Pakistan Urdu Press: March 23-29 2010
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    • Nawa-e-Waqt, Editorial, March 25, 2010

    US-Pak Strategic Dialogue: Do not accept any US assistance which goes against national interest: Nawa-e-Waqt

    Commenting upon the recently concluded Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue, an editorial in the Nawa-e-Waqt Urdu Daily states “…before sending the delegation to the US, the issue should have been discussed in the parliament and the parliament should have decided the agenda of the dialogue if it sensed the necessity of such dialogue.” The Daily opines that “the decision of sending the delegation was made without taking the nation and the parliament into confidence.” The editorial further opines that “Army Chief Ashfaq Kayani was included in the delegation on the insistence of the US and he was the centre of attraction. Some of the Foreign affairs experts as well as defence experts believe that US wants to go for Strategic Dialogue with the Army Chief so that he is convinced to extend military operations’ ambit to Punjab and softens his attitude towards India.”

    In this context, the article observes that “we should not hope for big breakthrough from the Strategic Dialogue. The dialogue will put more pressure on us to help implement Af-Pak policy, which will pose more challenge to our integrity.” According to the editorial, former Army Chief General Aslam Beg has termed the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue as dangerous for Pakistan’s security and has suggested that the government should avoid the dialogue. It suggests the government “…not to accept any US assistance which goes against the national interest and the national security.”
    http://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-urdu-online/Opinions/Editorials/25-Mar-2010/9564

    Azkar, Editorial, March 26, 2010

    US-Pak Strategic Dialogue: Government should clear the doubts: Azkar

    Commenting on the same issue, the Azkar Urdu Daily noted editorially that after the US-Pak Strategic Dialogue “the US has assured Pakistan to provide $12.5 Crore for our energy sector, has assured help for the installation of three thermal power units, as well as promised to clear the dues for military expenditure by June this year. It has also assured to allow service of PIA to five US cities and provide more assistance for Benazir Income Support Programme.”

    But the editorial also opines that the dialogue may not have been limited to the issues that were mentioned in the joint press conference, especially given the presence of Robert Gates and Commander-in-Chief Mike Mullen from the US side and the presence of Pakistan’s Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar, Army Chief Kayani and DG Operations. Given this fact, the editorial demands that the government of Pakistan should clarify the issues that were discussed during the talks and the kind of agreements reached It argues that “If the government keeps quite, it will create more doubts as it is not possible that US provides us many things without taking any thing.”
    http://www.dailyazkaar.com.pk/new/detail.php?category=20251&category_id=27&page

    Jang, Opinion Column, March 26, 2010

    US-Pak Strategic Dialogue: 125 million dollars insufficient to restore one thermal power: Sikander Hamid

    “Who got what from the US-Pak Strategic Dialogue will become clear to the nation in the next few months. But one thing is clear; in response to a dossier of more than two hundred pages, the US has indicated to give 125 million dollars for three thermal power plants,” writes Sikander Hamid Lodhi in his opinion column in Jang Urdu daily. He opines that “the fund is insufficient to restore even one thermal power plant.” Hamid observes that “the US has shelved our file in which a civil nuclear cooperation was requested.” Against this background, he opines that instead of asking the US to help with its electricity crisis, Pakistan should have approached the World Bank to seek funds to construct big Hydel power projects.
    http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/mar2010-daily/29-03-2010/col2.htm

    Asas, Opinion Poll, March 24, 2010

    Majority of Pakistanis believe US-Pakistan Strategic talk will not yield desired results: Opinion Poll

    An Opinion Poll conducted by Asas Urdu daily reveals that a majority of Pakistanis believe that the talk will not yield desired results. When the Asas daily asked its readers whether the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue will achieve the desired results, a majority of respondents (6987) responded “NO”, while only 3401 were optimistic.

    Q. Will US-Pakistan Strategic talks yield desired results (Poll Conducted on 24 March 2009)

    http://www.dailyasas.com.pk/poll_answer.html

    Asas, Editorial, March 27, 2010

    US-Pak Strategic Dialogue: US needs to take lots of decisions and steps to improve relations

    The US-Pak Strategic Dialogue has found an explicit support from the Asas Urdu Daily. In its editorial, the daily writes that “if Pakistan’s power crisis is resolved, Pakistan as a nation would be capable enough and will not depend on any country’s help for its progress.” The Daily appreciates Kayani for conveying this fact to the US during his Washington visit. It quotes the Army Chief as saying that till the people of the two countries do not develop friendly relations, a strategic relationship between them cannot be established. The editorial notes that “the US attitude and thinking towards Pakistan is becoming positive and this change will certainly help improve confidence between the people of the two countries.” The daily opines that “the US needs to take lots of decisions and steps to improve relations at the political, economic and community level.” It does not, however, elaborate what these “decisions and steps” should be.
    http://www.dailyasas.com.pk/aadaria.html

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