Islamic Republic of Pakistan : News, Discussions & Updates
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Pakistan has successfully pissed off the Pashtuns now, this is gonna be fun...
Incoming National Security Adviser Bolton: Pakistan Could Be 'Iran on Steroids'
March 23, 2018 6:32 PM
FILE - Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Feb. 24, 2017, in Oxon Hill, Md.
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WASHINGTON —
President Donald Trump’s latest pick for national security adviser, John Bolton, says the United States cannot walk away from the war in Afghanistan because of the larger threat from the Taliban, the Islamic State terror group and al-Qaida.
Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who is widely known for his hardline views, is set to become Trump’s new national security adviser, after his predecessor, H.R. McMaster resigned following reports of “irreparable” differences with the president and other key White House officials.
WATCH: Experts: Trump's Bolton Pick Signals Shift Toward More Aggressive US Foreign Policy
Direct link
Bolton told an audience in Washington in late February that Americans are frustrated that the U.S. is still in Afghanistan.
“We didn’t start this war, we don’t want this war. But one side doesn’t get to say, 'OK, we’re tired of it, I think it’s over,’ ” he said while speaking at the Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security in Washington.
FILE - National security adviser H.R. McMaster waves as he walks into the West Wing of the White House in Washington, March 16, 2018.
A case for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan
Bolton’s views on ensuring the Taliban are degraded square with Trump’s Afghan strategy announced last August. Trump committed to sustaining the U.S. military campaign for as long as necessary and empowered American field commanders in Afghanistan to make tactical decisions as they deemed necessary.
But the Trump administration has since faced criticism about the lack of a complementary political and diplomatic strategy to achieve reconciliation in a country replete with ethnic fault lines, government corruption and a resilient Taliban.
In an interview with VOA, former U.S. Ambassador Robin Raphel praised Bolton’s recognition that the U.S. cannot walk away from the Afghan war.
Buts she noted Bolton must also recognize “the need to energize the political track, as has been affirmed by [Defense] Secretary [Jim] Mattis and General [John] Nicholson, who recognize there’s no military solution to Afghan conflict.” Nicholson is commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan and the Resolute Support Mission.
FILE - In this April 7, 2004 file photo, Robin Raphel, coordinator of the State Department's Office of Iraq Reconstruction, discusses the U. N.'s Oil for Food Program on Capitol Hill during an appearance before Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Radicals in Pakistan
Conceding that the Taliban insurgency is gaining momentum, Bolton has argued that a more compelling reason for the U.S. staying the course in the Afghan war is to prevent radicals in neighboring Pakistan from being emboldened.
During his talk last month, Bolton said radicals inside Pakistan “already controlled the military’s intelligence wing and are [an] increasing threat across the officer corps.” He went on to say that if Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal were to fall into the hands of the radicals, “you would have Iran on steroids right now.”
Pakistani officials have long rejected the notion that the country’s nuclear arsenal is at risk, even though the founder of the country’s nuclear weapons program, A.Q. Khan, once sold the technology to Iran and other countries.
The former U.N. ambassador cautioned that the risk of Pakistan selling or transferring nuclear devices to terrorist groups would be a danger not only to India but also to the rest of the world. This view is likely to stir the long-standing view held by a section of Pakistan’s security establishment that the U.S. wants a permanent foothold in Afghanistan to secure Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in case of emergency.
Bolton has called on Americans to be patient about the Afghan conflict, despite the war being “costly in terms of American lives.”
“There’s a lot of dissatisfaction with the Afghan performance over the years. We’re obviously in a difficulty in our relationship with Pakistan. It’s been a difficult relationship for a long time,” Bolton said in his speech at the Morgan school.
FILE - Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a panel discussion at Asia Society in New York, Sept. 20, 2017.
Taliban talks
Bolton is assuming the post of Trump’s national security adviser at a time when U.S. officials are attempting to persuade the Taliban to engage with the recent peace overtures by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Ghani has pledged the Taliban’s reintegration in Afghanistan’s political and administrative structures, if they lay down the arms and willingly morph into a political party.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells recently told VOA she believed the Taliban were taking time to weigh the Afghan president’s peace offer. Wells expressed hope the Taliban would indicate their willingness to engage in negotiations over what she described as Ghani's “forward-leaning approach” ahead of the Tashkent Peace Conference that opens Monday in Uzbekistan’s capital.
Delegates from the U.S., European Union, Turkey, China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other regional partners will participate in a two-day huddle in support of Ghani’s peace initiative. According to the latest reports, Taliban leaders have not contacted Uzbek authorities or other parties signaling their willingness to participate in the Tashkent conference.
March 23, 2018 6:32 PM
FILE - Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Feb. 24, 2017, in Oxon Hill, Md.
Share
WASHINGTON —
President Donald Trump’s latest pick for national security adviser, John Bolton, says the United States cannot walk away from the war in Afghanistan because of the larger threat from the Taliban, the Islamic State terror group and al-Qaida.
Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who is widely known for his hardline views, is set to become Trump’s new national security adviser, after his predecessor, H.R. McMaster resigned following reports of “irreparable” differences with the president and other key White House officials.
WATCH: Experts: Trump's Bolton Pick Signals Shift Toward More Aggressive US Foreign Policy
Direct link
Bolton told an audience in Washington in late February that Americans are frustrated that the U.S. is still in Afghanistan.
“We didn’t start this war, we don’t want this war. But one side doesn’t get to say, 'OK, we’re tired of it, I think it’s over,’ ” he said while speaking at the Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security in Washington.
FILE - National security adviser H.R. McMaster waves as he walks into the West Wing of the White House in Washington, March 16, 2018.
A case for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan
Bolton’s views on ensuring the Taliban are degraded square with Trump’s Afghan strategy announced last August. Trump committed to sustaining the U.S. military campaign for as long as necessary and empowered American field commanders in Afghanistan to make tactical decisions as they deemed necessary.
But the Trump administration has since faced criticism about the lack of a complementary political and diplomatic strategy to achieve reconciliation in a country replete with ethnic fault lines, government corruption and a resilient Taliban.
In an interview with VOA, former U.S. Ambassador Robin Raphel praised Bolton’s recognition that the U.S. cannot walk away from the Afghan war.
Buts she noted Bolton must also recognize “the need to energize the political track, as has been affirmed by [Defense] Secretary [Jim] Mattis and General [John] Nicholson, who recognize there’s no military solution to Afghan conflict.” Nicholson is commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan and the Resolute Support Mission.
FILE - In this April 7, 2004 file photo, Robin Raphel, coordinator of the State Department's Office of Iraq Reconstruction, discusses the U. N.'s Oil for Food Program on Capitol Hill during an appearance before Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Radicals in Pakistan
Conceding that the Taliban insurgency is gaining momentum, Bolton has argued that a more compelling reason for the U.S. staying the course in the Afghan war is to prevent radicals in neighboring Pakistan from being emboldened.
During his talk last month, Bolton said radicals inside Pakistan “already controlled the military’s intelligence wing and are [an] increasing threat across the officer corps.” He went on to say that if Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal were to fall into the hands of the radicals, “you would have Iran on steroids right now.”
Pakistani officials have long rejected the notion that the country’s nuclear arsenal is at risk, even though the founder of the country’s nuclear weapons program, A.Q. Khan, once sold the technology to Iran and other countries.
The former U.N. ambassador cautioned that the risk of Pakistan selling or transferring nuclear devices to terrorist groups would be a danger not only to India but also to the rest of the world. This view is likely to stir the long-standing view held by a section of Pakistan’s security establishment that the U.S. wants a permanent foothold in Afghanistan to secure Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in case of emergency.
Bolton has called on Americans to be patient about the Afghan conflict, despite the war being “costly in terms of American lives.”
“There’s a lot of dissatisfaction with the Afghan performance over the years. We’re obviously in a difficulty in our relationship with Pakistan. It’s been a difficult relationship for a long time,” Bolton said in his speech at the Morgan school.
FILE - Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a panel discussion at Asia Society in New York, Sept. 20, 2017.
Taliban talks
Bolton is assuming the post of Trump’s national security adviser at a time when U.S. officials are attempting to persuade the Taliban to engage with the recent peace overtures by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Ghani has pledged the Taliban’s reintegration in Afghanistan’s political and administrative structures, if they lay down the arms and willingly morph into a political party.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells recently told VOA she believed the Taliban were taking time to weigh the Afghan president’s peace offer. Wells expressed hope the Taliban would indicate their willingness to engage in negotiations over what she described as Ghani's “forward-leaning approach” ahead of the Tashkent Peace Conference that opens Monday in Uzbekistan’s capital.
Delegates from the U.S., European Union, Turkey, China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other regional partners will participate in a two-day huddle in support of Ghani’s peace initiative. According to the latest reports, Taliban leaders have not contacted Uzbek authorities or other parties signaling their willingness to participate in the Tashkent conference.
The U.S. added several Pakistani companies to the Entity List yesterday "based on their involvement in the proliferation of unsafeguarded nuclear activities that are contrary to the national security and/or foreign policy interests of the United States."
Pakistan
(1) Akhtar & Munir, Hussain Plaza 60-B No. 3, Adamjee Road, Punjab 46000, Pakistan;
(2) Engineering and Commercial Services (ECS), 204, 2nd Floor, Capital Business Center, F-10 Markaz, Islamabad, Pakistan;
(3) Marine Systems Pvt. Ltd., 2nd Floor, Kashmir Plaza, Blue Area, G-6/F-6 Islamabad, Pakistan;
(4) Mushko Electronics Pvt. Ltd., Safa House Address, Abdullah Haroon Road, Karachi Pakistan; and Victoria Chambers, Abdullah Haroon Road, Saddar Town, Karachi Pakistan; and Office No. 3&8, First Floor, Center Point Plaza, Main Boulevad, Gullberg-III, Lahore, Pakistan; and 26-D Kashmir Plaza East, Jinnah Avenue, Blue Area, Islamabad, Pakistan; and 68-W, Sama Plaza, Blue Area Sector G-7, Islamabad, Pakistan;
(5) Pervaiz Commercial Trading Co. (PCTC), PCTC House, 36-B Model Town, Lahore, Pakistan;
(6) Proficient Engineers, Tariq Block, 437 New Garen Town, Lahore, Pakistan; and
(7) Solutions Engineering Pvt. Ltd., a.k.a., the following two aliases:
—Solutronix Engineering Pvt. Ltd. and
—Solutronix Pvt. Ltd.
95A Solutions Tower, DHA Phase 8 Commercial Broadway, Lahore, Pakistan; and 54-B PAF Colony, Zarar Shaheed, Lahore, Pakistan; and Ground Floor, Almas Tower, Begum Salma Tassadaq Road, Near E Plomer, Lahore, Pakistan; and Suite 1&4, Hafeez Chamber 85 The Mall Lahore, Pakistan; and Gohawa Dak Dhana Bhatta Kohaar, Lahore, Pakistan; and Sehajpal Village, near New Airport Road, Lahore, Pakistan; and, Office #201, 2nd Floor, Capital Business Center, F-10 Markaz, Islamabad, Pakistan; and 156 The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Federal Register :: Addition of Certain Persons to the Entity List and Removal of Certain Persons From the Entity List; Correction of License Requirements
Pakistan
(1) Akhtar & Munir, Hussain Plaza 60-B No. 3, Adamjee Road, Punjab 46000, Pakistan;
(2) Engineering and Commercial Services (ECS), 204, 2nd Floor, Capital Business Center, F-10 Markaz, Islamabad, Pakistan;
(3) Marine Systems Pvt. Ltd., 2nd Floor, Kashmir Plaza, Blue Area, G-6/F-6 Islamabad, Pakistan;
(4) Mushko Electronics Pvt. Ltd., Safa House Address, Abdullah Haroon Road, Karachi Pakistan; and Victoria Chambers, Abdullah Haroon Road, Saddar Town, Karachi Pakistan; and Office No. 3&8, First Floor, Center Point Plaza, Main Boulevad, Gullberg-III, Lahore, Pakistan; and 26-D Kashmir Plaza East, Jinnah Avenue, Blue Area, Islamabad, Pakistan; and 68-W, Sama Plaza, Blue Area Sector G-7, Islamabad, Pakistan;
(5) Pervaiz Commercial Trading Co. (PCTC), PCTC House, 36-B Model Town, Lahore, Pakistan;
(6) Proficient Engineers, Tariq Block, 437 New Garen Town, Lahore, Pakistan; and
(7) Solutions Engineering Pvt. Ltd., a.k.a., the following two aliases:
—Solutronix Engineering Pvt. Ltd. and
—Solutronix Pvt. Ltd.
95A Solutions Tower, DHA Phase 8 Commercial Broadway, Lahore, Pakistan; and 54-B PAF Colony, Zarar Shaheed, Lahore, Pakistan; and Ground Floor, Almas Tower, Begum Salma Tassadaq Road, Near E Plomer, Lahore, Pakistan; and Suite 1&4, Hafeez Chamber 85 The Mall Lahore, Pakistan; and Gohawa Dak Dhana Bhatta Kohaar, Lahore, Pakistan; and Sehajpal Village, near New Airport Road, Lahore, Pakistan; and, Office #201, 2nd Floor, Capital Business Center, F-10 Markaz, Islamabad, Pakistan; and 156 The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Federal Register :: Addition of Certain Persons to the Entity List and Removal of Certain Persons From the Entity List; Correction of License Requirements
Bajwa Doctrine video by WION
India, world should thank Pakistan for efforts to curb terrorism: DG ISPR
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) DG Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor has on Wednesday said that India should be thankful to Pakistan for the country’s efforts to stop terrorism from spreading across the region.
Speaking at a press conference, DG ISPR said that Pakistan has played a significant role in eliminating terrorism from the region and that the world, including India, should be grateful to Pakistan for stopping terrorism from penetrating into neighbouring countries.
Referring to Pakistan-US relations, Maj Gen Asif said that the ties between the two countries have been affected by president Donald Trump’s tweet on January 1 which accused Pakistan of lying and deceiving the US. He also said that had Pakistan not played a positive role in history, US would not have been a superpower.
DG ISPR also shed light on the role of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its impact on the all-weather ties between the two nations. “The first challenge for the country is the CPEC which will help in development of the entire region,” He said.
The Hard Limits of Pakistan's Media Freedom
…………. there is an abundance of caution {By the Pakistani Media} when it comes to subjects involving the army, its intelligence agencies, or even the retired officers of the armed forces. Media outlets know well the most probable outcome of negative coverage: being branded anti-state, a foreign agent, a traitor etc.
That seems to be one of the reasons for the media blackout of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) gatherings in Islamabad and parts of Balochistan province in February and March. Manzoor Pashteen, the 26-year-old PTM leader, is accused of being anti-Pakistan, an agent of RAW (India’s intelligence agency), and getting funds from foreign countries.
India, world should thank Pakistan for efforts to curb terrorism: DG ISPR
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) DG Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor has on Wednesday said that India should be thankful to Pakistan for the country’s efforts to stop terrorism from spreading across the region.
Speaking at a press conference, DG ISPR said that Pakistan has played a significant role in eliminating terrorism from the region and that the world, including India, should be grateful to Pakistan for stopping terrorism from penetrating into neighbouring countries.
Referring to Pakistan-US relations, Maj Gen Asif said that the ties between the two countries have been affected by president Donald Trump’s tweet on January 1 which accused Pakistan of lying and deceiving the US. He also said that had Pakistan not played a positive role in history, US would not have been a superpower.
DG ISPR also shed light on the role of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its impact on the all-weather ties between the two nations. “The first challenge for the country is the CPEC which will help in development of the entire region,” He said.
The Hard Limits of Pakistan's Media Freedom
…………. there is an abundance of caution {By the Pakistani Media} when it comes to subjects involving the army, its intelligence agencies, or even the retired officers of the armed forces. Media outlets know well the most probable outcome of negative coverage: being branded anti-state, a foreign agent, a traitor etc.
That seems to be one of the reasons for the media blackout of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) gatherings in Islamabad and parts of Balochistan province in February and March. Manzoor Pashteen, the 26-year-old PTM leader, is accused of being anti-Pakistan, an agent of RAW (India’s intelligence agency), and getting funds from foreign countries.
I can see why the Pakistanis hate Haqqani & Malala Yousufzai. They make impossible demands of the Pakistanis and then criticise them when they fail to live up to them. In other words , the Pakistanis suspect them of setting up the Pakistanis to fail.
Didn't the much hyped Chi-Pek project include billions of dollars of power projects?(With second-hand parts of thermal power plants being decommisioned in China)
Lol, I was in Pakistan last month and went to Gilgit, it's still part of Pakistan and nobody gives a hoot what map an Internet entity is showing.CSIS - a leading American think tank has posted a map of Pakistan without #GilgitBaltistan.... Times change....the same think tank used to promote maps showing Gilgit as an integral part of #Pakistan while favoring its annexation...
Ad by Govt. of Pakistan restricting Freedom of Expression for web based users
3 policemen killed in FATA
At least three policemen were martyred in Dera Ismail Khan on Friday as a roadside bomb exploded when a police convoy was passing through the area, DawnNewsTv reported.
The incident took place in Kolachi tehsil of DI Khan where the convoy of District Police Official (DPO) Zahidullah reportedly came under attack when a remotely-controlled IED exploded near the convoy on Hathala Road, police said.
As a result of the explosion, three policemen travelling in a squad vehicle accompanying the DPO lost their lives whereas four others sustained injuries. Fortunately, DPO Zahidullah survived the incident unscathed.The injured policemen have been shifted to DHQ hospital Dera Ismail Khan.
A heavy contingent of law enforcement officials surrounded the area following the blast and started search operations, police said.
Karachi police bust gang of bike snatchers involving PAF, Navy employees
Karachi police’s Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) on Friday announced to have busted a gang of motorbike snatchers involving employees of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan Navy.
The official said 14 motorcycles were recovered from the possession of the arrested suspects — identified as Sohail Murtaza and Younas Jones. "Their accomplice Shahjehan, an official of Pakistan Navy, is still at large," the SSP said.
“Sohail Murtaza is a civilian employee of PAF while Shahjehan is part of the administrative staff at a Navy complex,” added the senior officer in a press statement.
The arrested suspects would evade security checks after committing crimes by showing their service cards to the police, SSP Raza maintained. “They took stolen motorcycles to chop shops for selling parts in other areas," he added.
At least three policemen were martyred in Dera Ismail Khan on Friday as a roadside bomb exploded when a police convoy was passing through the area, DawnNewsTv reported.
The incident took place in Kolachi tehsil of DI Khan where the convoy of District Police Official (DPO) Zahidullah reportedly came under attack when a remotely-controlled IED exploded near the convoy on Hathala Road, police said.
As a result of the explosion, three policemen travelling in a squad vehicle accompanying the DPO lost their lives whereas four others sustained injuries. Fortunately, DPO Zahidullah survived the incident unscathed.The injured policemen have been shifted to DHQ hospital Dera Ismail Khan.
A heavy contingent of law enforcement officials surrounded the area following the blast and started search operations, police said.
Karachi police bust gang of bike snatchers involving PAF, Navy employees
Karachi police’s Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) on Friday announced to have busted a gang of motorbike snatchers involving employees of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan Navy.
The official said 14 motorcycles were recovered from the possession of the arrested suspects — identified as Sohail Murtaza and Younas Jones. "Their accomplice Shahjehan, an official of Pakistan Navy, is still at large," the SSP said.
“Sohail Murtaza is a civilian employee of PAF while Shahjehan is part of the administrative staff at a Navy complex,” added the senior officer in a press statement.
The arrested suspects would evade security checks after committing crimes by showing their service cards to the police, SSP Raza maintained. “They took stolen motorcycles to chop shops for selling parts in other areas," he added.
No its their own old tribal mentality. They have been same from before creation of Pakistan.
Pahtoons have been RULING the present day pakistan for several centuries
They consider themselves Superior to Punjabis
Infact Punjabis are scared of Puhtoons ; therefore this strong desire to keep Afghans
busy in a civil war
But their violent mentality and resultant actions give bad name and problems to all of us. All of suicide bombers in any terror incident in Pakistan were pushtoons, not punjabi or sindhi