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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002663 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: TOP STORIES, TERRORISM/MILITARY, 
MISCELLANEOUS - NOVEMBER 03, 2009 
 
Summary:  Reports of suicide bomb blasts in Rawalpindi (35 dead, 65 
wounded) and Lahore (25 wounded) dominated all media Tuesday.  The 
government's decision not to present the controversial National 
Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO, a presidential ordinance promulgated 
by former President Musharraf to provide immunity to politicians, 
involved in corruption and other cases, that hold public offices) 
bill before the parliament was widely covered, and a key government 
ally (Muthaida Quami Movement - MQM) advised President Zardari to 
step down.  Pakistan Army Spokesman's claimed that "Pakistan has 
found concrete evidence of India's involvement behind the trouble in 
South Waziristan" garnering a great deal of attention in the local 
press. In its editorial on the recent suicide attack in Rawalpindi, 
the English language daily, "The News," observed that "there has 
been a shift in terrorist targeting since the death of Baitullah 
Mehsud" implying that militant attacks against civilian instead of 
law enforcement targets has been a conscious shift designed to 
stifle Pakistan's military operations. Commenting on the ongoing 
review of the U.S. strategy for Afghanistan, the prestigious English 
language daily, "Dawn," noted that "Pakistan's inability to put its 
own house in order makes it less of a credible interlocutor 
elsewhere."  End Summary. 
 
TOP STORIES 
 
News Story: Terrorists target 35 senior citizens in Rawalpindi 
"Dawn" (11/03) 
 
"Thirty-five people were killed and 65 others injured when a suicide 
bomber blew himself up outside a branch of the National Bank in 
Rawalpindi on Monday." (Story also front paged in all newspapers) 
 
News Story: Police avert terror attack in Lahore "Daily Times" 
(11/03) 
 
"Police on Monday thwarted a terrorist attack targeting a police 
check-post at the Babu Sabu Interchange of the Lahore-Islamabad 
motorway, an entry point into Lahore....  Upon being stopped by 
police for a routine inspection, the man got out of the car's 
passenger seat and detonated his suicide jacket, injuring 25 people, 
including the car's driver." (Story also front paged in all 
newspapers) 
 
News Story: PPP will not take NRO to parliament "Dawn" (11/03) 
 
"Politics in the country was sent on yet another major tailspin on 
Monday as some of the PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) government's 
trusted allies, the MQM (Muthidda Quami Movement) among them, 
threatened to vote against the National Reconciliation Ordinance, 
and the main opposition PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) 
launched a new tirade on the issue, forcing the beleaguered 
President, Asif Ali Zardari to succumb to the pressure and agree 
against presenting the 'corruption laundering' bill before the 
parliament." (Story also front paged in all newspapers) 
 
News Story: Mr. President! It's time: Altaf "Daily Times" (11/03) 
 
"Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Monday 
advised President Asif Ali Zardari to "make a sacrifice" for the 
sake of country and the democratic system....  'I appeal to the 
president, his friends and loyalists not to derail democracy, and 
produce themselves before the people to save the system, and tell 
them that they are not presenting the NRO in the assembly,' he 
said." 
 
News Story: Proof of Indian hand in South Waziristan: army "Dawn" 
(11/03) 
 
"Pakistan has found concrete evidence of India's involvement in 
militancy in South Waziristan and decided to take up the matter with 
New Delhi. This was disclosed by Information Minister Qamar Zaman 
Kaira and military spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas at a press 
briefing on the progress of operation Rah-i-Nijat in Islamabad on 
Monday." (Story also front paged in all newspapers) 
 
TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES 
 
News Story: Operation a Success: Kayani "The Nation" (11/03) 
 
"Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said the backbone 
 
of terrorists has been broken and the operation Rah-e-Nijat is 
proceeding along successfully. He expressed these views in a meeting 
held with Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani at the PM House on 
Monday." 
 
News Story: Twelve militants killed in South Waziristan "Dawn" 
(11/03) 
 
"Twelve militants were killed during the past 24 hours in the South 
Waziristan operation, Director-General Inter-Services Public 
Relations (ISPR) Athar Abbas said." 
 
News Story: Kayani raises ISAF border posts issue with McChrystal 
"Daily Times" (11/03) 
 
"Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani on Monday took up 
the vacation of border posts by International Security Assistance 
Force (ISAF) troops with ISAF Commander General Stanley McChrystal. 
A source privy to the meeting said the two officials exchanged views 
on the law and order situation in Afghanistan and the recent 
military offensive in South Waziristan." 
 
News Story: Government Offers Reward For Leads on Taliban Chiefs 
"Dawn" (11/03) 
 
"The Government of Pakistan offered rewards worth five million 
dollars for information leading to the capture, dead or alive, of 
Tehreek-e-Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud and 18 other 
lieutenants." 
 
News Story: UN pulls out foreign staff from FATA, NWFP "Daily Times" 
(11/03) 
 
"The United Nations on Monday announced immediate withdrawal of its 
staff from the NWFP and FATA due to the deteriorating security 
situation there. The measure was taken after UN Secretary General 
Ban Ki-Moon assessed the security situation in the northwestern 
region at 'Phase-IV.'" 
 
News Story: Seven Taliban Killed in Bajaur "Daily Times" (11/03) 
 
"Seven Taliban were killed in airstrikes and clashes with security 
personnel in Bajaur, destroying four terrorist hideouts on Monday." 
 
Editorial: Pity The Civilians, an editorial in the populist, often 
sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (11/03) 
 
"There has been a shift in terrorist targeting since the death of 
Baitullah Mehsud....  It is hard to fathom what the terrorists hope 
to achieve by this.  On the one hand they may think that they are 
'forced' to do this because of the actions of the military and 
civilian agencies that have them under pressure.  On the other 
terrorist thinking may be that by bombing the innocent they can 
'force the military and civilian agencies to cease and desist from 
their pressurizing.  They would be wrong in either case.  We cannot, 
will not, allow this country to be brought low by terrorism. We 
cannot allow a small section of society to impose its will by force 
upon the rest of us, despite the knowledge that it is going to be 
civilians who increasingly pay the ultimate price for our victory. 
 
Editorial: Consulting Pakistan, an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(11/03) 
 
"'Because we understand the area, we understand the tribes, we 
understand the local customs and traditions and our input might be 
useful for the Americans' they should consult Pakistan on their 
on-going review of the strategy for Afghanistan. Thus has spoken 
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his advice makes much 
sense....  So going forward, the U.S. will have to find a way to 
work with local partners in addition to a weak, discredited central 
government and that's precisely where Pakistan's help can be most 
valuable, helping the Americans and Afghans differentiate between 
the various players....  Then there is the fact that, as yesterday's 
bombing in Rawalpindi again highlighted, Pakistan's inability to put 
its own house in order makes it less of a credible interlocutor 
elsewhere." 
 
Editorial: Rawalpindi Tragedy: Need To Intensify The Operation 
 
Against Terrorism, an editorial in the liberal Urdu daily "Express" 
(circ, 25,000) (11/03) 
 
"Keeping the onset of winter in mind, it is imperative to speed up 
the operation [in Waziristan] so that militants' remaining strength 
is diminished. At the same time security of all institutions and 
buildings in the country needs to intensified.  A thorough 
investigation into the Rawalpindi attack is also necessary to get to 
the perpetrators of this attack so that suitable planning can be 
done for the future." 
 
Editorial: Another blast, an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal 
English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (11/03) 
 
"The sudden rise in terrorist attacks shows that the army action 
against the extremists is proving effective, and the militants are 
now making last ditch efforts to create mayhem in the country.... 
The militants are determined and consistent in their extremist 
policy and will not give it up.  The government, too, should remain 
determined in rooting out extremism by using military force." 
 
Editorial: Rawalpindi Suicide Blast And The Overall Security 
Situation, an editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily 
"Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (11/03) 
 
"Interior Minister Malik has said that no foreigner will be allowed 
to possess weapons...  Perhaps by foreigners, he (Mr. Malik) means 
the Afghan nationals, otherwise everybody knows that the Americans 
enjoy full impunity in this regard. In case, these Americans are 
arrested the Interior Ministry releases them instantly under the 
pressure from the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. To speak the truth, by 
adopting these double standards, we cannot put an end to the 
lawlessness, let alone the terrorism. The repeated assertions of the 
Interior Minister that there are no Blackwater operatives or the 
U.S. Marines in Pakistan cannot alter ground reality that these 
people are present in Islamabad and Peshawar with their nefarious 
designs." 
 
Editorial: A time to think!, an editorial in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (11/03) 
 
"Hillary Clinton's love affair with Pakistan was short-lived. Back 
in the U.S. she flatly denied the charge that India was sparking 
unrest in Balochistan. She also observed that since Pakistan could 
criticize the Kerry-Lugar Bill, the U.S. also had the right to 
protest Al-Qaeda's presence on its land and demand action against 
it.... The tone and tenor of her words convey the usual tendency of 
viewing Pakistan with a jaundiced eye....  At this point in time, if 
our leaders look around, there is no dearth of countries, which have 
carried themselves with integrity and grace in their relationship 
with the U.S.  A rethink of our 'friendship' with the U.S. is 
definitely in order." 
 
Editorial: Pakistan And U.S.: At the Crossroads?, an editorial in 
the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 
15,000) (11/03) 
 
"Secretary of State Clinton has said that mutual mistrust exists in 
the Pak-U.S. relations. She has also blamed Pakistan for supporting 
Al Qaeda and the Taliban. It seems that the real motive of such 
allegations by the U.S. State Department is to mount pressure on 
Pakistan. In fact, Washington is not in a position to ditch 
Islamabad at this critical juncture, because the latter's support is 
vital in the war on terror. So far, Pakistan has suffered tremendous 
material and human losses in this war which cannot be redeemed with 
the meager largesse under the Kerry-Lugar Bill. Pakistan and the 
U.S. do not have common interests, and soon both countries would be 
at the crossroads." 
 
Editorial: Hillary Clinton's Statement: New Way Of Pressurizing 
Pakistan, an editorial in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (11/03) 
 
"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that if Pakistanis 
can speak on Kerry-Lugar Bill then we too are right in expressing 
our concern about al-Qaeda and Taliban presence in Pakistan.... 
Hillary Clinton has also rejected the allegation of Indian 
interference in Balochistan, saying neither we were given any 
evidence nor have we given any such information....  If Pakistani 
 
leadership did not really give her the evidence then it is the worst 
example of neglect of national interests.  The nation has the right 
to know as on whose behest the Indian interference and terrorism are 
being overlooked and why.  Hillary Clinton's accusations on being 
unnerved over people's concern on KLB is a moment of reflection for 
Pakistan's political and military leaderships and an expression of 
American designs.  It is possible that America has already planned 
direct or indirect military intervention in Balochistan or any other 
area of Pakistan and is looking for a justification through a 
propaganda campaign." 
 
Editorial: U.S. appears to be on right track, an editorial in the 
Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 
5,000) (11/03) 
 
"According to a report appearing in this newspaper, the United 
States has initiated a process of dialogue with Afghan Taliban and 
asked Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for their support in making it 
result-oriented....  The report, if true, marks a major change in 
the U.S. policy and has the potential to restore peace not only in 
the war-ravaged country but in the entire region....  The movement 
towards peace talks is welcome and offers the only viable solution 
to the problem." 
 
Editorial: Afghan prospects and Pakistan, an editorial in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (11/03) 
 
"Washington says it will leave the matter for Afghanistan to settle. 
Whoever comes to power after the run-off will be acceptable and 
whichever way the politicians in Kabul unravel the deadlock of Mr. 
Abdullah's exit from the run-off will be acceptable too. The truth 
is that the Americans must be trying hard to get an increasingly 
besieged Karzai to agree to clean up the rigged electoral machinery. 
They had not done it earlier because they had no credible 
alternative to him and Mr. Abdullah was considered too hard to 
maintain in power." 
 
Opinion: Hand Over Power To Hillary Clinton, an op-ed by Javed 
Chaudhry in the liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 25,000) (11/03 
 
"This is Hillary Clinton - a target 'most wanted' by the Taliban, Al 
Qaeda and other terrorists. But look at her courage; she moved 
around easily in 'war-torn' Pakistan, whereas our brave leaders Asif 
Zardari and Yousaf Raza Gillani have never left their lairs. Try to 
think of the last time you saw President Zardari out of the 
Presidency? Such a pleasant occurrence did not happen more than 4 
times in the last two years. Have you ever seen your leaders go to 
Bari Imam, or Iqbal's memorial, or Government College University, or 
Data Darbar? Never? Why? Because these people have security 
concerns? Did Hillary Clinton not have any security concerns?... 
These people [Pakistani leaders] are so scared that when 115 people 
died in Peshawar, none of our 92 ministers took the trouble of going 
to Peshawar to wipe people's tears. On the one hand we have such 
people, yet on the other we have Hillary Clinton, who - by going to 
Badshahi Mosque, Government College University, Iqbal Memorial, and 
Bari Imam shrine - proved that she is more capable of leading 
Pakistan than the Pakistani leaders. Hence, it is my suggestion that 
power be please handed over to Hillary Clinton; at least she has the 
courage to go out and meet the public" 
 
Opinion: South Waziristan: Risks and Opportunity, an op-ed by Dr. 
Maleeha Lodhi in the populist, often sensational national English 
daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (11/03) 
 
"The ferocious backlash to the South Waziristan operation that 
Peshawar witnessed last week was a grim reminder of the imposing 
challenges that lie ahead in the country's struggle against 
militancy....  The aim has been to shake the official resolve, raise 
the costs of the military operation and erode public support for 
actions against the militants.  But, as happened earlier, the 
counter-assaults have so far backfired....  The operation's outcome 
may well determine the fate not just of the TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban 
Pakistan) but of other militants who have used the Mehsud stronghold 
to build a deadly capacity to challenge the Pakistani state." 
 
Opinion: The Problem Of Communication Gap, an op-ed by Saleem Safi 
in the leading mass circulation populist, often sensational Urdu 
daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (11/03) 
 
 
"It will be a grave mistake of the Americans if they think that by a 
single visit of Secretary Clinton and her meetings with some TV 
anchorpersons, they will be able to instill their thoughts into the 
minds of Pakistani people.  We will also be wrong that by 
criticizing the Kerry-Lugar Bill, or by reviling the Americans in TV 
talk shows, we will succeed in changing their mindset. Our tribal 
areas and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) are the frontline 
areas in the war on terror, but during her recent visit, Secretary 
Clinton was seen discussing the reasons of extremism with the elites 
of Lahore and Islamabad which speaks volumes about the unawareness 
of the Americans.  They will have to think with Pakistani minds in 
order to know us. It is also necessary for Pakistanis to think the 
way they (Americans) think so that we may fully understand the U.S. 
intentions and priorities." 
 
MISCELLANEOUS 
 
News Story: Karzai declared Afghan election winner "Dawn" (11/03) 
 
"Afghan President Hamid Karzai was declared winner of the country's 
second election Monday by the country's electoral commission after 
it decided to scrap a planned run-off ballot. Independent Election 
Commission chairman Azizullah Ludin said. 
 
News Story: Obama backs Karzai, albeit reluctantly "Dawn" (11/03) 
 
"U.S. President Barack Obama telephoned his Afghan counterpart Hamid 
Karzai on Monday, hours after he was declared president for the next 
five years, but the White House said it was not a congratulatory 
call, said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs when asked to 
describe the conversation between the two presidents." 
 
News Story: Senate body seeks report on Blackwater "Daily Times" 
(11/03) 
 
"The Senate's Standing Committee on Interior on Monday sought a 
report from the Interior Ministry on the activities of private U.S. 
security firm Blackwater in Pakistan. Senator Talha Mehmood, 
chairing a committee meeting at Parliament House, also sought a 
report on the total number of U.S. diplomats and other citizens in 
the country. 
 
News Story: 312 houses hired by Americans in Capital: Ministry "The 
Nation" (11/03) 
 
"Ministry of Interior has informed Senate Standing Committee on 
Interior that Americans have hired a total of 312 private houses in 
different sectors of the Federal Capital where 453 American 
nationals are living. However, these Americans are divided into two 
categories; US nationals and Special Americans. According to 
details, 39 are U.S. nationals who are living in 28 houses, while 
414 others fall in second category and they have hired 284 houses, 
it was further informed on Monday." 
 
Editorial: America's somersault, an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(11/03) 
 
"The world must be shocked by the somersault staged by the US 
administration over the weekend on its policy on Jewish settlements. 
Five months ago, President Barack Obama had said categorically in 
his historic telecast to the Muslim world that he wanted a halt to 
all settlement activity in the occupied territory....  The Obama 
administration may waver and dither, but Israel has been shamelessly 
consistent in its obduracy." 
 
(All circulation figures are based on estimation) 
Patterson