Pakistani politics (catch all)

[Tom Odom]

Tequila,

I always look for key phrases like "crack international" troops--then I know we have a used car salesman involved.

It is amazing how clear the world is when you never participate in it.

Scary, really scary...

Tom

[goesh]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21909129/

"updated 2:27 a.m. ET, Wed., Nov. 21, 2007
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - When Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte visited Pakistan last weekend, he met once with President Pervez Musharraf, for two hours. But before he left town, he held three meetings with a lesser-known figure: Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, the deputy army chief.
..................................
"To understand the power of Pakistan, you have to understand that it's the military that matters. And they are kingmakers here," said Shireen M. Mazari of the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad. "

[davidbfpo]

Another website reported today that the current series of Pakistan -v- India cricket matches attracts more attention from the public than politics.

At first I was sceptical, but a colleague who has just returned from Pakistan stated the State of Emergency and politics was disregarded by most Pakistani's. Politicians are held in low esteem and reported that Musharraf was finished.

I recall The Economist earlier this year reported that Pakistan only had two working national institutions: the Army and the national cricket team.

So perhaps cricket is more important to the "man in the street".

davidbfpo

[tequila]

In my darker moments, I sometimes wonder what percentage of the population of the United States would care if there was a military coup in this country, or if the Constitution was suspended. If the economy kept ticking along and the Super Bowl was played, would enough people care to make a difference?

I think the average Pakistani (if there is such a thing in such a factionalized place) knows that there will, in the end, not be a real place for him at the table once the players are done shuffling pieces. The game will be played out amongst the Army's corps commanders, the machine politicians of the PML-Q and PPP and PML-N, the United States, and the Chinese. The lawyers may play a small role as well. But either way, none of these groupings truly represents a broad cross section of the Pakistani public.

[goesh]

- in my darker moments, I'd say about 8% and in other moments, 9%

[davidbfpo]

Reported on the link the return of Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan; Benazir Bhutto's main secular rival and a man who opposes military rule. Interesting to note his return is a few days after Musharraf visited Saudi Arabia, where Sharif has been in exile.

http://www.pakistanpolicy.com/

Elsewhere the BBC report two suicide bomb attacks in Rawlpindi, including a blast on a packed bus at an ISI site.

davidbfpo

[tequila]

Pakistani forces take cleric's complex - LATIMES, 7 Dec.

Security forces blew up the home of a fugitive pro-Taliban cleric Thursday after capturing two militant-held towns in northern Pakistan, the army said.

Security forces faced no resistance in taking cleric Maulana Qazi Fazlullah's complex, which includes a seminary, hostels and a mosque, army officials said. The complex, near the town of Mingora, was abandoned when about 400 troops and police moved in, backed by tanks and helicopter gunships.

Maj. Gen. Nasir Janjua said Fazlullah's home was blown up but the entire complex would not be demolished.

"This has been built with the donations from our sisters and brothers," he said. "The people should decide its usage in the future."

Fazlullah has called for a holy war against the government.

Since Wednesday, troops have swept into the towns of Khawazakhela and Matta in the scenic Swat district, where Fazlullah's supporters have taken up arms in response to his calls for strict Islamic law. Some fled before the towns were overrun ...

Retaking Swat's towns is a key step. If Fazlullah can be captured or killed, this could be a big step towards reclaiming Pakistani Army control over the more settled areas of the FATA.