Pakistan Group Demands Islamic Judges in Peace Deal

[Coventina]

Source: Bloomberg

April 30 (Bloomberg) -- A pro-Taliban group in Pakistan said fighting between the army and militants in a northwestern province will cease as soon as Islamic judges are appointed for the area as part of a peace accord that imposed Sharia law.

“The fighting will end automatically,” Izzat Khan, a spokesman for the group led by cleric Sufi Muhammad, said by telephone from northwestern Swat Valley today. “We are ready for talks with the government on the appointment of judges and a cease-fire in the region.”

Clashes that began on April 26 in two northwestern districts left 125 militants dead as Pakistani forces try to reassert control after the Taliban took advantage of the peace accord in Swat to push into neighboring districts.

The Obama administration has criticized the accord that introduced Islamic law, Sharia, in seven northwestern districts and last week accused Pakistan’s government of “abdicating” to extremists. President Barack Obama said yesterday the government is “very fragile.”



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=a05Uimql1zJ0&refer=india

[customerserviceguy]

1. We must resist this

If we don't, then we risk Sharia law becoming part of international law, and there is no place for 7th Century religious thinking in modern standards of justice. The very notion that a woman's testimony is worth less than a man's testimony tells us all we need to know about Sharia.

[msongs]

2. there ya go again, protesting against dark ages superstitious cults. nt

[customerserviceguy]

4. Christianity's on my version of that list, too

but in Europe, it seems to have been outgrown. Maybe there's hope that the US will outgrow it, too.

[MasonJar]

3. Why does the Pakistani government deal with these criminals. Why do

they negotiate with them? I am sure that these misogynist Taliban forces are responsible for the death of the beautiful candidate, Benazir Bhutto. Can anyone imagine these barbaric subhumans accepting a woman ruler?

[ohio2007]

5. Taliban orders female teachers to wear veils in Pak

....
A dozen armed militants who visited the Government Girls' Primary School at Achini near NWFP capital Peshawar yesterday asked the women to wear veils, a resident of the area said.

The militants also warned men in the area to wear caps or face action, he added."They also fired on a boy who was not wearing a cap and tried to flee, but he luckily escaped," he said.

....
Suspected militants also sent threatening letters several times to people of the area asking them to spend a year with a Tablighi Jamaat but the people said they were poor and had to work to earn a livelihood, the resident of the area told the Dawn newspaper.

"They again contacted the people, especially the well-off, to pay donations to them ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000 and collected huge amounts from the people," the man said.

......

http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=59913&tp=on

Hey !
Spend a year with the Taliban 'peace corpse' kids... you'll learn how to drive


http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=89f_1241124580

or

pay your taxes

[bemildred]

6. Death toll rises to 33: Karachi still tense as riots continue

KARACHI: The deployment of over 15,000 security personnel in the provincial capital on Thursday failed to bring the situation under control – a day after riots erupted in the port city – as the death toll from violence rose to 33.

With law-enforcement agencies patrolling Karachi, major markets remained closed and there was virtually no public transport on the roads. But the death toll continued to rise as seven people, who were injured in riots on Wednesday and were under treatment at various hospitals, died on Thursday and a Pashtun vendor was shot dead in Khokhrapar.

The number of those injured now stands at 50. Despite the shoot-at-sight orders by the prime minister and the heavy deployment of police and Rangers, rioters torched around 20 shops, five hotels, two warehouses and over 12 vehicles.

Firing broke out at the funeral of two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists –Khalid and Mehmood, whose alleged killing by Pashtuns on Wednesday triggered the riots – Khwaja Ajmair Nagri. There was no loss of life. At least 80 separate incidents have occurred across the city since Wednesday, but very few cases have actually been registered.

Daily Times

[bemildred]

7. Heavy Battles Are Raging With Taliban In Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Heavy fighting raged for a third day in Pakistan’s northwest on Thursday as civilians flooded from the area and the Pakistani military reported some gains in pushing back Taliban insurgents.

The Pakistani military secured mountain passes to the west and south of Buner, a district 60 miles from the capital, according to its spokesman, Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, who spoke at a news briefing at the military headquarters in Rawalpindi. Helicopter gunships also rocketed Taliban positions in the north of Buner, where the militants had apparently fortified positions in areas adjoining their stronghold in the Swat Valley.

While government forces consolidated control of Buner’s main town, Daggar, General Abbas said it could take still another week for the operation to clear the whole district of militants, as the military was proceeding slowly to defuse booby traps and avoid civilian casualties.

The militants continued to unleash attacks, hitting a checkpoint belonging to government paramilitary forces from the Frontier Corps in northern Buner, and seizing several police stations across the region, including two in the upper reaches of Swat.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/world/asia/01pstan.html

[Moderate2008]

8. It's a pretty bad situation up there. (nt)

[ohio2007]

9. Taliban destroy FC camp, seize arms ( the inmates are running the Pak asylum )

but for a fistfull of dollars, the Pak military is ready to declare victory and
roll over all in the same week

BUNER: Militants blew up a camp of the Frontier Constabulary and took away weapons, while jets and helicopters continued heavy bombing on their suspected positions in different parts of Buner district on Thursday. According to sources, two FC platoons which had been besieged at the Jawar Camp on Wednesday night were allowed to leave after surrendering to the militants.

The militants took away an APC and a large haul of weapons before destroying the camp and a checkpoint, the sources said. A police vehicle was also taken away and a police station was set on fire in Pir Baba town. Local people said militants had control of Ambela Chowk, Pacha, Nawagai, Jungai, Swarai, Gagera, Dewana Baba, Pir Baba and Sultanwas.

Militants have blown up two bridges near Ambela in a bid to block the movement of ground forces. Militants are reported to have planted explosive devices along the area’s main road and at other places.



snip

No casualty among militants was reported in the attacks by helicopter gunships. Militants took away two vehicles from the hujra of MNA Malik Azmat Khan of the Pakistan People’s Party at Ouch.

A vehicle was taken away from the Chakdara timber market, owned by the Forest Development Corporation (FDC). Militants moved in two vehicles on the Chakdara-Timergara road near Gul Abad.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/12-taliban-destroy-fc-camp-seize-arms--bi-08

cut em a check...we want to see MSM report victories in the spring offensive
:sarcasm:

[ohio2007]

10. Nations with worst religious tolerance named (CNN) any surprises?

See if you can spot any common themes when it comes to intollerance;

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. government panel listed 13 countries Friday as "egregious" violators of religious freedom.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's annual report named
Myanmar,
North Korea,
Eritrea,
Iran,
Iraq,
Nigeria,
Pakistan,
China,
Saudi Arabia,
Sudan,
Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan,
and Vietnam.


It recommended that the Obama administration designate them as "countries of particular concern" or CPC.





The group has issued a watch list that includes

Afghanistan,
Belarus,
Cuba,
Egypt,
Indonesia,
Laos,
Russia,
Somalia,
Tajikistan,
Turkey,
and Venezuela,

countries that don't rise to the level of a CPC but need to be monitored.

snip


http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/01/religious.freedom/index.html