The Londoner

It's gang up on Pakistan time.The US Secretary of State, Mrs Clinton, has declared it "poses a mortal threat to the security and safety of our country and the world" and now Gordon Brown has joined the party, flying to Kabul and Islamabad to show that he too regards the two neighbours as one region and making that the centrepiece of his so-called "new" Afghan policy in the Commons yesterday. There was, he claimed, a "chain of terror" stretching from the mountainous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan to the capitals of the world. If this reminds you of the language of the Raj, when the North-West Frontier obsessed our administrators and took up a disproportionate part of our military resources, so it should. Just as the British failed to control the area in Victorian times, so we are back in the same exercise again, only this time we're demanding that the Pakistanis act as the redcoats bringing order to the wild tribal lands. Now leave aside th

DAGGAR: A major military operation was launched against Taliban militants in Buner district Tuesday, DawnNews reports. The operation aims to eliminate militants who had faked their exit from the area, Director-General ISPR Athar Abbas told DawnNews, adding that the operation in Lower Dir has been completed. The operation in Buner was launched at 04:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Abbas said. He said that militants in the area had refused to heed the government's warnings and had been kidnapping young boys for recruitment into the Taliban's ranks. Both the Frontier Corps and regular army forces are taking part in the operation, Abbas added. Read the full story here.

By Sikander Hayat It seems that beginning of end for Taliban in Malakand area is in sight. Pakistan army has started a military operation against the Taliban in Dir at the request of local government of Pakhtunkhwa after a FC convoy was attacked by the terrorists. A soldier and five terrorists including a key Taliban commander Maulvi Shahid has been killed as well. Frontier Corps has entered the Taliban hide out of laal Qila and heavy fighting has been reported.Gunship helicopters have also been deployed in the ongoing operation.

WASHINGTON: Two days of continuous congressional hearings on the Obama administration’s foreign policy brought a rare concession from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who acknowledged that the United States too had a share in creating the problem that plagues Pakistan today. In an appearance before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday, Mrs Clinton explained how the militancy in Pakistan was linked to the US-backed proxy war against the Soviets in Afghanistan. ‘We can point fingers at the Pakistanis. I did some yesterday frankly. And it’s merited because we are wondering why they just don’t go out there and deal with these people,’ said Mrs Clinton while referring to an earlier hearing in which she said that Pakistan posed a ‘mortal threat’ to the world. ‘But the problems we face now to some extent we have to take responsibility for, having contributed to it. We also have a history of kind of moving in and out of Pakistan,’ she said. Read the rest of the

Beijing, China—Former President of Pakistan, Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf continued his international lecture tour with several engagements in key Chinese cities. [If pictures don’t appear, click Pic1, Pic2, Pic3] For this tour in China, the former President was invited by the government of China, through the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA). His first lecture was in Beijing to CPIFA, attended by many Chinese Ambassadors, experts on South Asia, and graduate students. The former President’s lecture focused on the deep relationship between Pakistan and China, and an in-depth analysis of regional issues including Afghanistan, India, terrorism and extremism. The former President stressed the need for closer global cooperation to defeat terrorism and extremism, and a more proactive role for China. His next lecture was in Shanghai, with the prestigious Shanghai Institute for International Studies. The President addressed Chinese experts on South Asia, Asia Pacific, and the

By Osman Samiuddin It really didn't matter that Pakistan chased down their target tonight with all the assurance of a one-legged man roller-skating in quicksand with his hands tied behind his back. It only mattered that they chased them down at all, even if at one stage it seemed Misbah-ul-Haq was bent upon wresting his countryman's hold on the longest international innings of all time. Pakistan are not used to playing against Australia and they are certainly not used to winning against them; this was only a second win in their last 12 ODIs (over nearly seven years) against them. Though not many in this team are scarred by that kind of record, they batted as if that history was firmly on their mind. If this was a weakened, transitional Australia, it was Australia nonetheless and Pakistan can happily point to an absent middle-order bearded wonder and an equally absent lanky fast bowling genius. Read the rest of the story here .

Shahid Afridi has taken six wickets against Australia in Dubai giving Pakistan a good chance to win against Australia in the first one dayer. 168 was the score that Australia were able to muster aganst a blazing spell of spin bowling by Pakistan.