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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002625 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: TOP STORIES, TERRORISM/MILITARY, 
POLITICAL ISSUES, ECON/BUSINESS, MISCELLANEOUS - OCTOBER 28, 2009 
 
Summary:  All major newspapers highlighted the arrival of Secretary 
Clinton on Wednesday.  Her remarks that "U.S. is turning a new page 
in ties" with Pakistan also received prominent display.  Newspapers 
reported that President Zardari and Army Chief Kayani held a meeting 
"ahead of Secretary Clinton's visit."  The security forces' claim of 
killing 42 militants in South Waziristan also received front page 
display.  Several major dailies highlighted a report that an "army 
brigadier narrowly escaped an attempt on his life in Islamabad." 
Information Minister Kaira's statement declaring that "President 
Zardari was ready to surrender key powers to Prime Minister" was 
also prominently covered.  Most major newspapers ran editorials on 
the possible implications of the meeting between President Zardari 
and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif held in Islamabad the other day.  End 
Summary. 
 
TOP STORIES 
 
News Story: "U.S. Turning A New Page In Ties, Says Hillary" "Dawn" 
(10/28) 
 
"A lot of military equipment is 'fungible' and mobile and can be 
used in different places, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 
told 'Dawn' when asked if it's fair to demand that a Pakistani 
military unit using a certain weapon on the Afghan border leave that 
weapon behind when it's transferred to another place. In a 
wide-ranging interview, Secretary Clinton said that since the 
beginning of the Waziristan operation, the U.S. had been trying to 
accelerate its assistance for the Pakistani military...  'I hope on 
this trip I will be able to start that ball rolling, so to speak, so 
that maybe some in your country will say, no, I really didn't have a 
good opinion before,' she said.  'I thought it was all about are you 
going to be with us or against us on the war on terrorism, but this 
is a new day.  That's why we're turning a new page." 
 
News story: "Hillary Clinton Due Today On 3-Day Visit" "Dawn" 
(10/28) 
 
"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due in Islamabad on 
Wednesday on a three-day 'goodwill visit' to address popular 
concerns and suspicions about America in Pakistan. (Story also front 
paged in all newspapers) 
 
News story: "Hillary Due. Energy Bail Out Expected" "Pakistan 
Observer" (10/28) 
 
"Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State who is due today (Wednesday) in 
Islamabad is to announce the hard core decisions for bailing out 
Pakistan from gigantic energy crisis, a senior official told 
Pakistan Observer." 
 
News story: "President, Army Chief Meet Ahead Of Hillary's Visit" 
"The News" (10/28) 
 
"Sources said Tuesday's meeting focused on the security situation of 
the country and the ongoing military operation in South Waziristan. 
Political analysts were attaching high significance with Tuesday's 
meeting as it was held at a time when U.S. Secretary of State 
Hillary Clinton is reaching Islamabad today (Wednesday). It is 
expected that Hillary would hold talks with the government on the 
security situation and the Kerry-Lugar Law." (Story also front paged 
in all newspapers) 
 
News story: "Forty Two Militants Killed In South Waziristan" "Dawn" 
(10/28) 
 
"The military has claimed to have killed 42 militants in South 
Waziristan during 24 hours since Monday evening. One soldier lost 
his life. The Inter-Services Public Relations said that troops 
continued their advance towards Sararogha, a stronghold of followers 
of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan Chief Hakimullah Mehsud, after flushing 
out militants from their positions around Kotkai. A number of 
villages have been cleared and important hills have been secured." 
(Story also front paged in all newspapers) 
 
TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES 
 
News story: "Brigadier Escapes Bid On Life In Islamabad" "Dawn" 
(10/28) 
 
"A high-ranking army officer narrowly escaped an attempt on his life 
here on Tuesday. This was the second attack on a senior officer here 
in less than a week. Brig Waqar Ahmad Malik, director of defence 
services guards at the GHQ, was going to a bank along with his 
mother in his official car bearing private registration number when 
a gunman in khaki and wearing a shawl opened fire on him." 
 
News story: "GHQ Siege Mastermind Captured, Claim Police" "Dawn" 
(10/28) 
 
"Security agencies captured on Tuesday 'Qari' Ishtiaq, a key 
'commander' of the Punjabi Tehrik-i-Taliban network, who allegedly 
masterminded the Oct 10 attack on the army headquarters (GHQ) in 
Rawalpindi." 
 
News Story: "Taliban Good At Posturing, Poor At Resisting" "Daily 
Times" (10/28) 
 
"The Taliban are putting up no 'extraordinary resistance' in South 
Waziristan, where a military operation was recently launched - with 
the top leadership of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan believed to be 
on the move to safer places, officials said on Tuesday." 
 
News Story: "7 Militants, 2 Security Men Killed In Mohmand" "The 
Nation" (10/28) 
 
"At least seven militants were killed and 12 others got injured 
during clashes with security forces here in tehsil Baizai on 
Tuesday. Two security personnel were also killed in the clashes." 
 
News Story: "Waziristan IDPs" "The News" (10/28) 
 
"Certain inhabitants of South Waziristan have complained that the 
government and the nation had ignored them despite the fact that 
they have been suffering due to the so-called "war against terror" 
since June 2002." 
 
News Story: "U.S. Pressure Strains Ties With Pakistan, Says NYT" 
"The Nation" (10/28) 
 
"Pakistan's counterinsurgency operation in South Waziristan may be 
welcome in the United States but the push is straining the delicate 
Washington-Islamabad relations, according to New York Times." 
 
News Story: "No Infiltration From Western Border: Malik" "Daily 
Times" (10/28) 
 
"Interior Minister Rehman Malik has denied reports on infiltrations 
from across the Western border, saying the rumors are false, and 'we 
are ready to counter any such threat effectively.'" 
 
News Story: "U.S., NATO Need To Do More In Afghanistan: ISPR DG" 
"Daily Times" (10/28) 
 
"The 'do more' mantra of the coalition forces in Afghanistan is not 
helping Pakistan, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director 
General Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said on Tuesday, and demanded that the 
U.S. and NATO forces 'do more' on their side of the border. The 
chief military spokesman told a private TV channel that Pakistan had 
deployed a 'huge number' of military and paramilitary forces on the 
border. He said Pakistan had done a lot to stop infiltrations on 
either side of the border, and it was now 'their turn to reciprocate 
in effective manner.'" 
 
News story: "Kerry Stresses On Sustained Assistance For Pakistan" 
"Dawn" (10/28) 
 
"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. 'We need to make it clear that we respect 
their (Pakistanis) sovereignty,' he stated at the Council on Foreign 
Relations while speaking about U.S. policy toward the region in the 
light of his visit to Pakistan and Afghanistan last week." 
 
News Story: "Obama To Sign Military Aid Bill This Week" "The News" 
(10/28) 
 
"U.S. President Barack Obama has said he plans to sign the U.S. 
Defence Authorization Bill 2010, which puts tougher restrictions on 
military aid to Pakistan, later this week. Speaking to U.S. service 
members at the Naval air station in Jacksonvile, Florida, on Monday 
President Obama said that tens of millions of dollars of U.S. 
taxpayers money was going waste on certain projects, which even U.S. 
military says are of no use." 
 
News Story: "EU Vows Support For Pakistan's Anti-Terror Drive" 
"Dawn" (10/28) 
 
"European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday vowed full support for 
Pakistan's counter-terror drive and said the 27-nation bloc was 
ready to help civilians affected by the military offensive in South 
Waziristan. In their most comprehensive overview to date of 
relations with Pakistan, European governments also pledged to 
strengthen the EU's emerging strategic relationship with Pakistan." 
 
News Story: "Money Allocated For Taliban To Give Up Resistance In 
U.S. Defense Bill" "The News" (10/28) 
 
"The handsome alluring amount of money has been allocated in U.S. 
defense bill for Taliban over withdrawal of resistance against 
allied forces in Afghanistan, Geo news reported on Tuesday. The 
Chairman of U.S. Senate Armed Committee (USSAC) Senator Carl Levin 
has said a new Article has been made part of U.S. defense bill, 
allocating money for Taliban to lay down arms and surrender to 
U.S.-led allied forces in Afghanistan." 
 
Editorial: "Micromanaging Pakistan" an editorial in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (10/28) 
 
"Hillary Clinton will be in Islamabad today and many Pakistanis will 
suffer the major inconvenience of finding the airport and all routes 
leading to it closed. But the real issue is the intrusive U.S. 
micromanagement of Pakistan that is already underway. The extent of 
the handing over of sovereignty to the Americans is only being 
revealed bit by scandalous bit. Nor is this micromanagement limited 
to security related issues. Instead, we now have a demand from the 
Americans to end all power subsidies and to up the price of CNG to 
bring it at par with petrol. Clearly, the U.S. is either unaware of 
the social situation in the country, or is deliberately seeking to 
create further discontent within the public at large, which is 
already finding it difficult to manage a daily existence in the face 
of spiraling prices. Now Ms. Clinton, in the style of the old 
viceroys, will have arrived to give her instructions for our energy 
sector." 
 
Editorial: "Senator John Kerry's Veiled Threat" an editorial in the 
second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) 
(10/28) 
 
"American Senator John Kerry has said that Pakistan is the hub of 
al-Qaeda and the U.S. is still facing threat of attacks by al-Qaeda. 
 Speaking at U.S. Senate's foreign relations committee council the 
other day he said that American indifference can destabilize 
Pakistan....  Senator Kerry's statement in fact highlights the 
American plan under which it wants to make a Tora Bora of 
Pakistan....  Coupled with Drone attacks, American military's ground 
attacks on Pakistan cannot be ruled out." 
 
Editorial: "The Swelling Number Of IDPs" an editorial in the 
Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 
5,000) (10/28) 
 
"Civilians continue to flee from South Waziristan following the 
intensification of fighting between the militants and troops and the 
number is swelling with each passing day....  It was estimated that 
around 250,000 could eventually leave South Waziristan but it 
appears that the IDPs number would swell to a much higher figure due 
to ferocity in fighting....  The need of the hour is that the 
Government and the media must draw the attention of the people and 
international community to rush aid of all sorts so that these ill 
fated homeless could be looked after till militancy is rooted out 
from their areas." 
 
Editorial: "Growing Signs Of U.S. Defeat In Afghanistan," an 
editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily 
"Islam" (cir. 15,000) (10/28) 
 
 
"The current year has proved a deadly period for the United States 
and NATO forces in Afghanistan since the ouster of the Taliban 
government in 2001. The rise in death toll of U.S. soldiers at a 
time when Washington is discussing the possibility of sending more 
troops to Afghanistan is a matter of serious concern. NATO officials 
have admitted that with the recent killings, the number of 
casualties of foreign forces in Afghanistan has risen to 424, 
including 256 U.S. troops. These statistics clearly demonstrate that 
the U.S. and its allies are heading towards a humiliating defeat. 
Meanwhile, the U.S. media and influential political circles are also 
terming Afghanistan as another Vietnam for their country. If the 
Obama Administration is endowed with some insight, it should not 
further delay the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan." 
 
Opinion: "Civilians In The War Zone" an op-ed by Zubeida Mustafa in 
the Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily 
"Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (10/28) 
 
"We are constantly being exhorted to treat the war on terror as our 
own war and not theirs (the Americans'). We are told to own it. From 
that one deduces that we should make our due contribution to the war 
effort. One would not argue with that line of thinking - no, not at 
this stage. Now that Pakistanis find themselves caught in this 
quagmire of conflict they do not have much of a choice except to try 
and wade their way out. For this they are extending full support to 
the army and the government....  In the present war we have no idea 
of the number of civilian casualties because independent observers 
are not allowed access to this area.  The ISPR prefers to shroud its 
press releases in ambiguity.  When it gives the figures of those 
killed it lists the number of soldiers 'martyred' and the number of 
terrorists killed.  The latter presumably include civilian 
non-combatants.  Thus a week after Rah-i-Nijat was launched in South 
Waziristan the ISPR stated 160 people had been killed which included 
142 Taliban....  The need is to revise the laws and make those 
concerning civilians more comprehensive." 
 
Opinion: "Hooked On U.S. Aid" an op-ed by Shamshad Ahmad in the 
populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 
55,000) (10/28) 
 
"Despite its terror-chilled, heavily picketed and dusky atmosphere, 
Islamabad is warming up to the very thought of U.S. aid flowing in 
cash in the coming months. The Kerry-Lugar Bill storm is not yet 
fully blown over, but the Gilani cabinet, like its Foreign Minister, 
acted hastily to show its readiness to accept the 
conditionality-ridden aid-package....  Secretary of State Hillary 
Clinton's forthcoming visit to Islamabad should be a welcome 
opportunity for both sides to discuss and overcome these raging 
issues. The purpose must be to strengthen, not weaken their 
relationship by infusing in it greater political, economic and 
strategic content. U.S. engagement with Pakistan must go beyond the 
war on terror. It must reach out to democratic and liberal forces 
and the business community in our country, and also our younger 
generation, which may resent U.S. power but not its ideals." 
 
Opinion: "Sovereignty And Imperialism" an op-ed by Pervaiz Nazir in 
the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" 
(cir. 55,000) (10/28) 
 
"The perception regarding Pakistan as a 'friend of the U.S.' and as 
a 'self-subverter' of its own sovereignty wrongly suggests that only 
clarification and confidence building is needed to iron out problems 
between Pakistan and the U.S.; whereas an alternative perspective of 
unequal power relations requires that policies and strategies are 
needed that can resist an imperial power....  The United States' 
attempts to universalizing its power and ambitions are not new." 
 
Opinion: Last Tango In Washington -- II" an op-ed by Anjum Niaz in 
the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" 
(cir. 55,000) (10/28) 
 
"Well, the Pakistani army is back to barracks but its Chief is very 
much in the picture even today. He has refused to accept the 
Kerry-Lugar Bill (and rightly so) because the drafters of the bill 
have stabbed our army in its back by giving the upper hand to 
Zardari. 'Divide and rule' is an adage which an idiot did not 
phrase. He/she knew exactly that power plays best when you rule over 
a house divided. It is ironical that the U.S. is now trying to get 
 
the presidency and the GHQ at loggerheads over the Kerry-Lugar Bill 
having used it to its advantage by getting Gen. Kayani to be the 
midwife at the birth of the NRO!" 
 
Opinion: "No Plan For Pakistan" an op-ed by Rafia Zakaria in the 
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" 
(cir. 55,000) (10/28) 
 
"Ultimately, the absence of a cohesive U.S. strategy towards 
Pakistan beyond urgings to take the threat of the Taliban seriously 
is reflective of an omission that is likely to impose both political 
and strategic costs on the United States. For Pakistan, the war 
against the Taliban is territorial and directed specifically at 
gaining back control of specific regions. For the U.S., the 
connections drawn between its national security concerns and 
fighting territorial wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan are far more 
complex. The evasive logic of these connections has become 
especially problematic when U.S. policy towards Pakistan is exposed 
as a lurid hodgepodge of drone attacks, aid packages and diplomatic 
urgings to fight the Taliban. Given the already fragile relationship 
between the U.S. and Pakistan, the absence of a comprehensive and 
clear plan towards the region does little to reassure Pakistanis 
that their status as American allies will continue in the years to 
come." 
 
POLITICAL ISSUES 
 
News Story: "Top Military Appointments, Assemblies' Dissolution; 
President Ready to Surrender Key Power To PM" "Daily Times" (10/28) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari is willing to curtail presidential 
powers given under Article 58(2b), Federal Information Minister 
Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Tuesday. Kaira told a private TV channel 
that the president wanted to hand over some of the authority to 
parliament, and was also ready to transfer the powers related to the 
dissolution of assemblies and the appointment of services chiefs to 
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. He said the president wanted 
continuity and stability in the parliamentary system." 
 
News Story: "Zardari Agrees To Surrender Powers" "The News" (10/28) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza 
Gilani on Tuesday decided to form a special committee for better 
working relationship and political and administrative coordination 
with the PML-N. They also discussed the forthcoming visit of U.S. 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is arriving here today 
(Wednesday).Sources said the president took the Prime Minister into 
confidence on his meeting with Nawaz Sharif and the implementation 
of the Charter of Democracy." 
 
Editorial: "Negative Expectations From 'Z-N' Meeting" an editorial 
in the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" 
(cir. 10,000) (10/28) 
 
"The general impression in the media about Monday's meeting between 
President Asif Ali Zardari and the PML-N leader Mr. Nawaz Sharif was 
that it broke no new ground....  The anti-PPP media did not spell 
out what it wanted from the meeting of the two party bosses, but 
they kept talking about the 'unconstitutionality' of the NRO, 
corruption in the government and a sell-out of national honor to the 
U.S. while accepting the Kerry-Lugar law." 
 
Editorial: "Keep Meeting Even Without Breakthroughs" an editorial in 
the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 
5,000) (10/28) 
 
"The confusion would most probably prevail despite meeting of the 
two leaders. We, however, believe that the situation demands that 
the leaders of the two parties should continue to have more meetings 
even if there is no breakthrough as dialogue helps removes 
misunderstandings and promotes national unity and harmony." 
 
ECON/BUSINESS 
 
News Story: "Protecting Lifeline Consumers: U.S. Urges Pakistan To 
Launch 'Voucher Scheme'" "Business Recorder" (10/28) 
 
"The U.S. has urged Pakistan to launch a 'voucher scheme' similar to 
that of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) or set up an 
 
"Universal Support Fund" to protect lifeline consumers, using up to 
50 units of electricity per month after elimination of all kinds of 
subsidies in power sector." 
 
News Story: "IMF delegation Declines To Visit Pakistan: Next Review 
Of Economy From November 2-12 In Dubai" "Business Recorder" (10/28) 
 
 
"The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has once again refused to 
conduct the review of the economy under the Standby Arrangement 
(SBA) in Pakistan due to security concerns.... Sources told Business 
Recorder here on Tuesday that the meetings for the next review were 
scheduled to be held from November 2-12." 
 
 News Story: "ECC Forms Panel To Probe Gas Loadshedding In Winter" 
"Dawn" (10/28) 
 
"A meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) held here on 
Tuesday formed a committee to analyze the issue of proposed natural 
gas load management program for winter." 
 
MISCELLANEOUS 
 
News Story: "Nabbed With Illegal Arms Again" "The Nation" (10/28) 
 
"Once again, 4 American nationals were caught red-handed by Capital 
Police in the wee hours of Tuesday when they were carrying weapons 
publicly. However, they managed to secure release and continue their 
journey to a mysterious destination, sources informed." 
 
News Story: "Eight U.S. Troops Killed In Afghan Bomb Attacks" "Dawn" 
(10/28) 
 
"Eight American soldiers and an Afghan civilian were killed Tuesday 
in bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan, NATO said. The deaths 
occurred in what a statement referred to as 'multiple complex IED 
attacks', referring to improvised explosive devices that have become 
the scourge of troops fighting a resurgent Taliban." 
 
News Story: "first U.S. Official Resigns To Protest War" "The 
Nation" (10/28) 
 
"An American official resigned from his post in a Taliban stronghold 
in Afghanistan in protest of the Afghan war, bringing into sharp 
focus the divide over the United States' policy towards the 
strife-torn country, according to The Washington Post." 
 
News Story: "PBC-VOA Cooperation As Per Law" "The Nation" (10/28) 
 
"A spokesperson for Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation has 
categorically rebutted a misleading news item published in daily 
'The Nation' on October 27, 2009 about PBC-VOA agreement. The 
spokesperson said the professional and technical cooperation between 
PBC and VOA is in accordance with the Pakistani law and rules of 
business." 
 
News Story: "PML-Q Submits Motion To Discuss VOA-PBC Deal" "The 
Nation" (10/28) 
 
"PML-Q has submitted an adjournment motion in the National Assembly 
secretariat to discuss the deal of Voice of America with Pakistan 
Broadcasting Corporation to extend its media propaganda network into 
Pakistan. VOA was already running its media propaganda in 
Afghanistan to mould the public opinion in their favor and now they 
were about to step in here with the aim to dilute the growing public 
resentment against them." 
 
(All circulation figures are based on estimation) 
Patterson