Gen Pasha’s Attitude Was Provocative

ISLAMABAD: Acting Ameer Jamiat Ulam-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said on Saturday that the attitude of ISI chief during the last joint in camera session of the Parliament was provocative.

He said that ISI chief did not demonstrate the attitude compatible with our religious teachings. However, he claimed that ISI chief Gen Shuja Pasha did not talk about taking dollars from Saudi Arabia and Libya, rather he had presented their contacts with those countries as a charge.

While talking to The News Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said that they had not only contacts with Saudi Arabia and Libya but with other Islamic countries too and they were not ashamed of it, rather were proud of it.

Monitoring Desk adds: Haideri claimed to have more knowledge than General Pasha on the Osama raid, reported a private TV channels. Haideri said that all the details were not given in the in camera session.

Haideri said that it was felt in the session that only PML-N used bitter words against ISI but in reality, most of the party MPs praised ISI and army. Maulana Attaur Rehman said that ISI boss was angry with JUI. The Speaker never allowed them to ask questions and they staged a walkout in protest.

Indian Govt Daze Up After ISI Warning

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday met the three service chiefs to make a fresh assessment of the security situation, a day after Pakistan's spy chief reportedly warned they had "identified targets" and carried out "rehearsal" for an attack on India.

At the meeting, also attended by defence minister AK Antony and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Army Chief General VK Singh, Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma and Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal PV Naik briefed the prime minister about the preparedness of the armed forces.

The sources said the meeting had been scheduled earlier but the Pakistani threat was taken up.

Monday's meeting came a day after Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha warned India that any Abbottabad-like attack by New Delhi would invite a fitting response as targets inside India had been "identified" and "rehearsals" carried out.

The meeting also assumes significance because it comes after a two-day visit by Manmohan Singh to Kabul last week.

The Army has also raised its alertness level in the wake of reports that Pakistan may try to infiltrate militants into Jammu and Kashmir.

DG ISI In The Eye Of The Storm

The Friday’s in-camera joint sitting of Parliament was memorable. The military top brass presented themselves before public representatives for questioning, and DG ISI Lt General Ahmed Shuja Pasha who had to answer for the intelligence failure in the bin Laden incident accepted, in unqualified terms, his accountability at their hands. This unprecedented gesture, in the context of Pakistan’s history, marred by prolonged rules of the army and the assertion of its power even during civilian governments, was an unmixed victory for democracy in the country. One must say that General Pasha showed grace enough to tender apology for the lapse and declared his readiness to clear himself before any forum and, if found guilty, to resign. He decided to resign soon after the Abbottabad incident but COAS General Kayani had stopped him from doing so. Prime Minister Gilani also deserves a word of praise for making four successful attempts to persuade leader of the opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to get back to the session every time he had left for his chambers, unhappy at the draft of the resolution. Later, its text was agreed upon and so was the constitution of an independent commission to go into the failure.
The briefing of over 400 MPs could not keep to its mandate of remaining in-camera, as a plethora of details leaked out, though hardly much to add to what the public already knew. Notwithstanding the sharp and awkward questions by the parliamentarians, who blew hot and cold at times, General Pasha kept his cool and kept answering them. His words, “It was due to the technological superiority that they managed to get in undetected…The failure was not intentional, but I admit that it was a mistake…The Parliament is supreme and I feel relieved after presenting myself before it,” must have sounded disarming. Chaudhry Nisar, though, was unsparing in his trenchant, critical questions. General Pasha’s most reassuring remark was that there was no threat to our nuclear assets; they were under foolproof control and command.

ISI Chief Shuja Pasha SCOFFS On Indian Threat

KARACHI: India is unlikely to give any credence to Pakistan's ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha's threat that any Abbottabad-like attack would invite a befitting response, calling it a "tall claim" to hide his own failure.

Brushing aside Pasha's warning, government sources said the ISI chief is not an operational man and the statement was just a reflection how frustrated he was after Pakistani establishment's failure to detect the US raid on the hideout of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

"They should better concentrate on domestic problems rather than looking towards India," an official said, pointing to the scores of terrorist strikes taking place in Pakistan everyday, including killing of a Saudi diplomat in Karachi today.

Officials said facing all round flak after the Abbottabad raid, the ISI chief is now trying to divert the attention of the Pakistani people by making "tall claims" like the one he has made on Friday.

"We understand their problem. In fact we sympathise with them. Our advise is, please concentrate on your domestic problems rather than looking towards us," the official said, adding that the Indian armed forces are full capable to thwart any Pakistani misadventure.

In his in-camera address to the joint session of the Senate and National Assembly of Pakistan on Friday, Pasha had warned India that any Abbottabad-like attack by it would invite a befitting response from Pakistan as targets inside the country "had already been identified" and "rehearsal" carried out.

Pasha is under fire over the inability of the ISI to track down Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, where he was living, before he was annihilated by US special forces in a covert operation on May 2.

Why Do One-In-Five American Voters Now Believe Osama Bin Laden Is Still Alive?

Here we go again.
It's been only two weeks since President Obama reported on US national television that an American commando team in four military helicopters had killed Osama bin Laden in his Pakistan bedroom. Within literally minutes, word of the terrorist's death by gunshot prompted seemingly spontaneous street celebrations outside the White House and elsewhere.
Now comes word from noted pollster John Zogby that while an overwhelming majority buys the administration's account, a surprising almost one-in-five likely American voters believes the Al Qaeda founder is not dead at all, nor buried at sea, as Obama officials have stated.
How could this possibly be?
That's more than twice the accepted estimate of silly folks who think Elvis is 76 now, watching his old movies and collecting Social Security in a secret somewhere.
How could so many presumably normal citizens (19%, according to Zogby) be so ignorant as to....
...not believe the claims of their duly-elected president and the detailed accounts by his deputies of the deadly dark-of-night raid deep into Pakistan by a team of Navy SEALs, the firefight and the flight with the corpse to an American carrier offshore, the confirmation of his DNA, the preparation of his body according to Muslim ritual and its hasty burial somewhere at sea to avoid creating a shrine? All this within 12 hours?
Even Al Qaeda has confirmed its leader's death.
But wait! Isn't that what terrorists would be expected to say to convince enemies to abandon their 10-year manhunt?
This incredulity phenomenon is a curious creation of a high-speed global media so full of unverified and unverifiable information floating about, combined with a modern cynicism about political leaders masquerading as voter wisdom.
After so many lies and misleading claims by politicians over the decades since the Kennedy assassination and its conspiracy theories ("I am not a crook" "I did not have sex with that woman"), the safest way to look wise and experienced these days is to dismiss virtually any public official's statement as a talking point and/or lie.
The widespread arrival of television some 60 years ago and more recently online video has trained people to expect some kind of visual confirmation of virtually any news, either live or shortly after. Its absence almost surely spawns doubts.
President Obama watched the raid live via satellite and has seen the photos. Because he himself was convinced of Bin Laden's death, the president deemed providing visual -- albeit allegedly gruesome -- photographic proof to any doubting fellow Americans was unnecessary. The people could take his word for it.
And he worried it would seem vengeful, even though nearly 3,000 died on 9/11 and another 1,573 Americans have perished in combat against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in what on Obama's watch is now the country's longest war ever. Obama said he wanted to avoid appearing to spike the football in the end zone, although that desire didn't keep him from a ground zero victory lap and talking Bin Laden killing at two subsequent Democratic party fundraisers.
That dismissed domestic concern was outweighed, Obama aides explained, by the president's concern over inflaming those jihadists who've been violently killing American infidels and many of their own faith for nearly two decades.
So no Bin Laden corpse picture because why, some have since asked, the lack of one photograph will somehow prompt these crazies to doff their bomb belts?
Or be a kinder, gentler captor of future prisoners? Could any American commander-in-chief seriously believe this?
Additionally, Obama aides' eager and hurried attempts to tell the raid story to their boss' best advantage lead to countless conflicting details and confusing inaccuracies.
The botched recounting turned a PR homerun into a merely impressive triple, needlessly eroding Obama's credibility even among those wishing Bin Laden ill.
To assuage criticism among some influential Washington pols -- the people who really matter in Obama's non-fundraising day-to-day world -- he offered to show the not-so-nice photos to select members of Congress.
However, although global audiences have been treated to countless photos of atrocities and gruesome scenes in recent years -- severed heads online, bound Abu Ghraib prisoners, Saddam Hussein hanged and burned, mutilated American bodies hanging from a Falluja bridge come vividly to mind -- Obama clearly was more concerned about possible foreign reaction than domestic disbelief, which he doesn't place much stock in.
A strange reaction from someone who tried for four years stonewalling skeptics of something as simple as his birthplace, only to finally give in and release his sealed long-form certificate just this spring -- and then see virtually all the wind immediately disappear from the sails of the so-called birther movement.
Operating in a longtime one-party city like Chicago, Democratic politicians do not often feel beholden to explaining themselves to the obedient public. So, the lesson this president from there obviously drew from his unnecessary birth certificate-sealing confrontation was to do it again with the Bin Laden photos.
-- Usama Abbasi Cheif Repoter Karachi,

US Report Details Direct RAW Involvement In East Pakistan Secession

ISLAMABAD: A sensational American report has confirmed the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's most powerful intelligence agency, was directly involved in the secession of East Pakistan into Bangladesh, and is currently engaged in similar activities. RAW has a long history of activity in Bangladesh supporting both secular forces and the area's Hindu minority, masterminding the break up of Pakistan in 1971, says the report made available to the News Intelligence Network (NIN) The report has been prepared by the innocent sounding Federation of American Scientists (FAS), a group which is however engaged in analysis and advocacy on science, technology and public policy concerning global security, especially about countries which have nuclear capability.

It is a privately funded non-profit policy organisation, whose Board of Sponsors includes 55 American Nobel laureates. FAS was originally founded as the Federation of Atomic Scientists in 1945 by members of the Manhattan Project, who produced the first atomic bomb. RAW is extensively engaged in disinformation campaigns, espionage, sabotage and terrorism against Pakistan and other neighboring countries, reveals the sensational secret report. It also gives details of the truly alarming involvement of RAW in terrorist activities in Pakistan. The report reveals the involvement of RAW in Bangladesh dating from the 1960s, when it promoted dissatisfaction against Pakistan in the then East Pakistan, including funding Mujibur Rahman's general election in 1970 and providing training and arming to the Mukti Bahini. The report claims an estimated 35,000 RAW agents have entered Pakistan at various times between 1983-99, with 12,000 having worked in the past or working presently in Sindh, 10,000 in Punjab 8,000 in North West Frontier Province and 5,000 in Balochistan. "As many as 40 terrorist camps are currently operating at Rajasthan, East Punjab, [occupied] Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of India and are run by RAW's Special Service Bureau [SSB]," the report reveals. The report further confirms that throughout the Afghan War, RAW was responsible for the planning and execution of terrorist activities in Pakistan to deter Islamabad from supporting the Afghan liberation movement against India's ally, the Soviet Union.

"The assistance provided to RAW by the KGB enabled RAW to arrange terrorist attacks in Pakistani cities throughout the Afghan War," the report says. "The defeat of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan did not end the role of RAW in Pakistan, as it established training camps in East Punjab, [occupied] Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan where agents are trained for terrorist activities," it reveals.

It further says that RAW has become "an effective instrument of India's national power, and has assumed a significant role in formulating India's domestic and foreign policies." RAW, according to the report, has enjoyed the backing of successive Indian governments in these efforts. Working directly under the Prime Minister, the structure rank, pay and perks of the Research and Analysis Wing are kept secret from parliament.

"Current policy debates in India have generally failed to focus on the relative priority given by RAW to activities directed against India's neighbours versus attention to domestic affairs to safeguard India's security and territorial integrity," the report says. It points out that RAW has had limited success in dealing with separatist movements in Manipur and Tripura in the northeast, Tamil Nadu in the south and Punjab and Kashmir in the northwestern part of the country.

RAW, it adds, has failed to neutralise freedom fighters in Kashmir and similar indigenous movements in Kerala, Karnataka and other places, along with economic and industrial espionage activities in New Delhi and Bombay. Giving a background of the intelligence agency, the American report says RAW was set up in 1968 "specifically targeted on Pakistan".

Pakistan, the report says, has accused RAW of sponsoring sabotage in its Punjab province, where it has been supporting the Seraiki movement, "providing financial support to promote its activities in Pakistan and organising an International Seraiki Conference in Delhi in November December 1993". It adds: "RAW has an extensive network of agents and anti-government elements within Pakistan, including dissident elements from various sectarian and ethnic groups of Sindh and Punjab."

According to it, India is funding the current upsurge of terrorism in Pakistan "and has been behind the sectarian violence between Shias and Sunnis, which has resulted in thousands of deaths in the last few years." Terrorist activities in Pakistan attributed to the clandestine activities of RAW in the report include:

A car bomb explosion in the Saddar area of Peshawar on 21 December 1995, which caused the death of 37 persons and injured over 50 others.

An explosion at Shaukat Khanum Hospital on 14 April 1996, claiming the lives of seven persons and injuries to over 34 others.

A bus traveling from Lahore to Sahiwal was blown up at Bhai Pheru on 28 April 1996, causing the deaths of 44 persons on the spot and injuring 30 others.

An explosion in a bus near the Sheikhupura Hospital killed nine persons and injured 29 others on 08 May 1996.

An explosion near Alam Chowk, Gujranwala on 10 June 1996 which killed three persons and injured 11 others.

A bomb exploded on a bus on GT Road near Kharian on 10 June 1996, killing 2 persons and injuring 10 others.

On 27 June 1996, an explosion opposite Madrassah Faizul Islam, Faizabad, Rawalpindi, killed 5 persons and injured over 50 others.

A bomb explosion in the Faisalabad Railway Station passenger lounge on 8 July 1996 killed 3 persons and injured 20 others.

Another startling claim made by the American report is that it was RAW that was behind the hijacking of an Indian airliner to Lahore in 1971, "attributed to the Kashmiris, to give a terrorist dimension to the Kashmiri national movement".

The report continues: "During the course of its investigation the Jain Commission received testimony on the official Indian support to the various Sri Lankan Tamil armed groups in Tamil Nadu," the report reveals. From 1981, RAW and the Intelligence Bureau, according to the report, established a network of as many as 30 training bases for these groups in India. Centres were also established at the high-security military installation of Chakrata, near Dehra Dun, and in the Ramakrishna Puram area of New Delhi.

The report says that RAW and the Ministry of External Affairs are provided Rs. 250 million annually as "discretionary grants" for foreign influence operations. "These funds have supported organisations fighting Sikh and Kashmiri separatists in the UK, Canada and the US," it says.

It further reveals: "An Extensive network of Indian operatives is controlled by the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC whose covert activities include the infiltration of US long distance telephone carriers by Indian operatives, with access to all kinds of information, to blackmail relatives of US residents living in India". Citing an example, it says that in 1996, an Indian diplomat was implicated in a scandal over illegal funding of political candidates in the US. Under US law foreign nationals are prohibited from contributing to federal elections.

The US District Court in Baltimore sentenced Lalit H. Gadhia, a naturalised US citizen of Indian origin, to three months imprisonment. Gadhia had confessed that he worked as a conduit between the Indian Embassy and various Indian-American organisations for funnelling campaign contributions to influence US lawmakers. Over US $46,000 from the Indian Embassy was distributed among 20 Congressional candidates. The source of the cash used by Gadhia was Devendra Singh, a RAW official assigned to the Indian Embassy in Washington, the report says. It adds that illicit campaign money received in 1995 went to Democratic candidates including US Senators Charles S Robb (D-VA), Paul S. Sarbanes (D-MD) and US Representatives Benjamin L Cardin (D-MD) and Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) -- (May 24, 1998).

Azlan Shah Cup: Pakistan rally to beat India 3-1

Pakistan's Muhammad Umar Bhutta (left) celebrates after scoring a goal against India during their hockey match at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. (AP Photo)

IPOH ( Malaysia): India squandered a first half lead to suffer an embarrassing 1-3 defeat against arch-rivals Pakistan in a crucial match of the Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament in Ipoh on Wednesday.

For India Rupinder Pal Singh (20th minute) scored the lone goal, while Umar Butta (49th), Mohammad Imran (55th) and veteran Sohail Abbas (57th) found the net for Pakistan in a high-voltage encounter between to the two traditional rivals.

India started the game on a positive note and created numerous scoring chances in the opening half but could not sustain the tempo.

Rupinder Pal Singh, the find of the tournament, capitalised on one such opportunity and increased his personal tally, handing India the lead in the 20th minute with a powerful dragflick from their second penalty corner.

However, it was a completely different scenario after the change of ends as, trailing by a goal, Pakistan came out all guns blazing and launched continuous raids on the Indian citadel.

Their efforts bore fruit in the 49th minute when Butta capiotalised on Diwakar Ram and Gurbaj Singh's defensive lapse to equalise for Pakistan.

Imran made it 2-1 in the 55th minute converting a penalty corner and two minutes later it was Abbas' turn to slam home the ball from another short corner to literally take the game away from the Indians.

Rupinder, who made a huge impact in the tournament after finding a place in the squad due to absence of ace penalty corner taker Sandeep Singh, gave the lead with his sixth goal of the tournament but India failed to add any more.

After India's complete domination in the initial stages, Pakistan earned their first penalty corner in the 25th minute, only for Sohail Abbas to shoot wide to the left.

Soon after, Mohammad Rizwan Senior sent in a diagonal cross from the right, but there were no strikers in front of Indian goal to capitalise on it.

India forced another penalty corner in the last minute before half-time, but this time Rupinder's soaring drag-flick was cleared by goalkeeper Imran Shah for a corner.

Going into the second half with a 1-0 lead, the Indian citadel came under pressure on two occasions within four minutes. Indian goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza charged out to thwart Rehan Butt in the 38th minute when the unmarked striker got the ball in a one-on-one situation with the custodian.

A minute later, Shakeel Abbasi sent a flick high over the cross-piece after darting in from the right flank.

Rupinder made a fine clearance from under Rehan's stick as he shaped to take a close-range shot at the goal in the 41st minute, but the pressure exerted by Pakistan was too much and in the 49th minute, Umar Bhutta scored the equaliser after getting Fareed Ahmed's pass from left.

Pakistan seized control of the match midway through the second session with two penalty corner conversions in two minutes.

Captain Muhammad Imran beat the Indian defence with a drag-flick that went into the cage to the right of the goalkeeper in the 56th minute and Sohail Abbas made it 3-1 a minute later with a similar drag-flick into the net.

India made some desperate efforts to bounce back into the game, but their moves failed to produce results against the experienced Pakistan team, which featured most members of the Guangzhou Asian Games gold winning squad.

Seeking to prepare their team ahead of the Champions Trophy and the Olympic Qualifier, India have fielded a young team without several top senior players who are injured or were not considered for selection after not turning up for the preparatory camp.