From The Washington Post
Foreign female journalists face challenges most often in parts of the world where protections for women are weak even in peacetime — in societies where men and women lead highly segregated lives and often don’t have sex before marriage. In these countries, men often say they view Western women as the sexual equivalent of junk food: fast and cheap.
Even highly placed sources can behave inappropriately. Kim Barker, who was the South Asia bureau chief with the Chicago Tribune from 2004 to 2008, was offered an iPhone by former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif. But that phone would not really have been free: His pickup line was, “I’m fat and old. But I would still like to be your friend,” she writes in her book, “The Taliban Shuffle.”
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Kargil Operation in The Light Of The Headlines Of The Newspaper… Part-I
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7 June
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India disconnected from Northern Kashmir
“If India cannot restore its supply route to Siachen than she will have to face great loss of lives, Siachen war has been now shifted to Kargil” Retired Indian General
‘India might attack Pakistan in desperation’ The Economist
‘India Plans to attack and capture few areas of Azad Kashmir under command of General Mahinder’
‘India should face facts in Kargil, stop attacks over Mujahideen and turn towards negotiations’ US Ambassador
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9 June
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‘9 Indian soldiers killed in skirmish over Sialkot Sector, Mujahideen destroy ammo depot in Kargil’
‘Pakistani Foreign Minister might visit India on 12 June,India formerly notifies Pakistan, talks will be over Kargil not Kashmir’
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10 June
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‘Israeli Commandoes arrive over LoC to help Indians’
‘Will not withdraw even from an inch’ Pakistan rejects pressure; before visiting India Pakistani Foreign Minister visits China
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11 June
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‘Govt and opposition unites against India; express confidence over armed forces’
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12 June
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‘We have tackled all Indian plans of aggression over allfronts’ Nawaz Sharif
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13 June
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‘IndoPak talks fruitless due to stubbornness of India with Pakistani Foreign Minister’
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14 June
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‘After failure of negotiations Wajpai orders war; heavy number of personnel arrive at LoC from both sides’
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17 June
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‘Whole nation stands with armed forces’ Nawaz Sharif
‘Will not let nation down’ Parvaiz Musharaf
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18 June
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‘important Indian posts captured by Mujahideen; 65 Indian soldiers killed, 400 laid down weapons in front of Pakistani forces. Indian diplomatic, political and military pressure rejected; will not withdraw from important defense positions in Kargil’
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20 June
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‘any place might be converted into Kargil; India should resolve Kashmir dispute’ Nawaz Sharif
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21 June
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‘G-8 countries reject Indian demands against Pakistan; both countries should come to table for peace talks; unanimous decision’
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22 June
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‘India rejects appeal of G-8 countries’
‘whole region is at the verge of volcano; peace talks withIndia would be over Kashmir not Kargil’
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23 June
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‘If India attacks Pakistan she will get destructive response; Pakistan’s wish for negotiations should not be taken as weakness’ Nawaz Sharif
‘India signals crossing of LoC; Indian army might cross LoC under cover of attacking Mujahideen’ Indian Foreign Minister
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24 June
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‘India warns of a full war; have ordered army to prepare to cross LoC’ Indian Army Chief
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25 June
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‘Mujahideen should withdraw from Indian Held Kashmir; LoC should be relocated’ USA
‘US stance supports Indian stubbornness, we are acting upon Shimla pact while India is not only continuously violating the pact but wants to capture Siachen and other areas as well’ Pakistan
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26 June
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‘Kargil is not separate from Kashmir; Mujahideen will not withdraw from Kargil’ Nawaz Sharif’s reply to US General Anthony
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27 June
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‘Will not accept any pressure on Kargil dispute, clarified to US General that we will not withdraw forces from LoC unanimously’ General Parvaiz Musharaf
‘Diplomatic links between Clinton-Nawa Sharif for negotiations’
‘Nawaz Sharif leaves for visit to China’
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28 June
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‘China ensures complete support to Pakistan overKashmir dispute’
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1 July
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‘Cannot capture Kargil and Daras peaks’ Indian Army
‘Indian army is facing intense loss of lives, intense bombardment and latest weapons are of no use’ even missiles are not hitting the targets. Pakistanis are fighting with zeal and courage, they cannot be crushed’ Colonel Vikram Singh and Squadron Leader Panday talks to media
‘Nukes are not for being kept in cupboards; Pakistan will not end its support to Kashmiris; if India dared to attack Pakistan, we will not refrain from using nuclear weapons’ Raja Zafar-ul-Hassan
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2 July
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India should refrain from devastating peace of the region. Kashmir dispute is the burning dispute of the history, India should not misjudge China’s interest for peace in the region’ China
‘After failure in the Kargil India will open new battle fronts. Pressure over Indian govt is increasing to change policy due to number of casualties in the hands of Mujahideen are unacceptable’ Ex-Indian Army Chief General Wishwanath Sharma
‘Without opening other battle fronts it is impossible to defeat Mujahideen in Kargil. Indian army with either have to fight face to face with Mujahideen or cross LoC’ Indian Defense Analyst A.K Dandy
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3 July
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‘Kargil could not be separated from Kashmir dispute. Indian army’s supremacy will be unacceptable over any part of LoC including Kargil’ Pakistan
‘Will not accept any deal over Kashmiris rights to decide freely, we are acting upon a clear policy’ Nawaz Sharif’s letter to Sardar Qayum
‘In order to retaliate any Indian aggression Pakistani F-16s have been airborne, this is a message to enemy that it will not be spared’
‘If India attacks to Pakistan we will be side by side withPakistan; it is in the greatest interest of Pakistan to follow its principle stance’ Chinese Ambassador
‘As long as Pakistan supported army is not withdrawn from Kargil, Clinton should stop aid to Pakistan; American Congress Committee over Kargil blamesPakistan for the dispute’
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4 July
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‘Indian army had to face intense casualities in Daras; intense fighting continues in Kargil. A big attack has been thwarted; Indian army launched a big attack with the support of artillery and airforce but failed.
‘Nawaz Sharif leaves for USA, USA made it clear that she wants end to the war, Pakistan’s three points agenda will be discussed in one to one meeting. Pakistan will not withdraw from its principle stance, we are ready for long term war as well’ Tehmina Daultana
‘From “Cricket” to “bus” and now deceptive diplomacy; nation not being told the truth. Deals are in progress to return Kargil to India; Prime Minister has no right to deviate from the national stance’ Saeed Manes
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5 July
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Nawaz-Clinton 3 hours long meeting; consensus on restoring the LoC, due to the situation in Kargil threats of war have developed, in order to stop the war both countries should take solid maeasure and start negotiations among higher officials’ Clinton
‘We cannot withdraw even from 1 Inch’ Pakistan Army
‘Pakistan should not accept international pressure overKashmir dispute, Mujahideen will not withdraw from peaks at any cost. Kargil is totally under control, within few weeks India will not be even able to withdraw its military equipment from “Zojila Pass”. If Indian army crossed LoC in no time Pakistan army will be inSrinagar. Allah is with Mujahideen, sudden visit of Nawaz Sharif to USA is suspicious’ Hafiz Saeed talks to Majeed Nizami and media
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6 July
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‘Including Huriat Conference all Mujahid organizations reject Nawaz-Clinton deal’
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7 July
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‘Pakistan has been defeated on diplomatic fronts’ Shah Mehmood
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8 July
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‘Nawaz Sharif has committed treachery by selling Kargil, he has no right to be in power; caretaker govt should be formed to resolve the situation. I am forced to live outside of Pakistan on return will start campaign against Nawz Sharif’ Benazir Bhutto
‘Nawaz govt has signed its deal of death. The deal of slavery is worst than destructive results of war, not even a single word of the deal expresses Pakistani stance’ Qazi Hussain Ahmad’s reaction over Washington Declaration
‘As a reaction over govt policy on Kargil Peoples Party will stage demonstrations tomorrow on the call of Benazir Bhutto; Peoples party appeals all parties to support its demonstrations’
‘On the order of US President, Nawaz Sharif ignored national interest and wasted a golden opurtunity. Whole nation had been united but our leader got defeated in the psychological war. In the next war Washington will be openly against us. The decision of Prime Minister has devastated morale of army’ Hameed Gul
‘We have not signed any deal for the withdrawal of Mujahideen. President Clinton has assured to resolveKashmir dispute within 18 months by taking personal interest. Anti govt elements are spreading rumors. Kashmir has become international dispute against the wishes of India. Due to the deteriorating situation over LoC US intervention was inevitable. So I visited USA to meet US President’. Nawaz Sharif’s interview before leaving New York
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9 July
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‘in spite of Pakistan’s agreement there are no hopes of withdrawal of Mujahideen, fighting is growing intense we are facing intense resistance. We are ready for a full fledged attack over Kargil’ Indian General VP Malik
‘hope that Nawaz Sharif will fulfill the promise of ending the Kargil dispute’ USA
‘If we withdraw from Kargil no one will be in Indian Held Kashmir to support Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif has bowed the head of 14 million people. We will not let him to give up a victory over the table. Nawaz Sharif has hired few persons to propagate that Kargil has no importance. Army and Mujahideen are against him’ Press Conference of Kashmiri Mujahideen
‘Govt has sold out Kashmir in the deal with USA’ Yousaf Raza Gillani
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Nawaz Sharif-The Horny Duffer of Gowalmandi
This man would be PM a third time ? Have we learnt nothing ?
Someone asked for the relevant bit to be highlighted. Just read the bit below……..
He ignored me. “I have bought you an iPhone,” he said.
“I can’t take it.”
“Why not? It is a gift.”
“No. It’s completely unethical, you’re a source.”
“But we are friends, right?” I had forgotten how Sharif twisted the word
“friend.”
“Sure, we’re friendly, but you’re still the former prime minister of
Pakistan and I can’t take an iPhone from you,” I said.
“But we are friends,” he countered. “I don’t accept that. I told you I was
buying you an iPhone.”
“I told you I couldn’t take it. And we’re not those kind of friends.”
He tried a new tactic. “Oh, I see. Your translator is here, and you do not
want him to see me give you an iPhone. That could be embarrassing for you.”
Exasperated, I agreed. “That’s it.”
He then offered to meet me the next day, at a friend’s apartment in Lahore, to give me the iPhone and have tea. No, I said. I was going to Faridkot. Sharif finally came to the point. “Kim. I am sorry I was not able to find you a friend. I tried, but I failed.” He shook his head, looked genuinely sad about the failure of the project.
“That’s OK,” I said. “Really. I don’t really want a friend right now. I am
perfectly happy without a friend. I want to be friendless.”
He paused. And then, finally, the tiger of Punjab pounced. “I would like to be your friend.”I didn’t even let him get the words out. “No. Absolutely not. Not going to happen.”
“Hear me out.” He held his hand toward me to silence my negations as he made his pitch. He could have said anything—that he was a purported billionaire who had built my favorite road in Pakistan, that he could buy me a power plant or build me a nuclear weapon. But he opted for honesty.
“I know, I’m not as tall as you’d like,” Sharif explained. “I’m not as fit
as you’d like. I’m fat, and I’m old. But I would still like to be your
friend.”
“No,” I said. “No way.”
He then offered me a job running his hospital, a job I was eminently
unqualified to perform. “It’s a huge hospital,” he said. “You’d be very good at it.” He said he would only become PM again if I were his secretary. I thought about it for a few seconds—after all, I would probably soon be out of a job. But no. The new position’s various positions would not be worth it.
Eventually, I got out of the tiger’s grip, but only by promising that I would consider his offer. Otherwise, he wouldn’t let me leave. I jumped into the car, pulled out my tape recorder, and recited our conversation. Samad shook his head. My translator put his head in his hands. “I’m embarrassed for my country,” he said.
After that, I knew I could never see Sharif again. I was not happy about this—I liked Sharif. In the back of my mind, maybe I had hoped he would come through with a possible friend, or that we could have kept up our banter, without an iPhone lurking in the closet. But now I saw him as just another sad case, a recycled has-been who squandered his country’s adulation and hope, who thought hitting on a foreign journalist was a smart move. Which it clearly wasn’t.”
