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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002609 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: TOP STORIES, TERRORISM/MILITARY, 
 
SECRETRY CLINTON'S VISIT, KERRY-LUGAR BILL, POLITICAL ISSUES, 
ECON/BUSINESS, MISCELLANEOUS - OCTOBER 27, 2009 
 
Summary:  Most newspapers highlighted as their lead story reports of 
a meeting between President Asif Zardari and PML-N leader Nawaz 
Sharif. All dailies reported "no breakthrough" during the meeting of 
these political leaders. Also front-paged was Turkish Prime Minister 
Erdogan's address to the joint session of the Parliament in which he 
pledged "unwavering support against terrorism" to Pakistan.  Reports 
on the arrest of 11 Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Balochistan's 
Washik district for illegally crossing the Pakistani border received 
extensive media coverage.  Several dailies reported killing of 14 
Americans in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.  Commenting on the 
assassination of a provincial minister in Quetta, the English 
language daily, "The News," observed that it will "only add to the 
instability and unrest encountered everywhere."  The prestigious 
daily, "Dawn," termed it a "tragic reminder of the simmering 
tensions in the province."  End Summary. 
 
TOP STORIES 
 
News Story: "No Breakthrough In Zardari-Nawaz Talks" "Dawn" (10/27) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of the Pakistan Muslim 
League-N, Nawaz Sharif, failed to make any breakthrough that could 
have paved the way for political reconciliation during their 
90-minute meeting at the Presidency on Monday." (Story also front 
paged in all newspapers) 
 
News Story: "Turkish PM Pledges Unwavering Support Against 
Terrorism" "Dawn" (10/27) 
 
"Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared here on Monday 
that his country would continue to stand by Pakistan in the war on 
terror and strengthen relations between the two countries.  Mr. 
Erdogan, who was addressing a joint session of the two houses of 
parliament, was warmly applauded when he said that Turkey and 
Pakistan were two strong states of the region and were contributing 
to regional and global peace efforts." (Story also front paged in 
all newspapers) 
 
TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES 
 
News Story: "11 Iranian Guards Held For Entering Pakistan Illegally" 
"Dawn" (10/27) 
 
"Pakistani border forces arrested 11 Iranian Revolutionary Guards in 
Mashkal area of Balochistan's Washik district on Monday for 
illegally crossing the border.  According to sources, the Iranian 
guards were detained along with their vehicle after they intruded 
into Pakistani territory." 
 
News Story: "Helicopter Crashes In Afghanistan Kill 14 Americans" 
"Dawn" (10/27) 
 
"Helicopter crashes killed 14 Americans on Monday in the deadliest 
day for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan in more than four years. The 
deaths came as President Barack Obama prepared to meet his national 
security team for a sixth full-scale conference on the future of the 
troubled war." (Story also front paged in all newspapers) 
 
News Story: "19 Militants, Six Soldiers Killed In SWA Clashes" "The 
News" (10/27) 
 
"Continuing their advance from three sides on the Taliban 
strongholds of Srarogha, Ladha and Makeen on the 10th day of the 
operation Rah-e-Nijat, security forces claimed killing 19 more 
terrorists in three separate clashes on Monday.  Six Army soldiers 
embraced Shahadat while 20 others suffered injuries in the fighting 
in Gharlai, Sarwek, Shaga and Sharkai Sar areas." (Story also front 
paged in all newspapers) 
 
News Story: "Aide For Swat Taliban Chief Captured" "Dawn" (10/27) 
 
"Security forces captured a close aide of Swat Taliban chief Maulana 
Fazlullah on Monday.  Sources said Ali Shah Khan, who was in charge 
of collecting donations for the Tehrik Taliban Swat." (Story also 
front paged in all newspapers) 
 
News Story: "Around 200,000 Flee Waziristan Offensive" "Dawn" 
(10/27) 
 
"The Army Spokesperson said around 200,000 people have abandoned 
their homes in South Waziristan tribal area, where the military is 
pressing an offensive against Taliban militants." 
 
News Story: "Sixteen Militants Killed In Hangu Clash" "Dawn" 
(10/27) 
 
"Sixteen militants were killed and 23 others injured during a joint 
operation by the army and Frontier Constabulary in Tora Warai area 
of Hangu district on Sunday night and Monday. Fifty-four militants, 
some Afghans among them, were captured." (Story also front paged in 
all newspapers) 
 
News Story: "Obama's Team Evaluates Pak And Afghan Strategy" "Dawn" 
 
"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rushed out of an interview 
to Dawn/Dawn News to attend a White House Situation Room meeting 
called to finalize the administration's new policy for Afghanistan 
and Pakistan. U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to announce 
the new policy soon, which is expected to focus on Pakistan as the 
key player in the fight against extremists." 
 
News Story: "Kerry Rules Out U.S. Combat Troops On Pakistani Soil" 
"The News" (10/27) 
 
"The United States has enormous stakes in Pakistan's stability and 
must assist the country economically and militarily to help it 
overcome serious challenges and at the same time make it clear to 
the Pakistanis that Washington respects their sovereignty, Senator 
John Kerry advocated on Monday." 
 
News Story: "NATO Must Check Infiltration From Afghanistan: Gilani" 
"Daily Times" (10/27) 
 
"It is imperative that NATO and ISAF forces in Afghanistan remain 
vigilant and effectively curb cross-border infiltrations and the 
supply of arms to terrorists, said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani 
on Monday.  Addressing a joint sitting of parliament, Gilani said 
Pakistan believed in a regional approach to combat terrorism and 
promote peace and stability." 
 
News Story: "India Funding Taliban: Malik" "Daily Times" (10/27) 
 
"India is creating unrest within Pakistan by funding the Taliban 
based along the Pak-Afghan border and by interfering in Balochistan, 
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Monday." 
 
News Story: "Money Does Wonders for Terror Suspects" "The News" 
(10/27) 
 
"An acute sense of insecurity prevails in the country amid reports 
of inept handling of terror suspects and inadequate medical 
facilities in hospitals. Reports are circulating that many terror 
suspects have managed to escape by bribing the police." 
 
Editorial: "Shooting in Quetta" an editorial in the populist, often 
sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (10/27) 
 
"In the current volatile situation we face, this will only add to 
the instability and unrest encountered everywhere. It is possible 
that as we descend into further violence, the Baloch nationalists 
are taking their cue from the Taliban and using similar tactics to 
make their own voice heard. The targeted killings in Quetta have 
expanded over the past few years. So too have incidents of 
kidnapping. The lack of law and order makes us feel as if we were 
living in a jungle with the state unable to perform its most 
fundamental duty of protecting life and ensuring safety." 
 
Editorial: "Balochistan Ignored" an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(10/27) 
 
"Losing faith in a government is one thing.  In working democracies 
this lack of trust is expressed through the ballot box and change 
can be sought through peaceful means....  Sunday's assassination of 
Balochistan's Education Minister is a tragic reminder of the 
simmering tensions in the province. The full-blown insurgency 
witnessed in the Musharraf era may be a thing of the past but 
Balochistan is anything but stable. And matters could get worse if 
the centre persists with back-pedaling on its commitments." 
 
Editorial: "Balochistan-SOS" an editorial in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (10/27) 
 
"The targeted killing of Balochistan's Minister for Education was a 
deadly reminder of the ongoing terrorism in that province. It is 
unfortunate that the federal government, apart from declaratory 
platitudes expressing support and good intent, has failed to move 
substantively to resolve the problems in that deprived part of 
Pakistan. The irony is that on Balochistan everyone knows what 
should be done - that is political and economic solutions to resolve 
the feeling of discrimination and neglect that are harbored there. 
With each passing day, the hatred and suspicions mount on all sides 
and increasing polarization is becoming ever more evident." 
 
Editorial: "State Of Affairs In Balochistan" an editorial in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (10/27) 
 
"All kinds of terrorists have assembled in Balochistan partly 
because of the "strategic depth" policies of the past. There are 
Afghan refugee camps in the province serving as breeding grounds for 
jihad against whomever they see as their enemies, including the Shia 
Hazaras of Quetta. The Iranian Baloch too take shelter in the 
province and strike across the Iranian border; and there is 
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi from Punjab which is enslaved to Al Qaeda and its 
plans in Balochistan. Tragically, those who support separation have 
no idea of the kind of ethnic-linguistic inferno they are inviting 
on to themselves." 
 
Editorial: "Pak-Turkish Strategic Partnership And Bilateral 
Cooperation," an editorial in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu 
daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (10/27) 
 
"Turkey is an ally of America, but it does not take dictation from 
that country and Pakistan can follow suit....  Both the American 
allies, Pakistan and Turkey, can tell America that the region's 
peace and stability is contingent upon the U.S. troops withdrawal 
from Afghanistan.  It is hoped that both the countries would pay 
attention to this aspect while discussing the war against 
terrorism." 
 
Opinion:  Ideas Can Win The War" an op-ed by Shahid Javed Burki in 
the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily 
"Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (10/27) 
 
"The real victory will come only when the people not just in the 
tribal areas but in all parts of the country decide that they have 
been misled by a small group of extremists. The people must make 
clear that they don't see their country and religion being under 
assault by the West, in particular the United States, and that it is 
their own people who are attacking them. In addition to the use of 
military power, what is required is the use of people's power. The 
war being fought in the hills of South Waziristan is not simply a 
military war; it is more a war of ideas....  What is the relevance 
of this debate in the United States for Pakistan's policymakers as 
they conduct their operations in South Waziristan? There are 
several. Of these I would like to focus on the following three. 
First the civilians must provide credible leadership to this effort 
by the military....  Second, there has to be only one system of 
governance in one country....  Third, people have also to act." 
 
Opinion: Of Peace And Pieces" an op-ed by Ahsan Nisar in the 
center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) 
(10/28) 
 
"The attack on GHQ has served two purposes. On the one hand, it was 
a message for the army to shut their mouth on the issue of the bill 
and on the other, it was a basis to justify the North Waziristan 
operation. Just like a wise ruler invents enemies and then slays 
them in order to control his own subjects, similarly, the apparently 
counterproductive bombings, arrests, torture, kidnappings and 
disappearances are intended not to eliminate the 'Islamic threat' 
but to contain it within manageable limits and to spawn the next 
generation of 'terrorists.'" 
 
Opinion: Waziristan And Its IDPs" an op-ed by Syed Mohammad Ali in 
the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (10/27) 
 
"It should not be surprising that the consistent lack of economic 
development and the resulting deprivation in these areas enables 
easy recruitment of militants....  Instead, the Pakistani regime 
kept swinging between the use of military means and signing tenuous 
peace agreements, which could not be honored, and thus confused the 
local population and further eroded what little credibility it had 
in these areas. The U.S. also seemed keener to pursue military 
rather than economic or socially constructive alternatives in the 
region." 
 
Opinion: "The shadow Of The Past" an op-ed by Dr. Maleeha Lodhi in 
the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" 
(cir. 55,000) (10/27) 
 
"Obama's predicament is how to balance rising Democratic opposition 
to the war with the risks of not accepting his military commander's 
recommendation for as many as 40,000 additional troops for 
Afghanistan, without which General Stanley McChrystal says the war 
will likely be lost. Obama knows that not heeding the military's 
counsel would expose him to the charge of 'endangering America's 
defence.' But ignoring the sentiments in his own party could 
jeopardize support for his ambitious, transformative domestic reform 
agenda....  Until he announces his strategy the Vietnamization of 
the debate will continue with cautionary tales being recounted in 
abundance." 
 
SECRETRY CLINTION'S VISIT 
 
Editorial" Tell It To The Marines" an editorial in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (10/27) 
 
"It is really hard to buy what Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke 
observed on Saturday. Whether one likes it or not, his statement 
that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be visiting 
Pakistan as a friend has the tone of a diktat....  One cannot help 
but think that this visit is part of the U.S. saber-rattling forcing 
Pakistan between a rock and a hard place. Apart from the insult that 
has been slapped on us in the form of the demeaning conditions in 
the Kerry-Lugar Act, there are a number of other ways in which the 
U.S. exercises its hegemony over Pakistan." 
 
Opinion: "Hillary Clinton's Upcoming Visit: A Possibility to Augment 
Hatred Against U.S." an op-ed by Khawar Chaudhry in the 
Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) 
(10/27) 
 
"The sole purpose of the visits by U.S. officials to Pakistan has 
always been to safeguard the interests of their own country and the 
upcoming trip of Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, will not be 
different. No doubt, Washington has secured much of its targets in 
Pakistan with the connivance of our quisling rulers, but the hatred 
against the U.S. is growning among the Pakistani masses. It is need 
of the hour that the U.S. fully trust the Pakistani nation and help 
the latter to extinguish the fire Washington itself has sparked." 
 
KERRY-LUGAR BILL 
 
Opinion: "Encouraging Outcome Is Compulsion," an op-ed by Nazir Naji 
in the leading mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu 
daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (10/27) 
 
"The Kerry-Lugar Bill is not much different from the other U.S. aid 
packages for Pakistan.  The same conditionalities that have been 
reiterated in it were in previous packages as well.  However, not 
only is the Pakistani media enjoying more freedom as compared to the 
past, the level of political awareness of Pakistani masses has also 
increased. The conditionalities of the Kerry-Lugar Bill and 
Washington's growing strategic partnership with New Delhi also 
served as the alarming bells for ordinary Pakistanis. Moreover, the 
insulting clauses of this bill also created fissure in the 
traditional understanding between the Pakistan army and the United 
States. Under these circumstances, the implementation of this U.S. 
legislation will not be so easy." 
 
Opinion: "The Futility Of Hating" an op-ed by Mosharraf Zaidi in the 
populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 
55,000) (10/27) 
E 
"We know that Pakistanis are not alone in the world, when it comes 
to being more than a little miffed about how their country is 
treated by the United States. The hullabaloo over why there is so 
much anti-Americanism in Pakistan, however, is a bit mystifying. The 
implicit insistence that high levels of anti-Americanism in Pakistan 
are unacceptable seems to reek of hubris. U.S. officials, both 
bureaucrats (like Ambassador Ann Paterson) and politicians (like 
Congressman Howard Berman) have grown increasingly testy in recent 
weeks, trying to perfume the world-famous love letter of the 
American people to Pakistan (formerly known as the Kerry Lugar 
Bill). If the incredulity of Americans trying to convince Pakistanis 
that their country is Uncle Sam's little love-muffin seems a little 
ridiculous, it's because it is. Only committed Orientalists would 
insist that a country of nearly 180 million be starry-eyed about 
America's thus-far unproven, newfound wisdom about Pakistani 
democracy. Proconsul Dick Holbrook should get over it. And so should 
Howie Berman. Pakistanis aren't the only ones that don't trust the 
U.S. government." 
 
POLITICAL ISSUES 
 
News Story: "NRO Issued For Benazir Only, Says Musharraf" "The News" 
(10/27) 
 
"Former President Pervez Musharraf has said that he had promulgated 
the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) for Benazir Bhutto and 
not for Asif Ali Zardari.  Talking to local editors of newspapers 
here on Monday, he made it clear that the NRO was only for Benazir 
Bhutto, so that she could come to Pakistan, adding, 'Not he , but 
Parliament elected Zardari as President.'" 
 
News Story: "JI Chief Stopped From Entering Bannu" "Dawn" (10/27) 
 
"Police stopped on Monday Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Chief Syed Munawar 
Hassan and his companions from entering Bannu to address a rally. 
Police also resorted to baton charge to disperse JI workers, who 
were gathered at Lakki Gate in Bannu city to take part in the rally. 
Eyewitnesses said that police also fired shots in the air. Munawar 
Hassan and other leaders of JI were coming from Karak to Bannu to 
lead 'Go America Go' rally. But they were stopped on Kashoo Bridge 
and not allowed to enter Bannu." 
 
ECON/BUSINESS 
 
News Story: "U.S. Proposes Abolition Of All Power Subsidies" "The 
News" (10/27) 
 
"The United States has proposed abolition of subsidized power tariff 
for lifeline consumers and instead extending them cash transfers 
against the use of 50 units. This will force lifeline consumers are 
just paying electricity bills at the rate of Rupees 1.40 per unit 
and there is need to charge them at normal rates." 
 
News Story: "Share Market Stages Spectacular Comeback" "Dawn" 
(10/27) 
 
"The share market on Monday staged a broad recovery triggered by 
strong foreign buying in the oil and banking sectors at the lower 
levels but the underlying sentiment remained terribly shaky owing to 
security concerns. The market's buoyant mood was also well-reflected 
in the KSE 100-share index, which also recovered 2.44 per cent or 
223.65 points at 9,374.50 as the main target of speculative support 
were the leading base shares." 
 
MISCELLANEOUS 
 
News Story: "U.S. Suspends Consular Services" "Daily Times" (10/27) 
 
 
"The U.S. Embassy issued a fresh 'Warden Notice' on Monday, 
announcing that it was suspending routine consular services because 
of unspecified security reasons. However, the Embassy clarified that 
the suspension was temporary, and normal service would resume on 
Friday." 
 
News Story: "U.S. Consulate In Lahore To Be Raised To The Level Of 
Consulate General" "Pakistan" (10/27) 
 
"U.S. State Department is seriously considering a proposal to 
elevate the level of the U.S. Consulate in Lahore to that of the 
Consulate General, and a decision is expected soon. At the moment, 
only Karachi has a Consulate General, while the other provincial 
capitals have Consulates. According to the Consulate's requirements, 
the existing building will be expanded, for which the adjacent 
7-kanal plot will be leased." 
 
News Story: "VOA Takes Over PBC" "The Nation" (10/27) 
 
"As of this month, the Pakistani government has quietly allowed the 
United States to expand its Afghanistan-based media propaganda 
network to include Pakistan, in a clandestinely signed deal that is 
bound to generate more anger when the Pakistani government that is 
yet to fully recover from accusations of a sellout to intrusive 
American aid conditions....  The Voice of America (VOA), which is a 
U.S. government agency, and the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation 
reached an agreement earlier this month where Pakistan had agreed to 
expand the Afghanistan-based U.S. propaganda network - the Americans 
call this 'public diplomacy' - to Pakistan. Under the deal, VOA will 
use PBC equipment and transmitters in Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore 
to distribute VOA material in Pashto and Urdu on medium and FM 
waves." 
 
News Story: "Pak Journalist Receives Life Threats" "The Nation" 
(10/27) 
 
"The U.S. presence in Peshawar is being felt in a most aggressive 
manner, especially in the form of harassment and actual threats 
given to the journalists writing critically against the U.S. and its 
covert operatives. One such journalist, referred as S.F.A. Shah 
because he now fears for his life, who first broke the story of the 
presence of Blackwater (now Xe Worldwide) in Peshawar along with 
Creative Associates International Inc (CAII), has literally been 
hounded out of his home." 
 
News Story: "U.S. To Pay CDA For Snorkel Damage" "Daily Times" 
(10/27) 
 
"The U.S. Embassy on Monday expressed willingness to pay for the 
repair of a Capital Development Authority (CDA) snorkel damaged by 
one of its employees. The Secretariat police station had booked a 
member of the US Embassy staff, Jimmy Mort, for ramming his car into 
a CDA snorkel at the Radio Pakistan Chowk on Sunday allegedly under 
the influence of liquor." 
 
(All circulation figures are based on estimation) 
Patterson