Imran in America

As I have discussed yesterday, Taliban supporter and anti American politician, who by the way has failed for 10 years in politics is in America. Apparently, he is there to raise funds for the victims of Swat Operation. Well, only in America. Yes, only in America can a man like Imran Khan, who supports the Taliban and opposes everything about the Americans was allowed to be in a country he so badly wants to see destroyed. Imran spews hate against the United States (just Google it if you don’t believe me), but rushes there every couple of years to get money. Isn’t time that someone in America took notice of this hypocrisy? Why can’t the good people at State disallow Imran and instead grant visa to some who would come back to Pakistan as a friend of the United States and would work to bring the two countries, cultures and people together?

It is a horribly misguided policy to entertain Imran in America and this should stop. In fact, everyone inside Pakistan (believe me, there is a very long line) who hates America and works every news channel to pump people of Pakistan against the United States must be stopped from entering the country they pretend to not like when they are in front of cameras. Yes, I know the usual freedom of speech thing, but this freedom of travel should first be extended to the friends of the United States, please. People like Imran who idolizes Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Putin, Mullah Omar, Osama and other known America haters have no business enjoying the freedom of democracy.

Please Foggy Bottom, please for God’s sake do something, do your job at least, please!

Also, here is what is worth reading from today’s papers in Pakistan.

In an excellent piece titled What are we up against? Ayesha Siddiqa explains the situation in Pakistan vis-à-vis the Taliban and the current operation going on Swat. It is important to be clear about not only the actual war, but also about the objectives and the exit strategy. Another interesting piece of news, followed by comments by the readers is listed as Closing in on Baitullah on Dawn’s Forum. Cyril Almeida wrote a wonderful piece titled Groping in the dark about the complex situation in N.W.F.P.

The News has commented about the news of 57 men who were tried for plotting against Pervez Musharraf while he was in the office.

At a time when the airline industry around the globe is losing money, amazingly, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has hire 80 new pilots, wow. This is one of the benefits of being a state employee, you can’t get fired and you have job security for life. This news was also reported in The News titled Too many pilots.