Pakistan Starts Singing Kashmir Tune Again

As usual just before a talk Pakistan has started singing the old tune of Kashmir being the core issue. Unfortunately for India, the present Indian leadership is ready to listen to this non-sense. This gives Pakistan even more space to trash talk.

Everybody in both the countries know that the latest round of talks are nothing but an eyewash meant to placate respective European or western masters.Pakistan will never do anything about state sponsored terrorism except give lip service. This simple truth is beyond the peace obsessed Prime Minister of India. Readers might remember this was exactly the case before the outbreak of the second world war.

No dates have been finalised yet for the talks, but a source said Islamabad had proposed June 24-25. Delhi is yet to respond to the proposal.

“Jammu and Kashmir is the core issue and it was imperative to address this issue effectively and in a purposeful manner in the forthcoming dialogue with India,” a statement issued by the Foreign Office after Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir’s consultative session with Kashmiri leadership on the impending dialogue with his Indian counterpart Nirupama Rao.He is exactly correct, once Pakistan withdraws from the illegally occupied portion of Jammu and Kashmir, we can talk about it. I am sure that only a minuscule minority want to go with Pakistan because in Pakistan only thing cheap are bomb and death, while with India they have a future a chance to grow individually and as a state.

The two secretaries are to discuss Jammu and Kashmir; peace and security; and friendly exchanges at the meeting, but India, according to the source, is pushing for a discussion on the latest evidence in the Mumbai attacks in the light of Headley’s testimony before a Chicago court and Tahawwur Rana’s confessional statement.(Read lovely outing for the secretary and enjoying some local delicacies)

The two sides discussed the progress in the Mumbai case at the meeting of interior/home secretaries in March at the start of the ongoing engagement process. Mumbai per se does not form part of the agenda of the secretaries’ meeting and Indian push for its inclusion is being seen by Pakistani officials as counter-productive.Correct again do not talk about things which expose Pakistan as an epicenter of World Terrorism.

“We are cognizant that despite our desire to have a result-oriented process, it can’t happen in one interaction,” a senior official noted and called for finding space to allow the revived peace process to progress.

Earlier this week Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna indicated that the foreign secretary would raise the issue of alleged nexus between ISI and the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks, highlighted during the trial of terror suspect Tahawwur Rana.

India Will Retaliate With Full Force Against Pakistan, If Attacked By Terrorists

At a conference in Singapore about regional security, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju has categorically and clearly stated that if any attack similar to that of Mumbai carnage is repeated then Indian Government will have no other choice but to attack Pakistan. He went on to say that India wants dialogue with Pakistan and a constructive relationship and Government Of India did its best after Mumbai Attack not to retaliate even under severe pressure from the general public. For which they paid a price to some extent politically but a second attack of this style will enrage the Indian masses so much that it will be hard to sell the restraint policy to them.

The ongoing David Headley case also found mention in his speech. He said that the world clearly knows now what kind of deed's Pakistani establishment was supporting. He said though there has been Peace talks but the forked tongue of Pakistan ahs made the Indian Governments peace effort go to waste.

India to send corrected list of fugitives to Pakistan in 2 weeks

New Delhi, May 30 (PTI) India will formally communicate to Pakistan about the errors in the list of 50 most wanted fugitives given to it by handing over a correct list within two weeks.

The CBI, NIA and other agencies were reviewing the entire list after finding two errors in it and India will formally convey to Pakistan about the mistakes and give a correct list within two weeks, government officials said.

The list was handed over to Pakistan during the Home Secretary-level talks in March. However, it was found that one person named in the list has been living in a Mumbai suburb while another person has been lodged in a jail in the metropolis.

Rehman Malik Interview Is Like Listening To Lallu Of Pakistan

Listening to Rehman Malik is like listening to Lallu in english and nothing else. I dont think he has any idea what is coming out of his mouth.

Parliamentarians were stunned on Tuesday when a lawmaker led prayers for al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, defying calls from Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi that he needed permission to do so.

At the National Assembly session, Maulvi Asmatullah, an independent candidate from NA-264 stood up and said Bin Laden had reportedly been given funeral services by the Americans and “we should pray for him”.

The prayer service hardly lasted a minute in which two JUI-F legislators from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, former federal minister Attaur Rehman and Laiq Muhammad Khan, participated.

The deputy speaker was administering the proceedings on a private members day, but he could not convince the lawmakers to stick to the rules of business. Osama bin Laden was killed in a US operation in Abbottabad in the early hours of May 2.

Earlier, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said in the National Assembly that “Osama bin Laden was the most wanted terrorist and enemy number one of the civilized world.

Elimination of Osama bin Laden, who launched waves after waves of terrorist attacks against innocent Pakistanis, is indeed justice done. However, we are not so naïve to declare victory; missions accomplished, and turn around.”

The first of its kind prayer service at the floor of the National Assembly reflected a divergent view from the official stance over the killing of Bin Laden.
Chaos in Balochistan Assembly

Meanwhile in Quetta, Five PPP ministers have demanded the immediate expulsion of JUI-F from the provincial cabinet for promoting terrorism by supporting the Taliban in Balochistan.

Taking up the floor during Assembly proceedings on Tuesday afternoon, PPP Minister Mir Sadiq Umrani staged a walk-out and accused the JUI of being involved in terrorism.

He was joined by four other PPP Ministers – Ali Madad Jatak, Yunus Mullahzai, Jan Ali Changezi and Jaffar George.

Addressing a news conference after the session, Umrani said that the JUI-F is imposing policies to only protect its own interests.

He alleged that JUI-F annually take away 60 per cent of the total funds of the province. “The entire budget of the Balochistan government has been monopolised by JUI Ministers,” he claimed.

Talking to the media, Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani termed the allegations false and baseless, while JUI-F Parliamentary Leader Maulana Wasey said his party has supported the PPP to form a coalition government.

Pataudis Cousin Tipped As Next ISI Chief

Pakistan's beleaguered military-intelligence complex is reeling from the embarrassment USA inflicted when they annihilated Osama bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad, speculation is rife that ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha may have to step down.

Pasha, who is in the direct line of criticism for the failure to detect the presence of bin Laden and the American operation, is already on an extension and the estimate here is that Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Kayani may have to sacrifice him to appease the popular anger.

Front runners among those tipped to take over from Pasha is Major General Isfandiyar Ali Pataudi, first cousin of cricketing legend, former India skipper Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, and an uncle to film stars, Saif and Soha.

Isfandiyar's father, Major General Nawabzada Mohammad Ali Pataudi, was the younger brother of Mansur Ali Khan's father Iftikhar Ali Khan. Major General Nawabzada Mohammad preferred to opt for the Pakistan army at the time of partition, while his elder brother stayed back to pursue a diplomatic career.

Sources here said Maj Gen Isfandiyar Ali Pataudi, who was appointed a deputy director-general of ISI a few weeks ago, stands a good chance if a major churning happens at the higher echelons of the Pakistan army. His liberal moorings and aristocratic background may work to his advantage at a time when Rawalpindi is required to allay US's fears of a fundamentalist takeover of the intelligence agency. An armoured corps officer, General Isfandiyar has another India connection: he was a classmate of the chief of the Indian Army, General V K Singh, at the Army War College in the US a few years ago.

Isfandiyar Pataudi was among the first officers sent by the Pakistan army to US military institutions after the restoration of bilateral military ties that had soured after the 1998 nuclear tests and 1999 military coup. Indian military had then read the selection of the first batch of officers including Pataudi for American courses as a deliberate Pak strategy to project a liberal face.

But now the liberal face happens to be at the senior level of a notoriously secretive ISI that is dominated by sympathizers of al-Qaida and handles many terror groups. And he is on the brink of emerging as possible DG of the all powerful intelligence agency. All his royal ancestry and liberal values may not be enough to reign in the intelligence organization, which is rated a semi-criminal enterprise by many Indian spies and rated among the world's best by many others.

General Isfandiyar is an accomplished polo player, and is the chairman of the Pakistan Polo Association.

Incidentally, Mansur Ali Khan's father, Iftikhar Ali Khan, captained the Indian cricket team like his son. In fact, he played for England as well, thus earning the unique distinction of turning out for two countries.

Serving Major Among 4 Pakistani Nationals Behind Mumbai Attacks

A suspected serving Pakistani Major, believed to be working with the ISI, is among four nationals of that country charged by the US with being alleged conspirators behind the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes.

The accused identified as 'Major Iqbal', was named along with Sajid Mir, Mazhar Iqbal and Abu Qahafa in a second superseding indictment filed by the federal prosecutors before a court in Chicago on April 25 last. Besides, the indictment mentioned an unnamed individual as "Lashkar Member D."

Indian investigators had named Major Iqbal along with another Pakistani Army officer Major Sameer Ali as the brain behind the Mumbai terror strikes and on the request of New Delhi, Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice against them.

The dossier was handed over during the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level talks on February 25, 2010 in New Delhi. The role of 'Major Iqbal' emerged in the interrogation by the FBI of US terror suspect David Headley, arrested in Chicago in October, 2009 in connection with the Mumbai attack.

The four men identified were previously mentioned but not named in the indictments that charged Pakistani-American David Headley and Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Rana in connection with the Mumbai attacks which killed 166 people, including six Americans.

An individual known as 'Major Iqbal' participated in planning and funding attacks carried out by LeT in Mumbai, federal prosecutors said.

According to the Indian dossier, Maj Iqbal was posted in Lahore from 2007 to 2008 and was handling Headley. He also handled all the surveillance videos sent by Headley.

The US federal prosecutor said that in July 2006, Major Iqbal provided to Headley approximately USD 25,000 to, among other purposes, establish and operate the Mumbai office of First World and pay for living expenses while Headley carried out his assignments for Lashkar.

In September 2006, February 2007, September 2007, April 2008 and July 2008, Headley travelled to Mumbai for extended periods for the purpose of conducting surveillance of possible targets of attacks by LeT, using his association with First World as cover for his travels.

Prior to Headley's departure for each of these trips, Mir and Major Iqbal along with others instructed Headley regarding locations where he was to conduct video surveillance in and around Mumbai, as well as other locations in India.

After each trip, Headley travelled to Pakistan, where he met Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal associated with Lashkar to report on the results of his surveillance, and provided them with photographs and videos from the surveillance, the US federal prosecutors said.

In July, Major Iqbal provided Headley another USD 1,500 to keep open the First World office in Mumbai, but approved closing that office in the future and opening a new business in Delhi, to be used as cover for future activities by him.

And soon after the Mumbai attacks, Major Iqbal advised Headley to avoid contact with him until further notice and to remove any incriminating materials from his home in Pakistan.

Sajid Mir was associated with LeT and supervised others linked with the outfit. He served as a "handler" for Headley, who has confessed to his involvement in Mumbai attacks, and others who were directed to carry out actions relating to planning, preparing for and carrying out the terrorist strikes on behalf of LeT.

Abu Qahafa was an associate with LeT who trained others in combat techniques for use in terrorist attacks, while Mazhar Iqbal and 'Lashkar Member D' were LeT commanders.

According to the indictment, Sajid Mir, Abu Qahafa and Mazhar Iqbal conspired with each other, Headley, 'Lashkar Member D' and others known and unknown to the grand jury, to deliver, place, discharge and detonate explosives and other lethal devices in, into and against places of public use, state and government facilities, public transportation systems and infrastructure facilities in India.

Federal prosecutors alleged that in July and August 2008, Abu Qahafa and others were training a number of young men in Pakistan in various skills and tactics to be used in carrying out terrorist attacks in Mumbai, including combat tactics, room entry, hostage rescue, nautical training and swimming.

During the course of attacks in Mumbai, the attackers were in telephonic contact with defendants Sajid Mir, Abu Qahafa and Mazhar Iqbal, all of whom were then located in Pakistan, the federal prosecutors said. "More specifically, during the course of the attacks, the attackers were advised to, among other actions, kill hostages, set fire and throw grenades. Sajid Mir also sought to arrange the release of a hostage in exchange for the release of a captured attacker," the United States indictment alleged.