I don't know whether this will be of any use at all, but from another forum that I am a part of, a sister living in Islamabad wrote this...
(SISTER IN ISLOO)"the only reason why i am putting this here is...there are so many of you who are very politically charged and like to stay on top of things. Story is:
Islamabad is a small place. So, what we hear from people on-the-scene is very different from what we are seeing on TV and all. I was very shocked and asked them why they don't tell all this on TV? They were all like, "welcome to PK, jani."
...can you believe the reporters haven't been near Lal Masjid for DAyS? The footage they're showing is old or Government 'passed.'
...Do you know who backed the Ghazi Brothers in the first place? ISI. They say, in Pakistan, the hierarchy goes this way...At the third place is the PrimeMinister, at second, the President, and the leading decision maker is the Head of ISI (Inter Services Intelligence...our FBI/CIA) What happened now?
...Do you know the Government is suffering loss after loss and trained Commandoes cannot overcome Masjid Fighters?? How come? Is that possible?
Tell you what all these things point towards: third party involvement. Who? Why? THAT will come later. But all the stuff that the TV is showing is BAKWAS. Bull *!*!*!*!. All of it, from A to Z. They say 'cease fire' or 'lifting of curfew' but i have heard, with my own ears, machine guns thundering NON STOP. Not even a breather. Islamabad under curfew? LOL...we are all going on as before. Only the 'war zone' is closed. What is pissing me off (pardon the french, ladies) is that everyone feels entitled to an opinion. I feel like yelling at everyone 'You just know the one-sided situation yet! How can you form a judgement.' People are pawns in the hands of the Government. It plays them as it wants. Sometimes, i feel most Pakistanis are so naive an trusting, they put their strings in the hands of the government and it yanks them in whatever direction it wants..."
(RESPONSE FROM FELLOW) "that's unusual because i've heard quite the opposite from ppl in the know in isloo...and it seems funny how the media e.g. geo tv etc would toe the gov't line wrt this situation and not report what's going on the ground especially when they've been the ones so vociferious against mush and his regime's handeling of the CJ situation from day 1 and continue to be and also regarding other issues...and i find it extremely hard to believe that the ghazi brother who escaped in a burka went because the gov't 'asked' him to do so and come for negotiations??...even he couldn't have fallen for THAT...and i don't agree with your statement that most pakistanis are pawns of the gov't...infact, just the opposite...most of them are extremely jaded and cynical of anything and everything the gov't does..."
(SISTER IN ISLOO) "when i say most...i don't mean most of US sitting here at this forum. You have to realize how many of the 'most' are un educated. They are the raw power of this nation...whatever we may be...we're hardly the type to get out on the roads and do something.
No, I am pretty sure of my info. Even i was surprised at the Geo TV thing because i saw them as the only responsible reporting agnecy who puts the facts as they are...but the problem is..if they run the news that's going around, what've they got as a backup to prove? And whatsoever, remember, this is PK...one time or the other, they HAVE to toe the line. The government put a ban on coverage of the CJ event, who was able to do anything? NO ONE. I don't see Geo showing the coverage...they 'toed' the line in this case.
@ Negotiations...this thing was around for DAYS. First we heard it was Shujaat Hussain who was going to do it..then it was someone else. But consider: Doesn't it seem even more idiotic that someone would try to escape wearing a burqa?
The first time i saw the footage of women leaving the seminary, my first thought was :anyone can leave that way. Its laughable to assume that the security forces didnot think of it and Maulana (inspite of having cell phones) would not know that there is a scanner at the gates (and carry a gun to set off the alarms?!?!) and try to escape this way...ha. Next they will tell us he was trying to jump the wall. This burqa thing..i am sorry. But anyone who accepts this story the way the government puts it will have they have never been to pakistan...or be incredibly naive. It cannot be this much of a bongi. THis is stupidness par extreme. I cannot accept this bongi we are expected to believe.
P.S. EVeryone is Islamabad is 'in the know' or atleast think they are. Everyone has an inkling that there is some weird stuff going on right under our noses.
Comeon...how can you defend the presence of ammunition enough to have a standout against the Army in the middle of the capital without anyone knowing it?!?
Now, this Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid have been here for 40 years...although they weren't this big. How come no one had a problem with their extremism before? They were always like this...someone made this spiral out of control...I can't believe the government could not overcome them before...or even now....they can...WHy are they waiting?
Pawns on a chess board. Pawns.
And actually we are not cynical and jaded...for the most part, this nation is politically very unaware. We elected Nawaz, then Benazir, then Nawaz...even after all they did. I never heard that Richard Nixon had the nerve to stand for the President after what he did. We forgive and forget. We are an innocent, trusting nation. Nation...not you and i who don't even bother to go vote because we KNOW the election result"