Pakistan’s army has said it will launch no new offensives on militants in 2010, as the US defence secretary arrived for talks on combating Taliban fighters. Army spokesman Athar Abbas told the BBC the “overstretched” military had no plans for any fresh anti-militant operations over the next 12 months. Our correspondent says the comments are a clear snub to Washington.

The US would like Pakistan to expand an offensive against militants launching cross-border attacks in Afghanistan. Defence Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Pakistan on Thursday for his first visit since US President Barack Obama took office last year.

The one-day trip comes at a crucial time in the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban, with the US planning to commit 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Mr Gates was expected to tell Pakistan that it could do more against top Taliban leaders operating in its territory, some of whom are alleged to have close links to Pakistan’s ISI intelligence service. continue

Just a couple of days after Chief of India’s Military Intelligence Lt. General R.K Loomba, completed his “high profile” yet covert trip to Afghanistan, militants struck in the heart of the Afghan capital on Monday, launching suicide attacks at key government targets including the Presidential Palace and locked security forces in running gun battles, which left nine people, including four attackers dead. 

The brazen strike in the city was a clear sign that the Indian MI Chief’s sensational trip to Afghanistan was not just a visit to make certain assessments but it had some extraordinary motives to pave the way for an elaborated military role of India in Afghanistan by proving that constantly increasing insurgency and terror in Afghanistan was not possible for the ISAF troops alone and the Indian army was the ultimate solution, reveal the investigations of The Daily Mail  continue

When the government was absent, Karachi’s patriots and PakNationalists moved and raised Pakistan’s flag across the area, in a message that Pakistan stands firm and proud despite what our enemies, internal and external, are doing to us.

These pictures were sent by Ibne Qassem, from FIF, one of the groups active in the rehabilitation work. We at PakNationalists and PKKH are proud to support the great work of the young men and women at FIF.

There were two distribution points:

1. First camp was at Light House, where we distributed approx 100 packs, and few sewing machines, to some affected tailors.

2. Second camp was at Bolton where approx 450-500 packs were handed out.

See our appeal for material and funds here [list of what is required to assist the laborers.]

The Blackwater operations run from Camp Chapman close to the Pakistani border could have been for anyone, Iran, Israel, India or one of their dozens of clients. Here are some startling revelations.

Were the seven CIA employees killed in the recent terror attack at Camp Chapman in Afghanistan really CIA? Sources now tell us that some were Blackwater operatives, not CIA at all.
Is the CIA and Blackwater one in the same? Are either one or both working for the United States or has the disease of privatization created a culture of greed and incompetence that has left the United States vulnerable and defenseless? Are we simply “out of our depth” in Afghanistan?

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Ansar Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Former Naval chief Admiral Abdul Aziz Mirza gives credence to the recent French investigative report that talked of almost $49 million kickbacks in the Agosta-submarine deal allegedly received by President Asif Ali Zardari and others, including Naval officers, disclosing that the then Benazir government had urged the Pakistan Navy to go for the French subs.

Mirza, while quoting the then Naval chief Admiral Saeed Khan, also revealed that Benazir Bhutto’s defence minister Aftab Shaban Mirani had clearly indicated to the Pakistan Navy’s high command the government’s preference for the induction of the French submarines.

Despite these clear indications by the defence minister, the top naval command again met and deliberated on the subject and decided to recommend two options to the government — the British Upholder and the French Agosta. The government later approved the induction of the Agosta.

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Director General ISI Ahmad Shuja Pasha said on Tuesday that Afghan soil is being used for terrorist activities in Pakistan, adding that peace cannot be established in Pakistan unless infiltration from Afghan border is stopped.

Pasha’s statement came in the backdrop of increased US pressure to launch a parallel operation in North Waziristan.

Briefing the parliamentary committee on national security, the DG said that the drug mafia in Afghanistan is supporting terrorists who are creating unrest within Pakistan. According to reports, the committee members believe that the Pak-Afghan border should be fenced and movement across the border should be strictly monitored. The members also called for the need to enhance security along the Pak-Afghan border.

After the meeting, Senator Raza Rabbani the chairman of the Parliamentary committee on national security briefed the media during which he informed that the committee members condemned the screening of Pakistani citizens at US airports, terming it a ‘violation of international Human Rights Declarations.

Pakistan’s consul general in the US city of Houston appeared in an accountability court here on Monday as a witness and confirmed that fake Pakistani passports had been issued to Indian citizens. 

Aqil Naeem told Judge Wamiq Javaid that the passports had been issued by the Houston consulate as alleged by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in its reference against former consul general Ghulam Rasool Baloch and others. He said that cases of misappropriation had been mentioned in the report of the audit of the consulate’s financial record. He said the record of all people who had submitted additional fees to obtain passports from the consulate was available. The court put off the hearing till Jan 19.

Pakistan’s consul general in Houston appeared in an accountability court and confirmed that fake passports were issued.—File photo

The foreign affairs ministry had referred to NAB on March 28, 2008, a report received from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation that about 300 passports had been issued by the consulate on fake or incomplete documents. A reference was filed against Ghulam Rasool, Assistant Consul General Mohammad Naeem and travel agent Imran Lalpuri for issuing passports to Indian citizens Aziz Moosa, Salim Ali and Abdul Sadiqas Sultan Abdullah. 

An American passport bearing the name Syed Nazar Ali was found after the 1993 terrorist attacks in Mumbai and investigations revealed that he was actually an Indian national, Aziz Moosa. During investigation it was found that several fake passports had been issued from the consulate. The former consul general’s lawyer S.A. Mehmood Sadozai argued that the prosecution had merely relied on information provided by the FBI and had not investigated the case. Replying to a question by the court, NAB prosecutors said they had examined FBI officials but did not record their statements.  Source: Dawn News