Baithak Desi May 31: Dawn, Hamid Mir on AQK, Abbas Ansari, Inayatullah, Headlines, Cartroons

It is not a secret that all aspects of the country’s nuclear programme have remained in the hands of the military. Therefore, the implication that his actions were not just his own assumes added significance at a time when some in the West are questioning Pakistan’s ability to keep its nuclear weapons secure. We won’t get into the debate here whether Pakistan is safer and stronger for having nuclear weapons. We would, however, say that most damage to the country in recent years, and more so in recent months, has not been done by any external enemy but by loose talk within. And it is time political leaders in and out of government, ex-generals, scientists and others just paused and thought through the consequences of their words before they so generously share them with everyone. Dawn Editorial on A Q Khan


Highly-placed government sources have claimed that it was not established during the four-year-long investigations that Dr Khan was providing nuclear technology to Iran and Libya just for money. The probe found that the main reason behind nuclear proliferation was because Dr Khan disliked the US policies. It is still Nuclear Proliferation - Hamid Mir


The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) would soon take legislative action to disband political wings of all intelligence agencies, including the ISI, which have acquired notoriety for carrying out dirty business for dictators. The government is considering amendments to the rules of business to hold the security agencies, including the ISI and the MI, accountable to the elected government, besides disbandment of their political wings. Ansar Abbasi


There are straws in the wind which suggest that PPP is already planning for the day when it would have dropped PML-N as a coalition partner. Salman Taseer's appointment as Punjab governor without consulting PML-N leadership, retention of Malik Qayyum as attorney general, refusal to abide by the Bhurban Accord to restore judges within 30 days, insistence on the retention of PCO judges, the attempt to postpone by-elections, induction of old adversary of Sharif brothers Manzoor Wattoo into the cabinet welcoming him and his supporters to the fold of the peoples' party - all these carefully planned moves are a manifestation of the resolve to weaken the PML-N and push it out of power even in the Punjab. Not that this will actually happen soon. A post-Musharraf scenario! By INAYATULLAH

Headlines


Blame the Judiciary: Pakistani boy 'killed by teacher'
Pakistan? Cluster bomb ban adopted
Dr Khan ‘clarifies’ remarks about Shujaat, S.M. Zafar
India ‘deports Ansar Burney’
Suo Moto? Minor girls engaged to settle feud!
EDITORIAL: Baitullah Mehsud’s funds
The unreasonable man — Shaukat Qadir

Maxim - Today's Cartoon

oday's Cartoon