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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000426 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: FEBRUARY 23, 2010 
 
Summary:  Coverage of a suicide attack in Swat valley's main town of 
Mingora, killing 13 people including a soldier dominated headlines 
in all newspapers Tuesday morning.  All newspapers highlighted Prime 
Minister Gilani's meeting with PML-N chief Nawaz Shairf, and his 
hinting at implementing the Charter of Democracy by March 23, and 
repeal of the controversial 17th constitutional amendment.  Media 
reported unanimous approval of a resolution in the Senate urging GOP 
to secure Dr. Aafia's release.  U.S. CENTCOM commander General 
Petraeus' visit, his meetings with senior Pakistani officials, and 
assurance to get release the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) soon also 
figured prominently.   Some major newspapers reported 27 civilians 
killed in NATO strikes in Afghanistan.  Urdu language dailies 
reported that the United States allegedly refused to issue visas to 
seven NWFP parliamentarians because the provincial assembly approved 
a resolution against enhanced screening at U.S. airports. 
Commenting on criticism by certain U.S. quarters that termed the 
arrest of Taliban commander Mullah Baradar as "Islamabad's plan to 
sabotage the ongoing reconciliation process with insurgents in 
Afghanistan," "The Nation," maintained that "to all intents and 
purposes, the Americans are never happy, no matter whatever we do. 
One day, they are slinging mud on Islamabad for not doing enough in 
the anti-terror war and when it responds to the call, they chastise 
it for having ulterior motives."  End Summary. 
 
TOP STORIES 
 
News Story: 13 Die In Mingora Car Bomb Blast  - "The News" (02/23) 
 
"Thirteen people, including a soldier, four women were killed and 42 
others sustained injuries in a suicide blast at the busy Nishat 
Chowk in Mingora city in the troubled Swat Valley on Monday. The 
militancy-scarred valley was once again soaked in blood when a 
bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a convoy of security 
forces driving through the bazaar." 
 
News Story: PM Swears By CoD, Promises Package By March 23  - "Dawn" 
(02/23) 
 
"After a breakfast meeting with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif at his 
Raiwind residence, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters 
in Lahore on Monday he would ask the parliament's constitutional 
reforms committee to complete its report on amending the 
Constitution before March 23." 
 
News Story: Senate Urges Steps For Aafia's Release  - "Dawn" (02/23) 
 
 
"The Senate called upon the government on Monday to take political 
and diplomatic measures for immediate release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui 
and her repatriation to Pakistan from the United States. The 
resolution, originally moved by JUI-F's Talha Mahmood, was amended 
at the request of the Leader of the House and Leader of Opposition. 
It was jointly moved by both sides and unanimously adopted." 
 
News Story: World Has Obligation To Support Pakistan, Zardari Tells 
U.S.  - "The News" (02/23) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said the U.S. should realize 
that a stable and democratic Pakistan was necessary for peace and 
for that the international community had a great role to play with a 
well-structured economic development agenda for Pakistan. He was 
talking to Commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) General 
David H Petraeus, who called on him, at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Monday. 
Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and other members 
of the visiting delegation were also present during the meeting." 
 
News Story: Zardari Reiterates Call For Transfer Of Drone Technology 
To Pakistan - "Daily Times" (02/23) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday reiterated Pakistan's call for 
transfer of drone technology to be used by its own security forces 
against the Taliban for wider public acceptability. The president 
expressed these views during a meeting with General David H. 
Petraeus, commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), who 
called on him at the Presidency." 
 
News Story: Gen. Petraeus Meets Gilani, Kayani   - "Dawn" (02/23) 
 
"U.S. General David Petraeus arrived in Pakistan to bolster the 
relationship with a key regional ally, as a suicide bombing claimed 
nine lives in the country's northwest. Gen. Petraeus met Prime 
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chief of the Army Staff General 
Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, after arriving in Pakistan on Monday, a 
statement issued by the PM's office said.'" 
 
News Story: Progress Slower Than Expected In Afghan Offensive: 
Mullen   "Dawn" (02/23) 
 
"The U.S.-led offensive in southern Afghanistan is progressing at a 
slower pace than expected due to Taliban resistance and deadly 
roadside bombs, U.S. Defense Chiefs said on Wednesday. The chairman 
of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and Defense 
Secretary Robert Gates also expressed condolences over the deaths of 
Afghan civilians in a NATO air strike, saying it underlined the 
risks associated with any allied military action." 
 
News Story: 41 Afghans Die In Violence  - "Dawn" (02/23) 
 
"A NATO air strike killed up to 27 Afghan civilians, including women 
and a child, sparking fresh anger from Kabul on Monday against 
U.S.-led forces pressing a major offensive to defeat the Taliban. In 
a further blow to efforts to quell the eight-year conflict, a 
suicide bomber killed an influential Afghan leader and 13 other 
people in a relatively peaceful eastern province on Monday, police 
said." 
 
News Story: 7 Members of NWFP Assembly denied U.S. Visas - "Aajkal," 
"Khabrain," "Express" (02/23) 
 
"In retaliation to the passage of a resolution in NWFP Assembly 
against the controversial enhanced screening, the U.S. government 
has refused to issue visas to seven members, including three 
provincial ministers. Meanwhile, the assembly has sent its 
resolution against body screening regulations, applicable to the 
nationals of 14 Muslim states including Pakistan, to the U.S. 
Consulate in Peshawar. According to the sources, seven members had 
applied for U.S. visas before the passage of this resolution, and 
had passed mandatory interviews. But, when they contacted the U.S. 
Embassy on Monday, they were denied visas." 
 
News Story: FBI Chief Likely To Visit Pakistan On 24th  - "Daily 
Times" (02/23) 
 
"Federal Bureau of Investigation chief Robert Muller is likely to 
visit Pakistan on February 24 to discuss various issues with his 
Pakistani counterparts, sources told Daily Times on Monday. 
According to sources, he will raise the issue of the arrest of five 
U.S. nationals who were caught by Pakistani security personnel 
during a raid on a house in Sargodha's Aziz Bhatti Town." 
 
News Story: Holbrooke Alive And Kicking - "The News" (02/23) 
 
"Rumors that Special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan, 
Ambassador Holbrooke has become a persona non grata with Afghan 
President Hamid Karzai and is not in fabulous standing with corners 
of the Obama White House, appeared to have subsided. Ambassador 
Holbrooke was back in Islamabad and Kabul on his recent 7th trip to 
the region last week.  As a diplomat observed, with diverging degree 
of admiration and regret, 'Never, ever count Holbrooke out.' 
 
News Story: Pakistan Goes To Delhi Talks With Enhanced Image In U.S. 
 - "Dawn" (02/23) 
 
"As Pakistan goes to New Delhi on Thursday for crucial talks with 
its larger neighbor, there's a realization in the U.S. capital that 
India alone cannot bring stability to South Asia. The change in 
Washington's attitude happened slowly but by the time India signaled 
its willingness to resume talks with Pakistan, it had become obvious 
that the Americans had once again developed a new respect for 
Islamabad." 
 
TERRORISM/MILITARY ISSUES 
 
News Story: Militant Leader Claims He Rejected Offers To Explode 
Bombs In Pakistan  - "The News" (02/23) 
 
"A known Taliban commander, Qari Ziaur Rehman, who has been engaged 
in fighting against security forces in Bajaur, claimed on Sunday 
that he had rejected lucrative offers and financial support offered 
to him by Afghanistan's Northern Alliance for fighting against the 
Pakistani military and carrying out bomb blasts in the country." 
News Story: Elders Asked To Hand Over Militants To Bajaur Admin   - 
"The News" (02/23) 
 
"The political administration arrested 16 tribesmen of Mandal tribe 
and set a three-day deadline for the tribal elders to hand over 
militants and miscreants or face the consequences." 
 
POLITICAL ISSUES 
 
News Story: Generals On Extension Never Considered For Top Slots - 
"The News" (02/23) 
 
"No three-star general either on extension or on ROR (retirement on 
return) will be considered either for the top slot in the Army as 
chief of the Army staff or for the office of chairman Joint Chiefs 
of Staff Committee (CJCSC) when the incumbent generals retire after 
serving their tenure." 
 
News Story: India Will Talk, But Pakistan Must Curb 'Terror': Patil 
- "Dawn" (02/23) 
 
"India said on Monday that any meaningful relationship with Pakistan 
required Islamabad to crack down on "terrorism" -- as the rivals 
prepared for their first official talks since the Mumbai attacks. In 
a speech to the opening session of Parliament, President Pratibha 
Patil left the door open for improved relations between the two 
countries." 
 
ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT 
 
News Story: Extension Of Market Access To Pakistan: EU Likely To 
Seek Waiver Of WTO's Condition  - "Business Recorder" (02/23) 
 
"The European Union is likely to seek a waiver from the World Trade 
Organization's condition in a drive to extend additional market 
access to Pakistani products in the EU markets. This issue was 
extensively discussed at recent meetings held in Brussels between 
Pakistan and the EU officials.  Secretary Commerce Ministery, Zafar 
Mahmood, who returned from Brussels on Monday, told Business 
Recorder." 
 
News Story: EDB Seeks Establishment Of Exim Bank In Pakistan  - 
"Daily Times" (02/23) 
 
"Stakeholders of engineering sector on Monday have underlined the 
need of establishment of Exim Bank in Pakistan for increasing export 
of their products. This was suggested in a meeting held Monday at 
Engineering Development Board (EDB) in connection with formulation 
of National Engineering Export Development Strategy (NEEDS)." 
 
MISCELLANEOUS 
 
News Story: Tehran To Respond Strongly To Any Attack Against It  - 
"The News" (02/23) 
 
"Iran said on Monday it is considering plans to start building two 
new uranium enrichment plants from next month, with the sites 
concealed in the mountains to avert air strikes. The announcement 
from Iran's atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi came soon after top U.S. 
General David Petraeus warned that Washington would now pursue 
'pressure track' against Iran to thwart its galloping nuclear 
program." 
 
News Story: Presidency's Drivers Slip Away In U.S.  - "The Nation" 
(02/23) 
 
"Five official drivers of the Presidency, who had been sent on a 
special training program last year, have managed to slip in the 
United State (U.S.), 'The Nation' has learnt reliably." 
 
EDITORIALS/OPINIONS 
 
Editorial: A Reality Check, an editorial in the center-right 
national English daily "The Nation" (cir. 20,000) (02/23) 
 
"The arrest of a high profile Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani 
Baradar by Pakistan is being questioned by certain U.S. quarters in 
a negative vein and they have leveled the charge that the move is 
part of Islamabad's plan to sabotage the ongoing reconciliation 
process with the insurgents in Afghanistan.... To all intents and 
purposes, the Americans are never happy, no matter whatever we do. 
One day, they are slinging mud on Islamabad for not doing enough in 
the anti-terror war and when it responds to the call, they chastise 
it for having ulterior motives. This is inevitable when the 
relationship between both the countries remains that of 
master-slave." 
 
Editorial: Militants Feel The Heat And Surrender, an editorial in 
the Islamabad-based rightist English daily "Pakistan Observer" (cir. 
5,000) (02/23) 
 
"In the wake of successful operations Rah-e-Nijat and Rah-e-Raast, 
the menace of terrorism, which was assuming dangerous proportions, 
is now under effective check and the situation in the affected area 
is fast returning to normalcy.... Though there are still instances 
of terrorism and militants continue to strike targets in various 
parts of the country, their frequency has dropped and it seems that 
their strength is dying down.... We hope that with effective 
coordination and continued pressure, the law enforcing agencies 
would soon be able to restore normalcy in all the troubled areas." 
 
Editorial: Pakistan Should Play Its Role In U.S-Taliban Talks, an 
editorial note in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily 
"Nawa-i-Waqt" (cir. 150,000) (02/23) 
 
"According to the American channel Fox News, police in Pakistan have 
captured another most wanted Taliban commander Maulvi Kabeer.... 
According to latest reports, the U.S. has expressed reservations on 
Taliban leaders' arrests in Pakistan. America's stand is that they 
are in talks with the Taliban leadership,talks that would pave the 
way for [U.S.] withdrawal from Afghanistan and restore peace and 
that arrests would worsen the situation once more.... Arresting 
Taliban leaders conducting talks with the U.S. is like adding fuel 
to the dying fires of unrest.... Instead of capturing these Taliban 
leaders, the government of Pakistan should treat them as guests and 
play a positive role in their talks with the U.S." 
 
Editorial: Israel's Concern On Pakistani Nuclear Assets: An Alarm 
Bell, an editorial in the Karachi-based, pro-Taliban Jihadi Urdu 
daily "Islam" (cir. 15,000) (02/23) 
 
"Expressing concern on Pakistan's nuclear assets, Israeli President 
has said that the international community will have to consider this 
danger seriously. Apart from incessantly attacking neighboring Arab 
countries, and massacring unarmed and innocent Palestinians, the 
Zionist state also destroyed Iraq's nuclear reactor. In fact, being 
incapable to attack Pakistan on its own, Israel is trying to create 
global consensus against our nuclear assets. We think that Pakistan 
is more prone to recently-tested Israeli drone aircrafts than Iran. 
In coming days, Israel may resort to some aerial adventure against 
Pakistan by using our neighboring countries.  It is high time for 
the Muslim countries to forge unity and use all available diplomatic 
resources to counter Zionist conspiracies." 
 
Editorial: Be Prepared, Whether There Is A War Or Not, an editorial 
note in the second-largest, nationalist Urdu daily "Nawa-i-Waqt" 
(cir. 150,000) (02/23) 
 
"The country's renowned scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan has said 
that Pakistan has the capability to inflict irreparable damage on 
India.... Talking with the Indian newspaper Asian Age, Dr. Qadeer 
further added that in case of a nuclear war India can neither 
destroy Lahore nor damage Pakistan in any way.... Besides Dr. 
Qadeer, Air Chief Rao Qamar Salman has also warned that Pakistan 
would retaliate with speed and force if anyone [reference to India] 
gets adventurous.... However, a federal minister has said that 
Pakistan does not need missiles with a range of thousands of miles 
as it does not plan to attack the U.S. It is not only for war that a 
country acquires weapons or modernizes them; weapons also act as 
deterrents. And how did the minister know that there would not be a 
war with the U.S.? Did Iraq and Afghanistan ever think they would be 
at war with America?  The reality is before us today. Hence, war or 
no war, we must remain prepared." 
 
Opinion: Turning The Tide Of Militancy, an op-ed by Dr. Maleeha 
Lodhi in the populist, often sensational national English daily "The 
News" (cir. 55,000) (02/23) 
 
"Have the military operations in South Waziristan, other tribal 
areas and Swat helped to create a strategic moment in the country's 
struggle against militants? Will 2010 be decisive in reversing the 
tide of militancy after a deadly year that saw a record number of 
terrorist attacks and killings? Has military action scattered the 
local Taliban or irrevocably weakened the movement? There are no 
easy answers to these questions in a fluid and fraught situation 
gravely affected by border volatility that is being heightened by 
the escalating war in Afghanistan. The consolidation of gains made 
by military offensives will depend on overcoming a sobering number 
of hurdles and resolving critical governance issues. This means a 
greater role for political rather than military actors in the 
transition to the post-conflict phase.... The key question is 
whether a capacity can be generated for such a 'civilian surge' even 
as the various law enforcement agencies take sustained steps to 
dismantle the syndicate of terror that still operates in the 
country. In the longer run the neutralization of this network will 
also rest on bringing to an end the conflicts and disputes in the 
region that have motivated and nourished the forces of militancy." 
 
(All circulation figures are based on estimation) 
Patterson