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Nuggets from the Urdu press
Cuz, it ain't friday without your nuggetsGwadar given to America  Quoted in Nawa-e-Waqt leader of Jamhoori Watan Party Balochistan and Bugti tribal head Sardar Akbar Bugti said that Gwadar was being developed by Pakistan to give facilities to the biggest American naval fleet. For this the entire coastal land stretching 40 miles inland would be separated from Balochistan and given to the Americans who will control oil trade in the region and keep Iran under challenge. Well-known journalist Irshad Haqqani wrote in Jang confirming statement by the Baloch tribal leader Nawab Akbar Bugti that an American naval base — "the biggest in South Asia" — would be constructed in Gwadar to facilitate the operation of CENTCOM in the region. The "item" coincided with the official visit of the CENTCOM chief General John P. Abizaid and has prompted conspiratorial think-pieces. According to Nawab Akbar Bugti, the planned naval base will take the area stretching from Karachi to Jiwani (including Gwadar) away from Pakistan. In fact, the tribal chief claimed that the vast coastal belt stretching 40 miles inland had already been detached from Balochistan. He said his party would cooperate with any other party that planned to fight for the return of the Baloch territory from the United States. Nawab Akbar Bugti had a complete scenario to offer the bewildered journalists. Through a base in Balochistan, the United States was to establish its contacts with the Central Asian states struggling to shrug off the oppressive foreign policy yoke of Russia. From here the Americans would control the movement of oil and international shipping and "all other trade" in addition to challenging Iran. He had an interesting observation to make about China whose company has been given an "out-of-turn" contract by Pakistan to develop a deep-sea port at Gwadar. The Nawab said: China is merely a "contractor" and will collect its money and quietly step aside, after the port is complete, to allow the Americans to take over. China is not in a position to take a "takkar" (clash) with the United States; it couldn't even liberate nextdoor Taiwan from the Americans. It was merely interested in strengthening itself economically and had no stomach for war.
Imran Khan's party in doldrums According to Khabrain, Insaf Party of Imran Khan was at sixes and sevens because of lack of attention by the leadership. Two factors had led to the scattering of the party in the four provinces. One, Imran Khan left Lahore and went to Islamabad from where he could not keep in touch with the provincial cadres.
Turkey and Pakistan Columnist Ataur Rehman writing in Nawa-e-Waqt said that the difference between Turkey and Pakistan was that in Turkey a government had come into being after a free and fair election and was able to deny the Americans facilities to attack Iraq. Turkey needed America for support for its entry in the European Union but it still remained a free country and refused the Americans. Turkey rejected a possible American aid of $25 billion, unlike Pakistan which provided America facilities for its attack on Afghanistan.
No 'azan' without 'beard' According to Nawa-e-Waqt, an ASI of Ferozwala near Shahdara called Ghafoor took offence at a man saying azan on the mosque loudspeaker without a beard. Ghafoor got so angry on this sacrilege that he and his gang started firing at the muezzin without a beard. One woman got injured while the villagers complained about the Islamic policeman.
Tablighi Jamaat member embezzles 25 crore Daily Pakistan reported from Dipalpur, Sahiwal, that a cloth merchant named Haji Muhammad Yunus was an ardent member and supporter of Tablighi Jamaat but he was now nowhere to be seen after defrauding the widows and innocent people of the city of Rs 25 crore. He lured them in by announcing that he would give them free-of-usury (riba) income if they invested in his business. At first he gave them Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 as profit per year but then suddenly disappeared taking Rs 25 crore worth of deposits with him.
Ahmedis are 'achchoot' Abu Ammar Zahidur Rashdi wrote in daily Pakistan that a couple of Qadianis had written a book saying that their community had been forced to live like achchoot (untouchables) in Pakistan although Allama Iqbal had done bayat on the hand of their founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, and that had the Muslims accepted the Qadianis as their brothers the district of Qadian would have fallen to Pakistan and thus Kashmir could not have gone to India. The writer said that the Ahmedis were indeed achchoot in Pakistan but they had brought this down on themselves by holding a heretical faith.
Posted by: Steve 2004-11-19 |
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