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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: December 22, 2008 
 
Summary:  Indian External Affairs Minister Mukherjee's statement 
that Islamabad "must act" as it has been given "enough evidence 
regarding the Mumbai terror attacks" dominated headlines in all 
major newspapers on Monday.  Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi's 
remarks that "Pakistan had all the rights to defend if driven to 
war," however "we are prepared to fully cooperate with India, but it 
should provide concrete evidences" were also highlighted.  Most 
major newspapers front-paged reports that both Pakistan and India 
recalled their envoys for "consultations."  Vice President-elect, 
Joe Biden's remarks that the Pak-Afghan situation "implicated India 
and a whole lot of other very complicated issues" were also 
highlighted. 
 
Most major English language dailies ran editorials on the latest 
polls conducted by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute 
(IRI).  In its editorial the centrist national English daily, "The 
News" observed that the "overall picture is of an unhappy nation, 
disappointed and feeling let down, dismayed by the collective and 
constructive failures of a ruling elite who have once again 
performed as per script and not delivered the goods."   Another 
daily, "The Post" noted that the survey "should serve as wake-up 
call for the government.  It comes at a time when the new government 
is knee-deep in crisis of various kinds - political, economic and 
strategic."  Commenting on Secretary Rice's remarks regarding 
Pakistan-India standoff, the Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" wrote: 
"Reliance on the U.S. in 1971 proved devastating for us, and now it 
is openly supporting our enemy (India). Hence there is no need to 
delude ourselves further."  End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
"Enough Proof Given, Pakistan Must Act: India" "Daily Times" 
(12/22) 
 
"Pakistan has been given enough evidence regarding the Mumbai terror 
attacks and 'Islamabad must act', Indian External Affairs Minister 
Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday.  'Not once, twice or thrice but as 
many as ten times we have given evidence. Please pursue those 
evidences and take action as per your (Pakistani) law,' he said 
addressing Pakistan at a conference at the Bengal Chamber of 
Commerce in Kolkata." 
 
"India Losing Its Cool, Warns Of Attack" "The News" (12/22) 
 
"Taking a tough stance Indian external Affairs Minister Pranab 
Mukherjee on Sunday said Pakistan must cooperate and not contradict 
us adding the option of unilateral attack against Pakistan was open. 
 He said that Pakistan has been given enough evidence regarding the 
Mumbai terror attack and Islamabad must act." 
 
"Armed Forces Ready To Counter Any Aggression, says Qureshi" "The 
News" (12/22) 
 
"Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmud Qureshi on Sunday said 
Pakistan had all the rights to defend if driven to war.  'Pakistan 
does not want war and we are desirous of Peace, but if war is thrust 
upon us, we have all the rights to defend.' Qureshi said 'we are 
prepared to fully cooperate with India but India should provide 
concrete evidences.'" 
 
"India Can Hit Terrorists Using Pak Soil: Sonia" "Daily Times" 
(12/22) 
 
"Indian National Congress Chairwoman Sonia Gandhi has said her 
country was capable of giving a 'befitting reply' to those using 
Pakistani soil for abetting and promoting terrorism against it, a 
private news channel said on Sunday. 'Our wish for peace and 
friendship should not be taken as a sign of weakness,' Gandhi told 
an election rally in Dablehr area near the international border on 
Sunday." 
 
"Pakistan, India Recall Envoys For 'Consultations" "Daily Times" 
(12/22) 
 
"Pakistan and India have summoned their high commissioners for 
consultations amid rising tensions following last month's terrorist 
attacks in Mumbai. Shahid Malik and Satyabarata Pal will brief 
Islamabad and New Delhi respectively on their interaction with the 
authorities after the Mumbai attacks." 
 
"U.S. To Increase Pakistan's Military Assistance By $300 Million" 
"Daily Times" (12/22) 
 
"The United States has agreed to increase Pakistan's military 
assistance by over $300 million per year, a private TV channel 
reported on Sunday." 
 
"Pak-Afghan Situation Implicates India, says Biden" "The News" 
(12/22) 
"The US vice President elect- Joseph Biden Sunday said the 
Afghanistan-Pakistan situation implicates India and a whole lot of 
other very complicated issues. Calling it as one of the the 
immediate concerns for the Barack Obama administration." 
 
"Rumsfeld May Be Prosecuted For Prisoner Abuse: Biden"  "Dawn" 
(12/22) 
 
"US Vice President-elect Joseph Biden has refused to rule out the 
possibility of prosecuting former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld 
and other high officials for prisoner abuse in Abu Ghraib and 
Guantanamo prisons.  Mr Biden, in an interview to ABC News on 
Sunday, however, said that a decision whether or not to prosecute 
the officials would have to be taken by the US Justice Department." 
 
"Gwadar Port Becomes Fully Functional" "Dawn" (12/22) 
 
"The Gwadar port became fully functional on Sunday after a ship 
carrying fertilizer from Qatar anchored at the port. Federal 
Minister for Ports and Shipping Nabil Ahmed Gabol and Baluchistan 
Chief Minister Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani attended the ceremony 
held at the port to mark its opening." 
 
"Lal Masjid Arms Seized During Operation 'Stolen"  "Dawn" (12/22) 
 
"A large quantity of arms, seized by security forces during the Lal 
Masjid operation and stored in the Aabpara police station's heavily 
guarded armoury, is missing, reported 'stolen'.  This paper has 
learnt that, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik 
has suspended Senior Superintendent of Police Ahmad Latif and 
Superintendent of Police Dr Shahzad Asif and ordered registration of 
a case against SHO Inspector Naeem Iqbal and 14 other police 
personnel on charges of criminal breach of trust, theft and 
burglary." 
 
"Taliban Enforce Sharia In Parts Of Orakzai" "Daily Times" (12/22) 
 
"Local Taliban announced to impose sharia and to ban cutting forest 
trees in several areas of Upper Orakzai Agency on Sunday, local 
sources said. The sources said the announcements were made in 
sermons from mosques in Khangarpur, Ghundako, Kundi Mushti and Qaum 
Aakhel areas of Orakzai Agency in the agency.  The announcement 
directed the residents to contact local Taliban centers to seek 
solution to their disputes adding all disputes would be decided in 
accordance with Sharia." 
 
"Omar Offers Power Sharing To End Afghan Crisis" "The News" (12/22) 
 
"Afghan Taliban Mulla Muhammad Omer has suggested a formula for 
ending conflicts and bringing peace into his war-torn country a 
local newspaper reported, in a statement the Taliban leader warned 
that the increasing U.S. troops in Afghanistan would have a direct 
relation with the level of violence here and vowed to direct attacks 
at NATO forces. But as an alternative he offered a formula for 
resolving the conflict which includes power-sharing with the current 
Afghan regime." 
 
"Another Kabul Bound Tanker Set Ablaze" "The Nation" (12/22) 
 
"Unknown armed miscreants Sunday attacked another NATO oil supplying 
tanker and set it on fire at Landi kotal Khyber agency.  The tanker 
was reduced to ashes however no human loss was reported.  Besides 
the owners of such tankers have already been threatened by the 
militants to not to supply logistics support to NATO and U.S. forces 
in Afghanistan. The militants have demolished over 270 vehicles 
during the last couple of weeks." 
 
--------------------- 
 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
"The Crystal Ball," an editorial in the centrist national English 
daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (12/22) 
 
"IRI has a long history of polling in Pakistan and is considered 
both credible and reliable. What its most recent poll of 3500 adult 
men and women, conducted between the 15th and 30th of October 
indicates is a populace that is deeply unhappy - they feel the 
country is going in the wrong direction, that the next year will be 
worse than the last and that the much-lauded return to a local 
version of democracy has made little or no difference to the quality 
of their lives...  The overall picture is of an unhappy nation, 
disappointed and feeling let down, dismayed by the collective and 
consecutive failures of ruling elite who have once again performed 
as per script and not delivered the goods." 
 
"A Gloomy Picture," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal English 
daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (12/22) 
 
"The IRI survey should serve as a wake-up call for the government. 
It comes at a time when the new government is knee-deep in crisis of 
various kinds - political, economic, and strategic. It also shows 
the pessimism of the nation with the political leadership.  The poll 
highlights the discontentment of the masses with their overall 
condition in the country..." 
 
 "Plunging Popularity," an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(12/22) 
 
"The survey conducted by the International Republican Institute in 
the second half of October makes for grim reading for the 
government: Pakistanis are deeply troubled by the state of the 
nation and are pessimistic about the future. The government's 
performance in key areas, the economy, governance and security, has 
left the country unimpressed, and its standing is already comparable 
to Gen Musharraf's widely disparaged regime earlier this year." 
 
"Indian war preparations and our national attitude" an editorial 
note in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 125,000) (12/22) 
 
"Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations yesterday, U.S. 
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that Pakistan's measures 
were insufficient and that calling terrorists non-state actors is 
not enough, action should be taken against them to India's 
satisfaction. This means that the U.S. is fully encouraging India 
and by pressing Pakistan, is pushing [both] towards a war that will 
cost both countries dearly, but the benefits might be reaped by the 
U.S. and Israel... Reliance on the U.S. in 1971 proved devastating 
for us, and now it is openly supporting our enemy (India.) Hence 
there is no need to delude ourselves further." 
 
"Comprehensive consultation required to counter Indian strategy," an 
editorial in the leading mass circulation centrist Urdu daily "Jang" 
(cir. 300,000) (12/22) 
 
"It is essential to take political, religious parties and all 
segments of society into confidence about the current security 
situation, and the growing tension with India.  We can deal with the 
Indian aggressive designs and war plans only through an effective 
military strategy with the support of people of Pakistan." 
 
"Why is India moving towards an undesirable venture?"  Editorial in 
the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 
50,000) (12/22) 
 
"Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said in New Delhi a 
few days back that a weak Pakistan would be detrimental for the 
entire region. We feel that efforts to weaken Pakistan would be 
equally harmful for the region. In this entire episode, India stands 
to lose the most.  This is what happens to those who consider their 
enemies to be weak. Why can't the Indian establishment and 
leadership understand this simple fact? The U.S. must try to stop 
its strategic partner [India] from making this grave mistake." 
 
"U.S. impractical and unlimited demands," an editorial note in the 
popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (12/22) 
 
"U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice while addressing the 
Council of Foreign Relations has said that the Pakistani measures 
following the Mumbai attacks are not enough....  If the government 
of Pakistan does not resist the unlimited demands of the United 
States; it will put the national security in danger." 
 
"Media War And Indo-Pak Tension," an editorial in the Lahore-based 
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (12/22) 
 
"Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers and any conflict between 
them is bound to escalate into a holocaust for the region. Then why 
are the two sides hyping up a conflict neither can afford?" 
"The need for unity to counter Indian designs" an editorial note in 
the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (12/22) 
 
"Indian leaders making war threats should not forget that 
confrontation between two regional nuclear powers could turn into a 
protracted war and bring about destruction for both the countries. 
It is in the interests of both the nations to be tolerant, move 
towards peace talks and control the possibility of war." 
 
"War preparations against Pakistan?" an editorial note in the 
Karachi-based, pro Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) 
(12/22) 
 
"It seems that the big powers have given green signal to India for a 
limited military action inside Pakistan.  At this critical juncture, 
the government of Pakistan and all other parties must be united, and 
shun their internal differences to give a befitting response to any 
aggressive move from any side.  Moreover, Pakistan must not yield to 
any undue pressure of the big powers, as this is the only way to our 
survival and security." 
 
"Restore Normalcy," an editorial in the center-right national 
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (12/22) 
 
"The NWFP government headed by Chief Minster Ameer Haider Hoti 
termed on Saturday the military operation in Swat as a failure. It 
is not the presence of troops that is pinching it, quite the 
contrary. What it is really angry about is the failure of the 
security forces to establish the writ of the state besides turning a 
blind eye to the deaths of non-combatants." 
 
"The 'Fall' Of Dhaka And After," an op-ed by Kamal Siddiqi in the 
centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (12/22) 
 
"Our foreign policy is in tatters. Even our best friends do not want 
to help us. Possibly it is time to look inwards and see where we are 
going wrong. And we need to give our friends and neighbors the 
confidence that we are a progressing nation and not a failed state 
which some paint us as. We need to focus more on our economy. There 
are calls to jumpstart the system, instead of throttling it with 
higher interest rates." 
 
 
Patterson