Opinion Back-to-back

The Express Tribune added on June 28: “Differences between the PPP and the MQM emerged after the postponement of AJK elections for three seats representing the Kashmiri diaspora in Karachi and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Sattar said the PPP had repeatedly pressured the MQM to give up one seat from Karachi in PPP’s favour.  ‘We were told in unequivocal terms that if the MQM did not withdraw its candidate,elections in Karachi would be postponed,’ he added.”

PoK assembly elected

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) swept the assembly elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir amidst rigging allegations,The News reported on June 27: “The PPP has won 21 seats,PML-N eight,Muslim Conference four and independent candidates have taken two seats in the 41-seat [AJK assembly… Fierce clashes between supporters of the PPP and PML-N were reported from various constituencies in which two persons,including a PML-N supporter and several others,were injured.” The PML-N,Daily Times reported on June 29,demanded fresh elections for the assembly. On June 29,The News quoted PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif as saying that free and impartial elections “couldn’t be expected in the presence of Asif Ali Zardari.”

Another new Taliban

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Islami (TTI),led by Fazal Saeed,a former Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander from Kurram Agency,announced he was parting ways with the TTP and along with his 500 men. “We abhor killing innocent people through suicide attacks and bomb blasts,attacks on our own army and destruction of social infrastructure. The new organisation will not attack our own security forces,” Saeed said in a statement on Monday. Saeed condemned “suicide attacks at mosques,markets and other civilian targets”. An editorial in Daily Times on June 29 explained the genesis of the new faction: “It is important to note that Saeed vowed to continue jihad against foreign forces in Afghanistan and anti-Islam elements within Pakistan. Even though Saeed’s splinter group might not have much of an impact on the TTP’s terrorist activities,it is an indication that the TTP is not a solid and cohesive organisation.”

Ties in the air

US-Pakistan relations have been further strained since Osama bin Laden’s killing in Abbottabad in May. Questions have been asked in Pakistan about the breach of their territorial sovereignty and aerial attacks by drones in the tribal areas. Pakistan’s defence minister,Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar,was quoted by Dawn on July 1 as having made a futile attempt at telling the US to discontinue using an air base in Balochistan from where drone attacks are launched. “The US is rejecting demands from Pakistan that American personnel abandon a military base used by the CIA to stage drone strikes against militants… US personnel have not left the Shamsi air base and there is no plan for them to do so,said a US official familiar with the matter… ‘We have been talking to them (on the issue) for some time,but after May 2,we told them again,Mukhtar said… When they will not operate from there (Shamsi base),no drone attacks will be carried out.’

18th Amendment

In keeping with the provisions of the 18th Amendment to Pakistan’s constitution,the PPP-led government announced the completion of the third and final phase of the devolution of 17 earmarked ministries. Ten ministries had been wound up (devolved or reassigned) earlier while the remaining (environment,food and agriculture,health,labour and manpower,minorities affairs and women development) were devolved in this phase. Effectively,this means the government has abolished the concurrent list and the charge these ministries has been passed on to the provinces,thereby making them autonomous.