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CAPTIONS: SIPDIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JANUARY 16, 2009 
 
Summary:  Reports of India's agreement to "accept a 'fair trial' of 
Mumbai terror suspects in Pakistan" dominated headlines in all 
newspapers on Friday.  Also receiving front page coverage was 
Pakistan Army Chief General Kayani's statement that the "Pakistan 
Army was fully prepared to meet any challenge" in reference to a 
potential military conflict between Pakistan and India.  British 
Foreign Secretary Miliband's remarks indicating that the "resolution 
of Kashmir dispute would help deny extremists in the region one of 
their main calls to arms" was also highlighted in many newspapers. 
Interior Minister Rehman's disclosure that "Pakistan had shut down 
five training camps of the outlawed Jamaatud Dawa and 
Lashkar-e-Taiba, banned their seven publications and blocked all 
their website" received wide coverage.  Finally, President Zardari's 
statement that "defeat was not an option in war on terror" also 
figured prominently. 
 
Most major dailies continued to run editorials on the state of 
Pak-India relations in the wake of statements being issued from both 
sides of the border. The leading mass circulation Urdu daily, 
"Jang," noted that "the manner in which India launched an aggressive 
drive of accusations and pressure tactics against Pakistan in the 
wake of Mumbai attacks on November 26 confirmed the perception that 
Indian leadership was waiting for such sort of episode to convey a 
particular reaction."  The second-largest, center-right nationalist 
Urdu daily, "Nawa-i-Waqt," wrote: "India wants military and economic 
sanctions to be imposed on Pakistan while the Indian Army Chief has 
also made war threats. Hence there is no justification [for 
Pakistan's] silence and weakness anymore."  End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
"India Ready For Trial Of Mumbai Suspects In Pakistan: Mukherjee" 
"Daily Times" (01/16) 
 
"India is ready to accept a 'fair trial' of Mumbai terror suspects 
in Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on 
Thursday.  The statement, made in an interview with a Hindi news 
channel, was seen as a softening of the earlier Indian stance that 
Islamabad must hand over the suspects to New Delhi." 
 
"Army Ready To Meet Any Challenge: Kayani" "Dawn" (01/16) 
 
"Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said on 
Thursday the Pakistan Army was fully prepared to meet any challenge. 
 In what appeared to be a tit-for-tat response to a statement by the 
Indian army chief that New Delhi was keeping all options open, 
General Kayani said at the 62nd Formation Commanders' Conference 
that the threat could best be defeated through a comprehensive 
national effort." 
 
"Miliband Urges Settlement Of Kashmir: Dispute Resolution To Deny 
Militants 'Call To Arms'" "Dawn" (01/16) 
 
"Foreign Secretary David Miliband who is currently visiting India 
believes that the resolution of Kashmir dispute 'would help deny 
extremists in the region one of their main calls to arms.'  In an 
article in Thursday's Guardian, Mr. Miliband distanced Britain from 
the terror doctrine of the outgoing Bush administration declaring 
that the use of the phrase 'war on terror' as a western rallying cry 
since the September 11 attacks had been a mistake that might have 
caused 'more harm than good.'" 
 
"India Rejects U.K. Minister's Remarks On Kashmir" "Dawn" (01/16) 
 
"British Foreign Secretary David Miliband's quest for a political 
rather than military approach to weed out terrorism may have been 
welcomed in Indian administered Kashmir but the prescription was 
dismissed by India's Foreign Ministry as intrusive.  'Mr. Miliband 
is entitled to his views, which are clearly his own and are 
evolving,' India's foreign ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said." 
 
"124 Held In Massive Crackdown: Five Camps And 20 Offices Of Dawa, 
Let Closed; Publications And Websites Banned" "Dawn" (01/16) 
 
"The government said on Thursday that it had shut down five training 
camps of the outlawed Jamaatud Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba, banned 
their seven publications and blocked all their websites.  The 
authorities have detained 124 people, several leaders and officials 
of the organizations among them.  Addressing a news conference, the 
Prime Minister's Adviser on Interior Affairs, Mr. Rehman Malik, 
assured India that Pakistan would do its utmost to bring the people 
involved in the Mumbai attacks to justice.  Unveiling details of a 
massive crackdown, Mr. Malik said that training camps had been 
closed down in Punjab and Azad Kashmir." 
 
"Defeat In War On Terror Not An Option: Zardari" "The Nation" 
(01/16) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said that defeat in the war 
against terrorism and militancy was not an option and forces of 
moderation would have to triumph to protect and defend their way of 
life.  President Zardari said this while addressing the members of 
Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Islamabad at the 
Aiwan-e-Sadr." 
 
"Pakistan Probing LT Role In Attacks: FO" "The Nation" (01/16) 
 
"Pakistan on Thursday said that it was investigating the alleged 
involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Mumbai attacks and inquiry was 
underway in this regard, Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq 
said." 
 
"U.S. Helped Change Indian Position On Mumbai Suspects" "Dawn" 
(01/16) 
 
"The lack of U.S. interest in pushing Pakistan to hand over Mumbai 
terror suspects to India helped convince New Delhi to accept 
Islamabad's position that the suspects be tried in Pakistan, 
diplomatic sources told 'Dawn.'" 
 
"Pakistan Shares Arrested People's List With U.S." "Dawn" (01/16) 
 
"Pakistan has shared with the United States the list of people 
arrested in connection with the Mumbai terror attacks and related 
information.  The U.S. confirmed that it had received the list, a 
source quoted a U.S. diplomat as having told him.  The list is 
reported to have been handed over to the U.S. by security agencies 
without involving the Foreign Office." 
 
"Cooperation Key To Success In Eliminating Terror: Boucher" "The 
News" (01/16) 
 
"Richard Boucher, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, is of the view 
that the Pakistan government will have to make sure that the ISI is 
de-linked completely and effectively from terrorist groups in the 
country. 'At this point it is a work in progress,' he told the 
Indian magazine Outlook." 
 
"26/11 Mumbai Attack Witness Says She Was Taken To U.S. For 
Questioning" "Daily Times" (01/16) 
 
"A witness who claimed to have seen the gunmen involved in the 
November 26 terror attacks get off a boat in Mumbai, on Thursday 
said she was taken by investigating agencies to the United States 
for questioning, Anita Uddaiya said in an interview." 
 
"Obama Hints At Closer Ties With Pakistan" "The News" (01/16) 
 
"President-elect Barack Obama has expressed his resolve to forge a 
closer American cooperation with Pakistan towards dealing with the 
problem of violent extremism along Pak-Afghan border as part of a 
regional approach that his administration intends to pursue after 
taking charge next week.  Interacting with the media upon 
Vice-President-elect Joseph Biden's return from a visit to 
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, Obama described al-Qaeda as number 
one threat for the United States.  'As Joe (Biden) indicated, we 
have to take a regional approach, we are not going to solve the 
problem just in Afghanistan, we are going to have to address issues 
in Pakistan as well,' said Obama, who will take oath as US president 
on Tuesday (January 20). He said: '(Usama) Bin Laden and al-Qaeda 
are our number one threat when it comes to American security.'" 
 
"Biden Tells Obama Afghanistan War Will Get Worse" "Daily Times" 
(01/16) 
 
"Freshly returned from a tour of war zones and global hotspots, 
United States vice-president-elect Joe Biden told president-elect 
Barack Obama on Wednesday that 'things are going to get tougher' in 
Afghanistan." 
 
"2 Policemen Die In Action; Security Forces Crack Down On Terror 
Plot, 35 Arrested" "Daily Times" (01/16) 
 
"Two policemen were killed and 11 injured in the early hours of 
Thursday when security forces raided a hideout of suspected 
terrorists including local Taliban involved in the kidnapping of an 
Iranian commercial attach, as part of a crackdown on terror. 
Around 35 suspects - four members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan 
(TTP) and others from banned religious outfits such as 
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi - have been arrested, sources told 'Daily 
Times.'" 
 
"Military Claims Killing Several Militants In Swat" "The News" 
(01/16) 
 
"The security forces on Thursday claimed to have killed and injured 
'a large number of hardcore militants' including their operation 
commander in Manglawar when an attack was repulsed, said a spokesman 
for the ISPR-run Swat Media Centre (SMC)." 
 
"U.S. Drones Seen Over Bannu" "Daily Times" (01/16) 
 
"Suspected U.S. drones were seen over Bannu, causing locals to 
panic, a private TV channel reported on Thursday." 
 
"Taliban Kill 'U.S. Spy' Abducted From North Waziristan" "Daily 
Times" (01/16) 
 
"The Taliban on Thursday shot dead a man accused of spying for U.S. 
forces across the border in Afghanistan, said officials." 
 
"400 Private Schools In Swat Shut Down Girls' Classes" "The News" 
(01/16) 
 
"About 400 private schools in Swat have announced to abandon girls' 
education in their institutes in the wake of the deadline (Jan 15) 
given by the militants to discontinue the practice, depriving more 
than 40,000 students of their basic right to get education.  In 
addition, 84,248 girl students of state-run schools are unlikely to 
attend schools due to the fear of militants despite the resolve by 
the local administration to reopen the schools on March 1.  Maulana 
Fazlullah-led militants had asked all the government and private 
schools on December 24 to stop imparting female education by January 
15." 
 
"Rulers Brought U.S. War To Pakistan, Says Qazi" "The Nation" 
(01/16) 
 
"Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed has said in Lahore on 
Thursday that the real problem of Pakistan is present rulers and the 
nation needs leadership that represents aspirations of people.... 
Qazi said that ceasing cooperation with the U.S. in the so-called 
war on terror, ending military operation in tribal areas, provision 
of justice and relief to the poor was necessary, to put the country 
on right path." 
 
"Israelis Destroy UN Offices, Food Stock In Gaza" "Dawn" (01/16) 
 
"Israel shelled the United Nations headquarters in the Gaza Strip on 
Thursday, engulfing the compound and a warehouse in fire, destroying 
thousands of pounds of food and humanitarian supplies intended for 
Palestinian refugees and triggering world condemnation and protests 
at the attack." 
 
"Zardari Was In The Know About Durrani's Ouster" "The News" (01/16) 
 
"Contrary to public and media perceptions, it was President Asif Ali 
Zardari who had given green signal to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza 
Gilani to get rid of Mehmud Durrani, after a furious Gilani 
contacted the President on telephone from Lahore before sacking his 
National Security Advisor." 
 
--------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
"True Face Of India Must Be Exposed," an editorial in the leading 
mass circulation centrist Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (01/16) 
 
"The way India launched an aggressive drive of accusations and 
pressure tactics against Pakistan in the wake of Mumbai attacks on 
November 26 confirmed the perception that Indian leadership was 
waiting for such sort of episode to convey a particular reaction. 
Despite the fact that several countries including the U.S. and 
Britain have ruled out any involvement of Pakistan as a state in 
this carnage, the Indian Army Chief held a press conference to 
intimidate Pakistan.  His remarks are nothing but to serve the 
purpose of Indian politicians for the forthcoming elections." 
 
"Indian Army Chief Beats The War Drums; Our Responsibility," an 
editorial in the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 125,000) (01/16) 
 
"India wants military and economic sanctions to be imposed on 
Pakistan while the Indian Army Chief has also made war threats. 
Hence there is no justification [for Pakistan's] silence and 
weakness anymore.  We should contact the UN Security Council before 
India does and ask for the implementation of UN resolutions on 
Kashmir, and demand an end to the threat to Pakistan's security 
caused by Indian war mongering.  Until then we should stop trade 
with India to make it understand that we are silent because we are a 
peace-loving nation, not because we are involved in the Mumbai 
blasts." 
 
"And Now A War Threat From The Indian Army Chief," an editorial in 
the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily "Khabrain" (cir. 
50,000) (01/16) 
 
"Improving the economic situation is a major and grave challenge for 
the new U.S. administration. This can be handled effectively if 
Hillary Clinton's proposal is implemented: that the Obama 
administration wants to emphasize the importance of diplomacy.  The 
U.S. must also inform its strategic partner India of the importance 
of diplomacy.  The U.S. must urge India to stop talking about [the 
possibility of] war." 
 
"India's Threat Of War," an editorial in the Islamabad-based 
rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (01/16) 
 
"There should be no doubt that India is clearly exploiting the 
Mumbai violence to intensify pressure on its long-time regional 
rival so as to enlist international support, particularly from the 
U.S. and European countries to isolate and discredit Pakistan and 
make its position weak internationally." 
 
"Indian Army Chief's Press Conference Demonstrates Nervousness," an 
editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily "Ausaf" (cir. 
10,000) (01/16) 
 
"It seems that Indians have really gone panic-stricken, as their 
war-hysteria is defused by the international community steadily. 
British Foreign Minister David Miliband gave the final verdict, 
which has disheartened the Indians utterly.  And if India decides to 
discontinue trade with Pakistan, it won't affect Pakistan a lot, as 
we are exporting a few products to India.  On the contrary, Indian 
list of exports for Pakistan is very extensive.  Likewise, if India 
makes its mind up to shelve comprehensive dialogue process, it will 
be a blessing for Pakistan too, as it never resolved any outstanding 
issues including Kashmir and Siachen glacier disputes. 
Nevertheless, General Kiyani must pay his Indian counterpart back in 
his own coin." 
 
"Mixed Signals," an editorial in the centrist national English daily 
"The News" (cir. 55,000) (01/16) 
 
"We must hope that soon the apparent confusion in the Indian capital 
will give way to a more rational and, even more important, 
consistent approach to the whole issue. Signs that Indian peace 
activists and sections of that country's civil society and media 
have begun to demand this is a good sign.  What we need most of all 
is genuine cooperation against terrorism, rather than angry finger 
pointing which will eventually lead nowhere and will solve no 
problems at all." 
 
"Delimiting Responses In South Asia," an editorial in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (01/16) 
 
"War is not an option, not because the world is biased in favor of 
Pakistan but because war is what the terrorists want and it also 
distracts from the larger project of which Mumbai was just one 
manifestation.  Unfortunately, India's Army Chief managed to please 
the terrorists on Wednesday by threatening war as one of the options 
open to India, even if that means that the subcontinent is subjected 
to nuclear conflict.  This is the sequence of policy that the Indian 
leadership has decided to follow.  One can repeat endlessly that 
this policy of escalation is linked to national politics, but the 
fact is that it arouses equally negative reactions in Pakistan. 
Every time a threat materializes, opinion in Pakistan stiffens and 
the 'obligation' of investigating and punishing 'the culprits' is 
put in jeopardy....  But for this to happen, India and Pakistan must 
be seen to cooperate.  Public opinion in Pakistan will be moulded in 
favor of bringing the terrorists to justice if India is seen not in 
the posture of war but working in tandem with Pakistan against a 
common enemy." 
 
"The Misbegotten War," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left 
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (01/16) 
 
"As the clock winds down on the Bush administration, allies have 
begun to publicly speak about deficiencies in the U.S. campaign to 
fight the rise of terrorism and militancy.  The latest critique has 
come from David Miliband, the U.K. Foreign Secretary....  Whatever 
the deficiencies of the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan, 
the country is on the edge of a precipice because of the failure of 
the promised nation-building process....  Old rivalries, be they 
between Pakistan and India or Afghanistan and Pakistan, are being 
fought with new forms of terrorism and militancy in the region. 
Ignoring the cause of violence will ensure no one wins in the long 
term." 
 
"Responding To Dossier," an editorial in the center-right national 
English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (01/16) 
 
"Of course, armies are maintained to fight wars when they become 
inevitable, but a statement of the type coming at a time when 
tensions between the two countries are high, is liable to be met by 
similar statements.  This would foil the attempts being made by 
countries friendly to both Pakistan and India, to bring down the 
temperature." 
 
"Hillary Clinton's Policy Statement," an editorial in the 
second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" 
(cir. 125,000) (01/16) 
 
"If Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton feels that the Bush 
administration used force excessively; then the wise thing for  the 
Obama administration would be  to withdraw troops immediately from 
Iraq and Afghanistan as the use of force has neither ensured peace 
in these areas nor helped safeguard American interests. On the 
contrary, this war has presented gifts of U.S. troops' coffins to 
the American nation.  It is also a result of America's use of force 
that the trend of  militancy and suicide attacks has increased, 
subsequently Pakistan too, like Afghanistan, is turning into a land 
of conflict." 
 
"Insecurity In Swat," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal 
English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (01/16) 
 
"The deteriorating security situation points to the government's 
inability to contain the terrorists within a limited area and 
confine their activities there.  The Taliban were able in Swat 
district to impose a ban on female education and warned teachers of 
'severe consequences' if any girl was seen going to school after the 
15-day deadline.  During the past one year the Taliban have 
destroyed more than 125 girls' schools in the area." 
 
"Afghanistan And Pakistan," an op-ed by Najmuddin A. Shaikh in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (01/16) 
 
"The Americans are preparing for a long stay with new facilities 
being created not only for additional troops and for the expanded 
Afghan National Army but for a longer period.  One can hope that 
with more boots on the ground, the Americans will be able to 
restrict the use of air power and thus restrict the 'collateral 
damage' which has probably been one of the best recruiting tools for 
the Taliban.  Also, an expanded Afghan army will be able carry out 
operations against the Taliban without offending local traditions." 
 
"Israeli Aggression And The International Community's 
Responsibility," an editorial in liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 
25,000) (01/16) 
 
"Circumstances demand that efforts must be intensified to resolve 
the Israel-Palestinian issue on a permanent basis because the threat 
of Israeli aggression will remain as long as this issue remains 
unresolved." 
 
 
Patterson