The document discusses challenges faced in Pakistan and Afghanistan due to cultural, linguistic, religious, and historical differences. It notes the complexities in both countries and that outsiders do not fully understand the local communities. A brief history of Pakistan and Afghanistan is provided along with discussions of nuclear proliferation, extremism, and the transition of the mujahideen to the Taliban in shaping US policy towards Afghanistan. The document concludes by outlining how to read Pakistani newspapers to understand current issues related to the chief justice, Kashmir, terrorism, tribals, Taliban, India, the US, and Blackwater.

1. Reading Tea Leaves in
Pakistan
Manan Ahmed
FU-Berlin
manan.ahmed@fu-berlin.de
January 29th, 2010
1

2. We are struggling to fight with and for people with a
different culture, a different language, different custom,
different history, different religion, if any. And all of those
similarities exist. We don't live there. We don't live in the
community, in a hamlet, in a small town, pocket, whatever
you want to call it.
And so we're not there often at night. They are. And the
night often rules with insurgencies. The complications are
profound in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
- Senator John Kerry (March 2009)
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3. Turkestan, Afghanistan, Transcaspia, Persia—to many these
words breath only a sense of utter remoteness or a
memory of strange vicissitudes and of moribund romance.
To me, I confess, they are the pieces on a chessboard upon
which is being played out a game for the domination of the
world.
—
George Lord Curzon,Viceroy of India (1892)
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4. A Very Brief Long History of Pakistan & Afghanistan
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5. 5

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7. The 62 years of post-colonial period in Pakistan has been
evenly divided between military dictatorships and military-
backed civilian governments.
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8. Nuclear Proliferation. Extremism.
Two paradigms that dominate US policy towards Pakistan.
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9. Mujahedeen to Taliban
The single paradigm dominating US policy towards Afghanistan
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10. And among the five million refugees who have been forced over the
borders (one third of Afghanistan’s prewar population), about 48
percent are children, many of whom are being trained by the
resistance to take up the fight to free Afghanistan from “Russian
infidels.
The Soviets, if successful in their indoctrination of the young, will at
best produce a relatively small, elite cadre of Communist
sympathizers. The Afghans, on the other hand, are preparing millions
of young people for a fight to the finish in a struggle that seems
destined to continue for many years.
-
Jeri Laber, “Afghanistan's Other War”, New York Review of Books, vol.
33, no. 20, December 18, 1986
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11. How to Read Tea Leaves
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12. NEXT
Daily Waqt (Lahore): 22/01/10 - 26/01/10
Nawa’i Waqt (Lahore): 24/01/10 - 28/01/10
Daily Jang (Karachi): 23/01/10 - 27/01/10
Daily Duniya (Quetta): 24/01/10 - 28/01/10
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13. Chief Justice/ Kashmir Terrorism
Law/N.R.O. Taliban
India U.S.
Blackwater/U.S.
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14. Chief Kashmir Terrorism
Justice/Law/ Tribals/Taliban
India
N.R.O.
U.S.
Blackwater/U.S.
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15. Select Page Page No. 1 City Lahore Nawaiwaqt ePaper
Kashmir Terrorism
Chief Justice/Law/
Tribals/Taliban
N.R.O.
U.S.
India Blackwater/U.S.
Other Publications
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16. Terrorism Baluchistan
Chief Justice/Law/N.R.O. Tribals/Taliban
Pashtun Issues
India Blackwater/U.S.
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17. Select Page Page No. 1 City Lahore Nawaiwaqt ePaper
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20. Manan Ahmed
FU-Berlin
manan.ahmed@fu-berlin.de
January 29th, 2010
20