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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002669 
 
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 - NOVEMBER 04, 2009 
 
Summary: Local political stories dominated headlines in all 
newspapers on Wednesday.  Reports and photographs of a train 
collision (17 dead, 42 injured) in Karachi were highlighted. 
Secretary Clinton's statement in Morocco announcing new initiatives 
to help businesses and non-governmental groups around the Muslim 
world received extensive coverage.  Several major newspapers also 
highlighted her remarks, in an interview with Fox News, conceding 
that the "United States was also responsible for allowing Al Qaeda 
to enter Pakistan."  In addition, some newspapers printed Ambassador 
Holbrooke's remarks from a Geo TV interview that "those who oppose 
the Kerry-Lugar Law (KLL) are the ones who either oppose the present 
Pakistani government or support the Taliban."  Most major newspapers 
ran editorials on the current government-opposition row over the 
fate of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).  The English 
language daily, "Daily Times," inferred in its editorial that 
"Pakistan will be further destabilized from now on. The PML-N 
(Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) will muster the forces intent on 
overthrowing the government and will move to ask the government to 
take a confidence vote."  "The Nation" editorialized India's alleged 
support for insurgents in South Waziristan and called upon allied 
forces in Afghanistan to urge India to "stop its nefarious 
activities" in the region.  End Summary. 
 
TOP STORIES 
 
News Story: Train Crash In Karachi Leaves 18 Dead "Dawn" (11/04) 
 
"Eighteen people, including women and children, died on Tuesday 
after a passenger train collided head on with a goods train in the 
suburbs of the city (Karachi).  About 45 people were injured and at 
least two coaches of the passenger train were destroyed, officials 
and witnesses said."  (Story also front paged in all newspapers) 
 
News Story: Clinton Offers Aid To Boost Ties With Muslim World 
"Daily Times" (11/04) 
 
"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered aid on Tuesday to 
boost ties with the Muslim world and urged Israel, the Palestinians 
and Arab countries to move beyond recrimination in the search for 
peace. 'We are determined and persistent in the pursuit of that 
goal,' she said in a speech at a development forum in Morocco 
attended by Arab Ministers." (Story also covered in 'Dawn,' 'The 
News,' 'The Nation') 
 
News Story: U.S. Allowed Al Qaeda To Enter FATA: Hillary "Dawn" 
(11/04) 
 
"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has conceded that the 
United States was also responsible for allowing Al Qaeda to enter 
Pakistan. Clearly, Al Qaeda left Afghanistan. And we let them out, 
she told Greta Van Susteren of 'FOX News.'" (Story also front paged 
in all newspapers) 
 
TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES 
 
News Story: Kerry-Lugar Law Critics Are Taliban Backers: Holbrooke 
"Daily Times" (11/04) 
 
"U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke has said those criticizing the 
Kerry-Lugar law are either opposed to the current Pakistani 
government or are supporting the Taliban, reported a private TV 
channel on Tuesday.... Holbrooke said although the NRO did not come 
under much discussion during Hillary Clinton's recent visit to 
Pakistan, U.S. officials were fully aware of the situation." (Story 
also covered by 'The News,' 'Jang') 
 
News Story: Sararogha Secured; 21 Militants Killed "Dawn" (11/04) 
 
"Security forces achieved a major success in their operation in 
South Waziristan on Tuesday by taking control of Sararogha, the 
operational nerve centre of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). 
Military spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas told Dawn that troops had 
entered Sararogha and were carrying out a search and clearance 
operation." (Story also front paged in all newspapers) 
 
News Story: We Are Prepared For A Long War:  TTP Spokesman "Daily 
Times" (11/04) 
 
"A Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman denied that the army 
 
has won a series of battlefield victories in South Waziristan, 
saying the group was drawing troops into a trap. 'We are prepared 
for a long war,' Azam Tariq told an Associated Press reporter by 
telephone." 
 
News Story: Aid Workers Worried For Civilians in War Zone "Dawn" 
(11/04) 
 
"Humanitarian workers said rising numbers of civilians are pouring 
out of Pakistan's war zone to flee battles between soldiers and 
Taliban militants but the fate of those left behind is uncertain, 
humanitarian workers say. 'How much civilians are affected, we don't 
know, and for that we need access,' said Billi Bierling, spokeswoman 
for the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in 
Pakistan." 
 
Editorial: India's Evil Designs, an editorial in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (11/04) 
 
"As all indications, some concrete and some circumstantial, that 
India is fishing in troubled waters has been available for quite 
some time, the only surprise is that Islamabad has not taken up the 
matter, with the firmness that it merits, with New Delhi, Washington 
and other capitals, which routinely blame it for their woes in 
Afghanistan. They have been pointing to the 'support' that Al-Qaida 
sanctuaries in the tribal belt allegedly give to the Afghan 
resistance as one of the main causes of their failure to defeat it. 
Therefore, it is only appropriate that not only these countries but 
also other friendly powers, which are equally eager that Pakistan 
put an effective end to the terrorist phenomenon, should have been 
suitably briefed and told that India must stop its nefarious 
activities if positive results are required." 
 
Editorial: Indian 'Evidence' In South Waziristan, an editorial in 
the Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (11/04) 
 
"India is not going to say 'sorry we did it.' It is going to label 
the 'findings' as 'staged' by Pakistan to shift the blame for 
cross-border terrorism on to New Delhi. A similar case of Indian 
interference in Balochistan has been denied by India, but the 
international community, keen to see Pakistan succeed in clearing 
its Tribal Areas of terrorism, is gradually becoming aware of what 
the Indian policy in Afghanistan is doing to their efforts. Talking 
to India through a protest note will not do. The NATO-U.S. states, 
now deployed in Afghanistan, have to be brought in on the 
implications of what India is doing. New Delhi is following a 
strategy that is going to hurt India in the long run. This must be 
made clear to the global alliance against terrorism." 
 
Editorial: Proof At Last, an editorial in the Lahore-based liberal 
English daily "The Post" (cir. 5,000) (11/04) 
 
"Now after having proof of Indian role in South Waziristan, it is 
important that this issue should be discussed with India. If our 
government is serious and wants to control the volatile situation in 
the country in general and Waziristan in particular, it should 
launch a vigorous foreign policy offensive on this issue in order to 
expose Indian involvement at the international level. For this 
purpose the world press should be invited in Pakistan to show them 
about the role India has been playing in Pakistan. It is time our 
Foreign Office realized the importance of taking up this issue with 
the Indian authorities firmly." 
 
Editorial: Show India's Ugly Face To The World, an editorial in the 
second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) 
(11/03) 
 
"During the on-going Operation Rah-i-Nijat in South Waziristan, 
security forces have recovered literature and weapons proving Indian 
involvement in Waziristan. In a press briefing, army spokesman Major 
General Athar Abbas has said that this evidence has been sent to the 
Foreign Ministry... Had our rulers presented evidence of Indian 
involvement in terror acts in Pakistan to the world and unveiled its 
heinous designs against our country, Hillary Clinton would not have 
conveniently defended India upon returning to her country and said 
that 'we have no evidence of Indian involvement in Balochistan'.... 
In view of the latest evidence found by the security forces, India's 
real face should be revealed to the United Nations." 
 
 
Editorial: The Foreign Hand, an editorial in the populist, often 
sensational national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (11/04) 
 
"It is a disturbing matter for Pakistan that its territory should 
have become a point of convergence for militants. The presence of so 
many foreign militants also allows the U.S. to regularly allege that 
the top Al Qaeda leadership is indeed based in that stretch of 
territory lying along the Pak-Afghan border.... The kind of 
terrorism we encounter today needs to be dealt with in cooperation 
with our neighbors and indeed other nations affected by it.... A 
wide-ranging effort is then needed to check the growth in militancy 
across the Muslim world." 
 
Editorial: Civilian Losses, an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(11/04) 
 
"Given the nature of the war that is being fought in Pakistan, 
civilians have been falling victim in their hundreds to the 
violence. Public revulsion and anger are naturally directed at the 
militants who have been deliberately targeting civilians as their 
strategy entails brutish strikes in which unarmed men, women and 
children die.... Their strategy is flawed. Every attack - even 
though it causes panic and mayhem - can only strengthen the common 
man's resolve to ward off terrorism. Moreover, it makes the 
militants and their ideology even more unpopular which means their 
methods are backfiring as they continue to lose any support they may 
have had from the people." 
 
Editorial: Suicide Attacks: Uncover The Sponsors, an editorial note 
an editorial in the Lahore-based populist center-right Urdu daily 
"Khabrain" (cir. 50,000) (11/04) 
 
"The recent spate of terrorist acts on public places has also 
revealed that in addition to terrorists, certain other [external] 
powers are also striving to achieve their condemnable aims. It has 
come to the fore during Operation Rah-i-Nijat that terrorists use 
Indian-made weapons to fight the armed forces.... Terrorists will 
continue resistance until their supply line is disrupted. It is now 
our government's responsibility to speak at every forum that India 
is backing the terrorists and is responsible for the present 
situation." 
 
Editorial: Karzai's 'Victory', an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(11/04) 
 
"Whatever the worth of his victory, Afghanistan's neighbors and the 
world at large will have to deal once more with President Hamid 
Karzai.... Pakistan has had serious reservations about Mr. Karzai's 
policies.... A great deal depends on what policy President Barack 
Obama finally adopts for the 'Af-Pak' region. Nevertheless, 
Washington has no choice but to carry the Karzai baggage along, win 
the 'moderate' Taliban over and take the war to a successful 
completion. The Obama administration's hesitation over Gen. Stanley 
McChrystal's request for more troops is adding to the current 
confusion at a time when Hillary Clinton says the Taliban are 
gaining momentum. Any hurried retreat will strengthen the forces of 
extremism and have dangerous consequences for the region." 
 
News Analysis: President, Army row over KLB persists, by Hamid Mir 
in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" 
(cir. 55,000) (11/04) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari has apparently reconciled to the idea 
that the Kerry-Lugar Bill (KLB) - now an Act after it was signed by 
U.S. President Obama - may be defeated in parliament, once it is 
brought back for a vote. It is expected that the government will not 
oppose any resolution against the KLB in Parliament. President 
Zardari is mentally ready for accepting another defeat, it is learnt 
on good authority. If that happens soon, it will be another defeat 
for the beleaguered President who now has the choice to remain in 
the Presidency as another Rafiq Tarar or Fazal Ilahi, or quit and go 
on with his life." 
 
Opinion: Alternative Indigenous Solutions, an op-ed by Shireen M. 
Mazari in the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 
20,000) (11/04) 
 
 
"There is a drift in the country, which bodes ill for the nation, 
because the drift comes at a time when the whole country is in the 
grip of terrorism. The military is conducting its operations in 
South Waziristan (SWA), but there is little sign of any civilian 
infrastructure to move into areas cleared by the military. It is 
almost as if the civilian leadership has simply left everything to 
the military in SWA, while it concentrates on futile issues like 
getting indemnity from corruption through the NRO's legitimization 
by Parliament.... Meanwhile, it is also becoming abundantly clear to 
all but the most myopic of people, that the U.S. is bad news for 
Pakistan. Hillary Clinton could barely wait to get to the U.S., 
before she unleashed a tirade against Pakistan and its intentions. 
It seems her need to keep a stiff upper lip in Pakistan created a 
groundswell of anger and resentment towards this 'ally' and she let 
it all out in the safe environs of her own country.... Our leaders 
have already signed away the country's sovereignty across the board 
by accepting the terms and conditions of the Kerry-Lugar Berman Act 
and if anyone had doubts about the power the U.S. now exercises over 
us, read the growing stories about the bumptious display of weapons 
and arrogance by U.S. diplomats, marines and covert operatives to 
dispel all doubts...." 
 
Opinion: She Earned The Right To Be Heard, an op-ed by Zafar Hilaly 
in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The News" 
(cir. 55,000) (11/04) 
 
"Hillary Clinton gained what few Americans could in Pakistan, a 
sympathetic hearing. Willing to listen herself she earned the right 
 
to be heard. By being 'forthright and open hearted,' not indulging 
'only in happy talk,' and 'at the risk of sounding un-diplomatic,' 
she impressed her interlocutors. She pushed the right buttons with 
local audiences and gave the right answers, and deservedly earned 
credit for her candor and guts.... The aspect of Hillary Clinton's 
trip that was most disappointing was her inability to articulate 
anything by way of a U.S. policy in Afghanistan, beyond that is, 
chasing the elusive Al Qaeda terrorists up and down the foothills of 
the Hindu Kush. Sorely missing in the mosaic of Obama's plans for 
Afghanistan is a vision for the future and of that there was not a 
whiff in Hillary's utterances." 
 
Opinion" Pakistan's Security Scenario, an op-ed by Sajjad Shaukat in 
the center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) 
(11/04) 
 
"In the recent past, the U.S. notorious private security firm, 
Blackwater has been found to be involved in questionable activities 
in our country with a new name as Xe Services.  The police raided 
the office of its subsidiary, Inter-Risk, and arrested two employees 
along with unlicensed weapons.  Meanwhile, India is not lagging 
behind in creating problems for Pakistan.  It recently deployed 
Mig-29 fighter aircraft near our border.  The situation is going 
from bad to worse.  Undoubtedly, the Government of Pakistan needs to 
take very urgent and effective measures for the sovereignty of the 
nation." 
 
Opinion: Obama's Af-Pak Dilemma, an op-ed by Khalid Aziz in the 
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" 
(cir. 55,000) (11/04) 
 
"At a minimum, the Pakistani military will be forced to launch more 
operations in FATA and the NWFP as well as new operations in 
Balochistan. Thus the McChrystal recommendation threatens the 
security of Pakistan. Mr. Obama must also be looking at the Afghan 
war from the perspective of his re-election in 2012. If he gets 
bogged down in an escalating Afghan conflict with rising casualties, 
he will surely lose. No politician can favor such an unpalatable 
outcome. Clearly, the pointers are for a reduced U.S. role in 
Afghanistan in the future and concomitantly a larger policing role 
for Pakistan." 
 
POLITICAL ISSUES 
 
News Story: President's Powers To Be Cut: Gilani "Dawn" (11/04) 
 
"In a move to wrest political initiative after a retreat on the 
controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) he finally 
said had been dumped, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told the 
National Assembly on Tuesday his government would seek early 
 
restoration of parliament's powers, tackle people's pressing 
problems and launch an austerity drive." (Story also front paged in 
all newspapers) 
 
News Story: Senior PPP Leaders' Advice On NRO Ignored "Dawn" (11/04) 
 
 
"Before President Asif Ali Zardari retreated on the standoff over 
the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), some senior leaders of 
the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had suggested to him to drop the 
bill and face cases against himself. However, President Zardari 
ignored the advice and decided to table the bill in parliament 
because he was confident that the NRO would be approved, sources in 
the PPP said on Tuesday." 
 
Editorial: NRO: A No-Confidence Vote, an editorial in the 
center-right national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) 
(11/04) 
 
"With the PML-N and Q making it clear they would oppose the NRO in 
Parliament and outside and the coalition partners of the PPP also 
backing off, effectively the government suffered a vote of no 
confidence at least morally and politically, if not legally, within 
Parliament. Equally significant has been the MQM's new positioning, 
which will make it difficult for the PPP to assume an automatic 
majority in Parliament. So it will have to choose between two 
approaches: One, to continue as in the past, by making deals in 
order to survive in power with the support of coalition partners. 
This will leave the ruling party constantly vulnerable to blackmail. 
Two, the ruling party can actually move to bring about legislation 
that people have been expecting and count on support based on 
principles. The Presidency needs to move beyond political wheeling 
and dealing, and address the very real issues afflicting the 
nation.... At a time when the country is submerged in crises, it is 
a cruel joke on the part of the rulers to focus on legitimizing 
corruption for the political elite." 
 
Editorial: Retreat Over NRO, an editorial in the Lahore-based 
liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 10,000) (11/04) 
 
"The intensity of the PPP-MQM (Pakistan People's Party - Muttahida 
Qaumi Movement) clash is reflected in the latter's decision to vote 
against the passage of the NRO. Pakistan will be further 
destabilized from now on. The PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) 
will muster the forces intent on overthrowing the government and 
will move to ask the government to take a confidence vote. Its pious 
assertions to the contrary, it will push the country towards another 
general election while the Taliban have passed to the phase of 
targeting innocent citizens wherever they find them in large 
gatherings. Taking the PPP government as 'pro-America', they will 
most likely spare the Long March agitation of the grand opposition, 
if it comes. Faced with this, the remaining allies will rethink 
their political strategy and make the paucity of numbers in 
parliament more glaring for the PPP." 
 
Editorial: A Sinking Presidency, an editorial in the Karachi-based 
center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) 
(11/04) 
 
"There is no point in pulling punches or glossing over the latest 
setback to the Zardari presidency. The fiasco over the NRO has 
weakened the president's political position further and at the 
moment there is no evidence that Mr. Zardari and his team of 
advisers have what it takes to recover lost ground, let alone build 
a successful presidency from the shambles it has been reduced to.... 
Given the lay of the political land, the only thing that comes to 
mind that the president could do to improve his position immediately 
is the very thing he appears deeply reluctant to do: give up his 
superior powers vis-`-vis the prime minister and parliament." 
 
ECON/BUSINESS 
 
News Story: Remove Reservations On KLA, Nawaz Asks U.S. "The Nation" 
(11/04) 
 
"The PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday asked the U.S. consulate 
coordinator for economic development and former vice foreign 
minister for South Asia Robin Raphel to remove the reservation on 
Kerry-Lugar Act as soon as possible. He said this while talking to 
 
U.S. dignitary when she called on him along with a delegation at his 
residence in Raiwind." 
 
MISCELLANEOUS 
 
News Story: 202 Blackwater Personnel Arrive "The Nation" (11/04) 
 
"The foreigners affiliated with the notorious private military 
contractor Blackwater, whose security company Blackwater was later 
renamed as Xe Services LLC, arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday through 
a PIA flight, sources told 'The Nation.' "Of the 274 passengers, who 
boarded Pakistan's national flag carrier-PIA, flight PK-786 from 
Heathrow Airport UK, 202 were foreigners but they were fluently 
speaking Urdu language," disclosed the sources." 
 
(All circulation figures are based on estimation) 
Patterson