W O R L D

Pak flexes air muscle, rolls out combat jet JF-17
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad
The first state-of-the-art JF-17 Thunder jet, a multi-role combat fighter plane indigenously assembled at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra — the country’s main facility for building and maintaining combat aircraft — was handed over to Pakistan Air Force on Monday.

Obama’s next term ‘hinges on’ Af-Pak
Jerusalem, November 23
Contending that al-Qaida and Taliban are 'winning the war' in Afghanistan, an adviser to US President Barack Obama has said his next term in office hinges on how he tackles the situation in the region and on preventing Pakistan from becoming a "jihadist" state.

Khaled, 8, works at a balloon factory on the outskirts of Dhaka on Monday. Around 20 children are employed at the factory and most of them work for 12 hours a day. The weekly wages are 150 taka ($2.14) for the children. — Reuters

Qureshi: Collecting evidence of India’s role in Balochistan
Islamabad, November 23
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has accused India of supporting militants in Balochistan province and tribal areas.

Pope John Paul II ‘whipped self’
London, November 23
Pope John Paul II, who died four years ago at the age of 84, regularly whipped himself in “remorse for his sins”, a nun has claimed.

Activists hope for global consensus
Dubai, November 23
Ahead of the Copenhagen summit next month, a group of green activists here has hoped that although Japan, India and China have cut down emissions, heads of the leading economies would be able to reach global consensus at the talks.

NRO turmoil: Top Pak civil servant quits
With calls growing shriller for resignation of ministers and senior officials who benefited from the infamous National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), Saeed Mehdi, a top civil servant serving as adviser to Punjab CM on Monday submitted his resignation from office.

Pak flexes air muscle, rolls out combat jet JF-17

Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad
The first state-of-the-art JF-17 Thunder jet, a multi-role combat fighter plane indigenously assembled at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra — the country’s main facility for building and maintaining combat aircraft — was handed over to Pakistan Air Force on Monday.

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani was the chief guest at the rolling-out ceremony. JF-17, which is being jointly developed by Pakistan and China, is an all-weather, multipurpose light fighter aircraft. It is equipped with advanced avionics and armed with medium-range missiles. It is capable of carrying out both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

Development of the ‘Super 7’ upgrade was slowed with the end of American technical assistance following the Tienanmen repression of 1989. Pakistan and China foreclosed the option of producing F-Super 7 Aircraft due to non-availability of Engines. It had been planned around MiG-27 engine which the Russians refused to supply.

“JF-17 will enhance Pakistan’s air power in the region and at international scale,” Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said, praising the Chinese cooperation.

Pakistan and China signed an agreement for the production of 42 JF-17 fighters, which are expected to form the backbone of Pakistani aerial combat fleet in coming years.

The PAF has so far received eight JF-17 jets from China that are being used for testing and evaluation. Pakistan plans to raise its first squadron of JF-17 jets by the end of this year.

“On this historic occasion, I congratulate the nation as JF-17 is not only a PAF programme but a national project. This day will be remembered as a landmark in the history of Pakistan,” said Gilani, adding that the PAF has repeatedly proved itself even in the most challenging times.

“I am grateful to our Chinese friends for providing our air force the required technical assistance for the programme,” he added. Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman and Chinese ambassador were also present during the ceremony.

Obama’s next term ‘hinges on’ Af-Pak

Jerusalem, November 23
Contending that al-Qaida and Taliban are 'winning the war' in Afghanistan, an adviser to US President Barack Obama has said his next term in office hinges on how he tackles the situation in the region and on preventing Pakistan from becoming a "jihadist" state.

"Obama inherited a disaster in Afghanistan and it is getting worse," Bruce Riedel, a former analyst with CIA and member of the National Security Council during Bill Clinton's presidency said at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, daily Ha'aretz reported.

"In Afghanistan the Taliban and al-Qaida have the strategic momentum after years of American neglect and they are winning the war," Reidel, who was asked by US President a few months ago to offer advice on the issue, said.

Riedel said in the coming weeks the President will make a decision about a strategy that could decide his fate and determine whether he will win a second term.

This was apparently in reference to whether Obama will agree to the demands of the army commanders to send tens of thousands of more soldiers into the war against the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan, the daily said.

A major challenge of the Obama administration is to prevent Pakistan, with its dozens of nuclear warheads, from turning into a jihad state, which will be the largest terrorist state and will dwarf Libya, Iraq, Syria and Iran, he said.

"There are already more terrorists per square kilometer there than in any other country in the world," Reidel pointed out adding, "A jihadist Pakistan will be the largest terrorist state that has ever been set up," and will dwarf Libya, Iraq, Syria and Iran.

Riedel was of the opinion that the most important man today in al-Qaida, an organisation he defines as a syndicate along the lines of La Cosa Nostra, is not Osama bin Laden but Taliban leader Mullah Omar.— PTI 

Qureshi: Collecting evidence of India’s role in Balochistan

Islamabad, November 23
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has accused India of supporting militants in Balochistan province and tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, saying Islamabad was compiling “hard evidence” to support its claims. India should refrain from such “nefarious activities,” Qureshi was quoted as saying by TV news channels.

He said Pakistan is “compiling hard evidence of India’s involvement and interference” in Balochistan and the tribal areas. It would be difficult to achieve lasting peace and security in South Asia if India would not end its “animosity” and hostile policy towards Pakistan, Qureshi said.

A sustained engagement and result-oriented dialogue is needed and the breakdown of talks only benefits those who do not want to see peace in the region, he added.

Qureshi said India was hesitating on resuming the composite dialogue process even though Pakistan had arrested seven Lashker-e-Taiba members for their alleged involvement in the Mumbai attacks.

The trial of these persons had begun and was being pursued vigorously, he said. At this time, India should support Pakistan’s efforts against militants and terrorists that had killed hundreds of people in bombings and attacks, he said. Pakistan was ready to resume the composite dialogue at any time, he said.

Over the past few weeks, Pakistani leaders and military officials have repeatedly accused India of fomenting unrest in Balochistan and the tribal areas. India has rejected the accusations. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has claimed that evidence of India’s alleged involvement in fostering militancy would be made public at the appropriate time. However, the government has provided no proof whatsoever to back up its claims. — PTI

Pope John Paul II ‘whipped self’

London, November 23
Pope John Paul II, who died four years ago at the age of 84, regularly whipped himself in “remorse for his sins”, a nun has claimed.

Pope John Paul is being considered for sainthood by the Catholic Church. And, as part of Vatican’s investigation, thousands of documents have been collected and examined by officials from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Among them is the testimony of Polish nun Tobiana Sobodka, of the Sacred Heart of Jesus order, who worked for Pope John Paul in his private Vatican apartments and at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome. — PTI 

Copenhagen Meet
Activists hope for global consensus

Dubai, November 23
Ahead of the Copenhagen summit next month, a group of green activists here has hoped that although Japan, India and China have cut down emissions, heads of the leading economies would be able to reach global consensus at the talks.

Agreeing that public-private partnerships and financing are key to expansion of low-carbon projects, using the technologies and policies already in place, leaders at the 'Summit on the Global Agenda' here said that they have a crucial role to play in the talks. — PTI

NRO turmoil: Top Pak civil servant quits
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

With calls growing shriller for resignation of ministers and senior officials who benefited from the infamous National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), Saeed Mehdi, a top civil servant serving as adviser to Punjab CM on Monday submitted his resignation from office.

Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, meanwhile, announced that no minister or senior official in the government would quit simply because of being on the NRO list. He said it was unjust to demand the resignation of those facing accusations unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Mehdi, however, took the high moral ground by stepping down although he denied he was accused of corruption or that he took advantage of the NRO to get himself absolved of the accusation. Mehdi's name is on the list of NRO beneficiaries released by the government on Saturday. He held senior positions and was twice principal secretary to former premier Nawaz Sharif, who has been demanding accountability of all public figures, including politicians and bureaucrats.