facilities in China which has thus also benefited from the inflow of the US technology. As a result of its balance of payment surpluses, China has accumulated huge foreign currency reserves estimated to be over $2 trillion. Some 60 percent of China's official reserves are held in dollar-denominated assets.

These trade and economic linkages dictate a cooperative relationship between the two countries. But there are also elements of competition between them in the economic field. China's growing appetite for fossil energy resources in Africa, the Persian Gulf region, Latin America and elsewhere, which pits it against the demand by the US for the same resources, is just one example of this competition. China's trade surpluses with the US year after year generate increasing US charges of dumping against China and demands for the appreciation of its currency and the opening up of its market. Environment is another area where the two countries are pitted against each other in terms of emission reduction targets for climate warming gases.

But it is the strategic and political aspect of the relationship between the US and China, which will play a predominant role in determining its future direction. The US views China's rapid growth as posing a serious threat to its global supremacy and to its security interests, especially in Asia. Predictably, it is now engaged in a strategic manoeuvre of far-reaching consequences to contain China through an architecture of security alliances on the latter's periphery. That is why the US has pledged to make India a major world player in the 21st century, why it entered into an agreement with India in 2005 for close military cooperation and why it has agreed to commence cooperation in civilian nuclear technology with India despite the crushing blow delivered by it to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime through its nuclear explosions of 1998. The US would also try to strengthen its security relations with other countries like Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and even the ASEAN countries for the same purpose. The US focus on China also limits the extent to which it can put pressure on Russia for achieving its strategic goals in Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia. The recent decision by President Obama to abandon the missile defence project in Poland and the Czech Republic is a reflection of this limitation.

China has naturally reacted to the US initiatives by its own moves to protect its vital national interests. Its strategic partnership with Russia aims at countering the US global hegemony and unilateralism. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation including China, Russia and Central Asia Republics excepting Turkmenistan as members serves the same purpose besides enhancing regional cooperation to combat terrorism, extremism and separatist movements within the member states. China's strategic relationship with Pakistan balances in South Asia the effect of the growing US strategic partnership with India. China is also engaged in diplomatic moves to strengthen its relations with the ASEAN countries, Japan and South Korea with which it maintains extensive trade and economic relations.

Historically, the rise of a new great power, which challenges the prevailing world order, has led to tensions and wars with the established great powers. This was especially the case when the existing great powers were not able to accommodate the emerging great power through necessary adjustments in the global political, security and economic architecture. The question whether the 21st century would be a century of peace or of war and conflict will be decided fundamentally by the ability or the failure of the US and the Western countries to accommodate China's rise, by adapting the existing world order dominated by the West to the strategic compulsions of China's phenomenal rise.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Opinions/Columns/27-Oct-2009/SinoUS-relations/

Posted by Sajjad Ahmad - http://www.markthetruth.com

Too many questions no answers

The terrorism issue in Pakistan has always been a multidimensional problem ranging from targeted acts of terror by political separatists in Balochistan to mass acts of terror by religious extremists and even here there are some critical differences which unfortunately the US has been attempting to erase and put everything under the label of "Al Qaeda". Had the government of Pakistan been able to resist this damaging effort to lump all terrorism under one label, we would have been able to tackle the multiple fronts confronting us in a more effective manner. As it is, even now, under US pressure, the far more serious issue of Balochistan is being neglected as the Pakistani state focuses simply on FATA, which will cost the country dearly. This neglect of our multidimensional terrorist problem has diverted us from dealing with the threats that are now confronting us. To take just one example of the present trend that has begun, targeting military installations and personnel, there are some issues that need to be highlighted.

There are certain questions that are beginning to come to one's mind the more one sees targeted attacks against the military in Islamabad. While soldiers and officials have been targeted by the "Taliban" - which has now become such an all-encompassing category that it defies explanation and allows so many elements to exploit the label for their own ends - primarily in the areas of the ongoing military operations, there is a new pattern that needs to be identified and discerned. To begin with, is it simply a coincidence that the GHQ was targeted in the immediate aftermath of the army's press release expressing concerns over the then Kerry Lugar Bill (now Act)? That attack effectively derailed the debate going on in Parliament and allowed Shah Mahmood Qureshi to do his Munich style appeasement and sell out the Pakistani nation to Washington. The opposition got diverted and the formulation of a strong resolution got lost somewhere in the terrorism cloud. Soon after the GHQ attack, we saw Brigadier Moin's targeted killing in Islamabad and on Tuesday (27th October) another Brigadier was targeted outside his home. Now both these attacks were not the usual Taliban-style terrorism and the young motorbike riders did not "look" like the typical Taliban either according to eye witnesses. Then there is the question of how they managed to disappear and remain hidden, even though the police managed to get their pen sketches made.

 

Linked to these questions is the claim made by the TTP that they had carried out the GHQ attack. This is interesting because the TTP is the only terrorist outfit that is not identified by name in the Kerry Lugar Act. We also know that the TTP's weapons are coming from Afghanistan and to top it all off, the Pakistani nation and military have been shocked at the US/NATO withdrawal from their check posts along the Afghan side of the border with Pakistan immediately when the Pakistan army began its full-scale action in South Waziristan. Given how the US had been pressuring Pakistan into commencing this action, why would they then decide to vacate their check posts and thereby create an enabling environment for arms flows to the TTP? These are questions that when linked up pinpoint to a questionable US design vis a vis the Pakistan military. The reasons behind this have been elaborated in earlier columns.

However, there is also anther link that needs to be highlighted. That is the shenanigans, in Islamabad, of US diplomats and covert operatives - be they linked to Blackwater, Dyncorps or Inter-Risk. On Tuesday, early morning, four US diplomats were caught with weapons in the vicinity of Margalla police station in sector F-8 - but as always the police were helpless in the face of US pressure and had to let the men go. This is the sixth known case in recent times of US diplomats and undercover operatives being caught with weapons and/or harassing local citizens. One such incident also involved Dutch diplomats. But the question is: what are these diplomats doing carrying weapons to and from their embassy? Whom are they delivering these weapons to and who are they taking these weapons from? When linked to the illicit weapons caches' of Inter Risk and arms licenses being given to the US embassy without following proper procedures, there is a very real issue about US involvement in questionable covert actions in the Capital and beyond.

This becomes even more tenable when one goes back to the Inter Risk company's training of at least 200 ex-servicemen for the US, whom the US refused to hand over for questioning to the Pakistani authorities and instead tucked them away in "safe houses. These trained guards were also supposed to have been given some of the illicit weapons.

Finally, returning to the attack on GHQ, the attackers were not random militants but well-trained men also adept in deception, especially their leader, Aqeel alias Dr Usman, who almost got away by mingling with the crowd after the siege had ended - but for a guard who recognised him and hit him from behind.

Given the serious concerns that are only growing over what exactly the US is up to, especially with some journalists like S. F. A. Shah from Peshawar facing life threats from US operatives in that city, it is time the state sought to re-examine the multidimensional terrorist threats emanating from different sources. Only when we are clear about whom we are contending with on different fronts, can we formulate effective policies to fight the threats. It is a dangerous reductionism to simply lay every act of violence and terror at the doorstep of the "Taliban" and Al-Qaeda. Even here, which Taliban group are we talking about? The US has mesmerized the Pakistani state into simplifying everything and thereby glossing over the American game plan in this region, especially vis a vis Pakistan. For this naiveté we are continuing to pay a heavy price, not only in lives lost but in institutions undermined.

 

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Opinions/Columns/28-Oct-2009/Too-many-questions-no-answers/

Israel rations Palestinians to trickle of water

Amnesty International has accused Israel of denying Palestinians the right to access adequate water by maintaining total control over the shared water resources and pursuing discriminatory policies.
 
Sheperds stand beside a cistern in the village of Umm al-Kheir, in the southern West Bank (OPT), September 2009.

These unreasonably restrict the availability of water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and prevent the Palestinians developing an effective water infrastructure there.

"Israel allows the Palestinians access to only a fraction of the shared water resources, which lie mostly in the occupied West Bank, while the unlawful Israeli settlements there receive virtually unlimited supplies. In Gaza the Israeli blockade has made an already dire situation worse," said Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International's researcher on Israel and the OPT.

In a new extensive report, Amnesty International revealed the extent to which Israel's discriminatory water policies and practices are denying Palestinians their right to access to water.

Israel uses more than 80 per cent of the water from the Mountain Aquifer, the main source of underground water in Israel and the OPT, while restricting Palestinian access to a mere 20 per cent.

The Mountain Aquifer is the only source for water for Palestinians in the West Bank, but only one of several for Israel, which also takes for itself all the water available from the Jordan River.

While Palestinian daily water consumption barely reaches 70 litres a day per person, Israeli daily consumption is more than 300 litres per day, four times as much.

In some rural communities Palestinians survive on barely 20 litres per day, the minimum amount recommended for domestic use in emergency situations.

Some 180,000-200,000 Palestinians living in rural communities have no access to running water and the Israeli army often prevents them from even collecting rainwater.

In contrast, Israeli settlers, who live in the West Bank in violation of international law, have intensive-irrigation farms, lush gardens and swimming pools.

Numbering about 450,000, the settlers use as much or more water than the Palestinian population of some 2.3 million.

In the Gaza Strip, 90 to 95 per cent of the water from its only water resource, the Coastal Aquifer, is contaminated and unfit for human consumption. Yet, Israel does not allow the transfer of water from the Mountain Aquifer in the West Bank to Gaza.

Stringent restrictions imposed in recent years by Israel on the entry into Gaza of material and equipment necessary for the development and repair of infrastructure have caused further deterioration of the water and sanitation situation in Gaza, which has reached crisis point.

To cope with water shortages and lack of network supplies many Palestinians have to purchase water, of often dubious quality, from mobile water tankers at a much higher price.

Others resort to water-saving measures which are detrimental to their and their families' health and which hinder socio-economic development.

"Over more than 40 years of occupation, restrictions imposed by Israel on the Palestinians' access to water have prevented the development of water infrastructure and facilities in the OPT, consequently denying hundreds of thousand of Palestinians the right to live a normal life, to have adequate food, housing, or health, and to economic development," said Donatella Rovera.

Israel has appropriated large areas of the water-rich Palestinian land it occupies and barred Palestinians from accessing them.

It has also imposed a complex system of permits which the Palestinians must obtain from the Israeli army and other authorities in order to carry out water-related projects in the OPT. Applications for such permits are often rejected or subject to long delays.

Restrictions imposed by Israel on the movement of people and goods in the OPT further compound the difficulties Palestinians face when trying to carry out water and sanitation projects, or even just to distribute small quantities of water.

Water tankers are forced to take long detours to avoid Israeli military checkpoints and roads which are out of bounds to Palestinians, resulting in steep increases in the price of water.

In rural areas, Palestinian villagers are continuously struggling to find enough water for their basic needs, as the Israeli army often destroys their rainwater harvesting cisterns and confiscates their water tankers.
In comparison, irrigation sprinklers water the fields in the midday sun in nearby Israeli settlements, where much water is wasted as it evaporates before even reaching the ground.

In some Palestinian villages, because their access to water has been so severely restricted, farmers are unable to cultivate the land, or even to grow small amounts of food for their personal consumption or for animal fodder, and have thus been forced to reduce the size of their herds.

"Water is a basic need and a right, but for many Palestinians obtaining even poor-quality subsistence-level quantities of water has become a luxury that they can barely afford," said Donatella Rovera.

"Israel must end its discriminatory policies, immediately lift all the restrictions it imposes on Palestinians' access to water, and take responsibility for addressing the problems it created by allowing Palestinians a fair share of the shared water resources."

Blast in Goa By Ram Puniyani - India

Goa, the paradise for tourists, witnessed a bomb kept in a scooter going off on the eve of Divali (17th Oct 2009) in Margao. It killed Malgonda Patil and seriously injured Yogesh Naik. Another bomb was detected in Sancoale in a truck carrying 40 youth for Narkasur competition. Interestingly Narkasur day, one of the five festivals of Divali, is celebrated in Goa on a big scale. Sanatana Sanstha, to which both the activists belong, is opposed to Narkasur festival on the ground that it is celebration of evil. The second aim of this blast was to create communal tension in Margao, which has a history of communal violence. Fortunately, the bomb went off before being planted in the crowded place and so the casualty was less.

This is the same Sanatan Sanstha, which came to light in the context of a blast which occurred in Gadkari Ragayatan in Thane on 4th June 2008, this had injured seven people. In one of the few cases of success in investigating such cases in Maharashtra or anywhere for that matter, the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Police, succeeded in nabbing the culprits, against whom cases are going on still. It was a clear case of involvement of Hindu Right wing organizations involved in a case of terrorism. The culprits belonged to Hindu Janjagaran Samiti (HJS), an outfit of Sanatana Sanstha, whose one of the ashrams is based in Panvel near Mumbai. These culprits were also involved in other blasts, in Vashi, Panvel and Ratnagiri.

In Thane the blasts were done to protest against the play Amhi Pachpute, a satirical play on Mahabharata. The allegation was that the play insults Hindu Gods. The earlier blast in Panvel was in a theater where the film Jodha Akbar was being screened. In this film the Hindu princess is married to Akbar, a Muslim king, and that is regarded by these outfits as insult to Hindu religion.

Sanatan Sanstha founded by Dr. Jayant Balaji Athwale is inspired by the political ideology of Savarkar of Hindu Mahasabha and Hedgewar of RSS. It has branches spread all over, including one in Panvel near Mumbai, while its head office is in Ramnathi in Goa. In earlier Thane and nearby blasts also all the accused belonged to this organization. Sanatan Sanstha says it has nothing to do with the blasts, despite the fact that those involved were members of the organization. Police is investigating the links of these accused with the recent Miraj Sangli riots in Maharashtra on the eve of elections (2009).

The same organization also brings out a paper called Sanatan Prabhat, carrying the ideas of Hindu Rashtra, and propagating against minorities. Since the last overt action from this organization, no serious action has been taken against this organization, despite Maharashtra ATS asking for a ban on this organization. Now it surfaces that Goa transport miniter Dhavalikar's wife Jyoti is also associated with this organization. It is again same organization which campaigned forcefully against the screening of M.F. Hussein's film 'Through the eyes of a painter', due to which the screening of the film in the Goa Film Festival held in November 2008 was shelved.

One recalls that starting from April 2006, many acts of blasts done by the RSS associates, Bajrang Dal, Sadhvi Pragya group etc. came to light. The pattern of these was to target the mosque at time when the crowd of Muslims is maximum there, especially on the Jumma, Friday afternoon namaz (prayer). In case of Sanatan Sanstha associates the blasts so far seems to be taking place to protest against something which they don't approve of, staging of play Amhi Pachpute, screening of Film Jodha Akbar to here in Goa the celebration of Narkasur festival. The Hindutva related terror seems to be having two types of operations, from which they can be demarcated. And so within the Hindutva inspired terror groups these two clear cut demarcations need to be understood.

What is strikingly painful is the police and media response to such events. One knows that in Bajrang Dal- Sadhvi Pragya variety of terrorism starting from Nanded to Malegaon, the investigation has been lukewarm and slow. Initially the investigators refused to believe that Hindu Right wing groups can be part of terror acts. It is only after Hemant Karkare'e immaculate investigation unearthing the role of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Dayananad Pande and company that it was taken with some seriousness. One recalls Karkare having stated that he has collected all the evidence against Sadhvi group. Despite that why the investigation is so slow?

One also recalls that while doing this investigation, Karkare was under immense pressure, he was called Deshdrohi (anti National) etc. His pain and anguish went to the extent that he shared this with a senior police officer, Julio Rebeiro, who in turn correctly advised him to continue doing his work with same degree of professionalism. It is same Karkare who got killed in the 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai prompting the then Minorities Affairs minister A.R. Antuley to state that there may be something more than meets the eye in the murder of Karkare. Will the truth ever come out?

When any blast takes place, and what are popularly called 'Jihadi terrorists' are suspected, the newspapers generally devote front page banner headlines, with all details and suspicions spelt out day after day. In cases related to Nanded types or the ones related to Hindu Jagran Samiti type, the coverage is relegated to small columns in the back pages. The visual media which generally carries non-stop running commentary around such an event is now muted when it comes to Hindutva inspired terror.

Abhay Vartak, the spokesperson of Hindu Sanatan Sansthan said that his organization has nothing to do with these blasts. He went on to say that talk of his organization being part of it and so banning it, is meant to defame his organization. But still the problem remains, those who have done it are part of his organization. Why they are regularly involved in it, in personal capacity or as organization is a question which needs to be answered? What they preach, teach, indoctrinate due to which the terrorists are mushrooming in his Ashram needs to be investigated.

A terrorist is a terrorist. To mete out different treatments to them according to their religion is a product of biased minds and distorted social common sense, which needs to be overcome to strive for justice.

http://www.markthetruth.com/pakistan-a-the-world/168-blast-in-goa.html

Balochistan SOS

THE targeted killing of Balochistan's Minister for Education was a deadly reminder of the ongoing terrorism in that province. It is unfortunate that the federal government, apart from declaratory platitudes expressing support and good intent, has failed to move substantively to resolve the problems in that deprived part of Pakistan. The irony is that on Balochistan everyone knows what should be done - that is political and economic solutions to resolve the feeling of discrimination and neglect that are harboured there. With each passing day, the hatred and suspicions mount on all sides and increasing polarisation is becoming ever more evident. After all, the targeted Minister, Shafiq Ahmed Khan, was a strong opponent of the use of military force in the province and a strong proponent apparently of Baloch rights. Yet, because he was in the provincial government, he became a target for the terrorists.

Worse still, our enemies outside are feeding this terrorism in Balochistan and exploiting the people's resentment towards the state. Kabul continues to house the militant leadership. A critical question our leaders should pose to the US is why it, as the major occupation force in Afghanistan, is unable or unwilling to prevent the militants from using Afghanistan for launching of operations against Pakistan? Or is it a deliberate policy of the US to keep Balochistan destabilised, so as to hinder cooperative ventures like the Iran-Pakistan pipeline to be operationalised; and also to allow themselves space for launching terrorism through Jundullah into Iran's Sistan province?

 

The fact of the matter is that Balochistan presents a far graver problem than FATA in terms of Pakistan's future security and integrity. Because the terrorism and militancy in Balochistan is more targeted, and focused on security personnel, strategic plants and those seen as government collaborators, national focus remains diverted to the more sensational nondiscriminatory and more lethal killings through suicide bombings and bomb blasts that are thought to emanate from the Taliban militants of FATA. But the fast-paced alienation of the Baloch from the state of Pakistan requires a rapid politico-economic response from the state. By allowing ourselves to be diverted to FATA under the usual pressure from the US, we are tending to ignore the Balochistan problem even as external forces are busy exploiting this situation and giving ample succour to the militants who they hope will ignite the fissiparous tendencies within the province. It is time the state offered to welcome back the Prodigal Balochs who are prepared to accept the state and negotiate with it. It is time the green and white crescent and star flew all over Pakistani Balochistan again and was raised across the province by the people of the land itself.

 

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Opinions/Editorials/27-Oct-2009/Balochistan-SOS/

India's unjust stand

IT is really comforting to hear Turkey reaffirm its stand on endorsing the UN resolutions calling for a plebiscite to allow the Kashmiris their right to self-determination. While this show of support would greatly help bring the issue in its true perspective, New Delhi must be boiling with rage to see a country of Turkey's stature not shying away from calling a spade a spade.

But the Indian government has grown a thick skin to all such criticism. The oppressed people of Held Kashmir are determined to make India give up its unjust stand. Islamabad's efforts, aimed at resuming the dialogue process to solve the conflict in line with the wishes of the people, have so far gone waste. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's latest offer of talks has therefore grim prospects of having any effect in the near future. New Delhi on the contrary has been muddying the waters for Pakistan, sparking unrest in Balochistan. On the diplomatic front, it has been carrying out a vicious propaganda campaign to defame Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism. Despite all that, no one can deny the fact that India has failed in its nefarious designs. Yesterday, the scene in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley where people took to the streets condemning its illegal occupation, speaks volumes about their indefatigable will. The purpose of the strike was also to underscore human rights abuses by the Indian security forces. But the most unfortunate thing is that rather than going for a UN brokered solution, we have Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram coining the absurd term of "quiet diplomacy". There is nothing new about this. Everyone has been a witness to the brutal way the Kashmiri struggle for liberation from the Indian yoke has been dealt with. Hence the term, quiet diplomacy. Also in an attempt to further befool the world, the Indian leadership has been referring to the Valley as its 'integral part', which is all about pushing Pakistan to the corner. This integral part allows it to have complete control over the Indus river system. The dams in the occupied territory built in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty are frequently used to stop the flow of water into Pakistan destroying its agriculture and water system.

 

A lot is at stake. The Turkish leader has done the right thing by alarming the world of the danger posed by the conflict. The international community, particularly the leaders in Western capitals, must step forward to stop India's repression of Kashmiris and compel it to abide by its commitment to let them decide their future in a UN-sponsored plebiscite.

 

 

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Opinions/Editorials/28-Oct-2009/Indias-unjust-stand/

MTT Newsletter:25 - MTT Special Edition - Security Alert

Salam Everybody,
 
It has been learned that the terrorists are using valid ID cards of Pakistani nationals, who are either died or lost their ID cards in the past. Additionally, some franchises of different mobile companies and irresponsible staff of these companies also issuing mobile SIMs without taking good care. Therefore, the government, with the co-operation of mobile phone companies, started a new service to let you know that how many SIMs are issued against your NIC credit card.
 
The procedure is very simple. No matter which mobile company you are using. Just send one SMS to 668 and write your ID Card number in the massage. Your mobile company will send you one sms notifying you number of SIMs issued against this ID Card from each mobile company servicing in Pakistan. Make sure that total number of SIMs issued against your ID Card number are in your knowledge. And If you have any questions or doubt about the information, you received. Please contact immediately with your mobile phone company.
 
Visiting their nearest office at earliest is highly recommended.
 
Use your new CNIC number and also try the old NIC number. Additionally, check all CNICs and NICs of your family members.
 
If members of your family or relatives are living abroad, especially those, who are illegal immigrants or asylum seekers in other countries. Please also check their CNICs and make sure that nothing wrong is going on, on their names. And they will not be thrown back or in the jail on fake terrorist allegations.
 
If you found any discrepancy, YOU MUST VISIT YOUR MOBILE PHONE COMPANY AND NEAREST POLICE STATION TO INFORM THEM ABOUT THE INCIDENT. Additionally, do let us know too. As we always need such informations to provide quality contents.

 

 

Thanks

 

Saj

 

 

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Landgrab in Kashmir

ALL-PARTIES Hurriyet Conference Chairman Ali Geelani has announced a protest throughout the Occupied State against the Indian military being given more than 4.161 million kanals of land to build cantonments. This was the issue that Mr Geelani raised in a press conference in Srinagar after several weeks under house arrest. At the press conference he said that the Indian military had already occupied the land, where it had built residences for the forces stationed there. Mr Geelani announced that on October 30, there would be a peaceful demonstration and strike in Shopian, while there would be a movement against the occupation throughout the State.

The landgrab by the Indian occupation forces is not just an attempt to change the Muslim-majority status of Kashmir, but also comes after a huge protest against the attempt to hand over state land for the use of Hindu pilgrims. This is also the latest attempt to give Kashmiri land to non-Kashmiris under the excuse of a transfer to a federal department. The land given to the Hindu pilgrims, by the Kashmir state forest department to the Amarnath Shrine Board, had to be reversed after massive protests by the populace, which led to several deaths in police firing, which indicates that Kashmiris will not tolerate the wanton handing over of Kashmiri land, even if it is state land, under any circumstance.

 

This is not the first attempt to grab Kashmiri land by the New Delhi government, which has always attempted to reverse its own solemn commitments, made to the UN, through its Resolutions, to have a plebiscite in Kashmir so that its people may express the right of self-determination. The evil logic goes that if the Occupied State loses its Muslim majority, the need for a plebiscite will somehow go away. Now the landgrab is being carried out by the occupation forces, even though they have carried out so many murders and rapes. This makes them peculiarly unsuited to occupy Kashmiri land, which they would make more unsafe by their predatory tactics, whereby they would terrorise the neighbouring population. While transferring land to the Indian occupying forces is the logical next step that New Delhi will try in its unending attempt to change the Kashmiri majority in the State into a minority, the gallant Kashmiri people will, as before foil this latest attempt. However, this is doubly dangerous: this land has already been occupied, and built upon; and the occupiers are the occupying forces, not a civilian department. Therefore, India should immediately make sure that it does not worsen its already bad position.

 

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Opinions/Editorials/21-Oct-2009/Landgrab-in-Kashmir/

 

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TTP Terrorists Are Using These Weapons To Fight Pakistan

Anti-Pakistan TTP Terrorists Equipped With U.S., Indian, German, Weapons

 

In one case, Germany sent 10,000 small weapons to Afghanistan.  Half of them have disappeared.  This is a classic way of supporting insurgencies without being caught.  German investigators can never accuse German intelligence of crossing the NATO mandate and helping CIA in extracurricular activities.  The Americans are good at dismissing their double actions in Afghanistan as conspiracy theories.  Here is a brief, detailed and sourced account of what types of foreign-origin sophisticated weapons are in use against the Pakistani military.  A ragtag army of criminals, throat-slitters and mercenaries could never have faced one of the world's largest organized armies if not for outside sophisticated support.

 

By Akhtar Jamal

Wednesday, 21 October 2009.

WWW.AHMEDQURAISHI.COM

 

ISLAMABAD – Reports reaching here confirm that hundreds of militants from Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or the so and other associated groups are equipped with most sophisticated American, Indian and German weapons.

 

According to a survey the weapons in the possession of these militants included U.S. made M249 automatic machine guns, U.S.-made Glock pistols, Indian hand guns, FN Browning GP35 9mmx19mm, Indian automatic machine pistols GLOCK 17 9mmx19mm, Indian machine guns Heckler & Koch MP5A3 9mmx19mm, Indian made Sterling L2A1 sub machine guns, Israeli licenced Indian made UZI 9mmx19mm sub machine guns and German Walther-P1 pistols.

 

During Swat operation, a number of the Indian army used Vickers-Berthier (VB) light machine guns were also recovered.  The recovery of Indian designed weapons were not astonishing for Pakistan But what was more surprising for Pakistani officials is that the U.S. and German weapons were recently introduced in the Waziristan area. [CONTINUED BELOW]

 

 

Weapons Used By -Foreign-Funded TTP Terrorists Against Pakistan    

      

 

[Left to right] U.S. made M249 automatic machine guns, U.S.-made Glock pistols, and FN Browning GP35 9mmx19mm

 

 

Glock 17 

  

 

 [Left to right] Indian machine guns Heckler & Koch MP5A3 9mmx19mm, Indian made Sterling L2A1 sub machine guns

      

             

 [Left to right] a model of Israeli licenced Indian made UZI 9mmx19mm sub machine guns and German Walther-P1 pistols

 

 

 

German sources today confirmed that thousand of German guns are being sold illegally on Afghan, Pakistan black markets.  The German guns were sent to Afghanistan for police and army via a U.S. agency.

 

The weapons were sent in 2006 and were intended for local police and army personnel.

 

According to the latest reports in 2006, the German Defense Ministry shipped 10,000 old Walther-P1 pistols to the Afghan Interior Ministry to equip Afghan police and army.

 

However, both the German government and the responsible US-led security team in Afghanistan failed to properly monitor the guns' distribution and use.  The U.S. unit was quoted by a German source as saying that "it only had detailed records of German Walther-P1 pistols, numbering 4,563 pistols out of a total 10,000."  It is believed that German officials failed to pursue the investigation in Afghanistan due to non-cooperation from the Afghan Government.

 

In February this year, CNN has reported that more than one-third of all weapons the United States has procured for Afghanistan's government are "missing."

 

On February 12, 2009, CNN had quoted a U.S. Government Accountability Office report as saying that the U.S. military failed to "maintain complete inventory records for an estimated 87,000 weapons -- or about 36 percent -- of the 242,000 weapons that the United States procured and shipped to Afghanistan from December 2004 through June 2008."

 

The report elaborated that the U.S. military "is unable to provide serial numbers for 46,000 of the missing 87,000 weapons" and that "no records have been maintained for the location or disposition for the other 41,000 weapons."

 

Mr. Akhtar Jamal is a senior journalist and founder editor of the independent PPA News Agency.

 

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In defence of the army!

It took 25 years longer than George Orwell thought for the slogans of 1984 to be reality. "War is Peace," "Freedom is Slavery," "Ignorance is Strength." I would add: "Lie (or rather lying) is Truth" (Paul Craig Roberts; Former Assistant Secretary in the Reagan Administration).

Many analysts and columnists have endlessly advocated strong and stringent constitutional restrictions on the Pakistani Army's role in the political affairs of the country. Undoubtedly, the army should stay out of political intervention and interference in the governing process and leave the running of the state to the democratic dispensation.

In my article titled Re-inventing the Role (The Nation, December 12, 2007) I issued a warning against any kind of political adventurism by the army generals, however, it is vitally important and absolutely imperative in the national interests of Pakistan to defend the statement issued in the Corps Commanders Conference chaired by General Kayani expressing "serious concern" on the Kerry-Lugar Bill passed by the US Congress.

In the first place, the expression of "concern" on the said bill is not an intervention in the political process of the country. It is simply institutional "input" by the military high command in the making of a state policy in which the institution of the army, itself, is most likely to be intentionally targeted and adversely hit by a foreign country. Indeed, the army has a constitutional obligation to express its disapproval of an interstate policy that is directly infringing on the internal structural and management dynamics of a vitally important national institution. The army cannot allow this kind of interference in its internal affairs by a foreign power. The question is: Would the US permit a foreign country to meddle in the affairs of its own armed forces? No, definitely not. Then why should the Pakistani army be subjected to US interference?

Even more important are the contextual elements: In the context of the KLB and the nationwide alarm and controversy that the said bill has caused, the army high command's reaction is not only legitimate, it is democratically and morally imperative. After all, Pakistani soldiers, in all their ranks, are citizens of this country. Do we expect them to sit back and let national sovereignty be eroded by the whims of the US administration and have this nation reduced to the level of an absolute client and dependent state - its armed forces hired to do the proxy wars of US-Western neo-imperialism? The answer to this question is "no," and every Pakistani citizen understands and supports the army's response to the bill, as they should.

More than anything else, the army's expression of "serious concern" on the said bill has been hailed by the Pakistani nation as an expression of public sentiment where the government has failed, and the opposition parties in Parliament have had a muddled response - until the army's high command went public on this issue. Now, rightfully, the army's reaction is being viewed as an impetus to the beginning of a nationwide publicly supported debate on the very nature of the US-Pakistan military-economic alliance.

Last but not least is the fact that the Presidency in Islamabad and the Pakistani ambassador in Washington have wilfully orchestrated a de-facto oligarchic centre of decision-making and political-economic-military management of foreign policy all unto themselves. However, national policy in a democratic set up is made by a consensus of all institutions in the country; on top of that, it must be fundamentally responsive to general public sentiments. Obviously, in present day Pakistan, this has not been happening. But the good news is, thanks to the army's expression of "serious concern," the nation will not take it any more.
The Pakistani public has reached the end of its patience. This game is about to end!

There is a storm gathering in the wind! People are crying, "Foul!" everywhere, in every inch of Pakistan!

Listen carefully, if you will…!

They are saying "no more" of this clandestine, veiled, illicit and manipulative US-Pak alliance politically organised by the vested interests on both sides…!

Isn't it curious that every time the Pakistani nation unites to debate an important national issue, "terrorist" activities become increasingly bold and vicious? Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that "terrorism" in this country is funded by external actors interested in the continued destabilisation of this country - prolonging the so-called War on Terror and the prevailing military-economic status quo. Listen…the people of Pakistan are saying: War is not Peace, Freedom is not Slavery, Ignorance is not a Strength, Lying is not Truth…Stop all of your manipulations!

I support the army's expression of "serious concern" to the KLB because it is a window to the sentiments of the Pakistani people and what they are thinking, feeling, saying, and suffering…!

You should support it too!

The writer is a professor, political analyst and conflict-resolution expert.

 

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Opinions/Columns/16-Oct-2009/In-defence-of-the-army/

 

By Sajjad Ahmad - http://www.markthetruth.com

 

China, Pakistan pledge to strengthen ties

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao(R) shakes hands with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in Beijing, capital of China, on Oct. 15, 2009.(Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani met Thursday in Beijing and pledged further efforts to enhance bilateral ties.

Wen said the China-Pakistan friendship had weathered the changes on the world stage and the strategic cooperative partnership was maintaining a good momentum.

China understood and supported the Pakistani government in framing and carrying out security and development strategies in line with its state interests and circumstances, said Wen.

China was willing to boost cooperation in finance, hydro-electricity, education, culture, railway, road transport and the fishing industry.

China considered ties with Pakistan one of the priorities in foreign relations and it hoped to continue high-level exchanges and increase coordination on major international and regional issues of common concern, such as terrorism.

Gilani said China was Pakistan's most reliable friend and strategic cooperative partner.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (3rd L) holds talks with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani (3rd R) in Beijing, capital of China, on Oct. 15, 2009. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Pakistan was willing to work with China to boost cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture, rail and road transportation, he said.

Gilani reiterated Pakistan's firm stand in supporting China on issues relating to Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang.

At the invitation of Wen, Gilani arrived in China Monday for a four-day official visit. This is Gilani's first visit to China as Pakistani prime minister.

China to encourage domestic companies to join Sri Lanka's reconstruction

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) meets with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka (L) in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 16, 2009.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Friday in Chengdu that the Chinese government will encourage domestic companies to cooperate with Sri Lanka and take part in the war-hit country's reconstruction as well as economic and social development.

Wen made the remarks in a meeting with his Sri Lankan counterpart Ratnasiri Wickremanayake on the sidelines of an international trade and investment fair, which opened Friday morning in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

"It meets the fundamental interests of China and Sri Lanka to develop the partnership of comprehensive cooperation and is conducive to regional peace, stability and development," Wen said.

China supports Sri Lanka's strive for national reconciliation, stability and economic development, he noted.

Wickremanayake appreciated China's assistance, and said his country hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in such fields as economy, trade, infrastructure and education in a bid to realize lasting peace and development.

Source: http://china.globaltimes.cn/diplomacy/2009-10/477924.html

Posted by Sajjad Ahmad - http://www.markthetruth.com

Do You Think Kashmir Is An Integral Part Of India?

Do You Think Kashmir Is An Integral Part Of India?

If so, indulge me and try the following exercise:

1] Frame an argument, or even your position on the subject, that states why Kashmir should remain part of India.

2] Then replace the word 'India' with 'the British empire', and 'Kashmir' with 'India'.

I suspect that your sentiments will then appear rather similar to those expressed by Winston Churchill when he opposed India's independence. The principle that our freedom fighters fought for then was that Indians alone should be in charge of India's fate, and not the British; it could similarly be argued today that Kashmiris alone should be in charge of Kashmir's fate, and not other Indians. Anything else is imperialism.

I write this post because of heated discussions on a couple of email groups about two articles that appeared this weekend:

1. Independence Day for Kashmir by Swaminathan Aiyar.

2. Think the Unthinkable by Vir Sanghvi.

"As a liberal, i dislike ruling people against their will," writes Aiyar, and suggests a plebiscite in which "Kashmiris decide the outcome, not the politicians and armies of India and Pakistan."

Sanghvi writes: "If you believe in democracy, then giving Kashmiris the right to self-determination is the correct thing to do."

I agree with both of them—and my concern extends to the North-East, where we treat the people as badly as the British once treated us, if not worse. Of course, given the imperatives of Indian and Pakistani politics, a plebiscite is impossible, and no solution to Kashmir exists. The wound will fester on. Nationalists need not worry.

By Amit Varma

http://www.indiauncut.com/iublog/article/do-you-think-kashmir-is-an-integral-part-of-india/

China humiliates India, blocks Arunachal development fund

New Delhi, September 18:

China has successfully obstructed the Asian Development Bank (ADB) from acknowledging Arunachal as a part of India. Pakistan, Japan and Australia assisted China in convincing the international lobby that Arunachal does not belong to India.

China has won a vote against India's "disclosure agreement" of a proposed development project in Arunachal Pradesh. This prevents ADB from funding any development project in the area under India's spearhead.

India had earlier isolated China and secured approval of the entire ADB board members for its 2.9 billion country plan. China had raised objections to the plan because it included 60 million projects in Arunachal Pradesh. China argued that ADB cannot fund projects in disputed areas like Arunachal Pradesh.

Few weeks after its failed attempt to block ADB funds for an Indian development project in Arunachal Predesh, China struck back, despite most of the western block and US in India's favour.