Pakistani Militants Are On The Offensive

Pakistan Militants Kill 41 In Mass Execution, Attack On Shi'ites -- Reuters

Pakistani militants, who have escalated attacks in recent weeks, killed at least 41 people in two separate incidents, officials said on Sunday, challenging assertions that military offensives have broken the back of hardline Islamist groups.

The United States has long pressured nuclear-armed ally Pakistan to crack down harder on both homegrown militants groups such as the Taliban and others which are based on its soil and attack Western forces in Afghanistan.

In the north, 21 men working for a government-backed paramilitary force were executed overnight after they were kidnapped last week, a provincial official said.

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Update: Bomb kills 19 Pakistan pilgrims, 21 troops shot dead -- AFP

My Comment: What will it take for the Pakistani military and intelligence services to finally act against these militants and Al Qaeda linked terror organizations .... your guess is as good as mine.

Who Will Rule Pakistan: The Generals Or The Lawyers?

Meanwhile: Generals and Judges Battle for Power in Pakistan -- Abubakar Siddique, The Atlantic

The clash between the country's powerful military and aggressive judiciary is more intense than ever.

With every step Pakistan's judiciary takes toward defining its role, it further encroaches on the powerful military's turf. This was obvious on November 5 when, after months of behind-the-scenes discord, military leader General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry went public with their mutual criticisms.

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My Comment: I sympathize with the judiciary .... a country should be ruled by laws and a constitution. But in Pakistan the military has always had a different point of view .... and they have the guns.

A Warning From Pakistan's Military To The Civilian Leadership

Pakistani Army Chief Issues Warning In Rare Statement -- Radio Free Europe

Pakistan's powerful army chief has issued a rare public statement warning against efforts to undermine the country's military.

The comments by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani come amid unprecedented pressure on the army from Pakistan's civilian government, media, and judiciary.

Kayani said on November 5 that the military derives its strength from the public and any effort that "draws a wedge" between the people and the military undermines national security.

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More News On Pakistan's Army Chief Issuing A Warning To The Civilian Leadership

Text of General Kayani's statement -- Business Recorder
Pakistan general warns civilians not to ‘assume more than one’s due role’ -- McClatchy News
Pakistan Army Chief Issues Warning in Rare Message -- ABC News/AP
Sparks fly after Kayani’s ‘national interest’ speech -- The Hindu
Kayani warns against drawing wedge between Pak people and armed forces -- Times of India
No individual or institution alone can decide national interest: Kayani -- DAWN
No individual or institution can alone decide national interest: Gen Kayani -- News Pakistan

My Comment: I would not call his statement a warning .... it is more of a threat. In any other democracy such a statement by a military chief will result in his immediate firing .... but this is Pakistan.

Pakistani Schoolgirl Malala Yusufzai Sent To UK For Treatment

Pakistani Schoolgirl Attacked By Taliban Sent To UK For Treatment -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by Taliban gunmen for pushing for girls to be educated has been sent to the United Kingdom for medical treatment, a military spokesman said on Monday.

The spokesman said in a statement that 14-year-old Malala Yusufzai, whose shooting has drawn condemnation abroad and at home, will require prolonged care to fully recover physically and psychologically.

The spokesman said an air ambulance transporting Malala, provided by the United Arab Emirates, had departed from Islamabad and was heading for the United Kingdom.

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My Comment: Our prayers are with her, her family, and with her supporters.