Taliban, Pashtoons and Pakistan

The bombs are to blackmail the Americans with the idea that if Islamists seize them America would be threatened.All for money.

Re: # 87 Does Pakistan Exist ? It never did sir ! It was a British creation ! Do see my article " Does Pakistan Exist".

Re: # 87 Here is the difference.The Kashmiris are Punjabis basically or very close ethnically to Punjabis .With Pashtuns of tribal areas the Punjabi establishment has a biased view.They use them when they like and discard them when the USA gives them rishwat and also kicks them.

Re: # 21 Fuzair --- The Sikhs failed to control the tribal areas.Hari Singh Nalwa was shot dead at Jamrud.Even Mardan and Charsada were in nominal control and the sikhs did not use mosques in pashtun areas as stables like they did in Punjab.If they did please let me know with supporting references.

Curzon could not have extended towards Afghanistan because the Russians were already on the Oxus River.Further British policy to keep Afghanistan as a buffer was formulated in between 1842 and 1880 and had already proved a great success in 1857 and even WW One.

Pakistan should defends the FARTA "freedom-fighters" at all cost. They do the same for the Kashmiri "freedom-fighters". Don't they? Pakistani Army doesn't give in and attack them when challenged/asked by India. Pakistani Gov. and Army should do the same wrt the FARTA "freedom-fighters" as they battle the NATA and American troops.
Pakistan has enough "bombs" for each NATO member. If they cannot protect their sovereignty of what use are the "bombs"?

The tribals may have been mercenaries but they had a glorious record against the British.Actually Mahsud recruitment was banned or reduced after WW One and Afridis also regarded with great suspicion after the indomitable Mir Mast Afridi defected to German lines with 14 other Afridis.He was awarded Iron Cross by the German Kaiser and sent with a large cash reward in gold coins to Tirah to start a revolt.

The Brits cleverly awarded Mir Dast Afridi Mir Mast's cosuin in the same area, Ypres I think the VC.

Re: # 20 I was in Helmand in 2004 and three guys from Makhdum Rashid Multan " CHHEY KASSI" were martyred.The Talibs made it a point to transport their bodies till Nushki Balochistan.So Punjabis have contributed but the perception in tribal and pashtun areas is that this is a war between punjabi and non punjabi.May be this is not wholly correct but this is bad.I was a bit too warmed up so I did not read the article properly.

Now that I have read it , I would say Khalid Bhatti has his views.Comments follow in due course.

I dont know Jafar Khan directly but I think he did know my father.I saw him for a short time in 1985 when he was on his way out.I understand that Saroop Khan was the main reason for his demise.That off course is a compliment to Jafar Khan . A thorough gentleman although one of my close friends who was with Jafar Khan found him a man with many complexes.I guess this is not the right place to discuss Jafar Khan.I am just referring to Fuzair's post.

Re: # 21 My dear Fuzair I think I had too much Stolichnaya that night . Disregard all comments.

Khalid Bhatti has a viewpoint and we all have viewpoints , so we may not agree with him but he is there also.

Re: # 69 HP Sain , This refers to your post about FC.

The FC is an abbreviation of the British and means Frontier Corps created after English East India Company's occupation of Punjab ( NWFP then part of Punjab) which it captured from the Sikhs.

More familiarly its known as scouts.Many times its confused with Frontier Constabulary which is not the real FC.

Scouts was officered by British Army officers , raised mostly in 1880s , although Khyber Rifles first Commandant was Sardar Aslam Khan or Sardar Alam Khan ,a Saddozai from Afghan Royal family.FC is an all pashtun force officered by the army on deputation for an average 2 years term.Technically its under Ministry of Interior but de facto control is with the army.Since its an all Pashtun force its officers of captain major colonel brigadier and major general rank mostly punjabis have limited control over the troops who are organised in platoons based on caste/tribal basis.

capt clueless: if the paki army can't keep fata within pureland, it'll have lost it's raison d'etre...and the value of it's land holdings will sing significantly..

after all, you pakis were down with the army takeovers because the valiant army was going to fix the hindoo, take over kashmir and protect the momin...now if the army can't do anyone of the things, abdul paki might ask why his son is going to the madrassah to fight for allah's causes while the general's son goes to a school a with petting zoo..

#60 Posted by MantoLives on January 31, 2008 10:34:02 pm


The creation of the "jehadists" (now called the taliban) in Afghan refugee camps


what about the 10+ years in which the paki army, by itself, fed the jihadi snake for it's strategic depth dreams in afghanistan and kashmir banega pakiland wet dreams...

that never happened...pureland is blameless..

#70 Posted by MantoLives on January 31, 2008 11:03:51 pm


an Egyptian holding company took over three major companies in Pakistan recently... WOL, DOLS and Z-wll... all in the aftermath of Benazir's assassination. How is that possible.


yes..the world famous(in pakistan) companies WOL, DOLS and z-wll got taken over..I read about in the new york times above the fold(tata nano and tata taking over jaguar was on the back pages)

btw...which egyptian company? orascom? i thought that was a pakistani company..

and did you read about how the foreign investment numbers are now negative in the circle of self-delusion that is that paki stock market....

you're really clutching at straws...next you'll be asking us to wear t-shirts with paki flags...

Re: HP

You said, and I quote:

"One more thing, only the western educated people have the ability to run the modern states. When barely educated try to run the country, they end up giving their independence and their resources to others fairly quickly. The Taliban could not run Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban and the Madrassah educated maulvi and their fellow traveler Jihadi will not be able to run the Tribal areas too."

Agreed!

That is the argument; can Taliban govern Pakistan? The politics of FATA - tribal politics - is different from Pakistani politics and it is much more easy to conguer than govern. Governance means making compromises and accepting the interests of all the stakeholders and the Pakistani society is much more varied than the simplicity of the Afghan tribal bonds, which held and allowed the rule by Taliban, which was a cocktail of Islam, feudalism and tribal loyalities.

Pakistan is a feudal society and not a tribal society per se and it may be conservative, but it is not regressive as the tribal lands in their customs.

Would be interested in hearing more on this topic from you if you have the time and interest...

Ciao

manto, 77

that is really sad, even when I give some good policy options for pakistan, there is no one to listen.

Here is an inside story. Why Kiyani got promoted.

After mushy got the phone call from Collin Powel, " if you are not with us, you are against us", mushy ( it is in his auto biograhy) he asked the generals to do a war game scenario. All the generals said, there is no option, follow the yanks.

It was Kiyani who indicated the nuclear option. Mushy liked it and Kiyani was marked for promotion.

By the way, do you know why Kiyani never visits forward areas or where weapons are stored. He is a chain smoker. He smokes Benson and Hedges, 5Mg tar content

Don't worry. We will create our strategic depth by shoving those ghauri missiles up your rear orifice.

I am a well wisher of pakistan and that country needs some respect in the comity of nations. I want pakistan to have its much desired strategic depth to fight the indians so that teh surrender of 90,000 troops will never happen again.

A hell fire missile from a predator kills a dozen in pakistan. That was two days ago. Today pakitan fires a nuclear capable missile and declares that pakistan will not tolerate violation of its sovereignity.

The yanks do not listen. Yet another hell fire attack.

Pakistan nuclear missile targets bagram base where most nato troops are housed in afghanistan. In the resulting shock and awe, the pushtoon tribals, of kashmir 1947 fame maraud into afghanistan. The last US troop is plucked from the embassy roof top like the vietnam style.

Pakistan has defeated the biggest bully, afghanistan is annexed by pakistan and achieves strategic depth.

I am always ready to help pakistanis with viable ideas, that is all I can do, in between sipping toddy under the kerala sun.

Pakistan zindabad...ghouri missiles zindabad.