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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000223 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: JANUARY 29, 2010 
 
Summary:  The international community's endorsement of Afghan 
President Hamid Karzai's initiative to engage the Taliban in talks 
continued to dominate headlines on Friday morning.   Newspapers 
highlighted a UN official's statement that members of the Taliban 
Quetta Shura secretly met with UN representatives in Dubai.  Some 
dailies also reported the Leadership Council of Taliban's remarks 
calling the London conference "far removed from the ground realities 
in Afghanistan," and its renewed demand for the withdrawal of 
foreign forces and the "release of all prisoners from jails in 
Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere."  Both TV 
networks and all newspapers extensively covered President Obama's 
first State of the Union address, highlighting his pledge to start 
bringing back American troops from Afghanistan by 2011.  "The News" 
and "Dawn" covered Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin's statement that 
"the visa issue with the U.S. has been resolved and that Pakistan 
has been assured of the release of $480 million from the Coalition 
Support Fund and IDP support pledge by the first week of February." 
Media also reported that three U.S. Embassy personnel were detained 
in Gujranwala on charges of travelling in a vehicle with a fake 
registration plate, and later released.  Newspapers also reported a 
bomb blast in Jaffarabad (Balochistan) that killed four people. 
"The Nation" front-paged a report, quoting "reliable sources," that 
U.S. trainers rejected the Interior Ministry's offer to move from 
the Police Training College Sihala to Karachi, and in order to 
extend their stay, directly approached the Presidency with an offer 
to train its staff.  Prime Minister Gilani's statement that 
"Pakistan and India must not be held hostage" to the 26/11 Mumbai 
attacks, and should hold a composite dialogue received prominent 
display. "The News" reported Ambassador Patterson's visit to Fort 
Rohtas.  End Summary. 
 
TOP STORIES 
 
News Story: West Backs Afghan Security Pledges, Taliban Plan  - 
"Dawn" (01/29) 
 
"World powers agreed on Thursday Afghanistan should take increasing 
control for its own security from the end of this year and backed 
President Hamid Karzai's plan to reward moderate Taliban who disarm. 
Afghan security forces will take control of an unspecified number of 
provinces 'by late 2010/early 2011,' the powers said after a 
conference in London, saying it marked 'a new phase on the way to 
full Afghan ownership.'" 
 
News Story: UN Official Met Quetta Shura In Dubai -Karzai Seeks 
Saudi Help: West Endorses Taliban Talks  - "Dawn" (01/29) 
 
"The Afghan government on Thursday invited the Taliban to a peace 
council of elders as part of efforts to find a way out of a conflict 
which is trying the patience and resources of Afghanistan's western 
allies. In an indication of the quickening pace of diplomacy, a UN 
official said members of the Taliban's leadership council had 
secretly met the UN representative for Afghanistan to discuss the 
possibility of laying down their arms. As leaders and ministers from 
60 nations convened in London to discuss Afghanistan, the official 
told Reuters that members of the Taliban's Quetta Shura had met UN 
Special Representative Kai Eide on Jan 8 in Dubai." 
 
News Story: Taliban Reject London Conference  - "The News" (01/29) 
 
"Terming the London conference as far removed from the ground 
realities in Afghanistan, the Taliban central leadership on Thursday 
argued that the U.S. and its allies should have freed all prisoners 
from jails in Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere, 
removed the names of all Taliban members from the UN 'blacklist' and 
refrained from sending more troops if they really meant to take the 
proper steps for ending the Afghan conflict. The long statement by 
the Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in 
Pashto was sent to media organizations. Its English translation also 
became available later on the Taliban website." 
 
News Story: London Afghan Conference A Propaganda Ploy: Taliban  - 
"Daily Times" (01/29) 
 
"The Afghan Taliban on Thursday dismissed the London conference on 
Afghanistan as a propaganda ploy and said the summit will fail to 
produce results, the SITE monitoring service reported. 'The 
war-mongering rulers under the leadership of U.S. President Barack 
Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown want to deceive the 
people of the world by holding the London conference to show that 
people still support them,' SITE quoted an Internet statement as 
saying. If the decision is taken to 'once again try to prolong the 
military, economic, cultural and political occupation of 
(Afghanistan), this conference will be a mere eye-wish like other 
conferences.'" 
 
News Story: Obama Whistles Past Afghanistan In Annual Address  - 
"Dawn," "The News," "The Nation" (01/29) 
 
"In his first state of the union address on Wednesday night, U.S. 
President Barack Obama re-emphasized an earlier pledge to start 
bringing back American troops from Afghanistan by 2011 to satisfy 
his own people who do not want a prolonged engagement in a distant 
war. The U.S. President uses his state of the union speech - 
delivered in a joint congressional session - to underline his 
achievements in the preceding year and to spell out his plans for 
the future. 'In Afghanistan, we're increasing our troops and 
training Afghan security forces so they can begin to take the lead 
in July of 2011, and our troops can begin to come home,' said Mr. 
Obama, earning a standing ovation from the lawmakers and his 
guests." 
 
News Story: U.S. Visa Row With Pakistan Almost Over - "The News" 
(01/29) 
 
"The visa issuance controversy between Washington and Islamabad, 
that applied brakes on pledged financial inflows from the U.S., has 
now almost been fully resolved, said Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin 
while talking to a select group of journalists in Islamabad on 
Thursday. The controversy erupted when Pakistan's establishment for 
the first time gave tough time to Washington after people from the 
U.S. recently were found involved in 'highly questionable 
activities' and Pakistan decided to introduce security process for 
any visa seeker from the U.S." 
 
News Story: $480m From U.S. Soon  - "Dawn" (01/29) 
 
"Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin has said that the visa issue 
with the United States has been resolved and Pakistan has been 
assured of the release of $480 million from the Coalition Support 
Fund and IDP support pledge by the first week of February, while 
talking to journalists in Islamabad on Thursday." 
 
News Story: 3 Employees Of U.S. Embassy Arrested in Gujranwala Over 
Suspicious Activities - "Jang" (01/29) 
 
"The Gujranwala police, on Thursday, arrested three employees of the 
U.S. Embassy, travelling in a vehicle bearing fake number plate, 
IDL-5264, over suspicious activities. Later, these people were 
released, but the police withheld the vehicle for bearing fake 
number plate. According to the police, Robin, Raja Mukhtar and Afad 
Ali, who were lodging in a hotel near Gulshan Iqbal Park in the 
precincts of Dhalay Police Station, were found involved in 
suspicious activities. The police intercepted them and asked to 
produce the documents of their vehicle, but they failed to do so. 
Resultantly, the police arrested and interrogated them for five 
hours. It is also said that official of some intelligence agencies 
also interrogated the arrested persons. Later, they were released on 
clearance." 
 
News Story: 'Trainers' Reject Karachi; Want To Move Near Simly Dam; 
Sihala Still Not Vacated - "The Nation" (01/29) 
 
"The issue of shifting the American trainers from Police Training 
College Sihala has become a headache for the government as Interior 
Ministry had announced about the closing of camp. Interior Ministry 
announced the closing of the U.S supervised training camp while the 
trainers were in the process of offering to train the President's 
security detail comprising SSG (Special Service Group) personnel, it 
has been learnt reliably. The Presidency accepted their offer and 
sent 20 names of personnel including 5 from the Prime Minister 
House. The sources further said that the Interior Ministry was not 
aware of the direct correspondence between the U.S. trainers and 
Presidency and therefore went ahead in the normal course of events 
to close down the American trainers' camp, in the face of growing 
protests. They had offered a site in Karachi for relocation of these 
trainers but their team, after visiting Karachi rejected the site, 
reliable sources informed 'The Nation.'" 
 
News Story: U.S. Envoy Visits Rohtas Fort - "The News" (01/29) 
 
"Pakistani nation has rich cultural heritage; people living here are 
hospitable and Rohtas Fort is the asset of the world. U.S. 
Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson said this while addressing 
at Rohtas Fort on Thursday.  The U.S. Ambassador visited the 
different sites of the fort and appreciated the ancient artwork." 
 
TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES 
 
News Story: NATO Supply Convoy Ambushed In Karachi  - "Dawn" (01/29) 
 
 
"A convoy of trucks carrying supplies for NATO forces fighting the 
Taliban in Afghanistan was attacked with guns and grenade on the 
Northern Bypass in the early hours of Thursday, leaving three people 
wounded." 
 
News Story: West Luring Taliban With 'Cash For Peace': Telegraph  - 
"Daily Times" (01/29) 
 
"Western governments plan to buy off nearly 12,500 Taliban fighters, 
with the promise of being paid to defend their own villages, 
according to a report carried by the 'Daily Telegraph' on Thursday. 
According to the report, the objective of the move is to 
"reintegrate" half of the estimated 25,000 Taliban fighters by 
providing them with new jobs, thereby dividing the Taliban and 
allowing military forces to combat the remaining hardcore factions." 
 
 
News Story: Rift Among Bajaur Taliban Widens  - "Dawn" (01/29) 
 
"Differences among militants in Bajaur Agency simmering for some 
time have widened and one group is reported to have replaced local 
Taliban chief Maulana Faqir Mohammad with Maulana Mohammad Jamal 
(Maulvi Dadullah). Maulana Faqir was the Deputy Chief of the banned 
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and a close associate of Baitullah 
Mehsud." 
 
News Story: Aafia Denies Trying To Kill Americans - "The News" 
(01/29) 
 
"Aafia Siddiqui says she never picked up a gun and didn't try to 
kill American personnel in Afghanistan. Aafia testified at her New 
York trial on Thursday afternoon. She began her testimony by telling 
how she was educated in the U.S. Earlier in the day, Judge Richard 
Berman cleared Aafia to testify. Her lawyers had tried to block the 
testimony, saying her 'diminished capacity' would result in a 
'painful spectacle.' Prosecutors said it would be unprecedented to 
deny a defendant such a basic right." 
 
News Story: Action Against Militants To Continue: Owais - "Dawn" 
(01/29) 
 
"The government has decided to continue action against militancy 
till complete elimination of the miscreants and restoration of the 
government's writ in the FATA." 
 
News Story: Nine More Militants Killed In Bajaur  - "The News" 
(01/29) 
 
"Security forces on Thursday claimed to have killed nine militants 
and injured five others during a clash in Salarzai Tehsil of Bajaur 
Agency, official sources said." 
 
News Story: Blast In Jaffarabad Claims Four Lives - "Dawn" (01/29) 
 
"Four people were killed and 20 others injured in an explosion in 
Sobatpur town of Jaffarabad on Thursday, Jaffarabad's District 
Police Officer Syed Fareed Ali Shah told 'Dawn.'" 
 
POLITICAL ISSUES 
 
News Story: Luring Taliban The Only New Policy; Diplomats React 
Strongly To London Moot - "The Nation" (01/29) 
 
"The London Conference on Afghanistan held on Thursday fizzled out, 
as anticipated, without bringing about any significant outcomes. 
Though the event was a repetition of the already discussed issues, 
but it reflected a change in U.S. Afghan policy that now focuses on 
luring the Afghan Taliban. With the absence of key players like 
Iran, the event, as diplomatic circles in Islamabad see it, was 
nothing but a replay of U.S. ambitious future plans that were 
endorsed by International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), NATO and 
allied Western states.... Some diplomatic circles on Thursday 
reacted strongly towards the declaration and said that it lacked 
anything substantial, apart from harping on the same tune of 
'dialogue with Taliban.'" 
 
News Story: Karzai Seeks Saudi, Pak Role In Afghan Peace  - "Daily 
Times" (01/29) 
 
"Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday called for Saudi Arabia 
and Pakistan to play their roles in establishing peace in the 
war-torn country." 
 
News Story: S. Arabia Wants Taliban To Abandon Osama  - "Dawn" 
(01/29) 
 
"The Taliban must deny sanctuary to Osama bin Laden before Saudi 
Arabia will agree to act as a mediator in any Afghan peace deal, the 
country's foreign minister said on Thursday. Prince Saud Al Faisal 
was replying to a call by Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saudi 
Arabia to help bring peace to Afghanistan." 
 
News Story: London Conference Not a Big Success: Maliha - "The News" 
(01/29) 
 
"Pakistan's former Ambassador to the U.S. Dr. Maliha Lodhi on 
Thursday said London Conference was not a big success and it could 
not bring any big change in the given situation.  She said if 
America or Europe thinks that the Taliban could be weakened 
militarily or their loyalties could be bought, it was their 
mistake.... Talking to 'Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Saath,' she further said 
the present conference was 6th in nine years and Obama 
administration had given three Afghan strategies in just one year." 
 
 
News Story: Gilani Says 101 Mumbai-Like Attacks Have Rocked Pakistan 
Since 26/11  - "Dawn" (01/29) 
 
"Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said Pakistan and India must 
not be held 'hostage to the Mumbai terror attacks' and should resume 
the composite dialogue. 'People should not be made hostage to one 
incident. If we are hostage to one incident the beneficiaries will 
be terrorists,' Mr. Gilani said in an interview with India's CNN-IBN 
television channel on Thursday." 
 
News Story: Nisar Fears Govt. Heading For Clash With Judiciary: 
President Enjoys Immunity, Insists Gilani  - "Dawn" (01/29) 
 
"Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani stuck to his stand in the 
National Assembly on Thursday that President Asif Ali Zardari 
remained immune from any criminal proceedings after his policy 
statement a day earlier was challenged by opposition leader Chaudhry 
Nisar Ali Khan as indicative of a clash with the superior 
judiciary." 
 
News Story: Judiciary, Executive Not On Collision Course, Says CJ  - 
"Dawn" (01/29) 
 
"Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry observed on Thursday that 
the judiciary and the executive were not on a collision course." 
 
ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT 
 
News Story: No FoDP Pledges in Dubai Conference - "The News" (01/29) 
 
 
"Pakistan miserably failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity 
provided by the UAE government which organized a conference on 
January 26 in Dubai under FoDP platform on the topic 'Democratic 
Pakistan - Public-Private Partnership.'... The incompetence of the 
government officials emerged in the Dubai conference as one of the 
main reason for Pakistan's complete failure to attract financial 
inflows from FoDP." 
 
News Story: Release Of Full ADB Report On RPPs Withheld  - "Dawn" 
(01/29) 
 
"The government withheld the release of full report of the Asian 
Development Bank on rental power projects for the time being, but 
cleared two of the most expensive RPPs to be set up at Naudero in 
Sindh under the Larkana Development Project, a senior official of 
the water and power ministry told Dawn on Thursday." 
 
MISCELLANEOUS 
 
News Story: U.S. Diplomats Meet Detained Nationals In Jail  - "The 
News" (01/29) 
 
"A four-member delegation of the US Consulate met the five detained 
American nationals in the District Jail on Thursday. The delegation, 
led by Andra Hailry, arrived here under tight security and met Rami 
Zamzam, Umer Farooq, Iman Hassan Yamir, Ahmad Abdullah Manni and 
Waqar Hassan Khan. The meeting continued for four hours. A 
translator was also present on the occasion." 
 
EDITORIALS/OPINIONS 
 
Editorial: In Fact India Has No Role In Afghanistan, an editorial in 
the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 
5,000) (01/29) 
 
"Strangely enough, the United States has urged India to be 
transparent with Pakistan about their activities in Afghanistan, 
implying that India has a right to be there in Afghanistan.... One 
wonders what role India has in Afghanistan when under no pretext 
India can interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan or use 
Afghan soil for terrorist and other activities against Pakistan.... 
The United States has made no secret of its desire to give India a 
predominant role in the region and wants India to assume 
responsibilities as a policeman in Afghanistan following withdrawal 
of the U.S. and Western occupation forces from that country." 
 
Editorial: Kayani's Plain Talking, an editorial in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (01/29) 
 
"General Kayani's reiteration of the need for NATO to recognize 
Pakistan's role in the fight against Al Qaeda and to give it a 
bigger role in finding a solution for Pakistan was also timely. 
Pakistan, as a neighbor of Afghanistan and as a state that has paid 
the heaviest price for the U.S.-led war there post-9/11, has to 
ensure that its interest are not sacrificed. It also has to ensure 
that its hostile neighbor India is not allowed space in Afghanistan. 
Unless the U.S. and NATO are prepared to concede this ground, 
Pakistan will find it difficult to continue its vital cooperation. 
Also, as General Kayani pointed out, to have the vital trust between 
NATO and Pakistan, there has to be meaningful intelligence sharing. 
Kayani's blunt message to NATO on military matters needs to be 
emulated by the political leadership for strategic cooperation with 
NATO in Afghanistan." 
 
Editorial: Pakistan's Enhanced Role Is Vital To Resolve Afghan 
Issue, an editorial in the leading mass circulation populist, often 
sensational Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) (01/29) 
 
"In his briefing to the NATO military committee in Brussels, Army 
Chief General Kayani urged the international community to enhance 
Pakistan's role to resolve the Afghan issue because Islamabad is 
more cognizant of the ground realities and geo-political situation 
of Afghanistan as compared to all other countries. It has become 
clear during the last couple of years that peace in Afghanistan will 
remain elusive until India is stopped from using the Afghan soil to 
destabilize Pakistan. The U.S. needs to realize the difficulties of 
Pakistan rather than putting more pressure on Islamabad in order to 
get better results." 
 
Editorial: Gen. Kayani's Suggestion To The NATO Countries, an 
editorial in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (01/29) 
 
"Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has stressed upon NATO 
countries to enhance Pakistan's role in order to resolve Afghanistan 
issue on permanent basis....  General Kayani also said that the 
peace in Pakistan is linked with peace in Afghanistan....  General 
Kayani has given the right kind of advice when he said that those 
people should be trusted who know the realities of the region and no 
one knows them better than Pakistan.  Pakistan-Afghanistan 
leaderships should be given a chance to play a role for peace in the 
region." 
 
Editorial: The Issue Of Pakistan's Inclusion In Talks With Afghan 
Taliban, an editorial in the liberal Urdu daily "Express" (cir. 
25,000) (01/29) 
"Addressing the NATO Military Committee in Brussels, COAS Gen. 
Kayani has said that NATO should increase cooperation with Pakistan 
and should try to understand its strategy. He said that there is a 
need to increase intelligence sharing, and enhance Pakistan's role 
in resolving the Afghan issue... It can be said with certainty that 
any policy on Afghanistan cannot succeed until Pakistan is involved 
in it. Gen. Kayani is a hundred percent right. America and the whole 
world are paying for the mistake of not including Pakistan in these 
matters after Soviet Union's expulsion from Afghanistan. Hence this 
mistake should not be repeated, and Pakistan should be included in 
all decisions on Afghanistan." 
 
Editorial: Broader Indian Role In Afghanistan Will Be Dangerous For 
Pakistan," an editorial in the popular rightist Urdu-language daily 
"Ausaf" (cir. 10,000) (01/29) 
 
"It has now become crystal clear that the U.S. wants to leave 
Afghanistan as soon as possible. But question is that what kind of 
Afghanistan, it is leaving behind? Washington had deliberately 
assigned an effective role to India in Afghanistan. We urge the 
government and the armed forces of Pakistan to vehemently oppose any 
Indian role in Afghanistan and avoid any compromise on this issue. 
The U.S. and its allies must put an end to India's activities in 
Afghanistan and undertake sincere efforts to resolve all the 
issues." 
 
Editorial: Afghanistan Issue: Withdrawal of Foreign Troops Is The 
Only Solution, an editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi 
Urdu daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) (01/29) 
 
"The efforts being undertaken by the U.S. and its western allies to 
reach out to the Taliban is being seen as the admission of defeat by 
these powers. Hence, it can be safely predicted that Americans will 
soon quit Afghanistan. The only thing they are desperately seeking 
now is the safe exit. At a time when Afghan freedom movement has 
reached its critical juncture, Pakistan also needs to objectively 
evaluate its standing keeping in view the fast-changing 
geo-political situation of the region." 
 
Opinion: The Afghanistan Problem, an op-ed by Ayesha Siddiqa in the 
Karachi-based center-left independent national English daily "Dawn" 
(cir. 55,000) (01/29) 
 
"Nothing could be clearer than the fact that there is an 
ever-widening divide in the perception, interests and understanding 
of the situation amongst the various stakeholders in Afghanistan. 
The regional states have their eyes on maximizing benefits as the 
U.S. reviews cutting its losses and bailing out of Kabul.... It is 
most unfortunate that the regional states, which will suffer the 
most when they are left to confront each other's interests in 
Afghanistan after a U.S. withdrawal, do not think of a joint 
strategy." 
 
Opinion: The Afghan Conundrum, an op-ed by Zafar Hilaly in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (01/29) 
 
"Branded by the U.S. and India as an 'epicenter' of terror, Pakistan 
is threatened with invasion, intervention and disintegration. Its 
territories have on occasions been traversed by friends and foes 
alike; its laws trampled upon and its people abused, kidnapped and 
rendered as much by their own rulers as those who pose as their 
mentors. Its citizens are on every watch list. Stripped, questioned, 
harassed and insulted, they are paraded, stared at and shunned at 
airport queues. The financial assistance it receives from the U.S. 
or other 'friends' is a morsel compared to what is required. 
Moreover, it is policed, supervised, audited, counted and recounted, 
withheld and then doled out sometimes with a sneer that conveys, 
more than words ever can, the condescension with which Pakistan is 
viewed. The fact is that today while foes view us with contempt, 
friends view us with a pity that alas seems all too closely allied 
with contempt. Ours is a sad predicament but we should not lose 
heart." 
 
(All circulation figures are based on estimation) 
Patterson