• India’s propaganda campaign has aggressive design: Nawae Waqt
• Terror Upsurge: Think beyond Taliban and Al Qaeda: Jang
• Peshawar blast, provincial government should fulfill its responsibilities: Khabrein

Nawe Waqt, Editorial, October 26, 2009

India’s propaganda campaign has aggressive design: Nawae Waqt

In a scathing attack following Indian Foreign Secretary’s remarks that Pakistan should secure its nuclear weapons, the Nawae Waqt Urdu daily editorialised that “India’s aggressive propaganda is aimed at declaring Pakistan an irresponsible state and its nuclear programme a security threat for the region.” The paper said that “this allegation may be a beginning of a new campaign by India in line with 1971, when it had launched a similar campaign on international forum and after maligning Pakistan; its military attacked the country.” Drawing a parallel to the 1971 situation, the daily wrote that “because of slump in Pakistan’s economy, lawlessness, terrorism, chill in relations with the neighbours and military operation in Waziristan, it is believed that Pakistan has entered into a quagmire it can never come out of, and this is the best time to launch similar campaign against it.” The paper urged Pakistan’s “military and civilian leadership” to understand India’s campaign and take steps “to counter this aggressive design.”
(http://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-urdu-online/Opinions/Editorials/26-Oct-2009/5499#)

Jang, Editorial, October 30, 2009

Terror Upsurge: Think beyond Taliban and Al Qaeda: Jang

It will be a moment of joy for Pakistani people if US Secretary of State’s visit to the region brings some changes to America’s strategy towards Pakistan, Jang Urdu daily wrote in an editorial. The editorial criticized the Pakistani bureaucracy and the government which in the past never tried to present the peoples’ view to the White House and accepted America’s policies as were presented to them. “At this moment when the Taliban and Al-Qaeda have expressed their non-involvement in Peshawar’s blood bath and armed members of Black Water, a US private Security agency, are seen on the streets of Quetta and Peshawar, our government should make Washington aware of its suspicion and doubts,” opined the daily. The editorial also suggested that keeping the past acts of Pakistan’s neigbours in view, Islamabad should think beyond Al-Qaeda and Taliban.

The newspaper advised the Pakistan government to “prepare a dossier to highlight activities of Indian consulates in Afghanistan, their involvement in Balochistan mentioning the fact that some of the terrorists killed there were non-Muslims including RAW’s anti-Pakistan activities.” The government should hand over this dossier to the international community including the US. Pakistan should also highlight the fact that after 9/11 Islamabad was urged to join the war against terrorism with an assurance to resolve Kashmir issue and for that world powers have to play their due role.
(http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/oct2009-daily/30-10-2009/idaria.htm)

Khabrein, Editorial, October 30, 2009

Peshawar blast, provincial government should fulfill its responsibilities: Khabrein

Commenting upon the Peshawar blast in which 105 people were killed and around 200 others were injured, the Khabrein Urdu daily in its editorial argued that the government should look beyond Al Qaeda and Taliban since they have denied their involvement in the blast. The newspaper said that “the Taliban in a statement in newspapers have said that they never target markets and mosques and do not kill innocent people so the government instead of focusing on Taliban should look at ‘other elements’.” Without identifying these “other elements,” the Editorial opined that in the garb of Al Qaeda and Taliban it may be possible that other elements active in the country may have executed this attack. Different incidents have proved that other elements have been active in destructive activities in the country. It may be their handiwork as well.

At the same time, the paper criticized the provincial government for its ineptness in preventing this kind of an attack. It said that “if the provincial government fails to stop the attacks, it would be the last term of the Awami Nationalist Party in power. Peshawar is closer to the tribal areas and keeping this fact in mind the provincial government should have taken security measures.”
(http://www.khabrain.com/idaria_detail.aspx?id=1)