Recently in Pakistan's double game Category

What a surprise. "Pakistan's Next Premier an Islamist Comeback Kid," by Sebastian Abbot for the Associated Press, May 13:

The man set to become Pakistan's next prime minister after historic elections over the weekend could be called the Islamist comeback kid.

Nawaz Sharif has held the job twice before, but the last time didn't end so well. The 63-year-old was toppled in a coup by the country's army chief in 1999 and sent into exile in Saudi Arabia. He spent years in the steamy Gulf before brokering his return in 2007.

After serving as the country's main opposition leader, Sharif came roaring back in Saturday's elections, in which his Pakistan Muslim League-N party scored a resounding victory.

Sharif's supporters believe his pro-business background and years of experience in government make him the right person to tackle the country's many economic woes, like growing power cuts, painful inflation and widespread unemployment. He is also a main proponent of improving ties with Pakistan's archenemy and neighbor India, a step that would likely boost his country's economy.

Critics worry that Sharif, who is known to be personally very religious, is soft on Islamic extremism and won't crack down on militants that pose a serious threat to Pakistan and other countries — chief among them the Taliban and al-Qaida-linked groups.

The United States will be watching Sharif closely, since Washington relies on help from Islamabad to fight Islamic militants in Pakistan and to negotiate an end to the war in neighboring Afghanistan.

The son of a wealthy industrialist from central Punjab province, Sharif entered politics as a protege of Gen. Zia ul-Haq, who seized power in a military coup in 1977. Sharif was prime minister from 1990-93 and again from 1997-99.

Sharif's second stint in power was cut short when he was toppled in a military coup and sent into exile by Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who was then serving as army chief. The coup followed an attempt by Sharif to fire Musharraf by preventing his plane from landing when he returned from a trip abroad.

In an ironic twist, Musharraf is currently under house arrest in Pakistan after returning from self-imposed exile, and it will be up to Sharif's government to decide whether to bring treason charges against the former military strongman.

Following the 1999 coup, Sharif spent seven years in exile before Musharraf grudgingly allowed him to return in November 2007, apparently under pressure from Saudi Arabia's king, an important ally of Pakistan....

This should not surprise anyone. Nothing was done while they were in captivity to disabuse them of their understanding that they had a responsibility before Allah to wage jihad warfare against non-Muslims and apostates (i.e., the Western-backed Karzai regime). So why would anyone have expected that, once freed, they would do anything but go back to the jihad?

"Some Taliban prisoners released by Pakistan are back in battle, officials fear," by Richard Leiby and Kevin Sieff in the Washington Post, February 9 (thanks to Jerk Chicken):

KABUL — Pakistan’s release late last year of several imprisoned Taliban officials and fighters, which it advertised as a good-faith effort to help bring peace to Afghanistan, is now prompting questions about whether the gesture has yielded anything but potential new dangers for NATO and Afghan troops.

American, Afghan and Pakistani officials say they believe some of the freed Islamist movement members have rejoined their colleagues waging war against Western troops and the coalition-backed government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

With its long-standing links to Afghan Taliban insurgents, Pakistan has a vital role in nudging them to the table as the United States winds down its involvement in the 11-year war in Afghanistan. But Pakistan’s handling of the prisoner release once again subverted the trust of the Afghans, who were supposed to receive the captives and keep tabs on them to lower the risk of any returning to terrorist havens in Pakistan.

The whereabouts and even the number of ex-prisoners have remained murky since their release in two batches in mid-November and late December by Pakistan’s powerful spy agency, the ­Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, as part of a road map drawn up by the Afghan High Peace Council to build the militants’ confidence.

Despite an earlier agreement, the ISI failed to consult with the council when it set many of the captives free. On Friday, however, the Pakistani government pledged to coordinate future Taliban releases with the council, in a belated admission that it had blindsided the Afghans.

The U.S. military is keenly interested in the former captives’ whereabouts and is trying to track down any who have returned to the Taliban in Afghanistan — and wants to identify those participating in the reconciliation process so they won’t be targeted.

‘Back to their old ways’

“It’s all a black hole,” one U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

A Pakistani security official confirmed that 18 men were freed and described them as junior to mid-level members of the Islamic movement, including field commanders and foot soldiers.

“Some have gone back to their old ways, with their old friends,” said the official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity....

No kidding, really? But Pakistan is our valued friend and ally! Just ask John Kerry!

"Nukes could be hijacked by radicals: Pak scientist," from PTI, February 1 (thanks to Lookmann):

London: Increasing radicalisation within Pakistan's military could lead to its nuclear weapons being hijacked by radical Islamists, a Pakistani scientist has warned.

"Safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is of a major concern.

The growing radicalisation within the military, given attacks on its own internal bases, could lead to these nuclear weapons being hijacked by radical Islamists," said Pervez Hoodbhoy, who was here for the London launch of his book 'Confronting the Bomb'.

The nuclear physicist and defence analyst estimated Pakistan's arsenal to be similar to India's, at around 120-130 warheads....

"India and Pakistan have come close to nuclear war at least five times in 1987, 1990, during Kargil (1999), after the attack on the Indian Parliament (2001) and the Mumbai attacks in 2008.

Given the history of nuclear tension, we can't afford to be passive on this issue. The fallout, from the blast itself to the radioactive effects, will be felt not just in the sub-continent but around the world," he said.

"Confronting the Bomb: Pakistani & Indian Scientists Speak Out", published by Oxford University Press and edited by Hoodbhoy, is a compilation of essays by scientists from both sides of the border.

It kicks off with the atomic age in India in 1974, followed by Pakistan and traces the furious nuclear race after the 1998 nuclear tests.

"Pakistan started developing its nuclear weapons only because India embarked on it. India has remained primary enemy. But to some extent that perception is changing, with Gen Kayani (Chief of Pakistani Army Staff) recently saying that Pakistan's major challenge is the enemy within.

So there seems to be a doctrinal shift within the army but Kayani himself is under attack within the forces," said Hoodbhoy, who admits receiving threats against his own life.

"Jihadists still operate within Pakistan and the state's policy regarding Islamists has been a confused one," added Hoodbhoy, a visiting professor in the physics department at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)....

It doesn't really seem to be all that confused.

Over at PJMedia I discuss John Kerry's howlingly false statements about Pakistan helping us find Osama bin Laden:

Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported last Thursday, no doubt with some relief, that during his confirmation hearing for his nomination as secretary of State, Senator John Kerry declared that he opposed cutting American aid to Pakistan, which he saw as a “‘dramatic, draconian and sledge-hammer’ measure. Senator Kerry also said that Pakistan’s role in leading the United States to Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad had not been sufficiently appreciated.”

Who is Kerry kidding? The Pakistani government didn’t help the U.S. find bin Laden. In fact, they were enraged that they had not been filled in on the details of the hunt, which was a wise decision in light of the jihadist ties of the ISI, the Pakistani spy service.

How enraged were they? Let’s recall how events unfolded in May 2011, just after bin Laden was killed. The day his killing became known, May 2, 2011, 800 Pakistanis held a rally in Quetta, proclaiming:

Bin Laden was the hero of the Muslim world and after his martyrdom he has won the title of great mujahed.

But that was only 800 people. The vast majority of Pakistanis rejected the views of this tiny minority of extremists, right? Wrong. By just over a week after bin Laden’s death, 100,000 Osama bin Laden posters had been sold in Pakistan. Two weeks after his death, 4,000 bin Laden supporters rallied in Lahore to protest the killing of bin Laden, chanting “America is the worst enemy of humanity!” A nationwide poll conducted at that time found 51 percent of Pakistanis saying that they felt grief over bin Laden’s death.

Of course, none of this means that the Pakistani government didn’t help the U.S. find bin Laden, even if its cooperation was unpopular with its own people. However, that wasn’t the case, either. The CIA confirmed just after the raid that Pakistani officials had not been informed about it for fear that they would “jeopardize the mission.” This fear appeared to be amply justified when Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir gave the U.S. a warning: “There shall not be any doubt that any repetition of such an act [i.e., the bin Laden raid] will have disastrous consequences.”

A Pakistani opposition leader, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, lamented: “This is the biggest tragedy in the history of Pakistan after the fall of East Pakistan in 1971.” He added: “Heads should roll.” There were prayers for bin Laden in Pakistan’s National Assembly. The nation’s parliament condemned the raid and even threatened the U.S. with sanctions.

Does John Kerry really not know any of this, or does he just hope that we don’t? His appointment represents a continuation of policies that have failed again and again, and seem to be immune to evaluation in light of how they have played out on the world stage. There is at this point no reason whatsoever for the U.S. to continue to send billions of taxpayer dollars to Pakistan.....

There is more.

Who is Kerry trying to fool? The Pakistani government didn't help the U.S. find bin Laden. In fact, they were enraged that they had not been filled in on the details of the hunt, which was a wise decision in light of the jihadist ties of the ISI, the Pakistani spy service. How enraged were they? Look:

Pakistani parliament condemns bin Laden raid, threatens U.S. with sanctions -- May 14, 2011

Pakistan: Prayers for Bin Laden in National Assembly -- May 11, 2011

U.S. suspects Pakistan leaked CIA station chief's name in retaliation for bin Laden raid -- May 10, 2011

Who sheltered bin Laden? Suspicion falls on Pakistan army chief -- May 9, 2011

Saudi Arabia and Turkey tried unsuccessfully to persuade Pakistan to hand over bin Laden to U.S. -- May 8, 2011

Bin Laden may have lived in Pakistan for over 7 years -- May 7, 2011

Pakistan opposition leader on bin Laden killing: "This is the biggest tragedy in the history of Pakistan after the fall of East Pakistan in 1971" -- May 6, 2011

Pakistan warns U.S. of "disastrous consequences" for any more bin Laden-style raids -- May 6, 2011

Pakistan paying U.S. lobbyists to deny it helped bin Laden -- May 5, 2011

CIA confirms: Pakistanis not notified of OBL takedown over fears they would "jeopardize the mission" -- May 3, 2011

Pakistan's jihadist ties may have led U.S. to hit bin Laden alone -- May 2, 2011

Pakistani security forces protected Osama bin Laden for 10 years -- May 2, 2011

Huge numbers of people in Pakistan hated the bin Laden raid as well:

Most Pakistanis grieve for Osama bin Laden -- May 17, 2011

Pakistan: 4,000 rally to protest bin Laden killing, chant "America is the worst enemy of humanity!" -- May 15, 2011

Pakistan: Tiny Minority of Extremists buys 100,000 Osama bin Laden posters -- May 10, 2011

Pro-Osama rally in Pakistan: "Bin Laden was the hero of the Muslim world and after his martyrdom he has won the title of great mujahed" -- May 2, 2011

And this is still true:

Time to cut off Pakistan -- Robert Spencer, May 17, 2011

"Aid cut to Pakistan will be unkind, argues Kerry," by Anwar Iqbal in Dawn, January 24 (thanks to Lookmann):

WASHINGTON: Senator John Kerry, President Barack Obama’s nominee for secretary of state, said during his confirmation hearing on Thursday that cutting US aid to Pakistan, would be a “dramatic, draconian and sledge-hammer” measure.

Senator Kerry also said that Pakistan’s role in leading the United States to Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad had not been sufficiently appreciated.

In his first appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his new role, Mr Kerry told the senators he foresaw a “more rapid” transition in Afghanistan, allowing an accelerated withdrawal of US troops before the 2014 deadline.

But the senator, who headed the committee before his nomination, assured the Afghans that America’s counter-terrorism mission in their country would continue beyond 2014.

It was Senator Rand Paul, a new Republican face in the committee, who suggested cutting US aid to Pakistan “if they do not release Dr Shakil Afridi” who, he said, was imprisoned for helping the CIA in locating Osama bin Laden. The Al Qaeda leader was killed in a US military raid on his compound in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.

Mr Kerry informed the senator that he had discussed this issue directly with President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan’s Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and like most Americans found it “incomprehensible if not repugnant, that somebody who helped us find Osama bin Laden is in jail in Pakistan”.

And “that bothers every American,” he added.

The senior US lawmaker, who stayed engaged with both Pakistan and Afghanistan as President Obama’s informal emissary during his first term, urged Senator Paul to also look at what the Pakistanis say.

“Pakistanis make the argument Dr Afridi did not know what he was doing, who he was specifically targeting … it was like a business for him,” he said, adding that this was no excuse for keeping the physician in jail.

But he said that he would stay engaged with Pakistan rather than resorting to “a pretty dramatic, draconian, sledge-hammer” approach of cutting US aid to the country Senator Paul had suggested.

Senator Kerry told the committee that the US had “a lot of interests” in this relationship, such as using Pakistani roads for sending critical supplies to US troops in Afghanistan.

The United States, he noted, was also receiving valuable on the ground intelligence cooperation from Pakistan, which also helped the Americans locate OBL.

It has been abundantly established for years now that much of this money flows to the jihadists whom the Pakistanis are supposed to be fighting. But no one cares. It just keeps flowing.

"CSF: Pakistan receives $688m for ‘war on terror’ expenses," by Sumera Khan for the Express Tribune, December 29 (thanks to Block Ness):

Pakistan received US $688 million on Friday under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), as reimbursement for the expenses of supporting over 150,000 coalition forces deployed on Pak-Afghan border.

Minister of State for Finance and Senator Saleem H Mandviwala confirmed the release of funds, along with spokespersons of the State Bank of Pakistan and the foreign office.

“After the Pentagon’s notification to the US Congress, it was quite obvious that the US would soon release the CSF amount to reimburse Pakistan’s expenses incurred during the war on terror… on Friday the amount has been received by our side,” a source in the foreign office said.

In August 2012, Pakistan had received $1.12 billion from the US under the fund. Sixty per cent of the fund is apportioned to the Pakistan Army while the remaining amount is used to meet the fiscal deficit of the economy.

According to an official source, Pakistan was under immense pressure as a result of its balance of payments schedule, and that the $688 million would help relieve the balance of payments position.

The US Deputy Defence Secretary Ashton Carter had notified Congress of the US Department of Defence’s decision in a letter on December 6. Seeking approval for the case, Carter had written in the letter that “In making this determination, I find that the reimbursement is consistent with the national security interest of the United States and will not adversely affect the balance of power in the region.”

The Defence Department’s spokesperson, George Little, also remarked that “This is a concrete illustration that our security relations with Pakistan are indeed moving forward.”...

Yet again, Barack Obama does a favor for Islamic jihadists. Indian officials, who have substantial evidence of the ISI's involvement in the attacks, are understandably angry about this. "Mumbai attacks case: India ‘disappointed’ at US immunity for ISI," from AFP, December 19 (thanks to Pamela Geller):

NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday called a declaration that Pakistan’s intelligence service and former chiefs enjoy immunity in a case related to the 2008 Mumbai attacks a “serious disappointment”.

The Indian government has long alleged that the Inter-Services Intelligence agency was behind the Islamist attacks which left 166 people dead – an accusation denied by Islamabad.

The Indian statement was in response to an affidavit filed in a US court earlier in the week in which the US government said Pakistan’s ISI and its former chiefs, Ahmed Shuja Pasha and Nadeem Taj, “enjoy immunity” in the Mumbai attacks.

The US affidavit is “a matter of deep and abiding concern”, the Indian government statement said, noting Washington has publicly said it is committed to bringing “those responsible for the Mumbai terror attacks to justice”.

“The decision of the US authorities in this case is a cause of serious disappointment,” said the Indian statement.

The New York federal court is hearing a case filed by US survivors of the Mumbai attacks and family members of the victims against Pasha, Taj and other ISI officials.

Leaders of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group, including its founder Mohammed Hafiz Saeed, are also named in the suit. India has accused Pakistan’s ISI of collaborating with the LeT to mount the attacks....

But don't be concerned: the money will still flow to our Pakistani "ally."

"Hero doctor who helped nail Bin Laden tortured in Pakistani prison, says family," from FoxNews.com, December 11 (thanks to Twostellas):

Dr. Shakeel Afridi, the jailed CIA informant who helped hunt down Usama Bin Laden, has recently been tortured in prison, the doctor’s family members told Fox News.

“I was told by a prison source that Shakeel and two guards were subjected to torture by jail administration sometime in November,” Jamil Afridi, the brother of the jailed doctor, told Fox News in a recent interview. Jamil Afridi said he had been told about the torture on Nov. 21, when he tried to visit his brother in jail but was turned away, and in a follow-up court hearing on Nov. 22.

“His privileges have been revoked and he’s been shifted to another cell,” Jamil said. “They are strict with him, and treating him inhumanely.”

Jamil Afridi, who has not been allowed to visit his brother, was reluctant to describe the details of how his brother may have been tortured, saying he feared his communications are being monitored by Pakistani authorities. But a cousin and member of Dr. Afridi's legal counsel backed Jamil’s claims.

“I received phone calls from people who have good connections with prison officials in Peshawar, and they told me Afridi has been physically tortured,” according to the cousin.

Pakistani officials did not return calls seeking comment for this report....

The idea is that the Taliban will respond to these gestures of good will by laying down their arms, ending the jihad and joining the "peace process." On the other hand, maybe these released jihadis will return to the jihad, while the Pakistanis who released them laugh up their sleeves at the endless naivete of the Americans.

Which scenario is more likely?

"Afghan peace process: 12 Taliban peace brokers may be taken off UN list," by Kamran Yousaf in The Express Tribune, November 19 (thanks to Lookmann):

Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States have identified nearly two dozen potential Taliban negotiators who are expected to be taken off the United Nations terror-list in a move that seeks to encourage insurgents to join the peace process.

This will be the second major step towards a political settlement of over a decade-long conflict in Afghanistan after Pakistan last week released at least 13 Taliban cadres from its jails.

According to official sources, the three countries have finalised the list of Taliban members for delisting from the UN sanctions list.

In the first phase, they will propose to the UN names of nearly two dozen Taliban members, who may play a crucial role in the Afghan endgame, sources added.

Names of these Taliban leaders have not been made public with one Pakistani official citing security reasons behind maintaining secrecy.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said removal of certain insurgents from the UN terror list would help restart the reconciliation process. “That is why we have supported this initiative,” he added.

More than 100 Taliban members were blacklisted for having ties with al Qaeda, which had been accused of masterminding the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

In early 2010, at least 15 of those Taliban cadres were removed from the list at the request of the Afghan government because they had either severed their links with the Taliban or had joined the Karzai administration.

But the latest efforts to remove more names are aimed at sending a message to the Taliban that all stakeholders are serious for peace negotiations.

In a jointed statement issued after the recent visit of a high-powered Afghan delegation led by Afghan High Peace Council Salauddin Rabbani to Pakistan, it listed a series of steps to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

One of them includes that all stakeholders — Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the US — work together to remove certain Taliban members from the UN terror list.

A trilateral meeting of what is known as core group will take place early next month to discuss the issue.

In addition to this, Pakistan also expects the US to free certain Taliban leaders from the Guantanamo Bay detention centre in a bid to help revive the process.

“The ball is now in their court (Afghanistan and United States),” said a Pakistani official adding that Islamabad had played its part and now it was up to Kabul and Washington to take this initiative forward.

“Our understanding is that some positive movement is expected between the Taliban and the Americans on the issue of prisoners,” revealed the official.

Bilour: Overflowing with love

Why is Ghulam Ahmed Bilour still Pakistan's federal minister for railways after publicly calling upon the Taliban and al-Qaeda to commit murder, and saying he would commit murder himself? Aren't we always told that the Taliban and al-Qaeda represent a tiny minority of extremists who are abhorred by the vast majority of peaceful Muslims? So why would a government official who expressed any kind of support for or willingness to ally with those extremists be allowed to continue in office?

"Anti-Islam film bounty: Bilour, wife banned from entering US," by Hassan Ali for the Express Tribune, November 9 (thanks to Lookmann):

The American Embassy in Islamabad has cancelled the visas of federal minister for railways Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and his wife, and banned him from visiting the US in future.

The move comes as a reaction to the $100,000 bounty Bilour had placed on the head of the producer of the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims.

Bilour had announced the bounty in September, inviting members of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda to take part in the 'noble deed', adding that given the chance he would kill the filmmaker with his own hands.

"I have received a call from the embassy today, informing me about the ban and cancellation of visas. I am not worried whether the US or UK restrict my entry into their countries; I would only be worried if I was banned on visiting Makkah and Medina but thank God this didn't happen," The Express Tribune quoted Bilour, as saying.

"When leaders of religious political parties who do politics in the name of Islam and those who kill people in the name of our religion fail to come up with a firm response against the blasphemous movie; the love for Prophet Muhammad in my heart moves me to place the bounty on the blasphemer's head," Bilour had said in a press conference last week....

"No protest is complete without a Stars and Stripes being sent up in flames." Islamic supremacists in the U.S., such as Zahra Billoo and Cyrus McGoldrick of Hamas-linked CAIR, are up in arms over the drone strikes and pressing Obama to drop them -- which he probably will soon enough, as he doesn't need them politically anymore.

"Flags on fire: Obama win may be good news for Pakistan flag-makers," from AFP, November 8 (thanks to Kenneth):

Many Pakistanis fear President Barack Obama’s re-election will mean a surge in America’s unpopular drone campaign, but for those making and selling U.S. flags to burn at protests this could be good news.

Demonstrations against Washington’s program of missile strikes against suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants are common in Pakistan, and no protest is complete without a Stars and Stripes being sent up in flames.

Nadeem Shah, the owner of a flag business in Rawalpindi, the twin city of the capital Islamabad, said he expected more drone strikes -- and more protests.

“Of course Obama has become stronger now and he will push his policies harder and there will be more drone strikes because he himself is stronger now,” Shah told AFP.

“When the drone strikes increase the protests against these strikes will also increase in Pakistan and it can have an impact on the flags and poster business.”

Pakistan’s flag industry enjoyed a boom in September when a U.S.-made anti-Islam film sparked weeks of demonstrations, almost all lit up with “Old Glory” being burned....

Her Pakistani-financed defense attorneys argued that she was just panicking. Funny how so many jihadists panic in exactly the same way.

"Aafia Siddiqui loses appeal on shooting conviction," from Reuters, November 6 (thanks to Block Ness):

NEW YORK: A US appeals court on Monday upheld the conviction and 86-year prison sentence of Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui for shooting at FBI agents and soldiers after her arrest in Afghanistan.

The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said a lower court judge had not erred in allowing Siddiqui, 40, to testify in her own defense at trial and in allowing certain evidence against her.

Siddiqui, whose conviction was widely criticized in Pakistan, was sentenced by US District Judge Richard Berman in September 2010. She was convicted by a New York federal jury of attempted murder, armed assault and other charges.

She was arrested in July 2008 by Afghan police, who said she was carrying two pounds (900 grams) of sodium cyanide and crumpled notes referring to mass casualty attacks and New York landmarks.

The day after her arrest, she grabbed an M-4 rifle in her interrogation room and started shooting while yelling “death to America,” the trial jury heard.

No US agents or soldiers were hit, but Siddiqui was shot and wounded in response, according to US prosecutors.

Siddiqui’s defense lawyers, three of whom were paid by the Pakistani government, argued that their client had shot at the US officials in a panic and said the crime lacked any connection to terrorism.

On appeal, her attorneys challenged her conviction and sentence on many grounds. They said the judge improperly allowed jurors to consider the crumpled notes, and that the judge should never have allowed Siddiqui to decide whether to take the stand.

“The district court went to extraordinary lengths to ensure that Siddiqui understood the implications of testifying and had the capacity to testify,” the opinion said....

The appeals court also sided with Berman in finding that Siddiqui had likely premeditated the attack, and that terrorism sentencing requirements were applicable because of her willingness to harm Americans.

This shouldn't surprise anyone. As I explained here in connection with similar textbooks in Saudi Arabia, there is abundant material in the Qur'an and Sunnah to support this hatred.

"'Hate content against religious minorities rampant in school textbooks across Pakistan,'" from ANI, October 25 (thanks to Lachlan):

Islamabad, Oct. 25 (ANI): Textbooks used in Pakistan's schools include factual errors and hate content, which fuels the increasing levels of intolerance and extremism in the society, according to education experts.

According to the experts, the government, civil society, education experts and citizens need to contribute to a serious process of curriculum and textbook reform to help combat the growing levels of intolerance and violence towards minority groups in society, reports the Daily Times.

These views were presented by the experts during a discussion on curriculum development and textbook reform in Pakistan, organised by the Jinnah Institute in collaboration with the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) in Islamabad.

"We need to find a balance between civil society and government initiatives so that important and innovative solutions to curriculum-related issues can be implemented," said Raza Rumi, Director of Policy and Programmes at the Jinnah Institute.

Peter Jacob, NCJP Executive Director, said such material not only negatively impacts the minds of the majority Muslim students, but also harms the education and growth of non-Muslim students. (ANI)

No kidding, really?

This supports what I said here:

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula apparently deceived many people in order to get his crude movie made. It has even been suggested that he is a jihadist who made the movie in order to provide a provocation that Islamic supremacists could use to push for destruction of the freedom of speech. But no matter who he really is, no matter how terrible of a man he may be, no matter how checkered his past or present or both may be, make no mistake: he is a political prisoner. He has been arrested not for the technicality of the probation violation, but for insulting Muhammad. His arrest is a symbol of America's capitulation to the Sharia.

The protests are not about the film. The protests are to intimidate the U.S. into criminalizing criticism of Islam. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is nothing more than the fall guy who became the first offender against the new federal crime of blasphemy against Islam.

Rehman Malik is not fooled by blather about probation violations. He knows what Nakoula's arrest is all about, and that Nakoula is a political prisoner, and he is thrilled about it. It's yet another victory for the ummah, courtesy Barack Obama.

"Anti-Islam film: Malik claims credit for producer’s arrest," by Huma Imtiaz for the Express Tribune, October 7, 2012

In yet another bizarre instant, courtesy Rehman Malik, the interior minister appeared on Saturday to claim credit for the arrest of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the producer of anti-Islam movie “Innocence of Muslims”.

“I don’t claim entire credit, but it is a credit for the Muslim Ummah, the credit goes to my government. In fact, it is our government and the entire world which took up this derogatory documentary film at all international forums,” Malik told a news conference at Pakistan’s Embassy in Washington on Saturday.

When pressed on the point that Nakoula had been arrested for violating terms of his bail in a separate case, Malik said, “I pointed out that he is a fugitive of law, I did have information. And perhaps that voice reached the right quarters, and he was arrested, it is not me who has made the arrest, but I became instrumental in appealing to the United States.”

About his meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department, Malik said he thanked Clinton and President Barack Obama for condemning the anti-Islam film.

Making a case for the extradition of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neurosurgeon jailed in the United States for terror links, Malik said she could serve rest of her jail term in Pakistan.

He said that he had raised the issue of Dr Aafia Siddiqui in his meeting with FBI Director Robert Mueller, who said the suggestion could be considered.

Malik said he had also written to the US attorney general on the matter and would release the contents of his letter soon.

The interior minister said he also raised the issue of enforced disappearances in his meetings with US officials.

“I highlighted how aggression is coming to us from Afghanistan into Balochistan and through Mohmand Agency and Khyber. How arms and ammunition are being shifted to Pakistan in the hands of so-called Azad Baloch and Maulvi Faqirullah and Fazlullah,” he added.

Asked about the Haqqani Network, the interior minister said, “The Haqqanis are not Pakistanis. That is the wrong notion, the Haqqanis are Afghans located in Afghanistan. I have emphasised that while the US is concentrating on the Haqqani Network, what about the other networks? There are so many stakeholders who are against peace in Afghanistan. Both Afghanistan and Pakistan are victims of war.”

When Islamic supremacists are confronted with the behavior of their own, they inevitably disclaim any connection to the offending party: Osama bin Laden was not a Muslim, the Haqqanis are not Pakistanis, and on and on with the nonsense.

Shameful. "The army is going to think that no matter how angry the Americans are at them, they are utterly indispensable and they can violate in any way, shape or form U.S. law and the United States will massage its law to accommodate them."

"Pakistan freed of anti-terrorism obligations; U.S. billions flow instead," by Jonathan S. Landay for the McClatchy Newspapers, October 5 (thanks to Satinder):

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration has refused for the first time to declare that Pakistan is making progress toward ending alleged military support for Islamic militant groups or preventing al Qaida, the Afghan Taliban or other extremists from staging attacks in Afghanistan.

Even so, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has quietly informed Congress that she’s waived the legal restrictions that would have blocked some $2 billion in U.S. economic and military aid to Pakistan. Disbursing the funds, she said in an official notice, is “important to the national security interests of the United States.”

Clinton’s decision illustrates how far the administration apparently has determined that it must go, after a near-breakdown in relations, to ensure Pakistan’s cooperation in the uphill U.S. effort to prevent Afghanistan collapsing into all-out civil war when American-led international combat forces complete a withdraw by the end of 2014....

“The army is going to think that no matter how angry the Americans are at them, they are utterly indispensable and they can violate in any way, shape or form U.S. law and the United States will massage its law to accommodate them,” said assistant professor Christine Fair, an expert at Georgetown University. “That’s how they are going to read this.”...

In a statement to McClatchy, the State Department said that “despite recent challenges” in relations with Pakistan, there has been progress toward rebuilding ties. It called the aid funds a “critical component of U.S. efforts to continue to build a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with Pakistan.”

“We believe we should continue building on these steps and that our civilian and security assistance is a critical component of this effort," the statement said.

Islamabad vehemently denies charges by top U.S. officials that the army-run ISI is aiding the Afghan Taliban and allied groups, such as the Haqqani network, as part of a strategy aimed at preventing rival India from gaining influence in Afghanistan after international troops withdraw.

In her Sept. 13 notices, Clinton informed Congress that she was waiving provisions of the 2009 Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act and the State Department’s 2012 budget requiring that she certify that Islamabad has met certain conditions before some $2 billion in economic, military and counter-terrorism assistance can be disbursed.

Pakistan was required to have made progress in “ceasing support, including by any elements within the Pakistani military or its intelligence agency, to extremist groups,” especially those that have attacked U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan.

Islamabad also was required to have made progress toward stopping al Qaida, the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network and allied Pakistani extremists “from operating in the territory of Pakistan” and staging attacks in neighboring countries. It also must move toward shutting down “terrorist” bases in the tribal areas and other parts of its country.

Clinton didn’t disclose which specific prerequisites Pakistan failed to meet. Those details were classified.

It’s the first time that the Obama administration has waived the requirements, something the Bush administration did six times for democracy-related sanctions....

Clinton’s decision to waive the conditions comes as the United States and Pakistan strive to rebuild a relationship battered by a series of events that began when a CIA contractor shot dead two alleged thieves in Lahore in January 2011. Ties also have worsened over intensified CIA drone strikes, which Pakistan charges are violating its sovereignty and killing civilians.

U.S. commandoes killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011 in Pakistan in a raid kept secret from the Pakistani army, embarrassing and enraging its commanders, and last November, U.S. forces in Afghanistan inadvertently killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in a border post, prompting Pakistan to close the NATO supply routes that the United States needs to ship military equipment out of Afghanistan.

The sides agreed in July to reopen the routes in a first step towards rebuilding ties, which Washington considers vital as the pullout of international forces from Afghanistan continues. It’s also seeking Pakistani help in trying to draw the Afghan Taliban into peace negotiations.

Good luck with that.

Friend and ally! "US 'inflammable' flags sold out in Pakistan," from AGI, October 3 (thanks to C. Cantoni):

(AGI) Islamabad - In Pakistan, the US flags are a hot item. In fact, they are burned by the thousands in protest against the movie on Mohammed. The student wing of the Shiite party Majlis-e-Wahadatul Muslimeen, for example, has stated that in the most active days of protest reached a pick [sic] production of 500 per hour. That same group has produced a US flag 500 meter long and 60 meter wide, that will be displayed in the near future on a Lahore street, ready to be walked upon by the protesters. The anti-US demonstrations continued during the whole month of September and caused over 20 deaths. Warranted to be flammable, every Stars and Stripes fetches between 120 and 1500 rupees (1-12 euros), but often the parties and the various religious movements buy entire stocks to be distributed to the protesters. . .

Reuters: "A supporter of the religious party Idara Sirat-e-Mustaqeem holds a placard during a rally with some 600 other protesters against an anti-Islam film made in the U.S. mocking Prophet Mohammad, in Lahore September 23, 2012...." (Thanks to Ravi)

Senate votes 81-10 not to cut aid to Pakistan

81-10. All 81 of those Senators should be voted out of office at the earliest opportunity. Evidently they think this meretricious jihad state has been a reliable U.S. ally, and that their imprisonment of the man who helped the U.S. find bin Laden is just. This is the kind of insanity that is pandemic in Washington.

"US Senate defeats bill to cut aid to Pakistan," from the Daily Times, September 23:

WASHINGTON: The US Senate overwhelmingly defeated a bill that would have denied American aid to Pakistan until the release of the imprisoned Pakistani doctor who helped CIA to trace Osama bin Laden.

The bill was defeated by 81 to 10 votes. Dr Shakil Afridi was sentenced to 33 years in jail in Pakistan on May 24 under the system of tribal justice for treason over alleged ties to Lashkar-e-Islam and not for working for the CIA, for which the court said it did not have jurisdiction.

Introduced by Senator Rand Paul, the bill also called for cutting all US aid to Libya and Egypt until those who were responsible for attack on American missions in these two countries were arrested and handed over to the US.

Following the defeat of his bill, which was opposed even by senators from his own Republican Party, Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky in a statement vowed to keep this important issue front and centre.

“When nearly 80 percent of Americans believe foreign aid should be reduced, it is inconceivable why their views are ignored by so many in Congress,” he said....

Indeed.

Obama should say that he will protect both the freedom of speech and the consulates -- not that we really need the consulates in Pakistan. But he won't. "Ultimatum to US: ‘Criminalise blasphemy or lose consulate,’" by Rana Tanveer for the Express Tribune, September 17 (thanks to all who sent this in):

LAHORE: Several Muslim parties and a Christian group held rallies on Sunday to protest against a movie released in America.

Around 10,000 people participated in the main rally organised on The Mall by the Tehreek Hurmat-i-Rasool (THR). The participants marched from Nila Gumbad to Masjid-i-Shuhada on The Mall. Despite a ban on rallies on The Mall, the road remained blocked for vehicular traffic from noon to 6pm.

The rally was addressed by Jamatud Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, THR head Ameer Hamza, JD leader Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki, Pakistan Muslim League (Zia) head Ijazul Haq, Jamaat Ulema Islam-Sami (JUI-S) leader Asim Makhdoom and Jamaat Ahle Hadith ameer Hafiz Abdul Ghaffar Ropari.

One of the participants of the rally, Abdullah Ismail, passed away after he was taken to Mayo Hospital. Witnesses said he had complained of feeling unwell from the smoke from US flags burnt at the rally.

Hafiz Saeed alleged that the film, Innocence of Muslims, had been produced with the backing of US establishment. He said the director, the producer and all those involved in the production and release of the movie must be hanged publicly. “The US must make a law against blasphemy – or we will not let the US consulates in Pakistan function,” he said.

He said a resolution condemning the movie in the parliament was not enough. Instead, President Asif Ali Zardari must announce jihad against countries like the US that supported attacks on Islam. The Organisation of Islamic Countries Conference should announce a boycott of US goods. Ijazul Haq, the PML-Z chief, said the people had shown their loyalty to Islam. He said the government leader’s silence was shameful. He said no one had dared commit blasphemy during his father Ziaul Haq’s rule.

Shabab-i-Milli, the youth wing of the Jamaat-i-Islami, also held a rally near Punjab University’s new campus.

Speaking to the gathering, Jamaat-i-Islami Ameer Munawar Hasan said the film had been produced by a Zionist with US support.

He said, “If the US claims to be a civilised nation, why does it stoop to insult other religions and civilisations?”...

So for Hasan, the height of being "civilized" is being an authoritarian state in which Muslims are a protected class and Islam is immune from criticism.

"...and the government's claims that it is cooperating with the US are a sham to extract billions of dollars in American aid."

Stop the presses! If the Washington establishment read Jihad Watch, they would have known this years ago. "EXCLUSIVE: Jailed doc who helped nail Bin Laden warns Pakistan sees U.S. as 'worst enemy,'" by Dominic Di-Natale for FoxNews.com, September 10 (thanks to Kenneth):

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Pakistan’s powerful spy agency regards America as its “worst enemy,” and the government's claims that it is cooperating with the US are a sham to extract billions of dollars in American aid, according to the CIA informant jailed for his role in hunting down Usama bin Laden.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Shakil Afridi, the medical doctor who helped pinpoint bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound before last year’s raid by SEAL Team 6, described brutal torture at the hands of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, and said the agency is openly hostile to the U.S.

“They said ‘The Americans are our worst enemies, worse than the Indians,’” Afridi, who spoke from inside Peshawar Central Jail, said as he recalled the brutal interrogation and torture he suffered after he was initially detained.

“I tried to argue that America was Pakistan’s biggest supporter – billions and billions of dollars in aid, social and military assistance -- but all they said was, ‘These are our worst enemies. You helped our enemies.’”

The ISI, Afridi said, helps fund the Haqqani network, the North Waziristan-based militant group that was last week designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The agency also works against the U.S. by preventing the CIA from interrogating militants captured by Pakistan, who are routinely released to return to Afghanistan to continue attacks on NATO forces there.

“It is now indisputable that militancy in Pakistan is supported by the ISI […] Pakistan’s fight against militancy is bogus. It’s just to extract money from America,” Afridi said, referring to the $23 billion Pakistan has received largely in military aid since 9/11....