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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: AUGUST 02-04, 2008 
 
SUMMARY:  Reports and photographs on the South Asian Association for 
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) leadership summit in Colombo dominated 
front pages in all newspapers on Monday.  Newspapers reported that a 
pact was signed to combat terrorism and fight hunger. Prime Minister 
Gilani's meeting with Afghan President Karzai in Colombo, in which 
both leaders agreed to resume talks, figured prominently.  Assistant 
Secretary Boucher's press statement in Colombo highlighting the need 
for focused and good intelligence services in Pakistan received 
front-page coverage. Secretary Rice's remarks indicating the use of 
some U.S. power along with full Pakistani power in the FATA also 
garnered front-page coverage. Also highlighted were reports that a 
Pakistani female neuroscientist is alive and is in U.S. custody in 
Afghanistan. President Musharraf's statement that plots were being 
hatched against the ISI received prominent coverage. 
 
Some major dailies continued to run editorials on the western media 
onslaught on the role of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) while the 
others reviewed various aspects of the just-concluded SAARC summit. 
An op-ed in leading mass circulation Urdu daily "Jang" pointed out 
that ISI and other Pakistani intelligence agencies are "our national 
assets."  To protect them from external conspiracies, the columnist 
said, it is imperative to make them answerable to the Parliament. 
Another Urdu daily, "Islam," argued that the U.S. media claim to be 
independent, but in fact, they always publish and broadcast whatever 
the CIA and the Zionist lobby feed them.  End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
¶1. "SAARC Accord To Curb Terror, Fight Hunger" "Dawn" (08/04) 
 
"South Asian leaders signed a legal cooperation pact on Sunday to 
combat terrorism and agreed to set up a food bank to fight hunger in 
the face of rising food prices in one of the world's poorest 
regions.  But the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation 
(SAARC), a forum of eight nations, made little progress on trade, 
the central theme of the group formed in 1985." 
 
¶2. "Gilani, Karzai Agree To Re-Engage, "The News" (08/04) 
 
"The leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed on Sunday to 
"re-engage" in the fight against Islamic extremism, a joint 
statement said.  Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Prime Minister 
Yousuf Raza Gilani met in Colombo on the sidelines of a Saarc summit 
and agreed after their 'cordial' breakfast meeting that their 
foreign ministers would meet over ways to build 'close and 
constructive engagement' between the neighbors, the statement 
said." 
 
¶3. "U.S. Wants 'Focused' Intelligence Services" "Dawn" (08/04) 
 
"The United States has said it will like to see 'focused and good' 
intelligence services in Pakistan working on the agenda of reining 
in terrorism that has become a cause of concern for the country's 
neighbors.  U.S.  Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said 
at a press conference here on Sunday that his government would want 
Pakistan to have a 'good intelligence service' that worked 
single-mindedly and in 'close step' with other institutions of the 
country, implying that the current mechanisms could be pursuing an 
agenda different from that of the government." 
 
¶4. "U.S., Pakistan Need To Combine Powers To Beat Militants: Rice" 
"Dawn" (08/04) 
 
"U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said that only a 
combination of U.S. and Pakistani powers can improve the situation 
in Fata, where the militants appear to have gained an upper hand. 
"It's going to take all elements of Pakistan's power, national 
power, as well as some of ours, to improve that situation," said Ms 
Rice while talking to Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter 
Isaacson, in Colorado, Aspen." 
 
¶5. "Peace Talks With FATA Militants Have Failed, Says Rice" "Daily 
Times" (08/04) 
 
"Peace talks with militants in the Tribal Areas have failed to 
produce any positive result and the situation in FATA can only be 
improved if Pakistan and the United States use their forces in this 
area, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Sunday." 
 
¶6. "Rice Hints At U.S. Action In FATA, "The News" (08/04) 
 
"Underscoring the need for immediate military action in Fata and 
areas adjacent to the Pak-Afghan border, U.S. Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice has indicated that use of some U.S. power along 
with the full Pakistani power may be on the cards to eliminate the 
terrorists groups there." 
 
¶7. "FBI Concedes Aafia Siddiqui In U.S. Custody: lawyer" "Dawn" 
(08/04) 
 
"Five years after her mysterious disappearance in Karachi, the FBI 
has finally conceded that an MIT-trained Pakistani neuroscientist is 
alive and is in U.S. custody in Afghanistan.  Aafia Siddiqui, 36, 
disappeared with her three children while visiting her parents' home 
in Karachi in March 2003, around the same time the FBI announced 
that it wanted to question her over her alleged links to Al Qaeda." 
 
¶8. "Musharraf Smells A Rat Against ISI, "The News" (08/04) 
 
"President Pervez Musharraf has said that plots were being hatched 
against the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), adding weakening this 
premier intelligence agency was tantamount to weakening the country 
and the armed forces. He said a dangerous situation was brewing and 
suggested a roundtable conference of politicians to tackle issues of 
national interest." 
 
¶9. "No ISI Involvement in Afghanistan: Rehman" "The Nation" (08/04) 
 
"Advisor on Interior Rehman Malik on Sunday categorically denied 
American accusations that the Pakistani intelligence agency is 
aiding Taliban in Afghanistan.  'There is no involvement by the ISI 
of any form in Afghanistan,' he told the Sunday Times. 'We requested 
evidence which has not yet been given.'" 
 
¶10. "U.S.-Trained Pakistani Commandos To Move Into FATA" "Daily 
Times" (08/04) 
 
"A Pakistani Special Service Group (SSG) unit, trained by Americans, 
is to be deployed in the Tribal Areas bordering Afghanistan to take 
quick and effective action against insurgents, a report in the Los 
Angeles Times on Sunday said." 
 
¶11. "Pakistan, U.S. To Jointly Address Security Concerns" "The News" 
(08/04) 
 
"Pakistan and the United States have agreed on a set of measures in 
tandem with one another to address their respective security 
concerns, Ambassador Husain Haqqani said in an interview telecast 
Friday evening.  He made a strong case for better intelligence 
cooperation between the two countries to stamp out militants along 
with border with Afghanistan." 
 
¶12. "Elahi Terms PM's U.S. Visit a Failure" "The News" (08/04) 
 
"Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Ch. Pervaiz Elahi 
has alleged that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to 
the United States could not deliver objectives set by the 
government." 
 
¶13. "Gilani Did Better in Private than Public" "The News" (08/04) 
 
"Although 'disappointing' has become a buzz word for Prime Minister 
Yousaf Raza Gilani's poor showing in Washington, knowledgeable 
officials say he relatively fared 'better in private than in 
public.'  Background discussions with U.S. experts closely watching 
his visit say the Bush administration was quite pragmatic and well 
aware of his stature and limitations, therefore, was not pinning 
high hopes on him." 
 
¶14. "PM's Visit To U.S. Put War On Terror On Solid Footing, Says 
Boucher" "Daily Times" (08/04) 
 
"Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's visit to the United States has 
given impetus to the war on terror, U.S. Assistant Secretary of 
State for South Asia Richard Boucher said on Sunday. 'We all believe 
that his (Gilani's) visit to the U.S. was very successful as it put 
a solid footing to the fight against terrorism,' he said during a 
press conference." 
 
¶15. "The Winking President Bush, "The News" (08/04) 
 
"Known for making grammatical mistakes in his speeches, President 
George W Bush showed another side of his interesting character 
recently when he winked to someone during Prime Minister Syed Yousuf 
Raza Gilani's statement to members of the press at the White House 
in Washington.  Viewers who watched the live TV coverage of the 
event are still talking about the wink that the U.S. president gave 
to somebody sitting in the front rows meant for journalists. The 
winking Bush had a mischievous smile on his face as he made the 
strange gesture. The U.S. president looked amusing while winking. In 
fact, he would have thought that this was something funny. But it 
wasn't. The winking by President Bush was in poor taste...." 
 
¶16. "Security Official, 30 Militants Killed In Swat Offensive" 
"Daily Times" (08/04) 
 
"A security official and around 30 militants were killed on the 
fifth day of the ongoing military operation in Swat on Sunday, 
sources told Daily Times." 
 
¶17. "Swat Militants Burn Down 5 Girls Schools" "Dawn" (08/04) 
 
"Five girls schools and a government office were set ablaze in Swat 
while security forces claimed on Sunday to have killed 15 militants 
during an operation in the Sijband area." 
 
¶18. "Girls School In Quetta Attacked" "Dawn" (08/04) 
 
"Suspected Taliban militants set on fire furniture, computers and 
records of a private girls' school in a suburb of the city on Sunday 
morning.  Police officers of Sariab Police Station said that four 
rooms of the Babul Islam Model Public Girls School in Ghilji colony 
had been gutted." 
 
--------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
¶19. "ISI Has Depth, Ability to Face Onslaught," an editorial in the 
Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 
5,000) (08/04) 
 
"Americans are spearheading the venomous campaign against ISI 
despite the fact that their successes in war against terror in this 
part of the world are mainly because of the intelligence sharing by 
the ISI.  Pakistan is also believed to have handed over close to one 
thousand hard-core elements to the United States.  Those who are 
fully familiar with the nature and level of cooperation between 
Pakistan and the United States are convinced that Washington will 
have to pack up within weeks once Islamabad decided to cease its 
strategic cooperation.  However, ISI being guardian of national 
interest cannot close its eyes to anti-Pakistan activities of 
foreign agencies and give them a free hand to play havoc with our 
interests...." 
 
¶20. "Propaganda Against ISI," an editorial in the Karachi-based, pro 
Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) (08/03) 
 
"The propaganda drive of the U.S. media against Pakistan's 
intelligence agency, ISI, is in full swing these days.  What is the 
aim, who is behind this movement, and what are the sources of this 
disinformation?  The answers to all these questions are no secret to 
those who are aware of the inner mechanism of the U.S. media. They 
(U.S. media) claim to be independent, but in fact, they always 
publishes and broadcast whatever is taught, and fed by the notorious 
CIA and the Zionist lobby. The U.S.-led war on terror is going to be 
a complete failure, and now the United States wants to hold Pakistan 
responsible for this crash." 
 
¶21. "Intelligence Agencies and Parliament," an op-ed by Hamid Mir in 
the leading mass circulation centrist Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 
300,000) (08/04) 
 
"ISI and other Pakistani intelligence agencies are our national 
assets.  To protect them from external conspiracies, it is 
imperative to make them answerable to the parliament.  However, 
these spy agencies can be controlled by a parliament that itself is 
sovereign and powerful.  A legislature whose chief (Prime Minister) 
looks at those elements who are sitting outside the parliament 
before making any decision cannot make these spy agencies 
responsible." 
 
¶22. "What Is America's Real Agenda?," an op-ed by Iqbal Haider in 
the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) 
(08/04) 
 
"Much to our embarrassment, Pakistan has come to be regarded as a 
satellite state of America. No policy that goes against the wishes 
of America can be pursued by our military regimes....  The fact is 
that the policies and priorities of Washington and its ally, General 
Musharaf, have only contributed to a rise in terrorism and have 
served to strengthen the extremists and militants...." 
 
¶23. "Dictation From U.S.?," an op-ed by Dr Muzaffar Iqbal in the 
centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (08/04) 
 
"It seems that the American political leadership has now determined 
to deal with Pakistan in a more substantial way. It is, therefore, 
important to understand the American agenda for Pakistan in greater 
depth in order to envision the state of Pakistani society if this 
agenda is successfully implemented. One easy way of closely 
examining the broad parameters of American agenda for Pakistan for 
the next decade would be to look at the sectors of society where the 
new aid package for Pakistan will pour money. This is because 
Americans understand very clearly that nothing can be accomplished 
unless resources are provided for the desired change." 
 
¶24. "Consequences of Prime Minister Gilani's Failed U.S. Visit," an 
editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily 
"Islam" (cir. 15,000) (08/04) 
 
"The outcome of PM Gilani's visit to the United States has 
established the apprehensions of the political analysts as true that 
this visit was a total failure, but it brought a bad name for the 
country as well.  The sanction for the upgrade of the F-16s has been 
suspended, and both the United States and Britain have also blocked 
proposed assistance for training of the Frontier Constabulary.  But 
our government is repeating the same mantra of success of the visit 
and U.S. friendship." 
 
¶25. "Poking Fun at the Prime Minister," an editorial in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (08/04) 
 
"The media is having a good time poking fun at Prime Minister Yousaf 
Raza Gilani for being terribly inarticulate during his U.S. visit. 
Criticism has been heaped on him for not 'answering back' to the 
Americans and, in particular, not conveying to them the sentiments 
of the Pakistani people....  Heads of government go abroad as an act 
of diplomacy, to use palliatives rather than stimulants of conflict, 
to protect the interest of the state. A visit therefore is an act of 
flexibility rather than challenge....  Mr. Gilani is inarticulate, 
but so was the Indian Prime Minister Shastri at Tashkent against our 
articulate General Ayub. Similarly, Muhammad Khan Junejo has been 
adjudged as our best prime minister because he defied General Zia-ul 
Haq and signed the Geneva Accords. But he was famously inarticulate 
in contrast to a garrulous General Zia. Thus there is no need to 
reiterate here the economic assistance which the U.S. has pledged to 
Mr. Gilani. It is equally unimportant to prove here that the visit 
was urgently needed because of the climaxing of a trend of 
developments on both sides of the Durand Line." 
 
¶26. "SAARC Summit And War Against Terrorism" an editorial in the 
center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (08/04) 
 
"It is said that U.S. Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher paved the 
way for Gilani-Singh meeting in Colombo.  According to Indian 
Foreign Minister Shiv Shankar, PM Gilani said he will conduct an 
independent probe into the attack on Indian embassy in Kabul.... 
Pakistan should reconsider its policies on the war against terrorism 
and Afghanistan.  American policy shows that it wants to be in 
Afghanistan for at least 10 years.  Any policy that is against the 
aspiration of a neighboring nation cannot be beneficial for 
Pakistan." 
 
¶27. "Gilani-Manmohan Meeting: Possibility Of Decrease In Pak-India 
Tension" an editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) 
(08/01) 
 
"By playing a role for a meeting between Prime Minister Gilani and 
Prime Minister Singh, the United States has made an attempt to 
decrease tension between Pakistan and India, which certainly 
succeeded.  We expect that the recent meeting between the two prime 
ministers will minimize the tension and create warmth in the 
relations between the two countries." 
 
¶28. "Gilani-Manmohan Meeting: Government's incomprehensible attitude 
vis-`-vis terrorism" an editorial in the second-largest, 
center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 125,000) 
(08/04) 
 
"Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani should have presented to Premier 
Manmohan Singh the evidence of (Indian Security Service) RAW's 
interference in Pakistan and asked him to end the same.  PM Gilani 
should also have asked the Indian government to stop leveling 
accusations against Pakistan and Indian state terrorism in Jammu and 
Kashmir.  Conversely, PM Gilani continued parroting the 'terrorism' 
buzzword and said the region has become hostage to terrorism.... 
Merely holding a meeting with PM Singh cannot be described as 
success, nor can the intent to probe ISI or seeking from India 
evidence against the intelligence agency.  It rather was a 
diplomatic failure and tantamount to falling into an Indian trap." 
 
¶29. "Karzai's Allegations and Pakistan's Forthright Stance," an 
editorial in the Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 
55,000) (08/04) 
 
"Afghan President Karzai has once again leveled charges that the 
terrorists' safe havens are becoming fortified in Pakistan yet 
again, and the bombings in Kabul, Bangalore, and Ahmadabad (India) 
are different episodes of the same series....   President Karzai 
must know that the SAARC is not a forum for bilateral issues. 
Instead of mudslinging on Pakistan, He should have called for the 
reconstruction and development of war-ravaged Afghanistan.  But it 
seems that he is more interested in protecting the interests of his 
masters." 
 
¶30. "Swat Operation: Rulers Should See Reason," an editorial note in 
the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 125,000) (08/04) 
 
"Regrettably, our forces are committing the same inhuman war crimes 
against our citizens for which American coalition forces are 
criticized.  Our Prime Minister, on the other hand, assured 
crusading President Bush that the security forces operation against 
the militants in the tribal areas will continue.  Our rulers should 
think why they are eager to spoil the peace in the country by 
partaking in the war of American interests." 
 
¶31. "Indo-U.S. Nuclear Deal," an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(08/04) 
 
"The Indo-U.S. deal has alarmed Pakistan because it draws together 
countries that have long been mutually suspicious of each other in a 
bid to offset China's growing regional power. Also, in a world where 
energy woes are set to grow, the deal will greatly improve India's 
energy security. One only hopes that our strategists will not 
succumb to grandiose notions of great power status for Pakistan and 
use the deal to trigger off a nuclear arms race in South Asia. What 
should be more worrying are the negative implications the agreement 
may have for global nuclear disarmament." 
 
¶32. "A Wake-Up Call," an op-ed by Tarik Jan in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (07/09) 
 
"Right now in FATA, the federation has lost friends. Those who side 
with the federation are killed by dubious elements. Thus, it will be 
good politics if pro-state Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan is embraced by 
the Gilani administration for seven obvious reasons: One, it will be 
a step towards restoring the government writ. Two, it will bring 
much-needed peace. Three, it will bring order to a chaotic situation 
where the colonial set-up has already collapsed. Four, once the 
local Taliban are recognized as the rightful representatives of 
their people in their region of influence, they will be able to 
chase out miscreants from their jurisdiction. Five, they can also go 
after the blood of the agents' provocateurs. Six, the Taliban can 
also negotiate neutralization of the presence of foreign elements if 
due inquiry proves their presence. Seven, it will strengthen 
Pakistan as a nation and a state." 
 
 
Bodde