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At least 12 people have been killed and 20 others wounded in a bomb attack at a refugee camp in Pakistan’s northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

GMA/SS

(Image: Predator drone via Shutterstock)On April 16, the Constitution Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, is holding a hearing about US drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia: about their constitutionality, about their legality, about whether they are really in the interest of the United States, and about whether they are just and moral.

This is historic. There's never been such a Congressional hearing before.

Before this year - before President Obama nominated John Brennan to head the CIA - there was virtually no public Congressional discussion of the drone strike policy at all. Then a bipartisan group of 11 senators led by Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden wrote to the Obama administration, hinting that if the administration didn't hand over to the Senate Intelligence Committee the secret Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel memos that purport to legally justify the drone strike policy, there could be problems with the Brennan nomination. Wyden continued to insist that the memos had to be handed over prior to Brennan's confirmation, and finally, the administration complied, at least in part, turning over some drone strike memos to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

As of this writing, the administration has still not handed over any drone strike memos to the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), although, 1) the Judiciary Committee is supposed to oversee the Justice Department, which produced the memos; 2) Attorney General Eric Holder stated in Senate testimony that you need the memos to understand the leaked "white paper" on the drone strike policy; and 3) Senator Leahy has threatened to issue a subpoena for the memos.

It was the Senate Intelligence Committee, not Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), which first raised, in its pre-confirmation written questioning of Brennan, the question of whether the administration was claiming that it had the legal authority to conduct drone strikes in the United States. Brennan answered: "This administration has not carried out drone strikes inside the United States and has no intention of doing so." And that answer drove a lot of people wild - not just Senator Paul - because it was clearly a dodge of the question. The question was about what legal authority the administration was claiming, not about what it was planning to do. It was Senator Paul's unhappiness with Brennan's response to the Senate Intelligence Committee's question that led to Paul's historic talking filibuster (should there ever be any other kind?) of Brennan's nomination.

So now, as of this year, we can say that there's been "discussion of the policy in hearings," and a discussion of the policy on the Senate floor (the filibuster), but until now, there still hasn't been a prominent, media-covered Congressional hearing focused on the policy.

That's going to change on April 16.

That means that Durbin's hearing could be a historic opportunity for Americans to learn something about what is actually going on with the drone strike policy.

That could be a game-changer. The status quo is that many Americans - in particular, many Democrats and liberals - have no idea what is going on under the "secret" drone strike policy. And this is reflected in polls.

On March 14, the Huffington Post published a poll saying that the majority of Democrats thought that Senator Paul's filibuster was "an unnecessary political stunt."

To come to that conclusion, you had to be late to the movie. The movie didn't start with Paul's filibuster. Was it an unnecessary political stunt when Wyden's group of 11 wrote to the administration, threatening Brennan's nomination unless the administration handed over the drone strike memos? The letter got the attention of the administration, but it didn't get the attention of the public. The filibuster got the public's attention, because it turned the volume up to 11. It was one louder.

On February 8, the Huffington Post reported that the opinion on the drone strike program of the majority of Americans - including the majority of Democrats - depends on who is being killed. The majority support the use of drone strikes to target top terrorist leaders, not anyone suspected of being associated with a terrorist group. A plurality oppose drone strikes if there is a risk of killing innocent civilians.

Thus, the majority of the public supports the policy that the administration has announced. The majority of the public does not support the policy that the administration has actually been executing. More transparency could reveal the gap between the policy that the administration has announced and the policy that it has been executing; it could reveal to the public that it doesn't actually support the policy that has been taking place. Superficially, we have a paradox: the same people who are telling The Huffington Post that they would oppose administration policy if they knew what it was are also telling The Huffington Post that they are ambivalent about political tactics that might be necessary in order for them to find out.

To understand that there's a crucial difference between the policy that the administration has announced and the policy that it has actually been executing, you have to know something about what has actually happened in Pakistan with the drone strikes since 2004. That's what the majority of Democrats have no idea about. And that's what Durbin's hearing could change.

But in order for Durbin's hearing to change that, he has to invite witnesses who can speak to that. He has to invite witnesses who can speak with authority to what has actually been happening in Pakistan.

Now, of course, it is not true that there are only two people in the world who can do that. But it is true that there are two people who could definitely do that, who live in the United States, who are professors of law who went to Pakistan and interviewed survivors of US drone strikes and wrote a report about it. And although I haven't asked them, I feel confident that if Durbin invited them to his hearing, they would clear their calendars for April 16. Durbin should invite them, and he should say publicly that he supports issuing a subpoena for the drone strike memos if the administration won't hand them over

The US State Department has threatened Islamabad with sanctions if the country goes through with a joint multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline project with Iran.

Published time: March 12, 2013 10:11

The US has threatened Islamabad with sanctions over Pakistan’s partnership with Iran to construct a section of a gas pipeline. Washington said that the much-delayed $7.5-billion project violates sanctions on Iran, a claim denied by Pakistan.

Iran and Pakistan expect the completed pipeline will deliver 21.5 million cubic meters (760,000 million cubic feet) of gas per day to Pakistan from its giant offshore South Pars field in the Persian Gulf by December 2014.

Iranian contractors will construct the pipeline, which crosses Pakistani territory. Tehran has agreed to lend Islamabad $500 million, one-third of the estimated $1.5 billion cost of the 750-kilometer pipeline, according to Fars news agency.

After Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari launched the project on Monday on the Iran-Pakistan Border, the US threatened to respond with sanctions if the project “actually goes forward.”

“We have serious concerns if this project actually goes forward that the Iran Sanctions Act would be triggered,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said, commenting on the so-called ‘peace pipeline.’

Iran has completed 900 kilometers of the pipeline’s segment on its side of the border with Pakistan. Monday's ceremony marked the beginning of work on the Pakistani segment, which will start at the Iranian town of Chahbahar near the border.

“We've heard this pipeline announced about 10 or 15 times before in the past. So we have to see what actually happens,” Nuland said.

Conceived in 1990s, the project initially involved Iran, Pakistan and India. However, India pulled out of the project in 2009, citing cost and security issues. The United States has persistently opposed Pakistani and Indian involvement in the project, insisting it would violate sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear activity.

Nuland reiterated that the US is working to increase Pakistan’s energy supplies through other means: “This pipeline project, if it actually goes forward – we've seen that promise many times – would take Pakistan in the wrong direction right at a time that we're trying to work with Pakistan on better, more reliable ways to meet its energy needs.”

The US is "supporting large-scale energy projects in Pakistan that will add some 900 megawatts to the power grid by the end of 2013," she added.

Pakistan sees the pipeline as a way of easing severe energy shortages, which have sparked demonstrations and battered a weak government. At the same time, Islamabad needs the financial aid it receives from the US.  

In response to Washington’s threats of sanctions, President Ahmadinejad accused "foreign elements" of using Iran’s nuclear program as a pretext to thwart Iran-Pakistan relations, saying they have no grounds to oppose the pipeline project since it deals with natural gas.  

"With natural gas you cannot make atomic bombs. That's why they should have no excuse to oppose this pipeline," Reuters reported, quoting a translation of a televised statement by Ahmadinejad. "I want to tell those individuals that the gas pipeline has no connection whatsoever with the nuclear case."

The Iran-Pakistan pipeline could undermine US hegemony in the Middle East and South Asia, Eric Draitser, an independent geopolitical analyst and founder of StopImperialism.com wrote for RT: “The pipeline brings the two countries closer together and, in so doing, helps to solidify a relationship united by a common mistrust of the US.”

Anthony Skinner, director of British-based Maplecroft risks consultancy, echoed the idea that Pakistan wants to show its place on the international stage by daring to make decisions that “defy the US.”

"The Pakistani government wants to show it is willing to take foreign policy decisions that defy the US,” Skinner said, according to Reuters. "The pipeline not only caters to Pakistan's energy needs, but also lodges brownie points with the many critics of the US amongst the electorate."

Draitser also believes that the “peace pipeline” will be a success, especially if China decides to become involved: “In this very plausible scenario, China would finally get the ‘holy grail’ it has sought for years: land-based access to energy imports from the Middle East.  For China, an energy-starved economy that continues to grow, this would greatly enhance their regional position.”

“It would also transform the balance of power in Asia, as the era of US domination of energy resources in the Middle East would be over,” he added. “So, were the project to be extended to China, the pipeline would become the focus of a new power paradigm, making it one of the most important economic development projects in the world.”

Pakistan has once again rebuffed US pressures to drop its gas pipeline project with Iran, saying it will act independently over its energy needs.

“Pakistan has to do what it deems fit and what is in its national interest. Lack of economic growth has also seen peace stalled in the region,” Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said in an interview with The News daily.

“Pakistan continues to suffer from huge energy deficiency and this directly affects our industry and GDP growth. Gas is the cheapest commodity to generate electricity,” she added.

“The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline will meet only half the shortfall of energy needs of Pakistan and not our full demand,” Rabbani Khar stated.

Upon returning to Pakistan after a visit to Iran, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said on Saturday that Islamabad will not stop the multi-billion-dollar Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline despite US threats and pressure.

Zardari’s comments come a day after a Pakistani official confirmed that an Iranian-Pakistani consortium will start the construction of the IP gas pipeline as of March 11, 2013.

The pipeline will enable the export of 21.5 million cubic meters (mcm) of Iran’s natural gas to Pakistan on a daily basis. Iran has already built more than 900 kilometers of the pipeline on its soil.

Washington has repeatedly voiced its discontent with the joint project, but Pakistan has dismissed rumors that it might pull out of the project amid pressures by the United States.

US State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland warned Pakistan in February that, “We believe there are better, more secure and more efficient ways for Pakistan to get its power. We’ve made clear to countries around the world, including Pakistan, that we believe it’s in their interest to avoid activities that could be prohibited by UN sanctions or that could be ‘sanctionable’ under US law.”

MYA/HMV/MA

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the relations between Iran and Pakistan are “strong and stable.”

Ahmadinejad made the remarks in a meeting with Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik in Tehran on Monday.

“Iran and Pakistan have deep and brotherly ties, and this has developed a sense of close brotherhood between the two countries,” the Iranian president stated.

Ahmadinejad stressed the role of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan in tackling regional issues.

“The problems in the region, which are rooted in interference by foreigners, should necessarily be solved by regional countries, and through their close cooperation,” he said.

He also stated that the biggest problem in Pakistan is terrorism and the drone strikes carried out by the United States.

The slaughter of Pakistani civilians, including women and children, in US drone strikes has strained the relations between Islamabad and Washington, and Pakistani officials have complained to the US administration.

Over the past few months, many demonstrations have been staged across Pakistan to condemn the US for violating the country's sovereignty.

NT/HJL

Pakistani politician Imran Khan has strongly condemned the massacre of Shia Muslims in a recent bombing in the southwestern city of Quetta.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, Khan also denounced the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) - the terrorist group that claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in Quetta - and demanded that Pakistan’s government do more to protect Shia Muslims in the country.

Khan, who is the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice or PTI), asked the government to give compensation to the families of those who were killed in the blast.

The Pakistani cricket legend-turned-politician also said the members of his party will hold a nationwide demonstration to protest against the unabated killings of Shia Muslims in Pakistan and to express solidarity with the Hazara community.

Violence has escalated against Shia Muslims in different parts of Pakistan in recent months. Since the beginning of 2012, hundreds of Shias have been killed in the country. The attacks have targeted many doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians, but also ordinary citizens as well.

On January 10, nearly 130 people were killed and many others injured in a wave of deadly bomb attacks targeting both Pakistani security guards and civilians in Quetta.

The bombing triggered protests in condemnation of violence against Shias in Pakistan. The protesters said the Pakistani government had failed to take proper action to prevent terror attacks on the Shia Muslim community.

Shias make up about 20 percent of Pakistan’s population of over 180 million.

MN/HJL

Ukraine plans to deliver 110 battle tank engines and related parts to Pakistan for installation on the South Asian country’s domestically developed battle tank, the al-Khalid.

The parts will be manufactured at the Malyshev Factory, which is a state-owned manufacturer of heavy equipment located in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, under a four-year $50 million contract signed by the two countries, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on Monday.

The acting deputy general director of the state-owned Ukrainian arms company Ukrspetsexport, Vadim Kozhevnikov, said Kiev previously delivered more than 300 engines to Islamabad for installation on Pakistan’s al-Khalid tank.

The al-Khalid battle tank is operated by a crew of three and armed with a 125mm smooth-bore tank gun that is reloaded automatically.

The tank uses a modern fire-control system integrated with night-fighting equipment and is capable of firing many types of anti-tank rounds as well as guided anti-tank missiles.

Kozhevnikov added that Ukraine is in a good position to compete with the world’s leading tank engine manufacturers, particularly Germany.

“We are direct competitors of German engine manufacturers. Our models are every bit as good as theirs in terms of technical characteristics but are significantly cheaper,” he stated.

MP/HGL

© Copyright 2010 Press TV. All rights reserved.

Pakistanis have reportedly staged protest rallies in several cities across the country to condemn the recent bomb attack that targeted Shia Muslims in the southwestern city of Quetta.

According to local media reports, the demonstrations were held in the cities of Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Hyderabad, Multan, Muzaffarabad, and several other cities and towns in the Asian country.

The protesters called on the Pakistani government to provide security for the nation’s Shia Muslims.

The bomb, containing nearly a tone of explosives, was hidden in a water tank and towed into the market by a tractor, Quetta police chief Zubair Mahmood told reporters.

Reports say that some 84 people were killed in the attack and about 200 others were injured.

Meanwhile, many businesses in Quetta went on strike to condemn Saturday’s deadly bombing.

The governor of Balochistan also criticized Pakistani security officials for failing to protect Shias.

Violence has been on the rise against Shia Muslims in different parts of the country in recent months.

On January 10, nearly 130 people were killed and many others injured in a wave of deadly bomb attacks targeting both Pakistani security guards and civilians in Quetta.

The attack triggered protests in condemnation of violence against Shia Muslims in Pakistan. Protesters said the Pakistani government had failed to take proper action to prevent terror attacks on the Shia Muslim community.

Shias make up 20 percent of the country's 180-million-strong population.

Since the beginning of 2012, hundreds of Shias have been killed in Pakistan. The attacks have targeted many doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians.

MR/HN

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has expressed condolences over the deaths of scores of Pakistanis in a recent bomb attack carried out in southwestern Pakistan.

Salehi sent a message to his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar on Sunday, offering condolences over the attack, which left more than 80 people dead and injured many others.

The Iranian foreign minister called on the government, religious figures, and the Pakistani people to take measures necessary to stop bloodshed of Muslims in the country.

He also noted that such a massacre is part of the divisive policies of the enemies of Islam.

According to the latest reports, 84 people were killed in the attack and around 200 others were wounded.

On January 10, nearly 130 people were killed and many others injured in a wave of deadly bomb attacks targeting both Pakistani security guards and civilians in Quetta.

Following the incident, massive protests broke out across the country to denounce the violence against Shia Muslims, with protesters accusing the Pakistani government of failing to take enough action to prevent terror attacks on the Shia community.

Shias make up 20 percent of the country's 180-million-strong population.

Since the beginning of 2012, hundreds of Shias have been killed in Pakistan. The attacks have targeted many doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians.

NT/HN

More than nine in 10 Pakistanis disapprove of US leadership in 2012, according to a new Gallup poll, the highest disapproval rating ever registered.

The poll, presented on Thursday, was conduct by questioning 1,000 Pakistani adults in face-to-face interviews during September 30 to October 16, 2012.

The results showed that 92 percent of the 1,000 adults are against the US leadership, while 4 percent approve and the remaining four percent do not know.

According to Gallup, the approval ratings have always been quite low with a peak of 27 percent in May of 2011, however, after the killing of Osama bin Laden by US military, which Pakistanis’ view as a blatant disregard for its sovereignty, the ratings have decreased steadily.

At the same time, 55 percent of Pakistanis fell more threatened by interaction with the West now than three years ago when the rating registered at 39 percent, according to a May 12 to June 6, 2012 survey.

Those, who believed that the interaction is to “more of a benefit” were 32 percent and remaining 13 percent answered unsure.

Gallup stated that the reasons for the sharply increased disapproval ratings are the above-mentioned US killing of bin Laden and also the reported authorization of 350 US drone strikes in Pakistan.

CAH/JR

An Iranian lawmaker condemns the recent bomb attack targeting Shia Muslims in a market in southwestern Pakistan, blaming extremists for such acts of terror.

On Sunday, member of the Majlis Presiding Board Alireza Monadi Sefidaan expressed regret for the deadly attacks on Pakistan’s Shia communities, and said the promotion of Wahhabi-inspired anti-Shia ideology poses a serious challenge to both the Islamabad government and the Muslim world.

He added that the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has targeted Shia Muslims across Pakistan over the past few years, and is pursuing its long-term goal of exterminating Shias using religious excuses.

Monadi Sefidaan also criticized senior Pakistani officials for their failure to protect Shias from recurring sectarian attacks.

"The negligence of the Pakistani central government in providing security for the Shia in the country has caused these terrorist groups to kill Shias easily and without any concern [as part of efforts] to change the demographic population of Pakistan through the massacre of the Shias," he pointed out.

Dozens of people were killed in a bomb attack targeting Shia Muslims in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, located 700 kilometers (435 miles) southwest of the capital Islamabad, on Saturday.

According to the police, most of the victims were Hazara Shias. Burnt school bags and books of schoolchildren were scattered everywhere, witnesses said. Nearly 200 people were also wounded in the attack.

According to Human Rights Watch, the Pakistani government has failed to stop violence against Shias, who account for around 20 percent of the 167-million-strong population of the country.

The pro-Taliban militants have been involved in a violent campaign against Shia Muslims in Pakistan over the past years.

MP/HGH/SS

Pakistanis have called on the government to take swift action against those who killed more than 80 people in a bomb attack targeting Shia Muslims in the southwestern city of Quetta.

Many businesses in Quetta, Balochistan Province, have gone on strike to condemn Saturday’s deadly bombing. The protesters call for an end to violence against Shia Muslims.

The governor of Balochistan has also criticized Pakistani security officials for failing to protect Shias.

The bombing tore through a crowded vegetable market in the town of Hazara, on the outskirts of Quetta on Saturday. The area is mostly inhabited by Shia Muslims.

The bomb, containing nearly a tone of explosives, was hidden in a water tank and towed into the market by a tractor, Quetta police chief Zubair Mahmood told reporters.

On January 10, nearly 130 people were killed and many others injured in a wave of bombings targeting both Pakistani security guards and civilians, including Shia Muslims, in Quetta.

The attack triggered protests in condemnation of violence against Shia Muslims in Pakistan. Protesters said the Pakistani government had failed to take proper action to prevent terror attacks on the Shia Muslim community.

Violence has escalated against Shia Muslims in different parts of Pakistan in recent months. Since the beginning of 2012, hundreds of Shias have been killed in the country. The attacks have targeted many doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians.

MSH/HSN

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the killing of a Pakistani soldier by Indian forces near the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region.

The shooting which occurred in the Khoi Ratta sector on Thursday “goes against the understanding reached between Pakistan and India on speedy return of inadvertent line crossers,” the ministry said in a statement released on Friday evening.

The statement warned that the incident had “the potential to further vitiate the atmosphere.”

Earlier in the day, the Indian Army said that the soldier in question had been killed in a firefight in which one Indian soldier was also wounded.

“At that time we did not know he was a Pakistani soldier. We killed an infiltrator,” Indian Army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Rajesh Kalia, explained.

The Pakistani military, however, condemned the “inhuman and brutal act,” saying the soldier had become lost and crossed the line "inadvertently," and that civilians at the scene had seen him being questioned by the Indian side.

In January the Pakistani military accused Indian troops of crossing the border and killing one of its soldiers. The incident came after two Indian soldiers were killed by Pakistani forces.

Kashmir lies at the heart of more than 60 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. The nuclear armed neighbors have fought three wars, two of which over the disputed territory of Kashmir, since their independence from Britain in 1947.

MRS/JR/SS

Iran and Pakistan are set to sign an agreement on the construction of a multi-billion-dollar natural gas pipeline between the two Asian countries.

Pakistan’s public sector firm Interstate Gas Systems and Tehran-based Tadbir Energy Development Group will sign the contract in Islamabad on Friday, the English-language Pak Tribune reported.

Adviser to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources Asim Hussain said on Thursday that the Iranian company would complete the process of constructing the pipeline in 15 months.

Tadbir Energy Development Group will reportedly undertake all engineering procurement and construction work for the first segment of the project, which starts from the Iran-Pakistan border and costs around USD250 million.

The Iranian firm will also carry out the second segment of the project, and extend the financing later to USD500 million.

The remaining amount is expected to be generated through Pakistan’s Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC).

The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, projected to cost USD1.2-1.5 billion, would enable the export of 21.5 million cubic meters of Iranian natural gas to Pakistan on a daily basis.

Iran has already constructed more than 900 kilometers of the pipeline on its soil.

MP/HGH/SS

After the shooting death of Hadiya Pendleton, the 15-year-old honor student who had, just a week before her tragic death, performed along with her high school band in the president’s inauguration ceremonies, the Black Youth Project started a Change.org petition asking President Obama to come to Chicago and address the gun violence plaguing the city. Initially, Fifteen-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot in killed in a park in Chicago on Tuesday, Jan. 29. I read it skeptically. There’s a tendency to want the president to respond to every crisis everywhere, even when his intervention would do little to help. What real impact would a presidential speech or two have in reducing the violence? None that I can see. But that really isn’t the point.

The president should go to Chicago. Even if it’s not for Hadiya’s funeral, which the first lady will attend, he should go to his adopted hometown sometime in the near future, meet with local community leaders, his old chief of staff turned mayor, family and friends who have lost someone to guns, and children of all ages that currently live in fear of their own neighborhood. He should offer them, as he did the families in Newtown, reassurance that they are not alone. He should use the bully pulpit, as Cathy Cohen told The Washington Post, “to command the attention of the country, raising their consciousness about the life and death issues facing young people in Chicago.” He should listen intently to their concerns and engage them in dialogue about their ideas for solutions. He should get the country to focus on them, care about their future and stop writing them off. They should feel like someone cares.

Then he should explain to them when and why he thinks their government has right to kill them.

He should tell them about Anwar al-Awlaki and why, like Hadiya, he has become a teenage symbol of a culture of violence. He should explain who makes the decisions and what criteria they use to determine who poses a threat so imminent the United States ignores habeas corpus in favor of unmanned drone strikes. He should explain why, as David Cole writes in the Post, this policy remains “secret in most aspects, involves no judicial review, has resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians, has been employed far from any battlefield and has sparked deep anti-American resentment in countries where we can ill afford it.” They should understand what’s being done in their name. He should ask them if they’re OK with that.

When he leaves Chicago, the president should travel to Pakistan, and Yemen and Somalia, where he should deliver similar speeches to the families and friends of those who have lost someone to a drone. He should explain to them the endgame. He should tell them how long this is going to last. He should tell them how many Al Qaeda number-twos we have to kill before we feel safe enough to end the “war on terror.” The president should tell them he cares about their lives and futures just as much as he cares about the citizens in his own country. They should know how long their kids have to live in fear of the sky.

I don’t wish to conflate the issues and act is if they are precisely the same, but I also don’t wish to pretend the violence abroad isn’t reflected in the violence in our streets and vice versa. And I don’t expect that this would put an end to drone strikes, targeted killings, assassinations and the like, much the same way I don’t anticipate a speech or two about gun violence in Chicago would put an end to shooting deaths there. What I’m suggesting is the president, and the rest of us, recognize our contradictions and be more vigilant in addressing violent behavior no matter where it’s directed and by whom.

Obama should go to Chicago and ask the country to hold itself accountable for the violence we’ve allowed to terrorize a community. Then he should hold himself accountable, too.

© 2013 The Nation

Mychal Denzel Smith is a freelance writer and social commentator. His work on race, politics, social justice, pop culture, hip hop, mental health, feminism and black male identity has appeared in various publications, including The Guardian, Ebony, theGrio, the Root, Huffington Post and GOOD.

After the shooting death of Hadiya Pendleton, the 15-year-old honor student who had, just a week before her tragic death, performed along with her high school band in the president’s inauguration ceremonies, the Black Youth Project started a Change.org petition asking President Obama to come to Chicago and address the gun violence plaguing the city. Initially, Fifteen-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot in killed in a park in Chicago on Tuesday, Jan. 29. I read it skeptically. There’s a tendency to want the president to respond to every crisis everywhere, even when his intervention would do little to help. What real impact would a presidential speech or two have in reducing the violence? None that I can see. But that really isn’t the point.

The president should go to Chicago. Even if it’s not for Hadiya’s funeral, which the first lady will attend, he should go to his adopted hometown sometime in the near future, meet with local community leaders, his old chief of staff turned mayor, family and friends who have lost someone to guns, and children of all ages that currently live in fear of their own neighborhood. He should offer them, as he did the families in Newtown, reassurance that they are not alone. He should use the bully pulpit, as Cathy Cohen told The Washington Post, “to command the attention of the country, raising their consciousness about the life and death issues facing young people in Chicago.” He should listen intently to their concerns and engage them in dialogue about their ideas for solutions. He should get the country to focus on them, care about their future and stop writing them off. They should feel like someone cares.

Then he should explain to them when and why he thinks their government has right to kill them.

He should tell them about Anwar al-Awlaki and why, like Hadiya, he has become a teenage symbol of a culture of violence. He should explain who makes the decisions and what criteria they use to determine who poses a threat so imminent the United States ignores habeas corpus in favor of unmanned drone strikes. He should explain why, as David Cole writes in the Post, this policy remains “secret in most aspects, involves no judicial review, has resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians, has been employed far from any battlefield and has sparked deep anti-American resentment in countries where we can ill afford it.” They should understand what’s being done in their name. He should ask them if they’re OK with that.

When he leaves Chicago, the president should travel to Pakistan, and Yemen and Somalia, where he should deliver similar speeches to the families and friends of those who have lost someone to a drone. He should explain to them the endgame. He should tell them how long this is going to last. He should tell them how many Al Qaeda number-twos we have to kill before we feel safe enough to end the “war on terror.” The president should tell them he cares about their lives and futures just as much as he cares about the citizens in his own country. They should know how long their kids have to live in fear of the sky.

I don’t wish to conflate the issues and act is if they are precisely the same, but I also don’t wish to pretend the violence abroad isn’t reflected in the violence in our streets and vice versa. And I don’t expect that this would put an end to drone strikes, targeted killings, assassinations and the like, much the same way I don’t anticipate a speech or two about gun violence in Chicago would put an end to shooting deaths there. What I’m suggesting is the president, and the rest of us, recognize our contradictions and be more vigilant in addressing violent behavior no matter where it’s directed and by whom.

Obama should go to Chicago and ask the country to hold itself accountable for the violence we’ve allowed to terrorize a community. Then he should hold himself accountable, too.

© 2013 The Nation

Mychal Denzel Smith is a freelance writer and social commentator. His work on race, politics, social justice, pop culture, hip hop, mental health, feminism and black male identity has appeared in various publications, including The Guardian, Ebony, theGrio, the Root, Huffington Post and GOOD.

A general view shows Abbottabad, Pakistan (AFP Photo / Adnan Qureshi)

A wildlife zoo, an adventure club, paragliding, restaurants and waterfalls – it's all part of a $30 million project the Pakistani government is undertaking to improve the image of Abbottabad after Osama bin Laden was killed in the town in 2011.

­A brand-new amusement park in the small town will reportedly be finished in eight years. Once fully complete, the 50-acre riverside entertainment park will include restaurants, a heritage center, artificial waterfalls, a wildlife zoo and running tracks.

The Pakistani government has announced a public-private partnership project in a bid to revive tourism and sports activities in Abbottabad, which lies about 120 kilometers from the Islamabad airport.

Though not much evidence remains of the assassination raid, and bin Laden’s compound is a pile of rubble, the once-popular landmark still does not attract as many people as it did before the US operation.

Pakistani officials have denied the Osama bin Laden raid has anything to do with the project, which they claim is solely intended to improve the town’s image after the killing of the world’s most-wanted terrorist.

"We are working to promote tourism and amusement facilities in the whole province and this project is one of those facilities," Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports and Tourism Minister Syed Aqil Shah was quoted as saying by AFP.

On Sunday, the first phase of the five-stage project began on three major tourism projects in Hazara, including water sports in Khanpur-Haripur, eco-tourism in Naran-Kaghan, and the amusement park project at Harno in Abbottabad, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.

Twenty percent of the income earned through each project will be spent on the development of the respective area, and residents will be given priority for jobs, Dawn said.

It has been almost two years since Abbottabad, a quiet town of 500,000, awoke to the news that Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been killed by US Navy SEALS in his compound on May 2, 2011.

While instability has wracked most of Pakistan in recent decades, Abbottabad has remained free of violence and suicide bombings. A favored summer destination for rest and relaxation, wealthy Pakistanis often visited the area for weekend retreats.

The incident soured relations between the US and Pakistan, whose leaders said that America had left them in the dark about the raid.

This combination of two photographs show, at top, ongoing demolition works at the compound where Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was slain last year in the northwestern town of Abbottabad on February 26, 2012, and at bottom, the same compound with the main building no longer standing following the completion of demolition works on February 27, 2012 (AFP Photo / Aamir Qureshi)

Iran Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani will visit Pakistan later this month to attend a meeting of parliament speakers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), a senior advisor says.

Hossein Sheikholeslam, Larijani’s adviser on international affairs, said on Saturday that the meeting will explore ways of establishing an inter-parliamentary forum of ECO member states.

He added that Larijani's three-day official visit will begin on February 11 at the invitation of the Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly Fahmida Mirza.

He further noted that Iranian lawmaker Mehdi Sanaei has already attended preliminary meeting as the Islamic Republic’s representative.

ECO is an intergovernmental regional organization established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey for the purpose of promoting economic, technical and cultural cooperation among member states.

The organization was expanded in 1992 to include seven new members, namely Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

ECO provides its members with a platform to discuss ways of improving economic development, and promoting trade and investment opportunities.

AR/SS

Nineteen people have been killed and dozens wounded in a bomb attack carried out near a Shia mosque in northwestern Pakistan.

Pakistani officials said the bombing was carried out on Friday, when a motorcycle packed with explosives exploded near the mosque in the town of Hangu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

Police said the bomb detonated as worshipers were leaving the mosque after the Friday prayers.

Local police chief Mian Mohammad Saeed said the bomb was placed at one of the exits of the mosque that led to the Pat Bazaar.

Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001, when Pakistan entered an alliance with the United States in the so-called war on terror.

Thousands more have also been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy in the country.

On Thursday, two polio vaccination workers were killed in upper Kurram tribal region when an improvised explosive device planted along the roadside detonated.

Two people were also killed and six others wounded in two separate bomb attacks in Pakistan’s financial capital, Karachi, on January 30.

SAB/HSN

At least two polio vaccination workers have been killed in a roadside bombing in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region, officials say.

“The two-men team was visiting Mali Khel village in upper Kurram tribal region when an improvised explosive device planted along the roadside went off, killing them on the spot,” said Jawad Ali, who is in charge of the UN-sponsored vaccination program in the region near the Afghan border, on Thursday.

On Tuesday, gunmen shot dead a police officer protecting a group of polio workers in the village of Gullu Dheri in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On January 1, seven charity workers were killed in a drive-by shooting in the same region.

Nine polio vaccination workers were also killed in similar attacks across the country in December 2012.

Since late 2009, there has been a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan. Thousands have been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy sweeping the country.

MAM/MHB

Zero Dark Thirty (Image from kinopoisk.ru)

Movie distributors and TV stations in Pakistan won't be screening the Oscar-nominated US drama about the hunt for Osama bin Laden to avoid offending local sensibilities and provoke outrage in the conservative country.

­The unofficial censorship has also prompted by local cable distributors blocking the screening of the hit US dramas "Homeland" and "Last Resort", on the grounds they are against the national interest, AFP reported.

"We have not and neither has anyone else bought Zero Dark Thirty," a representative for film distribution company Cinepax, Mohsin Yaseen, was quoted as saying. "It has several scenes which could make us feel humiliated. It is against the interests of the Pakistani nation," he told AFP.

Last year, on 29 December, Pakistan lifted its YouTube ban to bring it back only three minutes later, after what was officially deemed as "blasphemous content" turned out to be still accessible. The ban was originally imposed in September, in response to YouTube's screening of The Innocence of Muslims anti-Islamic video.

Zero Dark Thirty (Image from kinopoisk.ru)

­The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has banned access to YouTube a number of times, as well as prohibiting access to Facebook and limiting access to Wikipedia.

While "Zero Dark Thirty" has scooped five Oscar nominations in America, in Pakistan the operation to kill bin Laden is perceived as one of the darkest pages in the country's history.

US Navy SEALS killed al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden at his compound in Pakistan on May 4, 2011. Pakistan considered that attack a “violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

Homeland (Image from kinopoisk.ru)

­The company which has the rights in Pakistan to cable channel Star World, Max Media, has also reportedly refused to transmit "Homeland" and the military drama "Last Resort".

"We strongly believe that programmes such as 'Homeland' and 'Last Resort' are against our national interest, cultural values and ideology," an official at Max Media who did not want to be named, told AFP, adding that "a vague reference about Islam can ignite violence in Pakistan".

With pirated DVDs in abundance in Pakistan, "Zero Dark Thirty", "Homeland" and "Last Resort" are said to be among the best-selling titles.

Pakistan military says Indian troops have crossed the boundary between the two sides' forces in Kashmir and killed a soldier.

The military's public relations office said in a statement that troops from neighboring India attacked a Pakistani border post in Kashmir on Sunday.

Another Pakistani soldier was critically wounded in the incident, the statement added.

According to the statement, the incident happened in the "line of control" that divides the Indian and Pakistani sides of Kashmir.

On January 15, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said there cannot be "business as usual” between India and Pakistan "after the barbaric" killing of two Indian soldiers, who were killed by Pakistani troops earlier in the month.

"What has happened is unacceptable. Those responsible for this crime will have to be brought to book," he added.

Kashmir lies at the heart of more than 60 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. Both countries claim the region in full but each only has control over a section of the territory.

Over the past two decades, the conflict in Kashmir has left over 47,000 people dead by the official count, although other sources say the death toll could be as high as 90,000.

PG/SS

At least four people, including three police officers, have been killed and nine others injured in a twin bombing in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi.

The incident took place at Karachi’s impoverished neighborhood of Sherpao Colony on Thursday.

“Four people have been killed in the twin blasts, three of them are policemen. There are nine others injured which include three policemen and six civilians,” said Doctor Seemi Jamali, the director of Jinnah Hospital.

“The remote control devices were planted on a garbage dump. The first explosion did not damage anything but when policemen and civilians reached the site, there was a second blast, which hurt them,” said Karachi Commissioner Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but officials put the blame on pro-Taliban militants who have carried out similar assaults in the past.

Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001 when Pakistan joined an alliance with the United States in the so-called war against terrorism.

Since late 2009, there has been a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan. Thousands have been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy sweeping the country.

MAM/MHB

At least five people have been killed and three others wounded in a bomb blast in the troubled northwestern Pakistan.

The explosion took place on Wednesday in Orakzai Agency which is a tribal region situated some 60 kilometers from northwestern city of Peshawar. Reports say that security forces cordoned off the site of the attack and launched an investigation into the incident.

This is just the latest in a series of violent attacks in Pakistan’s troubled northwestern tribal region, with another four bombings having taken place within the past weeks.

On December 17, 2012 at least 17 people were killed and 70 others wounded in a car bomb explosion in the Jamrud area in the Khyber tribal region.

Militants have carried out numerous attacks against security forces as well as civilians and managed to spread their influence in various regions of the country, despite frequent offensives by the Pakistani army.

Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001, when Pakistan entered an alliance with the United States in the so-called “war on terror.”

Thousands more have also been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy in the country.

MAM/JR

Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has expressed concern over the US assassination drone strikes in her country, describing them as “counter-productive.”

“We repeatedly have raised our concerns on the US drone strikes which are proving counterproductive ...,” Pakistani Foreign Minister said in a statement released on Tuesday.

Referring to thousands of Pakistani civilians who were killed by CIA-operated drones in recent years, she went on to say that “We will take up drone attacks issue with Washington and its ambassador to Pakistan.”

Despite Pakistan’s repeated calls on the US to end the drone attacks, the US government continues its deadly strikes on the country’s tribal belt.

The killing of Pakistani civilians, including women and children, has also strained relations between Islamabad and Washington.

In December, 2012 Pakistan’s Jama’at ud-Da’wah political group took legal action against the ongoing drone attacks. The group said despite a resolution passed by the Pakistani parliament in condemnation of the US attacks, the drone strikes continue to claim the lives of civilians.

Moreover, the Lahore High Court urged the Pakistani government on November 3, 2012 to immediately respond to the group’s petition.

Over the past few months, massive protests have also been staged across Pakistan to condemn the United States for violating the country’s sovereignty.

MAM/PKH

A new CIA manual that limits the agency’s ability to use drones and creates strict guidelines for targeted killings is being finalized. Pakistan was exempted from these restrictions in a compromise between the CIA, State Department and the Pentagon.

The Washington Post has revealed that John Brennan, the counter-terrorism adviser nominated by President Obama to be the next head of the CIA, has agreed to temporarily exempt the spy agency from the new manual's guidelines, which attempt to codify the use of drones to kill Al-Qaeda members, other terrorist organizations and even US citizens.

The manual sets out stricter standards and rigid rules for the use of US drones. Some of the guidelines include requirements for White House approval of drone strikes and the involvement of multiple agencies, such as the State Department, in adding new names to kill lists.

However, none of these stringent rules apply to US drone attacks in Pakistan, which started under President George W. Bush.

The CIA is currently required to give advance warning to the US ambassador to Pakistan on upcoming strikes, but that rule is rarely followed, the Washington Post reported; the agency effectively has total control over both the drone strikes and what names are added to assassination lists.

This exemption would allow the US to continue its most controversial drone strikes in Pakistan without oversight for over a year, or longer.

According to reports, the completed 'playbook,' work on which began last summer, will be submitted to Obama for final approval within weeks, and will guide Washington’s targeted killing program during Obama’s second term.

This would be the first document of its kind to legalize and institutionalize targeted killings. It includes a process for adding names to kill lists, sets out rules for when US citizens can be targeted overseas, and specifies procedures for when the CIA or US military can carry out drone strikes outside war zones.

The exemption for Pakistan was the result of a disagreement between the State Department, CIA and the Pentagon on the criteria for lethal strikes. The argument threatened to disrupt the competion of the drone playbook, according to the Washington Post. Eventually, the CIA was granted the temporary exemption for its operations in Pakistan as a compromise.

The director of the American Civil Liberty Union’s National Security Project told the Washington Post that the playbook is “a step in exactly the wrong direction, a further bureaucratization of the CIA’s paramilitary killing program.”

US intensifies its drone war in Pakistan

The US has stepped up the use of targeted killings in Pakistan in the past few years. Since 2004, an estimated 310 out of 362 drone strikes in the country were launched under Obama, according to the UK-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism. The strikes have killed up to 3,461 people, 891 of whom were identified as civilians.

The Pakistani government has criticized the Obama administration for the drone strikes, arguing the attacks are a violation of their sovereignty.

The CIA has escalated its use of drones in Pakistan in the first weeks of 2013, launching seven deadly strikes during the first 10 days of the new year, which killed at least 40 people, 11 of whom may have been civilians.

This has raised speculation that the Obama administration is accelerating attacks in the run-up to the planned 2014 withdrawal from Afghanistan, over fears of losing the capacity to carry them out.

These strikes “may be a signal to groups that include not just Al-Qaeda that the US will still present a threat” after most American forces have left, counterterrorism expert Seth Jones of Rand Corp. told the Washington Post. “With the drawdown in US forces, the drone may be, over time, the most important weapon against militant groups.”

With less than 6,000 troops planned to remain in Afghanistan after 2014, the CIA’s network of bases will be reduced from more than 15 to five, due in large part to a lack of security for its outposts.

The White House has defended the killing of civilians in its drone strikes overseas, even as the number of casualties continues to soar. The United Nations said in October 2012 that it would soon launch an investigation into the US drone program.

Ben Emmerson, the UN special rapporteur on counter-terror operations, told an audience at Harvard law school this week that a sub-section of the international organization will begin focusing next year on the Obama administration’s extrajudicial assassination of suspected insurgents, and the innocent civilians all too often killed in the process.

Pakistan is due to start a probe into the mysterious death of a case officer tasked with investigating the corruption allegations against the country’s Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.

The Interior Ministry appointed a judicial commission “headed by retired supreme court judge justice Javed Iqbal” to investigate the mysterious death of Kamran Faisal within two weeks.

The new commission is empowered to summon anybody from the police, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or other organizations, said Pakistani Interior Minister Rahman Malik.

Following the discovery, a NAB spokesman said that Faisal was “suspected to have committed suicide.” However, his family ruled out the possibility of suicide and raised suspicions about a possible murder by talking of ‘bruises’ on his body.

The Supreme Court has also ordered the arrest of 16 others, including three former ministers, in connection with the allegations against the Pakistani premier.

Yet, NAB chief Fasih Bokhari has defied the arrest order of the Supreme Court, saying there is not enough evidence against the premier. He described the investigation as “inaccurate” and “hurried,” saying that he needed more time to decide whether the prime minister should be arrested or not.

AO/SZH/HJL

Pakistani Minister of Oil and Natural Resources Asim Hussain says Islamabad wants to complete Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline as soon as possible to deflect the emerging power and gas crises.

“We are dependent on this project as there is no other substitute at present to meet the growing energy demand [in Pakistan],” Hussain said on January 19.

The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, projected to cost USD1.2-1.5 billion, is aimed to export a daily amount of 21.5 million cubic meters of Iranian natural gas to Pakistan.

Describing the project as beneficial for Iran and Pakistan, Hussain said Islamabad started work on the IP project in December 2012.

Hussain had said on September 4, 2012 that the gas pipeline project would become fully operational in 2014, adding that, “Surveys for the project are due to be completed before October 2012 and construction can start as early as December 2012.”

The Pakistani minister added that the implementation of the project showed that Islamabad had a flexible foreign policy.

According to reports, the US has been trying to lure Islamabad away from the gas pipeline project by offering cheaper gas to the country.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, however, reiterated on December 20, 2012, that Islamabad has a resolve to push ahead with the gas pipeline project.

The Pakistani foreign minister also underscored Pakistan’s daily-growing demand for Iran’s gas and said the project would continue “under any condition.”

MYA/SS

The government of Pakistan is so corrupt that it has no means to ensure democratic processes, cleric Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has told RT in an exclusive interview, urging reforms to "put the country on the right track."

­RT: Do you think the march will derail democracy in Pakistan, especially if the general election takes place within the next few months?

Cleric Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri: Democracy is not going to be derailed. It has already been derailed by corrupt political leaders. We want to put democracy on the right track. And we want to put democracy in place in its true letter and spirit. We don’t want any kind of delay in elections. The electorate reforms which I have suggested, they are already mentioned in the constitution of Pakistan. All the details which I am demanding are already there in the law, constitution and electoral laws.

And the whole thing, my electorate reforms agenda has been endorsed by the supreme court of Pakistan in its judgment which was issued on the 8 June 2012. This year we just have to enforce these articles of the constitution and sections of electoral law and the judgment of the Supreme Court. It will not take more than a month to implement and we still have three months of caretaker government. So there is no chance of derailing democracy. Elections can take place on time.

RT: You have accused the political leaders of Pakistan of corruption and other crimes. What do you expect to change?

MQ: First of all, let me substantiate what I had stated. The majority of these people are corrupt. There is a department of the government, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and its chairman retired Admiral Fasih Bokhari is appointed by the president of Pakistan, Mr. Zardari himself. He has stated in his press conference and he has said in his official NAB statement that five thousand million rupees per annum are going to corruption. So these are the affectionate figures given by the government department. And at the same time it is declared and it’s not denied that seventy percent of members of Parliament in Pakistan are tax evaders. They do not bother to file tax returns. They conceal their source of income. So the corruption, there is nobody that can deny this reality.

So our march and movement is anti-corruption to eradicate corruption from our society and indeed the whole Muslim world, the whole third world and developing Muslim countries. We have to get rid of corruption and corrupt leaders. We have to get rid of tax evaders and law breakers. This is why we have started this struggle as a Tahrir Square of Pakistan.

Supporters of Pakistani Muslim cleric Tahir-ul Qadri flash the V-sign as they celebrate the victory of a demand for electoral reform at a protest rally in Islamabad on January 17, 2013. (AFP Photo/Asif Hassan)

RT:You mentioned Egypt and some other countries, it’s a very famous saying “ the revolution is its own children” and what happened in Egypt, Libya and other countries, those who cause the revolutions, they are not the rulers now. Do you feel that the fruits of your efforts could go to somebody else?

MQ: I do not think that somebody else will gain, because somebody else has no intention to take over power. They have lost a lot of their reputation because of past experiences and they, in fact, are not specialists at controlling civil society. They have not been trained for it.

When I say a revolution, you should keep in your mind in Egypt, in Tunis, in Libya and all these countries, there was a military dictatorship for years and years, for a really long time and the people stood up against that. In Iran, it was the monarchical rule of the Shah, people stood up against that. Pakistan’s case is a little bit different, there is neither monarchical rule or a military dictatorship.

Here it’s electoral authoritarianism. A dictatorship-democracy as far as the term exists. There’re political parties and they manipulate the elections to come back into parliament every five years. But true democracy does not exist in this society, neither in the political field, neither in social field, nor economic field. No democracy. The people are not in fact participating in the real process of democracy. They are not getting a job, they are not getting the rule of law. They are not getting protection of their life. There is no protection for their wealth and business. There are targeted killings. People are being kidnapped.

You know in the last four days, 125 dead bodies have been sitting there without a burial. No state minister was there, no provincial government was there, no members of the assembly was there. Even the Prime Minister arrived there, four days later. So there is lawlessness, total chaos and anarchy in this country. Government is totally dysfunctional.

So, this is the single nation, single country in the whole Muslim world having nuclear capability and if the same situation continues, that would be a very big disaster if we collapse. So we have to put democracy on the right track. We have to stabilize society on true basis of constitution and law. This is what this movement is for.

RT: Don’t you feel that if force is used, a lot of innocent lives could be sacrificed?

MQ: We have to stand up. The people have to stand up for their rights. People want a peaceful society.

RT: But what if they used the force?

MQ: I don’t think they are going to be able to. I know thousands of commandos have arrived from the government of Pundjab. Shabazz Sharif sent thousands of commandos this night. They have already made an attempt to drive us out – the first night that we had arrived here, and they were defeated. Our security guards and ladies moved in front of them and they ran away. They ran away. I know, and I tell you, thousands of commandoes have been sent from the government of Pundjab. And they’ve arranged more from the capital too. They are thinking of a joint venture but hundreds of thousands of people are sitting here, although, they are unarmed and peaceful. They do not have any weapons. But still, hundreds of thousands of people, despite of being peaceful, they are enough to stop these kind of terrorist attacks by the government.

RT: There are a lot of question marks on how you fund your campaign and this march in particular. Do you receive any foreign aid or funds?

MQ: A simple answer. Who funded revolution of Ahwan and people in Egypt? Who funded them? Who funded the people in Libya? Who funded the people in Tunis? These are the people. Who funded the people in Iran, in the very old days, when the people got up for revolution? They give their lives as sacrifice. But to talk about the money, every single poor person is selling his …we sold…we gave…I gave myself, my wife, my children, my daughters, my daughter in law, all of them, my whole family gave jewellery. The ladies give their jewellery, the girls give their jewellery. People are selling their house, their motorbikes , their cars, whatever savings they have, they are spending on publicity. They are spending everything for this purpose.

Supporters of Pakistani Muslim cleric Tahir-ul Qadri celebrate the victory of a demand for electoral reform at a protest rally in Islamabad on January 17, 2013. (AFP Photo/Asif Hassan)

RT: It is an open secret that the Americans and some western powers, have a role in shaping the political events and scenarios in Pakistan. How do you see their role and what is your strategy towards these Americans and these Western powers?

MQ: This is because of this incompetent political leadership. If you have a competent leadership who fixes and prescribes and who knows that what are our supreme national interests and then it develops or formulates as foreign policy, exactly on the basis of our own national interest. Nobody in this world whether America or any other country is your permanent friend nor your permanent enemy. We don’t want to become the enemy of other countries and we don’t want other countries, including America to be our enemies. We want a fair, friendly relationship with them but at the same time, we want to safeguard our national interests. We want to become a peaceful country. We want to protect our neighbors and region and we want to participate in the development of peace for the whole world.

RT: Some accuse you of pursuing a foreign agenda that you’re trying to implement here in Pakistan. How do you respond to these accusations?

MQ: Can you tell me a single day when there is no crisis in Pakistan, when there is no targeted killing, where there is no bomb terrorist attack, when there is no kidnapping? Every single day is a day of crisis in the history of Pakistan because of the inability and incompetency of these rulers. My coming here, this is a farce accusation. I totally reject it. I totally rebut it, refute it. I do not come here with any agenda, my agenda is the nation of Pakistan.

Some critics can say anything to anybody. Hosni Mubarak would have said the same thing to the revolutionary people of Egypt. Colonel Gaddafi would have said the same thing. So whenever you get up for change, the people who want to maintain the status quo, they make these types of allegations and tell lies.

And this time, rising up and standing up for change and democratic revolution, it is the best time, because we do not want to disturb the political mandate of the current rulers. They got their five year term and we wanted them to complete their term. Now their term is up, almost complete. The elections are due in March, do you understand, their term is coming to an end. So without disturbing their term, we gave them time to deliver, if they could deliver anything, but they could not deliver to the people.

So this is the best time to bring in electoral reforms before we enter the process of elections. If the elections take place according to the same corrupt practices and the same corrupt traditions as has been taken place throughout the history, it means the same corrupt people, with fake degrees, the law breakers, corrupt people, tax evaders like the PM, who’s arrest has been ordered by the Supreme Court, these terrible people will once again be in parliament and they will ruin this country for the next five years. So I think this time, is the best time to bring electoral reforms and then elections should take place within the time given by the constitution without any delay. 

RT: Do you have any political ambitions?

MQ: I’m not here to empower myself, I’m here to empower the people of Pakistan. I’ve already declared that I’m not a candidate to become caretaker Prime Minister, absolutely not.

Supporters of Sufi cleric and leader of the Minhaj-ul-Quran religious organisation Muhammad Tahirul Qadri hold placards during a protest in Islamabad January 17, 2013. (Reuters/Akhtar Soomro)

A team of Pakistani ministers and political leaders have struck a deal with protesters, dubbed the “Islamabad Long March Declaration".The document provides for the dissolution of parliament and snap elections, RT’s correspondent in Islamabad reports.

RT's Tariq Muhiyuddin says that the parliament will be dissolved before March 16 and a snap election will be held in 90 days. 

The document is yet to be signed by the Prime Minister, however.

Muslim Cleric Muhammad Tahirul Qadri, who has been calling for the government to resign since Thursday, has said he has reached an agreement with the government and has called an end to street protests in Islamabad. Quadri told supporters that the two sides had finalized an agreement called the ‘Islamabad Long March Declaration’. 

DETAILS TO FOLLOW

Pakistan’s anti-corruption chief has defied an order by the Supreme Court to arrest the country's Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf over corruption charges.

Head of Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau Fasih Bokhari told the top court that there is not enough evidence to arrest the premier.

Bokhari, who was appointed to his post by President Asif Ali Zardari, said on Thursday that the investigating officers “were not able to bring incriminating evidence but relied on oral statements which are not warranted in the court of law.”

He described the investigation as “inaccurate” and “hurried,” saying that he needed more time to decide whether the prime minister should be arrested or not.

The Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Ashraf on Tuesday over the premier’s alleged involvement in a bribery case in 2010 when he was the minister for water and power.

Bokhari’s comments come following protests held by followers of the anti-government cleric Tahir-ul Qadri in the capital Islamabad to demand the resignation of the government and the dissolution of the parliament.

The officials accuse the cleric of trying to delay the elections, due by May, and sowing political chaos.

TE/HMV/SS

© Copyright 2010 Press TV. All rights reserved.

Pakistanis have held a demonstration for the third consecutive day in the capital, Islamabad, demanding the resignation of the government.

On Wednesday, tens of thousands of the followers of anti-government cleric Tahir Qadri gathered near the parliament building in the largest political protest in the country over the past years.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Tuesday over allegations of involvement in a bribery case in 2010, when he was the minister for water and power.

Ashraf is accused of taking bribes in a scam related to power projects during his tenure.

The court also ordered the arrest of 16 other officials, including three former ministers, in connection with the allegations. The Supreme Court also gave a one-day deadline to authorities to arrest the premier and other suspects.

Addressing thousands of his supporters in Islamabad on Tuesday, Qadri delivered a fiery speech and called on the demonstrators to remain on the streets until Wednesday.

“I want to ask you to stay until tomorrow (Wednesday). I’m going to stay,” he said.

The Pakistani cleric and his supporters say they want the immediate dissolution of the parliament and the establishment of a caretaker government in order to implement major reforms in the country ahead of the elections that are expected to be held by mid-May.

Qadri will address the demonstrators later on Wednesday.

MR/HSN/HJL

Thousands of people in the Indian-administered Kashmir have demonstrated to voice their anger over the killings of Shia Muslims in Pakistan, Press TV reports.

The demonstration was staged on Tuesday across the Muslim-majority region where the protesters carried banners declaring “We protest the killings of innocent Shia Muslims in Pakistan.” They also chanted slogans condemning the bomb attacks in Pakistan on January 10.

“We are asking how long these Shias of Pakistan have to suffer... We are here to express solidarity with the families (of the victims),” a protester told Press TV.

Reports say Shia Muslims in Kashmir have also shut down businesses to express solidarity with the victims and their families.

More than 110 of the victims lost their lives in twin bomb attacks that targeted Shias in a crowded place in Quetta. The outlawed terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Massive protests were also held across Pakistan to denounce the violence with protesters accusing the Pakistani government of failing to take proper action to prevent terror attacks on Shias, who make up 20 percent of the country’s 180-million-strong population.

Violence has escalated against Shia Muslims in different parts of Pakistan in recent months. Since the beginning of 2012, hundreds of Shias have been killed in the country. Doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians have been the main targets of the deadly attacks.

MAM/PKH

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says there cannot be "business as usual” between his country and neighboring Pakistan after “the barbaric” killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops in Kashmir.

“After the barbaric act there cannot be business as usual” with Pakistan, said Singh on Tuesday.

“What has happened is unacceptable. Those responsible for this crime will have to be brought to book,” he added.

On Monday, the Indian Army Chief General Bikram Singh also issued a statement saying that the recent attack was “a pre-planned activity” and Indian security forces will “retaliate aggressively.”

According to military sources, an Indian patrol was ambushed by Pakistani soldiers in southern Kashmir’s Mendhar sector, 173 kilometers (107 miles) west of Jammu.

Pakistan, however, denied India’s allegations, saying Indian troops had crossed the de facto border of LoC in Kashmir, called the Line of Control, storming a military checkpoint.

Kashmir lies at the heart of more than 60 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. Both countries claim Kashmir in full but each only has control over a section of the territory.

Despite a 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control, the area still witnesses violence by both sides.

MAM/PKH

Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri look on during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem)

Pakistani officers scuffled with followers of a cleric at a mass anti-government protest, firing shots in the air to disperse the demonstrators. Thousands gathered in Pakistan’s capital to call for revolution and the resignation of the government.

Followers of Canadian-Pakistani Sufi cleric Muhammad Tahirul Qadri marched through Islamabad as part of a two-day mass protest again government corruption. Qadri demanded that the Pakistani parliament dissolve itself by 11:00am local time (06:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

"Morally, your government and your assemblies have ended tonight," he said in a public address on Monday. "I will give [the government] a deadline until tomorrow to dissolve the federal parliament and provincial assemblies. After that, the people's assembly here will take their own decision."

The situation spiraled out of control when the deadline passed, as scuffles broke out between protesters and the police. Officers fired tear gas shells at the ground and shots into the air to disperse the crowd.

Muhammad Tahirul Qadri, leader of Minhaj-ul-Quran movement speaks before a protest march from Lahore to Islamabad January 13, 2013.(Reuters / Mohsin Raza)

Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri rest during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem)

Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri shout slogans during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem)

Qadri’s supports pelted police with stones and beat them with sticks. Six activists were allegedly injured in the altercation. In an email to AP, Qadri blamed the security forces for the violence, claiming that they attempted to arrest him.

Thousands continued to rally in central Islamabad in support of the cleric after the spate of violence. A city official told Reuters that there were around 30,000 people remaining the streets.

Barricades were set up around government buildings in the center of Islamabad, and additional security personnel have been deployed. Mobile phone networks have also been shut down in the area, as authorities fear cellphones could be used to detonate bombs.

Qadri has demanded that the Pakistani governmental elections scheduled for this spring should be delayed until corruption is stamped out in the current regime.

The Pakistani government warned that they will not concede the cleric’s demands following the outbreak of violence. "We will not accept Qadri's pressure because his demands are unconstitutional," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told local television channels

Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri hold placards during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem)

­

Military puppet?

Although Qadri enjoys significant support among Pakistan’s lower- and middle-class, some suspect that he is being backed by the Pakistani military.

The cleric has denied any involvement with the military, although he said that the army could form a transitional government while new rulers are elected, giving rise to speculation over his connections to the military.

"I have no link with military institutions," he told Reuters earlier. "I am one of the biggest staunch believers… of democracy in the whole world."

If the Pakistani elections proceed as planned this year, it will be the first time a civilian government has conducted democratic elections in the country’s history.

Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri chant slogans during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem)

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has called on the Pakistani government to make greater efforts in combating terrorism.

“Unfortunately, terrorist attacks in regional countries have endangered the lives of innocent people and we expect Pakistan’s government to expend more effort in fighting terrorism,” Mehmanparast said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

On January 10, nearly 130 people, including Shia Muslims, were killed and many others injured in a wave of deadly attacks targeting both Pakistani security guards and civilians in the country.

“All regional countries should cooperate to uproot this ominous phenomenon,” Mehmanparast added.

“Terrorism is the result of the interference of foreign countries in the region; they created this ominous phenomenon in order to achieve their political objectives,” Mehmanparast said, adding that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) can play a major role in mobilizing regional countries for the fight against acts of terror.

The crisis in Mali

Commenting on the crisis in Mali, the Iranian official said, “Our foreign policy is based on respecting the territorial integrity of countries,” adding that foreign countries must cease their support for armed groups that threaten the stability and security of countries.

Chaos broke out in the West African country after Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure was toppled in a military coup on March 22, 2012. The coup leaders said they had mounted the coup in response to the government's inability to contain the Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country, which had been going on for two months.

French President Francois Hollande announced on Friday that his country had launched a military intervention in its former colony to fight against the rebels.

Mehamnparast added, “We believe security and stability must be established, the territorial integrity of countries must be respected and any popular demand must be met through democratic procedures.”

Iran-P5+1 talks

Referring to the talks between Iran and the P5+1 (Britain, China, France, Russia, and the US plus Germany), Mehmanparast said both sides had reached an agreement on the date of the negotiations.

The Iranian official added that the agreement had been concluded during a phone conversation between EU's Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs Helga Schmid and Undersecretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Baqeri on Monday.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, however, did not mention the date of the next round of talks.

“The deputy of [EU foreign policy chief] Mrs. [Catherine] Ashton is expected to inform us of the P5+1 response about the venue of the talks so that we could resume the negotiations,” he added.

Iran and the P5+1 have held several rounds of multifaceted talks mainly over Iran's nuclear energy program.

The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran argues that as a committed signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

MYA/HMV/HJL

Afghans have taken to the streets in the capital, Kabul, to express anger over the killings of Shia Muslims in Pakistan, Press TV reports.

The demonstration, organized by the Hazara community, was staged on Monday. The protesters carried banners and chanted slogans condemning the bomb attacks in Pakistan on January 10.

Demonstrators said they would continue to hold protests until the violence against the Shia community in Pakistan stopped.

“We have gathered here to protest over the massacre of Hazara people in Pakistan. Unfortunately the international community and the Pakistani government have not paid any attention regarding this massacre. We urge the international community and Pakistan’s government to stop such genocide,” a protester told Press TV.

More than 110 of the victims lost their lives in twin bomb attacks that targeted Shias in a crowded place in Quetta. The outlawed terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Massive protests were also held across Pakistan to denounce the violence with protesters accusing the Pakistani government of failing to take proper action to prevent terror attacks on Shias, who make up 20 percent of the country’s 180-million-strong population.

Violence has escalated against Shia Muslims in different parts of Pakistan in recent months. Since the beginning of 2012, hundreds of Shias have been killed in the country. Doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians have been the main targets of the deadly attacks.

MAM/HSN/MA

Pakistan’s Shia Muslims have buried the victims of recent bombings in Balochistan Province, four days after the attacks in the city of Quetta.

On January 10, nearly 130 people were killed and many others injured in a wave of bombings targeting both Pakistani security guards and civilians, including Shia Muslims.

More than 90 of the victims lost their lives in twin bomb attacks that targeted Shias in a crowded place in Quetta. The outlawed terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attack.

The burial of the victims on Monday came after Shia Muslim protesters put an end to their nearly four-day protest demanding tighter security in the city.

Prior to the prime minister’s visit, the families of the victims in Quetta had refused to bury the bodies of the victims, calling on Islamabad to dispatch security forces to the province to implement law and order.

Meanwhile, Ashraf announced late Sunday that Governor Zulfiqar Ali Magsi would be the chief executive of the province. According to article 234 of the Pakistani constitution, the governor’s rule in Balochistan will be effective for two months from Monday.

Massive protests were held across the country to denounce the violence against Shias, with protesters accusing the Pakistani government of failing to take enough action to prevent terror attacks on Shias. Shias make up about 20 percent of Pakistan’s population of 180 million.

Violence has escalated against Shia Muslims in different parts of the country in recent months. Since the beginning of 2012, hundreds of Shias have been killed in Pakistan. The attacks have targeted many doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians.

MAM/HSN

Pakistan’s Shia Muslims have buried the victims of recent bombings in Balochistan Province, four days after the attacks in the city of Quetta.

MAM/HSN

The Shia genocide in Pakistan is the product of a twisted ill-defined mentality systematically promoted by the US and its puppet Arab regimes, an academic says.

“The root causes of religious extremism in Pakistan are traceable to the time when the US government sought to oust Soviet forces from Afghanistan. In those days, the ISI [Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence] was heavily mobilized by the US and funded by the Saudi Wahhabis to achieve this goal,” Ismail Salami wrote for Press TV on Sunday.

“No wonder, the only countries that recognized the Taliban with the green light of Washington were Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates,” he said.

Salami took to task the ISI and other “government-funded organizations” for the incessant violence against Shias in Pakistan.

“There is a purported claim that the ISI is not in the least affiliated to the government and that it operates out of its own volition in eliminating the Shia population which forms at least one-fourth of the population,” the academic added.

Thousands of people have gathered at the site of the multiple bombings, refusing to bury the bodies of 96 of the victims. The protesters say they will not stop unless the army takes over Quetta to protect Shia civilians. They also want the Balochistan provincial government to be dismissed.

The latest violence comes as part of escalating attacks against Shia Muslims in different parts of Pakistan in recent months. Since the beginning of 2012, hundreds of Shias have been killed in the country.

“No matter what labels we use to describe the tragedy, the fact is that what is happening in Pakistan to the Shia minority is an ugly truth, an indelible human stain and an act of genocidal ideology the bitter memory of which will rankle in the minds for many years to come,” Salami concluded.

KA/HGH/SS

Tens of thousands of Pakistani Shia Muslims have staged demonstrations across the country to condemn Thursday’s massacre in the southwestern city of Quetta.

More than 90 Pakistanis lost their lives in twin bomb attacks that targeted Shia Muslims in a crowded billiard hall in Quetta.

Two other bomb attacks were carried out in Pakistan on Thursday -- one in the Swat Valley and one more in Quetta - that left a total of 130 people dead and nearly 300 injured. The outlawed terrorist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the billiard hall attack.

On Saturday and Friday, demonstrations were held in the cities of Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Khairpur, Multan, Muzaffarabad, and many other cities and towns across the country.

The gatherings were organized by the Imamia Student Organization (ISO), the All Pakistan Shia Action Committee (APSAC), and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan (MWMP).

The demonstrators shouted slogans against the government and criticized Pakistan’s security forces for failing to provide security to the country’s Shia Muslims.

They also denounced the Saudi Arabian policy of funding extremist groups that commit acts of violence against Muslims in Pakistan.

In addition, the protesters called on the government to take immediate action against the forces involved in the sectarian killings and said more demonstrations would be staged if justice is not served.

A demonstration was also held outside the High Commission for Pakistan in London, where protesters chanted slogans condemning the Shia killings in the South Asian country.

In Quetta, Shia leaders and the relatives of the billiard hall attack victims demanded that the military take control of the city to protect them and said they would not allow the victims to be buried until their demands are met.

Human rights groups have vehemently criticized the Pakistani government for its failure to stem the rising tide of violence against the country’s Shia Muslims.

On Friday, the Pakistan director of Human Rights Watch also commented the issue.

“2012 was the bloodiest year for Pakistan’s Shia community in living memory and if this latest attack is any indication, 2013 has started on an even more dismal note,” Ali Dayan Hasan said.

“As Shia community members continue to be slaughtered in cold blood, the callousness and indifference of authorities offers a damning indictment of the state, its military, and security agencies,” Hasan said.

“Pakistan’s tolerance for religious extremists is not just destroying lives and alienating entire communities, it is destroying Pakistani society across the board,” he added.

GJH/HGL

by Abdullah Mansoor

Human rights watchdog, Amnesty International (AI), in its new report titled “The Hands of Cruelty – Abuses by Armed Forces and Taliban in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas” claimed that millions of people in Pakistan’s north-western tribal areas were locked in perpetual lawlessness where human rights were allegedly violated by Pakistan armed forces.

A diminutive portion of the report also blamed the Taliban and other armed militant groups for killing thousands of civilians in indiscriminate attacks. The report was based on more than 100 testimonies from victims of human rights violations in detention, witnesses, relatives, lawyers, representatives of Pakistani authorities and armed groups.

Pakistan military and foreign ministry spokespersons rejected the report as a biased document and termed it as a part of sinister propaganda campaign against Pakistan and its armed forces.

A first glance at the report gives an impression that both the Pakistan Army and the Taliban are violating human rights in the tribal areas. However, its critical analysis reveals that the report is a sequel of international hostile elements’ propaganda against Pakistan’s security institutions, which is launched with the sole aim to malign Pakistani security forces and discredit military operations in the tribal areas.

To serve this malicious purpose, exaggerated stories of individuals victimized by armed forces are blown out of proportion to validate the propaganda claim. A deep insight into the report also reflects that militants’ inhuman activities are inappropriately discussed, whereas criticism against them is deliberately incorporated in the report to increase its authenticity and project it as an unbiased investigation. The report overlooks accounts of various inhabitants of tribal areas, who opposed terrorists’ radical beliefs and consequently experienced their cruelty. Thus, the report can be termed as biased and one-sided.

Such a misinformation against Pakistan Army is not something new, as ever since the advent of war on terror in Afghan-Pak region, Pakistan is being fallaciously maligned for allegedly providing sanctuaries to terrorists, being involved in extra judicial killings in KPK and FATA or forced disappearances in Balochistan. But, in reality, Pakistan Army is fighting for the survival of Pakistan and protecting its people from hostile elements in tribal areas, while its personnel are sacrificing their lives for the global cause of eradicating terrorism and extremism from this region. Yet ironically, both sides of the picture are never shown by such so-called human rights organizations that are working in accordance with their nefarious objective of undermining Pakistan’s efforts in war on terror.

Amnesty International claims that it is an internationally recognized human rights organization and independent of any government, political ideology, economic interests or religion, has proved categorically false. A well-reputed geopolitical researcher, Tony Cartalucci writes in his article on infowars.com that “AI is in fact one of the greatest obstacles to real human rights advocacy on earth. Its funds are not only run by governments, but the organization is also entwined with political ideology and economic interests. UK Department for International Development continued to fund a four-year human rights education project of AI in Africa, while the European Commission also awarded it with a multi-year grant for education work in Europe.

Amnesty’s leadership also tells its true agenda; Suzanne Nossel, Executive Director of AI’s USA chapter, was drawn directly from the US State Department, which utterly contradicts Amnesty’s claims of being “independent” of governments’ interests. Nossel also promotes US foreign policy regarding Iran, Syria and Libya behind AI’s logo.

A glance at AmnestyUSA.org also reveals that at each and every front the US State Department is currently working on and has prioritized, is also coincidentally being prioritized by AI.”
Ordinary people are given the false impression that “someone is watching out” for human rights abuses, but in reality, AI is managing public perception of selective global human rights abuses, fabricating and/or manipulating many cases specifically to suit its agenda. For instance, Pakistan Army is in no comparison with the human rights violations by the US military in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghareb and Bagram Jails, yet their plight is seldom highlighted at the international level. The US, a major proponent of human rights in the world, carried out heinous crimes and massive human rights violations in Iraq and Afghanistan, where thousands of innocent civilians were killed in unprovoked air strikes.

Organizations like AI must raise voice for the detainees of Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan prisons, who have complained of enduring beatings, sleep deprivation, prolonged constraints in uncomfortable positions, prolonged hooding, and other physical and psychological mistreatment by the US forces. Moreover, it is imperative that all human rights organizations advocate transparency and project both sides of the picture without singling out a particular group, faction or country so that people may become able to distinguish between illusion and reality.

Taliban militants in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan have destroyed ten supply trucks bound for US-led troops in Afghanistan.

SAB/MA

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the recent bomb attacks in Pakistan in which more than 100 people, including many Shia Muslims, were killed.

“The secretary general is deeply concerned about ongoing terrorist violence in Pakistan,” the UN spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.

“He strongly condemns the multiple attacks in Quetta and the Swat Valley,” the statement added.

A total of 129 people were killed and more than 280 wounded in three bomb attacks across Pakistan on Thursday.

At least 92 Pakistanis lost their lives and more than 200 others were injured in twin bomb attacks that targeted Shia Muslims in a crowded billiards hall in Quetta. Earlier in the day, 12 security forces were also killed in a bomb explosion at a security checkpoint in the city.

In another incident, a bomb detonated inside a mosque in the Swat Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northwest of Islamabad, leaving 25 Sunni Muslims dead and 80 others wounded.

“He (the UN secretary general) reiterates the strong support of the UN for the efforts of the government of Pakistan to combat the scourge of terrorism and hopes that the perpetrators of these violent acts will be brought to justice,” the statement said.

Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001, when Pakistan entered an alliance with the US in the so-called war against terrorism.

Since late 2009, there has been a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan. Thousands have been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy sweeping the country.

Hundreds of Shia Muslims were killed across Pakistan last year. The attacks targeted many doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians.

GJH/MA

At least nine NATO fuel tankers have been struck by a rocket attack in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan, Press TV reports.

The rockets targeted a NATO supply terminal on Friday in the Hazar Ganji area in the provincial capital of Quetta.

Two people were killed in the attack and three others were wounded.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack on the oil tankers which were bound for the US-led foreign forces stationed in neighboring Afghanistan.

Pakistan has experienced unrelenting violence since the country joined an alliance with the United States in Washington’s so-called war on terror.

On Thursday alone, more than 120 people lost their lives in separate bombings in Quetta and northwestern Swat valley district, which marked one of the deadliest days in Pakistan over the past few years.

NK/MRS/HMV

The death toll from a wave of bomb attacks targeting both security guards and civilians, including Shia Muslims, in Pakistan has climbed to 125.

On Thursday, at least 92 people were killed and 121 others wounded in two separate bomb blasts in Quetta, the provincial capital of the southwestern Balochistan Province.

The first bomb struck inside a snooker club. Minutes later, a bomber blew himself up in a car, ripping through the site to which police officers, media workers and rescue teams had rushed, according to the police.

Officials said nine police officers, three local journalists, several rescue workers and a spokesman for the Frontier Corps paramilitary were among the dead.

Earlier on Thursday, 11 people were killed and dozens wounded in a bomb attack targeting a vehicle belonging to the security forces in a crowded part of Quetta.

Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks.

Meanwhile, a separate blast at a religious gathering in the northwestern Swat valley killed 22 people and wounded more than 80.

Since late 2009, there has been a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan. Thousands have been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy sweeping the country.

Shia Muslims in the country have also been targeted in violent campaigns over the past few years.

Hundreds of Shia Muslims were killed across Pakistan last year. The attacks targeted many doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians.

YH/MRS/HMV

Pakistani security officials examine the site of a bomb attack in Quetta on January 10, 2013 (AFP Photo / Banaras Khan)

A string of bombings across Pakistan killed 115 on Thursday in one of the deadliest days in the country's recent history. A large portion of the victims were killed in twin attacks on a billiard hall in Quetta, in the country's southwest.

­The Quetta billiard hall was hit by two blasts in five-minute succession Thursday night, killing 81 people and injuring another 120, police said.

Quetta is located in the restive Baluchistan province, home to a nationalist uprising that rejects the Pakistani government's authority in the region.

The blasts killed and injured rescue workers, police and journalists as well as residents socializing at the pool hall.

Destroyed vehicles remain at the site of a bomb attack in Quetta on January 10, 2013 (AFP Photo / Banaras Khan)

­The double attack occurred in a majority Shiite Muslim area. Most of those killed or injured as the first bomb exploded were Shiite, according to police officer Mohammed Murtaza. The second was detonated as people swarmed the scene to help the victims, Murtaza said, and caused the building's roof to collapse.

Pakistan is a majority Sunni country, and its Shiite minority often falls victim to such attacks. 

Militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which is known for its terrorist acts targeting Shiites, claimed responsibility for the blasts. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi spokesman Bakar Saddiq told journalists that a suicide bomber had conducted the first blast, while the second was the result of a bomb placed in a car and detonated by remote control.

Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were also targeted Thursday as a bomb hit a commercial area in Quetta. The blast killed twelve people and wounded 40 more, police said.

Pakistani volunteers and local residents remove dead bodies from the site of a bomb attack in Quetta on January 10, 2013 (AFP Photo / Banaras Khan)

­Insurgent separatist group United Baluch Army told local journalists that they were behind the attack.

In the city of Mingora, in the city's north, a crowded Sunni mosque was hit by a bomb that killed 22 people and injured more than 70; no group has so far claimed responsibility.

Pakistani paramedics treat an injured blast victim at a hospital following a bomb attack in Quetta on January 10, 2013 (AFP Photo / Banaras Khan)

Over 100 people have been killed and many others injured in a wave of deadly attacks targeting both security guards and civilians, including Shia Muslims, in Pakistan.

On Thursday, at least 90 people were killed in three separate bomb blasts in Quetta, the capital city of southwestern Balochistan province.

The first explosion took place near a paramilitary checkpoint in a busy commercial area.

“According to our information, 11 people were killed and 27 injured in the blast,” said Quetta police chief, Mir Zubair Mehmood. “We will be able to tell you after some time what kind of device it was, but it was a crowded place.”

Hours later, over 80 lost their lives and at least 121 others were wounded in twin blasts outside a snooker club.

According to senior police officer, Hamid Shakil, the twin blasts occurred about 10 minutes apart from each other in the city in late evening.

Police officer Mohammed Murtaza said the second explosion caused the building to collapse, adding that many of the dead and wounded were Shia Muslims.

A separate blast in Mingora in the northwestern province of Swat also claimed the lives of 21 people and left over 60 others wounded. The attack took place during a religious gathering. Officials say the toll of Mingora blast could rise.

Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other attacks since 2001, when Pakistan joined an alliance with the United States in Washington’s so-called war on terror.

Since late 2009, there has been a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan. Thousands have been displaced by the wave of violence and militancy sweeping the country.

Anti-Shias militant groups have been engaged in a violent campaign against Shias over the past few years.

Hundreds of Shia Muslims were killed across Pakistan last year. The attacks targeted many doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians.

MAM/HN

At least 56 people have been killed after two bombs exploded at a snooker hall in southwest Pakistan, police say.

Police officer Mohammed Murtaza said the attack in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, also wounded more than 100 people.

The first suicide bomber detonated his device inside the club, then about 10 minutes later another attacker in a car outside the building blew himself up late in the evening, officer Mir Zubair Mehmood said.

Many people who rushed to the scene of the first blast were hit by the second bomb, which caused the roof of the building to collapse, Mr Murtaza said.

He added that most of the casualties were Shia Muslims and policemen, journalists and rescue workers were among the dead.

Police said the bombings disrupted power supplies and plunged the area into darkness.

The sectarian militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the attack to local journalists.

It came hours after a separate explosion targeting paramilitary soldiers in a crowded commercial area of the city left 11 dead.

The twin blasts are the worst attack in Quetta since a suicide bomber blew himself up at a 2010 Shiite rally, killing around 50 people.

Sunni Muslim extremists have stepped up attacks in Baluchistan against Shias, who they consider heretics.

Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan, one of the most deprived parts of Pakistan, which suffers from Islamist militancy, a separatist insurgency and sectarian violence.

Over 50 people have been killed in two successive bombings that ripped through a billiards hall in the capital of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province.

According to senior police officer Hamid Shakil, the twin blasts went off about 10 minutes apart in the city of Quetta late Thursday evening, killing 57 people and injuring more than 100.

Police officer Mohammed Murtaza said the second bomb caused the building to collapse, adding that many of the dead and wounded were Shia Muslims.

The incident comes hours after a separate bomb attack killed 11 people in a crowded commercial area of the city.

Hundreds of Shia Muslims were killed across Pakistan last year. The attacks targeted many doctors, engineers, high-ranking government officials, teachers, and politicians.

Human rights groups in Pakistan have vehemently criticized the government for its failure to stem the rising tide of violence against the country's Shia Muslims.

Shias make up almost 20 percent of the country's 176-million-strong population.

TE/HMV

Pakistan’s military says Indian troops have killed a Pakistani soldier in Kashmir as tensions between the two neighbors escalate over the disputed area.

A Pakistani Army spokesperson said the soldier had been killed by "unprovoked" Indian gunfire while manning a post in the Battal sector of Kashmir, which is split between the two sides by a heavily fortified border known as the Line of Control (LOC).

"Pakistan Army soldier, Havildar Mohyuddin, embraced shahadat (martyrdom) due to unprovoked firing by Indian troops at Hotspring sector in Battal at 2:40 pm (0940 GMT) today," the military said on Thursday.

Kashmir lies at the heart of more than 60 years of hostility between India and Pakistan with both countries claiming the region in full, but each only having control over a section of the territory.

Over the past week, two incidents have brought angry protesters from both sides into the streets.

Two Indian soldiers were killed when a battle broke out in Kashmir on Tuesday. According to military sources, an Indian patrol was ambushed by Pakistani soldiers in southern Kashmir’s Mendhar sector, 173 kilometers (107 miles) west of Jammu.

Indian authorities said the body of one of the soldiers had been "badly mutilated."

Tuesday border clashes came after Pakistan said one of its forces had been killed in the area.

Over the past two decades, the conflict in Kashmir has left over 47,000 people dead by the official count, although other sources say the death toll could be as high as 90,000.

TE/HMV/SS

Angry protesters have staged an anti-Pakistan rally in India amid escalating tensions between the two neighbors over cross-border clashes in the past few days.

The demonstration, which was held on Wednesday amid tightened security around the Pakistani Embassy in New Delhi, had been organized by India's main opposition party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Indian protesters burned the Pakistani flag and called for the suspension of New Delhi’s diplomatic ties with Islamabad.

“The Indian government is following a very wrong policy… they invite their prime minister and president for visits whereas the neighboring country has been violating ceasefire norms, treats our troops with brutality which is unheard of in any civil country,” Reuters quoted senior BJP leader, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, as saying.

Malhotra urged the suspension of “all talks with Pakistan” and called for retaliation should the Pakistani side continue to violate a 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides Kashmir between the two countries.

India accuses its western neighbor of sending troops across the disputed region of Kashmir, saying two Indian soldiers were killed in gunfire from Pakistani forces.

On Wednesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry dismissed India’s claim as a propaganda aimed at diverting attention from the attack by Indian troops, which killed one Pakistani soldier on Sunday.

"Pakistan is prepared to hold investigations through the United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan on the recent cease-fire violations on the Line of Control," the ministry stated.

Kashmir lies at the heart of more than 60 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. Both countries claim the region in full but each only has control over a section of the territory.

MRS/MHB

January 9, 2013  |  

In October 2011, 16-year-old Tariq Aziz attended a gathering in Islamabad where he was taught how to use a video camera so he could document the drones that were constantly circling over his Pakistani village, terrorizing and killing his family and neighbors. Two days later, when Aziz was driving with his 12-year-old cousin to a village near his home in Waziristan to pick up his aunt, his car was struck by a Hellfire missile. With the push of a button by a pilot at a US base thousands of miles away, both boys were instantly vaporized—only a few chunks of flesh remained.

Afterwards, the US government refused to acknowledge the boys’ deaths or explain why they were targeted. Why should they? This is a covert program where no one is held accountable for their actions.

The main architect of this drone policy that has killed hundreds, if not thousands, of innocents, including 176 children in Pakistan alone, is President Obama’s counterterrorism chief and his pick for the next director of the CIA: John Brennan.
On my recent trip to Pakistan, I met with people whose loved ones had been blown to bits by drone attacks, people who have been maimed for life, young victims with no hope for the future and aching for revenge. For all of them, there has been no apology, no compensation, not even an acknowledgement of their losses. Nothing.

That’s why when John Brennan spoke at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington DC last April and described our policies as ethical, wise and in compliance with international law,   I felt compelled to stand up and speak out on behalf of Tariq Aziz and so many others. As they dragged me out of the room, my parting words were: “I love the rule of law and I love my country. You are making us less safe by killing so many innocent people. Shame on you, John Brennan.”

Rather than expressing remorse for any civilian deaths, John Brennan made the extraordinary statement in 2011 that during the preceding year, there hadn’t been a single collateral death “because of the exceptional proficiency, precision of the capabilities we’ve been able to develop.” Brennan later adjusted his statement somewhat, saying, “Fortunately, for more than a year, due to our discretion and precision, the U.S. government has not found credible evidence of collateral deaths resulting from U.S. counterterrorism operations outside of Afghanistan or Iraq.” We later learned why Brennan’s count was so low: the administration had come up with a semantic solution of simply counting all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants.

The UK-based  Bureau of Investigative Journalism has documented over 350 drones strikes in Pakistan that have killed 2,600-3,400 people since 2004. Drone strikes in Yemen have been on the rise, with at least  42 strikes carried out in 2012, including one just hours after President Obama's reelection. The first strike in 2013 took place just four days into the new year.

A May 29, 2011 New York Times exposé showed John Brennan as President Obama’s top advisor in formulating a “kill list” for drone strikes. The people Brennan recommends for the hit list are given no chance to surrender, and certainly no chance to be tried in a court of law. The kind of intelligence Brennan uses to put people on drone hit lists is the same kind of intelligence that put people in Guantanamo. Remember how the American public was assured that the prisoners locked up in Guantanamo were the “worst of the worst,” only to find out that hundreds were innocent people who had been sold to the US military by bounty hunters?

In addition to kill lists, Brennan pushed for the CIA to have the authority to kill with even greater ease using "signature strikes," also known as "crowd killing," which are strikes based solely on suspicious behavior.

When President Obama announced his nomination of John Brennan, he talked about Brennan’s integrity and commitment to the values that define us as Americans.  He said Brennan has worked to “embed our efforts in a strong legal framework” and that he "understands we are a nation of laws."

A nation of laws? Really? Going around the world killing anyone we want, whenever we want, based on secret information? Just think of the precedent John Brennan is setting for a world of lawlessness and chaos, now that 76 countries have drones—mostly surveillance drones but many in the process of weaponizing them. Why shouldn’t China declare an ethnic Uighur activist living in New York City as an “enemy combatant” and send a missile into Manhattan, or Russia launch a drone attack against a Chechen living in London? Or why shouldn’t a relative of a drone victim retaliate against us here at home? It’s not so far-fetched. In 2011, 26-year-old Rezwan Ferdaus, a Massachusetts-based graduate with a degree in physics, was recently sentenced to 17 years in prison for plotting to attack the Pentagon and US Capitol with small drones filled with explosives.

In his search for a new CIA chief, Obama said he looked at who is going to do the best job in securing America. Yet the blowback from Brennan’s drone attacks is creating enemies far faster than we can kill them. Three out of four Pakistanis now see the US as their enemy—that’s about 133 million people, which certainly can’t be good for US security. When Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar was asked the source of US enmity, she had a one word answer: drones.

In Yemen, escalating U.S. drones strikes are radicalizing the local population and stirring increasing sympathy for al-Qaeda-linked militants. Since the January 4, 2013 attack in Yemen, militants in the tribal areas have gained more recruits and supporters in their war against the Yemeni government and its key backer, the United States.  According to Abduh Rahman Berman, executive director of a Yemeni National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms, the drone war is failing. “If the Americans kill 10, al-Qaeda will recruit 100,” he said.

Around the world, the drone program constructed by John Brennan has become a provocative symbol of American hubris, showing contempt for national sovereignty and innocent lives.

If Obama thinks John Brennan is a good choice to head the CIA and secure America, he should contemplate the tragic deaths of victims like 16-year-old Tariq Aziz, and think again.

Pakistan has once again denied India’s allegations with regards to the killing of two Indian soldiers during a recent border attack in Kashmir.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that India’s claim is propaganda to divert attention from the attack by Indian troops, which killed one Pakistani soldier on Sunday.

"Pakistan is prepared to hold investigations through the United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan on the recent cease-fire violations on the Line of Control," the Pakistani Foreign Ministry added.

Despite a 2003 cease-fire along the Line of Control, the area still witnesses violence by both sides.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar also said Wednesday that Islamabad is appalled at the statements made by India, noting that they could ask the United Nations observers to do investigation on the matter.

The comments come as India has summoned Pakistan's envoy to New Delhi to protest to the killing of two Indian soldiers.

Two Indian soldiers were killed when a battle broke out in Kashmir on Tuesday. According to military sources, an Indian patrol was ambushed by Pakistani soldiers in southern Kashmir’s Mendhar sector, 173 kilometers (107 miles) west of Jammu.

Indian authorities say the body of one of the soldiers was "badly mutilated."

The Tuesday border clashes came after Pakistan said one of its forces had been killed in the area.

On January 6, Islamabad said Indian troops had crossed the de facto border in Kashmir called the Line of Control, storming a military checkpoint. Pakistani officials added that one soldier had been killed and another injured.

TNP/SZH/SS

India’s Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid says New Delhi will give a “proportionate” response to Pakistan’s recent deadly attack in Kashmir, which claimed the lives of two Indian soldiers.

"We need to do something about this and we will, but it has to be done after careful consideration of all the details in consultation with the Defense Ministry," Khurshid said on Tuesday.

"It is absolutely unacceptable, ghastly, and really, really terrible and extremely short-sighted by their part," the Indian foreign minister added.

Officials added that one of the bodies was badly mutilated.

The Indian Defense Ministry also condemned the killings as "a provocative action" by Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Islamabad has denied New Delhi’s claims.

The incident comes after Pakistan said one of its forces had been killed in the area on Sunday.

Kashmir lies at the heart of more than 60 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. Both countries claim the region in full but each only has control over a section of the territory.

SZH/PKH/SS

Pakistanis have taken to the streets to protest at US-led assassination drone attacks in their country, Press TV reports.

The protesters in the central city of Multan condemned Washington’s unsanctioned drone strikes that claim the lives of hundreds of Pakistanis every year.

The protest on Tuesday follows US drone attacks in North Waziristan's tribal areas which left eight people dead and four injured.

Washington claims that its airstrikes target militants crossing the border with Afghanistan, but local sources say civilians have been the main victims of the attacks.

The killing of Pakistani civilians, including women and children, has strained relations between Islamabad and Washington.

Last month, Pakistan’s Jama’at ud-Da’wah political group took legal action against the ongoing drone attacks. The group said despite a resolution passed by the Pakistani parliament in condemnation of the US attacks, the drone strikes continue to claim the lives of civilians.

Over the past months, massive demonstrations have been held across Pakistan to condemn the United States for violating Pakistan’s sovereignty.

SZH/PKH/SS