British Prime Minister's Pakistan Visit

Pakistan and the United Kingdom on 5 April formally launched 'enhanced strategic dialogue' aimed at strengthening ties in security, trade, health and education sectors. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and his British counterpart David Cameron, while addressing a press conference after a day-long interaction that also covered the UK-Pakistan National Security Dialogue and a meeting with the heads of parliamentary parties, vowed to enhance bilateral investments and encourage their private sectors to help increase bilateral trade from 1.2 to 2.5 billion pounds by 2015.

Prime Minister Cameron termed the Pakistan-UK ties 'unbreakable' and said the two sides focused on trade, security and education sectors. He said he had also increased Pakistan's market access to Europe.

Security Issue

On the security sector, Cameron said that the two sides agreed on police services and intelligence cooperation, besides discussing the importance of Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship. He said that both the countries shared the need of having a peaceful, stable and democratic Afghanistan. 'Pakistan suffered greatly in tackling terrorism and extremism,' he said, adding that there was a huge fight being waged by the Pakistani Government against terrorists and the United Kingdom had a share in combating terrorism.

Education Sector

On education, Cameron said that the United Kingdom had launched a new package to help Pakistan in imparting education to four million children, training to 90,000 teachers and provision of six million text books.

Responding to a question on spending a huge amount on Pakistan's education, Cameron said his coalition government had increased the overseas budget by 7.7 per cent of the gross national income as it was in the interest of the United Kingdom to support the poorest in the poor countries in education, maternal health and in fighting poverty.

Terming illiteracy a root-cause of terrorism, Gilani said that the focus was on education in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and remote areas. He said that more than 30,000 Pakistani students were in Britain for education and called for extending more scholarships. Asked about the visa issues, the British Prime Minister said that the processing had been shifted out of Pakistan 'to make it more efficient.'

Extradition Treaty

When asked about return of former President Pervez Musharraf to Pakistan, David Cameron said that the two countries did not have any extradition treaty and also a 'proper application' was needed to be made to proceed in that regard.

Regarding Pakistan's role on extremism and terrorism, Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan had rendered unprecedented sacrifices and lost more soldiers and civilians than the combined losses of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Trade Relations

Pakistani President Zardari sought closer ties in other areas, pledging to boost bilateral trade from £1.9 billion a year to £2.5 billion a year by 2015, and announcing up to £650 million over four years for education.

The aid money will help four million children go to school through providing training for 90,000 teachers and six million new textbooks. Cameron promised to continue to advocate for Pakistan to gain enhanced trade access to the European Union, including through GSP.

Strategic Dialogue

The Pakistan-UK strategic dialogue was a significant step and was vital for both sides, for this region and for the world as a whole. The need for the two sides to gear up to achieve the objectives that the two countries have set for both countries in the declaration of enhanced strategic dialogue.

The national security dialogue, comprising political, military and intelligence tracks will lead to creating a better understanding in bringing about clarity on issues of global, regional peace and security.

Peace and Stability in Afghanistan

About the Afghan issue, the president said peace and stability in Afghanistan was necessary for regional peace and emphasized on the Afghan-led peace process in the country rather than foreign led. The president said an appreciation of the dynamics of human relations by the international community was no less important than machines and weapons.

Future ProspectsTo start a new era in the relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, the governments and people from both the sides should clear up the misunderstandings of the past, work through the tensions of the present and look together to the opportunities of the future.

US Midterm Elections

Midterm elections have been held in the US for all seats of the House of Representatives, 32 seats of the Senate and offices of the state governors on 2 November 2010. Dozens of candidates who tested their luck following the tall shadow of the election campaign run by President Barack Obama faced humiliation of defeat at the hands of Republicans. In the US House of Representatives having 435 members, the Democrats lost in 240 constituencies. In the elections to the upper house i.e. the US Senate, the Republicans improved their position.

Advantage Republicans
Various tops guns of the Democrats lost in the recent elections. The candidates ruthlessly used wealth for their victory. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who got much fame in the field of acting and later became state governor, lost the office of the governor. Whereas a look as to who contested election from where and on ticket of which party ads to one's knowledge and wisdom, it also widens one's political and social awareness.

Democrat Senator from Florida Michael Bennet celebrated second consecutive victory after defeating Republican Cain Huke. In other tough contests, Republic leader John Reid was defeated by Democrat Joe McCain for a Senate seat from Western Virginia. Marko Rubio gave tough time to Obama's colleague Charlie Crist in Florida and also gifted him defeat. In Kentucky, the Republicans emerged victorious while the Democrats were the runners up as Rand Paul shattered hopes of Jack Convoy of Obama lobby.

Setback for Obama
Obama had to suffer the shock of historic Republic victory on his ancestral seat of Illinois. Obama had got elected as senator from the same seat. The Republicans won on two most important Senate seats of Northern Dakota and Arkansas. John Thune defeated Terry Porter while in Arkansas John Bosman delighted Bush Junior by emerging victorious.

In Missouri, former head of Armed Services Committee Scouts was badly defeated on the ticket of Democrats as Wiki Mart of Republican knocked him out. In the House of Representatives, the strength of Republican has increased. If the Obama ministers failed to show interest in the ending military inventions in other countries during the rest of the presidential tenure for the sake of poverty, unemployment and colonialist desires in light of the public feelings and aspirations, their hopes of winning the next presidential will fade forever.

Human Massacre and Barbarism
Muslims are to be reminded here that the Publican party is a frightening group of conservatives and jingoists who achieve such successes in human massacre and barbarism under the patronization of former President Bush following the 9/11 that the human spirit sheds tears of blood. The victory of the Republican is a food for thought for the Muslim community. There were many smugglers and businessmen from oil industry in the Bush cabinet who have been busy in promotion of the Zionism and paving the way for Greater Israel.

The Zionist lobbies of Bush era wrote the script of the tragic drama of 9/11 to plunder the natural resources and energy deposits of the Middle East and the US forces imposed on Kabul and Baghdad the terrifying war on the earth and occupied the two countries after thrusting the responsibility of the destruction of the Twin Towers on Al-Qaeda, Muslim fighters, jihadist organizations and Saddam Hussein. The US and allies spilled the blood of two million Muslims in Iraq and Kabul and this barbarism is still continuing. The wise intellectuals bragged that the victory of the Republican cannot affect Pakistan. Those expressing such opinions are devoid of wisdom because they are unaware of this threat that voices of selecting Pakistan for the next round of war are constantly appearing in the Western media. Under the banner of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force), 120,000 are busy in battles in Afghanistan. ISAF consists of the military power of the 50 advanced countries of the world.

Impact of Afghan War
The Afghan war is the longest and the most dangerous war of the history of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Taliban have stunned the occupation forces. The US has started dialogue with the rivals with key role of Pakistan to avert the ugly stain of defeat. Reports are appearing in the Western media that if the terrorism could not be confined to South Asia, Afghanistan and borders of FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas], the West would be crying because of its threat. Instead of Kabul, the global players have focused their sights on the border region of Pakistan. The Japan Times has reported that the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) and Mosad have planned bomb explosions, terrorism and suicide attacks in several areas of Europe for which Pakistan will be accused and then a war will start in Pakistan on the pattern of Afghanistan.

The US think tanks and military analysts say that achievement of the Western interests in the Afghan war is not possible until the military power of Pakistan is not overcome. The Pentagon has given target to the US agencies to swiftly use the effective prescription of propaganda and to stuff the minds of the people of West that Pakistan is a threat for the West. The Western newspapers, TheWall Street Journal, Sky News and BBC are crying that drill for Mumbai-type attacks in Europe is going on in Pakistan. Renowned intellectual Van Madson says he has found secret documents in Washington containing details about destruction of Pakistani nuclear arms by Mosad in 1982.

Indian Intervention in Balochistan

Is the US now planning to carry out drone attacks on Balochistan, much like it has done in Waziristan and other agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)? Will the Taliban Shura - whose chief is said to be Mullah Mohammad Omar, who, according to the US and Indian propaganda, has taken refuge in Quetta - be the target for these possible attacks? Have India's activities and shenanigans in Balochistan increased from earlier on? Are the Indian agents being employed in Balochistan becoming the US' ears in regards to the Taliban Shura?

These are the questions that face Pakistan, and that have overwhelmed it. Prominent US newspaper The Washington Post wrote on September 30, 2009: 'The Taliban Shura in Quetta and the surrounding areas are planning attacks on American and NATO forces in Afghanistan'. Pakistan has strongly denied this, but the US ambassador stationed in Islamabad, Anne Patterson, said in an interview: 'We are worried over the presence of the Taliban Shura in Quetta. We have in the past had our focus centered on Al-Qaeda, but for Washington, the Taliban Shura now heads the list'. So, is a new fight now coming to the fore in Balochistan?

Pakistanis are trying to steer clear of this fight, and it will only be best if the US avoids drone attacks in Balochistan. But the main question is: How can we be safe from Indian intervention and violent activities in Balochistan? If Pakistan is crying out on all forums in the world that India is interfering in Balochistan and backing rebellious elements there, it is certainly not being said in jest. There exists evidence, and this evidence is being presented by India and its eminent journalists, thinkers, former diplomats and military analysts. For instance, the article that former Indian diplomat M K Bhadrakumar wrote on September 6, 2006, immediately after Nawab Akbar Bugti's assassination, is both venomous in regards to Balochistan's domestic situation and a reflection of India's intervention and aspirations in Balochistan. Bhadrakumar wrote: 'Just like India wants to make (Occupied) Kashmir a part of itself at all costs, no matter how heavy the damages to life and property, Pakistan, similarly, wants to maintain its 'occupation' in Balochistan - no matter how much blood there has to be spilt'.

Prevailing Political Circumstances
This commentary is certainly provoking, though this former Indian diplomat knows very well that the political circumstances in Occupied Kashmir (Indian-administered Kashmir) and Balochistan are entirely different. Yet the said Indian Hindu deliberately steered clear of this reality and indulged in a wrong debate.

The following is not an accusation made against India for the sake of making one: that nearly 600 Baloch youth are being trained under Indian supervision in Afghanistan to carry out disrupting activities in Pakistan. Moles say that two wings of the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), namely CIT-X and CIT-J are running the camps for the above-mentioned Baloch youth. Famous Indian military expert, Praveen Swami, says: 'When in the past Pakistan had shenanigans carried out in support of the Khalistanis in India, RAW had CIT-X and CIT-J carry out explosions in Karachi and Lahore, in reply. These wings of RAW were shut down in the tenure of I K Gujral, but both may now be employed again to teach Pakistan a lesson'.

B Raman has added to these comments by Swami - and this is actually an intimation of the fact that India may have certain 'motives' for intervention in Balochistan, and that these are impliedly being admitted to. B Raman is a former RAW agent and now a prominent defense analyst. He says: 'There has been a significant decrease in the number of Hindus in Balochistan. This is an outright cruelty and an act of seclusion against them by the Establishment of Pakistan. During the construction of the port at Gwadar, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had forcefully removed the Balochi Hindus from there. India is quite distressed about such measures by Pakistan against the Balochi Hindus'.

If we read this provoking statement by a former agent of the Indian secret agency together with the statement of former Indian Navy Chief, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, it clearly opens up the layers to India's intervention in India. He was serving as chief of the Indian Navy when Mehta on January 24, 2008, said: 'The Gwadar Port has a strong adverse impact on India's strategic matters'.

A crushing and effective reply should have been given to this, but former President Pervez Musharraf and his supporters stayed mum. Such criminal silence can indeed be expected from a head of a state and a­ (former) head of the Pakistan Army who, for the sake of his own interests, becomes India's panhandler.

Every body knows that the Indians are behind whatever is being said against Pakistan in the name of a 'Baloch voice' and about the 'independence of Balochistan', over the past more than half a decade. But it is upsetting to see that Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz, as president and prime minister respectively, could not only not put a stopper to this voice from India, but could not raise their own voices against India either.

Independence of Balochistan
The centers under Indian supervision in Afghanistan called 'Missions in Pakistan', which prepare and distribute literature on Balochistan, are another tragic subject. It is the effect of this very literature and Indian intervention that made Nawabzada Brahmdagh say during a discussion with BBC on August 26, 2009: 'If India helps us in the independence of Balochistan, we shall accept'. It should be noted that there are 31 cases against Brahmdagh Bugti - ranging from murder to treason. Pakistan is fully assured that this mister is acting against Pakistan with all sorts of help provided by India.

It seems as if India is deliberately - and for the attainment of some greater goal -provoking its thinkers to spend all their energies in the form of the written word, so that the people of Balochistan may become wary of Pakistan and be inflamed against it. The case of Dr Ajay Sahni can be presented as an example. Ajay Sahni resides in Delhi and is an Executive Director of the Institute for Conflict (Management) and editor of the Asia Intelligence Review. He has in his comprehensive article, 'Is Pakistan Overhyping India's Role in Baluchistan' - which was published in The Times of India - resorted to a weird sort of instigation against Pakistan as regards Balochistan. He says: 'More than a million people were brought in from other provinces and settled in Balochistan so that the Baloch may be beaten on the basis of population. India, being a democratic and civilized country, can absolutely not remain isolated from whatever cruelties are happening to the Baloch in Balochistan'. This is the opinion of an Indian thinker, which in fact could be termed the Indian government's aspirations in relation to Balochistan.

Part of Joint Statement
When there was a meeting between Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) on July 16, 2009, Gilani, considering it an appropriate opportunity, mentioned the Indian intervention in Balochistan, which was then also made a part of their joint statement. This was like a great diplomatic victory for Pakistan, to which there was great reaction in India. An as extremist and fundamentalist a Hindu party as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protested against the prime minister in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. The prime minister even rescinded from his statement under pressure. A statement by Manmohan Singh in this regard was thus published on July 30, 2009: 'When I spoke to Prime Minister Gilani about terrorism from Pakistan, he told me that most Pakistanis believe that India is aggravating matters in Balochistan. I told him that we have no interest in destabilizing Pakistan. If Pakistan has evidence in this regard, we would like to see it'.

India's rescindments are known to the whole world, what difference does another one make. But the commentary that Sandeep Pandey - peace activist and prominent thinker - made on this statement in India is noteworthy too. Pandey said: 'Prime Minister Singh has in his (said) statement nearly admitted to what every Pakistani is mentioning (Indian intervention in Balochistan)'.