Friday, 9 April 2010

MEMRI - The Middle East Media Research Institute

Special Dispatch | 2900 | April 9, 2010
Urdu-Pashtu Media Project

Pakistani Politicians, Press React to Punjab Province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif's Statement Urging Taliban Not to Attack Targets in Punjab


Photo: Dawn.com

Punjab Province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif Urges Taliban Not to Attack Targets in Punjab: "Punjab Is Not Pro-America; the Taliban's Stand and Ours [on the War on Terror] Is the Same"

Addressing a seminar at the Jamiat Naeemia madrassa in Lahore on March 14, 2010, Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Pakistan's Punjab province, urged the Taliban not to attack targets in Punjab. According to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Jang, he said: "Punjab is not pro-America. The Taliban's stand and ours [on the war on terror] is the same."[1]

Urging the Taliban to "review their policy" of attacks in Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif reminded the militants that his Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) party had not approved of former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf's policy of supporting the U.S.-led war against terror after the 9/11 attacks.

Stating that General Musharraf's policies had given birth to extremism and terrorism in Pakistan, he further explained his party's stance: "PML-N refused to accept dictates from outsiders [the U.S.] and stood up to Pervez Musharraf. If the Taliban too share this stand, then they should not commit terrorist acts in Punjab."[2]

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP or the Movement of Pakistani Taliban) immediately responded to Sharif's appeal, offering a ceasefire to the Punjab government. Abdul Wali aka Umar Khalid, the TTP's commander in the tribal district of Mohmand Agency, said that the group will stop attacking government and public targets in the Punjab province if the provincial government provides assurance that it will not carry out action against the Taliban.[3]

It should be noted here that Shahbaz Sharif, who is the brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, is one of the top politicians in Pakistan and the elected ruler of Punjab. His PML-N, a center-right party which sits in opposition in the federal parliament, rules Punjab, the most influential province in shaping the country's sense of direction.

Sharif's Statement Condemned by Pakistani Politicians

Sharif's statement was seen by Pakistani politicians as a green light to the Taliban to attack targets in other provinces, such as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Sindh, and Baluchistan, and in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATAs). The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the third-largest political party in the Pakistani parliament, condemned the statement, saying that it gave the impression that terrorists are allowed to play with the lives of innocent people in other provinces.[4] Nighat Orakzai, a member of the NWFP legislative assembly, condemned the Punjab leader's statement. In a symbolic act of shaming men in the male-dominated Pakistani city, she offered him her dupatta (a scarf-like cloth) to wear it if he is frightened of the Taliban.[5]

Sharif's statement was denounced across Pakistan. It was also seen as a question mark on the Pakistani military's operations against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in the Pakistani tribal region. A day after his statement, he met with Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani, assuring him that his PML-N party does not share the Taliban's stand on national issues and is fully with the military's campaign against the militants.[6]

In late February, the Punjab government was also slammed by several Pakistani politicians for courting extremist organizations in the province to win a recent mid-term poll to the provincial legislature from the Jhang legislative constituency, the home of militant organization Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. Rana Sanaullah, a senior leader of PML-N and Law Minister of Punjab province, travelled in his official car along with militant cleric Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi to a madrassa in Jhang during an election campaign.[7] The madrassa is run by Ludhianvi, a leader of the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), a former political party now outlawed for its jihadist activities and campaign of anti-Shi'ite violence.

Speaking in the Pakistani parliament, Sherry Rehman, the former Pakistani information minister and leader of ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP), questioned how terrorist organizations were allowed by the Punjab government to be involved in an election campaign, openly brandishing weapons and preaching their ideology with full freedom. She added: "What right do these groups have to tell us they will wage jihad in the region, when this parliament and this government have decided otherwise? Pakistan is going up in flames, challenging an unprecedented enemy with bravery and commitment, but here we see militants and terrorists openly thumbing their nose at not only the Punjab government but also our security agencies and our federal government as well."[8]

Salman Taseer, the Governor of Punjab, also asked Shahbaz Sharif to clarify whether his PML-N party is in favor or against the war against the jihadist organizations.[9] Several Pakistani politicians, including Sheikh Waqas Akram of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q), have criticized the PML-N's relationship with the jihadist groups in Punjab.[10]

The Punjab chief minister's fresh statement urging the Taliban to spare Punjab has brought out into open the PML-N's long-standing relationship with the extremist groups in Pakistan. His elder brother and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has reportedly been described by former president and ex-army chief General Pervez Musharraf as a "closet Taliban."[11] Shahbaz Sharif's statement has also brought a renewed focus on the jihadist groups based in the Punjab province, as evident in a number of editorials in several Pakistani newspapers.

Roznama Jasarat Editorial: "It is Not Strange That Shahbaz Sharif Has Appealed to the Taliban to Save His Province – Other Provinces Are Also Playing Regional Cards"

In an editorial titled "Taliban and Mian Shahbaz Sharif," the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Jasarat, which belongs to the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, defended Shahbaz Sharif, noting that criticism against him is irrelevant because these days several Pakistani politicians indulge in provincialism on various issues.

The editorial stated:[12] "The critics picked the point from the statement that PML-N supports the stance of the Taliban militants. This is the impression that emerges from it, but Shahbaz Sharif might have presented his stance in a better way.

"As chief minister of Punjab, he restricted his statement to only one province. [But] being the leader of a major political party, he should have talked about the entire country. His statement that Punjab government is not pro-U.S. is correct... but the stance of PML-N is different from that of the federal government [led by PPP]; it is because PML-N, while ruling Punjab, is also trying to play the role of opposition in Pakistan; for such a role, opposition is necessary, and this opposition is getting serious because the impression of PMLN's friendly opposition [vis-à-vis PPP] has greatly damaged its reputation.

"To an extent, Shahbaz Sharif has extended to the Taliban an appeal for mercy for his province, while also stating between the lines that 'we are like you with regards to the matters concerning the U.S., so why are we being killed?' This means that the terrorists should do whatever they want in other provinces, but that his home should be safe. This must be human nature – however, the PML-N claims to be a nationwide party...

"The PML-N is not restricted only to Punjab. A furor has emerged over Shahbaz Sharif's statement... the opponents have got a point to prove that PML-N and the Taliban are one, or at least have a shared stance. However, it is a strange contradiction that the ruling Pakistan People's Party is taking dictates from the U.S., while the U.S. is also holding talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan to save itself from humiliation, but the rulers have not issued any statement against it...

"It is not strange that Shahbaz Sharif has appealed to the Taliban to save his province – other provinces are also playing regional cards. Zulfiqar Mirza, the interior minister of Sindh province and husband of the speaker of the National Assembly, talks openly of using the Sindh card, and has even said that they are about to raise the slogan of 'Pakistan Na Khapay [May Pakistan not live].' The construction of Kalabagh and other dams is also opposed on the provincial basis. Not only are Bashir Qureshi and other Sindhi nationalist leaders speaking of Sindh, but also their leaders, such as G.M. Syed, have run a movement for the independence of Sindh; his book is titled 'Ab Pakistan Toot Jana Chahiye [Now Pakistan should break up].' Nationalists are also running violent movements for separation in Balochistan."

"The U.S. is the Only Beneficiary of the Fact that the Islamic World's Sole Nuclear Nation Is Being Destroyed... Pakistan will Continue to be Trapped in the U.S.'s Claws – And It Is No Secret That the Rein of the U.S. Is In the Hands of Jews"

"Awami National Party (ANP) entered into agreement with militants in the North West Frontier Province aimed at only to saving their province. [The] late Benazir Bhutto also demonstrated provincialism on several occasions. Therefore, Shahbaz Sharif's statement should not be taken seriously. Taliban might not have taken seriously his statement. The same day, a statement attributed to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan said that Faisalabad will be their next target after Lahore. The terrorists have trained their eyes on the entire country and are making any appeal to them is useless. They are taking revenge against the U.S. on their own, but the U.S. does not suffer any damage and the innocent citizens of Pakistan are being killed.

"The extremists do not know that explosions and suicide attacks in Pakistan do not cause damage to the United States and Crusaders. They [the U.S.] must by happy that what they could not do is now being done by the people who consider themselves as Muslims. The U.S. is the sole beneficiary of the fact that the Islamic world's sole nuclear nation is being destroyed, and is engulfed in unrest. Due to economic destruction, Pakistan will continue to be trapped in the United States' claws – and it is no secret that the rein of the U.S. is in the hand of Jews. Those causing damage to Pakistan should realize fully as to whose hands they want to strengthen."

Dawn Editorial: "The Very Thought That Any Mainstream Politician... Could Find Anything In Common With the Taliban Ideology is Despicable"

Dawn, a liberal Pakistani daily, was one of the first newspapers to criticize Shahbaz Sharif's statement asking the Taliban to spare Punjab. In an editorial titled "Sharif and the Taliban," it called on the PML-N party to clarify its viewpoint vis-à-vis militants in Pakistan, stating:[13] "Even by the wretched standards of the cesspit of lies and cravenness that can be the Pakistani political establishment, the comments made on Sunday by Punjab Chief Minister [Chief Minister] Shahbaz Sharif are extraordinary and demand the most vigorous condemnation possible.

"Essentially, Mr. Sharif has argued that his party, the PML-N, shares a common cause with the Taliban – that of opposing Gen. Musharraf and his policies and rejecting 'dictation' from abroad – and therefore the Taliban should 'spare' Punjab. The very thought that any mainstream politician, let alone one as high-profile and powerful as the serving Punjab chief minister, could find anything in common with the Taliban ideology is despicable.

"But Mr. Sharif has gone so much further than that. By asking the Taliban to 'spare' Punjab, what does the Punjab CM mean? Does he mean that the Taliban should launch their attacks elsewhere, in Sindh, Baluchistan, the NWFP, FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas]... or other places? And what does the CM mean when he says that his party is fighting foreign 'dictation' just like the Taliban are? Does he mean that Pakistan should not fight the threat of militancy? What does Mr. Sharif want to do instead – accommodate the Taliban like they were accommodated in [the NWFP's district of] Swat last year? Or should 'peace deals' be struck with the Taliban like they were in South Waziristan for years? The chief minister's half-hearted 'clarification' issued later will not suffice; he must apologize to Punjab and the nation.

"That Mr. Sharif could possibly be ignorant of the threat posed by the Taliban is impossible. As chief minister of Punjab, he has sat at the apex of that province's administration for over a year and a half now. Countless secret and not-so-secret memos will have arrived on his desk detailing the atrocities and crimes committed and planned by the Taliban. The secret interrogation cell that was attacked in Model Town, Lahore, only a few days ago, was run by provincial authorities. The Punjab chief minister is mocking the sacrifices made by the very people who serve his administration by finding common cause with the enemy."

"The PML-N Needs to Come Clean with the People of Pakistan... Is it Against Militancy in All Shapes and Forms – Or Is It Ideologically Sympathetic to the 'Justness' of Some Facets of the Militants' Cause?"

"Why is it so difficult for the PML-N to condemn terrorism outright, with no 'ifs' and 'buts?' It surely cannot be a question of the reluctance to use violence against 'fellow Pakistanis.'

"As during Mr. Sharif's first tenure as chief minister, in the late 1990s, Punjab is once again witnessing a spike in 'encounter' killings of alleged dacoits, kidnappers, and sundry criminals. The men who have been killed in dubious circumstances are also 'fellow Pakistanis.' But Mr. Sharif has no sympathy for these men; in fact, he has on many occasions announced rewards for the policemen for 'cleaning up' the province of criminal elements. There has been no talk of an amnesty for such criminals, no appeals to their better sides, no exhortations to recognize that they have much in common with the largest party in Punjab. The ordinary criminals must be wondering what they must do to get on Mr. Sharif's good side. Perhaps a statement against Mr. Musharraf will do the trick.

"The PML-N needs to come clean with the people of Pakistan. On which side of the divide does it stand? Is it against militancy in all shapes and forms or is it ideologically sympathetic to the 'justness' of some facets of the militants' cause? This is not about political expediency but about the very worst form of moral corruption. Pakistan's leaders have a sacred duty to protect the people and the sovereignty of the state.

"There is absolutely nothing in the Taliban's agenda that is any way even remotely compatible with that sacred duty. In fact, finding common cause with the Taliban is to take the country one step closer to the abyss.

"Ordinary Pakistanis have shown remarkable courage in resolutely backing the fight against the militants for a year now. Shahbaz Sharif and the PML-N need to accept who the enemy is. Otherwise, they have no business being involved in affairs of the state."

Daily Times Editorial: "Shahbaz Sharif Has Finally Exposed the Real Face of His Party"

In an editorial, titled "Existentialist Threat," the Lahore-based Daily Times newspaper questioned the relationship between the jihadists and the PML-N party of Shahbaz Sharif.

It should be mentioned here that much of criticism against Shahbaz Sharif was launched by the English-language liberal newspapers like Dawn and Daily Times.

The Daily Times wrote:[14] "At a time when Pakistan is fighting militancy on its soil, the PML-N taking a pro-militant stance is rubbing salt into the wounds of the Pakistani nation.

"The PML-N's right wing ideology is an open secret. Thus, it is not surprising that the party has now come clear on its stance vis-à-vis the militant outfits.

"Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has finally exposed the real face of his party by giving an inane statement in a blatant show of provincialism. Taking a narrow provincialist stance while totally ignoring the national crisis, Shahbaz Sharif pleaded with the Taliban to spare Punjab from its terrorist attacks. He said that since the Taliban opposed foreign dictates and were pursuing the policy of terrorism to fight against a foreign invasion (i.e. the Americans) and the PML-N too opposed General Musharraf's policies, Punjab ruled by the PML-N should be spared terrorist attacks.

"Mr. Sharif said, 'Musharraf planned a bloodbath of innocent Muslims at the behest of others only to prolong his rule, but we in the PML-N opposed his policies and rejected dictation from abroad.'

"The absurdity of these comments cannot be overstated. Not only is this statement a foolish one, it is a highly insensitive one. Has Mr. Sharif forgotten that Punjab is only one province of the country and there are three other provinces – Sindh, Baluchistan and the NWFP? The whole country is on fire and reverberating with terrorist attacks left, right, and center. The Punjab chief minister realized his folly and tried to make amends a day after giving this statement by saying that his words had been taken out of context and that he 'lauded the brave people of the NWFP for their fight for the survival of Pakistan.' This belated amendment did not help matters much.

"Nighat Orakzai, [a member of]... the NWFP Assembly, strongly protested at this statement and threw her dupatta [scarf] away on the floor of the Assembly, saying that Mr. Shahbaz Sharif should now wear it. Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer also condemned the chief minister's remarks and was of the view that [founder of Pakistan] Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah must be turning in his grave right now at seeing this injustice being done to his beloved country."

"The News That the TTP Offers to Stop These Attacks If the Punjab Government Assures That It Will Stop the Crackdown on the Militants Further Highlights the Implicit Nexus Between the Terrorists and the PML-N"

"At a time when Pakistan is fighting militancy on its soil, the PML-N taking a pro-militant stance is rubbing salt into the wounds of the Pakistani nation.

"Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has dug a pit for himself by passing these callous remarks, exposing his true character and that of his party's in the process. The suspicion against the PML-N that it has been harboring ties with banned militant outfits has now been all but proved. We saw in the by-elections in Jhang how the Punjab law minister was hobnobbing with a leader of a banned outfit and when confronted with the news, he showed no remorse.

"Such is the level of politics being played by the PML-N at the cost of this nation's future. The Punjab government has long been in denial over the presence of militants in Southern Punjab. It needs to wake up before it is too late.

"The news that the TTP offers to stop these attacks if the Punjab government assures that it will stop the crackdown against the militants further highlights the implicit nexus between the terrorists and the PML-N.

"It would not be far from the truth if we were to say that the PML-N is proving itself to be the greatest existentialist threat to the remaining part of Jinnah's Pakistan. Spare this country, Mr. Chief Minister – we lost half of it in 1971, do not pave the way for another disaster by supporting the terrorists."

Dawn Editorial Urges Action Against "Infrastructure of Hate" in Punjab, Says: "The Increase in Fidayeen-Style Attacks... Has... Caught the Eye of Investigators – Fidayeen Attacks Are the Bread-and-Butter Tactic of Punjabi Militants"

It should be noted that most of the Pakistani jihadist organizations are based in the Punjab province where Shahbaz Sharif is the most influential politician, though also nationally. Key jihadist organizations like Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (the mother of all Sunni jihadist groups), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Harkat ul-Jihad al-Islami and Lashkar-e-Taiba have their headquarters in the province.

On March 17, the Dawn newspaper published another editorial regarding Shahbaz Sharif's statement. Titled "Militancy in Punjab," it called for eliminating the "infrastructure of hate and religious intolerance" in Punjab, arguing also that the authorities should not see the militant threat mainly as a counter-terrorism issue. It stated:[15]

"Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has been excoriated by all right-thinking individuals across Pakistan for his shocking comments about the PML-N sharing a common cause with the Taliban.

"But away from the politics of the war against militancy, on the security front alarming new trends are emerging in Punjab. Here's what is known. Earlier this month, the names contained in the FIA's 'red book,' a list of the country's most-wanted criminal suspects, were made public: 25 of the 119 names on the list were of suspects from Punjab, the highest number for any province.

"The key suspects in many attacks on security targets in recent months are southern Punjab-based members of four militant groups: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Sipah-e-Sahaba and Harkat ul-Jihad al-Islami. The increase in fidayeen-style attacks (in which death is likely but not inevitable as with suicide attacks) has in particular caught the eye of investigators. Fidayeen attacks are the bread-and-butter tactic of Punjabi militants. Then in the last two days alone several tons of explosive materials and other weapons favored by terrorists have been found in raids in Lahore."

"[T]he Authorities Appear to be Approaching the Problem as a Narrow Counter-Terrorism Issue; The Wider Problem is the Infrastructure of Hate and Religious Intolerance that is Thriving in the Province, Often Under Official Patronage"

"Everything points to the terrifying reality that Punjab has a home-grown terrorism problem that appears to be growing by the day. And yet some elements have mischievously tried to play down the Punjab-militancy nexus by pointing to the fact that the groups involved are not 'Punjabi' because they have members who belong to other provinces too.

"There is no doubt that the other provinces also have a terrorism problem in their midst and they need to beef up counterterrorism measures rapidly. But the violence in Punjab is real, it is present and it shows no sign of abating. Quibbling over whether there is such a thing as the Punjabi Taliban is beside the point: there are militants who live in and are from Punjab, these militants are attacking the state and the people, and they must be captured or eliminated.

"It is true that the Punjab government is doing something to fight the threat: despite Mr. Sharif's stomach-churning comments, the provincial administration he oversees has deployed significant law-enforcement and intelligence resources to track down the Taliban. But the authorities appear to be approaching the problem as a narrow counterterrorism issue. The wider problem is the infrastructure of hate and religious intolerance that is thriving in the province, often under official patronage.

"No matter how many militants the state captures or kills, there will always be more if the pipeline of hate continues to churn out brainwashed foot soldiers. The Punjab authorities must find a way, and the will, to shut down the pipeline of hate and intolerance."

The News Editorials: "South Punjab is No Stranger to Extremists"; "Sharif Has Spoken Thoughtlessly"

The leading Pakistani daily The News, which is a sister publication of the Urdu-language Roznama Jang newspaper, published two editorials on Shahbaz Sharif's statement and his attempts at damage control.

"South Punjab is No Stranger to Extremists; They Were There Long Before the Taliban Phenomenon Took Shape... Both Jaish-E-Muhammed and Sipah-E-Sahaba Have Operated In the Area For Many Years"

In the first editorial, titled "Imaging Taliban" and published March 16, the newspaper noted:[16] "Extremist organizations in southern Punjab have as patrons at least one senior establishment figure, and are apparently tolerated by the police and security services.

"In the aftermath of last week's bombings in Lahore, there is again debate about 'the Punjabi Taliban' and whether or not they exist and what might be their motives or capacities. Some say there is 'no such thing' as the Punjabi Taliban, whilst others see a possibility that southern Punjab could go the way of Swat.

"Attempting to steer a course between the differing and nuanced perceptions of who and what the Taliban are has always been difficult, and there has been a tendency to homogenize them into a single but untidy entity.

"This adds to the confusion in the public mind, particularly when individual groups such as the TTP claim authorship for a specific atrocity. Is the claim being made by a TTP member who has his natal origin in the tribal areas or in southern Punjab? Was the atrocity committed by TTP members who have migrated from Waziristan or some other tribal agency to operate in southern Punjab – and southern Punjabis having nothing to do with it?

"South Punjab is no stranger to extremists; they were there long before the Taliban phenomenon took shape and they remain there now. Both Jaish-e-Muhammed and Sipah-e-Sahaba have operated in the area for many years, and conducted campaigns largely directed at the minority Shi'ite populations. Extremist organizations, banned or otherwise, have substantial assets in the area. Extremist organizations are able to hold public rallies in southern Punjab apparently without objection from the forces of law and order.

"Against this background, it is plausible to assume that members of other extremist groups, not necessarily originating from southern Punjab, will gravitate toward their fellow travelers. There are anecdotal reports of the Taliban in the north [Pakistan-Afghan border] relocating their strategic planning operations to southern Punjab, and other anecdotal reports of 'northern' Taliban using southern Punjab as a rest-and-recovery area.

"Could it be that these 'foreigners' are responsible for the Lahore blasts? Indeed it could, but it is equally possible that the blasts were planned and executed by men from Bahawalpur or Rahim Yar Khan or even Lahore itself.

"Terrorist groups commingle where they share common values and objectives, and the likelihood of there being 'northern' Taliban in southern Punjab is high, and vice versa. Extremist organizations in southern Punjab have the patronage of at least one senior establishment figure and are apparently tolerated by the police and security services. So long as that state of affairs persists then so will terrorism – whoever commits it or under whichever flag or title."

"Sharif has Spoken Thoughtlessly and Rather Insensitively; He Needs to Ensure the Same Mistake is Not Made Again as This can Cause a Great Deal of Damage"

The second News editorial, published March 17 and titled "CM and Taliban," the newspaper described the Punjab leader's statement as "unusually and exceptionally inappropriate" and "parochial," and urged him not to repeat the mistake:[17]

"Shahbaz has had to offer up an explanation and, according to reports, has received a rebuke from the army chief during an unscheduled meeting. It seems apparent that Shahbaz's explanation of the media contorting his comments has not convinced too many. Certainly he has blundered. His unusually and exceptionally inappropriate remarks suggesting that Punjab was opposed to drone attacks against Taliban targets and that they should thus avoid targeting the province lays down a narrow, rather ugly, parochial vision.

"We need to build a sense of unity that causes people in Punjab to be left disturbed when there is a blast in Peshawar or Karachi or Mingora. The fact is that this is not currently the case. Over the years we have become more and more split and divided as a nation. Events in Sindh no longer bother those living in other provinces. A blast in Kohat [in North West Frontier Province] causes nothing more than a few raised eyebrows in cities further away. There has been little concern over the fate of those missing from Baluchistan in other parts of the country.

"This state of affairs needs to change. It is the duty of key decision-makers to pave the way toward greater harmony and a sense of nationhood. Mian Shahbaz Sharif has spoken thoughtlessly and rather insensitively. He needs to ensure the same mistake is not made again as this can cause a great deal of damage. Punjab needs to set the example that all the smaller provinces can follow. It must play a part in developing national unity. All of us, as citizens of one country with common interests and a common future, should have a broad approach that sees the nation and all its territory as a whole."


[1] Roznama Jasarat, Pakistan, March 15, 2010.

[2] Roznama Jasarat, Pakistan, March 15, 2010.

[3] Roznama Express, Pakistan, March 16, 2010.

[4] Daily Times, Pakistan, March 16, 2010.

[5] Daily Times, Pakistan, March 16, 2010.

[6] Roznama Jasarat, Pakistan, March 16, 2010.

[7] www.zeenews.com, Indian, February 23, 2010.

[8] The News, Pakistan, February 24, 2010.

[9] The News, Pakistan, March 9, 2010.

[10] The News, Pakistan, March 24, 2010.

[11] Dawn, Pakistan, March 16, 2010. Some reports have sought to deny that Gen. Musharraf called Nawaz Sharif "closet Taliban."

[12] Roznama Jasarat, Pakistan, March 16, 2010.

[13] Dawn, Pakistan, March 16, 2010.

[14] Daily Times, Pakistan, March 16, 2010.

[15] Dawn, Pakistan, March 17, 2010.

[16] The News, Pakistan, March 16, 2010. The English has been lightly edited for clarity.

[17] The News, Pakistan, March 17, 2010.