Islamabad, Pakistan — People on the streets of Pakistan shouting, banners waving and guns being fired— really nothing new as this country has been facing some very tough times over the last few years.  But those people on the streets late last night were not calling for the overthrow of the government or extremists chanting ‘death to America’ or even lawyers calling for judicial reform.  They were cricket fans celebrating Pakistan’s victory over Sri Lanka in the Twenty20 World Cup Championship.

Now I know that cricket is lost on most of us Americans, and believe me, I have tried many times to understand it.  It’s tough.  But seeing the jubilation on the streets and in the parks of Pakistan late Sunday night when their team was victorious, it did not matter if you knew the difference between a wicket and home plate or an ‘out’ verses an ‘over.’ It was crystal clear that this victory was a ray of hope the Pakistani people direly needed.

Not only have recent terror attacks thrown the country into a state of preoccupation and hyper-alertness, but it had hit their beloved cricket as well.  A few months ago, terrorists struck a convoy of the visiting Sri Lankan team just before a game in Lahore.  After that, international cricket organizations stopped any major games from being played on Pakistani soil.  So that attack prevented most Pakistanis from seeing their national team contest in international tournaments.

With nearly 2 million displaced people in the northwest, a serious battle raging in the Swat Valley between the army and militants and another just starting to open down in South Waziritstan, good news and a little bit of hope are just what the doctor ordered.  The TV news anchors even appear to be holding back ear-to-ear grins as they recount the game and show footage of drum-playing and bouncing cricket fans from every corner of Pakistan.  Thanks to huge outdoor TV screens set up at several camps, thousands of the internal refugees were able to see the game.

To be honest , while watching the dancing on the streets, in the back of my mind I was thinking that these scenes are exactly the soft targets the Taliban militants have been targeting on a regular basis over the last few months.  Luckily my paranoia was unfounded and the celebrations went off without a hitch.

My true hope is that the people of Pakistan get to savor this victory, giving them the opportunity to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  It’s a long and tough tunnel to travel through, but there is an end.

Share This

Forward Operating Base Tillman, Afghanistan –  Way out here on the far eastern edge of Paktika province, less than two miles from the Pakistani border, is FOB Tillman.  It’s named after Pat Tillman who gave up a multi-million dollar NFL contract with the Arizona Cardinals to serve his country.

Just after 9/11, he enlisted in the Army with his brother and then trained to become an elite Ranger.  Five years ago this week, he was killed when his patrol was ambushed in this rugged country.  His death was a result of friendly fire, but to those soldiers we have spoken with out here, it does not matter how he died.  He gave up his life serving his country.

Kabul-based Fox News reporter Conor Powell’s and my journey to this remote spot started on Monday at Bagram Air Field, about an hour’s drive from Kabul.  One C-130 flight to Salerno FOB, a Chinook helicopter and an overnight in FOB Orgun-E and then another Chinook flight this morning got us to our final destination.

To be honest, our timing was lucky.  We did not plot out actually being here on this solemn day, the exact day and region where the man so many have called an American hero was killed … and on the base named after him.

While waiting for our flight at Bagram we were killing some time at the USO Pat Tillman Center and a plaque with the date of his KIA caught my attention.  We could not believe the timing.  We did the story right then and there on the 5th year since his death and the USO center named after him.  It was only until we reached Orgun-E that we found out that we were coming to FOB Tillman.

Here’s a link to a story on Pat Tillman aired on the Fox Report:

During our stay over the next few days we will tag along with the 509th Baker Company as we learn the situation along this stretch of the border and how a ‘rubber meets the road’ approach is working by the three involved parties (Afghan security forces, US Army and the Pakistani Army) as they attempt to stamp out the cross border movement and attacks by insurgents.  There’s a lot at stake and has been for some time, but with the major focus by the Obama administration, the political instability in Pakistan and the Afghan Presidential elections around the corner, they ante is now through the roof.

Share This

Islamabad, Pakistan – This afternoon I had the opportunity to sit down with this country’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.  I’ve been waiting weeks for this interview.  With the second visit this week of the new front man for the Obama administration seasoned diplomat Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, the dedicated envoy for Pakistan/Afghanistan, I was eager to hear the Foreign Minister’s thoughts about the new American strategy for the region.

Washington’s inner circles now refer to the region as AfPak, a title Qureshi does not appreciate.  “We have issues with this terminology.  We feel that we are two different countries with a different history and a different evolution. There are commonalities but we are distinct in many ways,” he said.

But one thing the two countries do share, a steady increase in terrorist attacks. Something the Foreign Minister admits is not going to get better anytime soon as his country is in a state of war, “All experts are of the opinion that it will deteriorate before it improves.”

The biggest sore spot for the Pakistani government right now are the US drone attacks in the tribal areas.  The Pakistani people and government view them as a breech of Pakistan’s sovereignty and it inflames anti-US sentiment they say.

I asked Qureshi if it bothers him that US officials do not publicly acknowledge the attacks. “Drone attacks, that’s a fact.  People are being hit by missiles.  People see bodies, people see women and children maimed.  People want to know how many high value targets you have achieved through these drone attacks and how many innocent people have been killed.  There was an article today that for 10 Al Qaida operatives, over 700 people were killed.  What justification do you have for that?”

Despite that, the Foreign Minister still had some positive/diplomatic comments about the meetings this week.  “Just because we don’t agree on everything does not mean the meetings were bad.”

Many here who viewed Holbrooke’s visit, who was accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen, said it appeared a bit chilly.  In fact, the head of Pakistani intelligence service (ISI) refused a separate meeting with the two American visitors, only attending a general meeting. The snub was possibly a reaction to media reports quoting American officials saying that there are some ISI connections to the militants.

No doubt the drone attack issue will top the agenda when Qureshi goes to Washington in early May and that trust between the two countries will continue to be a work in progress.  As trust, Qureshi said, is the key to any relationship.

Share This

My Pakistani cricket team hat

Islamabad, Pakistan – The banner headlines in today’s newspapers say it all:
TERROR BOWLS CRICKET OUT, MUMBAI TERROR VISITS LAHORE.

Tuesday’s deadly terror attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in the eastern city of Lahore left eight from their team wounded and seven others dead, six of them security officers.  This was among the highest-profile attacks on a sports team since Palestinian militants killed eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Stories are emerging of heroic actions, including the driver of the team’s bus who stayed behind the wheel and drove to safety even as bullets were whizzing through the windshield.  In total, twenty-five bullets struck the bus.

This is yet another blow to this country whose civilian government appears to be losing control at every turn, but this latest attack is a serious strike against the morale of the Pakistani people.  This in addition to ongoing battles with the Taliban and Al Qaeda, rolling blackouts and an economy that’s making it difficult for average people to feed their families let alone throwing the country’s poor further into desperation.

In this part of the world cricket is religion and now for the foreseeable future it will be impossible for the average Pakistani to see their national team play PERIOD, let alone on their own soil.  No teams will take the risk to come here for a match and the International Cricket Council is now reviewing Pakistan as a co-host for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.  Yesterday, New Zealand called off its December tour and the only reason the Sri Lankan team was in country this week is because India canceled its tour just after the Mumbai terror attacks in November.

About three months ago while poking through one of the many shopping areas here in the capital, I came across a sports store that carried the entire line of Pakistani cricket team jerseys and hats.  I bought a green cap with the team’s gold star emblem on the front.  Nearly every time I wore it, someone would comment on it.  It made their heart swell to see a foreigner wear their team’s hat.  Little did they know that I have never even been able to keep score in a cricket match, but even if they did, I’m sure it would not have mattered.

One of Fox News’ Pakistani employees was a spin bowler in his day.  I guess the best way to describe a spin bowler is like a starting pitcher in baseball with a mean curveball.  When word of the attack in Lahore came in, all he said was “Pakistani cricket, it’s now finished.”  For Munir’s sake, and for the millions of Pakistani cricket fans here, I hope that the lapse in matches will be a ‘tea break’ and not a permanent game ender.

Share This

By Scott Heidler, Islamabad Bureau

Rawalpindi, Pakistan ­ – After moving back to Pakistan last summer I was excited to return to a region I know well and report on the ever-changing political landscape here, but I was also looking forward to taking the time to put together some feature stories that put a face to Pakistan and her people.

Well, after eight months of a near-constant flow of hard news I was finally able to do a story I have been wanted to do for a long time.  A peek inside the Murree Brewery and Distillery in Rawalpindi, the large city just next to the capital Islamabad.

Pakistan was formed as an Islamic Republic as the British were dissolving their colony on the Indian subcontinent in 1947.  The nation was formed to be home for the Muslim people as partition came into play, dividing the former, massive colony.

There are some colonial hangovers that come up in normal Pakistani life; the train stations are very Raj era in appearance with wicker fans and pith helmets hanging on hooks (even if there’s a strong feeling that they have seen much better days), and the traffic cops still wear canary yellow ascots.

But my personal favorite is the Murree Brewery.  It was built in 1860 up in the Himalayan foothills in a place called Murree, but then moved down here in the 1920s as they needed land to expand that the mountain landscape did not allow. It was constructed by the British to provide beer for its army.

When the Brits started heading back in the late 1940s, CEO Isphanyar Bhandara’s grandfather bought a controlling share of Murree, and it has been in the Bhandara family ever since.  Isphanyar just took the helm last year after his father died.  The Bhandaras are part of a small non-Muslim Parsi ethnic group. That allowed them to legally run the brewery in a country where it’s illegal for Muslims to drink.  The company can only sell its alcoholic products to government approved hotels and wine shops.  They are only allowed to sell it to foreigners or non-Muslims.

Murree epitomizes family business, but not just because of the executives of the company. While we were taking our tour we met two men who had sons working at the brewery, one even has a grandson who is about to start.  We were told they were not an anomaly.

Check out the story that aired on FNC:

So, next time you’re in Pakistan make sure you grab a cold Murree brew — kshhh-unk (the best phonetic spelling I could come up with for the sound of a beer can opening.) Cheers!

Share This

Islamabad, Pakistan – It’s hard to believe that’s it’s been a week since the Mumbai attacks started. And we are on the back angle of the story here in Islamabad. I can only imagine how fast the time has flown by for our teams on the ground in India.

FOX producer Sib and I were editing an Afghanistan story for last Wednesday’s Special Report show when the assignment desk called me about the attacks.  As we all know, India and Pakistan are not the best of neighbors so getting to Mumbai from Islamabad is a serious challenge.  So instead of venturing out on a series of car and airplane rides, it was decided for me to stay put as there would no doubt be a Pakistani angle to the story.

Not the First Time

The last time these two foes nearly went to war was back in 2002, several months after a deadly attack on the Indian Parliament building in New Delhi.  Indian officials connected the attack to a militant group on the Pakistani side of the Himalayan region of Kashmir.

I was living in Pakistan back then too and was positioned up in the Pakistani Kashmir capital Muzaffarabad for over a month to cover the story as the two countries stared each other down across the de facto border, or line of control (LoC).  In some cases a mere 100 yards.  It was a standoff that never went anywhere, but gained the world’s attention because both countries have nuclear weapons in their back pockets.

Here We Go Again?

Just a year after that 2002 standoff, a peace process was kicked off and seemed to be gaining some steam over the last several months with the new Pakistani civilian government now in office.  A trade route was even reopened between the two sides of Kashmir in October.

But after this past week, not only are those talks put on hold, the process will most likely go back to square one – wiping out four years of slow progress and potential trade routes Pakistan needs as its economy is in free-fall.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani over the weekend and he told me, in several different ways, that his government understands what India and her people are going through and wants to help any way possible in the investigation.

Here is a chunk of that interview:

But despite all the understanding and as PM Gilani put it “maturity” his country will embrace, the potential problem that lurks around the corner is if there are connections to groups or training camps on Pakistani soil, how India will handle it… and thus, how will Pakistan react.

The leadership here says they will do whatever it takes to capture or kill anyone with connections to these attacks.  The question is, will India be satisfied with the way Pakistan deals with the problem.

So, like most Pakistanis right now, we’re holding our breath to see where the connections are made and how they will play out.  Stay tuned.

Share This

Bajaur, Pakistan – I spent the last few days with the Bajaur Scouts on the frontlines of Pakistan’s major anti-militant operation in the tribal region the Scouts call home.  But it’s not just the Scouts in the fight, all tolled there are about 4,000 – 5,000 Pakistani security forces pushing their way west toward the border with Afghanistan. The focus of the operation, the commanding officer of the Scouts told me, is so they can cut off the supply and transportation vein the militants have established running from the southern parts of the tribal belt up to Bajaur and then across into the Kunar province of Afghanistan. Kunar is the site of some of the deadliest militant attacks on coalition forces and a lifeline for the Taliban who has kicked up its terror attacks across Pakistan.

I’ve had multiple opportunities to report alongside US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.  This was my first time with a foreign army.  I’ve lived in Pakistan two times, so I’ve gotten to know the culture here quite well.  With hospitality a hallmark, you are hard pressed to leave anyone’s house in Pakistan without a cup of tea or a meal.  That’s even if you are just dropping something off. There’s no difference on the frontlines.

Tea with the Colonel

I guess its safe to say any soldier wants to bring as much of their “home” with them to the battlefield.  On Wednesday, we hopped from compound to compound captured by the security forces from the militants in just the last few weeks.  As we stopped to hear what Colonel Ali’s take was on things, mortars being fired from a compound on our left and massive artillery rounds coming from the HQ a few miles back down the road, what did we do?  We had a cup of tea in a nicely arranged outdoor sitting area, of course.  I liked the location — 4 yards from a bunker.

Mortars Fly

This is some video of the compound firing mortars to ‘soften’ an area from which a Taliban attack came from the previous night.

Taliban Tunnels

This three-month-long battle is being fought inch by inch; the end of the current front line is not far up the road form the Scouts’ HQ.  It took them two months to capture just eight miles of territory.

And why did they move so slowly; the Taliban had spent years carving out a cave and tunnel network connecting compounds for miles.  All of the compounds not currently used by the Pakistani forces have been razed to the ground.  Before they started this “scorched earth” policy, the militants would return to cleared compounds and use them as staging ground to launch more attacks.

This video shows how the Taliban used one such tunnel in an effort to fight off advancing Pakistani forces.  The leader of the Bajaur Taliban Qari Zia was in this compound when the troops arrived, but he escaped through one of the tunnels.

The commander of Bajaur Scouts said he thinks they’ll be able to wrap up the operation and clear militants out of their area by the end of December.  The big question, where will they go?  The military is already prepping for the influx in Mohmand, the tribal area south of Bajaur.

I wonder if the tea the soldiers will be serving in Mohmand will be as good as Bajaur?
I’ll get back to you on that one.

Share This

Islamabad — Just before 8pm on Saturday, my wife Katherine and I sat down for a quiet meal on what we thought would be a quiet night in Islamabad this past Saturday. We were dead wrong.

Just after my first bite of pasta, an explosion rattled the window just next to us. It was so severe that the house itself seemed to move a bit, prompting me to think that the blast was in our neighborhood. We would find out days later, that feeling was shared by many of our friends who live near us and some who even live farther away from the Islamabad Marriott Hotel than us. All of them thought the bombing was on their street. This was Islamabad’s worst terror attack and even those who have lived here for years never experienced such a powerful explosion.

The Marriott is about two miles away from us and the detonation of 1,300 pounds of explosives packed in a dump truck as it was tangled in an entryway security barrier could be felt as far as 10 miles away.

Right after it happened, I sent Katherine and our dog into a back bathroom in case there were more explosions. I immediately rang Fox News producer Sib is see what he knew as I slowly opened the door to our balcony. Sib was in the Blue Area of Islamabad, less than a mile from the blast site. He could already see a column of smoke rising from in front of the Marriott hotel and described the damage to the building he was in; shattered glass and the collapse of false ceilings.

I grabbed the camera, hopped in the car and off to the scene we went. We arrived about 20 minutes after the explosion to a scene of chaos and horror.

As a foreigner living in Islamabad, entertainment and dining options are limited. With five restaurants, the Marriott was a hot spot. On Saturday, it was jarring to see a place we went to so often in this state of devastation.

I immediately started doing a phone report with Neil Cavuto as we arrived. Sib shot off to grab footage of the damage and the fire that was just beginning at that stage, but then later engulfed all four upper floors of the building with 250 guest rooms.

This was the second bombing in the center of Islamabad since we’ve moved here. The first was at the Danish embassy back in June. Saturday’s Marriott blast was much, much larger but in both cases, there was an eerie similarity.

Islamabad is a planned capital city. It was built to be the seat of government and serve as a home for the Pakistanis and foreigners who work here. So it’s full of grand, wide avenues packed with vegetation. Thick, tall trees line nearly every road.

In the immediate aftermath of both bombings, as we neared the scene, the first indication that there was an attack was identical. Blocks away from the explosion green summer leaves were blasted from their branches by the shock wave. So leading us to what we knew was going to be a gruesome scene was a blanket of soft green leaves.

Everyday this week there has been new fallout from the attack. Monday, one of the main international schools closed down for the week; Tuesday, British Airways indefinitely suspended flights to and from Pakistan; Wednesday, the security in front of the only other Islamabad five-star hotel was dramatically beefed up; today, the US Embassy joined the UK Embassy by suspending all visa services and on Friday its expected that the UN will make a ruling on how its going to respond to the situation – either send families members home or let them stay.

To us as long-term guests in this city, the Marriott was a familiar place with familiar food that made us feel a bit more at home. It was close to the heart. For those Pakistanis who live here, it is part of the makeup of the city. If not part of the literal skyline, it is part of the identity of Islamabad. The owner Sadruddin Hashwani knows this and made the ambitious proclamation from the burned out hull of his hotel this week that he will reopen for a New Years Eve party at the end of this year. Mr. Hashwani, send me an invitation.

Share This

As I sit here in Islamabad, beads of sweat permanently residing on my forehead thanks to a temperature hovering around 100 degrees and Florida- like humidity, its hard to believe that just a helicopter’s flight from here three mountain climbers were plucked off an icy mountain face after one of the deadliest days in mountaineering history this past week.

They were the lucky ones even though they are dealing with severe frostbite after an icefall stranded them for days up on K-2.  Eleven mountaineers died out of 30 who set out last Friday to summit the second highest peak in the world.  None of those killed were Americans, although one was on the mountain but did not attempt to reach the peak that fateful day.

K-2, or as the Pakistanis call it Lamba Pahar, stands at 28,250 feet about 800 feet shorter than Mount Everest, but it’s thought to be much more of a challenging climb with its knife-edged ridges and icy slopes.

Like the first-hand story of Jon Krakauer’s account of a rouge storm on Mount Everest in his book “Into Thin Air,” the past week’s events on K-2 are full of heart-wrenching stories of human determination and simple mistakes that cost people their lives.

The last one off the mountain, just on Wednesday, was Italian climber Marco Confortola.  He told the Associated Press that he and his Irish climbing buddy he nicknamed Jesus watched as the first ice avalanched swept several climbers to their deaths.  The Italian then heard the boom of a second avalanche only to see two boots sticking out of the falling ice “I recognized them, they were Jesus’,”
he said.

Two Dutch mountaineers were rescued earlier in the week, one saying improperly laid ropes in a dangerous gully know as “The Bottleneck” -where the avalanche took place- contributed to the number of climbers killed.

The Pakistani government has said they will launch an investigation, but so far there have not been any complaints lodged against any of the tour companies who take climbers up K-2.

Once Confortola was one his own, he knew he had to head down to save his life.  “The decent was devastating, especially the last part.  But the worst moment was seeing the boots of Jesus, my friend.”

Jesus’ real name was Gerard McDonnell.  Just before he was swept to his icy death, he became the first Irish person to reach the summit of K

Share This

Islamabad, Pakistan – Not getting the welcome home he wanted, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousef Gilani returned to Islamabad today after three days of high-level meetings in the U.S. as a battle raged in the northwestern Swat valley. While he was gone, violence has kicked-up in Swat where a pro-Taliban militant group has been steadily increasing its influence and power despite a peace deal with the government back in May. Pakistan’s military has been battling with the militants for two days after Taliban fighters abducted 25 policemen. Nearly 60 people have been killed, including 13 civilians. This is just such a situation Prime Minster Gilani says his government will handle in its own way while on his state visit to the U.S.

There’s American concern that the Pakistan government’s choice to talk with tribal elders to use their influence with militants is not working. In fact, top U.S. military officials believe talks have given Taliban militants more room to grow and allows safe havens for Al Qaeda leaders hiding out in the remote region to remain. When asked by Fox News about this concern, Major General Athar Abbas, the Pakistani Army Spokesman, said “There are no quick fixes to this problem, we have to go for solutions which are homegrown.” Meaning, the situation is in Pakistan and has to be dealt with in a Pakistani way.

In the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), militants are continuing to cross over into Afghanistan to attack U.S.-led coalition forces and their Afghan counterparts. Afghan and NATO officials say the attacks are up 40% this year. And recently the top Taliban leader in Pakistan Beitullah Mesud started pulling militant groups together creating a Taliban umbrella organization. But some groups are holding out and not joining. They are steadfast in staying on their own such as one group who has created parallel systems because they say the government is not providing the Islamic way of life they want.

One such group is Lashkar-e-Islam, the local Taliban that controls the Khyber Tribal agency. Their number two in charge, Haji Mesri Khan, gave Fox News a rare one-on-one interview this week in FATA. Khan said “Ever since assistant secretary of State Richard Boucher visited (Pakistan) and they (Pakistani Government) started to take money from the U.S. and attacked us, things have gone bad between us and the government.” The big picture impact of what could happen if the militants continue to train, arm and grow is dire. It’s thought that the next major terrorist attack on the West could be planned in FATA.

Share This

The past week here in Islamabad saw a few days of newspaper headlines spelling the end to the nine years of President Pervez Musharaf.

Musharraf’s supporters lost elections back in February and slain Benazir Buttos’ Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) gained the majority. Her widower now heads the party and has called Musharraf a ‘relic of the
past’ and that he should step down.

The new ruling coalition recently proposed legislation that — if passed — would greatly weaken Musharraf’s powers.

To all of this, the president has remained mum. That was until Saturday when he held a small press conference open to only selected Pakistani media, breaking his three months of silence. It was aired on all news networks across the country.

I had the opportunity to interview Musharraf back in November when he imposed a state of emergency. The same thing struck me then as it did during his speech this weekend. Here is this man getting it from all sides, criticism coming from home and abroad, but he is confident he is on the right track.

He did say though that if he feels like a ‘useless vegetable’ — if his powers are dramatically slashed — he will go. Musharraf is a man accustomed to being in charge. Some analysts here say even bending or changing the rules to make sure he remains on top. With his supporters losing their control of the government and now that he no longer fully controls the military, if he is reduced to anything less than what he thinks he deserves, off he goes.

Violent week

Western officials are concerned that the uncertainty of Musharraf’s future has caused the current government to take its eye is off the ball.

There’s an ongoing fight with homegrown Islamic extremists in the west and north of Pakistan and this past week, Al Qaeda carried out a deadly bombing in front of the Danish embassy. I got there just 15
minutes after the attack. It was a gruesome scene in a normally sleepy and secure part of this capital. When claiming responsibility, Al Qaeda said it was because of the republishing of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

Also, in a city just next to Islamabad, police foiled a major terror plot Friday night — seizing vehicles packed with over 2,000 pounds of explosives. According to officials, one of the targets was to have
been Musharraf’s official residence.

Musharraf’s Future

The two main parties of the coalition are split on how to handle Musharraf.

Former Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif, the arch political enemy of Musharraf who heads the second most popular party, went a step further than the PPP saying he should be impeached and tried for treason.
Musharrf overthrew Sharif’s government back in 1999 in a bloodless coup, so no love lost there.

The former general Musharraf said he would do what the Pakistan Parliament decides. Saying in his Saturday speech “Parliament is supreme.”

He squashed rumors that he has already plotted out a location for exile — some reports said he has bought property in Turkey. But according to Musharraf, he has no home outside of Pakistan.

Unlike the steamy haze that is ever-present this time of year in Islamabad, there is one thing that is crystal clear — predicting Pakistani politics is risky business.

That is especially true when you are dealing with the end of a political career of a strong military ruler when the state of the civilian government is in major flux as it is now… nearly anything can happen. Stay tuned.

Scott Heidler is a Fox News Channel correspondent based in Islamabad.

Share This