A campaign of missile attacks by unmanned US drone aircraft in Pakistan’s lawless northwest, long a hideout for militants, has weakened al-Qaeda’s structure by eliminating some of its leadership.

But analysts say the group’s ideology, its narrative of brave Muslim resistance against wicked American imperialism and the iconic figurehead that bin Laden represented have all struck a chord in a country beset by economic woes and weak political leadership.

Pakistani security officials say groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi work closely with al-Qaeda, feed off its ideology and pose a serious threat to security.

In the weeks after bin Laden’s death, the TTP launched a series of high-profile attacks including a double suicide bombing on a police training centre that killed nearly 100 people.

Retired lieutenant general Talat Masood, a Pakistani security analyst, said the chaos in Afghanistan and lawlessness in tribal northwest Pakistan, an area largely beyond government control, have helped these outfits to arm and ally themselves to what he called al-Qaeda’s “warped pan-Islamism”.

The Authority has also issued notices to other 24 entertainment TV channels on account of airing indecent, vulgar and unethical programmes, advertisements, shows, excessive foreign content and intruding to personal and family life of people, says a Press statement issued by the authority.

In warning issued to TV channels, the coverage was termed extremely un-ethical and irresponsible. There is no harm in taking edge over other channels in dissemination of timely and accurate news but the quest must not be to take lead in indecency or irregularity, it added.

It is high time that the channels must realise their responsibility and define the Dos and Don’ts. The channels have also been summoned to show-cause under Section 20 (c) & (f) of PEMRA Ordinance and Rule 15 (1) of PEMRA Rules. Despite the adequate code is well in place and channels claim to follow it voluntarily but spade-a-spade coverage of mutilated bodies of victims was horrific and insane.

PEMRA has resolved to take punitive action under the laws if such violations are not stopped henceforth.

Football front: On the football front as well, relations between the two countries are not good as Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) secretary Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi lashed out at Bangladesh’s Sheikh Jamal Football Club for pulling out of the AFC President’s Cup, scheduled to kick off from May 8 in Lahore. The club refused to tour Pakistan due to security reasons, despite a full security plan sent to them by the PFF last month. “We are very disappointed by their pull-out despite our assurances. We have asked the AFC to ban them because once the AFC decided we will host the event, there was no excuse for the pull-out,” Lodhi said.

The PFF secretary said it was strange that while the national Bangladesh team played in Lahore last year without any problems, a private club had made an issue of security. According to Lodhi, a FIFA security consultant visited Lahore last month and everyone was satisfied with the plan. Security concerns, however, are not the only headache for the PFF as arranging visas for Chinese Taipei’s Taiwan Power Company (TPC) Club will prove to be a huge ask as Pakistan does not recognise the state, according to its foreign policy. “We did get a heads-up from the interior ministry. A team from Chinese Taipei visited Pakistan in 2007, so we’re hoping everything goes smoothly this time too,” Lodhi said.

PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf expressed displeasure over Bangladesh’s decision and said that all the arrangements for the tour had been completed. The announcement came after a Bangladesh court ordered the national team’s upcoming tour of Pakistan to be postponed for at least four weeks due to security fears.

“I don’t think it’s a question of going to war with Pakistan to solve this problem. It’s getting the Pakistanis to take the necessary action themselves to eliminate a threat not only to Afghanistan and the United States but also to Pakistan,” Crocker said.

General Ashfaq Kayani was speaking 11 days after a Pakistani army battalion headquarters near the Siachen Glacier in the disputed Kashmir region was engulfed by up to 80 feet of snow. Eleven civilians were also trapped.

The tragedy has revived criticism of the 28-year conflict over the glacier, which critics say is futile.

Kayani, arguably the most powerful man in Pakistan, said the standoff has been costly in many ways, from defense spending to the environmental impact of deployments in the area.

“I think this is one good enough reason that this area should not be militarized,” he told reporters in the northern town of Skardu after viewing the avalanche site with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari from a helicopter.

Generals have ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 64-year history, through coups or from behind the scenes.

They set security and foreign policy, even when civilian governments are in power, as is the case now. Military spending consumes just over 17 percent of the state budget.

Rescue efforts were still under way near Siachen, with workers pushing through snow, mud and boulders using heavy machinery, life-detection equipment or even their gloved hands.

Brigadier Saqib Malik, the Siachen brigade commander, said a 200-feet deep mix of snow, ice, boulders and small rocks have covered the headquarters.

Highlighting the constant dangers of operating in the forbidding expanse, he instructed reporters to drop their equipment and run to a safe spot if avalanche warning whistles are heard.

The army has listed the names of the missing soldiers and civilians on its public relations website. There have been no death announcements and the military says it will not abandon the search and rescue effort.

“We will continue to make all efforts. Whether it takes 10 days or 10 months or if it takes three years, we are not going to give up on this,” said Kayani.”If we have to dig out this mountain, we’ll dig it out.”

“The (Pakistan) government should give it (the Siachen issue) top priority. The Pakistan government should take the initiative. It should not wait for an initiative from India. This is not a problem of ego,” Sharif said.

Clinton and Khar “discussed the cowardly attacks in Afghanistan,” the statement said, adding, “(Clinton) underscored our shared responsibility for robust action … to confront and defeat terrorists and violent extremists.”

Clinton, who was visiting Brazil’s capital, also discussed the “next steps in the US-Pakistani dialogue” following the conclusion of a Pakistani parliamentary review, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.