Category Archives: Pakistan

THOSE PESKY "MILITANTS"

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I see that the BBC is suggesting that “at least 10 militants have died after missiles were fired by a suspected US drone aircraft at a Taliban target in Pakistan, intelligence officials say. “ Finally, a strike that doesn’t involve a “wedding party.” Go USA. Of course the thing that gets me is the use of politically correct language at play here. Those killed weren’t “militants” – they were Islamic Jihadists. Why not SAY it? Why imply that the Taliban and Al Queda are some sort of professional army when in fact they are merely opportunistic and cowardly killers driven by the mad pathology of Islam? I wish we could speak a little more truth but then again the BBC has contorted and bent so many words out of all recognition.

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BROWN SAVES ISLAMISTAN

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Great to see that PM Brown is going to unveil the government’s revised strategy for the war in Afghanistan, following his visit to the country. He is expected to say Pakistan – which was also on his tour – must be part of a solution to Afghanistan’s problems. Wow – now who would have figured that? Brown is simply acting as a cipher for Obama here and yet when Blair did the same for Bush, he was castigated for it by the BBC. However the BBC desire to keep HMS Brown afloat at all costs means a blind eye is turned to yet another UTTERLY worthless Brown “initiative”

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Blunting the Impact

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The Guardian reports on how “The Labour MP Mohammed Sarwar is to leave parliament after receiving death threats from people linked to a gang of racist murderers”

The Guardian also reports:

“The multimillionaire MP used connections in Pakistan to help arrange the extradition of Imran Shahid, Zeeshan Shahid and Mohammed Faisal Mushtaq to the UK, where they were jailed for life for their part in the kidnap, torture and murder of the teenager Kriss Donald in 2004.

The trio, part of a violent Glasgow gang, fled to Pakistan after the crime but were returned after 18 months of negotiations between the Pakistani and British governments, assisted by Mr Sarwar.

“Life is not the same, to be honest with you, since I brought them back. I was subjected to threats,” Mr Sarwar told the newspaper.

“I was told they wanted to punish my family and make a horrible example of my son – they would do to him what they did to Kriss Donald.

“I received threats to my life, to murder my sons, to murder my grandchildren.”

The BBC reports:

“The toll of political office appears to have been a high one. His family have faced a flurry of threats over the years from every hue of far-right group.”

Mmmm. Over the years… every hue… far right…. What makes me think the BBC are trying to deflect from the reality of the situation? The report linked above is a terrible example of BBC journalism actually- badly written, rambling, and evasive, combining some spurious hard news value with the feel of a political obituary.

The writer, Stephen Stewart, announces “Mohammed Sarwar may be bowing out of the murky world of public service…”

Excuse me? The murky world of public service? Maybe in Glasgow. Maybe in Pakistani “welfare activities”, but as a general comment?

One final snarky point, Mr Stephens seems to think that Govan is “dusty”. Ah yes, the dry and dusty NW of Scotland, I remember it well!

The BBC also reports: “The father-of-four, Britain’s first Muslim MP, said he had received death threats over the Kriss Donald murder.

But he denied the threats or his son’s conviction for money laundering had anything to do with his decision to move on.”

This is rather different to the Guardian account, which draws much more substantially on Sarwar’s actual words. Strikes me Aunty’s pulling her usual knitted woolen jumper over the eyes, for whatever reasons.

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