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What does a “strong Pakistan”mean? It is a loaded word. Institutionally strong? US wouldn’t have that in mind because the US prefers Pakistan under the political control of the Field Marshal. Economically strong? It is on an IMF drip and Saudi doles. Militarily strong? Does it mean the US is ready to give arms aid to Pakistan? In what sense is a strong America specifically good for Pakistan? Where is China- Pakistan relationship in all this? China is Pakistan’s biggest defence and economic partner. It is involved in major strategic projects in the country. What about Pakistan’s involvement in state sponsored terrorism? Its links with Osama bin Laden, LeT etc are now forgotten? The US is now satisfied Pakistani society is no longer radicalised. Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programmes are no longer of concern? Why has concern surfaced about Pakistan developing ICBM capability? Pakistan’s “strength” is unfortunately India- centric. The US diplomat evidently thinks a strong, militarised Pakistan is good for the region. That is not our view.

New statement from Scott Pelley: “Last month, 60 Minutes lost its DNA when our entire senior leadership and two of our best on-air correspondents were cruelly fired without cause. Good people were silenced because they stood up for our audience. They stood for fairness against the forces of political bias; they stood for professionalism against chaos.   For my part, new management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. I’ve been told to include assertions that are unverified. To date, in every case, I have managed to ignore these instructions or refuse them. Recently, politicians have been invited to choose correspondents for interviews on the broadcast. Giving politicians control over 60 Minutes interviews is not how this is done. Finally, incompetence and unprofessionalism in the new management have wreaked havoc. In a case involving one of my stories, the entire program came within 19 minutes of not getting on the air at all.   At 60 Minutes, we have fought harder than anyone knows to save the program that became an American icon. We owed that to our millions of viewers. I am deeply moved by the thousands of wishes we have received to “keep up the good fight.” Most of the men and women of CBS News are still in that fight. But now the collapse of values at the top has become untenable. The leadership of 60 Minutes is no longer recognizable. The principles I hold dear are gone, and so I must leave as well.”