My Dear President Musharraf Kamnath,and BJ2( not forgetting HP),
I agree. We as Pakistanis are always looking for the Savior. This has been at the cost of institutionalism, pluralism and intruementalism.

The drama has just begun and the euporia of distributing sweets on the streets is over in 24 hours. As Zardari and NS lock horns over the judicial crises, a lot will happen and within three months people would be recalling Musharraf in good words.

Thats why Musharraf said, 'Pakistan ka Khuda Hafiz'. Politicians such as Zardari will never have the wherewithal to offset the competing centres of power.

In my reckoning, its the same relay race and Musharraf has handed the baton to Zardari. Meanwhile, the match fixers and referees sit outside. Lets see for how long NS can challenge this status qou.

On HPs linear equation, we are down from 60% to 45%.

17 August 1988 Sanatani,
I do not agree. I attended a military seminar in Singapore in 1999. It was called Pacific Armies Military Seminar in which the entire NATO countries and 36 besides them took part. Two officers a brigadier and colonel represented Pakistan. They were apparently the most creative and articulate. The standard of young officers still remains very high in the army. Their casualty ratio in Kargil and FATA compared to oveall casualties is very high.
The problem arises with the courses related to vertical mobilisation. That is where stereotypes begin to form and brilliants like Agha Amin get weeded out for being non conformists. All officers attending foreign courses do extremely well.

I have had chance to read books written for Military Stategy of many countries. Both India and Pakistan have nearly the same scripts and stereotypes. I could best describe them as funnel visioned.

17 August 1988 Given that she was about 14 in 1988, perhaps born in mid seventies, that right after Jordan.

17 August 1988 Musharraf was a FC College Bully and gangster. His stint in commados emboldened the bully in him. He loved to have a group of youngsters around him seeking adventure and flirting with danger.

He was also a very good solcialite and could leave an imprint on civilian minds. At Okara, he was very friendly with Rao Sikandar who later became his Defence Minister.In 1996, I interviewed him in connection with a research paper on Kashmir. He was then a Corps Commander and had served as Director General Military Operations. His views on Kashmir were a surprise to my expectations. However, as COAS, he did exactly the opposite of what he had told me in an interview at Kargil.This means that he was inconsistent in thought, had inate contradictions and maleable to suggestions of his inner circle; a trait he displayed repeatedly as a dictator.He was never a man of detail. A broad brush, he owned many mistakes of his team, about which he had the least idea.

17 August 1988 As I remember, Brigadier Zia was sent to Jordan to command a brigade for internal security of Jordan which was under threat by PLO. Zia carried out a ruthless massacre that resulted in extradition of Palestenians from Jordon to Lebonon. King Hussaian always admired him for that. A mediocre officer who was cited by the Pentagon as early as that. Having done that gory act, it was time for atonement.

Atonement came in the way of overt display of religious symbolism. A boozer and smoker that he was, as a GOC, he began display of Nimaz specially during office timings. I know one of his staff officer, who suddenly discovered religion, but only to impress his GOC. The transformation continued even when he was a corps commander. He was then elevated as COAS by Bhutto who thought of him as a pliable obedient person. Religion became the caption in every military unit of Pakistan and he began talking of UMMAH with a connect to Bhutto's Islamic Summit.Bhutto felt happy.

I am now sure that at some point, he was considered fit to preside over the judicial murder of his mentor. 1979 came as a blessing. This is when politics of manipulating religion for personal gains became the order of the day. Rest is history whose consequences we bear even today.

17 August 1988 I would only disagree on one point. He was terminated not by divine design, but because he had out lived his utility.
His policies have haunted Pakistan for 35 years and would continue to rip into the national fabric for times to come.

It\'s Politics Uber Alles In Kashmir ..... And India DM,
I gave you the reference before too. Its on my other computer and shall post it. The Hindu right was certainly for doing away with Kashmir. This is a sign of growing radicalism.
Secularism, Liberalism a la Jatti etc is just a facade.

It\'s Politics Uber Alles In Kashmir ..... And India arjun,
The issue is the the most important party is Kashmiris.

It\'s Politics Uber Alles In Kashmir ..... And India arjun friend, I already owe you a ehsan. please add this too.

Provided that the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State referred to in clause (2) shall be necessary before the President issues such a notification.

It\'s Politics Uber Alles In Kashmir ..... And India 'Article 370 Temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir'

2. If the concurrence of the Government of the State referred to in paragraph (ii) of sub-clause (b) of clause (1) or in second proviso to sub-clause (d) of that clause be given before the Constituent Assembly for the purpose of framing the Constitution of the State is convened, it shall be placed before such Assembly for such decision as it may take thereon.

3. Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of the article, the President may, by public notification, declare that this article shall cease to be operative or shall be operative only with such exceptions and modifications and from such date as he may notify:

Provided that the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State referred to in clause (2) shall be necessary before the President issues such a notification.

I hope this clarifies. In fact it is an article that ensures seperatism. My question is, why temporary only for Kashmir? and what of areas India absorbed after 1949?

Its a long legal case I discussed already with Dost Mittar few years ago. Article 370 is based on malafide intentions as was the 1948 Kashmir Resolution. It was based on the insistence of ANC. Ar that time the Hindu Right wanted nothing to do with Kashmir.

It\'s Politics Uber Alles In Kashmir ..... And India In the legal Battle, 370 is a manifestation of India's double policy and hence a loophole. Without the consent of Kshmiris it cannot ge annulled.
EKHLAVA,
Yes your comment on Balochistan is valid. The then Baloch Sardar Khosa who was a communist athiest went ruuning to Maulana Azad and told him in explicit terms that he wanted to be part of the Indiam Dominion. Maulana Azad convinced him that his future was with Pakistan. It was pursuant to this that the Great Baloch jirga was held for accession with Pakistan. Later Khosa decanted and accepted Islam from Maulana Sindhi.
But all this is another story.

It\'s Politics Uber Alles In Kashmir ..... And India Eklava,
Though it remains India's wish to merge the two, Pakistan never would.
Talibanisation is in fact Arabisation in the extreme Wahabi-Salafi mould. It crept into Pakistan due to the Mock Jehad of Afganistan and Pakistanis working in SA. CIA Dollars worked wonders in the interim to set up these jehadi factories.

Though Pakistan tried to replicate its experience of Afghanistan in Kashmir, the two were never merged.

Thats why the LOC has to remain quite despite provocations.
Zakrias reasoning just skims the surface.

It\'s Politics Uber Alles In Kashmir ..... And India http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSev8AbB2SA&feature=related

It\'s Politics Uber Alles In Kashmir ..... And India

It\'s Politics Uber Alles In Kashmir ..... And India Zeemax,
Its not intriguing. Heard that song by Kenny Rogers,'gamblers advice to his son'

Know when to walk away
Know when to run
Never count your money when you'r sitting at the table,
there be time enough to do it;
when the deal is done.

It\'s Politics Uber Alles In Kashmir ..... And India Dear Dost,
A needless introduction to an otherwise good article, perhaps in awe and predisposition of ISI.

Like all intelligence organisations, ISI has different desks and the right hand does not know what the left does. The desks for internal situation, External operations and Kashmir ought to be entirely different. One does not take over the responsibility of the other.

Its just that the issues of terrorism have eclipsed freedom movements where interests of USA are not served. Pakistan's hibernation on the issue is to make sure that Kashmir never links up with terrorism and therefore the pause. Its like the ASANA.
As simple as that.
Cheerios