Is it because the offensive in North Waziristan has yet to see a true commitment?
Related: Protests in Pakistan
"Thousands rally in Pakistan to seek new leaders; Protesters want prime minister to yield his post" by Munir Ahmed and Zarar Khan | Associated Press August 17, 2014
ISLAMABAD— Tens of thousands of protesters thronged the streets of Pakistan’s capital Saturday, defying pouring rain to answer the call of a fiery cleric and a cricket star-turned-politician who are both demanding the government step down immediately.
Antigovernment cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri and Pakistan’s most famous cricket player, Imran Khan, have led dual mass protests that have disrupted life across Islamabad.
This is starting to smell like an agenda-pushing U.S. effort based on the amount of coverage alone.
They demand Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif step down for alleged fraud in the country’s May 2013 election, which Sharif has refused to do.
What has Sharif done wrong? Not invade North Waziristan?
The protesters have vowed to remain in the streets until Sharif leaves office, raising fears of political instability in the nuclear-armed nation, which saw its first democratic transfer of power only last year.
While the crowds have fallen well short of the million marchers that both men promised, their presence and the government’s heightened security measures have virtually shut down business in the capital.
On Saturday, Qadri told his supporters to continue protesting until they bring about a ‘‘peaceful revolution.’’
‘‘Nawaz Sharif should be arrested when he steps down and he should not be allowed to leave the country,’’ he said. He also called for the dissolution of Parliament and fresh elections.
Whatever happened with Musharraf?
Sharif has given no indication he intends to step down, and leaders of his party said Qadri’s demands were unconstitutional.
Khan, whose camp is parallel to Qadri’s on the city’s eastern edge, also vowed Saturday to continue his protest until Sharif steps down. He called on more people to join him. ‘‘A new history is going to be recorded in Islamabad,’’ Khan told the protesters.
Both Khan and Qadri vowed to bring a million followers into the streets of Islamabad, a city of about 1.7 million inhabitants. But police Saturday estimated that 35,000 people were present at Qadri’s rally and 25,000 at Khan’s.
The two men have maintained a separation between their rallies, although both have the same goal and both traveled to Islamabad from the eastern city of Lahore. Khan’s crowd on Saturday reflected his popularity among Pakistan’s youth, many of whom have been looking for a new political leader after decades of tight control by either the military or the country’s two longtime political parties.
Groups of young people danced to music and songs while waving political and Pakistani flags. Khan helms the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which is the third-largest political bloc in Parliament.
At Qadri’s protest just meters away, the mood was more somber and organized, reflecting the cleric’s religious roots. Qadri draws his popularity from his network of mosques and religious schools across the nation. Last year, Qadri, a Canadian national, held a protest in the capital calling for vaguely worded election reforms ahead of the country’s May vote, grinding life in Islamabad to a halt.
Shortly after his speech, senior Cabinet minister Ahsan Iqbal urged the two opposition leaders to step back from their demands.
‘‘We do hope that Imran Khan and Tahir-ul-Qadri will show flexibility’’ to end the political instability, Iqbal said.
Ahead of the protests, security forces put shipping containers on streets as roadblocks and stationed riot police around the capital.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Saturday that more than 30,000 security personnel had been deployed around the two protests amid reports that suicide bombers had entered the twin cities’ area — referring to the capital and the neighboring city of Rawalpindi.
Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country of 180 million people, has largely been ruled by military dictators since it was carved out of India in 1947.
The army still wields great influence in Pakistan, which is battling several militant groups, but has not taken sides in the protests. There are fears, however, that if the political unrest were to continue indefinitely or spark widespread violence it could prompt the military to intervene.
Sharif was himself overthrown in the 1999 coup that brought former army chief Pervez Musharraf to power.
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"Pakistan politician calls for civil disobedience" Associated Press August 18, 2014
ISLAMABAD — Imran Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician, on Sunday called on thousands of antigovernment protesters to stop paying taxes and practice civil disobedience until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif steps down, raising fears of instability in the nuclear-armed US ally.
Khan, who heads Parliament’s third-largest bloc, made the announcement at a rally in the capital calling for Sharif to step down over alleged voting fraud in the May 2013 election, the first democratic transfer of power in a country with a long history of military dictatorships.
Khan also warned that his supporters would take over Parliament if Sharif does not resign within two days.
‘‘We decide today that we will not pay taxes to his illegitimate government, we will not pay electricity bills, gas bills,’’ Khan said to a charged crowd estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 people. ‘‘I urge all the traders to stop paying taxes.’’
Khan and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, a dual Canadian citizen with a wide following who spends most of his time abroad, have mounted twin protests that have brought thousands of people into the streets in Islamabad. They accuse Sharif of rigging the election that brought him to power.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar called Khan’s move unconstitutional, and Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid called the demand a ‘‘joke.’’ But both ministers told SAMAA TV that their government was ready to negotiate with Khan over his demands for electoral reforms within the constitutional framework.
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Also see: Pakistani protesters march toward Parliament; Seek resignation of embattled prime minister" by Salman Masood and Declan Walsh | New York Times
"Pakistan army chief wants negotiated end to rally
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's powerful army chief called Wednesday for the country's civilian government to negotiate with thousands of protesters surrounding parliament who demand the prime minister step down over alleged fraud in last year's election.
Gen. Rasheel Sharif made the request during a meeting with Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistani officials said. The premier earlier ended up sneaking into parliament through a back exit after the protesters torn down barricades late Tuesday and entered the so-called "Red Zone" housing key government buildings and diplomatic posts.
The two Pakistani security officials and a government official who confirmed the meeting took place spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.
The twin protests against Sharif's government by opposition politician Imran Khan and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri have virtually shut down Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, and raised fears of unrest in this nuclear-armed country with a history of military coups and dictatorships.
However, the protests remained peaceful Wednesday as lawmakers met inside a parliament guarded by soldiers for the first time under a civilian government in Pakistan's history. Men and women danced to drum beats and music as vendors sold carnival-style food. Other demonstrators slept outside at times and took showers at a public park.
Occupy Pakistan?
Authorities earlier warned the protesters wouldn't be allowed inside the "Red Zone," though police and soldiers stood back as protesters armed with wire cutters and massive construction cranes cleared away barbed wire and shipping containers set up as roadblocks around it.
Sharif's government has been at odds with country's military ever since he decided to put for army chief Pervez Musharraf, who ousted Sharif in a 1999 coup, on trial for treason. The premier's government also sided with a television station recently when it blamed an attempt to kill one of its popular anchors on the head of country's premier intelligence agency, further straining relations.
Then this could also be the military facilitating a coup like in past years as has been suggested in some quarters, with the U.S. not minding a bit.
Analysts suggest the army or the intelligence community may be backing the two rallies to pressure Sharif. The army hasn't commented on the protests, though some of Sharif's aides and ministers have hinted toward its involvement. Many of the celebrities and politicians involved in the protests previously supported the Pakistani army and its use of martial law in past.
That is confirmation.
Sharif, however, has refused to step down. Lawmakers from several parties condemned the protesters' attempt to besiege parliament.
"We will strive to safeguard democracy. We will strive for the supremacy of the constitution," said Shazia Marri, a lawmaker from the opposition Pakistan People's Party.
Outside of parliament, Qadri and Khan both addressed their rallies and showed signs that they were willing to open talks with the government. The government has appointed teams of politicians to start negotiations with the protest leaders....
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Made print but not the web?
"Pakistani opposition chief quits talks" by Munir Ahmed | Associated Press August 22, 2014
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan suspended talks with the government Thursday after it appointed a new police chief in the capital ahead of a possible crackdown on thousands of antigovernment protesters who have besieged Parliament.
Khan, a famed cricketer-turned-politician, and fiery cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri have led massive protests from the eastern city of Lahore to the gates of Parliament in Islamabad to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, accusing him of rigging the vote that brought him to power last year.
The protests have raised fears of unrest in the nuclear-armed US ally with a history of political turmoil, and after a request from the country’s powerful military, the government convened talks with Khan and Qadri’s representatives early Thursday.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a senior leader of Khan’s party, told reporters that the opposition presented six demands, including Sharif’s resignation.
The other demands include electoral reforms, setting up a caretaker government, removing top election officials, and accountability for anyone found to have rigged last year’s elections, which marked the first democratic transfer of power in Pakistan after a long history of coups and dictatorships.
It is unlikely Sharif would give ground on those demands, which the government considers illegal.
Later Thursday, Khan told supporters that the government had removed the Islamabad police chief for not using force against him, and warned that the new police chief, Khalid Khattak, would follow orders to disperse the protests, which have thus far been peaceful.
‘‘I have suspended the talks with the government,’’ Khan said. He warned that his supporters would storm the prime minister’s office if officials staged any crackdown. It was not immediately clear if Qadri was also pulling out of the talks.
The government denied it had any plans to confront the protesters.
‘‘We want to carry forward the talks to solve this issue,’’ Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said.
Another Cabinet minister, Ahsan Iqbal, said government negotiators held initial talks with Khan’s Tehrik-e-Insaf party — the legislature’s third largest — before dawn Thursday. ‘‘We again went to an agreed place today for more talks, but the team of Imran Khan did not turn up,’’ he said.
He added that the government wanted to find a ‘‘win-win solution.’’
Tensions spiked Wednesday when Qadri asked his supporters to block the main gates of the Parliament building and prevent lawmakers from going in or out.
He also asked supporters to prevent Sharif from walking from Parliament to his nearby office, but the prime minister later used a back exit.
On Thursday, Sharif was back in Parliament, where lawmakers adopted a resolution rejecting the opposition’s ‘‘unconstitutional demands’’ and vowing to ‘‘uphold the supremacy of the constitution’’ and the ‘‘sovereignty of the Parliament.’’
Sharif was forced from office after a previous stint as prime minister in 1999, when the then-army chief Pervez Musharraf seized power in a coup.
Sharif’s decision this week to give the military responsibility for handling the protests may be perceived as a sign of weakness, longtime US defense intelligence analyst John McCreary wrote in his NightWatch newsletter, published by KGS Government Solutions, Inc.
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"Pakistan opposition party quits Parliament" Associated Press August 23, 2014
ISLAMABAD — The party of Pakistan’s famed cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who has led a week of antigovernment protests in the capital, resigned from Parliament on Friday in its latest bid to drive Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from power over alleged election fraud.
The move came a day after Parliament presented a united front against Khan, with opposition parties backing a resolution rejecting his calls for Sharif’s resignation as unconstitutional despite the presence of thousands of protesters just outside.
Khan and popular cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri have led twin protests over the past week calling on Sharif to step down.
Thousands of their supporters have gathered in the so-called Red Zone that houses government buildings. They accuse Sharif of rigging the May 2013 election, which brought him to power in the first democratic transition in Pakistan’s history.
The election also saw Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party win 34 seats in the 342-member National Assembly, making it the third largest bloc in the lower house of Parliament.
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"Pakistan cleric at rally warns of 48-hour deadline" Associated Press August 26, 2014
ISLAMABAD — A Pakistani cleric leading a mass antigovernment rally in front of Parliament issued a 48-hour deadline Monday for the country’s prime minister to step down, saying he is prepared to die to see it happen.
Tahir-ul-Qadri showed protesters a white burial shroud in a speech issuing the deadline for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has refused to step down.
‘‘I am giving this deadline today as I am ready to be martyred and I have taken the last bath today,’’ Qadri said, making some supporters cry.
It’s not clear what Qadri plans to do after his deadline expires, though some have feared protesters may try to enter Parliament, which is protected by soldiers. That could set off a violent confrontation.
Qadri and opposition politician Imran Khan separately led tens of thousands of people from the eastern city of Lahore to Islamabad, protesting against alleged vote fraud in the 2013 elections, which brought Sharif to power.
Khan and Qadri, a dual Pakistani-Canadian citizen with a wide following, also demand reforms in Pakistan’s electoral system to prevent future vote fraud.
Backed by Parliament and many political parties, Sharif has said he won’t step down. Government negotiators are trying to persuade Qadri and Khan to end their protest and back off the demand for Sharif’s resignation.
Meanwhile, the country’s Supreme Court has ruled that the road in front of the Parliament, the Supreme Court, and other government buildings now hosting the protest should be cleared of demonstrators.
While the crowds have fallen well short of 1 million marchers that both leaders promised, their presence and heightened security measures have affected life and hampered business in the capital.
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Not affecting peace with India I hope:
"India calls off talks as Pakistan plans to meet separatists; In Islamabad, opposition leader vows huge protest" Associated Press August 19, 2014
NEW DELHI — In a blow to efforts to improve an often-hostile relationship, India on Monday called off talks with Pakistan over a meeting between its ambassador and Kashmiri separatists.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said Pakistani high commissioner Abdul Basit’s meeting with the separatists had undermined efforts to thaw relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
It's almost as if they were looking for a reason to call talks off.
India and Pakistan agreed to resume talks on improved relations in May, when Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attended the inauguration of India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi. The countries’ foreign secretaries were to meet next week in Islamabad to discuss the resumption of a formal dialogue.
Last week, Basit said he planned to meet with Kashmiri separatists in New Delhi, a move that angered India.
India’s foreign secretary, Sujata Singh, on Monday warned Basit against meeting with the separatists, saying he could either have a dialogue with India or talk with the separatists.
Akbaruddin said India told Islamabad ‘‘in clear and unambiguous terms that Pakistan’s continued efforts to interfere in India’s internal affairs were unacceptable.’’
How interesting is it that Ukraine and Kashmir don't get a vote on independence but Kosovo and Sudan do.
India said the high commissioner’s action ‘‘raises questions about Pakistan’s sincerity and undermines the constructive diplomatic efforts’’ initiated by India’s new prime minister.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said it was ‘‘unfortunate’’ that the India-Pakistan talks have fallen through. She said both sides should still continue to take steps to improve relations.
In a separate development Monday, a Pakistan opposition politician said he will lead thousands of protesters into the high-security ‘‘Red Zone’’ of the capital, Islamabad, this week as his 48-hour deadline for the government to step down ends.
The protest, which is to begin Tuesday, could heighten the danger of a violent confrontation.
Imran Khan, a former cricket legend who heads Parliament’s third-largest political bloc, made the announcement at a rally in Islamabad that called for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down over alleged voting fraud in 2013 elections. Khan’s protest is part of twin demonstrations drawing tens of thousands of people that are causing havoc in the capital of 1.7 million people.
Islamabad’s ‘‘Red Zone’’ houses diplomatic posts, Parliament, government offices, and the presidential and prime ministerial palaces.
Khan’s announcement also raises the fear of political instability in a country that saw its first democratic transfer of power after the May 2013 elections.
‘‘I will be in front and workers will remain in the back so that if any bullet is fired it will hit me, not my workers,’’ Khan said.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has repeatedly said no one would be allowed to enter the high security zone, which is protected by police and blocked off with shipping containers.
Imran Khan announced earlier Monday that his party lawmakers will resign from the Parliament and provincial assemblies except for the Khuber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly, where his party — Pakistan Tahrik-e-Insaf — is in charge. On Sunday, Khan also called on protesters to stop paying taxes and practice civil disobedience until Sharif steps down.
Khan and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, a dual Pakistani-Canadian citizen with a wide following, have mounted twin protests against Sharif, accusing him of rigging the election that brought him to power. Sharif has said he won’t step down.
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"4 die in skirmish with Pakistan
SRINAGAR — India and Pakistan traded gunfire in the disputed Kashmir region on Saturday, killing two villagers on each side and wounding several others. Officials with India’s paramilitary force said Indian forces retaliated after Pakistani troops fired guns and mortar rounds on more than a dozen Indian border posts and at least three villages in the Ranbir Singh Pura region (AP)."
NEXT DAY UPDATE (it's a photo in the printed Boston Globe):
"RECLAIMING A PLACE OF TERROR -- A rabbi carried a Torah after the reopening of Chabad Center in Mumbai on Tuesday. Rabbis from across Asia celebrated the reopening of the Jewish center, which was targeted by rampaging Pakistani gunmen who stormed through Mumbai on a 60-hour killing spree in 2008."
Just keeping the narrative alive at just the right time is the propaganda pre$$.
