Opinion A temporary truce
A register of reports and views from the Pakistan press....
For a place where theres rarely a dull moment,the big news in Pakistan was the brazen,tragic attack on the Peshawar Press Club. Apart from that,the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) dominated the headlines. This time,there was a genuine attempt at reconciliation between the ruling Pakistans Peoples Party and its chief opponent Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N). As Dawn reported on December 21: PPP and PML-N have reached an accord under which the former has assured the latter of doing away with the 17th Amendment and in return,PML-N has promised to support President Asif Ali Zardari in the current political crisis. We have never demanded resignation of President Zardari and we dont want any confrontation at this stage, PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal said. We believe that in the present circumstances the president is the best judge to
decide whether or not he should resign, he said. PM Yousaf Gilani,however,gave it right back,as a separate report added: Ive always accommodated you despite criticism from my own party,but youre letting me down by taking a hard line and directly attacking PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Zardari. PML-N was quick to comply but threw in a rider,as The News reported on December 23: PML-N said it would not demand resignation from President Asif Ali Zardari if the government implemented the order of the Supreme Court against the NRO in letter and spirit. As Pakistans polity searches for a firm foothold,someones watching quietly from afar. Daily Times reported on December 24: US special representative Richard Holbrooke said in an interview with a foreign news channel: Even as we talk,theres a major political drama unfolding in Islamabad right now.
Stop press
In a first,Pakistans media received a direct blow from the extremists active in the countrys troubled north,as terror walked into Peshawars press club earlier this week. The News reported on December 23: In the first ever suicide attack on the media after several threats,a suicide bomber exploded himself at the entrance to the Peshawar Press Club,killing three persons and injuring 18 others. The deceased included a cop,the accountant of the club and a passerby woman while a young photographer of The News,Khurram Pervez,three employees of the Club and three security officials are among the injured. Dawn added to the discussion with a reactionary report from the International Press Institute (IPI): Pakistan is already one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists out in the field, IPI director David Dadge said in a statement. The fact that journalists are now being attacked in the traditional haven of a press club is another tragic blow for freedom of the media in Pakistan.
American approval
The US seems to be showering praise on Pakistans armed forces. After last weeks approval to army chief Ashfaq Kayani by the Centcom chief,General David Petraeus,it is the US military boss,Admiral Mike Mullen who is now waxing eloquent about their contribution to nipping the extremists in the bud.
On December 22,Dawn reported from a press release sent by the US army: Too many people eagerly and easily criticise Pakistan for what they havent done,and when I go to Swat and look at what they did there on the military side I think its pretty extraordinary, said the US military chief while talking to journalists. Swat was in danger,and the Taliban began moving even closer to the Pakistani capital. Admiral Mullens visit there showed that the Pakistani military has done a good job of counter-insurgency. The army cleared the valley and is holding it, the report noted. It quoted Admiral Mullen as saying that Pakistans job in Swat was not complete yet.
Share
