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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 003231 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: OCTOBER 09, 2008 
 
Summary:  Reports of the military briefing given to the elected 
representatives of the parliament about the worsening situation in 
FATA and the U.S.-lead 'war on terror' dominated headlines in all 
newspapers on Thursday.  Newspapers reported that "military seeks 
politicians' support to fight militants."  Also front-paged were 
reports that "Pakistan overshadowed both Iraq and Afghanistan as an 
area of concern in the second U.S. presidential debate."  Reports on 
the signing into law a bill by President Bush "allowing civilian 
nuclear trade and transfer of nuclear technology to India" also 
figured prominently. Newspapers also reported that a Pakistani 
parliamentary delegation met with the incarcerated Dr. Aafia 
Siddiqui in the U.S. and found her "in good spirits." 
 
Most major dailies ran editorials on the dwindling economic 
situation in the country while some others continued to comment on 
the in-camera security briefing being given to the country 
parliamentarians.  The English daily, "Dawn," noted that "Pakistan 
stands vindicated, for Islamabad had much earlier realized the need 
for combining force with talks and was quite often reviled, 
distrusted and subjected to a well-orchestrated 'do more' campaign 
by people who themselves now appear to be doing some rethinking." 
Another English daily, "The News," observed that "much of what 
happens in the future will depend on the impact of the military 
briefing. After the process ends, it is to be seen if an agreement 
can be built on what needs to be done."  The English daily, "The 
Nation," noted that "after an in-depth briefing on terrorism, what 
Parliament needs to do is to devise a consensus policy on the issue, 
which is posing a serious threat to the country's peace and 
integrity as well as to its economy."  End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
¶1.  "Military Seeks Politicians' Support to Fight Militants; 
Opposition Dissatisfied" "Dawn" (10/09) 
 
"The military took elected representatives of the nation into 
confidence on Wednesday about the worsening situation in FATA, NWFP 
and Balochistan and the U.S.-led 'war on terror' during a joint 
sitting of the two houses of parliament held in camera....  A number 
of opposition lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with briefing, 
saying it 'lacked depth and diagnosis.'" 
 
¶2.  "Tell More, MPs To Press Today" "The News" (10/09) 
 
"Dissatisfied with the contents of Wednesday's briefing, the 
parliamentarians are unwilling to grant the much-needed 'seal of 
approval' to the government on its policy of war on terror and a 
heated question-answer session is expected today." 
 
¶3.  "Pakistan Main Issue In U.S. Debate" "Dawn" (10/09) 
 
"Pakistan overshadowed both Iraq and Afghanistan as an area of 
concern in the second U.S. presidential debate, requiring both 
Barack Obama and John McCain to spend a lot of time explaining how 
they would deal with this country when one of them is elected 
president on November 4." 
 
¶4.  "Bush Signs India N-Deal Law" "Dawn" (10/09) 
 
"U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law on Wednesday a bill 
allowing civilian nuclear trade and transfer of nuclear technology 
to India.  The bill has already been approved by both chambers of 
the U.S. Congress." 
 
¶5.  "Mushahid-Led Delegation Meets Dr. Aafia, Finds Her In Good 
Spirits" "The News" (10/09) 
 
"Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, held in a US prison, fasted through the whole 
month of Ramazan and was in good spirits, Senate Foreign Relations 
Committee Chairman Mushahid Hussain Sayed, the head of a 
parliamentary delegation that met her, said." 
 
¶6.  "U.S. After Pakhtoons' Soil, Says Azam Hoti" "The News" (10/09) 
 
"Former Federal Minister Muhammad Azam Khan Hoti on Wednesday said 
Pakhtoons' soil was being destabilized under a conspiracy.  'U.S. 
wants to occupy the natural resources of the region and using Usama 
bin Laden and Al Qaeda as tools to justify its presence in the 
area.'" 
 
¶7.  "8 Foreigners Among 23 Killed In Bajaur fighting" "The News" 
(10/09) 
 
"After a brief uneasy calm, security forces again started pounding 
positions of militants in Badano village of Mamond Tehsil of the 
restive Bajaur Agency on Wednesday, killing 23 people, including 
eight foreign militants." 
 
¶8.  "Swat Taliban Offer Conditional 'Amnesty' To Politicians" "Dawn" 
(10/09) 
 
"Amid reports that elusive commander of the Swat Taliban, Maulana 
Fazlullah has offered 'amnesty' to the politicians abandoning 
opposition to the militants, the security forces on Wednesday 
claimed rounding up 18 Taliban militants, including four close aides 
of Fazlullah." 
 
¶9.  "General Petraeus Praises Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism Focus" 
"The News" (10/09) 
 
"General David Patraeus, who later this month assumes leadership of 
the U.S. Central Command, welcomed on Wednesday Pakistan's 
increasing focus on combating terrorism in its areas bordering 
Afghanistan and urged sustained world support for the country's 
success in the fight." 
 
¶10.  "Pakistan's Sovereignty Should Be Respected, Says UN Chief" 
"Dawn" (10/09) 
 
"UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged Pakistan and the 
United States to resolve the issue of American military raids into 
Pakistani territory in pursuit of militants, emphasizing respect for 
the country's sovereignty." 
 
¶11.  "U.S. Spy Planes Violate Pakistan's Airspace" "Daily Times" 
(10/09) 
 
"Pilot-less drones from Afghanistan violated Pakistani airspace on 
Wednesday, and flew over various areas of Mohmand Agency, locals 
said." 
 
¶12.  "U.S. Not 'Safe' If Dares Intrusion: Qazi" "The Nation" 
(10/09) 
 
"Amir Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Qazi Hussain Ahmad warned on Wednesday 
that Americans would not return safe and sound if they dared 
intrusion into Pakistan." 
 
¶13.  "U.S. Group Terms Pakistan 'Greatest Single Challenge'" "The 
News" 10/09) 
 
"Calling Pakistan the 'greatest single challenge' to the next U.S. 
administration, a bipartisan group of South Asia experts recommends 
cutting aid to Pakistan unless it commits itself to the 
counter-insurgency struggle against the Taliban and Al Qaeda." 
 
¶14.  "Opposition Moves Senate On Sale Of Land To U.S." "The News" 
(10/09) 
 
"The opposition on Wednesday moved the Senate seeking an in-house 
debate on the sale of national land to the United States for 
building a military base near Tarbela." 
 
--------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
¶15.  "War Briefing," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left 
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (10/09) 
 
"It is important that a government that is widely viewed as sitting 
idle as the country bleeds make at least a show of doing something 
concrete to allay people's fears....  Pakistan stands vindicated, 
for Islamabad had much earlier realized the need for combining force 
with talks and was quite often reviled, distrusted and subjected to 
a well-orchestrated 'do more' campaign by people who themselves now 
appear to be doing some rethinking.  The point to note is that 
Pakistan should not lose sight of its own perspective of the war, 
 
and other capitals should not take Islamabad for granted." 
 
¶16.  "Behind Closed Doors," an editorial in the centrist national 
English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (10/09) 
 
"Much of what happens in the future will depend on the impact of the 
military briefing.  It is anticipated some facts not in the public 
sphere will be put before representatives, the secrets of the war 
shared across a broader spectrum.  After the process ends, it is to 
be seen if an agreement can be built on what needs to be done.  So 
far, the absence of such an agreement has handicapped efforts 
against terrorists." 
 
¶17.  "A Policy On Terror," an editorial in the center-right national 
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (10/09) 
 
"After an in-depth briefing on terrorism, what Parliament needs to 
do is to devise a consensus policy on the issue, which is posing a 
serious threat to the country's peace and integrity as well as to 
its economy.  For this the joint session could be extended till the 
objective is achieved....  A realization has finally emerged among 
major political parties that what is at stake is the country's 
integrity, and something needs to be urgently done to put an end to 
acts of the sort." 
 
¶18.  "Army, India, Al Qaeda And Zardari," an editorial in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (10/09) 
 
"A welcome development is the acceptance by the army that it needs 
to make the legislators privy to the situation and take them into 
confidence.  Yesterday, it conducted the third in-camera briefing 
session on the various security threats faced by the country.  This 
is the way of all developed democracies." 
 
¶19.  "In-Camera Session Of Parliament," an editorial in the 
Hyderabad-based liberal and independent Sindhi daily "Kawish" (Cir: 
105,000) (10/09) 
 
"We welcome present government's decision to brief elected 
representatives of people on country's current situation relating to 
operations in FATA and position on war on terrorism.  Previous 
government was mix of civilian and military thus it never felt the 
need for taking into confidence the civilians, which actually 
created uncertainty and lack of information among politicians in 
general and people at large.  These briefing will produce very 
positive results and help parliamentarians understand reality of the 
situation." 
 
¶20.  "When Will We Move Towards Self-Sufficiency?," an editorial in 
the Karachi-based, pro Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 
15,000) (10/09) 
 
"Our rulers must not depend on the U.S. and Britain to such extent 
that damage our prestige, self-respect, and repute among the 
international community.  Indeed, Pakistan is confronting a very 
grave economic crisis, and we are advancing towards economic 
failure, but with the support of people we can manage our problems." 
 
 
¶21.  "Moment Of Reflection For Our Rulers," an editorial in the 
Peshawar-based Urdu-language daily "Mashriq" (cir. 55,000) (10/09) 
 
"No sane person is asking the Government to declare war against the 
United States, India or Afghanistan, but people of Pakistan want 
from its rulers to disclose the evidences about the training camps 
of terrorists in Afghanistan, and in the Indian state Rajhistan to 
the international community to expose the designs of the U.S. and 
its allies.  On the contrary, the government officials are creating 
frustration among people by issuing irresponsible and cowardly 
statements.  Such oratory must be avoided, and we our policy of 
relying on the U.S. must be immediately revised." 
 
¶22.  "Country Requires Desperate Remedies," an editorial in the 
popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (10/09) 
 
"Instead of counting on the United States, we should request China 
and Arab states for a bailout package." 
 
¶23.  "The Act Of Raising Specter Of National Economy's Bankruptcy: 
 
Our Rulers Should Rid Themselves Of Bureaucratic Clutches," an 
editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 125,000) (10/09) 
 
"Defense Secretary Kamran Rasool is showing us the specter of 
capitulation if we did not heed the commands given by America and 
Britain.  He was wrong when he said that the war against terrorism 
is our own war, which cannot be fought or won without U.S. support. 
By driving in our hearts the fear of otherwise dwindling America our 
bureaucracy is forcing us to give in before it. If we take the path 
of self reliance, at least U.S. sanctions would not create any 
danger for our economy." 
 
¶24.  "U.S. And India's Common Target: Pakistan?," an editorial in 
the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 
50,000) (10/09) 
 
"The Pakistani forces' and public's reaction will be very strong if 
the U.S., under the supposed pretext of hunting Usama Bin Laden or 
Taliban training camps, conducts an operation  in Pakistan; and as 
stated by the Indian Foreign Minister Mukerjee in a  recent 
interview India helps [the U.S.].  This reaction will be stronger 
than that of the Iraqis, Afghans or the Lebanese Hezbollah. As a 
result, not just the region, but the entire world could be embroiled 
in devastation.   Hence, it would be better if the U.S. avoids 
taking any such unwise step.  In fact, it should try to improve the 
situation by withdrawing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan." 
 
¶25.  "U.S. Willing To Talk With Taliban," an editorial in the 
Karachi-based center-right sensationalist Urdu daily "Ummat" (cir. 
33,000) (10/09) 
 
"American willingness to hold talks with Taliban and allow Saudi 
Arabia to play that 'constructive role' comes in wake of the 
recently hosted meeting of Taliban and Afghan government by the 
Saudis. It is good that U.S. at least has come to realize this. 
France has not only supported talks with Taliban but has also 
offered to facilitate and host the talks. There should not be any 
harm accepting this French offer." 
 
¶26.  "Terror And The Economy," an op-ed by Ikram Sehgal in the 
centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (10/09) 
 
"The calling of a Joint Session in Parliament for an in-camera 
briefing by our Intelligence Chiefs is a tremendous plus, both for 
democracy and for the Armed Forces....  We are fighting two wars, a 
civil war and a war against terrorism.  The civil war being waged 
against militants in FATA, Swat and Bajaur must be speeded up, a 
necessary first step in rooting out the cancer of terrorism from our 
body politic.  Success in the war against terrorism is only possible 
by a change in the perception of our internal situation.  The 
Catch-22, success in both these wars is only possible on the bedrock 
of a stable economy." 
 
¶27.  "Harmonizing Interests," an op-ed by Talat Masood in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (10/09) 
 
"Pakistan's policy of ignoring the presence of certain groups in 
FATA, which are supporting the Afghan Taliban, has to be revised. 
Not only does it create rifts between the two countries, it also 
promotes militancy within Pakistan.  The U.S., too, cannot continue 
to ignore Pakistan's vital interests if it seeks genuine 
cooperation.  Pressurizing a country of 160 million people without a 
quid pro quo does not work.  Only a more equitable policy in the 
region will succeed....  The U.S. should cease cross-border raids, 
and instead work closely to build up Pakistan's economic and 
military capacity." 
 
 
Feierstein