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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 001786 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: AUGUST 03, 2009 
 
Summary:  Most dailies on Monday highlighted a report that the NWFP 
government "registered a case against the banned Tehrik 
Nifaz-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM) chief Sufi Mohammad on charges of 
sedition."  The follow-up reports and photographs of the violence 
against the Christian community in Gojra (a town in Punjab) over an 
alleged incident of desecration of the Koran continued to garner 
media coverage.  All newspapers reported that "a case had been 
registered against 815 people who burnt dozens of houses in the town 
following the blasphemy incident."  Some major dailies reported that 
the "Obama administration has decided to appoint former Assistant 
Secretary of State Robin Raphael as coordinator for non military 
assistance to Pakistan."  The English daily, "Dawn," in its weekend 
edition highlighted a story that the "U.S. plans for bigger presence 
in Pakistan in the pursuit of it strategic interests in the region." 
 The same newspaper also ran an editorial on the issue and observed 
that the "American Embassy will, in fact, be a full-fledged fortress 
bristling with armed Marines and APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers)." 
Commenting on the reports of "U.S. plans to have a bigger presence 
in Pakistan," the right-wing Urdu daily Islam wrote: "It (U.S.) 
wants to kill two birds with one stone by its increased military 
presence in this part of the world.  The United States considers 
China as an 'economic threat' that can take control of the markets, 
which are presently occupied by the U.S. and its European allies, 
via Gwadar Port.  Secondly, it feels threatened with 'Islam' whose 
epicenter is situated in this part of the world." 
 
Editorializing the recent incident of communal violence in the 
Punjab, the populist, often sensational national English daily "The 
News," observed that "ours is an intolerant society, and we are 
particularly intolerant of those whose faith is not Muslim."  The 
Lahore-based English newspaper, "Daily Times," noted that "smaller 
incidents of persecution of the Christians have never stopped, but 
Gojra tells us that holocausts can repeat themselves as civic virtue 
declines in Pakistan under the influence of extremism."  Likewise, 
the second-largest, center-right nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt," wrote: "Unseen enemies of Muslim community take 
advantage of incidents like Gojra by using them for propaganda 
against Islam."  End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
"Sufi Booked For Sedition" "Dawn" (08/03) 
 
"The NWFP government registered on Sunday a case against the chief 
of the proscribed Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM), Maulana 
Sufi Mohammad, charging him with sedition, rebellion, terrorism, 
rioting and other offences." 
 
"815 Booked, Protest Ends In Gojra" "The News" (08/03) 
 
"Christians in Gojra ended their six-hour-long sit-in on Sunday 
night, taking away seven bodies they had put on the railway track 
since Sunday evening after a case had been registered 15 nominated 
persons and 800 unidentified people, who burnt dozens of houses of 
Christians in Gojra on Saturday in reaction to alleged desecration 
of the Holy Quran." 
 
"Negligence Of Officials Blamed For Gojra Riots" "Dawn" (08/03) 
 
"As the death toll in violence against the Christian community rose 
to seven, relatives of the victims blocked the Multan-Faisalabad 
section of the railway track for over six hours on Sunday by placing 
on the track the coffins of the people killed in Gojra on Saturday. 
They protested against attacks on their houses and burning alive of 
seven members of their community by a mob." 
 
"Rioters Were Led By Masked Men From Jhang" "Dawn" (08/03) 
 
"The government on Sunday asked Minister for Minority Affairs 
Shahbaz Bhatti to work in coordination with the government of Punjab 
to unmask the elements behind the Gojra violence, well-placed 
sources told 'Dawn.'  They said the government had received 
information that a group of armed 'miscreants', with masked faces 
had come from Jhang and led the violence against Christians on the 
pretext of desecration of the Holy Quran." 
 
"Robin Raphael Gets Key Job In Pakistan" "The News" (08/03) 
"The Obama administration in an astute move has decided to appoint 
former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Affairs, 
Robin Raphael, an old South Asia hand and a known Pakistani friend, 
as coordinator for non-military assistance to Pakistan, informed 
diplomatic sources in Washington and Islamabad to 'The News.' 
Raphael will be a new member of U.S. Special Envoy Ambassador 
Richard Holbrooke's expanding team and will be based in Pakistan." 
 
"U.S. Plans For Bigger Presence Raise Eyebrows In Islamabad" "Dawn" 
(08/01) 
 
"The U.S. plans to have a bigger presence in Pakistan in the pursuit 
of its strategic interests in the region have raised several 
eyebrows in Islamabad.  The two most obvious indications of U.S. 
intentions are the upcoming large-scale staff surge at the Islamabad 
Embassy, which includes hundreds of marines, and the massive 
expansion work at the embassy premises....  Jonathan Blyth, director 
of external affairs at the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations 
in Washington, in a media statement justified plans for the greater 
footprint in Pakistan, saying they were necessary for meeting future 
requirements in view of the 'greater commitment shown by the Obama 
administration towards Pakistan.'  Deputy Chief of U.S. Mission in 
Islamabad Gerald Feierstein told 'Dawn' that upcoming large-scale 
programs needed more staff, but quickly added that nothing was final 
as yet.  Others in Washington are justifying the expansion of the 
embassy on security grounds.  Despite all these explanations, the 
situation remains puzzling and is definitely straining relations 
between the U.S. State Department and the Foreign Office in 
Islamabad.  Are these arrangements being made just to cater for the 
enhanced security needs of the American Embassy and their diplomats 
based in Islamabad, or are they aimed at micromanaging Pakistan? 
This is just one question nagging Pakistani officials as they warily 
scan the developments and insist that there is something more than 
what meets the eye." 
 
"U.S. Embassy Has Been Allotted Land To Improve Administration And 
Security; U.S. Troops Are Not Coming: Foreign Office Spokesman" 
"Express" (08/03) 
 
"Pakistani Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit has said that the 
media reports about the coming of the U.S. soldiers in Islamabad are 
not true.  Talking to a wire service Online, he said that the U.S. 
Embassy has been allotted a piece of land to improve its 
administration and enhance security.  Meanwhile, the CDA Chairman 
Imtiaz Inyat Ellahi has also maintained that the reports of the 
coming of the U.S. contingents are incorrect, and all foreign 
missions have right to expand their structures owing to their 
administrative requirements." 
 
"Four Terrorists Killed, Arms Seized By Troops" "Dawn" (08/03) 
 
"Four terrorists were killed and 27 suspects, a local militant 
commander among them, were arrested in different parts of Swat and 
Malakand on Saturday night and Sunday morning.  An ISPR press 
release issued in Islamabad on Sunday said that during a search 
operation, security forces discovered two tunnels and a training 
camp with bunkers in Biha valley." 
 
"Seminary Razed As Operation continues In Lakki Marwat" "Dawn" 
(08/03) 
 
"Police backed by army demolished a religious seminary, believed to 
be used as safe haven by militants, in Lakki Marwat on Sunday." 
 
"Military Refutes Reports About Peace Talks With Baitullah" "The 
News" (08/03) 
 
"With sections of the foreign media reporting that the government 
was again holding peace talks with Baitullah Mehsud, a high-ranking 
military official refuted the reports by categorically stating that 
the time to seek a truce with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) 
head was past, the Army officer, who wished not be named, told 'The 
News.'" 
 
"Two Cops Shot Dead In Peshawar" "The News" (08/03) 
 
"Militants gunned down two policemen in Paharipura while a police 
party escaped a booby trap when a bomb disposal squad defused 
explosives placed with the body of a slain prayer leader in 
Mashogagar in the early hours of Sunday." 
 
"1.2 Million IDPs Return Home" "The Post" (08/03) 
 
"Over 1.2 million displaced people have so far returned to various 
areas of Malakand division, said Special Support Group spokesman Lt. 
Col. Waseem Shahid on Sunday." 
 
"Kabul Rejects Malik's Claims About Terrorist Camps" "Dawn" (08/03) 
 
"Afghanistan rejected on Sunday reported claims by Pakistan's 
interior minister that President Hamid Karzai had admitted that 
'terrorist' training camps in this country were operating against 
Pakistan.  'This is absolutely not true. This is baseless," Interior 
Minister Hanif Atmar said at a press conference in Kabul." 
 
"Attack on Nukes Can't Be Ruled Out: Expert: U.K. Faces More Threat 
From Inside Pakistan Than From Helmand" "Dawn" (08/03) 
 
"A House of Commons report published on Sunday concluded that the 
U.K. faced more threat from inside Pakistan than from Afghanistan's 
Helmand province where, the report asserted, British soldiers were 
sent on 'an ill-defined mission undermined by unrealistic planning 
and lack of manpower.'  The Labor-chaired Commons foreign affairs 
select committee report raises the alarming specter of Al Qaeda, 
"which has shifted its focus into Pakistan.'  Professor Shaun 
Gregory, an expert on Pakistan at Bradford University, told the 
committee that a direct attack on Pakistan's nuclear weapons 
infrastructure could not be ruled out." 
 
--------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
"U.S. Security Plans," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left 
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (08/03) 
 
"State Department's plans for the U.S. Embassy (Islamabad) go beyond 
legitimate security needs and contain elements which are not only 
astonishing but scary....  The American embassy will, in fact, be a 
full-fledged fortress bristling with armed Marines and APCs....  The 
State Department should look at the plans from another point of 
view.  Will this festung Amerika endear itself to the people of 
Pakistan or will it add to the misgivings that already exist among 
large sections of Pakistanis who may not necessarily be the 
Taliban's friends?  A force of 350 soldiers belonging to the elite 
Marine corps with APCs at their disposal is a strength that goes 
clearly beyond the legitimate requirements of security and raises a 
question or two about its intentions.  Ignoring the conspiracy 
theorists one cannot but see this development in the light of 
periodic reports in the American media that the Pentagon has 
contingency plans for taking hold of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. 
The surge and the construction plans are unacceptable." 
 
"What Is The Purpose Of Increasing U.S. Presence In Pakistan?," an 
editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily 
"Islam" (cir. 15,000) (08/03) 
 
"According to some media reports, the U.S. has made a grand plan to 
post hundreds of its marines and other personnel in Islamabad to 
achieve its strategic objectives....  They (Americans) are also 
exerting pressure on Pakistan to get import of the armored vehicles 
for its soldiers....  It is not a routine matter, in fact, a 
longstanding planning of the big powers is involved behind this 
move.  The U.S. considers this region as its battlefield to 
safeguard its national interests.  It wants to kill two birds with 
one stone by its increased military presence in this part of the 
world.  The United States considers China as an 'economic threat' 
that can take control of the markets which are presently occupied by 
the U.S. and its European allies via Gwadar Port.  Secondly, it 
feels threatened with 'Islam' whose epicenter is situated in this 
part of the world.  It is not very difficult to infer that such 
designs can create troubles for Pakistan's integrity, internal 
security, and the left over sovereignty." 
 
"Fear And Dread," an editorial in the populist, often sensational 
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (08/03) 
 
"No member of any religious or ethnic minority anywhere in the 
country will be feeling safe and secure today.  Members of the 
Christian minority will be feeling particularly threatened as the 
details of the events at Gojra on Friday and Saturday last 
emerge....  Ours is an intolerant society, and we are particularly 
intolerant of those whose faith is not Muslim.  Intolerance is not 
only interfaith, as within the Muslim majority there are 
deeply-ingrained intolerances that manifest themselves as sectarian 
violence....  The only way to change this tendency towards mindless 
persecution is to change the message that goes into the minds of 
those that perpetrate it.  We need to be hearing words of 
conciliation and fraternity from our mosques." 
 
"Fear And Shame Of Gojra," an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal 
English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (08/03) 
 
"After a week of simmering Muslim-Christian dispute over the alleged 
desecration of the Holy Quran in tehsil Gojra in Toba Tek Singh 
district in Punjab, violence has broken out simply because the local 
administration ignored orders from Lahore to control the 
situation....  Smaller incidents of persecution of the Christians 
have never stopped, but Gojra tells us that holocausts can repeat 
themselves as civic virtue declines in Pakistan under the influence 
of extremism....  Tragically, blasphemy cases have proliferated 
after the promulgation of the blasphemy law, and action taken 
against the accused is not by the state but by the vigilantes the 
state cannot control....  These are signals of doom.  And the crime 
is being committed by the non-state actors that were once considered 
'assets' of the military-state.  Their dominance in Punjab is well 
established and their control over local population to the detriment 
of local administration is also well known.  The laws mean nothing 
under these circumstances." 
 
"Sad Gojra Incident," an editorial in the second-largest, 
center-right nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) 
(08/03) 
 
"Unseen enemies of Muslim community take advantage of incidents like 
Gojra by using them for propaganda against Islam.  Whatever the 
reason, setting ablaze minorities homes is condemnable and 
unacceptable.  It is enmity or something else; people should not be 
allowed to take law in their hands." 
 
"Gojra Riots," an editorial in the Karachi-based right-wing 
pro-Jamaat-e-Islami Urdu daily "Jasarat" (cir. 3,000) (08/03) 
 
"The riots in Punjab's remote area of Gojra have now taken a form of 
Christian and Muslim clashes, and the provincial government has 
failed to stop violence.  The way these incidents occurred showed 
that there are some hidden hands behind this tragedy.  For quite 
some time American institutions have been reporting of possible 
threats to minorities in Pakistan.  Looking at history of riots in 
Karachi and other places we are of the firm view that the American 
CIA is behind these acts, and all patriots both Muslims as well as 
Christians must be united together to foil these conspiracies." 
 
"Gojra Incident: What A Shame," an editorial in the Islamabad-based 
rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 5,000) (08/03) 
 
"In our opinion, the real culprits behind this gory incident are 
those who spread the rumors of desecration of Holy Quran to hurt the 
sentiments of the people and then incited the enraged people to 
violence....  Such incidents create a sense of insecurity among the 
people and bring a bad name to the country." 
 
"Attempt To Spread Lawlessness, Religious Hatred," an editorial in 
the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) (08/03) 
 
"The clash between two groups in Gojra on alleged defiling of the 
holy book resulted in the burning to death of 7 people and burning 
of about 70 houses....  There is no justification for considering 
any community perpetrator of any crime without proper 
investigation.... The responsibility of the Gojra riots collectively 
lies on the people of the area who failed to create an atmosphere 
based on rationality; they could not create a culture where no one 
could level baseless allegation against anyone." 
 
"Taliban Exit In Swat Due To Military Operation," news analysis by 
Shamim Shahid in the center-right national English daily "The 
Nation" (cir. 20,000) (08/03) 
 
"Amidst certain reservations, Taliban seem on 'dying' position as a 
result of successful military action in parts of Swat.  Some of the 
self-styled or so-called religious forces are making attempts not 
only to 'rescue these dying elements' but also trying their level 
best to hide their dubious role in promotion of Talibanization in 
the name of Jihad against the United States....  Whatever might be 
criticism and objection against the ongoing military action 
'Raah-e-Rast' in Malakand but it had made happy the common men of 
the area." 
 
"Back To Square One?," an op-ed by Huma Yusuf in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(08/03) 
 
"The fallout of the conflicting efforts in Afghanistan can have a 
major impact on the precarious struggle against militancy in 
Pakistan.  Firstly, the U.S. army's military push in the region 
threatens to drive more Afghan Taliban into Pakistan, particularly 
during the current lull in fighting to allow for the repatriation of 
the internally displaced.  More problematic is the renewed 
international excitement about engaging in talks with the Afghan 
Taliban....  This much is true, however, that if the U.S. and Afghan 
governments want to talk to the Taliban, Pakistan will certainly be 
involved." 
 
"Talking to India," an op-ed by Ahmad Faruqui in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(08/03) 
 
"Should Pakistan take Singh's hand of friendship?  The obvious 
answer, yes, does not seem to sit well with some analysts in 
Pakistan....  It is time for the leaders of both countries to seek a 
new beginning.  They need to do something that their predecessors 
have not been able to do: sign a no-war pact.  That would alleviate 
Pakistan's fears about an Indian invasion which since 1971 has been 
a strong part of the national memory.  And it would stop Pakistan 
from venturing down the slippery slope of seeking strategic parity 
with India." 
 
"Prudence Or Expediency!," an op-ed by Khalid Iqbal in the 
center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) 
(08/03) 
 
"If India and Pakistan are to achieve a sustainable good neighborly 
relation, they have to evolve a robust bilateral mechanism for 
crisis management....  Platter of composite dialogue is full of 
lingering issues, needing persistent attention.  Some of these have 
defied solution for the last 60 years or so; majority of these have 
fallen hostage to faulty attitudes and erratic fixations.  There is 
a need to go beyond the bounded vision to surpass such inhibitions. 
Pakistan is ready for this cruise; India needs to make up her mind 
quickly, and come on board." 
 
(All circulation figures are based on estimation) 
Feierstein