People Fleeing Fighting in the Swat Valley
The opinion of those who observe the political situation in Asia is that Pakistan's stability is fundamental to creating stability in Afghanistan.
Tomorrow, the Guardian reports, the Pakistan government will announce that it has agreed to introduce sharia law in the Swat valley and neighbouring areas of the north-west (a vast region called Malakand) in a peace deal with Taliban militants. Religious conservatives in Swat have long fought for sharia to replace Pakistan's secular laws and the Taliban militants who are in control of the area announced a ceasefire today, reacting to the government's agreement to bring in sharia courts.
Critics warned that the new sharia regulations represented a capitulation to the extremists' demands and it would be difficult to stop hardliners elsewhere in the country from demanding that their areas also come under Islamic law.
'This is definitely a surrender," said Khadim Hussain of the Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy, a thinktank in Islamabad. "If you keep treating a community as something different from the rest of the country, it will isolate them."'
'Javed Iqbal, a retired judge, speaking on Pakistani television, said: "It means that there is not one law in the country. It will disintegrate this way. If you concede to this, you will go on conceding."'
'In an interview broadcast todayby the US television channel CBS, Zardari admitted that the future of Pakistan was in grave danger from the Taliban, who are present in "huge parts" of the country. Islamabad is under severe pressure from the US, Britain and other western allies to rein in the extremists, who fight both in Pakistan and Afghanistan and play host to al-Qaida.
Zardari said: "We are aware of the fact [the Taliban are] trying to take over the state of Pakistan. We're fighting for the survival of Pakistan. "'
Zardari's wife, the former prime minister Benazir Bhutton, was killed by Islamic extremists in 2007. The Pakistan Daily Times discusses the issues and severely criticises Mr Musharraf for the choices he made after 9/11.
Meanwhile Britain has troops fighting on the front line in Afghanistan and the present death toll is 145. This change within Pakistan will be welcomed by the Afghani Taliban and it could well increase their numbers.
Our military should be brought home now. This war will not be won by the west.
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19 comments:
Good article Subrosa. I feel very sorry for Pakistan becouse in one hand they want to keep pals with the west and in the other they have the Taliband to contend with.
I agree, we should bring back the troops becouse all the guns and bombs in the world wont win a war in that country. The Taliban are the winners and there is nowet we can do now. Mind you i do hope our troops have punched a large hole in the Talibans plans to reek havok across the world.
Don't they have Sharia in some parts of England?
scunnert said...
Don't they have Sharia in some parts of England?
Soon to be everywhere if there are enough votes in it. Better hide all the girls, toute suite!
Our troops haven't punched the taliban at all Spook. All they've done is support the necessary oil pipeline.
Sadly our troops don't reek havoc only death of their colleagues and they're aware of that 24/7. Fair enough they sign up to defend the UK but being over there is doing nothing for the UK. We should monitor our borders far better then we wouldn't have terrorist threats. Then again, it's too late.
There's a certain if slightly sick benefit to our military involvement in 'stan - great training opportunity and has actually helped recruitment. Soldiers like to fight.
Sadly they were poorly equipped and badly supported, but they were sent out there by that fuckwit drunk sexpest "Doctor" John Reid" who declared they'd not have to fire a fucking rifle.
The Penguin
Muslim is spared a speeding ban so he can drive between his two wives
When it comes to avoiding a ban for speeding, the courts hear every excuse in the book.
But yesterday one motorist offered what must be a unique reason why he should keep his licence.
Mohammed Anwar said a ban would make it difficult to commute between his two wives and fulfil his matrimonial duties.
His lawyer told a Scottish court the Muslim restaurant owner has one wife in Motherwell and another in Glasgow - he is allowed up to four under his religion - and sleeps with them on alternate nights.
He also needed his driving licence to run his restaurant in Falkirk, Stirlingshire.
Airdrie Sheriff Court had heard that Anwar was caught driving at 64mph in a 30mph zone in Glasgow, fast enough to qualify for instant disqualification.
Anwar admitted the offence, but Sheriff John C. Morris accepted his plea not to be banned and allowed him to keep his licence.
Instead, he was fined £200 and given six penalty points.
Lorna Jackson, from the road safety charity Brake, called the decision "astonishing".
She said: "Regardless of the number of wives or businesses this man drives to, he broke a law which is there to protect everyone.
"Travelling just a few miles over the limit in a 30mph zone can be the difference between life and death if you hit someone, let alone driving at more than twice the speed limit.
"Drivers know the law, and they know the punishment they could face when they break it.
"For the courts to allow someone to keep their licence when they have so blatantly flouted the law and put peoples' lives at risk, on the basis of an excuse such as this, is astonishing."
Anwar, wearing a suit and an open-neck shirt, had made no comment during his five-minute court appearance, apart from confirming his identity.
But last night, speaking from his restaurant Sanam, he said: "It is true I have two wives.
"Muslim men are allowed up to four. But I am not a religious leader and it is not my place to comment.
"As a matter of respect to my wives I would not comment on my home life.
"The sheriff did not ban me because I need my licence to run my business, although my wives were also part of the decision."
The court had heard that Anwar was on his way home from Falkirk to his Glasgow wife on August 21, 2007, when he was caught by city police using a hand-held speed camera.
His lawyer, Paul Nicolson, said: "He realises his licence is at risk, but this is an unusual case and is very anxious to keep his driving licence.
"He has one wife in Motherwell and another in Glasgow and sleeps with one one night and stays with the other the next on an alternate basis.
"Without his driving licence he would be unable to do this on a regular basis.
"He is also a restaurant owner and has a restaurant in Falkirk, which he has had for the past 30 years.
"He has had a clean driving licence until now, and on this particular evening was on his way home after a busy evening at his restaurant."
Anwar's successful plea joins a long list of unusual excuses heard in the courts down the years.
subrosa,
Agree entirely with your last two sentences. The campaign in Afghanistan gives rise to more, not less, terrorism.
Every single person killed will encourage even more terrorism and there are plenty of volunteers to replace them.
The Uk Government, again under false pretences, embarked on a campaign where had no clear understanding of the nature of the people involved in the fighting and the fierce pride with which they fight to, as they see it, protect their country.
So sorry for repetition
Not all soldiers like to fight Penguin. Many join in the hope they never have to kill someone, possibly like some police join up in the hope they never have to pick body parts off a road after a fatal crash.
Agree recruitment is now on the increase in the past year but the army is still badly understaffed as many older soldiers have left because of conditions.
Scunnert, that story makes a mockery of our justice system. A neighbour of mine was banned last year for doing 42 in a 3- mile limit at 9pm on the way home from the hospital where his mother had just died.
He had no points on his licence either but was banned for a year.
Brownlie, there's no real need to post twice to get noticed. I do read every post, honestly :-)
Can anyone confirm if sharia law is active in the UK as scunnert suggests?
I know some type of sharia financial law is in force in some areas in England but I've no knowledge about Scotland.
Of course that should read 30mph not 3-. Bad typing, my apologies.
Pakistan is a very big country and there are (from memory) four main regions, all of which try to act virtually autonomously. One of them is very large and the other three "'stans" are relatively small and remote. Only one of these three are the base for the Taliban.
The Pakistani army are hampered in engaging with the Taliban due to it's remoteness hence the use of unmanned aircraft by the USA to disrupt and destroy the Taliban bases so they have less capacity to continue their insurgency into Afghanistan.
Unless the Pakistani government can take control of this situation they face the break up their country and a bloody civil war. I am not confident they have taken the right approach in agreeing to the introduction of sharia law and hope they have a Plan B.
Interesting post, thanks Ted. It seems that the whole of Pakistan was under the same laws until today when this vast area will now only use sharia law.
From the reading I've done today on this, it appears Musharraf doesn't have any other plan, he's seems in a very weak position.
subrosa,
My double postings was not attention seeking. In fact, I'm getting quite used to being ignored but have managed to control my tantrums!
I don't believe you have tantrums brownlie. For some reason I just can't imagine you lying down in the aisle in Tesco flailing around screaming :)
Scunnert has put a good video on his site which gives more opinion. The link is:
http://www.linktv.org/video/3591
It's slow to load but bear with it.
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