THE

CRUSADES
OF

21ST CENTURY

BY RIAZ AMIN
Vol-XII

CONTENTS
FOOLED AND FATIGUED ...4
FAROUNAN-E-JADID ....7
CAME TO CARRY47
JIJAJI OR JAWAI 82
FAROUNAN-E-JADID II ......118
DRAMA TIME .154
FOCUS OFF JIJAJI 182
MOTHER SELLERS ...208
SAHARAN STORM.244
MOTHER SELLERS II ....278
THEATRE OR CIRCUS .303
SAHARAN STORM II ..332
BACK TO BUSINESS .361
SINDH CARD ...386
MALIGNING MULLEN..419
WIN-WIN MOVE.453
SAHARAN STORM III 487
OBAMA KILLED OSAMA 511
OBAMA KILLED OSAMA II..552
OBAMA KILLED OSAMA III ...600
MORE OF DO MORE 645
LUTTO TEY PHUTTO .674
OBAMA KILLED OSAMA IV ....703
OBAMA KILLED OSAMA V ..749
OBAMA KILLED OSAMA VI .786
OBAMA KILLED OSAMA VII....816
OBAMA KILLED OSAMA VIII ..851
SAHARAN STORM IV .878
OBAMA KILLED OSAMA IX .905
OBAMA KILLED OSAMA X...929
TERROR SANS OSAMA 946

BUSINESS AS USUAL.985
TERRORIST: WHO?.1013
TRIOKA OF TERRORISTS.1049
BLACKSMITH NAWAZ ..1082
STORM AND SPRING..1115
FOCUS ON PAKISTAN1142
COMING TO TERMS ..1177
DIFFICULT PARTNER 1202
ODD COUPLES .1234
FEAR COMPLICATION .1263
STRICT SCRUTINY .1299
DREAM RELATIONS ..1322

FOOLED AND FATIGUED

The Crusaders have been fighting against non-state groups in Muslim
World for more than nine years but a visible success has been eluding them
for which Bush and Blair had been craving. Only success they achieved was
before the actual launching of the Crusades with invasion of Afghanistan.
This victory was won through a long-distance telephone call.
Musharraf, the brave commando of Pakistan, surrendered before the caller to
save his rule pretending that he saved his country from destruction. He
thought he had out-witted the caller, but the time proved that he could
neither save his rule nor his country from the ravages of war. He was outwitted and forced to stage a disgraceful exit by a man who was kept at arms
length from politics by his wife.
Americas holy war has been diminishing everywhere except the AfPak region; Pakistan forms the bulk of that region. Herein the war continues
raging with all its ferocity and ugliness. All the countries affected by the war
were now moving out of it but Pakistan continues on downward slide.
The beauty of the war is the manner in which it has been waged on
the soil of an ally. Pakistanis have been pitched against Pakistanis and both
sides have been killing each other. Pakistan military has been fighting as
mercenaries; either on daily wages or under bonded labour.
Since Pakistans military ruler jumped Bushs side to fight as
frontline state it has been sinking deeper and deeper into the quick-sands of
unconventional war with telling consequences:
Pakistan has been degraded from a friend to a foe. The status of
enemy was bestowed by equating it with Afghanistan by coining yet
another phrase of AfPak, which is more vulgar than four-letter slang.
Concurrently, there has been a dangerous alliance between the two
hegemonic powers; US and India. This posed threat of unprecedented
magnitude to Pakistan; geo-politically and militarily.
The Master, for whom Pakistani rulers have been perpetrating death
and destruction on their people, has allowed Indian influence to grow
in Afghanistan posing two-front scenario for Pakistan, which it has
been trying to avoid throughout its existence.
In terms of civil and military casualties Pakistan has suffered more
than any country fighting the holy war; even more than all the

casualties of the Crusaders put together and more than Pakistan

suffered in fighting all the wars against its arch-rival, India.
Its soldiers, after fighting decade-long war, are fatigued, so are its
weapon systems and equipment; except its armoured force, which
would be like sitting ducks for combined airpower of US and India.
Its rulers helplessness can be gauged from drone attacks; despite a
unanimous resolution for ending these they extend helping hand to
CIA to defeat militant groups. Whom will they ask to defend
motherland if India attacks?
The friend that has been fooled all along now stands fatigued and
being treated as a foe. It has been made to tolerate molestation of its
territorial and ideological sovereignty on almost daily basis.
Pakistans Kashmir cause is doomed and freedom struggle of
Kashmiris has been equated with terrorism and acknowledged as such
by Zardari, the President of Islamic Republic.
Working relentlessly in pursuit of its sinister strategy, India has
constructed or is constructing dozens of hydro-projects in IHK. It is
now well poised to turn Pakistan into a desert whenever it so desires.
Apparently, Pakistan has been paid generously by the Crusaders, but
in reality the generosity has been rapidly multiplying its foreign debt,
which has almost doubled since the start of democratic revenge.
Target is debt worth $100 billion; thereafter they will bargain for
Pakistans nuclear assets in exchange of write-off. Zardari regime is
progressing towards achievement of that target in its remaining tenure.
Inflation and price hike have been unprecedented. Ordinary senior
citizen feels its pinch when he buys an egg four times the price of a
chicken he bought in his youth.
Politically, especially in terms of governance, Pakistanis were made to
endure dictatorship and then democratic revenge. Their ordeal, though
of their own making to some extent, seems not to be ending soon.
When will the war end and how? No one in the hierarchy of civil and
military rulers has the answer to this question that lurks in the mind of every
Pakistanis. This inability is because of the simple reason that the goals of the
war are not set by them.

In the absence of clear perception of the goals to be achieved they

cannot date lines. They keep performing various errands like hired labour. It
is up to their employer to decide as to how long the war will go on,
because only they have the clear perception of objectives of the war.
Pakistani rulers are absolutely clueless about likely timeframe of the
war they are fighting. They dont even know what will happen once the
Crusaders decide to leave the region. That is why some beg the US not to
pullout of Afghanistan and others fear losing job or a source of income and
the people continue suffering.
11th February 2011

FAROUNAN-E-JADID
This is the first article in accordance with the changed format in which
the war on terror has been divided into two; in Af-Pak region and beyond
Af-Pak. This relates to the war beyond Af-Pak region, which in fact means
the war around the globe less Af-Pak.
The events across the world are described region-wise. Far East is the
first region to which two Koreas and Japan have been added apart from
Australia and Bangladesh already included in that. Korean Peninsula has
been excluded from Mainland Asia. This region is now referred to Central
Asia which comprises mainly Islamic countries and Russia and China have
been combined with it.
In this region the Crusaders have markedly different stance on the socalled Islamic militancy. It is understood that they have no sympathies with
Muslims of these countries, yet killings are mourned for maligning both the
rival powers, especially China.
The war in Iraq, which was discussed separately, has been merged in
the region of Middle East. The region of Africa remains unchanged, but
nature of the war therein seemed to have shown a major change. Europe and
America continue focusing on homeland security.
During the period under review, Mohammad Bouazizi of Tunisia
alighted himself in protest and died of burns. His desperate act seemed to
have set many kingdoms of Farounan-e-Jadid established in the Arab World
with the support of the United States and Europe.
Incidents of uprising across Arab World have generated debate about
hopes and despair. The masses in Muslim World in general and Arab World
in particular hope to get rid of their oppressive rulers and their western
masters and the optimist even wish for reversing the tables on Crusaders.
The pessimists see no change, except few faces. The West is concerned and
wants to preserve its hold with cosmetic change here and there.

NEWS
In Far East, North Korea offered unconditional talks to the South on
5 January, which was accepted; nothing worthwhile happened since. In
Indonesia, six people were killed in a clash that erupted in West Java when
Ahmadiya sect was stopped from holding their worship on 6 th February. The
same day, 11 persons were wounded in bomb blast in Dhaka.
th

In Central Asia, Hizbut Tahrir leader was jailed in Tajikistan for 18

years on 22nd January. Two days later, 31 people were killed and more than
hundred wounded in suicide bombing in Moscow. On 27 th January,
Caucasus rebels were accused of involvement in Moscow bombing. On 1 st
February, Noor Sultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan abandoned his plan to
hold referendum for extending his rule beyond 2012 and decided to hold
early elections.
Rulers in Middle East watched uprising in Tunisia and Egypt in
fear of repeat in their courtyards or backyards. Protests have already spread
to Yemen, Sudan and Jordan. This seemed to have added a new dimension to
the concerns of the Crusaders and their cronies ruling the Arab world.
The US initiated bloodletting continued in Iraq. On 18th January, fifty
people were killed and more than 150 wounded in suicide bombing at police
recruitment centre in Tikrit. Next day, 16 people were killed when a suicide
bomber rammed explosive laden ambulance into a security headquarters in
Baquba.
On 20th January, fifty people were killed and 150 wounded in two
suicide bombings in Karbala. Next day, Blair regretted before Iraq war
inquiry the loss of lives in war and not respecting legal advisers warning on
attacking Baghdad. On 24th January, 12 people were killed and 159 wounded
in three car bombs in Karbala.
Next day, 53 people were killed and 121 wounded in car bombing in
Baghdad. On 9th February, ten people were killed and 75 wounded in three
bomb blasts in Kirkuk. Next day, nine pilgrims were killed and 30 wounded
in car bomb attack north of Baghdad.
One Palestinian was killed and two wounded in raid by troops of
Israel in Gaza on 18th January; day before, Jewish settlers had attacked a
mosque in Jaffa. On 20th January, one Palestinian was killed by Israeli
troops in West Bank. Next day, Palestinian protesters in Gaza pelted eggs
and shoes at visiting foreign minister of France.
On 23rd January, Israeli probe termed the raid on aid flotilla for Gaza
as legal; Turkey blasted investigations. Next day, top aide to Palestinian
leader Mahmoud Abbas lashed out at al-Jazeera and Qatar after the TV
channel reported leaked documents in which Palestinian leaders had offered
broad concessions on Jerusalem and refugees.
On 22nd January, EU said nuclear talks with Iran held in Istanbul have
failed. Next day, after Istanbul talks Nejad said Iran was open to more talks.
8

On 29th January, Iran hanged a Dutch woman for drug smuggling and Dutch
froze ties with Tehran. On 6th February, Iran put three Americans on trial for
spying.
Lebanon summoned US envoy on 17th January over interference.
Syria, Turkey and Qatar discussed situation in Lebanon after dissolution of
government there. Two days later, Iran warned West and Israel to stop
sedition in Lebanon. On 24th January, Hariri refused to join Hezbollah-led
government. Next day, Hezbollah-backed Mikati was named Lebanons
prime minister. Meanwhile, Syria got US ambassador after five years.
In Jordan, thousands of people came out in Amman on 28 th January
and urged the government to quit. Next day, Jordanians staged anti-Mubarak
demonstration and leader of Muslim Brotherhood vowed to topple Arab
tyrants. On 1st February, King of Jordan dissolved the cabinet as pre-emptive
move for mass uprising. Three days later, Jordanian leaders held frank
discussions with King for political and economic changes. On 6 th February,
opposition was offered to join Jordanian government. On 9th February, new
cabinet was sworn in Jordan.
Rulers of Saudi Arabia stood behind Mubarak after providing asylum
to Ben Ali. They termed the uprising foreign-sponsored. On 21st January,
Saudi mufti termed suicide protests great sin. Next day, a man died in selfimmolation on Saudi Arabia.
In Yemen a journalist was jailed for five years on 18 th January for
links with al-Qaeda. On 27th January, protests against US puppets spread to
Yemen urging president to quit. Anti-regime protests continued on 1 st
February and next day Saleh announced he wont seek life term. Protests
continued in Sanaa on 3rd February asking Saleh to resign. On 8 th February,
pirates held Italian ship with mostly Indian crew near a Yemeni island. On
11th February, protest rallies were held in Sanaa.
Mohammad Bouazizi, an educated young of Tunis, torched himself on
December 17 and later died of burns in Sidi Bouzid, in central Tunisia. He
had done this in resentment when police had pounded his wheel-cart for
selling fruit without licence. His death triggered protests in Tunisia which
later spread across north Africa and parts of Middle East.
The protests in Tunisia started during first week of January, 2011,
after the death of Bouazizi. By 12th January, at least 33 people were reported
killed in the capital Tunis; the government imposed curfew. Next day, two

more people were killed in Tunis despite curfew and the government
reduced prices of bread, milk and sugar.
On 14th January, seven more people were killed in firing by police in
Tunis bringing the toll to fifty. President Ben Ali fled away. Next day, 42
people were killed in fire in a prison in Tunisia. President Ben Ali found
refuge in Saudi Arabia and the Speaker of the assembly was sworn in as
head of the government.
Western analysts observed that Wikileaks had led to ouster of Tunisian
President. On 17th January, unity government was formed in which the
ousted party held on to key posts; it announced unprecedented freedoms and
release of all political prisoners. However, protests continued in major cities
demanding new leadership and new constitution.
The new government also scrapped the information ministry, a widely
hated organ responsible for official propaganda and media controls under
Ben Alis 23 years in power. The ousted ruler was trusted ally of the West in
war on terror, but he was refused asylum by France. The clan of Leila
Trablesi, wife of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, had looted and transferred
Tunisias wealth to France.
The UN chief called for prompt restoration of rule of law. The
European Union offered immediate help to organize free and fair, inclusive
elections, which are to be held in six months. Meanwhile, Ben Alis ouster
sent shock-waves around the Arab World, as he became the first Arab ruler
to be ousted by street protests.
On 18th January, protests continued across Tunisia forcing ministers of
Ben Alis era to quit. President and prime minister resigned from Ben Alis
party. Next day, Swiss government froze Ben Alis funds. On 20 th January,
new Tunisian cabinet met while 33 relatives of Ben Ali were arrested in
raids and treasure trove confiscated from them was shown on TV.
On 23rd January, TV went off air as anti-PM protests mounted in
Tunisia. Next day, Tunisian army chief warned of power vacuum and
Sarkozy confessed under-estimating Tunisian anger. On 26th January,
protests were staged in front of the office of Tunisian PM. The government
issued arrest warrants of Ben Ali and his wife. US Assistant Secretary of
State visited Tunis in search of another Ben Ali. Next day, three more
ministers linked to previous regime resigned.
On 28th January, police destroyed protest camp outside Tunisian PMs
office. On 30th January, thousands of Tunisians turned out to greet Rached
10

Ghannouchi who returned after 20 years. On 1 st February, France seized

family plane of Ben Ali.
On 6th February, police misbehaved with a woman in Tunis and the
people burnt the police station; police shot dead two protesters. Ben Alis
party was suspended. On 9th February, interim president of Tunisia was given
wide powers to restore order in the country.
At least 21 people were killed in bomb blast on 1 st January, 2011, in a
church in Alexandria, the second largest city of Egypt. Pope Benedict called
for world leaders to defend Christians. Next day, Egypts top Muslim cleric
termed Popes appeal as interference in internal affairs of his country.
The events in Tunisia started showing the impact on Egypt. On 17 th
January, a man set himself ablaze in Cairo and next day another did it in
Alexandria. On 23rd January, Egypt blamed Palestinian group for church
attack. Two days later, Egyptians staged protest rallies and denounced
Mubarak.
On 26th January, a policeman was among three people killed in
protests in Egypt. The regime banned protests, but people vowed to
challenge the ban. Next day, protests continued in Egypt; more than
thousand people were arrested and death toll reached six.
On 28th January, Army was called and curfew imposed in Cairo,
Alexandria and Suez after day long violent protests in these cities where
government buildings and ruling partys headquarters were set on fire. The
government blocked internet and cell phone communication facility. The
protesters welcomed soldiers as they moved out in to streets. Eight persons
were killed and hundreds wounded during the day through which protesters
kept telling Mubarak to resign and go to Saudi Arabia.
Leader of opposition was placed under house arrest. Late at night
Hosni addressed the nation and announced dissolution of the cabinet, but
protesters stressed upon his resignation. Blair accused protesters in Egypt
and Yemen for creating a vacuum for extremist forces, but reports claimed
that poodles master, the US, was funding anti-Mubarak forces.
Next day, the Egyptians refused to buy what Hosni wanted to sell after
midnight; they thronged the streets of Cairo and chanted Go Mubarak Go.
ElBaradei also demanded resignation from Mubarak. The death toll in four
days reached 82; hundreds were wounded and thousands arrested.
Two sons of Mubarak reportedly arrived in UK. Mubarak refused to
quit. He named his intelligence chief as Vice President and former air chief
11

as PM. Saudi Arabia condemned protesters and backed Mubarak. The US

too backed Mubarak but tried to please Egyptians as well.
On 30th January, protests continued across Egypt; death toll crossed
one hundred. Three jails were broken and thousands of prisoners escaped.
More tanks were added to the streets of Cairo and US-supplied jetfighters
flew overhead to scare protesters.
Al-Jazeera TV was banned. Western media showed concerns over
Islamists taking advantage of the situation and worked on projecting
ElBaradei as alternative leader who had served Wests interests admirably
as chief of IAEA. US and EU urged Mubarak to make reforms.
Next day, Mubarak constituted new cabinet. Protests continued and
death toll reached 130. Million march was announced for 1st February and
film celebrity Omar Sharif joined protests. All opposition parties, including
Muslim Brotherhood, reposed confidence in ElBaradei to lead the movement
against the regime. Army termed demands of protesters genuine. US started
evacuation of its citizens.
On 1st February, new cabinet was sworn in; most of members were
faithful of Hosni Mubarak. Protesters rejected the new cabinet. Millions of
people turned out in the streets of Cairo, Alexendria and other cities. Death
toll crossed three hundred. Army refused to fire at the protesters. Protesters
held trial of Mubarak and hanged his effigy in public.
The US still seemed to be controlling the events as far as puppet
Mubarak was concerned. Robert Gates telephoned his counterpart in Cairo
and discussed the situation and then Obamas envoy delivered his message
telling him to announce that he wont contest next election. Mubarak did that
at midnight and Obama welcomed by terming it good beginning. The
protesters insisted on Mubaraks immediate exit.
Republican Senator expressed confidence in Egyptian Army for
blocking the way of Islamists to power corridor. He said Americans must not
be ashamed of backing such a military. Americans have invested in the
Army for years and it time ask for returns.
Tehran hoped Egyptian revolt would create Islamic Middle East.
Erdogan told Mubarak to meet the call for change. France urged end to
bloodshed. UN rights chief also sought calm in protests. Observers said
ElBaradei was no easy choice for the West. Late at night about two hundred
pro-Mubarak came out in Alexandria but were beaten by anti-regime forces.

12

Next day, anti-regime protests continued in Cairo and Alexandria after

the opposition rejected Obama-tutored formula. Army told the protesters to
go back to their homes as their voice has been heard; protesters did not
oblige. Pro-Mubarak protesters, allegedly police in civil clothes, turned out
in Cairo which resulted in street fighting; more than six hundred people were
wounded in stone-pelting and throwing of petrol bombs. Army opened fire
to disperse the battling crowds. UN Secretary General condemned use of
force in Cairo. For the first time the protesters chanted anti-US slogans and
pro-regime protesters manhandled journalists.
On 3rd February, clashes between pro and anti-Mubarak forces
continued in Cairo. Turn out of protesters was low but tempers were high
throughout the day. Eight people were killed and nearly nine hundred
wounded in two days of clashes. New premier regretted clashes and offered
talks but protesters rejected the offer. Israelis feared Islamic regime in Egypt.
Next day, Egyptians turned out with the hope and pray for Mubarak to
go. Mubarak loyalists also came out in groups leading to clashes in Cairo in
which the toll of wounded reached 1,500. America, Canada and EU formally
asked Mubarak to initiate measures for change.
Mubarak tried to scare the West of Muslim Brotherhood filling the
vacuum to be created by his exit. Western media were focusing on ElBaradei
and Moussa as potential successors of Mubarak. Khomenei hailed political
earthquake in Arab World and asked Egyptians to unite around Islam and
fend US.
On 5th February, signs started becoming conspicuously visible that
Mubarak regimes decision to counter protest rallies with rallies in support
was working. Many who have been protesting peacefully stayed away from
the streets. The US also altered its stance and said Mubarak should stay
during transition for smooth transfer of power. Newly appointed Vice
President was hurt in assassination attempt. Leadership of ruling party,
including Mubarak, resigned.
Next day, opposition leaders, including Muslim Brotherhood, met
Mubarak regimes representative Vice President Suleman and discussed
modus for change with special emphasis on constitutional amendments to
make it more permissive. Opposition insisted on Mubaraks resignation.
Hillary cautiously hailed Brotherhoods role in talks.
On 7th February, protests continued after deadlock in talks. New
cabinet appointed by Mubarak held first meeting to tackle the situation.
Israel airlifted crown control weapons and ammunition to Egypt which
13

included poisonous gases. Israel was perturbed over US desertion of

Mubarak. Hezbollah chief said protesters are changing Middle East and
Saudi rulers feared balance tilting in favour of Iran.
Next day, the biggest rally to-date was held in Cairo. Protesters
rejected vice presidents announcement of a plan to transfer power and
insisted on Mubaraks resignation. The Guardian claimed that Mubarak is
the richest man of the world with assets worth $70 billion; Bill Gates is now
the third richest person of the world.
On 9th February, protesters held peaceful rally in Cairo. Three
protesters were killed and hundred wounded by police in the south. Minister
of Culture resigned and Foreign Minister threatened military action against
protesters. Western analysts observed that peace process would halt if
protests continue.
Next day, CIA chief said Hosni Mubarak could resign tonight, but
Mubarak announced late at night that he wasnt going anywhere; however,
he was transferring powers to Vice President. Military high command took
over the control. The protesters expecting change were disappointed. The US
was blamed for interfering in Egypt.
On 11th February, Hosni Mubarak at last resigned and went to Sharmal
Sheikh. Earlier chief of ruling party, Hassam Baravi has resigned. The
powers were handed over to Army high command. Protests turned into
celebrations. Celebrations were also reported from Tunisia, Gaza, Jordan and
Beirut.
America and Europe welcomed the change; Obama appreciated
Armys role Morkel urged abidance of agreements with Israel. India
welcomed Mubaraks exit. Beware of friendly United States, Ahmadinejad
warned Egyptians.
In Algeria two persons torched themselves on 19th January. Three
days later, 42 people were arrested during anti-government protests. On 3 rd
February, Algerian government decided to lift 19-year old emergency. Three
days later, a man tried to set himself on fire during protests in Algiers.
On 1st January, 11 people were killed in bomb blast in capital of
Nigeria. On 9th January, captors executed two French hostages. Two days
later, 18 people were killed in two attacks in villages of central Nigeria in
continuation of latest ethnic and religious clashes.
In Sudan, clashes between Arab nomads and tribes people in Abyei
region were reported on 9th January; nine people were killed in last three
14

days. These clashes were expected as south went to vote in referendum for
independence.
On 19th January, people of southern Sudan celebrated the outcome of
referendum results which showed vote in favour of independence for their
region. Two days later, 21 people were killed in clash between army and
rebels in Darfur region. On 22nd January, a man died in self-immolation on
Sudan.
On 30th January, police clashed with protests in Khartoum. Next day, a
student died during protests in Khartoum. Protests continued in Khartoum
on 3rd February. Two days later, 20 people were killed in a clash between
soldiers and rebels in southern Sudan.
On 6th February, at least 50 people were killed as mutiny in oil-rich
province of Upper Nile. Next day, result of referendum was formally
announced; 98.83 per cent of southern Sudanese opted for independence.
Obama congratulated the new Christian state. On 10 th February, 16 people
were killed when rebels in southern Sudan violated ceasefire. Next day, 105
people were killed in a spate of attacks by rebels and clashes with Army in
southern Sudan.
In Somalia, pirates captured an Indian ship on 12th January. Nine days
later, South Korean navy commandos stormed a ship hijacked by Somali
pirates in the Indian Ocean, rescuing all the 21crew and killing eight pirates.
On 31st January, 17 people were killed when troops opened fire on protesters
in Mogadishu. Three days later, Indian Navy captured 28 Somali pirates off
Indian coast during rescue operation in a fire incident. On 9 th February,
pirates seized a super tanker off Oman coast with 25 crew and 1.9 million
barrels of oil on board.
In Europe, during first week of January a survey reported that
conversion to Islam has been constantly on the rise in Britain since 9/11; the
converts were mostly women. On 20th January, Syeeda Warsi flayed
discrimination against Muslims in UK. Jamia al-Azhar froze dialogue with
Vatican over Pope Benedicts persistent hostility towards Islam.
The same day, two bomb blasts rocked Ukranian town of Makiyivka
and militants threatened of more if four million euros were not paid. Rudolf
Elmer, the man who gave a CD to Wikileaks having names of foreigners
with accounts in Swiss banks, was held for investigations. On 26th January,
Blairs sister-in-law, a convert to Islam, wanted his trial on war crimes. Two
days later, a Pakistani was held in Spain for links with al-Qaeda.

15

The United States remained pre-occupied with Wikileaks and later

with uprisings against its cronies in Arab World. On 21 st January, counsel of
Bradley, the man who gave secret documents to Wikileaks, said his client
was tortured in detention. On 9th February, Obama Administration warned
Middle East nations on popular discontent.

VIEWS
On 18th January, Yvonne Ridley observed: Over the last few days we
have seen some of the bravest people facing down some of the worst.
Armed with nothing more than a revolutionary heart and hopes of a better
future they gathered and protested as government forces aimed their
weapons and fired live rounds in to the crowds. But the ammunition and the
underlying threats of arrest and torture meant absolutely nothing to the
masses for they had simply lost their fear.
It was the final testament to the brutality of a dictator who has
had the support of European leaders and various presidents of the United
States. And that the Tunisian President Zine El-Abedine Ben Ali fled from
his country like a rat up a drainpipe after 23 brutal years spoke volumes
about the character of the man himself.
If he had one ounce of the courage his own people displayed, he too
would have stayed but most of these tyrants are gutless with the moral
fibre of a dung beetle. The demise of Ben Ali came when police prevented
an unemployed 26-year-old graduate from selling fruit without a licence.
Mohammad Bouazizi turned himself in to a human torch on December 17
and died of the horrific burns in Sidi Bouzid, in central Tunisia. It was the
final straw, a defining moment which ignited rallies, marches and
demonstrations across Tunisia.
And revelations from Wikileaks cables exposing the corrupt and
extravagant lifestyle of Ben Ali and his grasping wife fanned the flames of
unbridled anger from a people who were also in the grip of poverty. Our
convoy witnessed the menacing secret police intimidate the crowds to stop
them from gathering to cheer us on. This vast army of spies, thugs and
enforcers even tried to stop us from praying in a local mosque.
That they stood their ground to cheer us on prompted me to leave my
vehicle and hug all the women who had turned out. We exchanged cards and
small gifts and then, to my horror, I discovered 24 hours later that every

16

woman I had embraced in the streets of Gafsa had been taken away and
questioned.
Human rights organizations have constantly condemned and exposed
the brutality of the Ben Ali regime but that has not stopped America and
European leaders from intervening or putting on pressure to stop the
brutality. Sadly, it serves western interests to have a people brutalized
and subjugated.
Now Tunisia is minus one dictator but it is still in a state of
emergency. The next few days and weeks are going to be crucial for the
Tunisian people who deserve freedom and liberty. My God, theyve paid
for it with their own blood and we must always remember their martyrs.
None of the politicians, secret police or other odious government forces will
emerge from this period with any honour and quite a few are already
cowering in the shadows.
Not one word of condemnation, not one word of criticism, not
one word urging restraint came from Barak Obama or Hillary Clinton as
live ammunition was fired into crowds of unarmed men, women and
children in recent weeks. But, as the injustices and atrocities continued there
was not one squeak from the most powerful nation on earth until
Americas dear friend, Ben Ali had scuttled from the country.
US has made a comment on the situation in Tunisia ... but only when
Ben Ali was 30,000 feet in the air did White House spokesman Mike
Hammer issue a statement which read: We condemn the ongoing violence
against civilians in Tunisia, and call on the Tunisian authorities to fulfill the
important commitments including respect for basic human rights and a
process of much-needed political reform. When US condemnation finally
came though the tyrant had fled leaving behind more than 60 civilian
martyrs and countless more injured.
Three days later, The News wrote: Revolutions are never tidy, and
the revolution that is still in process in Tunisia is no exception. Although
it has its origins in the suicide of a man who set fire to himself after the
police confiscated a cart that was his means of livelihood, the roots go back
much further. There has been political and social unrest ever since Zine El
Abidine Ben Ali became president 23 years ago. His regime became ever
more brutal and corrupt, evolving eventually into a cruel and widely hated
dictatorship. He suffered the same fate as most dictators and fled the country
with his family on January 14, reportedly taking with him as much as 40

17

million euros in gold bullion. He is currently in Saudi Arabia and few expect
him to return to his country of birth.
Tunisia today is in a state of flux. The interim government has
already lost three key ministers after they protested at the inclusion of
members of the old guard in the new set-up. The prime minister is talking
to all sides including the Islamist parties who were brutally repressed
under the old regime. Other states of the Maghrib are watching the
Tunisian developments warily, and there has been speculation in the
western press that the change of government in Tunisia may spark similar
changes in countries like Egypt or Libya. Thus far, there is no sign of that
happening, but the overthrow of the Tunisian dictator does provide a salutary
lesson for some of the aging and increasingly insecure rulers of some North
African and Arab countries.
On the Arabian peninsula, where princely families have ruled for
many decades, there are problems associated with succession. In Egypt, the
rule of Hosni Mubarak is in all likelihood nearing an end as he ages.
President Gaddafi is not immortal either. The wave of revolutions in Europe
that saw the end of communist Russia has redrawn the maps. New
relationships were forged out of the wreckage of states which had been in
terminal decline for years, and for many not all of those states a new
prosperity is taking root. It is too early to judge the consequences of the
Tunisian revolt, but it has been an object lesson in the power of a
disaffected population to overthrow an unpopular government.
Farooq Sulehria enumerated the events with passing remarks here and
there. It all began last month with the desperate act of an unemployed
youth in the central town of Sidi Bouzid. University graduate Mohammed
Bouazizi, 26, was jobless like many other educated youths in Tunisia.
Unable to find a job, he started a vegetable stall. When police shut it down
because it was unauthorized, he set himself on fire on Dec 17. On Jan 3
Bouazizi succumbed to his serious burn injuries. Soon, several other
unemployed youths tried to emulate him, and at least one of them actually
did. These desperate acts triggered a mass movement.
In every town, large or small, people took to the streets to show
that they had had enough. Unemployed and semi-employed people who
were on the forefront of the uprising were soon joined by unionized workers,
as well as professionals such as lawyers and teachers. The revolt spread to
university students and went on to draw in high-school students. The
demands contained in their slogans were familiar: the right to work, the right
18

to a fair share of the nations wealth and action against corruption and
nepotism.
The national leadership of the sole legal trade union confederation,
the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) initially denounced the
movement. However, caught in the mood of defiance, some of its local and
regional bodies endorsed the mobilizations. Web-surfers began to set up
conduits for information and details of actions by using proxies which the
web police could not censor. The Tunisian Diasporas played a
particularly active role on the virtual front. The police forces, 130,000 of
them, were overwhelmed and in several towns called on the army to back
them up.
The night of Jan 8-9 was particularly bloody. Dozens of people were
shot dead in Gasserine, Tala and Meknassi. Undeterred, the protesters
refused to yield until the former general fled the country. Unlike in the case
of Irans anti-government Green Revolution in 2009, the mainstream
Western media chose to ignore Tunisias revolution. It was only after the
revolution was well under way that BBC and CNN were broadcasting scenes
which had been available on social sites and al-Jazeera for weeks since
shortly after the vegetable vendor set himself ablaze.
On Jan 15, The Washington Post belatedly welcomed the change
as Tunisias Jasmine Revolution. The New York Times declared it the
Arab Gdansk, Gdansk being the name of the port where Polish shipyard
workers began their uprising three decades ago. Roger Cohen wrote in the
newspaper: Big things start small. In Poland, the firing in 1980 of Anna
Walentynowicz, a shipyard worker, led to strikes and the formation of the
grassroots Solidarity movement that set in motion the unraveling of the
Soviet empire. Walentynowicz, who was killed in a plane crash last year,
once told me all they sought at the outset was better money, improved work
safety, a free trade union and my job back
The scenes telecast by al-Jazeera were familiarly old-fashioned. The
crowds were massive. Protesters were talking with soldiers. These
encounters would end with the soldiers shaking hands, even hugging some
of the protesters. The masses in Tunisia fought heroic battles for both
democracy and economic rights. A new era in this region is unfolding.
This new era is a looming threat to conservative autocracies as much as to
Libyan-style police states.
With the Tunisian ruling class and its Western backers busy restoring
order, the victory of the revolution is hardly assured in Tunisia. To stem
19

the popular tide, a unity government was formed, headed by former Prime
Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi. However, two key players, the
Communist Workers Party of Tunisia (PCOT), and Al-Nahda, the countrys
largest Islamic party, were kept out. Both were illegal under the dictatorship.
PCOT leader Hamma Hammami was set free from jail only after the
revolution, while al-Nahdas leader, Rached Ghannouchi, is in exile.
In the unity government, three ministers were co-opted from the
UGTT. However, the inclusion of eight ministers from Ben Alis RCD party,
including his interior minister, led to popular outrage. On Jan 18, UGTT
ministers, along with a few others, resigned from the unity government. The
UGTT retreated after a fresh wave of mass demonstrations across Tunisia.
The citizens want a clean break with the past. They want no one from the
previous regime.
Tunisia will decide its direction in the coming days, even hours. Will
it be a revolution that goes all the way or a compromise between a
revolution and a regime that will keep many contradictions under the surface
and will sooner or later lead to another upheaval? This remains to be seen.
Nonetheless, the Tunisian revolution has heralded the end of a period
when every attempt at social change in the Middle East could be
successfully channeled to fanatical religious fundamentalism.
Hamma Hammami declared that the uprising, which had its one
month anniversary on Jan 17, was a secular one. He called on al-Nahda not
to bring polemics over theology into the political discourse after the
collapse of the dictatorship. We want to keep the people united over these
aspirations, Hammami told al-Jazeera. This is a mark of the new era
opening up in the Arab-Muslim world. For this, we must say, Thank you,
Tunisia!
On 22nd January, Aijaz Zaka Syed opined: America may be the land
of the free and greatest democracy for its people, but is it promoting the
same freedom and democracy beyond its borders? Far from it. No matter
what Uncle Sam would have you believe, America in its policies and
actions remains the biggest supporter of oppression, injustice and
tyrants and tin-pot dictators of all kinds and sizes.
King (Martin Luther King) warned injustice anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere. And why King alone? Americas founding fathers, from
Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Franklin to Abe Lincoln, subscribed to the
same noble ideals and values such as freedom, human rights and justice and

20

equality for all men. But America has always supported men who trample on
these very values and beliefs.
Ben Ali is not the first despot to have enjoyed total and absolute
power for the quarter of a century with the blessings of Uncle Sam. And he
will not be the last one. After Ben Ali fled Tunisia, driven out by
unprecedented popular protests, the self-styled champion of democracy
woke up to salute the brave and determined struggle for the universal rights
and the courage and dignity of the Tunisian people.
The White House called on the Tunisian government to respect
human rights, and to hold free and fair elections in the near future that reflect
the true will and aspirations of the Tunisian people! Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton speaking in Doha warned of regimes whose foundations are
sinking in sand.
Who created, perpetuated and protected these regimes all these
years though? In fact, even as the Tunisians were braving the regimes
bullets and tanks over the past couple of weeks, Madam Secretary was going
around the Middle East on yet another Israel-inspired mission, warning the
Arabs for a millionth time about the clear and present danger of Irans
mythical, non-existent nukes.
Not a word about Mohamed Bouazizi, who torched himself in
protest against poverty and unemployment, sparking this revolution. Or
about millions of other young men who have brought down one of the most
powerful, ruthless and stable regimes in the region like a house of cards with
their democratic protests. While Tunisia turned into a large Russian gulag
with most of its resident being forced to spy on each other, Washington
praised the regime for its stability, secularism and liberal market policies.
In the name of secularism and fighting Islamic terrorism, the
regime crushed every voice of dissent and independence. In fact, Tunisia
is a classic, text book model of tyranny in the Middle East: Infinitely
obedient and pliable to the West and its market forces while crushing its own
peoples legitimate rights and spirit of freedom.
And it is not just Tunisia. Next door in Algeria, when the Islamists
swept a democratic election considered free and fair by Western observers in
the 1990s, they were not just denied power, they were thrown behind bars
and persecuted, sparking a civil war that has killed more than 150,000
people. All this was of course done with the active support and cooperation
of the democratic West.

21

In the neighbouring land of the Nile, opposition simply doesnt exist.

Its banned from taking part in the carefully choreographed elections in the
most populous and culturally rich Arab country. Yet the country remains the
biggest recipient of US military aid after Israel.
In fact, the whole of Maghreb and beyond is a veritable
paradise for the capitalist West even as its people reel under poverty,
corruption and the vilest form of tyranny known to man. This is a black hole
where notions like democracy, freedom, human rights, free elections and
justice do not exist. Things that are taken for granted by the rest of the world
today.
Is it a coincidence that in the 21 st century, this remains the only
region in the whole wide world that is yet to experience these simple things
basics about which the Americans have long preached to the Arabs and
Muslims yet never allowed them to make the same choices? Colonialism
and imperialism may have ended for much of the world in the last century of
the last millennium
However, what happened in Tunisia has changed everything.
Totally unarmed protesters fearlessly facing down the dictators big guns.
When was the last time you saw something like this in the Arab world? The
people of Tunisia have spoken and Arabs and Muslims everywhere are
listening. More important, by throwing out Ben Ali, they have not just sent a
loud and clear message to tyrants everywhere; they have also served an
ultimatum to their Western masters. The empires game is up.
Change has finally come to the Middle East with Tunisias
Jasmin revolution. And if this can happen in the friendly, secure and stable
Tunisia, it can happen anywhere. The US and its friends and allies would
ignore this message from the Arab street at their own peril. As Martin Luther
King warned, one who condones evil is just as guilty as the one who
perpetrates it. And no one can stop an idea whose time has come.
On 27th January, Iftekhar A Khan noted: As Le Monde reported, Ben
Alis wife Leila Trabelsi, a former hairdresser, took with her 1.5 tons of gold
ingots to Saudi Arabia. What one holds against Muslims is their greed,
which is unsurpassed. Could it be something like a genetic flaw? However,
1.5 tons of gold, extracted out of millions of tons of ore, is now the proud
possession of Ben Ali. All one wishes him is: May you live long to enjoy
your pickings, friend.
What happened in Tunisia is no miracle. The change was in the
offing because Tunisians, like large populations of many Muslim countries,
22

have seethed in anger against their corrupt ruler and his repressive regime
propped up by the West. Although the Tunisian upheaval is just the
beginning, it may well be the harbinger of freedom for the enslaved people
in the Middle East ruled by assorted dictatorships and monarchies. None
other than Moammar Gaddafi lamented Ben Alis overthrow and told the
Tunisians that they would regret what they did.
When public protests and sheer street power manage to dislodge a
tyrant and force him to flee for his life, it is understandable that others like
him in the neighbouring countries get jitters. Similarly, Egypts 82-yearold Pharaoh, as defence analyst Eric Margolis calls Hosni Mubarak, must
feel the tremors caused by Tunisian insurrection. He has already ruled the
land of the Pyramids for almost three decades and now intends to install his
son, Gamal
As a result, ordinary Egyptians disappearing during midnight knocks
are a common phenomenon. Imperial power has assigned a similar role to
the armed forces of many other Muslim countries in the region and outside
it Western politicians may have many shortcomings, including that of the
heart and the cup, but cronyism and plunder by their families is not one
of them. Its essentially a soft spot of good Muslim rulers and politicians
alone. Look for such signs in the present political dispensation. The sons
and daughters of various shades of politicians are gearing up to rule over the
hoi polloi with emaciated bodies and sunken eyes. Next day, The News
wrote: There is a danger in reading too much into the political turbulence
that is moving through Egypt, Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East
and the Maghrib. The unrest may indeed be a precursor to revolution, or
if not revolution then a shift in political polarities that will see old
regimes and dynasties swept away. Equally these may be part of an
ongoing cycle of unrest and disaffection, which will eventually to ebb and
populations will return to a fractious equilibrium.
The revolution in Tunisia is yet a work in progress, and painful
transitions and realizations are being worked through. The Tunisian
people are discovering that deposing a despised leader does not mean an
instant turning-on of the faucet of democracy neither does it mean that all
the supporters of the ancient regime have melted away or switched sides.
Some of them will have to be accommodated within any new government,
like it or not, and the transition from what was to what may be, is not going
to be quick or easy. Notable thus far in the process is the ringing silence
from Hilary Clinton, the American Secretary of State, who has yet to

23

congratulate the Tunisian people on their efforts in the direction of

democracy.
Egypt is one state where attempts to contain the ripple and
prevent wave formation could fail. Mrs Clinton thinks otherwise, saying
on Tuesday that she thought that the Egyptian government was stable. Her
evaluation by Wednesday was far less certain as she acknowledged the wave
of dissent. She said that Egypt hadan important opportunity to implement
political, economic and social reforms that respond to legitimate needs and
interests of the Egyptian people. On Thursday there were mass arrests,
violence in most of the major towns and cities and a possibly catalytic
figure, Mohammed al Baradei, is set for a return by the end of the week. In
Lebanon change is in the air as well.
The noted commentator on Middle Eastern affairs Robert Fisk
writing in The Independent newspaper in the UK asks Could it be,
perhaps, that the Arab world is going to choose its own leaders? Could it be
that we are going to see a new Arab world which is not controlled by the
West? Within his question is the acknowledgment that many of the
governments now experiencing upheaval are western-aligned, have been for
decades, and may be on the brink of choosing their own mastery. Were this
to be the case then it truly would be a revolution, and whatever the unease
being felt in Egypt and Lebanon may be as nothing compared to that being
felt in Washington and London. Moving east and looking to ourselves, the
symptoms that produced the Tunisian revolt and are fuelling the Egyptian
are similar to our own poverty, corruption, an unpopular government, and
dynastic politics. Todays ripple may be tomorrows wave, and revolution is
in the air.
Dr Muzaffar Iqbal observed: The proverbial Arab street is back in
action. After Tunisia, it is now Egypts turn: the old and experienced Hosni
Mubarak is facing the strongest challenge to his thirty-year tyranny. But one
must pause here before the hyperbole gets out of hand: Is it real? Is there
anything more to it than the excitement caused by the cyber world of
newspapers, Twitter and Facebook?
Had it not been for the so-called Jasmine Revolution of Tunisia, one
could have easily dismissed all the hype about the Arab street in revolt, but
what happened in Tunisia makes it slightly difficult to do so. To be sure,
there has been a change in Tunisia, leading to the ouster of President Zine El
Abidine Ben Ali, who stepped down from the presidency and fled Tunisia on
Jan 14 after 23 years in power. But is this revolt in the Arab street going to
24

spread to the other countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA),
which have two-thirds of the worlds known petroleum reserves? As analysts
from around the world watch events unfolding in Egypt to see if this new
Arab street revolt is a bubble that will burst in Cairo, we have it from
none other than the US secretary of state that all is well. So, what does this
mean?
In non-diplomatic language, it means: do not worry, old chap; we are
firmly behind you. Your expiry date has not come yet. In not so simple a
language, it means that the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia was a calculated
move; poor Ben Ali had reached his expiry date and a change was
orchestrated under controlled conditions. No, this is not another conspiracy
theory; all one needs to do is look at the remaking of the power clique in
Tunisia to understand how this Jasmine Revolution perfectly fits the strategy
outlined by Richard Nixon in his 1992 book, Seize the Moment: Americas
Challenge in a One-Superpower World.
Nixon had candidly admitted that in the Muslim world,
demographic, economic, and political trends make conflict increasingly
inevitable, and he had advocated a control strategy that revolved around
building special relationships with the most modern and moderate Islamic
countries, so that they may become poles of attraction in the Muslim
world. The four countries he selected were Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, and
Pakistan. He believed that over a generation their success would have a
profound effect on political evolution elsewhere. Now that Communism is
dead, he wrote, we must redefine the American global mission.
The Nixon Doctrine, establishing proxies of American power
around the world, had a further policy imperative: build working
relations with moderate Muslims around the world. Ben Ali was a perfect
model. Behind the fine-tuned, over-simplified gloss lay yet another detail:
attach to every moderate Muslim an expiry date and take action before that
expiry date and replace the soon-to-expire dictator with another setup which
will bring new faces to power but ensure continuity of the underline grid.
That is exactly what has happened in Tunisia. Old Ben Ali is gone,
not because a Jasmine Revolution, but simply because he had reached his
expiry date. It was imperative to remove him to save the system and the
system he had constructed is firmly in place, even though he has escaped
with his millions amassed over two decades of plunder.
Hosni Mubaraks expiry date is not in sight, if we are to believe
Secretary of State Hillary Clintons strong words. Another problem is the
25

lack of a substitute; no one trusts his hated son, and although there is the old
and tried hand of Mohammed ElBaradei, the former head of the
International Atomic Energy Agency who was once considered a substitute
for Mubarak. But he is too old for the job and he has already done enough
for America by overseeing its Iraq invasion.
Thus, the Arab street may be in revolt, but it is a revolt without a
leadership and a revolt without a leadership is like a body without a head.
No matter what happens on the Arab street, ultimately Uncle Sam is
fully in control and a challenge to power without a visionary leadership will
lead to chaos. But even that chaos has a function: it dissipates built up anger
something Nixon had mentioned in his book. He had argued that, from
time to time, the United States must provide escape routes to the built up
anger, so that things remain within proportions. That is exactly what we are
seeing: an escape valve that is allowing the Arab frustration to dissipate on
the streets, leading to no real change.
There is only one real unreal in this equation: the very large
percentage of young people in the MENA region desperate for jobs, food
and housing. This factor may change the old scenario and upset the equation.
The youth bulge and concomitant demands on the labour force, educational,
housing, health and other social systems are putting enormous pressure on
the old system. As the youth bulge reaches prime family-formation age in
each country, the number of births is likely to increase, fuelling considerable
future growth.
The population on the Arabian Peninsula is projected to double to
124 million by 2050. Populations in Iraq and the Palestinian Territory will
more than double in size. Iran and Turkey are slated to have about 100
million people each. In North Africa, Egypt will continue to dominate
demographically, with a population exceeding 120 million.
This population explosion and the complexity built into this
process may one day give birth to a genuine Arab street revolt with a
direction and aim; that day has not come yet. All we have for now is either
senseless and leaderless street revolts leading to dissipation of energy, or a
controlled process to change of those faces whose expiry date has come.
On 29th January, Farooq Sulehria wrote: Can Mubarak be toppled?
BBCs Jon Leyne asked the US Secretary of State on Thursday. Hillary
Clinton, even when two deaths and 1,500 arrests had already been reported,
responds: Our assessment is that the Egyptian government is stable and

26

is looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the
Egyptian people.
The New York Times enlightens us as to why the Egyptian
government is stable. In a front-page article on Jan 26, it says: An
uprising in Tunisia, a peripheral player in the region, is not the same as one
in Egypt, a linchpin. The Egyptian government is a crucial ally to
Washington. Should one characterize The New York Times approach as
imperial hubris? Or is it historical amnesia?
In January/February 1979, Iran was a similar lynchpin, as was Iraq in
July 1958. True, autocratic regimes often do not crumble overnight. The case
of Tunisia is significantly exceptional. Egyptians may not be able to emulate
the alacrity their Tunisian cousins have shown in toppling Zine El Abidine
Ben Ali. One may even expect Hosni Mubarak to survive the way
Ahmedinejad survived the summer of discontent in 2009. Muhammad
ElBaradei, a bad omen for Egypt, will be ready to play the Hossein Mousavi.
Luckily for the Tunisian revolution, it was leaderless
However, the beginning of Hosni Mubaraks end has certainly
begun. Cairo has witnessed the biggest mobilizations ever since the 1977
bread riots. Cairo may calm down temporarily, but Tunisian message has
been heard loud and clear, and much beyond Egypt. People in Jordan,
Algeria and Yemen have taken to the streets in massive numbers.
It is to stem the tide that the Obama Administration is consulting
Hosni Mubarak while the sultans from Libya to Saudi Arabia, forgetting
their differences, have been united. In an exercise of damage control, the
Obama administration has sent its assistant secretary of state for the Near
East, Jeffrey D Feltman, to Tunis. His mission is to confer with the interim
government.
Tunisians are being lured with a promise of elections in six months.
Washington is manoeuvring in all essentials to restore the old regime
without Ben Ali. This cynical fraud is being presented as promised
democracy. Meantime, the Western media that ignored Tunisian
developments to the point of censorship until Jan 12, have taken up the Arab
cause. Not just television networks and the press, but even academics at
media departments are alerting their students to the role of the new media
a liberating technology like Facebook and Twitter have played in
Tunisian/Egyptian developments
As for the Murdoch press, the British tabloid, The Sun, described
the Tunisian upheaval as the first Wikileaks revolution. It was the same
27

Sun that had viciously attacked Julian Assange for putting at risk the lives of
our boys in Afghanistan. Foreign Policy, a sober tool of US imperialism,
was hardly better. A day after Ben Ali fled, Foreign Policys Elizabeth
Dickinson, in an essay titled First Wikileaks Revolution, concluded:
Tunisians didnt need more reasons to protest when they took the streets
these past weeks food prices were rising, corruption was rampant, and
employment was staggering. But we might also count Tunisia as the first
time that Wikileaks pushed people over the brink.
Wikileaks pushed people over the brink? Does Ms Dickinson
really believe that Mohammad Bouazizi, the youth whose self-immolation
ignited Tunisian intifada, had read Wikileaks before he killed himself on Dec
17? And does she really think Tunisians, Egyptians, Jordanians, Saudis and
the rest of the Arabs would need some leaked cables, dispatched by bored
clerks at US embassies, to find out that their sultans were corrupt, that most
of their unfortunate countries had rising prices and staggering
unemployment?
As the media in the West highlight the liberating role being played by
the social media headquartered in the USA, one hardly finds a mention of
the brutal military/police apparatuses built in the Middle East under
Western tutelage. It is these apparatuses that have sustained the oppressive
sultans on their thrones. That is the real Western contribution in the Middle
East. Had Wikileaks and social media been so liberating, Europe and North
America would have been forced to withdraw from Afghanistan and Iraq by
now.
Two days later, The News commented: Thus far the protests have
been secular rather than driven by religious fervour, and fears that they
may be hijacked by the Muslim Brotherhood have failed to materialize.
However, it is noteworthy that when elections were last held in 2005 the
Muslim Brotherhood gained 20 per cent of the seats despite not having a
candidate in every constituency. In the event of elections it is, therefore,
reasonable to assume that the Muslim Brotherhood would be represented in
any future government, though they seem unlikely to be anywhere close to
gaining a popular majority. There seems little doubt that, revolution or not,
the days of President Mubarak are numbered.
Politically, the military have been the guarantors of every regime
since 1952, and former prominent members of the military have found
places in every civil administration. Now, with the political infrastructure
crumbling the army may have to assume responsibility for the state, and
28

with the state under Mubarak being the fuel of unrest, it is doubtful that the
army is going to continue to support him. It is worth remembering that it
was a group of junior Islamist officers who assassinated President Sadat in
1981 thus bringing Mubarak to power. This in turn led to a suppression of
the Islamists, who now have a deep well of bitterness to draw on and may
see a window of opportunity opening before them.
Israel will be viewing events with concern, and wondering if the
relative stability that has characterized the region since 1978 is at risk
and unless the situation is swiftly brought under control this is a possibility.
Egypt is a pivotal Arab state, and today is an engine of change in the Arab
world. The consequences of those changes will inevitably impact upon us,
and already serve as a stark lesson as to what happens when rulers fail to
hear the voices and heed the wishes of those they rule.
On 2nd February, Rizwan Asghar observed: The US approach to the
promotion of democracy in the Arab world has always been duplicitous
because of the perceived apprehension of the rise of radical Islamic groups
capturing power. Moreover, the US needs the direct support of Arab rulers in
its global war against terror. So the prospect of such a democratic change
had vanished as a believable possibility. This accounts for the Obama
administrations refusal to support the struggle for democracy in the Arab
world.
The ouster of the Tunisian president has also introduced a new
trend in the politics of Arab countries, where democracy was inextricably
linked with military intervention. Now Tunisia has toppled a tyrant through
the power of its people, which has infused a sense of confidence among
Arab masses.
Since the end of the Second World War, the growth of democracy
across the world seems to be coming in regional waves. During the 1960s,
many African countries took significant steps towards a democratic future
after becoming independent from European powers. In the 1980s many
right-wing dictatorships fell in Latin America. In Asia, the Philippine
revolution of 1986 ushered in democracy in South Korea, Indonesia and
Taiwan. In the 1990s, the collapse of the Soviet bloc brought democracy to
Eastern Europe. The next chapter has started in the Arab world.
Next day, Lana Asfour wrote: It took Ben Ali 26 days to offer
concessions and Mubarak only four. On Saturday, Mubarak spoke,
promising reforms and announcing that he was dissolving the cabinet and
appointing intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as vice president and Aviation
29

Minister Ahmed Chafik as prime minister. In both cases it was too little,
too late. Egyptians continue to protest, breaking the curfew, calling for him
to go, chanting that his plane is ready. Now into their seventh day, there are
no signs that they are about to end.
Much hinges on what role the army will take if it comes to a
confrontation between demonstrators and police. The army has entered cities
and keeps order. Though the struggle in Egypt is far from over, the
Middle East has changed irrevocably because the barrier of fear has
been broken. There is no going back. Apprehension about the potential
exploitation of a vacuum by anarchic looters or Islamists cannot be used as
an excuse for the continuation of corrupt and repressive regimes that have
dominated the Middle East for the last thirty years. Nor can the west afford
to prop them up any longer and ignore the will of millions of Arabs.
On 4th February, Dr Muzaffar Iqbal opined: It is too late for euphoric
jubilation; the time is ripe for a down-to-earth, realistic and clear
understanding of what has suddenly appeared in certain parts of the Arab
world. This must be done even at the expense of losing the elation one
naturally feels at the shaking of tyrants who have held a very large segment
of the Muslim world in their fists for over five decades now. To be sure,
what erupted in Tunisia is proving contagious, but even in Tunisia, the
ultimate goal of change of a repressive system is still far from visible.
There has been change, for sure, but it is a change of faces, not of system.
This is more apparent in Egypt, where the euphoric declarations of victory
before victory are still hanging in the air.
First there was the surprise, then the shock and blood, with over 130
people dead. During the surprise phase, Hillary Clinton declared the
unequivocal support of her country for the regime which has acted as US
surrogate in the region for over thirty years. When blood was spilled and
people were able to overcome the fear which has oppressed them for a
generation, the United States of America started to shift gears.
The vice president wrote an article in The New York Times, asking
for change. A vague, almost meaningless article in which he hinted at
withdrawal of the large amount of aid that has been going to Egypt. Then
came the lull and euphoria: for four days, the crowds were not attacked.
They were given the impression that the army is on their side. Young
men stood on tanks and danced and gave flowers, water and food to the
soldiers. The victory was almost at hand, or so they thought.

30

In their light hearted jubilance, the blow struck by the old and
experienced hand that Mubarak is, was also taken lightly: the man who was
appointed as vice president was none other than the chief spy and Israeli
negotiator, Omar Suleiman. A cunning man who attempted to change the
mood by calling for dialogue with all factions. But everyone knows who he
is, and how deeply entrenched Mubarak is with his repressive generals and
police all enjoying the benefits of a $1.3bn roll out from Washington.
Egyptians misread the silence of the military. Mubarak had used this time to
get over the shock and fortify his position. However, this does not mean that
he will be able to put the genie back in the bottle.
Although the soldiers did not attack the crowds, no one should have
any illusion about the role of the Egyptian military the main beneficiary
of American money. For all practical purposes, Egyptian military is a useless
force which has not fought a war for almost 38 years. It is an under-trained,
over-armed army, with largely obsolete equipment. It is good for business,
but not for fighting. Its top brass is deeply embedded in the corporate
segment, running big business, hotels, and housing complexes. Mubarak
knows well that loyalty comes with a price and he has been paying that price
regularly, though not from his own pocket. He merely rolls down the line
what comes from above.
The worst American response, however, came from the US president
himself who claimed the high moral ground on February 1, when he
declared that my administration has been in close contact with our Egyptian
counterparts and a broad range of the Egyptian people, as well as others
across the region and across the globe. And throughout this period, weve
stood for a set of core principles. A core set of principles! One wonders if
there is any limit for hypocrisy.
The set of four core principles that Obama mentioned in his speech
betray, once more, that American leadership is either morally bankrupt or
utterly blind. Everyone knows that the core principles of American foreign
policy are duplicity, deceit, and deception. This is especially true with
regard to the Muslim world where the Americans have supported, and
continue to support repressive regimes.
The three principles of American foreign policy that Obama
mentioned are: (i) opposition to violence; (ii) universal values, including the
rights to freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and the freedom to access
information; and (iii) the need for change.

31

None of these principles can be shown to exist; in fact, it is the

opposite of these principles which has governed the American foreign
policy. Violence has been the means through which Americans installed
dictators throughout Latin America and the Muslim world in the late 1950s
and 1960s. These dictators and their American supporters have suppressed
freedom and the legitimate rights of people in these countries. And the need
for change that Obama recognized is a recognition that has come too late.
Was he not aware of the need for change when he gave his speech in Cairo
almost two years ago?
What has Obama done since then to bring change? Did he act on any
of the high-sounding moralizing phrases he uttered in his speech? Did he tell
the Hosni Mubaraks of the Middle East that their time is up and they should
pack up and go? No, there is no indication of any of these principles in the
American foreign policy. What we have, instead, is continuous support of
oppressive dictators and continuous floundering of human rights even in
America. All of this in the name of an open-ended war on terror, which is, in
fact, a war of terror.
Egypt, sadly, is not a place one can hope to see transformed in the
coming days. A populace which been literally fed on American largess for a
whole generation cannot be expected to bite the hand that has been feeding
it. The Egyptian state is beholden to the Americans down to the last man and
hence no matter how loud the shouts are from the Tahrir Square, the best
result one can hope for is a peaceful change of faces, not of the system. The
worst, of course, is a pointless tragedy in which no one will be a winner.
Next day, Joshua Farouk Georgy observed: It has been one week
since the Egyptian revolt began, and the mainstream American media have
wheeled out many of their standard, self-appointed experts to illuminate
matters. They attempt to solve the riddle of what could possibly have driven
the thoughtless throngs into the proverbial Arab streets, while providing
their set of contrived scenarios about how things might develop. Even as
our experts set about to demystify what they themselves have
mystified, they are quick to turn to what really matters the effects these
events will have on the United States and our allies.
It is no wonder that most Americans are hopelessly in the dark.
Middle East news in the mainstream is constructed so that people
remain in a perpetual state of confusion and fear. A favourite question
now being tossed to the experts is what do Egyptians want? If their
expertise included anything but obfuscation, they might respond, well, what
32

the hell does anyone want? We want to feed our families; we want our
children to grow up with the prospect of a decent standard of living; we want
to come out of college with some hope of finding a job; we want to have a
say in the present and future affairs of our country. But that is expecting a bit
too much of our controlled, corporate media and their favoured talking
heads. If a serious treatment of the present matter is to be made, it requires a
probing analysis of issues that interested parties would rather not be had.
And so the cryptologists and fear mongers do their job.
President Mubarak used his own brand of fear mongering as he tried
to justify the renewal of the emergency law every five years across his
three-decade rule. The law allowed him to claim democracy in Egypt
while running the country like a giant prison. But as he went on
protecting Egyptians from themselves, young people of the Facebook
generation managed to pull back the curtain. They revealed to the world that
the mighty Wizard who was keeping the whole thing together was a
shriveled up old man. And what did the Egyptians do as order broke down?
They united to protect each other; all segments of society came together to
defend their streets and properties, to defend their homeland.
Western governments have been intimately involved in the
innumerable injustices wrought on the Egyptian people during the Mubarak
years. But who has time to sort through all of that when we have ghoulish
worst-case scenarios to bandy about? And so we have a character like
John Bolton This uprising does not belong to a specific segment of the
population and as much as some in the West might like to present it in
a sectarian or partisan light, this is an Egyptian uprising. Christians
alongside Muslims from all backgrounds and walks of life are participating
in the protests, many holding signs featuring the cross and crescent that
since the 1919 Revolution has symbolized Christian-Muslim national unity.
When Egyptians have risen and demanded their rights, they have
done so as a people. This was the case during the revolution of 1952 as it
was during resistance movements to British occupation in 1882 and 1919.
Now we are witnessing a revolutionary moment in 2011, and the structure of
Western mainstream discourse obscures the obvious. A long time ago
foreign powers, with the United States in the first place, cast their lot
with the dictator. Now the Egyptian people are having their say.
Shamshad Ahmad opined: A wave of popular uprising against
repressive regimes is already sweeping across the Arab world. Egypt is
going through a convulsive phase, with millions of people out in the streets
33

calling for Hosni Mubaraks ouster. They are seen waving the Tunisian flag
and chanting the most famous line of Tunisian poetry these days: When
the people decide to live, destiny will obey and chains will be broken.
The Egyptian people have decided to live and are ready to break their
chains. Images from Cairos Tahrir Square clearly indicate that Hosni
Mubaraks ignominious ouster is a matter of days, if not hours.
Meanwhile, other Arab countries with one-man regimes like
Algeria, Jordan, Libya and Syria may just be the next dominos to fall.
But the problem with dictators is that they want to hang on until the last
moment. They usually do not die in bed. Not all manage an honourable exit.
In fact, a dignified departure is always a difficult choice for them. And when
they go, they leave behind a painful legacy for their peoples to suffer
In Tunis, the alternative leadership is yet to be identified. In Cairo,
Mubarak who in the 30 years of his rule never named a vice president, has
now appointed his shadowy intelligence chief, former general Omar
Suleiman, as his second in command. Another military figure, former air
force chief of staff Ahmed Shafiq, was appointed prime minister. In Jordan,
a cosmetic reshuffle is being attempted. The people, however, will not
accept ad hoc arrangements which are too little too late.
How things shape up in the coming weeks and months will
determine the future of the Muslim world which, without a real systemic
change, will remain the Medusas wreck. Mere reshuffling of the same old
faces is no remedy. The situation will crystallize in the next few days, but
from the events in Tunisia and Egypt, the uprisings so far appear to have
been leaderless. No opposition party has visibly claimed credit for them, nor
have there been any signs of military coups. In this chaos and confusion, one
cannot rule out an Arab versions of Hamid Karzai being parachuted in these
countries. Incidentally, who is this ElBaradei?
On 6th February, The News commented: President Hosni Mubarak of
Egypt is one of the old school, a man of the generation of Saddam and
Arafat, and he is not going to be moving out of the Presidency unless he is
forced out, either by domestic pressure or by the Americans Those who
seek the presidential exit have yet to cohere around a single figure or
group of figures that could make up a credible transitional government and
it is this failure to bring shape and purpose to their anger and despair that
gives strength and confidence to the regime. There were reports on Saturday
afternoon that the protesters have now drawn up a list of 25 potential

34

candidates for a transitional government, but this has yet to be turned into a
document of any weight or traction.
As the protests go on the Americans try to negotiate the maze of
diplomacy as the ripples spread across the Arab world. America gives a lot
of money to the Egyptian armed forces every year, and the military will be
the guarantors of whatever government comes next. Thus President Obama
is in public being very careful not to infringe Egyptian sovereignty by
demanding the ouster of Mubarak, instead tailoring his comments to be a
little behind the news curve. In this way he can appear to be with the
Egyptian people and their desire for change, and not look like America is
interfering directly in Egyptian affairs. His call on Friday for a transition
period that begins now suggests that the Americans have decided that
waiting for Mubarak to go next September is no longer an option.
Whenever he goes America is still going to be supporting the army,
but it is clear that its influence has been reduced by a popular revolt. The
Arabs are retaking control of a part of their cultural, social and political
identities in a way unlike anything since the great Arab revolt of a century
ago. As for Mubarak, It is not such a large step from resigning the leadership
of the party to resigning the presidency which is beginning to look like a
definite maybe.
Dr Arif Azad wrote: Egypt is almost there in so far as the ouster of
Mubarak is concerned, yet the contours of the future are uncertain, this is
what worries the West which propped up this regime to provide pillars of
stability in the region. Now, with people reclaiming their right in a belated
outbreak of revolution, this prospect of peoples democracy is deeply
frightening to the West.
This is going to become more problematic as it seems, with
Egyptians seemingly successful revolution. And this virus of revolution is
set to spread to other countries given the generic similarities between
authoritarian regimes in the region. For people it is best of times; for
dictators and their Western backers it is the worst of times.
Robert Alvarez was of the view that it was all about food shortage.
The dramatic rise in food prices is fuelling a great deal of discontent in
Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere. Its a deep undercurrent propelling many of
the poor, who face prospects of starvation to resort to the streets and to
violence. According to the United Nations food agency, Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), world food prices are up for the 7th month

35

in a row and are likely to surpass the record high reached in December
2010.
After discussing the point in some detail he concluded: The
spontaneous mass uprising of ordinary people in Egypt and the Middle East
against their authoritarian regimes has many root causes. One that
deserves much greater attention is unfettered speculation by powerful
private financial institutions that dont care about worldwide starvation and
its impacts. Its distorting global food supplies.
Next day, Aijaz Zaka Syed analyzed the situation in the context of
Palestine. He wrote: While a measured world watches history being made
in Egypt and the Middle East, what has endlessly fascinated me is the
reaction of the self-styled champion of democracy, and its other equally
democratic and freedom-loving allies. For days after the unprecedented
protests that have shaken not just the Middle East but the world at large, one
breathlessly waited in vain to hear the White House say the D word.
Zaka dwelled on US-Zionist nexus before concluding: Clearly, as far
as Israelis are concerned, stability in the region means a few million Jews
living in safety and luxury on Palestinian lands, at the expense of Arabs
and world peace.
But no matter what anyone thinks or does now, the moment of
reckoning has arrived for Egypt and the Middle East. And Israel and its
friends and puppets can do little to delay it. The regimes desperate tactics to
hold on to power by unleashing secret police and hired goons on antigovernment protesters may buy it more time. It cannot delay or prevent it
forever, though. Change is imminent. And the longer the regime tries to foil
it, the greater the price Egypt will pay.
Change has come to the Middle East and its in the interest of the
long ossified Arab and Muslim elites to be part of it. For far too long,
they have blamed the regions woes and problems on the West. Now is the
time to take charge of their destiny.
Egypt has long been the intellectual and cultural leader of the Arab
world. And what happens in the land of Nile in the next few days could not
just change the face and map of the Middle East, it could impact the whole
world. These developments offer a chance like no other to the Arabs as
well as world powers to be on the right side of history. The world is
watching the Arabs. They will miss this momentous opportunity at their own
peril.

36

On 8th February, Zafar Hilali opined: A true revolution would only

occur if the Egyptian army were to pry itself out of the AmericanZionist embrace, refuse to be a pawn of the West, and accept the obvious
fact that it can never match the Israelis unless it redresses the balance of
military power by acquiring nuclear weapons. As someone has said, the
most useless and expensive thing in the world is the second best army in a
war, which what the Egyptian army is when compared to that of Israel.
The Egyptian uprising can only acquire international significance if
its impact were to reverberate across the world much like the Russian
Revolution did. Merely getting rid of a few people at the top hardly
qualifies as an event of any great consequence except, of course, for the
tin pot dictatorships of the Middle East or the American petrol pumps that go
by the name of Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, if the
Egyptian army were to seize the opportunity that the brave men and women
of the Egypt at Tahrir Square have created to refashion the power alignment
in the region, the uprising would rightly be ranked as seminal event in
contemporary history.
Next day, Farooq Sulehria observed: The key elements that
triggered the Egyptian protests are strikingly similar with those behind
the uprising in Tunisia: a despotic regime, economic contradictions, high
utility bills, staggering joblessness and high prices. These are not confined to
Egypt or Tunisia, however, and therefore have ramifications in the North
Africa-Middle East region. That is why the Tunisian tsunami has had a
strong impact across the Red Sea from Egypt, in Yemen under the longruling dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh.
On 11th February, Dr Muzaffar Iqbal observed: Cairos Tahrir square
is fast losing its appeal for the western media. In Pakistan, there has been
little awareness of the momentous events unfolding in Egypt. The Arab
world is seized by it, but mostly because of al-Jazeera and because of the
possible implications it carries for the dictators who rule it. Yet, for all
practical purposes, Egypts youth has become hostage to those who have
stolen its revolution.
What started rather abruptly saw some of the best on-site reporting.
The use of the Internet and Facebook also took a new turn. Together, they
produced stunning images and captivating narratives during the last three
weeks. These can easily be called the best of what has appeared in the media
in recent years. But is that all? Is this the end of this strange uprising
which has been called a revolution?
37

To be sure, a revolution it is not. Anyone serious enough to look up

the word revolution in a dictionary is bound to find its use problematic for
what took place in Tunis and what is taking place in Egypt. To be honest,
one cannot speak of the Tunisian or the Egyptian revolutions in the same
manner in which one speaks of the French Revolution (1789-1799); the
Russian Revolution of 1917; and the Chinese Revolution (1927-1949). True,
there is a certain amount of energy akin to a revolutionary zeal, but Cairos
Tahrir Square has nothing in common with any known revolution in history.
It is a mass of oppressed people who have found a voice, but the best a
mass of vocal people without a revolutionary leadership can hope to do is
bring down one dictator and replace him with another face. That is exactly
what happened in Tunis and that, sadly, may be the end of this saga in Egypt.
Yet, one hopes it will not end with a whimper.
Initially, there were comparisons with the fall of the Berlin Wall, but
soon, those were set aside and focus shifted to violence and the death of as
many as 302 people. But the blood has hardly dried and the western media
has already found other topics more appealing. Or is it Mr Obama and Ms
Clinton who have finally put a gag on the sound and the fury?
No matter how one looks at these tremendous events, there is no
better proof of the wests hypocrisy, that is, if one needs one more proof.
From Washington to Bonn, there has been a unanimous display of the same
double standards one is loath to repeat. Ultimately, the script reads:
Democracy must remain a catchword for the Muslim world, but it must
never be put in place. If one ex-air force general, Mubarak, is in danger, find
another ex-intelligence general, Suleiman, who can take over and safeguard
our interests. No wonder, Fox News has already raised flags about the
Muslim Brotherhood just about to take over Americas key partner in the
Middle East!
There is nothing new in these double standards. Anyone who has
studied American foreign policy already knows this. But this time around, it
is particularly painful because the youth in Egypt has put all it has on line
for a change that they cannot seem to bring about because there is no
leadership. The so-called wise elders they initially found turned out to be
such a disappointment for them, although if one had just looked them up on
the internet, one would have never expected anything from them.
A revolution means destruction of one system and enactment of
another. Without destruction, there is no revolution. This need not be
violent, but the entire state apparatus has to be drastically re-formed in order
38

for a revolution to take place. This means a change of rules; a change of

procedures; and a change of those who sit in high offices. This is what
Egypts youth is craving for. Now, for the sixteenth day in a row, they are
still out there, chanting slogans, braving teargas and bullets and midnight
knocks but the western world is increasingly becoming callous to these
brave young men who are angry but not angry enough. They want a change
but dont yet know how. Who are out there, shaking off their fear with which
they were born it has been thirty years!
As these words are being written, there is one significant change
taking place. Young men and women have moved out of Tahrir square and
have arrived where they should have been in the first place: in front of the
parliament building. If they succeed in reaching the presidential palace, then
a helicopter is bound to appear to take the 30-year-old terror out of Egypt.
But even that will not be enough as the next in line is of the same mould,
unless the helicopter is big enough to take them all!
This will, however, still not be enough as it is not just one, two or ten
persons; it is the entire rotten system, built by these men who have made
Egypt an American colony that needs to go. And that system is thirty long
years old, with its steel nails reaching down to the lowest policeman who
makes his living by taking bribes and who goes on the streets to terrorize
people. That system is surely shaking, but Egypts stolen revolution yearns
for a leader to appear on the scene. This may not be impossible as the
youth learns to rely on its own wisdom rather than finding wise old men
who cannot even imagine a future without the fatherly figure they are
supposed to remove from the scene.
Uncertain as Egypts future now looks, this stolen revolution is also
bound to produce waves all across the Middle East and even beyond.
Only time will tell what kind of waves will appear from Cairo during the
next few days, but no one should think that Egypt will remain the same,
even if its revolution is stolen.
Other than the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt there has been a major
development in which people of southern Sudan exercised the right of self
determination in second week of January. Ashraf Jehangir Qazi wrote: On
January 9, 2011 Africas largest country, Muslim majority Sudan, will split
in two as a result of a referendum in which the people of Southern Sudan
will decide not to remain part of a united Sudan. A minimum of 60 per cent
of the Southern Sudan electorate will be required to participate. With this
proviso, Sudan is expected to become the second Muslim country to split
39

Sudan has seen two North/South civil wars in its short history of
independence. More than two million people have been killed and many
more displaced.
The Arab-African and Muslim North have historically dominated the
African and tribal-Christian South. The civil wars wreaked devastation upon
the people of the South, who resisted Northern discrimination and
exploitation and, especially, its attempts at enforcement of the Shariah upon
them. With the assistance of neighbours as well as western countries,
Southern Sudan was able to force a military stalemate. This led to the
negotiation of the Naivasha Agreements and in 2005 the signing of the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
The main political purpose of the CPA was to preserve the ceasefire
and enable a government of national unity, comprising representatives from
the North and the South, to make the unity of Sudan attractive to the people
of the South within the interim period, at the end of which, they were to
decide whether or not they wanted to stay with the North The cultures,
experience and perceptions of the two Sudanese regions were different and
contradictory. The alienation of the South from the North was far too
deeply rooted to be overcome in six years.
The attitudes of the North, and in particular the ruling National
Congress Party, tended to be dismissive of Southern complaints and
insensitive to their fears of continued domination by a better resourced and
more sophisticated North that was seen to be committed to Islamist political
goals. In turn, the North felt the Southern Peoples Liberation Movement
knew it had only to wait out the interim period to achieve its long sought
objective of secession. Accordingly, it never had any incentive to cooperate
with the NCP to make unity attractive in time for the referendum. The NCP
lamented the loss of John Garang in an air crash just three weeks after the
signing of the CPA, who was seen as the only Southern leader committed to
making unity attractive.
Within the CPA framework there were specific issues to be resolved
on all of which progress was made, even if belatedly, and often with an
accompanying deepening of mistrust and mutual accusations of bad faith
between the NCP and the SPLM. This was particularly true of the census
and elections. But the most sensitive issue of the oil rich area of Abyei has
not been resolved despite an International Court of Justice ruling with regard
to its boundaries. Abyei, according to the CPA, was to participate in a
referendum of its own simultaneously with the referendum in the South. The
40

Abyei referendum was supposed to decide on whether it would remain part

of the North or go to the South and become part of its referendum decision.
But because the two main ethnic groups of Abyei, the nomadic Messeriya
who want as much of their grazing areas as possible to remain in the North,
and the Dinka who claim the whole of Abyei for themselves and in the
South, were unable to agree on who should participate in the referendum, the
exercise has been postponed. Abyei for the time being will remain in the
North which could inflame future relations between the North and the
South even if South Sudans referendum is peaceful y implemented.
It is, however, encouraging that President Omar al-Bashir and Vice
President Salva Kiir (who is expected to become president of an independent
South Sudan) have pledged not to promote instability in each others
territories. Moreover, the economies of the North and the South are
interdependent since both rely on oil exports. The South has most of the
oil. But the North has the pipeline, the refineries, and the terminal, Port
Sudan. This interdependence is likely to persist for some time and it will be
incumbent on the governments in Khartoum and Juba to negotiate an oil
deal, a division of assets and liabilities, guarantees for the safety of
southerners in the North and vice versa to ensure that the post referendum
peace is maintained and strengthened.
There will be other challenges. President Bashir is under indictment
on charges of war crimes and genocide in Darfur by the International
Criminal Court which has issued warrants for his arrest. The trauma of the
separation of the South could fuel opposition to his rule by political leaders
and possibly power centres including the NCP, the military, intelligence
and religious establishments looking for a scapegoat. He could become the
fall guy, like General Yahya Khan. The irony is that President Bashir has
been a ruthless but able leader who can be rigid and severe as well as
charming and flexible. He has had to carry his political and power base
while negotiating difficult issues with a suspicious and hostile South.
Moreover, he was never been able to develop the needed personal chemistry
with the dour Salva Kiir that he had with the charismatic John Garang. The
West did not make his task easier as it regarded the CPA more as a prelude to
separation than a framework for reconciliation. Under Bashirs rule Sudan
has been a challenged but strong state, and certainly not a failed state.
Western countries have often overlooked this fact.
The issue of Darfur, which is far more complicated than western
politicians, media and celebrities have projected, has also been an albatross
around Bashirs neck. Darfur has been Sudans Balochistan while the
41

South has been its East Pakistan. The loss of the South could transform
the Darfur rebellion into a secessionist movement. Khartoums economic
and political marginalization of Sudans peripheral regions will need to
change through constitutional and policy changes to minimize this risk. Its
relations with all its neighbours will also need to remain stable. The colonial
legacy and contemporary western policies have certainly contributed to both
the North/South and Darfur issues. But the governments in Khartoum cannot
escape primary responsibility for not handling these issues with the required
military forbearance and political imagination, including a decent concern
for human rights.
An independent South Sudan is in danger of being born a failed
state because of a lack of political leadership, increasingly lethal tribal
conflicts, Dinkas political dominance, weak administrative structures,
undeveloped human and physical infrastructure, a near non-existent work
ethic, corruption, and inevitably high popular expectations which will be
difficult to meet. For some time the new country will remain hugely
dependent on external financial, developmental, capacity building and
humanitarian assistance. The internal challenges that both Khartoum and
Juba will face, as well as unresolved issues between them, could tempt them
towards mutual confrontation. The regional and international community
will need to assist South Sudan, promote the development of cooperation
between Khartoum and Juba, and avoid a policy of sanctions and pressure
against Khartoum. Otherwise, the Somalification of what was Sudan will
become a real possibility. As it is, Islamic sentiment will be aroused by the
demise of united Sudan.
Qazi has based his analysis primarily on information circulated by
western media and therefore ignored the real cause behind splitting of
Sudan, an Islamic state comprising the largest land mass. Since the start of
war on terror southern Sudan would be the second after East Timor to
acquire independence with the backing of Christian West, whereas demands
of Palestinians, Kashmiris, and Muslims of Philippines and Thai south had
been paid no heed. Religion and natural resources have been the real causes,
rest all has been concoction of western propaganda.
Jonathan Cook commented on negative approach of Israel to the
peace process. For more than a decade, since the collapse of the Camp
David talks in 2000, the mantra of Israeli politics has been the same: There
is no Palestinian partner for peace. This week, the first of hundreds of
leaked confidential Palestinian documents confirmed the suspicions of a

42

growing number of observers that the rejectionists in the peace process are
to be found on the Israeli, not Palestinian, side.
Some of the most revealing papers, jointly released by Al-Jazeera
television and Britains Guardian newspaper, date from 2008 The papers
show, Israel spurned a set of major concessions the Palestinian
negotiating team offered over the following months on the most sensitive
issues in the talks. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has tried
unconvincingly to deny the documents veracity, but has not been helped by
the failure of Israeli officials to come to his aid.
According to the documents, the most significant Palestinian
compromise or sell-out, as many Palestinians are calling it was on
Jerusalem. During a series of meetings over the summer of 2008,
Palestinian negotiators agreed to Israels annexation of large swaths of
East Jerusalem, including all but one of the citys Jewish settlements and
parts of the Old City itself.
At the earlier Camp David talks, according to official Israeli
documents leaked to the Haaretz daily in 2008, Israel had proposed
something very similar in Jerusalem: Palestinian control over what were
then termed territorial bubbles. Later the Palestinians also showed a
willingness to renounce their claim to exclusive sovereignty over the Old
Citys flashpoint of the Haram al-Sharif. An international committee
overseeing the area was proposed instead.
The Palestinians agreed to land swaps to accommodate 70 per cent of
the half a million Jewish settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and to
forgo the rights of all but a few thousand Palestinian refugees. Interestingly,
the Palestinian negotiators are said to have agreed to recognize Israel as
a Jewish state a concession Israel now claims is one of the main
stumbling blocks to a deal.
Israel was also insistent that Palestinians accept a land swap that
would transfer a small area of Israel into the new Palestinian state along
with as many as a fifth of Israels 1.4 million Palestinian citizens. This
demand echoes a controversial population transfer long proposed by
Avigdor Lieberman, Israels far-right foreign minister.
The Palestine Papers demand a serious re-evaluation of two
lingering and erroneous assumptions made by many Western observers
about the peace process. The first relates to the United States selfproclaimed role as honest broker. What shines through the documents is the
reluctance of US officials to put reciprocal pressure on Israeli negotiators,
43

even as the Palestinian team make major concessions on core issues. Israels
demands are always treated as paramount.
The second is the assumption that peace talks have fallen into
abeyance chiefly because of the election nearly two years ago of a rightwing
Israeli government under Benjamin Netanyahu. He has drawn international
criticism for refusing to pay more than lip-service to Palestinian statehood.
Mr Olmerts former foreign minister Ms Livni emerges in the
leaked papers as an inflexible negotiator, dismissive of the huge
concessions being made by the Palestinians. The sticking point for Ms Livni
was a handful of West Bank settlements the Palestinian negotiators refused
to cede to Israel. Her insistence on holding on to these settlements after all
the Palestinian compromises suggests that there is no Israeli leader either
prepared or able to reach a peace deal unless, that is, the Palestinians cave
in to almost every Israeli demand and abandon their ambitions for
statehood.

REVIEW
Mohammad Bouazizi of Tunisia, by alighting himself in protest,
caused a course-correction in domestic politics of Arab World. This
correction was so sudden that no one on board of the Arabian ship could
escape the resultant rolling and rocking effect, despite the fact that they have
been accustomed to sailing in rough seas for more than a century.
Obviously, course-correction did not please the elite at the helm of
affairs. It was considered detrimental to their interests. Their western masters
had similar feelings. The mood in Arab streets rang alarm bells in the US
and Europe. The Crusades feared reversal of gains they had made during last
hundred years, which have been consolidated since 9/11.
Nevertheless, the West accepted the inevitable in Tunisia. It seemed
confident of finding a complying successor of Ben Ali. In other words, it had
a strategy for not allowing the change to be more than skin-deep. The case
of Egypt, however, was quite different. It caused serious concerns because
Mubarak has been a pillar of the US-Israel strategy for the region that
revolved around peace process.
America and Europe were surprised by the magnitude of uprising but
they were not unaware or totally unprepared for coping with the situation.
They always have plans ready for various contingencies. The best option for
them was to maintain status quo, but at the same time have suitable
44

replacements ready for the biggest and the longest puppet show of human
history.
Tone and tenor of the Western media, analysts, diplomats and rulers
indicated that they wont let Egypt slip out of their hands no matter what the
aspirations of the people of that country were. Their main worry has been as
to who would clamp blockade on Gazans and Hamas as effectively as the
puppet Mubarak had done.
The initiation of pro-Mubarak protests was a move to maintain status
quo. It was a deliberate move aimed at subverting anti-regime movement by
causing chaos and even bloodshed. This seemed working initially; many
who had been protesting peacefully started abstaining.
Puppets and puppeteers appeared to be regaining the control. Western
media showed visible change in coverage of protests and in commenting
upon them. It seemed to have realized that status quo suited them better than
any change, especially the one which would be out of their control.
This move of street-clashes was reinforced by the West with
concealed threats of aid stoppage halting the peace process, if protests
continue. But perseverance of the protesters and casualties suffered in
clashes forced the West to change mind and discard the option of saving the
old faithful.
They were quick in correctly assessing the magnitude of anger in
Egyptian streets. They preferred to save the pro-West system that has been
put in place with decades of sustained efforts, rather than saving a stumbling
crony. The king-makers in the civilized world do not care what happens to a
Ben Ali, a Mubarak, or a Saleh. Their main concern is always that
whosoever succeeds them should be willing to act as crony of the West.
Egyptian Army is an interim solution. For a long term solution they
have the substitute ready; former IAEA chief, ElBaradi, has already moved
back to the country. Amr Moussa is another. Concurrently, they had been
trying to be on the right side of the protesters just to captivate hearts and
minds of unknown leaders that emerge as a result of this movement.
The Israel does not want political Islam filling the vacuum created by
Mubaraks exit, so the West does not want and nobody in the world wants
that. This ruling of the West is sweeping but emphatic. In case the leadership
that emerges through protests poses any threat to Wests interests, the
option of declaring it Islamic fascist is always available.

45

Meanwhile, Mubarak faltered, like all puppets, in banking too much

on his foreign masters. He kept ignoring demands of his own people and
obeyed commands from White House. But Wests policy of having all
options open sowed the seeds of mistrust in his heart and he complained
about foreign interference. It was too late.
It took just 18 days and less than 24 hours after his last show of
adamancy for Faroun-e-Jadid of Egypt to bite the dust. The success of
Egyptian people will encourage other nations of the region to get rid of
despot rulers. But, it will happen only in those countries where people want
a change for better.
What does the exit of Mubarak means for Egyptians and the Arab
masses in general? It marks the beginning, not an end. It is the beginning of
the fulfillment of the ultimate aim of this movement; the end to internal and
external oppression.
The removal of dictators will provide only temporary relief from the
oppression. For long term relief they have to make correct choice through
democratic process. But, for ending Wests domination even a democratic
dispensation wont be sufficient. Nevertheless, removal of dictators is an
important first step towards this goal.
Meanwhile, a Christian state has been formally carved out of southern
Sudan through a referendum. Territorially largest Muslim country has been
cut to size. Iraq kept suffering from bloodshed and Yemen remained in
turmoil.
12th February 2011

46

CAME TO CARRY
The last ten days had unusual concentration of important events.
These events included Eid Milad-ul-Nabi; Ghalibs anniversary soon after
Faizs, Valentine Day, Basant and inauguration of Cricket World Cup. The
religious fundamentalists, literary intellectuals, lovers, kite flyers and cricket
crazy had a day to celebrate or commemorate.
The event that kept captivated the people of Pakistan was day-light
cold-blooded murder in Lahore by a US contractor named Davis. With
complete disrespect to public sentiment Americans pressed for his
immediate release and puppet rulers in Pakistan appeared to be paying more
attention to commands of the master than to the wailing of own people.
Senator John Kerry rushed to Pakistan to rescue the valiant son of the
civilized world. He came in a special plane quite hopeful of carrying Davis
home with him. To this end he did extensive bidding with mother-sellers of
Pakistan while hurling concealed threats.
He, however, returned empty handed. He had to beat a hasty retreat
after listening to the viewpoint of Pakistani rulers. The mother-sellers had
told him that striking a bargain in the prevalent situation would not be
possible as most children of the mother were very angry.

NEWS
In Pakistan, one person was killed in bomb blast in Charsadda on 9 th
February. Three women suicide bombers were among six arrested in Bajaur
Agency. Four bomb blasts targeted police in Gujranwala; no human loss was
reported. General Kayani chaired corps commanders conference that
reviewed security situation. Reportedly, he also apprised the participants
about his visit to Germany, during which Hillary had threatened Pakistan of
dire consequences if Davis was not released.
Foreign Office conceded partial immunity to Davis but said he could
not be freed under Pakistani law. Altaf Hussain said Pakistan is under
pressure on Pakistan for release of Davis and urged resolution of issue by the
judiciary. US Consulate gave routine daily call to Punjab government for
release of Davis.
Duniya TV revealed startling information about activities of Davis
ascertained from the recoveries made from the car he was using. The items
recovered included variety of cameras, weapons, ammunition, telescope,
47

wire-cutter, bandages etc. the films in his cameras had photos of offices of
banned organizations and roads leading to those; offices of intelligence
agencies; roads leading in and out of Lahore and Peshawar; and Indo-Pak
border area including bunkers.
During recording of his particulars on arrival in the Police Station
Davis said he was working as consultant in the US Consulate in Lahore.
Davis was frequently granted consulate access during detention and the
visitors communicated with him by writing chits to avoid bugging of the
room.
Next day, 32 recruits were killed and 40 wounded in suicide bombing
at Punjab Regiment Training Centre, Mardan. Two vehicles of US Embassy
with fake numbers were impounded at Tarnol check post. Adiala Jail
superintendent and his deputy were granted interim bail.
Hussain Haqqani held a press conference to reject reports that he has
been issuing visas in violation of due process. He granted Davis the status
of diplomat. Bashir Bilour urged media to cover killings by militants in KPK
instead focusing on Davis (who killed just three in Lahore). Washington Post
reported that Pakistan has refused to hand over Davis.
Punjab government spent a busy day in preparation for transfer of
Raymond Davis to jail on completion of his remand in police custody. It
planned to deploy multi-layered security cordons, including that of Rangers,
in and around Kot Lakhpat Jail to pre-empt any sting operation for his
rescue.
On 11th February, five dead bodies were found near Mardan; believed
to be killed by militants. Eleven militants were killed in Swat. Four persons
were wounded in roadside bombing in Mohmand Agency; would be bomber
and Levies man were killed in separate incident. Railway track was blown
up at five different places in Sindh; all acts of sabotage seemed to have been
committed by the same group.
Davis was presented before a magistrate in Lahore Cantt and sent to
jail on 14-day remand. Punjab government denied reports that he would be
lodged in jail with no specially provided comfort. US Consulate General met
Raymond Davis in Kot Lakhpat Jail in the evening. Countrywide protests
were held against Raymond.
US media reported that Obama Administration had summoned
Haqqani on 7th February to warn that if Davis was not released by 11 th
February that diplomatic relations with Pakistan can be severed; Haqqani
48

can be told to pack up and Zardaris visit cancelled. Haqqani and US

Embassy in Islamabad denied the reports but spokesman of White House
refused to comment.
CCP, Lahore briefed the media about incomplete chalan submitted in
the court. The investigators rejected the plea of Davis that he had acted in
self-defence on two counts. First, Davis had lied that one of the victims had
pointed gun at him; the pistol recovered from his body had no bullet in
chamber. Second, he was shot from behind while running away from Davis.
Spying activities were being investigated separately.
US Consulate General rejected findings of the investigators and
insisted that Davis had acted in self-defence. She demanded his immediate
release so that we can focus on improving health education in Pakistan.
Reportedly, Zardari was pushing for back-dated immunity for Davis. Shah
Mahmood became the first casualty of Davis crisis when he was removed as
foreign minister.
Next day, three soldiers were wounded in suicide attack in Batakhela;
bomber and his companion were killed. Five militants were killed in
subsequent operation. Nine militants were killed in Swat. Interestingly, not a
single drone strike was carried out Davis incident.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Foreign Office had told him that Davis
is not a diplomat and had refused to sign a summary that granted him
diplomatic immunity. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Davis had links
with Taliban which operate against Pakistan. Tripartite conference was
postponed by US for indefinite period over Davis issue.
Firdous Ashiq Awan said Qureshi was talking like this because he did
not get ministry of his choice. Rehman Malik said visa to Davis was issued
following proper procedure; he wont be sent from right or left (He came
from back-door and will go from front door). Foreign Secretary said if I
commit immoral act, I wont seek immunity. He denied any pressure from
any quarter to change facts about Davis.
On 13th February, eight militants were killed in a clash in Orakzai
Agency; two soldiers were among seven wounded. Three militants were
sounded in roadside bomb blast in Bara area and one NGO Worker was
injured by miscreants. Dead bodies of seven militants were found in Swat.
Gas pipeline and rail track were blown up in Sindh.
Punjab government declined the request to provide any special
comfort to Davis. Firdous Ashiq Awan said Shah Mahmood Qureshis
49

refusal to join the cabinet should be seen in the context of issue of arrest
warrants of Musharraf in Benazirs murder case. Babar Awan wanted to
bargain swap over of Aafia with Davis. Addressing a public meeting in
Jhang Imran Khan said ways were being found to send Davis out of
Pakistan.
Shah Mahmood was hurt by the statements issued by his old
colleagues. Muhammad Mallick said foreign secretary would be next in the
line of fire. He also claimed that Zardari regime has assured the US that it
would prepare necessary documents and produce those before the court to
secure diplomatic immunity for Davis. It has also asked the US not to carry
out any drone attack meanwhile.
Next day, Punjab governments investigating team went to US
Consulate for the vehicle and driver that crushed Ebadur Rehman; the team
was told to forget about that. Four officials of US Consulate along with a
lawyer met Davis in Lakhpat Jail and held discussion for two hours. The US
said Pakistani courts cannot interpret Vienna Convention. Mariana Baabar
said Zardari and Gilani had demanded from Qureshi to give back-dated
immunity coverage for Davis.
Cameron Munter met Foreign Secretary and demanded immediate
release of Davis. He spent two hours with Salman Bashir to make it clear
that Pak-US ties cannot go ahead without release of Davis. Soon after the
meeting, in a hurriedly arranged press conference Fauzia Wahab quoted a
case from PLD and clauses of an Act of 1972 to claim that arrest of
Raymond Davis is against our own law. Her act was negated the previous
evasive stance of the Zardari regime in which it avoided saying anything
about Davis on the pretext of matter being sub judice.
Rana Sanaa termed Fauzias statement mischievous. He added that if
someone is so keen to defend Davis he or she should go to the court.
Presidency (not prime minister) called for explanation from Fauzia. She lied
that she had said that in her personal capacity. She had also lied when she
claimed that 80 per cent of foreign revenue comes from the US; whereas it is
only 20 per cent.
Abida Hussain joined the band of howling loyalists of Zardari and she
accused Qureshi of disloyalty to party leader. Imtiaz Safdar Warraich
condemned Qureshi for making secrets of foreign ministry public. Pir
Mazhar-ul-Haq said he couldnt understand as to why Qureshi has fallen so
low. The US said removal of Qureshi is Pakistans internal affair.

50

On 15th February, two militant commanders were held in Orakzai

Agency. Twenty suspected miscreants were arrested in Jani Khel area of
Bannu. Main railway track was blown up in interior Sindh. Grossman was
appointed new US special envoy for AfPak.
John Kerry arrived in Lahore on rescue mission after distress call
from Obama Administration. Before embarking on journey he telephoned
Nawaz and Qureshi and wanted to meet them to discuss Davis. Soon after
his arrival he held a press conference in which he mentioned the aid Pakistan
gets from the US, narrated a saying of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), and
regretted killings by Davis.
He then came to the point: Pakistani court cannot try Davis, he should
be released and the US would try him for the crime he has committed. He
praised Fauzia for explaining the legal position of immunity. In reply to a
question he did not rule out possibility of a bill against aid to Pakistan.
On other side of the globe Obama urged Pakistan to free Davis
arguing that he was not callous but a broader principle is at stake. He said
Davis enjoyed diplomatic immunity under Vienna Convention to which
Pakistan is a signatory. We expect Pakistan to abide by the same
convention. He said the US would continue working for release of Davis
but refused to give details of the working.
When Kerry was quoting the saying of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), a
TV channel reported that Davis got the loudspeakers of his barrack removed
as Azaan disturbed him. The amplifiers were re-installed after protests by the
prisoners.
Foreign Office conveyed its final position to Law Ministry with
regard to the diplomatic status of Davis and his immunity. These documents
will be presented before the Lahore High Court on 17 th February. Foreign
Ministry was, however, taken aback by the statement of Obama which was
against the understanding that two governments had agreed to avoid
involvement of the top leaders.
Meanwhile, chalan of Davis was submitted in the court. Shah
Mahmood Qureshi reiterated that Davis has no diplomatic immunity and he
was prepared for facing any consequences for his just stand. Gilani said
there is no pressure on Pakistan on account of Davis. Chalan of Davis was
submitted in the court. Congenital lair, Awans, both he and she, said courts
would decide the fate of Davis. Munawwar Hasan demanded removal of
Fauzia and asked her to apologize to the nation.

51

Next day, Qureshi met Kerry and held a press conference after that in
which he said Davis does not enjoy blanket diplomatic immunity. This view
was unanimously formed in deliberations by foreign ministry, interior
ministry and Army. He regretted the statements of his old colleagues and
ruled out leaving the party. He remarked that we have learnt to live with
bowed down heads and we must learn to live with head high.
After Qureshi, Kerry was briefed by foreign and interior ministries
and met Gilani and Zardari separately. Gilani repeated his favourite line of
matter sub judice. Zardari termed the matter quite tedious but wanted to
resolve amicably and promptly. But, what was publicly said by both of them
could be quite different they must have assured the visitor. Later he met
General Kayani.
Kerry also met Nawaz Sharif, who addressed a press conference after
the meeting. Nawaz said the issue has been complicated by the Centre and
our mandate is not to find out solution based on compromise, which could
have negative impact. He complained that driver of second car has not been
handed over for investigation and no one mentions the name of lady that
died begging justice.
Observers felt that Obama Administrations insistence that Davis
enjoys immunity is not based on laws in vogue or his diplomatic status.
They claim his immunity on the basis of a secret bilateral agreement under
which the US was accorded 11 concessions to secret agents operating in
Pakistan. One of the clause said that if any agent commits a crime inside
Pakistan, including murder, he would be tried in the US.
Reportedly, Kerry had come on a special plane with confidence to
take Davis back home. The government, however, told him that it wont be
possible. He departed for the US hoping that the issue would be resolved
soon. Western TV claimed that Zardari government has decided to give
immunity to Davis before the court.
Meanwhile, consulate officials and lawyers met Davis in jail. It was
also reported that Kerry had contacted families of the victims on telephone,
but they refused to meet in person. The option of Diyat, however, has not
been abandoned. A team of PPP and PML-N leaders will negotiate the terms
and the US will honor those.
A report published in the Washington Post revealed that John Kerry
has been lying about trial of Davis in the US. The report quoted an official of
Obama Administration saying that Davis cannot be tried in the US.

52

Secondly, Kerry was not on official visit he had gone to Pakistan in his
personal capacity, meaning thereby that he could give no assurances.
On 17th February, six militants were killed in Orakzai Agency.
Security forces held 23 suspects from Lachi area. Two persons were arrested
after two packets of explosives were found in Rawalpindi. Earlier, dead
body of a soldier was found in Landikotal area. Three militants were arrested
from AJK.
Lahore High Court ordered to place Davis on ECL along with his
photo and find out his correct name. Foreign ministry sought three weeks to
submit reply on diplomatic status of Davis. The court granted the time and
adjourned till 14th March. The observers termed it victory attributable to
Kerry. The court hearing the murder case granted judicial remand for 14
days on charge of possessing illegal weapons.
In his interview to ARY TV Shah Mahmood Qureshi revealed that
when he had told his ministrys viewpoint to top leadership the case of Davis
was handed over to Rehman Malik and Qureshi was told to keep quiet. He
refused to answer question regarding Rehman Malik proposed to forge
documents for diplomatic immunity.
Kerry offered him the foreign ministry back if he changed his stance
on diplomatic immunity to Davis (denied by Kerry). He was surprised over
non-submission of reply in the LHC, because everything was ready since
31st January. He also declined answering questions regarding US threats and
stoppage of military aid.
The families of the victims of murderer Davis reiterated that they
would not accept any compensation as Diyat, come what may. Meanwhile, a
group of Pakistani businessmen offered matching support and help to the
families if they reject the offer of America. Punjab government was pressing
victim families to accept compensation.
The regime decided that the reply to be submitted in LHC would be
prepared jointly by foreign and interior ministries. CEC of PPP met in
Presidency to discuss the case of Davis and Zardari informed the meeting
that case of Davis was very complicated. Shah Mahmood and Fauzia Wahab
were not invited and later on the loud-mouth Fauzia was replaced with
Kaira.
Stratfor website claimed that Davis is a CIA agent working on
contract. He cannot claim diplomatic immunity. Senator McChean expressed
concern over keeping Davis in jail. Mullen said Americas popularity in
53

Pakistan was diminishing fast. Reportedly, Americans were preparing for

emergency evacuation.
Next day, one soldier was killed and four wounded in attack on a post
in Mohmand Agency. Four persons were kidnapped from Bara area. Rallies
across country asked the government not to bow to US on Davis issue. LHC
ordered police to proceed against the driver which overran and killed Ebad
according to law and record statements of eye-witnesses. Why were the
statements not recorded remained a mystery. In any case it was too little too
late on the part of justice system of Pakistan. An American TV reported the
driver who killed Ebad has reached America along with his companion and
both had Davis-like visas.
In pursuance of court orders the Punjab government approached
Ministry of Interior to provide details of all the vehicles in use of US
Consulate, including unregistered vehicles and list of drivers, including
those who drive without licence. This information was needed to identify the
driver who crushed Ebad.
Ansar Abbasi reported that Punjab government feared elimination of
Davis by CIA. No food and physical contact was allowed. Rana Sana said
Davis does not enjoy diplomatic immunity; the federal government must
show some self-respect and national pride. Shujaat blamed Punjab
government for mishandling the case of Davis.
Gilani, Hina Khar, Salman Bashir and some others gathered in
Presidency to draft reply to be submitted in LHC hearing the case of
diplomatic immunity of Davis. Gilani and Kayani met Zardari separately
and decided to wait for court verdict. Late in the evening Cameron Munter
had long discussion on Davis issue. Reports said the US could increase the
aid to Pakistan hundred per cent if Davis is released.
Hillary asked Pakistan not to let the efforts of last two years for
improving bilateral go waste. She demanded immediate release of Davis.
Robert Gates served an indirect threat saying terrorist (like Davis) could
provoke Pak-India conflict. CIA chief termed Pak-US ties complicated. New
York Times urged US not to threaten Pakistan.
Hezb-e-Islami opposed US bids for establishing military bases
Afghanistan. On 12th February, 15 people were killed and 14 wounded in
attack in Kandahar. Tripartite conference was postponed for indefinite
period. On 14th February, two security guards were killed in suicide attack in
Kabul. Two British soldiers were killed a blaze in a base.

54

Spending on Afghan assistance was slashed from $113.5 to $107.3 on

15 February. On 18th February, 12 persons were killed and about fifty
wounded in two bomb blasts in Khost. One policeman was killed and five
people wounded in car bomb attack on a post. Hillary told Taliban that they
could never defeat the United States and urged them to give up arms.
Reportedly, US and Taliban were in direct contact to negotiate peace in
Afghanistan.
th

On 10th February, Pakistan and India agreed to resume dialogue in

July. Pakistan successfully tested Hatf-VII missile. On 13th February, Rahat
Fateh Ali Khan was detained at New Delhi Airport and $100 thousand were
recovered from him. He is to be produced in a court on 14 th February.
Advani urged Pakistan to respect minorities; he did that in the context of
blasphemy law and Aasia Masih.
On 14th February, Pakistan Embassy staff was not allowed to meet
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan; unlike grant of almost free access to Davis in
Pakistan. Rahat was released in the evening but he had to stay in New Delhi
till 17th February.
In Balochistan, main gas pipeline was blown up near Dera Murad
Jamali on 9th February, disrupting supply to Quetta. Two brothers were shot
dead by unknown gunmen in Quetta. The Supreme Court asked government
to protect life and property of citizens of Balochistan and summoned AG and
AGB in plea against law and order situation in the province. The Chief
Justice while hearing the Reko Diq case said, as long as we maintain our
sovereignty no conspiracy could be hatched against the integrity of the
country.
On 10th February, two major gas pipelines were blown up in Dera
Bugti area. Four persons were wounded in attack on Quetta Express in
Nasirabad District. On 12th February, main gas pipeline was blown up near
Dera Murad Jamali. On 14th February, one Levies man was killed in
landmine blast in Dera Bugti area. Gas pipeline was blown up near Nutal.
Next day, four policemen were killed in an ambush in Mastung area.
Main gas pipeline was blown up near Dera Murad Jamali. Chief Justice said
many explanations in Reko Diq case. On 16 th February, one person was
killed and two wounded in landmine blast in Dera Bugti area. Next day, 17
suspected militants were held in Pir Koh area.
On 13th February, India decided to pull out 10,000 troops from IHK.
On 16th February, police used force to disperse Eid Milad procession in

55

Srinagar. Two days later Shabbir Shah was arrested after he addressed a
public gathering in Hazratbal shrine.

VIEWS
In the context of Pakistan, Asif Ezdi noted on 9th February: It has
been suggested by some of our analysts that that if we do not release Davis,
Hillary Clinton might not smile as broadly as she did at her last meeting with
Shah Mahmood. That is possible. But we can live with that. I am sure Shah
Mahmood can live with it too. Zardaris visit to Washington could be
postponed, though it is unlikely. Even if it is, it will be no tragedy. Whether
Zardari will be prepared for the shock is another matter.
But the so-called strategic dialogue or strategic partnership
between the two countries is not under threat. The US needs this
relationship as much as we do. It is not for the love of Pakistani people that
the US is providing military and economic assistance to us. The Americans
are doing so to serve their own national interests.
The government will do a great service not only to the nation but
also to itself if it does not bow to US demands on Davis. It will give some
credibility to our claim of being a sovereign country and do a lot of good to
national self-esteem. God knows we need it badly. Countries that succumb to
the first signs of international pressure never attain their national goals. Our
problem is that our ruling class and the liberal elite allied with them are
very comfortable in their cocoons and will risk nothing that could even
remotely jeopardize their cushy life style.
Mosharraf Zaidis views stink of liberalism. Pakistan is being
poisoned by false pride, self-pity and moral asymmetry. If we want
Raymond Davis to burn, we should demand the same for Mumtaz Qadri. If
the murder of three Lahori boys is unacceptable, we should be even more
outraged by the untold death and destruction in Tirah Valley, in Bajaur, in
Orakzai and across FATA that has been showered upon it by the Pakistani
military. If we dont like drones (and we shouldnt), we must ask questions
about what our helicopters and F-16s are doing in the north. If we dont like
targeted killings in Karachi, we should raise our voice against them in
Balochistan too.
Zaidis line of argument is that if Pakistanis have been tolerating all
the insult and injury perpetrated. He added: Pakistanis are too resilient, too
beautiful and too good to drown in a sea of delusion. Now more than ever is
56

a time for Pakistanis to be optimistic. The degree of responsibility in our

optimism will make all the difference between perpetuating fantasies, or
stemming the rot by promoting facts and reason.
Salman Babar from Lahore wrote: One can imagine the amount of
pressure on the president and prime minister by the US to release its citizen.
Everyone knows what happened to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto when he dared
confronting the Americans. Will the present-day PPP leadership follow
the footsteps of their founding father?
On 11th February, Shafqat Mahmood opined: The Raymond Davis
episode was waiting to happen. With a sizeable number of American
undercover operatives moving freely in the country, problems were bound to
occur. It started at security checkpoints where they would refuse to identify
themselves or get their vehicles searched. There were a number of
standoffs The surprise is not that the Davis incident happened; more that
other such incidents have not occurred.
How far will this go and how would it affect Pak-US relations?
After the Lahore High Court has taken cognizance of the matter, there is no
way that the provincial or the federal government can just release Mr Davis.
American pressure for his instant release demonstrates a degree of contempt
for Pakistani institutions. Maybe, the political wing in the embassy, which
should have better reading of the situation, can advise everyone that the
government cannot dictate to the judiciary.
It seems to me that the federal government is veering toward
granting him diplomatic immunity. But, the problem is that if the court
considers the reasoning unsatisfactory, there is not much that the government
will be able to do. If such an eventuality does occur, it would be, for PPP
government, the worst of both worlds; getting negative political fallout
without actually securing Davis release. It needs to have a solid immunity
case before it even considers going to court. Since national security is
involved, it would be wise to seek a preliminary hearing in camera to test the
waters.
The Punjab government is sitting pretty because it has basically
gone by the book. Since the federal government dithered about the
immunity question, there was little choice for it but to register a case and
keep Mr Davis in custody. It has provided consular access but has continued
with the investigation. On a political plane, the PML N and Mr Shahbaz
Sharif have nothing to lose. The Americans may not think too much of them,
but a strong and principled stand plays well on the Pakistani street.
57

Will this episode affect Pak-US relations? It is obvious that the

American government is very keen on Mr Davis speedy release. With every
passing day, more details of his activities are emerging that do not reflect
well on the US in the public eye. But, a quick release seems unlikely.
Whatever determination is made by the foreign office will have to be
adjudicated in court. This could take time.
There is also the unresolved matter of the unfortunate bystander
crushed by the consulate vehicle. This may also fall within the ambit of
diplomatic immunity but so far no information has been provided by the
American government. It remains a sticking point until it is resolved.
Assuming that there is no quick solution, where would Pak-US
relations stand? The simple fact is that both countries need each other
pretty desperately. Pared down to the bare minimum, US needs the transit
facilities to its troops in Afghanistan that cannot be easily replicated. It also
needs Pakistans cooperation to make progress in the war in Afghanistan.
Lastly, it worries about militancy in Pakistan and would like to remain
engaged.
The Pakistani government is desperately short of money and needs
every bit it can get from the US, from its European allies, from the IMF and
other multilateral institutions. The key to all this assistance lies in the hands
of the United States. Someone correctly remarked that sovereignty is not
only of territory but of being able to pay ones bills. The Pakistani
government is in the sad state of not being able to do so.
Thus, in case of a serious standoff both countries will have a lot to
lose. But then, the US is a superpower and has more options. Pakistans
desperate economic straits make it more vulnerable. Even so, in the event of
such a standoff, neither side will emerge a winner. It would be best for the
US to understand the imperatives of the Davis case and wait patiently for a
resolution.
The News commented: With little public sign of resolution, the
pressure is mounting on Pakistan to release Raymond Davis without
delay. This matter always had the potential to turn into a full-blown
confrontation between ourselves and the Americans, and aside from holding
the accused in a double-murder case we seem to hold few bargaining chips.
The latest turn of the screw is that the US has suspended all high-level
contacts with our government and this could negatively impact a number of
forthcoming events

58

At the core of the current difficulty is a differential interpretation of

precisely who and who should not, be allowed to claim diplomatic
immunity, a differential based on inconsistencies between local law and
international law. International laws and treaties have to be codified locally
in order for states to act upon them. Our responsibilities and rights under the
Vienna Convention are defined in the Diplomatic and Consular Privileges
(DACP) Act, 1972. The DACP is not a cut and paste of the Vienna
Convention, and there are differences between the two, one of which relates
to immunity. Legal technicalities aside, there appears to be expert consensus
that supremacy rests with local laws and that Davis is therefore subject to
the law of the land as expressed in the DACP 1972. It is then up to the courts
to act in accordance with local law, and with no reference to international
laws or treaties that have no local standing.
The Americans are taking a literal position regarding the Vienna
Convention and seem to be wanting to ride roughshod over our
Constitutional law. Much is now at stake, and yesterdays recognition of
partial immunity for Davis by our foreign office may be the device which
allows both sides wiggle room. Three of our citizens are dead at the hands
of US citizens; a fourth is dead as collateral damage. We must not allow
ourselves to be bullied into a position where we are by some sleight-of-hand
presented as the baddies in this shootout. And Uncle Sam needs to
understand that might is not always right.
In another editorial the newspaper wrote about missing persons. The
new menace of people going missing, almost unheard of in our country till
2002, when suspected militants first began to be picked up by agency
personnel, possibly following instructions from US mentors in the wake of
the 9/11 attacks, seems to be expanding. But the fact that courts are taking
up these cases, even when military personnel are involved, marks a
hopeful sign that the violations will stop. Court hearings also indicate just
how unsafe people are.
The Peshawar High Court has summoned two military officers in a
case in which a petitioner in the Mardan district has said that he and his three
brothers were picked up in a search operation last October. Two of the men
remain missing. In another case, a resident of Swat district has said his
brother was taken away ten months ago by military personnel for providing
fodder to cattle owned by the Taliban. He says the militants forced his
brother, a fodder gatherer, to do so.

59

The cases of missing persons that continue to arise are in many ways
clear-cut. If any of these individuals has committed a crime he must be
brought before a court. Detention in an unknown place, without access to
family, is a clear violation of the law. It can only build resentment against
authorities and complicate the matter of building opinion against militants. It
is hoped that the aggressive action being taken by the courts will put an end
to such cases, and to the suffering they inflict on families whose loved ones
disappear for months without a trace, deprived of any opportunity to contact
relatives or obtain legal aid.
On 14th February, Ameer Bhutto observed: There can be no forum
better suited to discuss and resolve the affairs of state than parliament. It
should find solutions to national problems in accordance with their mandate
and constitutional provisions. That is what it is there for. Instead, the
parliamentarians have been acting like they have been on a three year
long state subsidized vacation, apart from sanctioning the construction of
new residential quarters for themselves at a cost of three billion rupees while
flood victims still live in flimsy tents in refugee camps. It is high time that
they got down to serious work.
The agenda for the proposed round table conference remains a
mystery, other than the vague label to discuss matters of national interest.
Has such an agenda not already been put forth by PML-N? Is it not already
under deliberation? What other matters of national interest can there
possibly be that are not suitable for discussion in parliament? Why sidestep
this institution, that represents the very essence of democracy, and huddle up
in a clandestine conclave instead?
There is widespread speculation that the actual agenda for the
proposed round table conference is not to discuss national issues, but to
provide the government a medium for transferring to other players on the
political stage the intense heat and pressure it has been subjected to in the
Raymond Davis case and to jointly figure a way out. No round table
conference is needed to evolve a consensus regarding the preservation of
national sovereignty, or what is left of it, which leaves only the possibility
that it is being called to steer things in a direction that would appease the
Americans
After dwelling on the point for a while, he concluded: The
government of Pakistan has very little legal and political room to manoeuvre
in the Raymond Davis matter; they have no choice but to allow the law to
take its course. The murder case and the question of diplomatic immunity
60

are sub judice before the appropriate courts and they have to be allowed to
decide on both counts. It is shameful that a number of investigative officers
assigned to this case have had to quit because they have been subjected to
inordinate pressure. Do due process and writ of law mean nothing at all? Is
Pakistani blood so cheap? Members of the United States Congress have
expressed the view that the detention of Raymond Davis could cast shadows
on the dispensation of future aid to Pakistan.
Frenzied diplomatic efforts are underway to spring Davis from
prison. All the round table conferences in the world will not change the fact
that, sooner or later, the Zardari administration will have to grit its teeth and
stand up to its western overlords. The difficulty they are having in doing so
is quite obvious and understandable; how can you slap away the hand that
sustains you in power? Zulfikar Ali Bhutto felt no qualms in confronting
intrusive foreign influences because he was in power by virtue of the support
of the people, not the benefaction of foreign masters. We will make an
example out of you Henry Kissinger warned him, and sure enough his
unwavering principled stand took him to the gallows. Those who now wield
control of his party have grasped the lesson that Kissinger intended to
impart. As a result, they see no need to incur the wrath of their foreign
masters over such outdated and archaic matters as principles and national
sovereignty, particularly while enjoying the trappings of power.
Ahmed Quraishi compared Pakistani puppet with Egyptian puppet.
Mubarak is supposed to be a bigger foreign stooge than our own variety and
yet, he never allowed foreign meddling in his country, not even in his defeat,
declining all ideas and plans for him to move to Germany or Saudi Arabia.
He moved to a house in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. So
far, he has stuck to his vow that he will die and be buried in Egypt and that
he wont escape for safety in some haven in Jeddah, Dubai, London or New
York. For Pakistans ruling elite, these cities have become alternate capitals
of Pakistan
There were many occasions when there were frictions between Cairo
and Washington over one thing or the other and the mainstream US media
was unleashed as usual to ridicule, harass or intimidate Mubarak and
Egypt. But Mubarak wont have any of it. The point is not to glorify
Mubarak. The point is to highlight the Egyptian elites sense of
independence and pride even when they were corrupt and seen by their own
people as pro-Israel touts. Compare that to Pakistan. Every regime, from
Benazir Bhutto to Nawaz Sharif to Pervez Musharraf to Asif Zardari, has

61

handed over Pakistani citizens to foreign governments without an iota of

national pride.
Some of them moved to Jeddah, Dubai, London and New York. Most
of them have their wealth and properties abroad. Mr Musharraf introduced a
new element to this shameful history when he launched Pakistans first
political party on foreign soil, in London and Dubai. And now, most
Pakistani politicians consider it kosher to conduct important political
meetings outside Pakistan. Mr Zardari has introduced another first: highlevel meetings with foreign governments that relevant Pakistani government
departments, like the Foreign Office, know nothing about. We have
ambassadors and national security advisers who are appointed to protect the
interests of foreign governments. Hosni Mubarak and the Egyptian
regime made peace with Israel but never allowed any foreign power to
come and abuse Egyptians or bomb them using CIA drones. This honour
exclusively belongs to Pakistans ruling elite.
Next day, The News commented: There is the Silence of the
Drones. It may be purely by coincidence or it may not, but there has not
been an attack by drones anywhere in Pakistan since Davis was arrested. The
last such attack was on January 23. Davis was arrested on January 27. Could
it be that somebody in the US administration worked out that continuing the
drone strikes was going to make a bad situation even worse? The highestprofile casualty may be the meeting between President Zardari and President
Obama. It will be remembered that Obama made a commitment to inviting
Mr Zardari to Washington after he chose not to visit Pakistan before or after
his recent trip to India. A failure to offer a date to Zardari would be the
diplomatic equivalent of having a shoe thrown at you.
There were rumours, later denied, that our ambassador to Washington
had been warned of a possible break in diplomatic relations unless Davis
was released; and there are reports that President Obama made a brief call to
President Zardari on Friday evening itself an unusual event. The Davis
affair is increasingly toxic. Perhaps Ms Rabbani will prove a little more
compliant than Mr Qureshi. And perhaps America will think a little more
carefully before sending its gunmen to do a diplomats job.
Saleem Safi wrote: Five months ago I had broken the news of
illegal issuance of visas to foreigners in this newspaper. The report had
detailed how the Pakistans consulate in Dubai had issued illegal visas to 86
Americans and 150 Indians at the behest of Zardari House, Dubai. These
illegal visas were issued from a Third Country and that too within the
62

shortest period. Some of the visas were issued on the day the visa
applications were submitted, while some visas were issued on holidays. And
none of the persons was vetted by the ISI or the interior ministry as required
under the rules. Our rulers neither contradicted nor clarified this news
published in the largest Urdu and English newspapers.
The news report asked that if all the Americans and Indians came
here for legal activities, why were their visas not issued by the Pakistani
embassies concerned? It was astonishing that some of the Americans had
mentioned the Presidency in Islamabad as the address where they would
stay. After five months no contradiction or rebuttal has been issued by the
Presidency or the government.
How many other Raymond Davises have been issued such illegal
visas and are still staying in Pakistan is not known to me or other ordinary
Pakistanis. Nor do our rulers feel obliged to explain it to the people. So
when the Mozang Sqaure incident happened, why the protests against the
Americans? Arent those Pakistanis who are wont to scorn America and
protest against them wasting time and money on this useless exercise? If
courageous enough they should first deal with those authorities and real
power brokers in Pakistan who never tire of begging for American economic
and material assistance, and in return have secretly permitted and connived
in drone attacks within Pakistan. We should take on those elites who
always violated the law of the land to please American masters. As such,
they turned Pakistan into a lawless country and international hunting ground
for killers in the garb of diplomats and spies. It is apt to repeat the saying: A
man cannot ride your back unless it is bent.
Mosharraf Zaidi opined: In trying to understand and make sense the
Raymond Davis case, Pakistanis need not extinguish their sentiments. They
simply need to leverage them to successfully navigate a complex future. The
details of Vienna Convention are peripheral to that complexity and to the
future. The question isnt of diplomatic immunity. It is of Pakistan. How
did we get here, and where do we want to go?
Tariq Nazir Syed from Rawalpindi wrote: The case of Raymond
Davis is just the tip of the iceberg. There must be hundreds of such
undercover agents freely roaming all over Pakistan. All political parties must
demand their arrest and expulsion without further delay. I also request selfrespecting people to resist the horrific display of American arrogance in their
country. The stoppage of US aid, in any case, will mainly affect the corrupt
ruling elite who use the same to line their pockets.
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On 16th February, The News observed: The latest discordant moment

came courtesy of the ever-chatty Fauzia Wahab who was holding forth on a
variety of matters at the Karachi press club on Monday. She managed to
misquote various pieces of legislation relating to diplomatic immunity,
and then went in for a little ad-hoc foreign policy making by declaring that
Raymond Davis was indeed entitled to diplomatic immunity. She reminded
the audience of just how much money America gave us and just how many
Pakistanis were in America sending remittances back home. Capping off a
bravura performance even by her own stellar standards, she called for
disciplinary action in respect of our ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood
Qureshi. Mr Qureshi had breached party discipline, she said, and must
therefore be hauled over the nearest available coals ASAP.
The presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar also sprang into action
denying that any disciplinary action was to be taken against Mr Qureshi, and
that the matter of Davis immunity was purely a matter of Ms Wahabs own
opinion which she later agreed with herself. There have been other
indiscretions and faux-pas in recent weeks all of which point to an urgent
need for the PPP to get a grip on managing the information flow. The
appointment of Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan as the new minister for information
and broadcasting may or may not prove beneficial. She is a robust performer
on the talk-show circuit, but information management requires a little more
than the ability to deliver a colourful tongue-lashing. Discipline within the
PPP is clearly not all it might be, but it at least provides a fun-starved
population with a little light entertainment. Can the next act come on
stage, please?
Mir Adnan Aziz opined: This is a war based on a lie, premised on a
contradiction and continuing against reason, creating a multifaceted disaster
that threatens our very existence. It is critical that we redefine our role in it.
Today the ramparts of fortress America extend to Pakistan, because our
rulers offer to defend that fortress at the cost of our sons.
Ayaz Wazir had a few words of advice for new governor of KPK.
Barrister Masood Kauser has achieved what an ordinary worker of any
political party aspires to achieve. He has nothing at stake at this stage in his
life except the post that he occupies. This is a golden opportunity for him to
go even higher and carve a place for himself in the history of this area if he
brings peace and development to Fata. His late elder brother Ahmad Faraz,
the world-renowned poet and my teacher, left a high benchmark of courage
and devotion for achieving an objective for his younger brother to follow. I
hope and pray that his younger brother not only reaches but surpasses this
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benchmark. If not, he will pass into the dustbin of history as yet another
petty usurper of the coin of high rank like so many others before him.
On 18th February, The News commented: Senator John Kerry is a
busy man. He works late nights and long days, and his nocturnal
discussions with our leading politicians are the subject of much
speculation, little of it well-informed. If he thought that he was going to
return to the US with a deal sewn up and the release of Davis imminent, he
may today be a disappointed man. The man at the centre of the largest row in
diplomatic terms between us and our biggest donor the US has been
remanded in custody by the Lahore High Court until March 14. His name is
on the Exit Control List and the Foreign Ministry has three weeks to present
a report on the vexed matter of his diplomatic immunity
Much depends on what happens outside Pakistan as much as what
happens inside it Some of the heat may have dissipated with the Kerry
visit and there has been no more mention of breaking off of diplomatic ties,
but it is possible to see that without a resolution, and soon, sanctions may be
around the corner. Few here are likely to be satisfied with the prospect of an
investigation by the American State Department, and even fewer are likely
to be anything other than incandescent with rage if Davis is somehow
slipped through a loophole and out of the country. The prospect of social
disorder in that eventuality must be high. Anti-Americanism is at a high
point nationally and mobs are quickly raised in this volatile land. There may
be a breathing space between today and mid-March. Our government
needs to use the time constructively; and in no way must we emerge
from this messy business anything other than in the right.
Tariq Butt wrote; The three-weeks that the Foreign Ministry got from
the Lahore High Court (LHC) on its request to formulate its response on the
status of American killer Raymond Allen Davis (RAD) will unnecessarily
prolong the sensitive matter and spawn more complications and
complexities.
The changing stands of the US missions in Pakistan and senior
federal government leaders on the question of RADs diplomatic immunity
made matters worse One view is that instead of giving anything in black
and white to the LHC about RADs status, the government is feverishly
busy to exercise the option of reaching out to the victim families with
offers of hefty compensation from Washington in exchange for pardoning
the murderer. A person no less than Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani
spoke about it the other day, which clearly indicated that the government
65

was going to resort to it. If this alternative works, the case would be resolved
because courts generally release the accused persons after the payment of
compensation to their heirs by the perpetrators under the Islamic law, which
is in vogue.
Another view is that the Foreign Ministry sought time in the hope
that the issue would die down during the next three weeks as some other
important episode will overtake it as has been happening in Pakistan
frequently. But getting a long time establishes it beyond any doubt that the
federal government hasnt made up its mind to accord or refuse immunity to
RAD.
However, by all accounts, it is not an uphill task for the Foreign
Ministry to instantly come out with RADs status diplomatic or otherwise
and inform it to the LHC as it has in its possession all the official record,
including its correspondence with the US Embassy in Islamabad. Even a
section officer could easily prepare the reply as all the facts are properly
documented. Therefore, seeking quite a long time is only intended to buy
time, which would do no good to the Pak-US relations, now at the lowest
ebb, as well as the government.
Butt discussed developments since the murder before concluding:
Before leaving for home, John Kerry, generally considered a friend of
Pakistan, whose visits are known to repair ruptured ties between two wary
friends, dismissed the impression that he was here not to give any
ultimatum. But his confidence during his brief press chat reflected that
his sojourn was not totally unproductive. Successive American
administrations, which believe more in getting their decisions accepted by
using strong-arm methods, did not act differently this time too
What Qureshi said in his usual sweet style left no doubt
anywhere that he has burnt his boats as far as the PPP is concerned. His
obvious next destination is the PML-N as he was associated with it before
joining the PPP a few years back. The Sharif brothers will welcome him
back with open arms as they have no animosity against him.
In the days to come, enthusiastic PPP leaders will put Qureshi on
the mat for speaking the truth. Prime Minister Gilani will hardly make any
serious effort to stop Qureshi from parting company and will shed no tears if
the former foreign minister finally calls it quits. The two have traditional
political rivalry in Multan. However, Qureshi is untainted while many stories
continue to do the rounds about Gilani.

66

Ayaz Amir observed: We know the spine of our Foreign Office. On

matters substantial it does nothing without looking over its shoulder in the
direction of Aabpara where looms the architectural disaster, which is our
sanctum of national security. It beggars belief that the Foreign Offices stand
on this affair was not coordinated closely with the gatekeepers of Aabpara.
Nothing wrong with that except that one hopes that this was only about this
affair and not through it, another attempt to undermine our already confused
and fragile democratic order.
Of course we should not succumb to American pressure. From day
one the US embassy and consulate, not to mention the State Department,
have behaved foolishly and arrogantly, piling up the pressure on Pakistan in
a manner almost designed to foreclose the chance of any flexibility from the
Pakistani side. Now even President Obama has spoken and Senator Kerry
has visited Pakistan. It cant get any higher than this; which makes it all the
more incumbent on Pakistan to do what is right but without giving way to
emotional excess.
We should have kept a closer eye on cowboys like Davis and
restricted the numbers allowed into the country in the first place. We
allowed Afghans a free run of Pakistan during the first Afghan jihad and
are still ruing the consequences. After 2001 we gave our American friends a
too free run of the country. We tend to be immoderate both as regards as our
enmities as our friendships.
This said our American alliance is in our interest. We are not in a
position to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Whatever the legal or
diplomatic merits of this case, some way out of this imbroglio will have
to be sought. Therefore we must allow passions to cool. And it would serve
our American interlocutors better if they were to curb some of their zeal for
shotgun diplomacy. Superpower or no superpower this is no way to go about
securing a spooks release.
Drone strikes in Fata have killed scores of civilians and we have
turned a blind eye and deaf ear to them. In fact after Baitullah Mehsuds
death in a drone attack we stopped even the pretence of the ritual protest.
But Davis gunplay took place not on a remote mountainside but in the heart
of Lahore. Talk of the ugly American. He was violating the laws of
geography. What the hell was he doing there? This is a question the
Americans should ask of themselves.
Anyway, this is a mess and also a lesson for us. When we enter into
a pact with the devil devil being a relative term...for the Americans, I am
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sure, we are the devil instead of being distracted by immediate gains, we

must consult the tomes of national dignity and honour beforehand instead of
waiting for the dirt to hit the ceiling and then crying about lost virtue and
innocence.
Harris Khalique commented: Diplomatic immunity doesnt mean
that a person can go scot free after committing a crime but perhaps tried
in her/his own country. Shooting down two young men when there is no
evidence seen as yet that they were attempting to hit Davis, and then running
over an innocent biker in trying to flee from the scene in a vehicle driven by
a consulate employee, is a horrid criminal act.
However, the expression of regret and sympathy by both Senator
Kerry and J B Crowley and then Kerrys stating clearly that Davis will be
tried, needs to be registered. The most appropriate and practical way to
deal with this situation now is to hand the culprit over to the US with
the condition that he is charged and tried under their law with Pakistani
government and media kept abreast of the trial. This should happen
regardless of any compensation offered to the affected families.
But this course can only be taken if Pakistan deals with the issue
diplomatically, which is made difficult by the reaction we see in our
newspapers and on television screens Intellectually led by parties like JI
and JUI and wannabe Ahmedinejads like Munawwar Hasan and Fazl-urRehman, they forget two things. One, Iranian clergy was never funded by
or served as stooges of Americans in their war against the Soviet Union.
Two, Ahmedinejad would never beg the US ambassador that his candidature
for prime minister-ship may be supported by her.
On the other hand, American establishment refuses to rein in their
cowboys let loose in the name of national security. Mutually, they make it
impossible for a trustworthy relationship to be established between the
two countries and continue to marginalize the saner elements in both
American and Pakistani societies.
Zainab Effandi from Islamabad wrote: Senator Kerry exemplified
what arrogance truly means. The respectable Senator reminded Pakistan of
the need to see the situation from the broader perspective of Pak-US
relationship. Clearly, in his opinion, the lives of three Pakistanis are not
significant enough to jeopardize the so-called long-term US-Pak
relationship. However, interestingly enough, Raymond Davis is worth
jeopardizing this ostensible relationship to the extent that the US felt the
need to send Senator Kerry to Pakistan to ensure a positive outcome. One
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wonders why Davis life is more important than the lives of three Pakistani
men. Is it simply because he is an American?
Imtiaz Akhter from Rawalpindi observed: It is believed that another
200 or more operatives like Raymond Davis are still at large in Pakistan. As
all of them are allegedly engaged in clandestine activities, the possibility of
more incidents of sharp-shooting cannot be ignored. It is therefore important
that a list of such operatives is made public along with their diplomatic
status. Better still, to prevent any such incident from happening again, all of
them should be expelled from Pakistan.
Shafqat Mahmood was of the view that Qureshis press conference
was a bid for national leadership. Is this another Tashkent moment in our
history? Shah Mehmood Qureshi may think so. His virtuoso press
performance Wednesday, replete with dramatic pauses and high flown
rhetoric, was as good an attempt as any to carve out a leadership niche
for himself. Will he succeed?
For those younger readers who may not be fully aware of the
significance of Tashkent, this was the moment that made Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
a national leader This was seen by the people as a betrayal. Primed by a
constant anti India rhetoric and convinced of Pakistans military superiority,
they thought that Ayub had let them down. Ousted from the cabinet a la
Shah Mehmood, Bhutto rode the tiger of anti India sentiment to popular
leadership.
There are some similarities between today and the Tashkent
moment but also many differences The difference is that Ayub was a
hated dictator with very little support among the people. PPP with all its
faults, including a leadership tainted by allegations of corruption, is still a
popular political party. It has opposition, lots of it, but this space is taken by
PML-N and much of the religious lobby. Where would Shah Mehmood fit
in?
Shafqat dwelled on the discontent within the PPP before concluding:
An opening though could come Shah Mehmoods way the manner in
which the Raymond Davis affair plays itself out. If the government takes
a strong stand and refuses to bow down before American pressure, there is
little chance for anyone to make political capital out of it. It may have other
consequences but politically, the PPP will not suffer.
If though the Zardari led regime caves in, there would be a fall
out. How serious is anybodys guess. It could be a few days of riots and
protests and fizzle out in the end or it could gain momentum particularly if
69

the PML-N decides to take to the streets. This is a bit unlikely because
Nawaz Sharif has so far studiously avoided upsetting the political order; for
fear of a military take over.
The most likely scenario is that PPP would convince the
Americans to take it easy, with the assurance that eventually Davis
would be released. Zardari would drag the matter long enough for the
political sting to be taken out of it. If this happens, we will be back to
business as usual and little chance of any new leadership emerging including
that of Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Next day, The News commented: Instead of clarity and a defined and
determined stand in respect of a man who beyond dispute killed two of our
citizens in broad daylight and was instrumental in the death of one other; we
have obfuscation and confusion. The Americans have pounced on this
ineptitude, further muddied the waters and managed to portray us as
somehow in the wrong both for detaining Davis and subjecting him to due
process of law. Interestingly, there is a ringing silence from the wider
diplomatic community in terms of support for the American position. A
foreign diplomat speaking off the record to this newspaper several days ago
was of the opinion that the American stance may put at risk other diplomats
in other parts of the world. Possibly so.
We now arrive at a position where, because of the adoption of a
principled stance, a foreign secretary has lost his job. Much further down the
pecking order, Fauzia Wahab may lose her job as spokesperson for the PPP
for her own bumbling intervention on the immunity issue. Hers could hardly
be called a principled position, more a carefully-aimed shot in the foot. A
three-line whip has been imposed on cabinet members in terms of who may
and who may not make public statements on the Davis Affair. The judiciary
may decide not to play along with the government and lob the definition
ball back into the government side of the court. And all this brouhaha for the
lack of a defined and sustained position that should have been our starting
point less than twenty-four hours after the incident. If the Americans bully
us into compliance it will be because our government lacked the guts to
take a stand at the outset.
Farhan Reza opined: Things would not have come to this had the
Pakistani government kept the issue focused on Davis activities. Also, if
the US establishment had remained silent and had dealt with the case
through proper channels rather than going public, the situation might not
have worsened.
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For now, the only solution lies in giving the issue more time.
Rigidity in diplomacy always brings out negative results. Sanity will only
prevail once emotions subside. Americas efforts to impose its will through
threats will feed extremists enough material to manipulate moderate minds.
In the long run, a charged atmosphere will be harmful for the Pak-US
relationship.
Shamshad Ahmad wrote: I was both amazed and amused at the
statement made by Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir in which he placed
himself in the unenviable position of Raymond Allen Davis, a US Special
Forces soldier, who is on contract with the Department of Defence and was
sent on a special mission to Pakistan. According to the US embassy, he had
diplomatic status and thereby enjoyed diplomatic immunity from criminal
jurisdiction for the crime he committed. However, according to the US
embassy again, the cold-blooded shooting was in self-defence because
Davis thought the two Pakistanis he shot in the congested Mozang area were
trying to rob him.
Salman Bashir reportedly said that had he been in Davis position, he
would not have sought immunity. Salman Bashir can say this because he
knows that he would have never been involved in an incident like this. As a
diplomat on foreign duty, he could have been in an accident causing death or
injury to someone, but never in a shoot-to-kill incident even in selfdefence. No Pakistani diplomat is trained to use, or even allowed to carry, a
handgun. In Davis case, we are talking of the Glock, one of the most
sophisticated small weapons. The Glock is used only by professional
killers in the special security services of the most technologically
advanced military powers of the world.
As a seasoned diplomat, Salman Bashir couldnt even imagine
being part of a gung-ho battalion, as Davis is. His brother may be a naval
chief, but he himself could not even dream of commanding a Foreign Office
with a special guerrilla wing for overseas diplomatic killer assignments.
Therefore, he shouldnt make even a hypothetical comparison with Davis,
someone of questionable diplomatic credentials, who was involved in that
gory incident which ultimately resulted in the killing of a third young
Pakistani and the suicide by the widow of one of the other two youths.
The very nature of this case has sparked a great deal of curiosity
about diplomacy. And it has raised questions as to what the hell we
professional diplomats do in this chaotic world. No doubt, many
misconceptions prevail about diplomacy. To some, it could be a mysterious
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activity conducted by clever and suspicious persons about whom little is

known or understood. To others, it could be a useless and irrelevant activity
that should have no role in todays world; an expensive luxury and a waste
of time.
The options available to sovereign states in dealing with each
other need to be examined here. To put it simply, states can either retreat
into isolation or refuse to have anything to do with the rest of the world. Or
they can try to impose their wills through force and coercion on other states.
On the other hand, they can also pursue their national interests through
dialogue, mutual engagement and cooperation. Surely, the third option is the
only desirable one.
There is no substitute for dialogue and cooperation. This is not
only common sense but also a norm that has been validated over time as a
universally accepted principle of inter-state relations. That is why diplomacy
is an instrument of statecraft for the conduct of relations with other states.
The time of sending warriors as couriers on behalf of sovereign
princes is long gone. After the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, states opted out
of the province of military contractors and theologians, leaving their
disputes to be resolved through professional diplomats. Before the
Westphalia settlement, there was no recognizable diplomatic profession.
Soldiers used to be led by private entrepreneurs as contractors, who garnered
pay from their own estates or from the lands they plundered. Armed warrior
messengers and heralds citing scripture or handing out declamations were
the usual route that princes chose to convey their demands to each other, or
to announce the start of a war.
After the Treaty of Westphalia, diplomats and warriors began to
share a kind of regulatory synergy. They sought less a victory and
more a favourable peace. War, after Westphalia, as the great observer
Carl von Clausewitz put it, became a stronger form of diplomacy, making
the battlefield an extension of the conference chamber. With the passage of
time, as inter-state relations became more and more expansive and complex,
modern diplomacy also acquired multitudinous dimensions, both in nature
and scope.
In a system of sovereign entities, a state may enhance its power at the
expense of its rivals through duress or violent coercion, or through
negotiation and diplomatic engagement even though it may well involve
bargaining, trickery and misrepresentation. The end is the same. The means
differ, depending upon the circumstances. Diplomacy ends where war
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begins, and begins where war ends. Also at times, diplomacy itself
becomes war, and wars are fought as a means of diplomacy.
Diplomacy is the employment of tact to gain strategic advantage over
ones rival or interlocutor, or through the phrasing of statements in a nonconfrontational, polite or social manner. In essence, however, diplomacy is a
well-resourced and skilful political activity taking place between and among
states in pursuit of their respective foreign policy goals, typically without
resort to force, propaganda or legal means. But at the end of the day,
modern diplomacy, like military force, is an instrument for the
enhancement of state power. That is what we are witnessing now. States
continue to resort to brutal force.
We are now witnessing the revival of pre-17th century diplomacy.
Now trained, Glock-carrying on-contract warriors are sent on
diplomatic missions to kill. They might soon render redundant polite, softspoken and sociable professional diplomats like Foreign Secretary Salman
Bashir and Ambassador Cameron Munter. The first and the last lines of
defence are now getting blurred. History my soon begin recording the names
of todays warrior-diplomats like Raymond Allen Davis as one of the most
distinguished and renowned US diplomats.
The galaxy of American diplomats includes people like Thomas
Jefferson, John Adams, Franklin Benjamin, Averill Harriman, Adlai
Stevenson, George F Kennan, John Kenneth Galbraith, Joseph P Kennedy,
Bahamian-American Sir Sidney Poitier, Shirley Jane Temple, George H W
Bush, Madeline Albright, Bill Richardson, and Richard Holbrooke.
Welcome to the exclusive gallery of American diplomats, Mr Raymond
Davis, or whoever you actually are by name.
The question of Davis status has surely been mishandled by both
the American and Pakistani governments. It was a simple legal issue
involving interpretation of the Vienna Convention that could have been
easily resolved at the level of Pakistans Foreign Office. Unfortunately, the
Foreign Office was kept sitting at the outer fences of the government, and
did not play the central role that it should have played. If anything, this was
a challenge for Salman Bashir as the foreign secretary of the receiving state
and Mr Cameron Munter as ambassador of the dispatching state to have
addressed by using their diplomatic skills, in which both are well trained.
Unfortunately, as in the case of the Kerry-Lugar Bill fiasco, both
sides have once again messed up the whole issue by abnegating their
responsibility and leaving the media to do everything on their behalf. The
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resultant situation now seems to be causing new strains in the already

troubled Pakistan-US relationship. The matter did not belong to the court,
but it has now been forced on it. And again, it is the Foreign Office that
holds the key.
The problem in Pakistan is the corrupt, deceptive politics that
reigns supreme. As Wikileaks made it clear, everybody is playing politics
with each other. Ironically, the same politicians who have shown scant
regard for the judiciarys decisions on the NRO and other high-profile
corruption cases are now looking at the court as a shield for their own
weaknesses and failures in handling the Raymond Davis case in conformity
with the Vienna Convention. In the process, the country once again is a
laughingstock the world over.
Because of the focus on Davis not much was said about Afghanistan,
India, IHK or Balochistan. The Supreme Court of Pakistan, however,
continued hearing of Reko Diq case, which primarily pertains to EL-5.
Reportedly, the deal about EL-6 and EL-8 has been secretly signed in the
Presidency.
The TCC has handled the lease-deed quite cleverly. It has invested
very little from its kitty; the funds were generated by floating shares through
New York Stock Exchange. This ensured large number of stakeholders and
pretext to take the case to International Court if the Supreme Court takes
bold decision to save national assets.
Pakistan has to be prepared for that to defend its national assets at all
costs. Defending it, however, will be an uphill task, because deal has been
struck under the auspices of a democratically elected head of the state. For
that reason, Pakistani nation wont be able to blame a military usurper for
plundering or selling out the national assets.
It is a neatly accomplished plunder by a democratically elected
regime headed by a person who is pursuing democratic revenge. The only
way it can be saved is for the Army to put its boot in the way of this deal.
That can happen only if General Kayani is not one of the shareholders in the
plunder. The ultimate responsibility, however, rests with the people of
Pakistan.

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REVIEW
A lot has been said as to who Raymond Davis is. The killer himself
said that he was working as consultant in US Consulate, Lahore. The
United States has been emphatic in claiming that he was on the staff of US
Embassy, Islamabad. Zardari regime, irrespective of the reality, was quite
willing to produce documentary proofs of whatever identity was claimed
by its Master.
The fact is that he is a spy with licence to kill anyone with blanket
immunity. He is not alone, but one of many secret US agents operating
inside Pakistan to wage the holy war against Islamic militancy. All of them
have traveled to Pakistan not clandestinely but openly with the consent of
Zardari regime.
Free entry to these US operatives was ensured by Zardari-HaqqaniRehman Malik nexus. In some cases visas to these people were issued in
third country on specific instructions of Zardari. In few cases applications
were received on closed holidays and visas were issued the same day.
Leaving aside other evidence which indicated that Davis is a secret
agent, the items recovered from his car amply revealed that he was not on a
diplomatic errand but on a definite spy mission. This fact demanded that he
should be thoroughly investigated by military intelligence agencies and
charged for spying in addition to other crimes he has committed, including a
charge of terrorism.
From the films and photos recovered from him it can be collated that
he was on target selection mission and obviously suitable approaches that
avoided routine security posts was part of target selection. As there are no
open US hostilities, or drone attacks, in the cities of Lahore and Peshawar, it
can be inferred that he was selecting targets for militant organizations with
which had established links. It may also be recalled that the two cities have
had maximum terror attacks.
The secret nature of his identity was also confirmed during his
meetings with US diplomats allowed under the provision of consulate
access. The visitors communicated with him by writing chits to avoid
bugging of their conversation, which implied that he was being told not to
divulge any information.
In view of the foregoing, it is obvious that the US wants to avoid trial
of Davis as it could expose secrets about the US death squads operating
inside Pakistan. Davis has been compromised and in the cruel world of
75

spying a compromised agent may be of some use to the adversary but for his
parent country he or she becomes a liability or a living threat. So Davis, or
whosoever he might be, is lost by the US. It is time to save the others.
The United States wants that Davis should not be tried in Pakistan. To
this end, the global bully has adopted its favourite approach. It has publicly
threatened to stop aid and severe ties. Behind the doors it might have hinted
at sanctions even repeated the famous line of with us or against us.
To have the desired impact speedily, American lobbyists in Pakistan
have been put in their contribution in different ways. The human rights
organizations have observed complete silence over spilling of blood in
Mozang. They have not said a word even the ones said on loss of wildlife.
But they kept talking for immunity to a professional killer, while urging
hanging of Qadri immediately.
The liberal, secular and enlightened pro-American forces have tried to
counter or suppress anger of general public in different ways. Rumours have
been spread about the slain youths to justify the act of Davis; i.e. reacting in
self-defence. And, his eligibility to diplomatic immunity was hyped by
misinterpreting various laws; whereas Obama was more forthright in telling
Pakistan that Davis should be treated as diplomat because America says so.
Out of all that has been said and done to secure freedom of Davis two
needs to be discussed in some detail. One, Raymond Davis should be
bartered for Dr Aafia. Two, Pakistans survival will be at stake if Davis is
not freed. The former equation means that Aafia is a criminal like Davis or
Davis is as innocent as Aafia. Either way it serves the cause of Americans.
Those who suggest this have very short memory. They need to be
reminded that when Dr Aafia was arraigned before a judge and a jury with
long list of charges her real offence was not mentioned. She had committed a
heinous crime in dodging summarily awarded sentence of death by the US
intelligence agents. She was shot in the chest three times and yet had the
cheeks to survive. This was her real crime.
Her fate was known like the writing on the wall when judge and jury
proceeded against her with stated intention of awarding her exemplary
punishment. They went through the court room judicial antics and sentenced
her for 86 years in prison as if challenging her to outlast this sentence if she
could.
After this kangaroo act of the court Obama Administration had
commanded the stooges in Islamabad to respect the US judicial system by
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accepting its verdict; they obliged. Raymond Davis has placed the
enlightened rulers and intellectuals of Pakistan from where they can
genuinely demand respect for Pakistani courts; but they dared not.
The reason for not doing so is that any such demand can be thrown in
their faces telling them that they cannot ask for what they themselves have
not done. The rulers and their embedded intellectuals have defied and
ridiculed dozens of court verdicts starting from the apex court to a lower
court of Sheikhupora. How could they demand respect from others?
The second argument that has been frequently put forward by the
analysts favouring release of Davis, like Hasan Askari, Najam Sethi and
others, is that Pakistan cannot survive without the US aid. In almost all the
discussions the anchors ask kia Pakistan imdad kay baghair zinda reh sakay
ga (can Pakistan survive without US aid)?
They argued that it cannot survive and others say it could. But, no one
has said that the one that depends on life-saving devices is worst than the
dead. Pakistan will only start living once the life-saving apparatus is
removed. Presently, despite the generous US aid, Pakistan is on death bed
if not dead.
These spokesmen of America censor those who refute their argument
by calling them Ghairat Brigade. They continuously scare them of Pakistan
starving if US aid is stopped. Their only aim is to ensure that the government
takes decision under pressure or out of fear to be more precise.
The so-called aid serves only one purpose. It fills the coffers of the
rulers while keeping the masses hungry and shelter-less so that the magic of
roti, kapra aur makan continues to work. This has been evident from the
wealth accumulated by the recently ousted rulers of Tunisia and Egypt; both
have been recipients of US aid for the betterment of their people.
Davis is undisputedly a baby of the federal government right from his
nocturnal conception to roadside birth. But, as per culture of the land in
which illegitimate babies are thrown away from own premises, Zardari
regime has tried to do the same. In last three weeks it stuck to its peculiar
policy.
To start with it tried to pass the buck to provincial government and
then to judiciary. Second pass of the buck provided the pretext of sub judice
matter which was frequently used to avoid saying anything lest the masters
sitting in Washington are annoyed because of any casual statement.
Passing buck also fitted well in delaying tactics to gain time for cooling
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down of anger of the people. The time was also needed to bring foreign
ministry on board.
Another peculiarity of regimes approach is to create confusion when
crystal clear situation makes the culprit too obvious. In other words, the
strategy is to create confusion about the law and its applicability. This was
successfully tried and mastered while dealing with court verdicts on
corruption cases. The regime hoped it would work in the case of Davis as
well.
This met a setback when video of Davis was telecast by a private TV
channel in which while telling his particulars for the roznamcha maintained
at the Police Station he said that he was working as consultant in the US
Consulate, Lahore. This revelation jeopardized Rehman Maliks plan for
acquiring diplomatic immunity for him. Malik had to forego presenting a file
containing concocted evidence.
The regime had also banked on the plea of self-defence. This too was
blown up by the police by establishing beyond any ambiguity that Davis had
not reacted in self-defence, but had committed cold-blooded double-murder.
After this the regime was left with no option to please its American masters
but to come out openly in defence of Davis.
A plan was formulated for achieving the objective of diplomatic
immunity. It was to start with convincing Pakistans Foreign Office to say
so, or at least not to deny it out rightly allowing room for manouvring to
achieve the needful. In pursuit of this, Cameron Munter had two-hour
meeting with Salman Bashir.
It was followed by an hour-long hurriedly arranged press conference
by Fauzia Wahab in which she emphatically announced that Davis has
complete diplomatic immunity and his detention was illegal. She was
instructed to hold this press conference and was briefed about what to say.
Statement of Fauzia was aimed at strengthening American viewpoint by
weakening the argument of those who opposed that.
Then a four-member team of US Consulate met Davis in jail to keep
him in high spirit and ensure that he divulged no incriminating evidence to
investigators. At the same time John Kerry flew direct to Lahore, who had
contacted Nawaz and Qureshi before taking off and desired to meet them.
Both were identified as likely obstacle to acquisition of immunity.
The fact that Kerry came direct to Lahore and wanted to meet Nawaz
showed that as far as his mission to rescue Davis was concerned there was
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no problem in Islamabad; Zardari and Gilani were quite receptive and

responding. He had come to acquire the latest information from the
Consulate and then soften Qureshi and Nawaz for securing freedom of the
US spy.
Soon after arrival he held a press conference and demanded release of
Davis. He praised Fauzia Wahab for supporting American viewpoint. He lied
about trial of Davis in the US. Concurrently, Obama also demanded release
of Davis and late at night there were reports that Foreign Office had sent a
memorandum to Law Ministry declaring Davis a US diplomat.
Next day, Kerry-Zardari plan received a major setback when Shah
Mahmood Qureshi said Davis has no blanket immunity as demanded by the
United States. This prohibited Zardari, Gilani and Nawaz to give any
definite assurance about immunity when they met Kerry, but they promised
to continue striving for that.
On 17th February, LHC accepted the request of Foreign Ministry and
gave three weeks to submit its reply. Before the next hearing fixed for 14 th
March, the regime has 25 days to win hearts and minds of the families of
victims, or to bring Shah Mahmood Qureshi back on board; failing which
resort to concocting something that could help cheating the court.
Zardari being criminal by nature has soft corner for criminals of all
hues. This has been evident from his liberal grant of remissions and pardons
to convicts and earning a title for him; friend of friends. Apart from US
pressure, his emotional attachment with criminals could incite him to
consider the case of Davis sympathetically.
Therefore, it can be inferred that Zardari regime would do its best to
get a favourable verdict from the court for which it wont hesitate in
fabricating the evidence so required. So, the man with dubious diplomatic
immunity can feel as safe as the man with constitutional immunity has been
feeling.
After adjournment of LHC hearing till mid-March there has been an
apparent change in regimes stance on the issue of diplomatic immunity. It is
difficult to say whether the change is genuine or fake, however, one thing is
established that taking a U-turn has been no problem for the regime. It could
be possible that it is eyeing something else while going by the public
sentiment for cooling the tempers down.
To conclude, it must be said that what happened in Mozang shouldnt
have surprised any Pakistani that has been awake. It was certainly expected
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by the rulers and they were prepared for it. Just like they have been
expecting drone attacks and collateral damage and were never perturbed
over the killings. It shouldnt bother you, because it doesnt bother us at
all.
Nevertheless, Davis episode has stripped Pakistani rulers naked. The
scene presented by the stripping is shamefully ugly. Deaths of four young
Pakistanis have not saddened them as much as detention of Davis has
bothered them. Zardari termed the case paicheeda (complicated) only for the
reason that it has been difficult for him to cover up cold-blooded murders.
The incident has also revealed that just as rulers have been urging the
US for drone attacks knowing full well that these would cause killing of
innocent civilians, they have allowed the US death squads to operate in
Pakistan to eliminate Islamic fascists. They knew full well that secret
operations of US operatives could lead to Mozang Chungi-like incidents.
There is no need to say that this was quite acceptable to the rulers.
As regards statements of rulers condemning the killings in Mozang, it
is done in the same spirit in which drone attacks are condemned. But, why
blame the rulers and the liberal segments of the society; the people who
claim to be genuinely hurt by the killings too have done nothing more than
issuing statements in the wake of drone attacks and many dubious terror
attacks probably masterminded by US operatives.
Davis has broken the myth of decades-old Pak-US friendship which
had been romanticized by giving it affectionate names. Since the start of war
on terror Pakistan was called front-line state, non-NATO ally long-term
strategic partner and so on. The Mozang incident belied all; Pakistan is not
even worth a contracted criminal. What a shame for all those who have and
still ruling a nation of 170 million possessing nuclear arsenal and turned it
into an atomic londi.
The regime, however, has proceeded very cautiously not to earn the
label of mother-sellers, as PML-N got in extraditing Aimal Kansi. It has
cleverly planned to get the selling job done through judiciary. As an
alternative, it has asked some mothers in PPP to spearhead the fight for
Davis so that no one could call the party leaders mother-sellers; when
mothers were presenting themselves to be sold.
On the other side, the concern shown by America for its citizen with
criminal record has been commendable. Kerry as head of the committee for
foreign relations rushed to Pakistan; whereas his Pakistani counterpart,
Asfandyar, has been hibernating somewhere. He even desired to meet
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bereaved families though with vested motives. America understands that it

has lost one spy but wants to save others by avoiding his trial.
Incidents of Raymond Davis and detention of Rahat Fateh Ali in New
Delhi have a clear message: Those who cannot identify their enemy are
bound to be embarrassed and humiliated one day. The man who sang the
title song of the Aman ke Asha campaign has felt the warmth of aman
(peace) and the whole nation is feeling that in the case of Davis. This
happens when one is blinded by Dollar ke Asha.
19th February 2011

81

JIJAJI OR JAWAI
Having rescued the members of Raymonds team courtesy John Kerry,
the United States decided to rely on its stooges in Islamabad for delivering
the team-leader safely back which they had been promising to do
throughout. The Zardari regime planned to accomplish this task by
exploiting Islamic law of Diyat for evil ends or by securing diplomatic
immunity for him by cheating the court.
Both the options did not guarantee sure success. Therefore, the third
option of taking the case to International Court of Justice came under
consideration. No sooner the US talked about this option the lady with male
sound-box said Pakistan was consulting the experts on international law.
Revelations made by a Russian intelligence agency that Raymond
Davis was working on preparing a pretext for war against Pakistan to denuclearize was no breaking news but only confirmation of what many have
been saying for the last so many years. Nevertheless, it did serve as a
reminder to the Defenders of Pakistan.
Davis episode proved to be a kick at the back of ISI and those
responsible for counter-intelligence. It forced ISI to stick out its neck which
it had withdrawn under pressure from the United States. It started
questioning the nature and extent of presence of Davis-like contractors in
Pakistan, which resulted in tension in ISI-CIA relations.

NEWS
In Pakistan, Hakimullah Mehsud-led TTP released video on 19th
February showing execution of Col Sultan Ameer Tarar, commonly known
as Col Imam. TTP had snatched Imam from Asian Tigers. Two militants
were killed by police in Nowshera. Security forces killed 20 militants and
wounded 30 in Mohmand Agency. Police and agencies arrested nine
militants from suburbs of Islamabad.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed a mammoth public gathering in
Multan and reiterated his stand on Davis. He had to travel from Islamabad
by road, because the regime cancelled his PIA booking and tore apart his
reception banners. Fazlur Rehman warned the regime not to fabricate
documents for acquiring diplomatic immunity for Davis.
LHC was moved for handing over Raymond Davis to ISI; the petition
alleged the accused was being treated like a gust. Marian Baabar reported
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Davis has become naswar addict. Sabir Shah reported that Davis is paid
more than a US MP and thrice more than a secret agent.
Next day, 15 militants were killed and 20 wounded in Orakzai Agency
by security forces. Civil and military authorities failed to find dead body of
Col Imam in area of Karamkot village as was reported by media a day
earlier. In Mohmand Agency, 11 militants were killed and six wounded.
Army was unhappy with performance of Rawalpindi-based ATCs which
have punished no accused in last three years. NA body demanded Rs50
billion from NATO for construction of highways.
US Counsel General met Davis in jail for one-and-half hours and
helped him talking to his family in US against prison rules. A British
newspaper claimed Davis was CIA agent. PTI held rally against Davis.
Reportedly, a PML-N parliamentarian has convinced family of the three
killed in Mozang to accept Rs10 million and four American passports.
An expatriate from US, Dr Adnan Bhutta, claimed that Davis was
there in Mozang Chungi to harass him because his clinic is located just
opposite where Davis car was parked. Adnan was detained in America and
interrogated for his links with al-Qaeda and asked about whereabouts of
Osama and possession of anthrax. He has been harassed since then.
On 21st February, six people were killed in drone attack in Azam
Warsak area of South Waziristan. Eight persons were killed in another drone
attack near Miranshah. Two militants were held in Mohmand Agency; one
soldier was wounded in attack on a post.
Gilani read out a written statement in National Assembly about Davis
and admitted differences with the US on the issue of immunity. He vowed to
respect court verdict and public sentiment. Earlier he had said that no fake
documents were being prepared for his immunity. Fazlur Rehman said the
regime would have freed Davis if there was no public pressure.
Outside assembly, Rehman Malik said Davis came to Pakistan on
diplomatic passport. First visa was issued by Hussain Haqqani and as par
rules visa cannot the refused to diplomatic passport holder. Subsequent visa
was issued after clearance by agencies. After saying that everything was
right with Davis and his visa he said Punjab government did not inform
interior ministry immediately after arresting Davis. He urged end to doing
politics on the issue and wait for the court verdict.
An ISI official in his interview to French news agency said there was
no doubt that Davis was CIA agent. He also said ISI-CIA relations have been
83

adversely affected by the incident. Marian Baabar noticed the deafening

silence of the regime over reports that Davis is a CIA agent.
The judge hearing the case summoned the concerned police officer for
not registering espionage case against Davis. Punjab government sent the
recoveries made from Davis to ISI and IB for probe to find out his real
identity and mission.
Families of victims of Davis denied the reports about acceptance of
Rs10 million and four US passports. Protests were held in Lahore against
possible release of Davis. British High Commissioner stressed upon US and
Pakistan to resolve the issue without affecting bilateral relations. US urged
release and safety if Davis.
Next day, 8 militants were killed in Orakzai Agency. Six people were
killed and 10 wounded near Hangu as rockets fired from Kurram Agency
landed at their homes. Mystery of execution and dead body of Col Imam
remained unresolved. Haji Adeel of ANP accused Punjab government of
leniency with terrorists. He claimed existence of terror training camps in
Punjab just like his brothers in New Delhi do.
Police team went to US Consulate, Lahore to request handing over of
the killer of Ebad; nobody met them. Davis went on hunger strike to protest
against stringent vigilance and not getting food of his choice. Provincial
administration and interior ministry held emergency meeting. US Embassy
denied the hunger strike part of the report.
General Asad Durrani while talking to Mariana Baabar said the focus
on Raymond Davis was now moving from immunity to the reality behind
agreements between the US and Pakistan and the hiccups that prevail lately
between ISI and CIA. This point has gained momentum ever since the
Western media came behind the purdah of national interest, and reported
quotes right from Obamas cabinet table.
Davis shared accommodation with another five contractors of CIA
and was spying for US in Lahore. Durrani was of the view that Davis was
covering the second car which had more precious cargo. He also referred to
involvement of US contractors in Meena Bazaar blasts in Peshawar and
warned that there could be more attacks like those.
Mariana quoted Dr Shireen Mazari who said ISI seemed to have
realized that CIA was targeting military establishment to destabilize
Pakistan. She said Davis was caught twice in Peshawar for driving into nogo areas and once earlier in Lahore.
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Speaking on the floor of National Assembly Shah Mahmood Qureshi

said he knew who mishandled Raymonds case, but refused to name him.
MNA from FATA was dismayed over focus on Davis but silence over drone
attacks. Court ordered trial of Davis in premises of jail for security reasons.
US asked Pakistan to expel Davis.
On 23rd February, General Kayani held meeting with top US military
commanders, including Mullen and Petraeus, in Muscat. He complained that
the US was not cooperating with Pakistan to the extent it should cooperate
with frontline ally in war on terror. Zardari on visit to Japan said world peace
was at risk if Pakistan was not helped.
The US insisted that Davis has diplomatic immunity and Pakistani
courts couldnt try him. A senior US diplomat talked of taking the matter to
International Court of Justice. A female US diplomat has been visiting Davis
almost daily and spent couple of hours in the name of social therapy.
Warden was suspended for carrying a USB to Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Ansar Abbasi reported that Pakistani authorities were now trying to
figure out the exact number of and location of other Raymond Davis type
CIA and Blackwater agents whose main focus, it is feared, is Pakistans
nuclear programme. Faizans widow threatened to commit suicide.
Unknown persons intruded the house of Shumailas uncle who has been
pursuing the case against Davis and attempted to poison him.
Next day, three people were killed and four wounded in drone
launched missile attack in North Waziristan. Three NATO oil tankers were
set ablaze near Sibi and one person was killed and two wounded when a
container was fired at in Wad area.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi termed ICJ call by the US over Davis as
unjustified. Hina Khar, however, hinted at consultations with experts of
international law. Saleh Zaafir reported that the government would contest in
court for diplomatic immunity to Davis. Cooperation between ISI and CIA
was scaled down. Because of ISI-CIA tension it has been apprehended that
ISI officials abroad could be targeted by CIA. US cancelled all official
engagements with Hussain Haqqani.
Kamran Khan in his TV programme quoted a report prepared by a
Russian intelligence organization. The report claimed that Davis was
heading a very dangerous clandestine operation in Pakistan which entailed
supply of nuclear and biological material to al-Qaeda. This material was to
be used in a terror attack inside the US, which in turn was to be used as

85

pretext to start all out war on Pakistan. The report said the US thought
another war was necessary to consolidate its global supremacy.
Kamran observed that Davis episode has resulted in strain in ISI-CIA
relations. ISI has asked CIA to pull out all its operatives like Davis deployed
in Pakistan. It has also warned that Davis-like action would be taken against
these if they were not withdrawn.
General Mirza Aslam Beg talking to ARY TV said Davis was no
ordinary agent of CIA; he was heading the CIA operation after station chief
Jonathan Bank had left Pakistan. The CIA network operating under him
aimed destabilization of Pakistan to provide a pretext to de-nuclearize
Pakistan duly approved through the United Nations.
On 25th February, four persons were killed as gunmen burnt 15 NATO
oil tankers were burnt on Ring Road Peshawar. A US citizen, Aaron Mark
De-Haven, was arrested in Peshawar by Special Branch with expired visa;
police tried to keep media away from the American denying the information
about him. Two militants were killed in Swat. Gilani vowed not to talk to
Taliban pursuing foreign agenda.
Hearing of Raymonds case began in jail; no defence counsel
appeared. The accused refused to receive or sign challan and said the court
couldnt try him because he enjoyed diplomatic immunity. The proceedings
were adjourned till March 3. Five members of Davis family arrived in
Lahore and went straight to Kot Lakhpat where they were told that Davis
was in jail not in a guest house; they returned without meeting him.
Wall Street Journal reported that intelligence agency blamed Gilani
government for secret entry of Davis into Pakistan. Munawwar Hasan said
the ongoing noora kushti between PPP and PML-N was meant to divert
attention from Raymonds case. Hina Rabbani informed the National
Assembly that 2,570 diplomats in Pakistan enjoyed immunity out of which
851 were Americans; every third diplomat is from the US.
Next day, Aaron Mark De-Haven was sent to jail on 14-day remand.
Reportedly, ISI asked CIA to disclose all its operatives in Pakistan; how
navely foolish? Gilani re-assured that no fake documents were being
prepared to give immunity to Davis. Jamaatud Dawa held rally in Lahore
against extradition of Davis and JUI-F warned against his release.
On 27th February, four people were abducted by gunmen from a
village near Kohat. Three persons were wounded in an explosion in
Mohmand Agency. Gilani said his government had the same stance on Davis
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as Army and Public had. US media accused ISI of working against the
democratic government in the case of Davis. Mariana Baabar reported that
Pentagon and GHQ were in contact over Davis since the issue was discussed
in meeting between Mullen and Kayani in Oman. PTI vowed taking to
streets if Davis freed.
Next day, Munter met Chaudhry Nisar and discussed case of Davis
and advised PML-N to not to do anything to destabilize the regime. A US
TV channel claimed Pakistan had offered swap over of Aafia with Davis
which was rejected by Obama Administration. Brothers of victims of Davis
said they were constantly being pressured to accept Diyat. Protest rallies
were held across the country. LHC was moved against facilities provided to
Davis. Court in Peshawar denied bail to Mark DeHaven.
In Afghanistan, 35 people were killed and 70 wounded when
gunmen attacked a bank in Jalalabad on 19 th February. Next day, occupation
forces carried out operation in Kunar Province; 64 people, including 20
women and 29 children were killed. Bank attack toll reached 38. A French
soldier was killed in Kapisa Province.
On 21st February, 40 people were killed and several wounded in
suicide bombing in a government building in Kunduz province. Man, his
wife and four children were killed in NATO rocket strike near Jalalabad. On
26th February, one person was killed and 24 wounded in suicide attack in
northern Afghanistan. Nine people were killed in a bomb blast in Khost.
Custodial deaths were reported from across the country.
On 27th February, ten Afghans were killed in fighting at dog-fight
venue in Kandahar. Afghan lawmakers elected former Uzbek warlord as
speaker of legislative assembly. Next day, India was reported to have
increased annual defence budget to $34 billion.

India confiscated all the dollars recovered from Rahat Fateh Ali on
th

19 February, for violating foreign exchange rules; pay and proceed. All
entertainment will be treated as contribution to Aman ki Asha. Next day,
Rahat was fined for Rs1.5 million only; he thanked Rehman Malik on
telephone for the help.
On 21st February, Bombay High Court reject the appeal of Ajmal
Kasab, two other convicts were acquitted. Next day, the court convicted 31
Muslims and acquitted 63 accused in the case of burning of a train bogy in
Godra, Gujarat. The incident had led violence in which more than 1200
Muslims were killed. Rahat Fateh Ali on his return to Pakistan thanked
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Pakistani Embassy and Rehman Malik and showed desired to go to India

again.
On 25th February, it was reported that India had started construction of
another mega dam on River Chenab in addition to similar projects at Paskal
Dul, Dul Hasti, Rattle, Baghlihar, Sawalkot and Salal. Indias 12 th Five-Year
Plan envisaged 10 new dams on this river. On 28 th February, Khalid Mustafa
reported that India has plans to build 190 dams on Pakistans rivers in next
six years.
On 19th February, two persons were killed in landmine blast in Duki
area of Balochistan. Next day, PTCL exchange in Panjgur was burnt by
militants. On 21st February, one person was killed and two wounded in bomb
blast in Quetta. Next day, two FC soldiers were killed and five wounded in
remote-controlled blast in Gwadar town. The Chief Justice observed that
rules were amended to help the mining company and strategic position of
Reko Diq was ignored.
On 23rd February, the bench hearing Reko Diq case asked the
company to submit future plan. Two days later, one person was killed and
one wounded in landmine blast in Pir Koh area. Chief Justice observed that
situation in Balochistan was worse. He said the government has failed to
maintain its writ and stop targeted-killings and abductions. The court was
informed that over five thousand persons were missing.
On 26th February, lawyers boycotted courts on 4th day consecutive in
Quetta in protest of kidnapping of a colleague. On 27 th February, two judges
were abducted by gunmen in Jaffarabad. Next day, Gilani saw foreign hand
behind unrest in Balochistan. Three truck drivers were kidnapped near Sibi.

VIEWS
On 20th February, The News commented on fighting going on if tribal
area of Pakistan opposite Nangarhar and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan.
A full-fledged operation is currently taking place in Mohmand Agency to
flush out militants there. This follows several daring missions by Taliban
elements against security personnel in the area. Following these, it was
clearly felt that decisive action needed to be taken, which is now underway.
Analysts believe the militants will not be able to hold out for very long and
the operation may not last beyond a few weeks. This is good news.

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But as the fighting continues we see new sights of human

suffering. Thousands have fled the area, fearing for their safety. In a
number of cases, these have included women and children on their own as
men stay back to safeguard homes and land. This presents added needs for
adequate security to be provided in the two camps set up with the help of
international agencies for the people of Mohmand.
There are also other issues to consider. In the tribal areas, the conflict
with militants has now been going on for over two years. Yet, there are few
signs that an all-out victory is imminent. People in the tribal areas remain
fearful of a militant comeback; some groups continue to operate in a lowkey manner, perhaps waiting for a time when control can be wrested back.
This is a disturbing situation. An assessment is needed of just where things
stand and what needs to be done. Many claims have been made by the
military, the government and others but even now doubts remain and it is
essential that they be driven away. People have paid a huge price for the war
on terror; it would be a tragedy if, in the end, a triumph over militancy was
not achieved and things failed to change as far as the quality of life led by
people in one of the most deprived zones of the country goes. For now, this
remains a possibility as militants flee from one agency to the next. This may
enable them to later regroup and resume activities.
In another editorial the newspaper wrote: The Raymond Davis affair,
like a best-selling thriller, continues to take a new turn virtually every
day. We now hear that the Punjab government is concerned he may be put to
death, even by US agencies themselves, to cover up whatever actions he
may have been engaged in at the time of the incident at Mozang. While the
US Embassy in the country has hotly denied any possibility of this, the
notion is perhaps not entirely fanciful. After all, actions of a similar nature
have been recorded, most notably during the Cold War years when spy sagas
of every kind held millions galvanized and rivalry between the former Soviet
Union and the US generated a host of Hollywood films.
As precautionary measures, the Punjab authorities have prevented
any food from the outside being provided to Davis at Kot Lakhpat Jail,
restricted his contact with visitors and refused requests to turn off security
cameras. While there may seem to be an element of paranoia in all this, the
crux of the matter seems to lie in the fact that there are still too many
mysteries surrounding the whole affair. There is a great deal we do not
know, such as why Davis was in Mozang and who the two young men he
shot dead were. As citizens of Pakistan, we deserve to be told the answers to
at least some of the questions that have arisen. As has been pointed out in
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Punjab, the Davis case has already got the president of the US and other top
officials involved. The reasons for this may be rooted in nothing more than
concern for an American national but there is growing suspicion that there
is more to the matter, and the riddles surrounding the case need to be solved
as urgently as possible.
Aasim Sajjad Akhtar voiced the concerns of enlightened elite. The
media and religious parties deflect attention from the issues that really
matter so to maintain their monopoly over public opinion. Aasim
represents the class to whom killing of ordinary Pakistani citizens does not
matter at all.
After narrating the favourite argument of the class he belongs to
Aasim concluded: If and when Raymond Davis does eventually return to
the US, and regardless of what happens in the interim, Pakistan will still
remain a bulwark of American strategy in the wider region, the Pakistani
military will continue to take American dollars while talking itself as the
guardian of sovereignty, and the right-wing juggernaut will continue to heap
pressure on the weak elected government.
Next day, Asif Ezdi commented: Shah Mahmood did credit to
himself and the country by not caving in to Hillary Clintons bullying. But
his praise of his own foreign policy at a press conference last Wednesday
was overdone. He no doubt deserves credit for having taken steps to return
to Pakistans traditional stand on Kashmir which Musharraf had abandoned.
But the strategic dialogue with Washington, which he claimed as his
achievement, has a largely US-dictated agenda with little strategic content.
Similarly, Kerry-Lugar is a US gift to reward Pakistan for services
rendered or promised. Shah Mahmoods main failing has been his failure to
pursue vigorously our claim for access to civilian nuclear technology and to
craft an effective strategy to counter Indias campaign for a permanent seat
on the UN Security Council.
We should now brace ourselves for more US pressure. The
cancellation f the planned trilateral meeting between Pakistan, Afghanistan
and US is no great loss. Pakistans role in Afghanistan stems from our
historical, geographic and ethnic links with that country. This is a ground
reality that will not be changed because Hillary Clinton does not wish to
host the trilateral meeting.
Similarly, Pakistan has little to lose if Zardaris planned visit to
Washington is postponed. Its main purpose is to signal Washingtons
political support for the Zardari government and to strengthen his domestic
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position; and in return to get some more concessions from Zardari in their
planned one-on-one meeting. The visit will not serve any of Pakistans
national interests. The same goes for Obamas visit to Pakistan which has
been announced for later this year.
US military and economic assistance to Pakistan is a price that US
pays for Pakistans cooperation in the Afghanistan war. A cut in this
assistance will jeopardize that cooperation which is of vital importance to
US. It could also bring about a fall of the Zardari government. That cannot
possibly be in US interest, because a government more submissive to
Washington is hard to imagine. US will no doubt keep hinting at all kinds of
punitive measures. What we need in the face of these threats is strong
nerves, a quality in which our leaders have not distinguished themselves
so far.
On 22nd February, The News commented: After hiatus since shortly
before the arrest of Raymond Davis in Lahore, the drones are back in
the killing business. There has been much speculation, but no confirmation,
that the lull in aerial activity was linked to Davis detention, but if that was
the case then it no longer appears to be so and the conspiracy theorists will
have to find a new angle
This has to be weighed against the total number of strikes 118
which reportedly cost in the region of$1 million apiece to mount. Depending
on who is doing the counting, it appears that 581 militants died in 2010 and
an uncounted number of non-combatants. This averages out to 4.92 deaths
per strike or expressed another way it costs the Americans $203,252 to kill
little under five of their enemy. Non-combatants are not factored in so they
come free. It should be noted that non-combatant deaths are not counted by
any of the forces that inflict them, and figures compiled by humanitarian
agencies vary too wildly to quote with confidence. There may be thousands
every year, but we have no clear idea as to just how many thousands.
Whatever the reasons behind the recent pause in drone operations it is
clear that it was temporary and not a mover to appease and extremely
angry Pakistan. Raymond Davis may find himself enjoying our hospitality
for rather longer than he anticipated.
In another editorial the newspaper wrote about execution of Col
Imam. A harrowing video released by the Taliban shows him being
beheaded in the presence of TTP Chief Hakeemullah Mehsud, on charges of
being a US spy The full truth behind all this may never be known. Much
of the past and the present are shrouded in mystery. Till the release of the
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video, there were doubts about whether or not Colonel Imam, regarded as a
hero of the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, was dead. Some accounts
have also suggested he and Khwaja may have been attempting to negotiate a
peace deal between militants and security forces. There is also mounting
evidence of the divide between the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban a factor
which introduces a new set of complications to the ongoing war. But there is
no doubt now, about the kind of force the TTP represents. The brutal murder,
captured on film, underscores their ruthlessness and should drive home to
everyone, the need for them to be vanquished and for the violence they
employ to be eliminated for good.
Next day, The News added: So now we know or think we know
just what it might have been that Raymond Davis and his fellow-spooks
were up to. And it was nothing to do with diplomacy, at least not in the sense
that it is normally understood. We also learn something about the freedom of
the media in America because it was the media in the Land of the Free
that quietly, and at the US governments behest, kept knowledge of
Davis linkage to the CIA from the American public and the rest of the
world. However, the media in the rest of the world is under no such
constraint and when the The Guardian ran a story on Sunday that reported
the link the cat was well and truly out of the bag. And what a cat! Far from
being some lowly member of the technical and administrative staff of the
US diplomatic mission in Pakistan, it is now alleged that he was part of a
covert CIA-led team that was engaged in the surveillance of militant groups,
including the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP). Forensic examination of the
equipment found in his possession is said to show that he was in phone
contact with 33 Pakistanis, of whom 27 were from the TTP and Lashkar-eJhangvi. Neither organization is known for peaceful or law abiding activity.
The reasons for this? We may never know with certitude, but
informed speculation suggests that, contrary to the protestations of American
officials that their staff would never engage in espionage or covert
operations in Pakistan, this was indeed what he was busy with. The
Washington Post goes so far as to detail that he was operating out of a safe
house and at the time of the incident he was conducting area
familiarization basic surveillance in order to better acquaint himself
with the area he was working in. There is also speculation that his contacts
with the TTP and LeT were more than mere surveillance. If this is
anywhere close to the truth then we are getting a glimpse of the very dark
and very dirty side of American foreign policy as it is played out here.

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Protestations loudly made about diplomatic immunity suddenly

appear fatuous and facile, and those making them duplicitous and utterly
deceitful. Bluntly put, we have been lied to. Moreover, we have been lied to
by some very senior figures in the American administration who sought to
both cover their tracks and extricate their man before cat and bag parted
company. Whatever the legal outcome, whether Davis is tried for murder or
espionage with the latter probably unlikely the coinage of American
diplomacy in Pakistan has been debased to the point at which it is virtually
worthless. And if the Americans ever again complain about us being wary of
issuing their technical and administrative assistants with visas, they can, to
use the vernacular, go take a running jump.
Daud Butt from Lahore wrote: Most of us know very well that
Raymond Davis will be finally released and sent to America. According to
media reports, a team of more than 100 armed personnel is guarding Kot
Lakhpat Jail day and night while surveillance cameras also monitor the
whole area. In short, our government is providing maximum security to
Davis, who is reportedly declared to be a CIA agent, by the way. When all
of us know that he is going to be released at the end of the day then why
is the government spending so much money on Davis security?
On 24th February, Jafer Alam from Karachi wrote: Though such
things are kept secret, and I dont know the exact figures, I am sure the
budget allocated for our intelligence agencies must be in billions. So now
when we know that a CIA agent was roaming freely in our country,
providing security to other CIA officials, making arrangements for their
meetings with other people, and allegedly contacting members of terrorist
outfits, I think as a tax-paying citizen I am entitled to ask that what our
intelligence agencies were doing all this time? Davis moved to one city
after another. He had been to northern areas reportedly. Werent they aware
of his activities? If they were not, what does it say about their performance?
Next day, Marians Baabar wrote: Pakistanis have too high an
expectation from the ISI. People expected that when the ISI knew that visas
to Americans were being dished out in an extravagant manner, these
suspicions should have seen some activity from an institution in which
billions of dollars are poured in for greater national interest. People
expected that the ISI would not wait to do their homework only after
Raymond Davis made the biggest mistake of his career. People expected that
when ISI had access to conversations between CIA and militants, which was
in no way service to the joint war against terror, some major terrorist attacks
could have been avoided. People e4xpectede that the ISI would spend less
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on tracking down politicians, journalists and others and teaching them a

lesson, once in a while.
The ISI has no answer to, suppose Davis had not made this
mistake, where would Pakistan and its security installations have been
in two years time? Pointing to the statement which appeared in an AP
report, the4 officer said that this was actually meant as a reply to the Wall
Street Journal, which ran a report on February 18: There was no response
and then we saw it on February 20. There was no reaction at the time. Later
the Journal used our reply, he added.
On Thursday the AP had filed an excellent report from Islamabad
But for now the ISI tells The News that there has been no split with the CIA.
Umeed Hai! We will continue to work together but they will have to make
sure that they dont go behind our backs and level withy us about their
activities. After all, our work is part of the same objective, the official
remarks. Pakistan he says has to go ahead with its work with or without
CIA. But the CIA cannot work on its own as they need us. Their need is
much bigger, he adds.
Shafqat Mahmood observed: The Raymond Davis case is getting
more difficult with the revelation that he was a contract employee for
the CIA. This was generally suspected, but its acknowledgement in the US
media complicates the politics of any possible settlement The murky
world of security contractors is carefully watching how this incident plays
itself out. If the word gets around that the US government cannot or will not
stand by its paid undercover agents, the potential for a negative impact on
further recruitments could be huge.
It must be remembered that private security contractors became a
significant part of US defence and intelligence establishment during the
Bush administration. Companies like the infamous Blackwater grew into
virtual private armies that were available for a price to carry out any security
related function assigned to them.
This could involve direct combat, but most often it was protecting
people and supplies and, as we know now, gathering intelligence. There was
much hand-wringing in the US media about this privatization of defence but
it had no effect. Private security contractors are now an integral part of the
US spying and war machines.
The Davis case itself may just concern one individual, but it has
much larger implications on the relationship between private security
contractors and the US government. If it goes wrong, it could call into
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question this entire business of getting private companies to fight state

wars.
The rules of combat for national armed forces are covered under the
Geneva Conventions and for diplomacy under the Vienna Conventions. Now
that the US has privatized parts of its fighting and spying machines,
where would the private mercenaries fit in if made prisoner or arrested for
other crimes?
Shafqat dwelled on the point and then turned to Davis. It is now
obvious that because of the political difficulties involved, the federal
government has sought three weeks to resolve the matter. This time is
certainly not required to determine Daviss diplomatic status. The purpose
seems to be to seek an out-of-court settlement by the US paying
compensation money in the shape of diyat.
If this happens, it would be in consonance with Pakistani law and
Islamic principles. Some commentators in the Urdu press are taking the line
that even if diyat money is paid; the courts still have the right to reject it.
While this may be technically correct, it is a counterproductive argument. If
there is a legal and Islamic way to resolve the matter, it must be done.
We are an emotional people with a strong undercurrent of antiAmericanism. The Davis case has added fuel to the proverbial fire. But it is
a time to take a deep breath and without emotionalism look at our
national interest. Pakistan and the US are interlinked in myriad of ways. It
is not just the Kerry-Lugar aid money that we desperately need or the
American acquiescence to IMF or other international donors aid packages.
Our defence and security needs also dictate a continuing relationship with
the United States.
We do not have to be subservient to it, and I do not think we have
been. There are many issues on which the US has been pushing us for a
long time but, we have not given in. In particular, we have stoutly resisted
the American demand for an attack on North Waziristan or its interference
with our nuclear programme.
Having said that, there is also no need to get into an adversarial
relationship with it. It is true that the Americans should not let the Davis
case impact the entire relationship. But this argument cuts both ways.
We also should not let it affect our relationship with the United States.
Therefore, if there is any legal way to resolve the matter, it must be done.

95

This incident, however, does give us an opportunity to establish

rules of the game for other US technical and administrative personnel.
Just because they are allowed into the country, does not mean that they have
a licence to go anywhere and do anything they want.
A detailed protocol exactly specifying what can and cannot be done
by diplomats and officials must be worked out and signed by the two parties.
Americans have done what they please in Iraq and Afghanistan and
have been spoilt by it. Pakistan is not in this category and it is about time
the Americans recognized that.
Brian Cloughley observed: There was a statement by no less a person
than the President of the United States that Mr Davis is a diplomat, which he
demonstrably is not. But the presidents lie is irrelevant, because even if he
WAS a diplomat even if he had been the US ambassador his status
wouldnt make killing people legal
What would have happened if a citizen of Pakistan attached to
the Pakistan consulate in New York had shot dead two Americans in
Manhattan? He would have been whipped off to the cells before you could
say diplomatic immunity. And if a car driven by another Pakistani, on his
way to help the killer, had killed a bystander, do you think that Pakistan
would have flown the driver illegally out of America in order to avoid
justice?
Pakistan is a democracy, if a shaky one, with an independent and
occasionally erratic judiciary. It needs all the domestic and international
support that can be given if its institutions are to survive. So it is not only
arrogant for Washington to demand noisily that Pakistan should
surrender a person charged with murder: it is grossly irresponsible. It
also plays straight into the hands of Islamic extremists, who are having a ball
about this debacle, which has been so badly handled by Washingtons
political apparatchiks (as distinct from the competent professional diplomats
to whose advice so little attention is paid). World media are taking a good
kick at America about the fiasco which could have been handled so easily
and the propaganda disaster cant be measured.
On 26th February, Babar Sattar observed: In calling a CIA contractor
of the Blackwater/Xe variety discharging no diplomatic duties and
responsible for killing two Pakistani citizens pointblank, our diplomat in
Pakistan, the US President was certainly disingenuous, if not deceitful.
Even more shameful has been the unionized agreement of mainstream US
media not to disclose the truth about Davis, while being aware of it, at the
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Obama administrations request. Do the New York Times and the

Washington Post owe it to the US administration to manipulate facts and
give effect to the official US national security doctrine, or do they primarily
owe allegiance to the truth?
The Raymond Davis affair, and the response it has elicited from the
US and Pakistani governments as well as the media, exposes the frozen
mindsets our states and societies remain mired in. What we are witnessing is
megalomania dressed as patriotism. Through its handling of the Davis case,
the US has reiterated its selective adherence to rule of law and the concept of
sovereign equality that backs the doctrine of diplomatic immunity. Starting
with the US president and secretary of state, US officials have made no
bones about their willingness to use all other means fair or foul from
threats and manipulation of facts to financial incentives to get their way on
the Davis issue.
The trappings of power are incredibly intoxicating, even more so in
the Third World where the ordinary Joe seems awed by authority. The
paramount incentive to acquire power, for the neighborhood ruffian as well
as those in the highest echelons, is to possess the ability to flout law and due
process. And the inability of the powerful to get their way, whether right or
wrong, makes them mad. In Pakistan, we understand this sentiment well.
While we hate those who can flout their muscle and rise above the law, we
secretly wish for similar preferential treatment so long as anyone else is
getting it. We want rule of law. But till we get it in an unadulterated form,
we want to be part of the crowd that can flout it. But such duplicity doesnt
make us comfortable with the powerful rubbing the noses of lesser humans
in dirt. It makes us angry.
We are angry at our own elites putting the rest of us down, but
interestingly, even more so at western powers treating our elites as poodles.
We forget to attribute responsibility to our own who are willingly
auctioning their souls to the devil. Our sense of disempowerment
convinces us that our elites, when in power, have no option but to sell out.
There is a sense that none of us are free agents with a will to make choices,
but pigmies who dont even possess the ability to comprehend our own
manipulation at the hands of others. Feeble self-esteem coupled with an
unshaken belief in the omnipotence attributed to the US disables us from
apportioning blame proportionately and judiciously when it comes to
Pakistani elites working hand-in-glove with US administrations to promote
their self-interest and US state agenda. Many of us then call such lack of
objectivity nationalism.
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Sattar opined that Davis could claim diplomatic immunity and

referred to Johan Galtungs structural theory of imperialism and then added:
Structured domination rests on the alliance between elites or power
wielders in the Third World with elites or power wielders of a
superpower to serve the interests of both elites and the interests of the
superpower at the expense of ordinary people in the Third World. The theory
helps explain the historically cozy relationship between the Pakistani
political and military elites and successive US administrations on the one
hand and growing anti-American sentiment on the streets of Pakistan on the
other. Does the Raymond Davis case suggest that Galtungs world is now
changing with multiple centers of power and elites emerging within the
dominated states like Pakistan such as an independent media and a
reformist judiciary not amenable to be wooed into a relationship of
structural dependence by global powers?
Or is the Raymond Davis case a mere aberration a consequence of
a temporary turf war between the elites in the center and the periphery (the
ISI and the CIA in this case)? What if Raymond Davis had the exact same
legal status and had killed the two Pakistanis just the way he did, but the
CIA had kept the ISI informed about his real identity and scope of work?
Would he still be arrested and tried for murder? Would the federal
government have dithered in granting immunity if the ISI and the Khakis
werent breathing down its neck? Is this really about rule of law and the
value of Pakistani life or a nasty ego feud between faceless elites in the US
and Pakistan?
One fears it is the latter because the US still illegally controls
airstrips in Pakistan and conducts predator strikes that claim Pakistani lives
more indiscriminately than the Lahore shooting. And while parliament cries
hoarse over drone attacks, there is no parliamentary or judicial inquiry into
who authorizes them or why they continue. Now that the failure of the US
and Pakistani elites to preserve their harmony of interest on the Davis affair
has flagged the issue, we need to ask ourselves critical questions about the
nature of the relationship between the US and Pakistani elites and insist on
revisiting our concepts of national security, patriotism and strategic
partnership such that they serve the interests of the ordinary Pakistani
squeezed into the periphery.
Taj M Khattak observed: Amid the intense pressure from the US and
the public in Pakistan, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has finally
admitted there is a wide gap between the US and Pakistani positions in this
matter. He has conveniently pointed out that the matter is sub judice and that
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the government will respect the verdict of the Supreme Court, even though
the governments respect for the courts verdicts in cases against individuals
belonging to the hierarchy in Islamabad is well known.
President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani are a passing
phenomenon, here today gone tomorrow, unlike the people of Pakistan. It
would greatly help the long-term interests of the two countries if the US
showed greater sensitivity to the ordinary Pakistani. What sort of strategic
relationship do we have with each other if America has let loose a horde
of CIA operators in this country and is working towards its
destabilization?
The US position is that international conventions cannot be
subservient to the laws of a signatory country. The Vienna Convention on
Consular Relations was intended to specify the privileges of a mission to
enable its diplomats to perform their function without fear of coercion or
harassment by the host country. It is ironic that in the Davis case this
convention has been turned on its head against the host country, for use as a
legal cover to protect an American who committed first-degree murder.
Davis possesses combat skills of the feared Task Force 373 black
operations units currently operating in the Afghan war theatre and the
Pakistani tribal areas. The force consists of soldiers belonging to US Special
Forces, CIA spies and freelance mercenaries, all in search of their former
colleague Tim Osman (a.k.a. Osama bin Laden).
The Pakistani government has been caving in to US pressures on
the visa issue. The Davis affair, at the very least, warrants a complete
review of the visa regime including any authority resting with the Pakistani
embassy in Washington. The ministry of foreign affairs needs a revamp to
improve its working. Needed clarifications should be obtained from
missions within a certain timeframe. A note verbale, where required, should
not be delayed for more than six months.
President Obama had raised hopes in support of global legality soon
after his inauguration. But not only did he fail to discipline CIA operators,
he is reported to have promoted them in numbers never seen before. In
Daviss case, the US president would do well to back off from
supporting him. Among other things, if he plucks a man with blood on his
hands to safety, he puts innocent US citizens in harms way. There is no
dearth of jerks like Mumtaz Qadris in todays charged atmosphere in
Pakistan.

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Is it a coincidence that the US administration has voiced concerns

about increased threat to the United States from Al-Qaeda? With whom
exactly was Davis in contact in Waziristan and within the defunct militant
groups? There are reports of the US reverting to activities of the kind of
the proposed Operation Northwoods during the Cuban missile crisis.
Under the series of false flag operations planned by the US government in
1962, acts of terrorism would have been carried out by CIA operatives in
American cities to create public support for military action against Cuba.
The Central Intelligence Agency has hundreds of its operatives
stationed in Pakistan. On the eve of talks for a Fissile Material Cut-off
Treaty (FMCT), is the CIA going to carry out false-flag operations here
to bring Pakistan under more intense pressure? The US administration,
which is strongly opposed to Pakistani-Chinese civilian nuclear reactors, has
already threatened to block $3 billions of aid to Pakistan if Davis is not
freed.
It is never easy to predict what will trigger broad-based public
agitation across the length and breadth of a country. But with the masses in
Islamic countries on the roll, neither the US nor Pakistani authorities should
stretch their luck too far. More so, since Zardari did not arrive in the
Presidency on the strength of his leadership qualities, but as a result of
some extraordinary tragic circumstances. His over-dressed officer on
deck in prime ministerial mode is not taken seriously by anyone. Can the
captain steer the ship of state out of these stormy waters? Those below decks
wait with anxiety and trepidation.
Next day, The News wrote about arrest of another American Mr
DeHaven in Peshawar. There is a wearying familiarity about all this. Once
again we have an American who is working here, running his own business
presumably with the knowledge and agreement of our own government, and
that business is clearly in the greyest of grey areas security. Our own
intelligence agency the ISI has called for the Americans to come clean and
declare just how many covert operatives they have in-country. The
likelihood of this happening is measured in a minus-number unlike the
number of American spooks we may be hosting which could be two or three
score, or more. We have to accept that there is going to be an interface
between our own intelligence services and that of the Americans. It is
inescapable given the nature of the conflict we are engaged in. By their very
nature those contacts are going to be secret, and we understand the necessity
for that. What we fail to understand is why there appears to be such
laxity in terms of how far the American intelligence net is allowed to
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spread within our country, and why it has been allowed to proliferate as it
has. Uncle Sam does not have the right to roam at will, and if he thinks he
does he may find himself pondering his folly inside a jail cell.
Zafar Hilaly commented: Those manning the ISI and those running
the government are essentially from the same pod. And yet, while the former
is considered among the best in the world, the latter is arguably the worst.
All that changed the other day when a senior intelligence official in a rare
bout of candour confessed that our spooks were clueless about Raymond
Davis and CIA-contracted spies like him in Pakistan.
Being oblivious to scores of spies working for the CIA is
inexcusable. Expecting the CIA to keep us informed of the identity and
the nature of the work of its sleuths in Pakistan is delusional. Its like
joining the navy to see the world and then complaining that all one really
gets to see is the sea. The CIAs ability to fool friends and foes alike,
including its own leaders, as the farce over the non-existent weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq showed, is infinite. Good spies would have heeded Leon
Trotskys advice: An ally has to be watched just like an enemy.
If we can be caught napping on CIA operatives, when it is clear
how fussed the US is about our nukes, a bigger question arises: how
much better are we when it comes to what India is up to, given that RAW is
of even greater concern than the CIA? Yet another question arises: how good
are we really when it comes to what goes on along our western border,
among our extremists and the Afghans? These questions inexorably arise
considering our ignorance of the presence of CIA operatives when our
relationship with them, notwithstanding the use of the term allies, has been
expedient and unstable from the start.
It is, of course, good to know that we are mounting our own
operations to gather intelligence on the CIAs counterterrorism operations.
These should begin by keeping a close tab on the 851 diplomats that
the US has stationed in Pakistan, and for whom it will no doubt claim
diplomatic immunity whenever their dangerous antics stand exposed.
Notwithstanding the welcome candour of the senior intelligence
official and the general impression of competence that the people have about
the ISI, it may well be that this is not the case and that reform and
overhaul is needed On occasions what the senior intelligence official
had to say the other day sounded naive like, for example, when he seemed to
be objecting to the fact that the CIA was using pressure tactics to free Davis.
What did he expect? For the CIA to leave Davis to the tender mercies of the
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Punjab police? So great has been the CIAs eagerness to get Davis out and
prevent his interrogation that even the hapless Obama was prevailed upon to
lie about Davis being a diplomat. One wonders when Obama will finally get
a grip on his military and the CIA.
But there is a silver lining to the controversy that has erupted. Our
reaction to the CIAs duplicity will be a measured one. Ties will not be
severed and collaboration against the greater enemy will continue. The point
is to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest from the experience. We must
learn from the public censure that has ensued, and rather than try and
avoid, much less suppress it, devise better and more successful methods.
This seems to be the spirit in which the senior intelligence official spoke,
and it was a brave and novel manner of engaging with the public. Its also a
welcome development because the opacity that had hitherto shrouded their
views is lifting. This accords with the open society that Pakistan is
becoming, to our lasting credit, because that is what we want and what
democracy is all about.
Just when we were beginning to lose hope in the ability of civilians
to manage their own affairs the confession by our brother in uniform showed
that they are no better. Having sat in front of a retired general entrusted with
running a public-sector cooperation (into the ground, as it happened) and be
told mind you, with a straight face that he and his ilk are a special
breed, its a relief to know that being conned or misled is not the
monopoly of civilians. That said, there is every possibility that they will
learn from their mistakes, which is more than can be said about our
politicians.
Asif Ezdi disagreed with a former senior diplomat. Najmuddin writes
that even a duly notified member of the embassy staff enjoys immunity only
for acts done in the execution of his duties. This view is based on a
misreading of Article 37 of the convention and is not correct. It is only with
regard to civil and administrative jurisdiction that their immunity does
not extend to acts performed outside the course of their duties.
The suggestion made by Najmuddin that Islamabad could ask
Washington to waive Daviss diplomatic immunity and send him back to
the US to stand trial is based on a misunderstanding of the concept of the
waiver. No waiver is required for his prosecution in his own country. A
waiver would only be needed for a trial in Pakistan if we were to concede
diplomatic immunity to Davis.

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Najmuddin also sees little chance of a fair trial for Davis in Pakistan
in view of the ugly public mood in the country. This is a serious aspersion on
the integrity of our judicial system. We know our courts are far from perfect
but public mood is something which is more likely to be an obstacle to fair
trial in a country like US which has a jury system. In any case, a US official
has made it clear that even if there were evidence that Davis was guilty,
bringing charges against Davis in the United States would be almost
impossible.
But let us take first things first. At this stage, the most urgent
question is whether Davis enjoys immunity from prosecution in Pakistan.
This issue turns on an interpretation of the Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations. The Optional Protocol on the Compulsory Settlement
of Disputes under the convention provides the best way of resolving the
issue. Both Pakistan and US are parties to the protocol. Its first article states
that disputes on the interpretation or application of the convention may be
brought before the International Court of Justice by any party. The US legal
expert himself referred to this possibility in his briefing. Pakistan should
follow up on this suggestion and take steps to initiate proceedings in the
International Court, even if US does not. A reference to the ICJ would also
be useful in warding off at least some of the pressure that US is exerting on
Pakistan and in defusing tension in our bilateral relations over this issue.
But Pakistan must also ask the ICJ for a ruling on the obligation of
the US to cooperate in the investigation of the death of the third Pakistani.
According to US officials, there were two Americans in that car, the driver
and a passenger, both of whom worked for the CIA. Pakistan should ask the
ICJ for a ruling whether they may be prosecuted in Pakistan and, if so,
whether US is obliged to return them to Pakistan to face trial.
A senior Pakistani intelligence official reportedly told AP that
Pakistan had let the two men leave the country as a concession to the US.
If this is true, it implies complicity at the topmost political or intelligence
level in helping two foreign nationals escape justice. It is therefore no
wonder that the US consulate has not responded to repeated requests by the
Punjab government to cooperate in the investigation. Those Pakistani
officials who let the two Americans leave the country must be unmasked and
given exemplary punishment.
Masood Hasan commented on Rahat Fateh Alis detention in India.
If only Pakistanis were to call a spade a spade, half their problems would be
solved. Agreed that this would trigger a global shortage of spades but so
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what? We simply refuse to face facts and prefer to continue living in an

advanced stage of delusion. The world is at fault. We are just fine only
fighting global conspiracies mounted by our enemies. When things dont go
our scripted way, we are most upset. In this, our perilous journey, laws,
rules, or principles have fallen by the wayside. So massive has this dumping
been that now we have run out of waysides. We ran out of roads long before.
And our Foreign Minister has been pushed out where ravenous PPP
firebrands have pounced on him. What irony!
Just when you start thinking surely there couldnt be more bad
news, along comes another punch. If we arent already floored by utterly
corrupt politicians, venal generals, slimy bureaucrats and criminal cricketers
to name just a few of our great sons of the soil, we now have to contend
with the Rahat Fateh Ali episode. Oh and by the way, Shoaib Akthar picked
up his first fine in Bangladesh. Way to go hero.
While the final word on Fateh Ali is awaited many wonder how in
heavens name will he explain the presence of so much stash on him? The
Indian conspiracy card is out being flashed about as expected. No one seems
prepared to square up to some facts some tough spades. Rahat Fateh
Ali is not in the same league as his illustrious uncle but he has talent,
popularity and makes huge sums of money in India. What is depressing
about this sorry episode is his utter indifference to his position as Pakistans
ambassador. Dont people like him or Salman Butt or Ambassador Abbasi
ever think about how their actions damage our already tattered image even
more? And this is not the first time Rahat Fateh Ali has been involved in
dodgy financial deals.
Masood dwelled on this for a while and then added: It was the usual
Pakistani greed to break rules and cut corners. The cricketers, politicians,
generals, bureaucrats and businessmen all do it as and when, but everyone
should understand that you cant pull off such capers all over the world and
get away every time. This will explain our ambassadors being hauled aside
at airports and politicians arrested in shady circumstances in Europe, some
with mind-blowing cash, some with heroin, some with marijuana, some with
obscene amounts of gold. The list grows longer by the day; hardly any one is
ever arrested.
However, once such incidents take place, we erupt into a chorus,
sing about our innocence and the truth is shoved aside. I hope Fateh Ali
is let off with a fine the Indian film industry needs him and that may
influence the verdict, but he has let us all down and considering our poor
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stock of heroes he should have known better. To lie any further or cry foul
or shift blame will be even worse. I suppose belonging to a nation that
simply refuses to pay any taxes, Fateh Ali imagined he could get away with
it abroad as well. As the gurus say, if you cheat, dont get caught. The other
fall out apart from national disgrace is that it causes a huge credibility loss
for many other artists who play by the book. They too become suspect and
the green book is enough to send officials into paroxysms.
And this may explain why, after many weeks, we are still
bewildered by the identity of this strange man called Davis. What a right
royal mess we and the USA have cooked up forcing a Lahori wag to look up
at the sky and say is it a bird, is it a plane, no it is Davy boy!
On 23rd February, Rahimullah Yusufzai wrote: The Baloch nationalists
are now clearly divided into rival camps. Most of them still want
Balochistan to remain part of federal Pakistan and are hoping that
Islamabad would make amends and give the Baloch their rights and enough
incentives for them not to opt for independence. Some of them may have
contacts with the insurgents, but they realize that an independent Balochistan
in the prevailing international situation is unlikely to materialize.
Those seeking independence and fuelling the insurgency believe they
have exhausted all options due to repeated military operations by the
Pakistani establishment. However, it isnt easy to provide fighters and
procure resources to continue the battle in Balochistan. Those still in the
battlefield would surely be disheartened now that, one after the other, their
leaders and commanders are escaping and seeking asylum in countries in the
West, the Gulf and elsewhere.
The proverbial disunity in Baloch ranks is also visible among the
insurgents. At least five armed separatist groups linked to Bramdagh,
including the Baloch Republication Army (BRA), are presently operating in
Balochistan. Tribal disputes, the rift between certain Baloch sardars and
commoners and the class divide have also been reported in the ranks of the
armed separatists. Akbar Bugtis death may have bridged some of the gaps
as here was a top Sardar offering the supreme sacrifice of his life for the
Baloch cause.
However, winning independence is surely a distant dream for the
Baloch. It would be in the interest of both the proud Baloch people and the
powers that be in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to stop shedding blood and find
a way out to overcome the mistrust, and ensure that the Baloch are made

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masters of their resources with iron-clad guarantees for an autonomous

Balochistan within the federation of Pakistan.

REVIEW
Title of this review would sound odd to those who ignore the reality
that people in this part of the world often run short of vocabulary when
communicating in English. Some thoughts, more so the sentiments cannot be
expressed or given true meanings in an alien language. This has been the
case many times in the past when words from Urdu, Persian or Arabic had to
be borrowed.
When extremely hard-pressed, one falls back to mother tongue as a
last resort, like the Sardarji, who once said moreover and then blurted out
something in Punjabi. While selecting title for this review emotions were
quite similar to those of Sardarji, but one had to stop short of that and hence
the above title.
Translated verbatim in English, Jijaji and Jawai mean husband of
sister and husband of daughter respectively; or to say differently, a brotherin-law and a son-in-law. These English words communicate nothing more
than the mere nature of relationship; too dull and too short of what one
would like to convey.
English words do not convey the cultural idiosyncrasies, especially
the social obligations which these words spell out for families of sister or
daughter towards Jijaji and Jawai. In other words, the nonsense
synonymous to these words is not reflected truly which in-laws of Jijaji and
Jawai have to take and digest. Herein these words have been chosen for
Raymond Allen Davis (RAD), a newly found Jijaji or Jawai of the elite that
rules Pakistan.
In fact, RAD has no name; therefore he had to be given a name. Who
is he? Pakistanis, barring those on Americas pay-roll one way or the other,
were of the view since the day RAD demonstrated his shooting skills in
Mozang Chungi that he could be anything but a diplomat. Americans,
however, lied that he was a diplomat enjoying full immunity from criminal
proceedings against him on any count.
Obama joined the Lie-Symphony a few days before the cat was finally
out of the bag. He commanded that Pakistan must accept RAD as a diplomat
because the resident of White House said so. Prior to that Obama

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Administration had advised the US media not to speak truth so that the life
of RAD was not endangered.
The independent media of the civilized world obliged by blatantly
hyping the lie or by keeping silent. It was not because that truth was hard to
come by, but in shameful pursuit of concealing the fact. This stance lasted
till John Kerry returned from his mission.
Once the safety valves of network threatened by the arrest of RAD
were rechecked the US felt no harm in admitting that he was a CIA
contractor. Restrictions imposed on media were lifted and the cat was let to
slip out of the bag. The New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian and so
on reported that RAD and his companions were all CIA agents on spying
mission.
The act of western media was quite contrary to the values which they
claim to cherish. And, even more shameful was the act of Pakistani media
wherein some TV anchors endeavoured to protect the image of Obama from
damage that could have been caused by the lie he told. They defended him
by assuming that he had not been briefed properly about the factual position.
As if no one in White House had ever lied. Or, poor Obama deserved
sympathies of all and sundry for having been constrained to lie. In fact, he
knew that all he had said about Davis was a lie; a black lie from White
House.
The US has now accepted that RAD was a CIA agent. CIA operates
globally under direct control of the supreme commander, the President of the
United States. Unlike other forces Pentagon has nothing to do with its
operations, except the need to know basis.
Its operations are approved by the President in principle for which
CIA maintains an array of specialized groups. Delta Force, Navy Seals, fleet
of drones, compartmented spy networks, mercenaries hired as contractors,
locally hired informers and security guards and part-time facilitators are
some of the types of forces maintained by CIA.
In Pakistan hundreds of former soldiers were hired as security guards
some times back. Pakistan having special status as non-NATO ally
received special attention. Three thousand Afghans were recruited trained
and deployed in Pakistan. The CIA forces deployed in Afghanistan operate
as part of Task Force 373 under Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).
The area of operations of JSOC and TF-373 was extended to Pakistan
by Obama Administration after the concoction of AfPak phrase. In fact, the
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main focus of its operations was shifted to the east of Durand Line and the
objectives were vehemently pursued as was demonstrated in increased
intensity of drone strikes.
Most of it has happened with the arrival of Obama at the helm. The
President of the US is virtually the mother of all the forces under CIA. Like
a caring mother Obama ought to know the whereabouts of his litter. How it
is that mother did not know who RAD was and what he was doing in
Pakistan?
Obama might have known, but for Pakistanis the question as to he
was and what he was doing in Lahore remained unanswered. His real name
wont be known even to those who went out of the way to give him visa.
The names, in any case are of no significance in the world he belonged to.
One thing was certain that he was an important part of the CIA setup.
What was he doing in Pakistan? A lot has been said about his
activities from his possible involvement in drone attacks to recruiting
terrorists. The task likely to have been assigned to him within the overall
mission of JSOC/CIA can be ascertained by discarding the tasks unlikely to
be performed by him.
The lull in drone strikes in the wake of Mozang incident led to an
assumption that RAD had been instrumental in those attacks. It was a wild
guess, which spoke of utter lack of knowledge of complex hi-tech drone
warfare. Lahore did not have any relevance to dispositions of the
components of predator weapon system and its likely targets.
Drones take off from and land on air bases in Afghanistan and
Pakistan. These pilot-less planes are fueled and armed at these bases
courtesy sustained logistic support provided Pakistan. From take off to
landing these are operated by men and women sitting in control rooms
located in the US.
The targets are pre-determined by collating information collected in
collaboration with Pakistan. Terminal guidance to satellite-guided missiles is
provided by placing chips through locally hired agents. RAD fitted nowhere
in these components of the weapon system.
Resumption of drone attacks broke the myth of this theory, which
encompassed that the Zardari regime had withdrawn the intelligence support
needed for planning of drone strikes. The resumption with a bang proved
that Zardaris loyalty to the Master was intact. It also proved that all

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components of this weapon system were remained unharmed by the arrest of

RAD.
The most horrific assumption about the task assigned to RAD came
from a Russian intelligence agency. According to this agency, RAD was
providing atomic fissile material to al-Qaeda/Taliban network to carryout an
attack in the US. This attack was to be used as pretext to invade, denuclearize and break up Pakistan.
This theory seemed far-fetched. Procurement, storage and
transportation of fissile material, first in Pakistan and then to the US, was a
cumbersome way of doing a thing when easier options were available.
Militants could be lured to the US and the material delivered there. There
was even a simpler option which was revealed by Wikileaks: Israel had
offered to carryout an atomic attack and blame Pakistan for that.
Another theory about RADs activities related to recruitment of
militants for US sponsored terrorist groups, especially from southern Punjab.
He was wrongly located at Lahore to perform this task. Potential recruits for
terror groups are mostly available in areas where war on terror has caused
collateral death and destruction.
A recruiting official does not need to have the skills and gadgets
possessed by Raymond Davis. He was more suited for employment as
instructor in a training camp. Moreover, a force like TF-373 comprising
hardened killers does not require any large scale recruitment of raw recruits.
The information about most likely mission of RAD can be acquired
through a telephone call to Presidency in Islamabad or to Pakistan Embassy
in Washington DC, but the men residing there would refuse to speak like
RAD. This leaves only one way to do that; drawing inferences from the
recoveries made from RAD and the circumstances leading to that.
The photographs recovered from him showed that he was on a
mission to select targets for the terror groups financed and sponsored by
CIA. Snaps of some rather insignificant roads reflected that selection of
approaches and exits to the targets was part of his mission.
If that be that, then his involvement in some the terror attacks of the
past on mosques, imambargahs and shrines having potential to trigger
sectarian violence, could not be ruled out. Southern Punjab has been the area
of interest for creating chaos to commit Army to portray Pakistan as unstable
country unfit to possess nuclear arms.

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Herein fits fissile material theory, but only partly and well short of
detonation of a nuclear device as claimed by Russian agency. This
possibility has been talked about by Dr Maria Sultan and others. According
to them a small quantity of fissile material or a component of nuclear device
was to be provided to some al-Qaeda operatives and then recovered through
raid as proof that Pakistans nuclear weapons were prone to pilferage.
Reported recovery of detonators from RAD corroborates this inference.
This kind of tactics was successfully applied at the time of
disintegration of Soviet Union and many nuclear devices were taken care of.
The execution of operation at that time was supervised by the familiar names
of Logar and Kerry. The same names echoed in the form of Kerry-Logar
Law which laid foundation of similar operations in Pakistan.
In short, it can be said that the overall mission was de-nuclearization
of Pakistan to be achieved with two-pronged offensive. One prong aimed at
creating chaos through false flag operations like the one planned in 1962 to
concoct justification for US invasion of Cuba. Second prong was to provide
evidence through a sting operation as referred to by Dr Maria Sultan.
This prompts another question: if RAD was on such a dangerous
mission then why the Zardari regime is bending backward to secure
diplomatic immunity for him? The answer lies in the title of the review. The
ruling elite, not the masses, treat RAD as Jijaji or Jawai. Being in-laws of
RAD they are scared of divorce. It need not be mentioned that a divorce has
very serious implications for them.
They are under obligation to tolerate his nakhrey (idiosyncrasy or any
equivalent English word leaves a lot to be desired). He reportedly went on
hunger strike to protest stringent vigilance and not getting food of his
choice. This has had to happen because of the manner in which he has been
treated so far.
He could even be expected to demand that his food should be
prepared under supervision of Fauzia Wahab; personally checked by Zardari
and served under arrangement of Rehman Malik. However, he may not
demand his shifting to the Presidency because security in that place is no
less stringent than Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Interestingly, before shifting his to jail the local administration had
considered notifying some suitable place as sub jail where Davis could feel
comfortable and his security could be ensured. At some stage of the
deliberations, the views of US Counsel General, Lahore were solicited.

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What she suggested was no breaking news. She demanded that part
of the Governor House Lahore be declared as sub jail. Her proposal was
discarded, not because it would have placed Davis and Khosa at par, but
because of the fear that it would become quite evident to the public that he
was being treated like Jawai or Jijaji.
Since his arrival in jail the visitors of his diplomatic fraternity have
been meeting him frequently. The timing and duration of meetings have
been in blatant violation of jail rules. A female diplomat has been visiting
almost daily and spending couple of hours with him for his social therapy.
Five members of his family arrived in Lahore late at night and drove
straight to Kot Lakhpat Jail. They returned without meeting him; not that
someone might have reminded them that Davis was in jail and not in a guest
house, but they must have been politely informed that Jijaji had retired to his
bed and was having sweet dreams.
The PPP regime is under moral binding to obey commands of the US
because of the NRO deal. Therefore, what it has been doing and most
probably would continue to do should not surprise many. However, what the
PML-N government in Punjab has done showed that it was equally obedient.
The cry of self-defence was first raised by a Punjab Police officer. No
charge of terrorism was framed though the nature of offence warranted such
a charge. Similarly, no charge of spying was leveled despite the recoveries
made from the culprit demanded that such a charge should have been
framed.
Punjab government took no bold action to get hold of killers of Ebad,
like the one taken by London police for arresting a killer. It had besieged the
Libyan Embassy after a bullet fired from inside had accidentally killed a
traffic police officer. The siege was lifted only after the culprit was handed
over. Punjab Police did nothing except passing the buck to federal
government. It also dillydallied in recording statements of eyewitnesses in
the case of murder of Ebad. This delay resulted in escape of the culprits.
Reportedly, it exerted pressure on Shumailas family to bury her in
Faisalabad. It has been persuading the families of victims to accept diyat.
Then there was an attempt to poison uncle of Shumiala who was fighting for
punishment of the killer. It has been allowing lengthy and frequent meetings
with the accused in violation of jail manuals.
The matter is too serious to be brushed aside with a fit of criticism,
plain, angry or sarcastic. The regime is an accomplice, not only in crime
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committed by RAD, but series of crimes committed by CIA across Pakistan.

Zardari and his gang have certainly returned to Pakistan to extract some kind
of revenge which they prefer to call democratic.
It was the realization of being accomplice that led Shah Mahmood
Qureshi to differ with his party leadership on the issue of diplomatic
immunity. It cannot be said that his act was result of a prick on his
conscience. He seemed to be following the footsteps of founder-father of the
PPP; Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB).
ZAB was foreign minister of Field Marshal Ayub Khan like Qureshi
was in Zardari regime. He had realized his folly of encouraging his boss,
whom he used to call dad, for launching Kashmir operation. He had assured
that India wont react across international border in retaliation to Pakistans
military adventure in IHK.
Once it fired back, he cleverly tried to shift the blame on to dad to
save himself. He termed the Tashkent Accord a surrender, parted his way,
founded PPP and juggled to fool the nation successfully and breaking
Pakistan in the process. Qureshi also realized his folly of bending too much
before Americans and then saw the consequence of his folly in the form of
RAD incident. Like ZAB, he has tried to use the incident to escape blame.
But, Qureshi is no ZAB; he and his party know that. His party expects
that the cow will come home well before the evening. When descendent of
Gaus-ul-Azam says that his government would respect verdict of the court in
RADs case, there ought to be something fishy.
It has to be so because respect shown by the regime so far for the
court verdicts negated what he has said. He has left the matter for court to
decide; whereas rules of business say that the issue of immunity has to be
decided by the host government. Gilani is only waiting for the cow to come
home or find another opening for Jijaji to depart.
His government cannot dare disobey American masters. He is waiting
for an opportunity to deliver RAD back to the US safe and sound. The
regime cannot follow Italy which had convicted 23 CIA operatives in 2009
for abducting a Muslim prayer leader Abu Omar. The convicts included a
career diplomat, CIA station chief and a serving USAF colonel.
The foregoing reveals Pakistan faces an imminent threat from United
States. The question is where were ISI and Defenders of Pakistan when the
storm was gathering? After all, the US, India, Israel and Afghanistan had not
closed their ranks against Pakistan overnight.
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The storm started gathering with nightly caving in of Musharraf under

US pressure. He had stepped back for selfish motive. Retreat so beaten gave
him false sense of safety. Resultantly, he kept stepping back; each new
retreat was beaten under lesser pressure from the previous one. Repeated
retreats inculcated the habit of adopting escape routes prematurely.
Americas first major push was directed against the watch-towers
manned by ISI. The United States had known its capabilities as watchman of
Pakistan during interaction in Afghan War against the Soviets. Any
objectives to be achieved in the context of Pakistan had to begin with
dislodging of the watchman.
Its neutralization began with hurling of accusations of training and
sponsoring terror groups to wage proxy wars against neighbours on either
side of Pakistan. ISI was forced to curtail its activities and reduce its
contacts based on incorrect assessment that such an act would help avoiding
the label of rogue intelligence network.
CIA was allowed by Musharraf to operate in FATA. It amounted to
passing the buck. The responsibility of surveillance of any part of Pakistan
could not be delegated to somebody else. ISI started losing space which was
filled by CIA and its main adversary RAW.
The losing of space continued in stages. The brave commando
permitted CIA to operate inside Pakistan freely and CIA in turn allowed,
most probably encouraged, RAW to expand its spy infrastructure created in
Afghanistan to perpetrate terror in Pakistan, especially Balochistan.
This led to hijacking of some militant groups, which had worked with
ISI, by spy infrastructure that came into existence in and around the battle
zone. Many new terror groups were also created inside Pakistan and names
of those were never heard even by the ISI.
Then a stage came when CIA and RAW assumed more effective
control over these fighter groups than ISI. Once master of the situation in
tribal areas and adjoining Afghan territories, found it difficult to establish
who is who in these areas. This was a great reversal in the ongoing war that
Pakistan suffered. Not at the hands of enemy but an ally in the war.
The finesse in execution of this reversal was that these groups
continued believing that they were waging jihad. The new sponsors of
militancy only took the responsibility of funding these groups and
influencing their target selection. In doing that their war effort was cleverly
directed against Pakistan.
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Today many of these militant groups are virtually involved in waging

Crusades, while still believing that they are Jihadis. It sounds quite odd but it
is the bitter ground reality. However bitter it might be, but not so odd if one
keeps in mind that Pakistans ruling elite has been lured and coerced to do
the same for nearly a decade now.
If Pakistan, a country of with population of 170 million people having
well established security institutions to assess and defend itself from internal
and external threats, can be deceived to wage a war against itself and believe
that it is fighting for its survival, then why cant groups, large and small, be
made to do that.
Unfortunately, all this had started happening during Musharraf rule,
who considered himself a military genius. Whatever share of military genius
he had was blinded by his lust for power. He said Pakistan First, but his
acts spoke louder than his vocal cords; Pakistan did not appear anywhere in
his priorities.
He also belied his predecessors who had termed some politicians
security risk. He struck a deal with those very politicians and facilitated
them in fulfilling their ambition to come into power. He proved that a man in
uniform could be much bigger security risk than any bloody civilian.
Thus the rot was completed; they had returned to Pakistan with stated
commitment to Americans that they would deliver in war on terror much
more than Musharraf had done. Zardari had pledged that he would do
anything for his American masters because he was President because of
them. He lived up to his words.
He has done everything he is capable of. Some of the services he has
rendered to America cannot go-by unmentioned. He accepted escalation of
war to Pakistan under a concocted phrase of AfPak. He allowed drone
attacks, despite the unanimous resolution passed by National Assembly
demanding end to these attacks.
Not only that, he urged his master not be worried about civilian
casualties. He attempted annihilation of ISI by placing it under Rehman
Malik. He personally instructed issue of visas to Americans and Indians in
violation of the rules and regulations on the subject.
He accepted terms and conditions under Kerry-Lugar Law which
undermine Pakistans interests and have now started unfolding. Their impact
is being felt in the wake of RAD incident. These are some of his services

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visible to naked eye. Those which could be seen only by using lens that
penetrate barriers of secrecy could be more horrifying.
It is most unfortunate that Army and ISI, which call themselves
Defenders of Pakistan, have been sleeping partners and at times actively
conniving. ISI in particular and military in general, through their acts and
neglects, have allowed this monster to take birth and then let it grow
unchecked.
Army, which is paid for defending the people of Pakistan from foreign
aggression, has been guilty of cooperating with potential aggressors. As is
seen in bank robberies, in this case too the security guard has been an
accomplice in commission of the crime or at least guilty of criminal neglect.
In fact, the list of their criminal neglects is quite long. They did not
exercise due vigilance over acts of those who had been established as
security risk not too distant in the past. This was a very serious criminal
neglect which has resulted in grave consequences.
The acceptance AfPak policy resulted in birth of this monster that now
stares Pakistan in the face. It should have been noticed by Pakistani
strategists in uniform that Pakistan was being dubbed as an enemy with the
coining of AfPak phrase. It implied extension of General Petraeus command
and areas of operations of JSOC and TF-373 to Pakistan. Embracing India as
strategic partner had confirmed Pakistans enemy status.
The issue of drone attacks in tribal areas could not be termed as
neglect. It was a criminal act in which Army had gleefully passed the buck to
the US and ISI opted for menials role, i.e. to provide information about
likely targets on cash payment. If presence of foreign fighters was a threat to
Pakistan, they should have been dealt with by ISI and Army.
The regimes attempt at reining in ISI by placing it under Rehman
Malik should have been an eye-opener. It, however, was satisfied over
protesting and getting the decision reversed; never realizing that it lost more
space after having been forced to fight on the back foot.
ISI and other intelligence agencies, which are responsible for
clearance of visa-seekers and subsequent surveillance of these guests have
been guilty of committing yet another criminal neglect. It warrants
departmental disciplinary actions against all those responsible if not
initiation of legal proceedings because of the catastrophic effects of this
neglect.

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The accumulative effect of this neglect is enormous. According to

General Mirza Aslam Beg there could be about five hundred CIA agents
operating in Pakistan out of which 80 percent have been recruited locally.
General Hamid Gul put the figure at about one thousand.
The number of visas issued irregularly at Washington and Dubai by
Zardari-Haqqani nexus reflected that both the Generals have been too
cautious in their assessment as is common with senior officers. In two
months about 1,600 visas were issued hurriedly in violation of the due
process.
Two more sources of recruitment should be added to this figure. One,
the operatives contracted locally, which according to estimates are fourtimes more than (80% of total strength) the US agents. Two, according to
reports three thousand Afghans were recruited, trained and inducted in
Pakistan. When all the known sources are accounted for, the figures would
run into thousands; how many thousands, even those responsible and paid
lavishly for counter-intelligence wont know.
Armys reaction to Kerry-Lugar Law was similar to the one seen in
case of placing ISI under Ministry of Interior. In terms of effect it fell well
short of that. All the conditions spelled out in the Bill stayed when it was
passed by the US Congress; the result was deployment of killers like Davis
in Pakistan with exemption from being sued under local law.
Over all effect of persistent acts and neglects is incalculable. Enormity
of the threat posed by visa-offensive masterminded by Zardari-Haqqani
nexus alone is difficult to be assessed accurately. CIA could be behind from
plans to de-nuclearize Pakistan to luring Col Imam and Khwaja into the trap
laid by so-called Asian Tigers. Today, Americans, Europeans, Afghanis,
Indians and Pakistani traitors are lined up against Pakistan.
According to Ansar Abbasi Pakistani authorities were now trying to
figure out the exact number and location of other Raymond Davis-type CIA
agents whose focus is on Pakistans nuclear programme. It wont be easy to
assess and undo the damage, especially when top leadership has connived
with the United States. Nevertheless, efforts must be made to save Pakistan.
ISI has woken up too late, but it is still better than never. The figuring
out may reveal that it is all part of the democratic revenge being extracted
by the regime, which has been more concerned about securing freedom for
Davis, not about dispensation of justice in a case of heinous crime of double
murder. Will the Army be able to do some damage control?

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It would be a gigantic task to look after 851 jijas and jawais that
exist on records maintained by marriage office and thousands others let
lose across Pakistan like mad dogs ready to bite any passer-by. It would also
be difficult because of the resistance likely to be put up by their in-laws who
are scared of divorce.
The charity of damage control should, however, begin at home. Those
who called certain politicians security risk should first look for such risk
factors within their ranks. ISI must start mending its ways with ending the
habit of sniffing at wrong places. Hopefully, it would start delivering after
some time; even a pointer dog takes time to get used to smell of the right
birds.
1st March 2011

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FAROUNAN-E-JADID -II
The events beyond AfPak region experienced an unexpected turn,
especially in Arab World. Struggle there seemed to have transformed into an
entirely different kind of conflict in which suppressed masses struggled
against the decade old oppressive rulers which have been backed by the
West since the day they came into power decades ago.
The most astonishing feature of this turnaround has been its
spontaneity. Another feature was that Farounan-e-Jadid, unlike those of the
distant past, were not hostile towards Bani Israel, but to the contrary have
been backed by Israel and their Christian backers of Europe and the United
States. Yet another feature was that these uprisings have not been overtly
hostile towards West.
Despite the fact that the uprisings have internal causes and
consequences these have been source of concern for the West. The western
rulers have been on the alert to remain of the right side of the history or
have been trying to keep the history on their right side. This business of
remaining or keeping on the right side was done through frequent course
corrections.
Those Arab stooges for whom the substitutes were readily available
were politely told to go. Where change was likely to be undesirable, like
Bahrain, the incumbent rulers were prompted measures for lingering on. In
case of rulers not held in good books, like Gaddafi, the rebels were promised
all kind of support.

NEWS
Africa, Arab countries of North Africa to be precise, remained the
epicenter of the turmoil during last three weeks. Even countries like Djibouti
and Algeria felt tremors. In the case of latter, police thrashed protesters and
arrested 400 in Algiers on 12th February, but Algeria lifted emergency rule on
22nd February. Sudan, however, went off the TV screens of the West.
Government of Morocco dispatched troops to major cities on 12th
February, to guard against protest rallies. On 20th February, protesters
demanded clipping of powers of the ruler. Next day, protests spread to
several cities; five people were reported killed. On 27th February, protesters
in Casablanca demanded political reforms.

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Foreign minister of Tunisia resigned on 13th February. Two days later,

curfew was lifted and state of emergency extended. On 18 th February, Ben
Ali was reported in coma for the last two days. Two days later, Tunisian TV
displayed secret treasures left behind Ben Ali; those which he and his family
could not take with them.
On 22nd February, French ministers rushed to Tunisia for confidencebuilding measures. Four days later, protesters demanded speedy reforms.
On 27th February, Interim prime minister resigned. On 1 st March, Amnesty
International accused Tunisian security forces of murder during uprising.
Libya became the epicenter of the Arab uprising. On 16 th February, 38
people were injured when police used force to disperse protesters. Next day,
nine people were killed and 38 wounded in police action against protesters;
the death toll in protests of last four days reached twenty.
On 18th February, protests continued in five cities and several
prisoners escaped after breaking a jail in Tripoli and a radio station was
torched. The death toll reached 27 and two policemen were hanged by
protesters. Next day, clashes between pro and anti-regime protesters
continued and incidents of mutiny were also reported. Death toll reached
120 and more than one thousand were wounded while internet connections
remained suspended.
Security forces opened fire on mourners-protesters on second
consecutive day in Ben Ghazi on 20 th February; 25 people were killed
bringing the toll close to two hundred. The government warned EU to stop
fanning protests. Next day, the protests spread to Tripoli, the stronghold of
Gaddafi, who was reported to have left the capital and headed towards his
native town.
The regime used gunship helicopters against protesters in the capital;
death toll was reported 233. Gaddafis son warned of civil war and vowed to
fight back protesters to the last bullet. Ben Ghazi and other eastern towns
were overtaken by protesters and security forces had either deserted or
joined the protesters.
A minister and ambassador in New Delhi resigned in protest. America
asked its citizens to leave Libya. Britain demanded entry of journalists and
human rights organizations in to Libya. UN Secretary General telephoned
Gaddafi and urged stoppage on use of force against protesters.

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On 22nd February, Gaddafi ordered his security forces to crush the rats
in streets (protesters). He also urged his followers to come out and take
control of the towns and cities to bring revolution under his leadership.
Jetfighters and gunship helicopters fired at protesters; more than five
hundred people were reported killed since the start of uprising and 1200
went missing.
Libyan ambassadors to Bangladesh and the US also resigned; the
latter asked Gaddafi to resign. John Kerry urged Obama to clamp sanctions
on Libya. UN Security Council discussed Libyan situation; some demanded
imposition of No-Fly-Zone over Libya to check use of jetfighters against
protesters.
Next day, Gaddafis rivals were in control of oil-producing eastern
Libya. The regime played al-Qaeda card to scare the West when its deputy
foreign minister told in a meeting with EU ambassadors that a former
Guatanamo Bay prisoner of al-Qaeda has established Islamic Emirate in
Derna.
Libyan pilots and co-pilots refused to bomb Benghazi where 130
soldiers were executed by protesters. Two pilots defected to Malta. Airplane
carrying daughter of Gaddafi was not allowed to land in Malta and a private
airplane carrying leaders of Gaddafi regime was denied landing in Beirut.
Pro-Gaddafi rally was held in Tripoli. More than hundred thousand
Asians were stranded. Libyan ambassador in Islamabad saw foreign hand in
unrest. UN Secretary General urged Gaddafi to refrain from use of brute
force and asked the neighbouring countries not to stop those fleeing Libya.
On 24th February, 150 soldiers were executed for defying orders to fire
and 23 persons were killed in a clash in the town of Zawia. Gaddafi blamed
al-Qaeda, US and foreign hand for the uprising against him. He imposed ban
on protests in Tripoli and threatened to stop export of oil. Swiss government
froze Gaddafis accounts. The White House said it was considering all
options, including clamping of no-fly zone over Libya. The unrest caused
price hike of crude oil which climbed to $120 per barrel.
Next day, protests continued parts of the country. Number of
casualties was reported to have exceeded one thousand. Gaddafis son Seif
accused al-Jazeera for lying about number of casualties. Libyas entire Arab
League mission resigned. France and Britain demanded clamping of
sanctions against Libya. German warships arrived in Malta for rescue
operation. UN suspended Libyas membership of human rights body. Ban ki
Moon demanded punishment to the killers. Gaddafi was warmly received at
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Green Square when he arrived there to address people. Her urged people to
be prepared to defend Tripoli and defeat the enemy for which he promised to
arm them. He also offered incentives.
On 26th February, UN held closed-door meeting to consider draft
resolution to freeze assets of Gaddafi. Obama imposed sanctions on Gaddafi
& Sons and demanded punishment of those responsible for killings. More
than 37 thousand people were reported to have fled from the country. China
evacuated its 17,000 citizens.
Next day, opposition groups took over the town of Zawia after three
days of fierce fighting. A national council was created for all the freed cities.
Tripoli remained under control of Gaddafi. Over one hundred people fled to
neighbouring countries via land routes.
Britain suspended diplomatic immunity of Gaddafi and his sons.
America said it was in contact with various opposition groups in Libya and
Senator McKean urged administration to arm the rebels. UN Security
Council imposed sanctions on Gaddafi and assets on nine members of
Gaddafi family were frozen. Bloodshed was referred to International
Criminal Court. Gaddafi termed the resolution invalid.
On 28th February, clashes continued at some places with either side
consolidating their positions in areas under their control. Government fighter
jets attacked rebels in Adjabiya and Rajma both located south of Tripoli.
Rebels claimed shooting down a plane in Misrata. US said positions of its
troops located around Libya were being readjusted. Gaddafi complained that
the US has abandoned Libya. Canada froze assets of Gaddafi and his family.
Next day, West marshaled its forces for imposing no-fly-zone over
Libya and tightened economic sanctions. American ships sailed for
destination Libya. Arab League rejected foreign intervention. France and
Russia urged going through UNSC. Gaddafi deployed forces along western
border area.
On 2nd March, The leaders who had defected Gaddafi demanded air
strikes against security forces. Two US warships sailed through Suez Canal
to be around Libya. US feared Libya could become a giant Somalia. Iran
warned US against military action in Libya. NATO allies discussed military
action. Gaddafi addressed public gathering in Tripoli. He warned thousands
could die if Libya was attacked. Protests continued; AFP put the death toll at
six thousand. Ten people were killed in fighting in the town of Burija.

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Next day, Russia canceled $4 billion arms deal with Libya.

International Court said killings of protesters by Gaddafi regime could be
investigated for war crimes. NATO decided not to intervene in Libya
militarily. Jetfighters pounded rebel held town on Brega. Three Dutch
soldiers were held by Libyan troops from the town of Sirte where they were
evacuating civilians. More than 180 thousand Libyans have fled the country
so far.
On 4th March, Gaddafis forces regained control of the town of Zawia;
18 people were killed. Ben Ghazi was subjected to air strikes; 17 people
were reported killed. Pro-Gaddafi rally was held in Tripoli. Global Alert was
raised to freeze assets of Gaddafi and 15 others.
In Egypt, military refused to set timetable for polls on 12 th February;
the protesters decided to stay in Tahrir Square till their demands were met.
Protesters who had camped in the Square started cleaning it saying now
Egypt has to be rebuilt. The West issued first directive to Egyptian Military
to respect democratic aspirations of the people, but in fact, welcomed
takeover by military like Saudi Arabia and Israel, which meant the things
were under their control.
On 13th February, parliament was dissolved and constitution
suspended by Military Council. Panel for constitutional changes was formed
and interim arrangements would stay for six months. Protesters still stayed
on in Tahrir Square. Prime Minister said the country was being governed as
before. AFP reported that the US was hijacking revolt to meet Israeli agenda.
Next day, military urged end to strikes, but many protesters hung
around Tahrir Square. Military decided to hold referendum on constitutional
changes in two months. Mubarak was reported in coma since for the last two
days. On 15th February, Egyptian police held demonstration to demand
increase in pay. Military government gave ten days to the panel to revise the
constitution. Next day, Egyptian factory workers observed strike to demand
increase in pay.
On 17th February, the US announced $150 million aid for Egypt. Next
day, hundreds of thousand Egyptians gathered in Tahrir Square to celebrate
victory over Mobarak. On 19th February, apex court approved formation of a
new political party. Next day, Egypt decided to open Gaza crossing which
was effectively blocked by Mobarak on instructions of US and Israel.
On 21st February, assets of Hosni Mobarak and his family member
were frozen and requested foreign countries for the same. British Prime
Minister visited Cairo to stress upon reforms to establish democratic rule.
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On 26th February, constitutional reforms panel proposed four-year tenure for

Egyptian president.
Next day, Amr Moussa decided to contest presidential election. On
28 February, Egypt froze assets of Mobaraks clan. On 2nd March, Mobarak
was reported to be under treatment in Saudi Arabia for cancer. Next day,
Egyptian prime minister resigned.
th

On 19th February, pirates of Somalia hijacked US yacht with four on

board. Next day, 53 people were killed and 81 wounded in clashes between
government troops backed by African Union forces and fighters of alShabab. On 21st February, 8 people were killed in bombing in police training
centre in Mogadishu. Next day, four American hostages and two Somali
pirates were killed during an attempt to rescue the captured yacht.

Middle East also felt the impact of awakening of the masses in

addition to the fell out of having been the hub of war on terror. Even Amman
and Oman were jolted. Protests remained peaceful in Jordan but two persons
were killed and several wounded when police used force on 27 th February.
Next day protesters set a super-market ablaze. On 1 st March, troops fired in
the air to disperse protesters; one person was wounded.
Wounds of Iraq kept bleeding. On 12th February, 38 people were
killed and several wounded in suicide attack in Samara. Two days later,
government diverted F-16 budget for food. On 15th February, four people
were killed and six wounded in incidents of violence. Next day, three people
were killed in Qut when police used force against protesters.
On 17th February, 13 people were killed and 33 wounded in bomb
blast in Iraq and one person was killed in anti-government protests. Four
days later, 10 people were killed and 26 wounded in car bomb attack in
Samara; seven people were killed in other incidents of violence. The
government formed two investigative teams to probe $40 billion that went
missing from Development Fund for Iraq.
On 25th February, 15 people were killed in clash between protesters
and police in Baghdad. Two days later, Maliki warned his cabinet to9 shape
up within 100 days or face changes as protest organizers have called for
fresh rallies. On 3rd March, Eight people were killed and 13 wounded
Mayor of Baghdad resigned over his inability to deliver public services to
the citizens of the capital.
Cabinet of Palestine resigned on 14th February. Three days later, three
Palestinians were killed by Israelis in Gaza. On 19th February, US vetoed
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UNSC resolution which condemned illegal Israeli settlements; Palestinians

regretted US veto.
On 26th February, two Palestinians were wounded in Israeli air strike
in Gaza. Next day, one Palestinian was killed and another wounded in Israeli
air raid. On 28th February, a Palestinian was killed in firing of Israeli troops
in Gaza City. Next day, Palestinians saw the recent uprisings across Arab
World as inspiring.
In Iran, pro and anti-government groups clashed in Tehran during
funeral of a protester on 16th February. Three days later, two German
journalists were released in Tehran. On 20 th February, anti-government
protests were held in Tehran and other cities. Khamenei urged removal of
US from Islamic world. On 28th February, opposition leaders Mehdi Karobi
and Hasan Mousavi were arrested for giving protest calls. Nejad said US
weapons were killing Arab protesters. Next day, police and protesters
clashed in Tehran.
In Bahrain protesters sought regime change on 15th February after
two protesters were killed in clash with police. Two days later, four persons
were killed and more than two hundred wounded in clashes during protests
in oil-rich Shia-majority Island of Bahrain, which is ruled by Sunni Sheikh
Khalifa for the last 40 years.
On 18th February, thousands of Bahrainis violated the ban imposed on
protest rallies; Army used force and killed four more protesters. Obama
telephoned Khalifa and urged restraint. Headquarters of 5 th Fleet of US is
based in this Island. Next day, Bahrain Prince talked to nation and asked to
calm down; he ordered army to pull out of streets.
On 20th February, protests scheduled for 21st February in Manama
were postponed after talks between government and opposition. Death toll
reached six. Next day, protests were held in Manama and other places and
participants demanded resignation from the rulers. Saudi Arabia and the US
supported the dialogue between government and opposition.
On 22nd February, rallies continued demanding Bahrain government to
quit.
Next day, Bahrains rulers freed 23 prisoners and pardoned
opposition leader to calm down protesters. On 25 th February, thousands of
protester thronged streets of Manama and demanded change of regime. Next
day, ruler of Bahrain reshuffled cabinet; opposition leader returned and
thousands held protest rally.

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On 27th February, 18 Bahraini parliamentarians submitted their

resignation over killing of protesters. Next day, Bahraini Prince said talks
with opposition would be held for block reforms. On 1 st March, thousands
of Bahrainis thronged Pearl Square to protest. On 3 rd March, Bahraini
opposition agreed to talks with the government. Next day, thousands rallied
in Manama to protests discriminatory policies of the regime; Shia-Sunni
clashes were reported.
In Yemen, protest rally in Sanaa was broken up by armed supporters
of Saleh on 12th February. Next day, police used force to disperse protesters.
On 16th February, pro and anti government groups held rallies in Sanaa.
Next day, 40 people were wounded during use of force against protesters.
On 18th February, four persons were killed during protests in the south
and 24 were wounded when a grenade was lobbed on to protesters in Sanaa.
Next day, one student was killed during protests in Sanaa and looting was
reported in Aden after pull out of security forces. Anti-Saleh protests
continued in Aden and Sanaa on 20th February; death toll reached 11. Next
day, Saleh refused to step down; one person was killed and 18 wounded
during protests.
On 23rd February, nine parliamentarians of ruling party resigned over
use of brute force against protesters. Next day, protests continued, but Saleh
remained unperturbed. On 25th February, protesters marched in Sanaa and
two persons were killed. Next day, 7 people were killed and 40 wounded
when police opened fire at protesters in Aden.
On 27th February, Saleh vowed to defend his rule with every drop of
blood against the conspiracy; he seemed encouraged by Gaddafis approach.
On 1st March, thousands turned out in Sanaa to protest; Saleh termed
opposition rally as a copycat action mimicking protests in other Arab
countries. He said Israel and US were involved in agitation in the country.
Governors of Aden, Lahij, Abyan, Hadarmut and Hudayda were sacked. On
3rd March, Saleh apologized to the US for blaming it for the unrest in Yemen.
Next day, four protesters were killed in Yemen as Saleh refused to budge.
On 19th February, Saudi Arabia foiled an attempt to form a political
party. Four days later, Saudi king returned from the US after medical
treatment and announced series of benefits for citizens, including 15 per cent
pay-raise. On 27th February, hundred Saudi academics, businessmen and
activists urged major political reforms, including constitutional monarch.

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Not much happened in Europe except freezing of assets of those

stooges who had been kicked out or about to go off-stage. In England,
however, two Pakistanis were among ten held on 16 th February on suspicion
of links with terrorist groups. About a week later a court agreed to
extradition of Julian Assange, who termed the court verdict stamp work.
Two US soldiers were killed in firing at troop bus in Frankfurt On 2 nd
March. America remained pre-occupied with happenings in North Africa and
the Middle East. There was relatively all quiet in the Far East and Central
Asia. On 3rd March, South Korea and the US started joint naval exercises.

VIEWS
On 12th February, Iftekhar A Khan commented protests in Egypt.
Lets not forget: its a revolution unfolding and decades of pent up public
fury is erupting in Egypt. People will not accept Suleiman as Mubaraks
replacement, as desired by the US. That would be akin to accepting
Gestapo chief Heinrich Mueller in place of Hitler. Gen Suleiman headed
the largest interrogation citadel in the Middle East where political prisoners
were routinely tortured. Even the CIA used the facility for its rendition
programme. Marjorie Cohn, professor at the Thomas Jefferson School of
Law, writes about a former CIA agent who commented: If you want a
serious interrogation, you send prisoners to Jordan. If you want them to be
tortured, you send them to Syria. If you want them to disappear never to
see them again you send them to Egypt. Although Egypt isnt the only
country famous for the disappearing act; it has a few more contenders.
People revolt not only against their rulers but also against the foreign
backers of the rulers. Whatever the colour or tag assigned to a revolution,
saffron in Burma, green in Iran, orange in Ukraine, rose in Georgia and
jasmine in Tunisia, the bottom line is public anger against its rapacious and
tyrannical rulers. Yesterday it was Tunisia, today its Egypt, and
tomorrow it could be Yemen and Algeria, and maybe Jordan, Syria and
Morocco. The kings, emirs, and their sons rule these countries as their
personal fiefdoms and inheritance. Western stooge Ali Abdullah Saleh, who
has ruled Yemen for 32 years, has appointed his son and heir apparent, Brig
Gen Ahmed Saleh, as head of the presidential bodyguards.
The Moroccan king has already dispatched his troops to the main
cities of the country. He fears an uprising could be still more serious than
what took place in Tunisia. Morocco too has the distinction of having
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detention centres for the CIAs rendition programmes. Why such notorious
black holes are located in the Muslim countries remains an enigma.
Meanwhile, the king has a palace ready for him in France. However,
rumblings of the anger and discontent are felt in most Muslim countries,
where dictators supported by foreign powers hold their peoples in bondage,
particularly where the disparity between the ruling oligarchs and the ruled is
in sharp contrast.
Next day, BA Malik from Islamabad wrote: The departure of Hosni
Mubarak sent loud and clear messages to everyone around the world.
The lesson for the US, the lone superpower of the world, is that it must
refrain from supporting dictators in future. The dictators and modern-day
Pharaohs would do well to peacefully transfer power to the representatives
of people who are the ultimate custodians of power. The rulers should realize
that it is time to serve, not to rule, before it is too late.
The News observed: Apart from reversing the polarity of the national
paradigm Egypt now has to address a new political future. The transition to
democracy is going to be managed by the generals. The revolt not a
revolution in real terms did not throw up a single unifying leader, but there
are several from within the ranks of the people who may emerge into the
political limelight with Mohamed ElBaradei being one of them. Egypt has
three principal secular parties the centre-right Wafd, the left-wing
Tagammu or National Progressive Unionist Party, and the centre-left Arab
Nasserist Party. It also has the largest Islamist party in the world, the Muslim
Brotherhood, which currently holds 88 seats in the national assembly. The
Brotherhood has said that they will not put up a presidential candidate and
are committed to democratic process. How they would fare in any future
election is unknown, but they are not going to lose position from the current
baseline, and are not committed to the peace agreement with Israel. None of
the other parties are as well-organized or funded. They are probably going to
emerge as a major political force, a prospect that is likely to please neither
the Americans who underwrite the Egyptian military nor the Israelis. In
the coming days, Egypt will trickle back to work, commercial life will
resume, and the euphoria subsides. Over 300 have died in the course of the
revolt, and hundreds have been injured. Egypt may never be the same again
whatever happens next. Neither is the Middle East or the wider Arab world.
Its generals today hold a very frail newborn, and the game just over may be
nothing compared to the struggle ahead.
On 14th February, Ahmed Quraishi compared Pakistani puppets with
Egyptian puppet. Mubarak is supposed to be a bigger foreign stooge
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than our own variety and yet, he never allowed foreign meddling in his
country, not even in his defeat, declining all ideas and plans for him to
move to Germany or Saudi Arabia. He moved to a house in the Egyptian
Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. So far, he has stuck to his vow that he
will die and be buried in Egypt and that he wont escape for safety in some
haven in Jeddah, Dubai, London or New York. For Pakistans ruling elite,
these cities have become alternate capitals of Pakistan
There were many occasions when there were frictions between Cairo
and Washington over one thing or the other and the mainstream US media
was unleashed as usual to ridicule, harass or intimidate Mubarak and
Egypt. But Mubarak wont have any of it. The point is not to glorify
Mubarak. The point is to highlight the Egyptian elites sense of
independence and pride even when they were corrupt and seen by their
own people as pro-Israel touts. Compare that to Pakistan. Every regime,
from Benazir Bhutto to Nawaz Sharif to Pervez Musharraf to Asif Zardari,
has handed over Pakistani citizens to foreign governments without an iota of
national pride.
Some of them moved to Jeddah, Dubai, London and New York. Most
of them have their wealth and properties abroad. Mr Musharraf introduced a
new element to this shameful history when he launched Pakistans first
political party on foreign soil, in London and Dubai. And now, most
Pakistani politicians consider it kosher to conduct important political
meetings outside Pakistan. Mr Zardari has introduced another first: highlevel meetings with foreign governments that relevant Pakistani government
departments, like the Foreign Office, know nothing about. We have
ambassadors and national security advisers who are appointed to protect the
interests of foreign governments. Hosni Mubarak and the Egyptian
regime made peace with Israel but never allowed any foreign power to
come and abuse Egyptians or bomb them using CIA drones. This honour
exclusively belongs to Pakistans ruling elite.
Two days later, Aijaz Zaka Syed wrote about the arrogance of
Mubarak, which did not help him a bit. Check this out. Hosni Mubaraks
speech writer enters his office in a tearing hurry with a piece of paper in his
hand. Here you go, Mr President! Your final address to the nation. What
happened? asks a stunned Mubarak. Are all the Egyptians leaving the
country? The Egyptians are known throughout the Arab world for their zany
sense of humour. So this, posted on a blog of fellow travelers of the
Diaspora, must have originated in the land of pyramids and pharaohs.

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The last pharaoh remained defiant and utterly brazen till the very end.
Nearly 85 million people were out there on the streets, cursing and shouting
at the top of their voices for two weeks asking him to leave take a hike or
just go to hell, as many of those placards demanded. Nothing seemed to
work on the Teflon-tough pharaoh though. He remained deaf to the
crescendo rising from the streets of Egypt that pierced the skies setting the
Arab world on fire. And blind to the unmistakable writing on the wall
screaming at him, he has overstayed his welcome.
At 82 and after 30 summers of absolute power, it was still hard for
him to take that flight to Sharm el Sheikh. And by desperately fighting,
clawing and dragging his feet like a reluctant, spoilt brat on the way to
school, the Arab worlds answer to dear leader squandered whatever
modicum of respect he might have once enjoyed in the eyes of his people.
History is littered with tyrants who insisted, convincing even
themselves that Aprs moi, le deluge (After me, the deluge!). No
wonder Mubarak believed in his own fiction that if he deprived his people of
his great leadership, Egypt would be plunged into chaos and those nuts from
the Muslim Brotherhood would take over.
In the end though, none of his dirty little tricks and shenanigans to
cling on to fast slipping power for a few more months and years, could save
him. It was people power at its most potent. No one and nothing, including
the little, petty games of big powers, could save their man or delay or derail
the Egyptian revolution. The die was cast. Indeed, Mubaraks fate and that
of other tyrants was sealed the day the people in neighbouring Tunisia
threw Ben Ali out. The Middle Easts date with destiny had arrived and
Egypt and the Arab world will never be the same again.
After long decades of repression, the Arabs have finally begun to
throw out the yoke, the albatross around their neck. They have crossed the
proverbial Rubicon and nothing can now persuade them to go back, or turn
back the clock. This genuinely democratic metamorphosis is now
irreversible, no matter what the scheming Israelis and their nervous patrons
do.
What makes Egypt truly historic for the Middle East and the rest of
the world is the fact that it has at last set the long imprisoned and
repressed Arab soul free. The fall of the most corrupt and feared regime
heading the most populous and powerful Arab country has unleashed the
fighting spirit of the long demoralized Arabs. Egypt has rediscovered the
Arabs confidence and their esteem for themselves
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More important, Egypt shows the way forward, demonstrating once

again that nothing can stand in the way of a people united by a yearning
for change and faith in the future. Those marching on the streets of Egypt
and elsewhere in the region give hope and a much needed sense of purpose
and direction to the faceless, long dispossessed multitudes of our world.
Zaka dwelled on this for awhile before turning to the devil behind all
Arab dictators. Whats the West really afraid of? Whats it about Islam that
so terrifies the champions of democracy and individual freedoms? But its
not Islam, as Noam Chomsky argues, but independence of the Middle
East that worries the West.
In a fine dispatch this week from Cairo titled, Tehran 1979 or Berlin
1989, Roger Cohen pleads with the US and Israel to not deal with Egypt the
way they dealt with Iran after the 1979 Revolution. Cohen suggests a more
nuanced approach, like the one the West allegedly adopted after the fall of
the Berlin wall (1989) and in the run up to the fall of Soviet Union and
regimes across eastern Europe. So whats it going to be? Tehran 79 or
Berlin 89?
Whichever way the West goes, its not going to be the Egyptians
way. Gone is the time of the empire ruling by proxy. Its time for the people
of Egypt and the Middle East to chart their own course without the
expert advice or promptings of the empire. The sooner Western powers and
their minions realize this, the better for everyone. Call it the Islamic
resurgence, Arab revival or whatever but a giant has awakened after long
centuries of slumber. Change has finally arrived and for once its not
choreographed by the empire but driven by people power. And Egypt holds
the key to this future. Its not so bad being an Arab anymore.
On 18th February, Ikram Sehgal observed: For a few heady hours
following Hosni Mobaraks exit from power after 30 years of dictatorial rule
during which he (and his family) managed to save US $ 40 billion from the
salary paid to him as a public servant of an impoverished country, the
successful revolt in the streets sent hopes soaring about impending freedom
and a functioning democracy that would fulfill Egyptian aspirations. Rid of
another indispensable Pharaoh, Egyptians must be forgiven for believing
in this ridiculous farce, at least for some time.
Who wields power in Egypt today? Appointed Vice President only
a few days ago, General Omar Suleman, Mobaraks Intelligence and
Security Chief for 18 years, who is notorious for torturing political prisoners
himself. Barring a handful of skeptics, western leaders gushed ad nauseam
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for days over Mobaraks dreaded enforcer as the designated successor. In the
evolving circumstances, Omar Suleman, like his boss, became a distinct
liability. Remaining ahead of the game before their own troops started to
refuse their orders, the Higher Military Council led by Defence Minister
and Armed Forces Chief, 77-year old Field Marshal Tantawi, converted its
quiet attempt to push out Mobarak gracefully, into a sudden firm shove in
the middle of the night.
The Pyramids providing the backdrop to Cairo are a solid testimony
to thousands of years of Egyptian bondage millions of slaves laboured and
died to build them. What the protestors have achieved in Egypt through
peaceful means is indeed remarkable but as one CNN commentator put it,
in the aftermath of euphoria, the question is the same as before Mobaraks
exit, what next?
The people of Egypt want freedom, manifest in every sense of the
word, one without shackles and repression thereof. Obviously, this cannot
come overnight. without an effective transition government in place, chaos
was very much a possibility. The Jan 28 movement forced Mobarak to
appoint a new cabinet of loyalists led by PM Air Marshal Shafik. The
military dissolved both the houses of parliament and suspended the
constitution but opted to keep the transition government in place for six
months, targeting elections during this period.
A commission will recommend changes to the constitution in 10
days. This will be put before a referendum within two months. To mollify
the continued activism of the protestors in the streets, changes in cabinet
faces were promised. A sort of an Exit Control List (ECL) was put in
place for some public servants (including the immediate former PM) and
businessmen notorious for their corruption during the Mobarak era.
Whether all this will satisfy an awakened populace remains in
doubt, Tahrir Square (and smaller Tahrirs thereof proliferating throughout
Egypt) continues to resound with continuing protest without more tangible
reassurances from the new military rulers. Switzerland froze all of
Mobaraks (and his familys) assets and accounts, the EU and Switzerland
had earlier frozen the accounts of former President Ben Ali of Tunisia and
his family. With Brussels alive to the matter, EU countries are expected to
clamp down on Mobarak and his clan. Given stringent laws in the US about
money-laundering and corruption, American silence on the issue is
deafening and surprising.

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That all existing international treaties and commitments would be

honoured was reassuring to the West. This should give Israel some
breathing space, encouraging it to conclude lasting peace with the
Palestinians in the changed security environment. The next few days and
weeks will be crucial to see what direction the Egyptian revolution takes.
One is hoping that the Higher Military Councils 180 days do not extend to
a decade (or more) like Ziaul Haqs 90 days did!
This would not be the first time in history that the military has
used the blood of the masses spilt in the streets to hijack their sacrifice.
Popular at the outset, all four military coups in Pakistan remained so till the
people belatedly realized the coups had less to do with their aspirations, and
more to do with their own (generals) selfish ambitions. Two of the military
coups, Generals Yahya Khan (1968) and Ziaul Haq (1977) were executed
under the pretense of preventing anarchy because of turmoil in the streets.
Ayub Khan (1958) and Pervez Musharraf (1999) actually pre-empted moves
by civilian authority to sack them but successfully garbed their coups as
potential saviours of the nation.
Next day, Dr Muzaffar Iqbal opined that the present changes do not
promise getting rid of Wests shackles. Rolled into one category of
bigotry, brute power, duplicity and hypocrisy, the United States of
America, Britain, France, and Germany together form the nexus of power
which now rules the Muslim world through a neo-colonial set up which
remains little studied and far less understood. This neo-colonial structure is
pervasive; in fact, one cannot even begin to enumerate and identify the farreaching impact of this cobweb of power with its ultimate centre in
Washington DC.
To be sure, there is a certain amount of diffusion of this power and
each of these four countries has a certain degree of independence in their
foreign policy, but when it comes to dealing with the Muslim world, they
work in unison: they collude, cooperate, and attack. If anyone has any
doubt about it, the illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq should be sufficient
proof. Now, even the so-called prime source, the Iraqi defector who was
used as the main proof of the alleged secret biological weapons program of
Saddam Hussein has admitted that he lied. Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi,
codenamed Curveball by German and American intelligence officials, has
confessed: he cooked up the whole story. But it is not conceivable that the
Americans and Germans were so gullible to believe what Rafid said on face
value. They simply used him, just as he used them to get money and asylum
and together they brought death and destruction to millions of Iraqis.
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The leadership of the neo-colonial quartet has many common

characteristics not the least of which is that they all show utter contempt
for Muslims, their faith, beliefs and practices if one can see the true
meaning behind their sweet words. This is the same power mafia which
has kept hordes of dictators alive in the Muslim world for decades and these
are also the people who change overnight: one day Hosni Mubarak is a
friend, even a sage ruling Egypt with wisdom, the next day, he must go to
make room for the next person selected to be king.
The neo-colonial setup is based on the same basic policy which
allowed France, Germany, and Britain to rule a very large part of the
world during the classical era of colonization. The building blocks of this
system are the local traitors, memorably codified by Iqbal in his Javed Nama
through two arch-traitors Mir Jafar of Bengal and Mir Sadiq of Decca
who were instrumental in the defeat and death of Nawab Siraj-Ud-Daulah of
Bengal and Tipu Sultan of Mysore respectively. They were the reason their
country was shackled by slavery for years to come. There is no shortage of
Mir Jafars and Mir Sadiqs in the Muslim world even today. These men and
now women are willing to sell their nations to foreigners for personal
benefit.
The entire edifice of neo-colonialism rests on this foundation. With
their enormous wealth, bigotry, and sheer brute power, the neocolonizer quartet is able to buy Mir Jafars and Mir Sadiqs everywhere.
This has produced small ruling cliques in lands as far apart as Yemen and
Morocco. These chosen and selected people act as surrogate rulers for the
western quartet. In a way, this structure is an outgrowth of the colonial era;
the only major difference is that now the military also serves as a base from
which the rulers of the Muslim world are drawn by the quartet.
Unlike the nineteenth century, neo-colonizers of the Muslim
world now, they do not insist on direct rule; rather, they work with
multiple and often mutually opposing local warlords and political
groups, but always keeping their own interest in focus. Thus, they can pitch
a Pervez Musharraf and a Zardari in the field, just as they can do the same
for a Suleiman and Mubarak. But in the end, all serve their interests.
There is, however, a new factor which has recently emerged in the
Muslim world. The neo-colonial edifice of proxy rule is becoming
increasingly difficult because the masses are awakening and beginning to
understand what is happening to them. Thus, as the general public becomes
more aware of the nature of this heinous game, the lifetime of local proxy
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rulers is shortening. It is fruitful to understand how this change is taking

place for therein lie the hope that neo-colonialism will one day fail.
The change now underway all over the world has as its driving
force a small group of intelligent people who are able to tell the masses
what is going on. In certain Muslim countries, there is an additional factor
judiciary but for all practical purposes, this is still a nascent factor which
has not yet made its impact on the overall equation. For all practical
purposes, the change is being driven by young intellectuals, who simply
refuse to live with terror, and honest and brave journalists who have carved
out a major role for themselves through electronic media which does not
require reading ability which is still lacking in vast areas of the Muslim
world. This new force young men and women, intellectuals and journalists
has no power base; it is the sheer will of these people and their intelligence
that is the real power which is threatening neo-colonialism of the western
quartet.
The challenge posed by this new force to proxy rulers has made
life very difficult in the Muslim world. There is constant strife and
struggle. The ruling cliques, which are not necessary from among them (they
just look like them), are pitched against their own people. These men and
women, who ape their masters in everything they do, are thoroughly corrupt
and can only stay in power with the blessings of the western quartet and in
turn, they serve the interests of these powers. This marriage of convenience
is evident all over the Muslim world and requires no more proof than the
recent events in Egypt, which are bound to yield nothing substantial as one
brute dictator will simply be replaced with a new set up which will guarantee
continuation of neo-colonialism, albeit in a new disguise.
On 20th February, Dr Farrukh Saleem talked about oil, the main cause
and source of all the troubles of Arabs. Seventy-eight years ago, Standard
Oil of California paid King Abdul-Aziz bin Saud, the first monarch of Al
Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Saudiyah, $35,000 in return for a concession to
explore for oil. Within five years, Dammam Number 7, the 7th well drilled,
promised that there was more oil than Standard Oil of Californias wildest
dream.
By 1943, President Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the US, had
concluded that for the US to be the worlds premier hegemonic power the
US would have to seize control over oil reserves. Roosevelt declared that
the defence of Saudi Arabia is vital to the defence of the United States. On
14 February 1945, Roosevelt invited King Ibn Saud for a meeting aboard
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USS Quincy, a Baltimore class heavy cruiser (USS Murphy, a Benson-class

destroyer, was sent to Jeddah to get the King along with ten of his men and
sheep).
Since that fateful day in February, sixty-six years ago, Saudi Arabia
has been an absolute monarchy; no political parties, no elections and the 7 th
most authoritarian regime on the face of the planet (The Economists
Democracy Index). Saudi Arabia has also been severely criticized by the UN
Committee Against Torture and the House of Saud, with 7,000 members,
controls almost all of national wealth.
Since that fateful day in February, sixty-six years ago, Presidents
Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush and Obama have
all defended Kings Saud, Faisal, Khalid, Fahd and Abdullah as if they were
defending the United States. Air Marshal Muhammad Hosni Sayyid
Mubarak ruled Egypt, the largest Arab country, for thirty years thirty years
of repressive governance with frequent, brutal crackdowns by the Central
Security Forces. Egypts press freedom is rated at 143rd out of 167 and
criticizing the president inevitably invites harassment. On January 28,
Joseph Bidden, 47th Vice President of the US, told PBS News Hour: I would
not refer to Mubarak as a dictator.
Since 1979, when the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty was signed, Jimmy
Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W and Barack
Obama, pumping a colossal $60 billion, have all defended Mubarak as if
they were defending the United States.
Thirty-three years ago Lieutenant Colonel Ali Abdullah Saleh
forcefully assumed the presidency of al-Jumhuuriyya al-Yamaniyya, or the
Republic of Yemen. President Salehs security forces, according to Derechos
Human Rights, have been responsible for torture, inhuman treatment and
even extrajudicial executions. There are arbitrary arrests of citizens as well
as arbitrary searches of homes. Prolonged pre-trial detention is a serious
problem, and judicial corruption, inefficiency, and executive interference
undermines due process. Yemen ranks 136th out of 167 nations and the
president has a monopoly over all television and radio stations. Corruption
under President Saleh has been rampant and Yemen remains one of the
poorest of countries. President Saleh, however, is Americas anti-al Qaeda
ally in the region.
On Thursday, King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifas military killed at least
five unarmed protestors. Americas Fifth Fleet is in Bahrain. Vice Admiral

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Mark Fox commands a Carrier Strike Group, Expeditionary Strike Group,

submarine force, Reconnaissance Force and Maritime Surveillance Force.
Wherever there is oil there is America. Iraq has 112 billion barrels of
proven reserves. America has a dozen active duty combat brigades in Iraq.
Kuwait produces 1.9 million barrels a day and sits on 96 billion barrels of
proven reserves. US Armys V Corps is in Kuwait. The 3rd Infantry
Division, with 230 M-1 main battle tanks, 280 M-2A2 Bradley Fighting
Vehicles, 50 M-109 self-propelled artillery pieces, 27 Multiple Rocket
Launch System and some 60 helicopters, is in Kuwait. The UAE has 98
billion barrels. The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, with three reconnaissance
squadrons, is in the UAE. Qatar has 15 billion barrels. CENTCOM, the
theatre-level Unified Combatant Command, has its forward HQ in Qatar.
O America, you support and sustain unpopular leaders, especially in
the Muslim world! O America, your foreign policy is based on arrogance
and jingoism! O America, you assist, comfort and protect corrupt, repressive
and dictatorial regimes, especially in the Muslim world! And then you ask:
Why do they hate us?
Karim Dad Chughtai commented: Historys most grandiose
accomplishments can sometimes have the most banal origins. And verily
the self-immolation of Mohammed Bouaziz, the young student of Tunisia,
sparked the very flames of the Jasmine Revolution. Its ripple effects were
ubiquitous on the streets of various Arab capitals from Cairo to Sanaa. The
ouster of President Mubarak is being hailed as a momentous event in the
modern Arab world affairs. The Egyptian revolution may usher in a new era
in the Arab world. But this revolution will have certain indispensable
repercussions not only for Egypt, but also for the Arab world, and even for
the Palestine problem
The euphoria over Mubaraks resignation can be seen throughout
the Arab streets. Algeria, Yemen, Jordan, Sudan and Bahrain are already in
the grip of unprecedented civil unrest. And the intensity of this storm is
increasing more and more with every passing day. Egypts position was best
epitomized by the late King Abdul Aziz bin Saud, the founding father of
Saudi Arabia who said: The health of the Arabs in general could be judged
by the health of Egypt; if Egypt is sick the whole Arab world is sick.
The Palestine problem will also be affected by the developments
in its neighbouring Egypt. In the four Arab-Israel wars of 1948, 1956,
1967and 1973, Egypt had been the bitterest of its Arab enemies. President
Nasser paid particular attention to the Palestinian cause. His death orphaned
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Palestinians. Sadat concluded the Camp David Accords making Egypt the
first Arab country to recognize the Jewish state. Mubarak treaded on the
course charted by Sadat not by Nasser.
Egyptian people always hated pro-Israel policy. A democratic
Egypt will care more for the Egyptian aspirations than for Israeli or
American dictations. And this is the point where many Westerns and Israelis
have apprehensions for a democratic Egypt.
To conclude it can be said that the Egyptian revolution is the most
unprecedented event in the Middle East since the Iranian Revolution of
1979. The armed forces in the country should follow the advice of Nasser
that he gave at the critical juncture of 1967 war that the need for unity of
civilians and soldiers has come to get the country out of chaos and lead
towards liberal democracy. The world should let the Egyptians draw their
own course and help them enjoy their freedom, attain their dignity and avail
this fortune opportunity to accomplish their desired goals.
Next day, The News observed: Spring tides tend to rise high, and the
tides of the approaching equinox in the Arab world are higher up the
beaches of repressive regimes than they have ever been. Over 100 people
are now dead in Libya This it clearly has, with unconfirmed reports of
snipers being used by the government to pick off leading activists, and
women and children dead in some numbers. The protests against the Gaddafi
regime are mostly in the east of the country and the capital Tripoli still
appears to be a Gaddafi stronghold.
Meanwhile, in the Gulf the protesters have once again set up camp in
the Pearl Square as the regime appears, for the time being, to have drawn
back from the violence that saw perhaps vas many as a dozed dead in the last
week. The government is offering talks to the opposition groups, but as
in Egypt this is unlikely to satisfy the protesters who want change at the
top and quickly, and not an offer to talk about how the status quo may be
maintained. In both Libya and Bahrain there appears to be a hunger for
popular revolt, and in both countries, and as in Egypt and Tunisia, this is a
hunger fed by an absence of fear.
The stripping away of fear from within representative regimes the
discovery by the populace that they can also be agents of change rather there
mere subjects of repression is a defining characteristic of the pan-Arab
unrest. What is also of considerable significance is that in none of the
countries that have lost their rulers or those that may be about to is the
unrest driven or led by those with a religious agenda. There is a religious
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as in sectarian underpinning to the protests in Bahrain, but it is led by

secular rather than religious figures. The same was true in Egypt, where the
government invoked the spectre of the Muslim Brotherhood as the
bogeyman that would somehow hijack or usurp popular sentiment. That did
not happen.
What may happen in the event of free and fair elections in Egypt is
another matter entirely; the point to be made is that these are essentially
secular uprisings by a mass of people who feel they have little to lose but
their chains. Other countries may follow suit with Egypt and Tunisia, and if
Bahrain falls the really interesting question is around whether the US Fifth
Fleet will have to be looking for a new home. The tides have yet to reach
their peak.
On 22nd February, Farooq Sulehria opined: The democratic wave that
has swept the Arab world is secular in outlook. Most importantly, it is
peaceful as if the Arab world has learnt about the futility of al-Qaeda
methods. None of this is a good omen for the House of Saud. Even if it
avoids another jolt, it will survive as a besieged fortress.
Two days later, The News wrote: Colonel Gaddafi has long been
noted for his eccentricity his request to pitch his tent in the grounds of the
UN building in New York last year was politely refused and his latest
broadcasts to the Libyan people add to his reputation. He spoke on Tuesday
from inside a wrecked car, sheltering from the rain beneath an umbrella and
on Wednesday delivered a lengthy rant which predicted his own martyrdom
and a commitment to killing all those who opposed him. He referred to the
demonstrators as being fuelled by drink and drugs and quoted extensively
from the Green Book which he authored and which has been the code by
which Libya has been ruled during his time in power. Outside of the
peculiar world he inhabits the country of which he is still nominally the
leader, falls apart. Two Libyan fighter jets defected to Malta, their pilots
saying that they refused to bomb or strafe civilians as they had been ordered.
The military in most of the east of the country appears to be siding with the
protesters, who are increasingly the target of a desperate regime. Libyan
ambassadors are resigning their posts saying they no longer support their
government. Conservatively, 500 protesters are said to be dead but the
number is almost certainly greater. Some may have been killed by warplanes
and gunship helicopters.
As the hours pass, it seems less and less likely that the Gaddafi
government will survive, and he and his family will have to find alternative
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accommodation. This is unlikely to be in the Arab world. As in other

countries that have lost their rulers recently, there is considerable uncertainty
as to what might come next in Libya. The military does not enjoy the
popular support that it has in Egypt, and is far from unified anyway.
Politically, there has effectively been no power other than Gaddafi for the
last 40 years, and building a political system from scratch is going to be a
challenge. Gaddafi has had the support of the west the USA and the UK
both investing heavily in Libyan oil and gas reserves but both are going to
have to have a radical foreign-policy rethink in coming days and weeks. The
west may not have liked Gaddafi, but it suited the purposes of western
nations to see him continue in power. Oil prices globally have risen in
response to the crisis, in part because of fears that what is happening in
Libya will spill over to other oil-producing countries in the region. Some
analysts have predicted $150 a barrel as a possibility; with a crushing knockon effect for us. Inevitably, this will impact global economic recovery after
the financial meltdowns of the last decade. It is no exaggeration to say that
we look today at a world undergoing profound change, a change no less
impact-full than the breakup of the Soviet Union and laced with just as
many uncertainties.
Jonathan Cook observed: Israel has been indulging in a sustained
bout of fear-mongering since the Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak was
toppled earlier this month In reality, the peace treaty signed three
decades ago is in no danger for the foreseeable future. The Egyptian and
Israeli armies have too much of a vested interest in its continuation,
whatever political reforms occur in Egypt.
After elaborating his argument for a while, Jonathan concluded:
Three decades of American money thrown at the two armies have made
each a key player in their respective economies as well as encouraging a
culture of corruption in the senior ranks. Both Egypt and Israels armies are
revered by their countrymen. Even should that change in Egypt over coming
months, the army is too strong thanks to the US to be effectively
challenged by the protesters.
Israeli hawks, however, are right to be concerned on other
grounds about the threat of political reform in Egypt. Although
greater democracy will not undermine the peace agreement, it may liberate
Egyptians to press for a proper regional peace deal, one that takes account of
Palestinian interests as the Camp David accord was supposed to do.

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Not least, in a freer Egypt, the army will no longer be in a position

to play Robin to Israels Batman in Gaza. Its continuing role in the
strangulation of the tiny enclave would likely come to an end. But in such a
climate, the Israeli military still has much to gain. As Israeli analyst Aluf
Benn has observed, Israel will use the Middle Easts upheavals to highlight
to the US that it is Washingtons only reliable ally. Its show of anxiety is also
designed to remind the US that a jittery Israel is more likely to engage in
unpredictable military adventures.
Ikram Sehgal tried to explain as to how the revolutionary
advancement if information technology is being used to trigger revolutions
here and there. This new tool called as social media has been extensively
used in recent uprisings in Arab World. The upsurge in the streets of the
Arab world has been force-multiplied by the planned (and unplanned)
use of both the Internet and the media, Twitter, Facebook, Al-Jazeera,
CNN and the rest have all chipped in.
Joining the dominos Tunisia and Egypt that have fallen, Yemen,
Algeria and Bahrain are tottering, Libya is now in a state of virtual civil war.
After vicious remedial action, the king of Bahrain decided good sense was
better than bullheadedness and called off his troops from the streets.
With his eastern region under protestors control, Muammar Qadhafi
is behaving as the madman that he is to hang on to his last bastion in Tripoli.
US and EU leaders repeatedly cautioned the authoritarian regimes, with
which they were previously not only comfortable but virtually in bed,
against the naked use of brute force, including fighter aircraft and helicopter
gunships in Libya, against largely peaceful demonstrations. The
commentators may be speaking different languages to describe the
unprecedented images on TV screens, but the content is the same.
How the modern revolution has been conceived, nurtured and
implemented is by itself a study. To win a battle without bloodying
swords (Tsun Tse Tzu), the media (and now the Internet) can be used and/or
misused. Ikram then banked on Nik Gowings book Skyful of Lies and
Black Swans. Some of the quotes from the book are reproduced which
explain that regimes in Arab world are not prepared to cope with the
situation.
Information now travels around the world so fast and in such
quantities that all kinds of organizations governments, businesses are
struggling to respond fast enough or effectively enough. As a result, there is
a new vulnerability, fragility and brittleness of power which weakens
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both the credibility and accountability of governments, the security

organs and corporate institutions. This often occurs at the height of a crisis,
just when you need clarity from senior executives. No matter that the
information noise which is being spread may be inaccurate, or only
partly true. Leaders have to respond, and faster than used to be necessary.
The new core challenge is the tyranny of the timeline.
The onslaught of new media as the low-tech empowerment of the
media space resulting in a maddeningly complex new era of heightened
accountability and increasing vulnerability. Couple that with the rapid speed
at which social media multiplies information. As a result, civil society is
beginning to act independent of the state: they gather images, edit them to
their liking, and spread them via the Internet. Thus, people like you and me,
without the diplomatic titles, are toying with foreign affairs, crafting an
image of the state thats uncensored and difficult to regulate. In the process,
even the most authoritarian regimes are being stripped of their power.
For authoritarian regimes, the impact of new media technologies has
been shown to be as potentially subversive as for highly developed
democratic states. The implications for power and policymakers are not well
developed or appreciated. The implications of this new level of
empowerment are profound but still, in many ways, unquantifiable. The
information pipelines facilitated by the new media can provide
information and revelations within minutes. But the apparatus of
government, the military or the corporate world remain conditioned to
take hours.
Accept the new reality. Then from top to bottom retrain or remove
the courtiers who ratchet up old means of control and like behaviour that
masks the truth. Help colleagues to become more proficient operators in this
new world. Those who adapt best, and quickest, will enhance their career
prospects. If we are to manage all this extra information, first we have to
learn to live with it. And then take some control back over our lives, as far as
is possible. Here is the news. Take control when you can. Switch off when
you are able. And, when confronted by a skyful of lies, move fast.
If states cant control messages, how does this transform
diplomacy? If soldiers are producing videos from the battlefields of
Afghanistan on their mobiles, does that hamper security? Do states need to
form new regulations for the media to curb its effects? Does this call for
policy prescriptions?

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The accumulated evidence is that the asymmetric torrent of

overwhelming amateur inputs from the new generators of content produces
largely accurate, if personalized, information in real time. It may be
imperfect and incomplete as the crisis timeline unfolds. There is also the risk
of exaggeration or downright misleading reporting. But the impact is
profound. Internal BBC research discovered that audiences are
understanding if errors or exaggerations creep in by way of such information
material, as long as they are sourced and later corrected. The concept of trust
can flex in a crisis, trust does not diminish as long as the ongoing levels of
doubt or lack of certainty are always made clear. It is about doing your best
in a world where speed and information are the keys. More work is needed
to analyze the implications of the new phenomenon for accuracy, speed,
personalization, dialogue and trust. That challenge is the same for all
traditional media organizations.
Aijaz Zaka Syed observed: There was a time when most Arab
countries did not have much by way of financial and material resources.
Thankfully, thats not the case today. Yet they are not making the most of the
boom driven by the oil wealth discovered during the last century. Instead of
endlessly building malls, hotels and palaces and other delusions of grandeur,
shouldnt the Arabs be investing their resources in building
infrastructures of knowledge like universities, research centres, think tanks
and the media? Ours is the age of knowledge.
A war of ideas is on. And only those well prepared and equipped
for it will survive this battle of hearts and minds. If for nothing else, Arab
countries should make greater investments in knowledge for their restive,
young generations. After all, a majority of the Middle Easts population
today is young and very restive. They are growing up with a sense of
purpose and direction and a keen consciousness of their place in the world.
The Arab nations will ignore them at their own cost. Theres no dearth of
talent or resources, human or material, in the Muslim world today. What it
needs is original ideas and men who could translate them into reality. More
important, what is needed is an opening of minds.
On 25th February, Brian Cloughley commented: Interesting things
happen to countries that are allied to the United States, and you can
never tell what Washingtons reaction is going to be when there is a drama
that is usually predictable to most observers of international affairs except
those in the White House, the Congress and the CIA.

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Decades of US support for Egypts vile dictator, Mubarak, has ended

with Washington dropping its erstwhile collaborator and sending a message
to every ally of the United States: be very careful when US leaders
support you, because when the music stops, so will they. Dictators should
remember that when someone gets behind them, it makes it easier for them
to be stabbed in the back. And Washington was directly behind Mubarak.
After a lot of White House hand-wringing there was public handwashing and lots of official propaganda leaks to the media with the line that
We always knew he was a baddie but went along with him in the best
interests of his country and Middle East peace. Claptrap.
After discussing the Davis-related developments in Pakistan Brain
concluded: US abandonment of the dictator Mubarak, after thirty years of
total support, is supposed to be justified because his country wasnt a
democracy. Yet when a creaking but optimistic democracy like Pakistan
exercises its rights as a sovereign country and arrests an American who has
undoubtedly killed two people, there are screams of hysterical protest from
the bunch of humbugs in Washington.
Little wonder international trust for the US has plummeted. A
modicum of moderation and consistency, along with a bit of give and take in
Washingtons dealings with the rest of the world would be appropriate. But
dont imagine that this will ever happen.
Aijaz Zaka Syed observed: When the history of our extraordinary
times is written, the pride of place will go to ordinary people of the
Middle East. From Tunisia and Egypt to Yemen, from Bahrain and Jordan
to Algeria and Morocco, its the humble, faceless multitudes who have
accomplished the unthinkable demolishing the fearsome, old order armed
with nothing but a prayer on their lips and unrelenting faith. Their matter-offact defiance has stripped new emperors of their fig leaf of legitimacy.
Revenge of the dispossessed couldnt have been sweeter.
How utterly wrong were all those stuffy pundits about Arabs and
their antipathy to freethinking and doing their own thing? (Okay, go ahead,
call it democracy!) Their eternal spring of hope and faith has turned into a
ferocious tide that has already swallowed two gilded thrones. If Muammar
Gaddafi thinks he can stop it with his fighter jets, gunship and his squads of
female bodyguards, hes living in a fools paradise. And using fighter jets to
bomb your own people? Only a truly diabolic lunatic, which he is, can
resort to something like that. How low can yesterdays so-called

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revolutionaries get to protect their long decaying, crumbling palaces and

thrones?
But we have been here before. Remember what another self-styled
Arab leader visited on the Kurds, shiites and of course his own fellow
sunnis? The ultimate target of all the force and fiercest weapons at a tyrants
disposal are his own people. This is what happened in Shahs Iran and
Saddams Iraq. This has been the hallowed tradition of all the so-called Arab
republics. Thousands from the Muslim Brotherhood were persecuted and
killed in Egypt, from Nasser down to Mubarak. In neighbouring Algeria tens
of thousands of Islamists simply disappeared for flirting with democracy and
beating the powers that be at their own game by sweeping the elections.
Zaka stressed upon the vigilance to guard the change against being
hijacked by another set of tyrants and then added: None of this is really
surprising. This had to be the natural and logical outcome of the long
years of oppression, injustice and all-pervading corruption people have
suffered all these years. This is why the voices from the streets of Tunis and
Cairo are resonating across the Middle East, from Tripoli to Tehran and from
Manama to Marrakesh. The elites will ignore this loud and clear message
from the street at their own peril.
We are clearly living in interesting times, as the Chinese would put it.
And Arab masses will remember who stood by them and who remained on
the wrong side of history. Having promised a new way forward with the
Muslims, Barack Obama had a rare opportunity to do just that when the
ground began to shift in the Middle East. Unfortunately, one has seen the
same moral obfuscation and double standards that have characterized
successive US administrations. So much for the Change-We-Can our hero
once promised!
While the Middle East has metamorphosed beyond recognition over
the past two months, Western response to this tsunami of change has
been predictable. Everything is still viewed, calculated and interpreted from
the prism of what these changes would mean to the Great State of Israel and
its geopolitical interests.
The empire is understandably jittery over the prospect of losing
all that control and power it exercised over the region even after formally
ceding it in the last century. If you have real free men in power, you cant
order them around as the West has done all this while. Those capable of
cutting their powerful tormentors to size could also boot out the empire. In a
way the West has every reason to fear this change. For the peoples revolt is
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not just against the gods who have failed them. Its also against those who
have spawned and propped up this corrupt order that has made the Arabs
helpless slaves in their own land. Seems the Middle East is ready for change.
At last.
Next day, Dr Qaisar Rashid opined: The Tunisian upheaval has
conveyed several messages to the world in general and the Arab world
in particular. First, the rulers sticking to autocracy (or monarchy) under the
garb of democracy are prone to be hit by the Tunisian sort of cataclysm. It is
now difficult to silence the masses and keep them deprived of their due
social, political and economic rights. Voices against political repression are
getting louder in the world as the desire for liberty is universal.
Secondly, in the citizen-state relationship, the masses are clamouring
to find their exact status vis--vis the state. In the Tunisian case, it was not
only that the masses had grown intolerant of fiscal corruption but also that
the masses had become aware of the role of the state: the state must consider
them citizens and not subjects; the state should take care of them and stop
oppressing them.
Thirdly, the masses have become aware of the importance of fair
distribution of economic resources. In Tunisia, the uprising was not
ideological but economic in nature. The revolt was pregnant with the aim of
introducing a political system (or a mode of governance) guaranteeing
economic equilibrium in society. Through the language of mayhem, the
Tunisians demanded an equitable distribution of wealth between the ruling
class and citizens.
Fourthly, a wave of democracy has swept the Arab world. The
Tunisian upheaval heralded an era of democracy in the Arab world. In
Tunisia, the surge of democracy was from the lower to upper echelons of
society and not vice versa. Nevertheless, the true character of democracy
western or local that the people of the region will introduce as an
alternative system to monarchy has yet to unfold.
The picture of Tunisia has analogous implications for other Arab
countries including Yemen whose monarchy has fallen prey to the public
demand for liberty. In Libya, the masses are bristling with anger and
indignation at the harsh treatment meted out by Colonel Muammar Qaddafi.
Nevertheless, the case of Egypt is a bit different. Attached to Egypt is the
(perceived) future of the Palestinian-Israel conflict.
Under former president, Hosni Mubarak, Egypt was instrumental in
influencing Palestinians to promote the PLO (ruling the West Bank) and not
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Hamas (ruling the Gaza strip). Mubarak made the case in western capitals
that if they didnt support him, the right-wing religious party, the Muslim
Brotherhood, would come to power. The west, in turn, remained scared of
the phantom projected by Mubarak who stayed in power for 31 years. With
the change of both system and regime in Egypt, Egypts new stance
towards the Palestine-Israel issue is yet to be known. The chants of
liberty are signaling a warning to those Arab rulers who are still obsessed
with the Cold War mentality that siding with one bloc will ensure their
survival at the helm of the affairs. And the rest of the world is bracing itself
for the repercussions of the happenings in the Arab world.
The delight of the west (including the US) at the waves of liberty
ravaging the Arab world is alloyed by its concern for the nature of
relationship expected to be fostered with the new Arab regimes. Presently,
the west bears certain apprehensions about what next is going to happen
in the Arab world. For instance, whether the newly liberated Arab
countries adopt Irans theocratic model or carve out a way to introduce a
Turkish-style democracy, if not a western-style democracy. Secondly, what
will be the place of Islamic parties in the future political set up? Thirdly, will
the status-quo on the Palestine-Israel peace process (as was being endorsed
by Mubarak of Egypt) be respected? Fourthly, what will be the future of AlQaeda in the Arab world?
Prices of oil and its products are getting buoyed up thereby sending
ripples of anxiety to the economies of western countries. The US is already
beset by economic problems that ensued in the aftermath of Afghanistan and
Iraq wars. Whether the US can maintain ascendancy over future Arab
regimes or not must be the countrys immediate concern. In short, guessing
the end of this beginning is not easy despite the fact that the beginning
has been welcomed by all.
On 27th February, Aziz Omar observed: The revolutions of yore used
to be cumbersome affairs. Even before attempting to start one, the instigators
had to rely on the word of mouth, secret messages written in code and sent
through daring messengers to like-minded elements. Soon, electronic modes
of communication began to posit the ability to weave an invisible web of
information, rallying and organizing protestors, literally at the click of a
button. The recently unleashed wave of revolutionary fervor that is
sweeping across the Arab world is largely fuelled by electronic news and
networking media over the past dozen years.

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The analyst discussed the role Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and most of
al-Jazeera TV in this e-uprising and concluded: Even with the seemingly
unfettered power, modern electronic forms of media, news, networking
and communication are still prone to manipulation and censorship.
Even though websites of Facebook, Youtube and Twitter could not be
targeted by the authoritarian regimes, their access was summarily blocked as
soon as their role in the protests became apparent.
Al-Jazeera has often been accused of following an agenda of
backing Qatari state, picking and choosing Arab political factions to support
or tear down, and downplaying issues at home. The channels offices and
vehicles have often become the target of the supporters of the regimes that it
has been critical of. Yet there is no denying the fact that the very notion
of there being a common struggle across the Arab world was fomented
by Al-Jazeera and then cemented in place by Youtube, Twitter and
Facebook.
Mazhar Khan Jadoon opined: It may be part of a greater Israel plot,
or American move to reshape Middle East for a stronger foothold to tap
more oil, or the revival of Islamic forces that are out to enforce Sharia in the
Arab land. All these speculations will stay in the air until the dust of
revolution settles down and a clearer picture emerges.
However, all that is happening in the streets of the Arab world shows
one thing for sure: the educated and more aware Arab youth belonging to
middle class are calling the shots now for a change that will bring them at
par with the rest of the world.
No one was expecting that an isolated protest in a northern African
country would trigger a tsunami that would flood the entire Arab world
The whole Arab world, perhaps, was waiting for a spark to ignite a
change that could ensure political freedom, social justice and right to
speak without the fear of being gagged and imprisoned. Pent up desire for
freedom provided the thread for the rosary of change in the Arab world.
Mubarak lost peoples confidence because he failed to feel the pulse
of the young generation that is capable of juxtaposing their lives with that of
the changing world with no room for repression and dictators The rage
that sprang up in Tunisia and swept through Egypt has morphed into a
people versus dictators battle. The contagious rage knows no boundaries
and is gaining momentum day-by-day. Two of the Arab rulers are down and
the rest are nauseated with the event and are waiting for their turn.

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Mubarak and Ben Ali have been pushed into oblivion by their fate
decreed by people and what is in store for the rulers of Libya, Bahrain,
Yemen, Algeria, Iraq and Morocco is no different. It is just a matter of how
quickly and wisely the rulers read the will of their people and leave
without creating mess.
In his televised address, Gaddafi tried to scare away the swelling
crowds threatening to use force to crush them. He should have talked sense
because the use of force will only limit his chances for a safe and honourable
exit Political analyst Robert Fisk says Gaddafi is facing the forces he
cannot control. According to an article that he wrote for The Independent,
Fisk suggests Gaddafi is groping in the dark searching for legitimacy for his
illegitimate rule
In Bahrain, the predominantly Shia Muslim protesters are sticking to
their guns occupying the Pearl roundabout ahead of the promised talks
between the opposition representatives and the rulers King Hammad bin
Isa al-Khalifa is still clinging to power with calls for a national dialogue
to try to bridge differences, preserve the monarchy and unite the nation.
Yemens President Ali Abdullah Saleh has said, only defeat at the
ballot box will make him quit, despite a growing protest movement calling
for him to resign. Tens of thousands of protesters continue to rally around
the country. For the first time several Yemeni Ministers of Parliament joined
the protesters in the streets.
Experts are voicing concern, about the US using the presence of AlQaeda elements in the country as a pretext for military intervention.
According to BBC, many commentators warned against a repetition of the
pre-emptive action taken against Iraq and Afghanistan.
In Iraq, frustrated Kurds are crying foul at the tight grip with which
the two ruling parties control the Kurdish autonomous region. Iraqis across
the country have staged a number of protests in recent weeks against
corruption, high levels of unemployment and poor provision of basic
services such as clean water and electricity.
Now it could be Algerias turn to free itself from the autocratic rule.
Fearing a full-blown uprising like that in Tunisia and Egypt, the government
officials in the huge North African country are scrambling to stem an
accelerating movement of street protests. This kind of a display of antigovernment sentiment was unthinkable until recently. Algerian Foreign
Minister Mourad Medelci had announced that his countrys 19-year state-of-

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emergency laws would be revoked within days, ending tight censorship and
lifting a ban on political demonstrations win back enraged public.
Algerias small neighbour is also undergoing change. Two of
Moroccos biggest political parties and human rights groups have joined
calls by a youth movement for constitutional reform that could reduce the
role of the king. More political freedom and end to dictatorship are the
by-words sending shivers down the spine of rulers in Rabat.
Next day, Roedad Khan observed: People power has triumphed
once again, and hounded dictators in Tunisia and Egypt, in this case another
military one. It was people power alone which toppled Zine El Abedine Ben
Ali and Hosni Mubarak, both American protgs. Now Muammar Qaddafi
appears to be on the way out.
Old man recalled American double standards and then added: Why
does US policy seem to be that democracy is good for Americans, Israelis,
Afghans and Iraqis, yet dangerous for Egyptians and other people in the
Middle East/North Africa region? For too many people in the Islamic world,
especially Egyptians, it is becoming quite clear that the United States is
conspiring with the regime in Cairo in its efforts to push only cosmetic
reforms, while keeping the basic structure in power.
When millions of young students gathered in Tahrir Square in Cairo,
President Obama jettisoned Americas ideals and placed himself on the
wrong side of history. He decided to side with the Pharaoh right to the
end. Many questions come to mind:
Why did Obama react so slowly to the democratic revolution in
Egypt?
Why did he maintain support for Mubarak so long?
Why did he move more cautiously in the present crisis than did
President Reagan, who moved away from Ferdinand Marcos in the
Philippines?
Why was President Obama so slow to embrace the young protestors in
Cairo?
Why President Obama didnt come out more strongly on their side?
President Obama never found the voice to clearly endorse the
Tahrir Square Revolution until it was all over. The ambivalent, almost
nervous, carefully calculated US reaction to the Egyptian revolution

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underscored the hypocrisy of the United States in often backing dictators

over democracy. Almost till the end, the Obama administration seemed more
confident with the regime than with people power. America was on the
wrong side of history when youthful Muslims and Christians were at the
barricades fighting for liberty, rule of law, human dignity and end to
dictatorship. It is now abundantly clear that, despite the democratic rhetoric,
America had all along been decidedly on the side of Mubarak.
People all over the world watched with horror how, with
American acquiescence, Mubarak attacked pro-democracy young
protestors with made in USA teargas shells. President Obama provided
Mubarak time to recover from the shock, and to mobilize and arm his thugs
and gangsters whom he used with deadly effect in Tahrir Square against
peaceful, unarmed protestors.
Once we thought this one-of-a-kind American president would do
great things. In his inaugural address President Obama focused more on soft
power and told the Muslim world that he wants a new way forward, based
on mutual interest and mutual respect. All that seems to have changed.
Obama appears to have forgotten America as an idea, as a source of
optimism and as a beacon of liberty.
Khan talked of some lessons for Pakistan before concluding: The
political momentum now rests entirely with the people. They can smell
the march of their own power. At last, people have found their life
mission, something to fight for, something to die for: fight dictatorship,
military or civilian. They have also found the tool to achieve this mammoth
task: street demonstrations. I have lived to see millions of my people
indignant and resolute in the streets of Islamabad, demanding with an
irresistible voice rule of law, independence of judiciary, ruthless
accountability, and end to high-level corruption. It remains to be seen if that
voice of liberty would prove to be durable. It is now or never. One thing is
clear. Change is going to come sooner than you expect if we work for it, if
we fight for it, if we believe in it. There is no other path for our country but
the one Egyptians and Tunisians took, and now the Libyans are treading. Let
us follow their example.
On 1st March, Dr Maleeha Lodhi observed: The US has been reduced
to a bystander by the chain of Arab uprisings and has since been scrambling
to avoid being caught on the wrong side of history. Unmistakable in all of
this has been the ebbing of its influence in the region. But America isnt
alone in losing ground. Its most implacable foe al Qaeda, also confronts the
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prospect of a decline in its appeal. The more Arab countries move towards
accountable government and greater freedom the more the conditions and
grievances which fed al Qaedas narrative will be eroded. Already al Qaedas
call for the violent overthrow of Arab tyrannies has been rendered irrelevant
and rejected by the peaceful protests that seek to achieve this aim by the
assertion of peoples power.
On 3rd March, Zafar Hilaly, All eyes are on the Egyptian military
which has taken upon itself the responsibility of ensuring a transition to
democracy. The best hope for maintaining its stature as a respected national
institution (as well as a pivotal future role if things go wrong) lies in
facilitating a modern political process. But since the people have no prior
experience to work with, while the militarys intentions are not clear at this
stage, it is too early to be certain of a stable outcome. Yet the prospect has
never looked better following Mubaraks fall.
The Arabs have finally won global respect and admiration and this is
a far cry from the impotence and sense of inferiority they suffered for
decades. However, they will have to replace what they rebelled against with
something distinctly better. They will also have to show some spine when it
comes to Israel. All that they are doing at the moment is wink and hold out
their iron because they dare not fight.
What comes out of Egypt in particular will affect, if not determine,
what happens in Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan and Bahrain to a greater or lesser
degree. As for Libya its not so much a new system for which it is struggling
right now but for its very survival.

REVIEW
The current unrest in Arab World is far from qualifying as a
revolution. It is at best a struggle for getting rid of the oppressive rulers with
the hope of securing right of the people to have a say in the kind of
governance they want. In other words, the suppressed masses are seeking
some socio-economic relief.
This struggle which started from Tunisia because of the internal
factors and achieving domestic goals seemed to have been hijacked by
external forces to bring a change favourable for serving their interests. For
the West too the change had become desirable, because three to four decades
old rulers in Arab world had become redundant or rusty; unfit to cope with
modern day fast life.
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The opportunity provided by the tragedy of death of Tunisian youth

was availed to replace the existing lot with rulers of own choice where
needed. The uprisings werent allowed to go astray lest these headed towards
undesirable change, which could bring forth religious forces or those hold
their self-respect and national values dearer over subservience to foreign
masters.
It can be said that the ongoing process is an act of controlled
demolition of Arab Worlds regimes. Two things confirm this inference. One,
protesters demanding change might not have been pro-West, but they were
certainly not anti-West. Two, the movement has also been spread to Libya
and Iran; the countries where the rulers have been anti-West. In case of
Libya, the protesters are being helped by the West.
America and Europe carried out this course-correction quite cleverly
avoiding the impression of hi-jacking. They tried to be on the right side of
the protesters and White House frequently urged the targeted regimes to
exercise restraint in use of force and demanded reforms. On the contrary,
some tips were given to Bahraini ruler for lingering his stay in power.
Internet played key role in directing the protesters and keep the
movement focused. It was facilitated by the fact that most of the young
protesters were educated in the West and those who directed the movement
were young men and women obviously not averse to culture of the
civilized world. One of the lady never left Washington throughout the
movement.
The uprising in Libya, however, disrupted the smooth-sailing of the
movement. Apart from other factors the impatience of the West to get rid of
Gaddafi also made the sailing rough. This forced Gaddafi to yell at his
armed forces to kill the rats in streets.
It reflected the mindset of dictator that ruled unchallenged for more
than four decades, but he had reasons or even evidence that some of
these rats were sponsored by the West. He also termed the protesters drug
addicts and vowed not to allow Libya become Afghanistan or Pakistan.
He, like all for long time dictators, forgot about his own deadly
addiction; the addiction of power. He could not exonerate himself of the
mistakes committed during his rule. The most condemnable mistake was that
it was because of him that so many human beings had been turned into rats.
At the end it may be said that the present spate of uprisings in Arab
World promise no big political or economic change in the life of masses. It
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wont be easy for them to dismantle oppressive infrastructure in one go

which has been built by Arab tyrants with the backing of the West.
These uprisings, however, will mark the beginning of change the
masses wish for. These mark the first step with which all long journeys start;
instill self-confidence in the people of these countries that they are capable
of bringing the change.
The change, even the one termed secular in nature, should be
welcomed in first stage. A secular change will at least help bring economic
and electoral reforms, which are must for well-being of the masses and for
securing the right to participation. Once domestic tyrants are thrown out in
stages it would be easier to end foreign oppression and exploitation.
5th March 2011

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DRAMA TIME
Politics in countries where masses have no rights, except the right to
cast votes, falls in the category of performing arts. Elsewhere in the world
politicians are like delivery men, but in third world they are comedians
dressed up in democratic robes. They entertain the audience with their onstage antics to have good time off-stage.
There is no fixed schedule for staging drama; comedians are everready to perform any time at short notice. For them it is drama time in
perpetuity; however, frequency and intensity of enacting drama keep
varying. In Pakistan, during last two months dramas were enacted in rapid
succession by stooges of all hues.
The ongoing spate of dramas commenced with Nawaz Sharif raising
the curtain from the comedy of 10-point agenda which coincided with
tragic scene of the drama enacted by the enlightened over blasphemy law.
Altaf Hussain could not remain off-stage; he released nine-point agenda
from Nine Zero.
PPP being the largest political troupe in the country summed up 10
and 9 and Raja Riaz like a magician flashed 19-point agenda for the
amusement of Jiyalas. Most of the scenes of ten point agenda were enacted
by Hafeez Sheikh and Ishaq Dar, but they failed in impressing the audience.
This drama led to another drama on the stage of Punjab in which PPP
ministers were shown the door. The producer-cum-director of PPP drama
party had been preparing for this for the last many months by turning of
power and gas supply to Punjab. He had also unleashed Babar Awan, his law
minister rolled into a befitting Punjabi villain.
Shahbaz felt the heat or lack of it and shouted at Zardari to stop the
topi drama. Raja Riaz, having been relieved of the burden of a ministry,
shouted back you stop the topi drama; not realizing that what would all of
them do if dramas were stopped. The latest drama was jointly enacted by
PPP-MQM in which the increase in petroleum products prices was cut by
fifty percent.
All these dramas went on concurrently with Raymond drama being
performed on the stage of war on terror. The distraction caused by hectic
drama activity allowed Zardari regime to quietly usurp the independence of
judiciary by rejecting extension to three judges which had been
recommended by Judicial Commission. Off-stage the rulers kept enjoying.

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NEWS
On 6th February, Gilani said cabinet doors were open for PML-N. Raja
Riaz gave deadline to Nawaz to respond to PPPs 19 point agenda and
threatened of resignations and sit-in in front of Assembly building.
Musharraf attracted yet another pair of shoes in London; the shoe-throwers
raised slogans for Dr Aafia and Musharraf came down heavily on Nawaz
Sharif. Against assessment of Rs825 billion damage caused by floods the
governments in provinces and the Centre has spared only Rs40 billion only.
Thrashing of Kabir Wasti was condemned by all except PPP.
Next day, JIT included Musharraf in interim challan in the case of
murder of Benazir, which also said that the two police officers had acted on
orders of Musharraf. The court rejected bails of the both. Officers in charge
of IB and Crisis Management Cell at the time of murder have become
approvers; both are retired army officers. Benazirs Blackberry has been
tampered with. It showed that Benazir received no telephone call during the
period in which she had allegedly received a call from Zardari asking her to
come out and respond to peoples applause.
The Supreme Court directed the State Bank of Pakistan to provide
details of bank loans waived off during the last two years. The court rejected
commission on written-off loans and vowed to go to any length to recover
public money.
Babar Awan advised against amending blasphemy law and pardoning
Aasia. Asfandyar said Pakhtuns in Karachi is a reality and must be accepted
as such. Reportedly, Zardari pardoned or commuted punishments of 14,000
persons of his favourite community of criminals in last two years.
On 8th February, Zardari started contacting heads of political parties
for roundtable conference to discuss national issues; Altaf welcomed the
idea. Moonis Elahi was declared proclaimed offender. Masood Kausar,
brother of Ahmad Faraz, was appointed as new governor of KPK. PIA
operations were crippled by strike over its merger with Turkish airline.
The teams of PPP and PML-N reached first agreement of some
significance in deciding that the top hundred write-offs in case each bank
would be recovered. The teams failed to make progress on any of the ten
points. Nawaz expressed disappointment over progress on ten-point agenda.
Federal Tax Ombudsman refused to give up probe into missing
Afghanistan-bound containers after FBR initiated a parallel inquiry. In a
press conference he named NLC Nowshera and Chaman as the main culprits
155

that helped smugglers evade tax through misuse of duty-free Afghan Transit
Trade.
The Supreme Court bench hearing case of appointment of NAB
chairman was told by the counsel that petitions challenging Deedars
appointment were not maintainable. The court remarked that agreement with
opposition leader is necessary.
Next day, federal cabinet resigned as per decision of PPPs CEC
headed by Zardari. Gilani commended the performance of ministers and felt
proud of them. MQM and JUI-F declined the offer to join new cabinet,
which would be constituted in phases. Zardari invited Nawaz for roundtable
conference; the latter questioned its relevance.
PIA employees continued their protest as government-pilots talks
failed, because pilots demanded resignation of MD PIA, but government
turned it down. In Karachi, ASF used force against protesters and injured
pilots, journalists and even passengers. Zardari telephoned Abdullah Gulf
and discussed airlines merger fiasco.
In a PPP-PML-N meeting the government proposed 25 per cent cut in
50 per cent pay raise incorporated in the current budget and, reportedly,
PML-N has agreed. The Supreme Court granted time to the counsel for the
federal government for consultation. The court remarked that NAB chief
would have to quit if laid down consultation was not completed.
On 10th February, the Supreme Court was informed that 152 senior
officials were working on contract basis after their retirement and out of
them 15 officers, including DG FIA and IGP Sindh, were being removed.
The court directed to proceed against Hamid Saeed Kazmi according to law.
His arrest warrants were issued and raids were conducted for his arrest. The
court enquired about Abdul Qadir Gilani, not the one that comes into mind
on hearing this name but the son of Prime Minister involved in Haj scam and
asked to find out his source of income and tax he pays.
The counsel of the federal government, A Hafeez Pirzada, was forced
to lie in the court to cover up lies of Zardari and Gilani in the case of
appointment of Chairman NAB, who was appointed on the basis of a
summary without canceling the earlier one. The counsel told the court that it
was being done now.
PML-N sought removal of MD PIA. Railways labour union showed
solidarity with employees of PIA and threatened to stop rail movement when

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asked by the sister union. PIA called passengers to airports and then returned
them back. Rehman Malik said PIA issue would be resolved in 2-3 days.
Habibullah and four others were granted bails in NICL scam case.
Shujaat blamed Nawaz for involving innocent Moonis in NICL case.
Meeting on ten points was postponed. PML-N rejected government proposal
to cut salaries; this was in negation of earlier reports. Zardari claimed his
government saved the country from economic collapse.
Next day, 22 ministers were sworn in first phase of raising new
cabinet; many of them were old faces. Punjab got seven against eight from
Sindh as part of democratic revenge. Arif Nizami observed that Shah
Mahmood was removed from foreign ministry possibly for two reasons. In
violation of Zardari ideology he has been tough with India and recently he
had refused to give clear-cut immunity to Davis.
Police baton-charged PIA protesters; Rehman Malik suspended police
officer in charge ordered judicial inquiry. MD PIA, an old buddy of Zardari
at last resigned; perhaps, he took clue from Hosni Mubarak. St5rike was
called off And PIA flight operations resumed. LHC granted protective bail to
Kazmi. PPP cancelled basic party membership of Dr Israr Shah. Sarfraz
Nawaz joined MQM in search of love.
On 12th February, arrest warrants of Musharraf were issued in Benazir
murder case; to be declared proclaimed offender if does not appear before
the court. Firdous Ashiq said government would provide all the assistance to
the court.
Rehman Malik said the Supreme Court has nor ordered removal of
DG FIA; Wasim Ahmed would continue working. Chief Justice blamed
corruption for widening gap between rich and poor and the Supreme Court
was striving to end this evil. FIA stopped from taking action against
overseas employment promoters and human traffickers.
Next day, Farooq Sattar and Shujaat Hussain met and mulled the idea
to become king-producers from king-makers. Babar Awan saw wind of
change in Punjab and said Moonis was suffering for being son of Pervaiz
Elahi. Rana Sana termed Babar Munshi of plunderers of Bank of Punjab.
Kazmi accused FIA of his character assassination. Four people were killed
and seven wounded in Karachi.
On 14th February, Strategy for quick disposal of cases was devised in
full court meeting of the Supreme Court. A resolution was also passed for

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appointment of Justice Ramday and Justice Jaffery as ad hoc judges after

retirement. There is no bar on ad hoc judges in 18th and 19th amendments.
Arrest warrants of Abdul Qadir, son of Prime Minister, were issued
after he did not appear before FIA team probing Haj scam. Soon after that
Hussain Asghar, main investigating officer, was removed. This has been a
favourite policy of the regime to obstruct implementation of court orders.
Zain Sukera, close friend of Abdul Qadir, resigned from IT Ministry.
The Supreme Court was informed that Rs74 billion of 454,737
borrowers were written off during 2008-2009. The court rejected unsigned
report of State Bank. The Chief Justice vowed to recover public money
along with interest. LHC sought NAB reply on a writ petition that
challenged closure of 60 corruption cases. Zafar Querishi, Additional DG
FIA, was served notice for maligning PML-Q and Moonis.
PCO judges filed appeal against verdict on contempt case. Six
hundred employees involved in NATO containers case were barred from
leaving the country. Raja Riaz termed PML-N ministers corrupt; maximum
corruption was done in sasti roti programme. Mumtaz Qadri pleaded guilty
in the case of Salmans murder; next hearing will be on 26th February. A
court in Multan accepted a petition accusing Sherry Rehman for blasphemy.
Next day, during hearing of the case of Haj scam the Chief Justice
remarked it seemed that the Executive was bent upon confronting Judiciary.
The counsel of the regime, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada said it is our duty not to
allow that happen. The court expressed its displeasure over sending the
investigating officer on leave and directed cancellation of appointment of
DG FIA Wasim Ahmed and other senior officials by 18th February.
Asma Jahangir criticized appointment of two ad hoc judges in the
Supreme Court. Bars and senior lawyers also protested the resolution for ad
hoc appointment of Justice Ramday and Justice Jaffery; the Supreme Court
cancelled its resolution. Ansar Abbasi apprehended another assault on
independence of judiciary.
The process of meetings between teams of PPP and PML-N ended
with urging the State Bank to order recovery of loans written off politically.
Ishaq Dar asked the government to ensure gas load management on equal
basis. The dissidents of PML-Q got the status of parliamentary party in
Punjab Assembly.
On 17th February, PCO judge Rahim of Peshawar High Court served
show-cause notices to four judges of the Supreme Court who had heard the
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contempt case against PCO judges. He also urged President to refer the case
to Supreme Judicial Council.
The Supreme Court suspended the recommendations of the
Parliamentary Committee in which names of four additional judges of LHC
were rejected. ADG FIA, Zafar Qureshi complained of threats from main
accused in NICL; the Supreme Court issued directive for full protection to
Zafar. The apex court disposed off Railway engines case after written
assurance from Secretary Railways.
Raja Zafarul Haq said governments response to ten points has been
disappointing. FBR, Customs and NLC representatives appeared before
parliamentary body and told that more than 80 per cent of NATO containers
go missing during transit and the system of checks is almost non-existent. In
a secret deal PPP and MQM have agreed not to try 26 killers in court of law.
These killers belong to death squads maintained by political parties in
Karachi.
Next day, notices issued to four judges of the Supreme Court by
suspended PCO judge of PHC were canceled. The Supreme Court hearing
the appeals of PCO judges passed interim order that suspended PCO judges
cannot pass any directive. The hearing was adjourned till 21st February.
Nawaz was disappointed with governments response to ten points.
Sana hinted at demanding midterm polls if ten point agenda not enforced.
ANP rejected decisions taken by PPP and PML-N on ten-point agenda; a
pre-planned move by Zardari-Asfandyar nexus.
Zafar expanded its probe into NICL case after finding documents
indicating that Moonis Elahi has property in Spain. Gilani sacked nine
contracted senior officials out of 15 the Supreme Court had ordered; six
retained in defiance of court orders included DG FIA Wasim Ahmed and
three senior police officers of Sindh.
Rehman Malik denied the report about PPP-MQM secret agreement to
free 26 killers. PPP delegation visited Nine Zero resulting in chanting of
Altaf-Zardari Bhai Bhai slogans. Zulfikar Mirza was also present. Five
people were killed in Karachi.
On 19th February, Judicial Commission gave one year extension to six
additional judges of SHC and dropped three others. Appointment of Ramday
and Jaffery as ad hoc judges of the Supreme Court was deferred; Asma
Jahangir was pleased over deferment. KPK Bar had opposed the
appointment of two judges.
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Nawaz accused Zardari of foiling PML-Ns reconciliation efforts.

Party meeting opposed giving further time on 10-point agenda. Rehman
Malik saw ship of Charter of Democracy sinking. Congressional delegation
met Zardari to discuss matters of mutual interest. Fauzia resigned as PPPs
information secretary; Kaira took over. ATC hearing murder case of Benazir
re-issued Musharrafs arrest warrants and to be produced on March 5.
Next day, Zulfikar Mirza threatened to destroy all party offices of
PML-N in Sindh from Karachi to Kashmor if PPP is thrown out of Punjab
government. He bet the battle drums for joining battle against Nawaz and
Imran Khan and at the same time vowed to follow policy of reconciliation.
He also said Benazir wanted to get rid on Naheed Khan and Safdar Abbasi.
Rana Sana said Mirza is a warrior who challenges and surrenders in the
same breath. PML-N summoned party meeting on 25th February.
On 21st February, Nawaz said no more embracing of corrupt rulers and
ruled out alliance with Chaudhrys of Gujrat. PPP leaders launched barrage of
statements against PML-N after the reports about PPP being thrown out of
Punjab government. Gilanis son held a press conference and rejected all
allegations of corruption. He appeared before FIA team which was
investigating his involvement in corruption.
Next day, PPP and PML-N teams held last meeting on ten point
agenda and the participants decided to refer the matter to party leaders.
Meanwhile, the Speaker National Assembly constituted a 12-member
parliamentary committee for reformation of Election Commission of
Pakistan. This was demanded in ten point agenda. Nawaz expressed
dissatisfaction over progress on ten point agenda.
Parliamentary Committee endorsed recommendations of Judicial
Commission for one year extension to four judges of SHC and rejected the
same to two others. Rs6 billion corruption was reported in National Police
Foundation. The officer appointed to probe is relative of one of the main
accused. Gilanis son was asked to prove his source of income.
On 23rd February, the Supreme Court observed that DG FIA has
spoiled the case of corruption in Pakistan Steel Mills. The court was
informed that the loss has now reached Rs37 billion. Chief Justice said it is
not the responsibility of the apex court to pinpoint wrong doings and suggest
measures to be adopted, but PSM should do that on its own.
Moonis Elahi returned to Pakistan and his arrest warrants were
cancelled by the court. He denied his involvement in NICL scam and alleged
that all cases were framed on political basis as one of the brothers of Zafar
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was not promoted during PML-Q rule. PPP and PML-Q were secretly
working to oust PML-N from Punjab and former has promised to close all
cases against Moonis. PML-N seemed all set to kick PPP out of Punjab
government.
Public Accounts Committee was informed that NAB has closed
several fraud cases involving Rs61.88 billion. In defiance of apex courts
directives the regime has decided to regularize thousands of re-hired
appointees. Qureshi said Pakistan has everything except honest leadership.
Next day, Nawaz Sharif said Zardari incessantly let him down. He
showed willingness to accommodate party dissidents and claimed PML-N
could rescue nation from the prevalent precarious situation. Qaim Ali
accused Nawaz of destabilizing the country. After consulting Gilani and top
aides Zardari decided not to quit Punjab government. Imran Khan talked of
revolution while addressing a public gathering in Peshawar. Three political
activists were killed and 29 criminals held in Karachi.
On 25th February, Nawaz said if the government did not mend its ways
in next few months, PML-N would demand mid-term polls. He blamed the
federal government for protecting corrupt elements He announced the party
decision to throw PPP ministers out of Punjab cabinet. He, however, ruled
out steps to destabilize democratic set-up.
Raza Rabbani held a press conference along with party leaders and
refuted PML-N claim that no progress was made on ten point agenda. He
vowed to continue policy of reconciliation. Babar Awan bitterly criticized
PML-N for resorting to politics of Changa Manga. Meanwhile, the apex
court asked the government to clarify the lease case of Railway land. Chief
Justice said its time to book the culprits.
Next day, Shahbaz Sharif fired seven ministers and 13 parliamentary
secretaries, not Davis-style, but as part of culling of sick chickens of PPPbreed in Punjab Poultry Farms. The summary was sent to Governor who
said he would look into legality of culling. Talal Bugti welcomed PPP ouster
from Punjab. Babar Awan spent busy day in Lahore in cursing PML-N. As
part of democratic revenge textile industry in Punjab was subjected to five
days a week load-shedding.
National Bank concealed names of some loan defaulters and loan
write-offs while submitting lists in pursuance of orders of apex court.
Customs suspended 22 officers in NATO liquor scam. An anti-corruption
court in Karachi issued non-bailable arrest warrants of Qasim Dada in NICL
case. Reportedly, Shah Mahmood was mulling formation of Shaheed BB
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Group. Hamid-backed candidate defeated his opponent supported by Asma

and Babar Awan in LHCBA presidential election.
On 27th February, Zardari accused Nawaz League of promoting
politics on Changa Manga, but ruled out dislodging Punjab government. He
summoned Governor Punjab to Bilawal House, Karachi. Aitzaz Ahsans
statement that it was Q League, not the U-Block is in danger, gave boost to
the Unification Block. Khosa, the chief Jiyala in the province, vowed that
his party would be an aggressive opposition. Shahbaz Sharif informed Saudi
Ambassador in writing that 10-year ban on Nawaz on taking part in politics
has ended.
Shahbaz asked Zardari to end gas shortage drama to victimize Punjab.
Gilani denied victimizing Punjab in gas load-shedding. Governor State Bank
informed the apex court that banks didnt need SPP permission to write off
loans. Qureshi was warmly received on his way to yatra of Garhi Khuda
Bakhsh. Seven people were killed in incidents of violence in Karachi.
Next day, the Supreme Court suspended decision of the Parliamentary
Committee which denied one-year extension in service to two additional
judges on SHC and restrained the respondents from issuance of any
notification in pursuance of committees recommendations. President signed
summary of extending tenure of four judges of SHC for one year as
recommended by Parliamentary Committee.
The auditor looking into the accounts related to NICL scandal on
orders of apex court was booked by Karachi police and arrested. He was not
released despite the bail granted to him by SHC. The audit officer said he
had been receiving threats and telephone calls to delay the audit of accounts.
FBR requested the bench hearing case of ISAF containers scam to
postpone the hearing for a month; the court accepted the request. FBR
Chairman told the court that a committee had been constituted to determine
criminal liabilities and departmental disciplinary action against persons
involved in the scam and recovery of Rs70 billion was in sight.
The Supreme Court observed that Law Ministry seemed to be
unaware of the law regarding appointment of Chairman NAB. The counsel
for the federation said under Article 148 the apex court has no jurisdiction to
hear the case. Hamid Kazmis bail was extended to March 14.
Khosa signed the summery of removal of PPP ministers. Shahbaz
termed gas load-shedding in Punjab a great injustice. Nawaz condemned
losing trillions of rupees to corruption. He threatened another long march.
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PML-N denied that Nawaz wrote to Saudi King to take him into confidence
about taking part in politics. Altaf Hussain once again invited Army to save
Pakistan. Petroleum products prices were increased by 9.9 percent.
On 1st March, the Supreme Court ordered removal of DG FIA in three
days for spoiling the investigations into Haj scam. Chief Justice said the
government seemed determined to erect hurdles in way of Supreme Court
orders. And not interested in obeying court orders on contract appointments.
The court reprimanded Swati for not providing proofs about Kazmis
involvement in corruption.
Increase in price of petroleum products was widely condemned and
rejected. Opposition parties and MQM staged token walk out from National
Assembly. Zardari talked to Altaf on telephone and assured him review of
POL prices.
Raja Riaz was selected to be opposition leader in Punjab Assembly.
Sindh Assembly passed unanimous resolution condemning horse-trading in
Punjab. Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed a public gathering in Chhachro
and said he did not want to leave PPP but some people were trying to elbow
him out. Secretary ECP refused to succumb to government pressure and
instead proceeded on one year leave. Altaf once again called upon patriotic
generals to help the people.
Next day, Chief Justice and senior judges refused to take closed-door
briefing from the defence and interior ministers on the request of Gilani and
directed that if the government wanted to explain its stand on any matter, it
should do so in the open court. The counsel for the federation had submitted
a secret letter in the court for closed-door hearing on contract employees.
On 3rd March, Abdul Hamid Dogar and Zahid Hussain submitted
unconditional apology in the Supreme Court in contempt case which was
accepted. Ministries vacated by PPP were distributed among PML-n; No one
from Unification Bloc was inducted in Punjab cabinet. Reference against
nine members of Unification Bloc was sent to Speaker Punjab Assembly.
The latest increase in prices of petroleum products was cut by 50 per cent in
night-time gimmickry of PPP and MQM. Policeman was among eight
people killed in Karachi.
Next day, the Supreme Court nullified the Parliamentary Committees
decision to reject recommendations of the Judicial Commission for one year
extension to six additional judges of LHC and SHC and directed the federal
government to issue a notification giving these judges one-year extension.

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The regime flouted orders of apex court yet another time; it did not
remove DG FIA. It sought his retention from the court promising that he
would be removed from supervising investigations into Haj and NICL
scams. Raza Hayat Hiraj moved a bill in National Assembly providing for
disqualification of a member of the parliament if he possesses any bank
account, assets, wealth or business outside Pakistan or has dual nationality.
Fazlur Rehman invited all opposition parties representatives at his
residence; they agreed to have unanimous stand on major issues. Six people
were killed in Karachi.
On 5th March, the government refused to remove DG FIA as ordered
by the apex court; it said Waseem was dealing with national security matters.
The Chief Justice took suo moto notice of defiance of its orders regarding
and decided to hear it before March 15.
The judge hearing Benazirs murder case issued arrest warrants of
Musharraf third time and ordered his production by March 19. A Rawalpindi
court indicted Babar Awan on charges of robbery and kidnapping; the
minister denied. Kausar Malik, an officer of National Bank working with
NAB on deputation, was sacked and reverted back. He had told PAC that
Swiss cases against Zardari were being re-opened in line with the Supreme
Courts directives.

VIEWS
On 7th February, Mobin S from Lahore wrote: I wasnt surprised to
read that there were few expressions of dissent in the recent meeting of the
PPPs Central Executive Committee. What else can we expect in a PPP CEC
meeting? The reportsaid that all the participants praised the leadership of
Mr Zardari. The highest award for sycophancy, however, should go to
Mian Manzoor Wattoo, who told the President: The nation is satisfied with
your leadership to bring the country out of crisis. O God, please save us
from our leaders.
Ismael Rahman from Quetta observed: During the PPP CEC meeting,
poor Aitzaz Ahsan was confronted by President Zardari when the former
demanded that only clean people be inducted into the new federal cabinet.
Doesnt Aitzaz Ahsan know that being clean can be a disqualification for
a ministerial post in the current set-up?
On 10th February, Zafar Hilaly opined: Frankly our primary
problem today is less extremism and more our dysfunctional political
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line up with mainstream political leaders unable to rise to the occasion.

Most of them got into politics for self aggrandizement than to serve the
country for a higher purpose. Even today they are bickering and pulling each
other down over all kinds of issues like in the past although today we face an
existential crisis in which the writ of the state is being openly flouted and
democracy is under its severest test. Its not elusive miracles that we should
be looking to save us when a modicum of common sense accompanied by a
bit of strait laced courage would suffice.
Next day, S Khalid Husain wrote: There is not an issue on which
the country is not stuck between a rock and a hard place. The rock often
is presidential ego, which prevents recognition and correction of mistakes.
PIA and the Pakistan Cricket Board are two glaring examples of ego scoring
over institutional well-being. The presidential nominees who are heading the
two hapless organizations have made it a habit to create one crisis after
another. In their demeanour and their management and work style, such as
ignoring the duly constituted board of directors, or giving short shrift to
management and decision making processes, the worthies emulate their
mentors approach, with similar disastrous results.
On 12th February, The News commented: The new smaller cabinet
sworn in on Friday has come up to national expectations by proving exactly
what it was apprehended to be: a meaningless exercise. The good news is
that it is much smaller but that is about it. That its genesis lies in the
presidency is also all too clear It was interesting to note that the portfolio
of the new Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was announced by
the spokesman of the presidency and not the PM House, as it should have
been.
The presidents personal musketeers, Rehman Malik, Babar Awan,
Naveed Qamar and Syed Khurshid Shah have been retained in the shrunken
cabinet clearly signaling that President Zardaris control over national
affairs will become even more suffocating. PM Gilani has been left with
little clout in the cabinet and his primary role has apparently been reduced to
that of political firefighting and damage control, a role he has so far played
admirably to the benefit of the president. Over all the cabinet offers little
hope of any meaningful change in the performance and quality of
governance, which have been the bane of the Zardari-Gilani regime.
On the contrary, bigger fissures and growing discontent within the
PPP and coalition ranks have now been confirmed. Major allies the
MQM and the JUI-F have stayed away despite attempts by the president.
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The change shows no signs that things will improve. Hopes that the prime
minister may have become more powerful with the 18 th Amendment have
proved false, at least for the remaining part of the PPP tenure.
In another editorial the newspaper wrote: If there is a single linking
element to the many corruption cases before the courts today, it is the
digital fingerprint. Some criminals wear gloves in order not to leave
fingerprints at the scene of their crime, but disguising the digital fingerprint
is not so easy If Kazmi has moved any money in connection with the
alleged Haj scam, then there will be digital evidence of it that is virtually
impossible to hide. When questioned by the FIA, Kazmi had been unable to
explain the origins of some of the money in his accounts.
Also caught in the eye of the superior judiciary is Abdul Qadir
Gilani, the son of the prime minister. The Supreme Court has developed an
interest in his wealth as well, and wishes to know where the money came
from that financed a bullet-proof vehicle from one of the Gulf States, and
even more intriguingly, just how much tax has he paid in recent years? Tax
records are another of those fingerprints that are hard to erase, especially
when you have a lifestyle of conspicuous consumption but are filing records
that suggest that your income is below what you appear to be spending. All
of this is what is known elsewhere in the world as white collar crime
crime committed by people outside the normal criminal spectrum, often
otherwise upstanding members of the community and therefore believing
themselves above both suspicion and, ultimately, the law. Forensic
accountancy is a growing job market here, and the digital sleuths are
getting better by the day at tracking their prey. Hiding was never more
difficult, and denial never more pointless.
Next day, Sana Buch wrote: The idea of the round table is epic. It
took petty rivalry, a villainous traitor and gave misunderstandings to break
the harmony of this group. It could very well happen that the round table
that Zardari has called will make no impact. We are all skeptical about
Zardaris motives and rightly so and doubtful of his knights too. But
history is often about defying the skeptics.
On 14th February, Imaan Hazir from Islamabad wrote: Recently,
President Zardari issued a rather comic statement regarding how the
PPP saved Pakistan from economic collapse. I have a few questions to ask
our honourable president. Firstly, didnt his government take a massive loan
from the IMF? Didnt this further increase our debt burden? And what about
electricity load-shedding which has now been given a friend; gas load166

shedding? If the PPP has indeed saved the country from economic collapse
and our economy isnt plummeting, could President Zardari please tell me
why all the aforementioned things are occurring?
On 18th February, Ikram Sehgal opined: We are at an interesting
crossroads; it has taken only a few days of perseverance by a few true souls
in the streets in Tunisia and Egypt to bring down tyrants (and their kith and
kin) who were looting their country at will. Yemen is sure to go; Jordan,
Bahrain and Algeria are at considerable risk. Our Armed Forces will soon
face such an acid test in this country, much sooner rather than later. The
Bangladesh Model is now in place in Tunisia and Egypt. Is Pakistan
the next likely candidate?
Next day, The News commented: Just as matters seem to be calming
down between institutions, a new front appears to have opened up. The
Supreme Courts suspension of a decision by the Parliamentary Committee
rejecting the names of four additional judges of the Lahore High Court
recommended by the Judicial Commission for an extension in service
highlights, in the first place, the flaws in the new method of appointment
of judges laid down under the 18 th Amendment Bill. For months, many
have been predicting a stand-off between the judiciary and the Parliamentary
Committee regarding this matter.
The key reason for the decision by the two member SC bench is that
the Parliamentary Committee failed to offer any reasons for rejecting the
judges. The Attorney General has said this will be done, but the offer comes
rather late in the day. The names of 20 other judges have been accepted but it
is clear that the damage has already been done. Differences over this issue
could, in future, assume far more serious dimensions creating the kind of
rift between institutions that we have been trying, month after month, to
ward off.
This case also highlights the issue of judicial independence and
constitutional guarantees that the institution will enjoy independent status.
The fact that the committee had failed to explain why the recommendations
were not accepted also raises further questions about how matters will
proceed in future. In order for institutions to work smoothly together, the
system in place needs to work efficiently. This does not seem to be the case
at present. The risks posed by this situation are many and raise all kinds of
questions about the future. These need to be sorted out. The very last thing
we need at this juncture is a clash between key institutions. The latter would
be a disaster for our country.
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On 20th February, Najam Sethi cautioned judiciary not to touch NRO

again. Analysts are inclined to ask where the Supreme Court is headed;
secession or independence? If these issues are blithely brushed under the rug
but the NRO case is revived against the PPP, President Asif Zardari in
particular, then it is a safe bet that we are heading in the direction of a major
political intervention by the Supreme Court to set things right, but, only
time will tell whether this will set things right or irredeemably wrong.
Two days later, The News commented: It is hard to see logic behind
Dr Mirzas attack. The senior PPP leader seems hell-bent on creating more
problems for the party. With the PML-Ns 10-point agenda largely ignored,
the party will be in no mood to experiment with yet another round of
diplomacy. And with the party enjoying a comfortable hold on Punjab, it is
the PPP which will be the loser in this scenario. The angry exchange,
which in many ways seems totally unnecessary, cannot do much to improve
the political environment on the whole. It also raises further questions about
strategy within the PPP, and whether a particular game plan is being
followed or if each leader is free to say what he or she chooses, regardless of
the consequences.
On 23rd February, The News wrote: The PPP and the PML-N being
locked in a battle has made the task of solving the immense problems that
are being confronted that much harder. The sense of uncertainty which
comes alongside this growing war of words means it will be harder to
stabilize the economy or achieve the level surface needed to build a future
on The inherent absurdity of some of the comments being made
would be comical if it didnt involve an issue of national welfare. At his
press talk in Islamabad, Federal Law Minister Babar Awan has accused the
PML-N of failing to stick to that long-forgotten Charter of Democracy, the
terms of which have been ignored consistently by the PPP itself. As for the
10-point agenda of demands put forward by the PML-N Awan has blithely
declared that in politics no deadlines could be set and the PPP itself is not
inclined to do so. He does not explain why this line of thinking was not
clearly explained to the PML-N at the time that its 10-point list was accepted
by the PPP and a promise was made to implement it.
The lines have now been clearly etched out on the ground. The PMLN and the PPP are quite clearly at odds and this time round
reconciliation seems harder. The PML-N is demanding action against
Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza, for his harsh comments directed
against the party. There is as yet no sign that Mirza will be called to heel.
The PML-N has meanwhile said it will not work with the PML-Q, even as
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charges of horse-trading so familiar in times of political conflict come in

from Awan. There are indications the 47-member PML-Q breakaway group
may become a key player in events as they continue to unfold.
Next day, Raoof Hasan opined: the most worrisome factor is the
unbridgeable disconnect between the rulers and the ruled. While the
former are busy filling their personal coffers, life has become perpetual
torture for the latter, with no hope for redemption. With the prevailing levels
of frustration, the lack of delivery by the political leadership is being
increasingly attributed to the inability and inefficacy of the system as being
insufficiently and inadequately equipped to ameliorate the problems of the
impoverished.
We have drifted far into the deep sea with no boatman or beacon to
show us the way. The tide is rising menacingly. The currents are taking us
farther away from safety. The noise of the sea is deafening, but there is an
incomprehensible stillness inside. The danger of an all-consuming storm is
haunting, but the will and effort to escape it are missing. It is as if we are
caught in a vortex, having irretrievably resigned ourselves to the
eventualities of fate. This is in sharp contrast to the waves of change
sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa.
Happenings in Libya led Dr Muzaffar Iqbal to remember the founder
father of the party that is ruling Pakistan. On 25th February, he conveyed
without saying that man is known by the company he keeps. Bhutto, though
not as eccentric, yet certainly has been as self-centred as Gaddafi. Two
paragraphs from his column are reproduced.
Memories hit back: the day in the distant past when Lahore was filled
with a vibe never experienced before or since then. On that day, our own
socialist revolutionary, the late ZA Bhutto had brought the good old colonel
from Libya to the largest public place in Lahore the cricket stadium then
on the outskirts of the city which we all loved and which on that fatal day
was renamed as Gaddafi Stadium. The scene in Lahore on that day of 1972
was simply overwhelming. The whole city was adrift.
Yet, the man from Libya was used by ZA Bhutto as a pawn for his
own plans to recognize Bangladesh. The colonel must have sensed this as
their so-called brotherhood never really got off. Numerous great plans
announced during his visit all disappeared from the news and no one ever
spoke about the Peoples Publishing House, which was going to fill the world
with revolutionary literature; the joint fertilizer plants never got off ground
and several other ventures announced in the heat of a friendship just
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dissolved in thin air. ZA Bhutto and Colonel Muammer al-Gaddafi were

both budding revolutionaries at the time and perhaps there was no room for
two such revolutionaries on stage; hence they simply dissolved the drama
and left the audience hanging in suspense.
Next day, The News wrote: The PPP press conference after Mian
Nawaz Sharif announced the decision to part ways was, for the most part, a
fairly sedate affair. But there were hints of future fire-works. In typical
fashion, Law Minister Babar Awan, spoke of responding soon to Nawaz
Sharifs assertions on the failure to implement the 10-point agenda put
forward by his party. A more mature politician may have accepted there is
really very little to say; that promises were indeed broken and mistakes
made. The acrimony which came through from Mr Awan was unfortunate, if
not entirely unexpected. We must hope though that it will not lead to new
problems in the future for what is needed now, most of all, is a sense of
stability and a willingness to set affairs in the province running along a
smooth track.
On 28th February, S Iftikhar Murshed commented: It is futile to
expect the current political leadership, whether in government or in the
opposition, to salvage the situation, because they are the cause of the
problem. In his press conference Nawaz Sharif hinted at possible midterm
elections. This is not the answer, because elections, whenever they are held,
will only yield the same poisonous harvest of a corrupt leadership. There has
to be immediate and radical change because the continuation of the
economic meltdown and the political turmoil will be disastrous for the
country.
Some analysts have suggested that a possible way out is the
replacement of the federal and provincial governments by interim
dispensations of technocrats mandated to carry out reforms, through a
decision by the Supreme Court under the Roman law maxim of salus populi
lex or let the welfare of the people be the supreme law. They have no
hesitation in admitting that this was precisely the justification advanced by
the Dogar Supreme Court in validating Pervez Musharraf's proclamation of
emergency, which was described as an extra-constitutional step, rather than
an unconstitutional measure.
Chris Cork wrote: Our rulers can watch events elsewhere safe in the
knowledge that their positions are secure and most unlikely to be challenged.
And why might this be, Dear Reader? Because, we are united in our disunitedness. Because you would never see a group of Christians linking arms
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around a group of praying Muslims to protect them as they did in Tahrir

Square in Cairo. Nor all march under a single flag. Nor tolerate nor even
contemplate a move across political, cultural and ethnic boundaries in such
a way as to present a united front. Grumble and fulminate we may, but there
is no unifying issue beyond blasphemy that is going to coalesce the masses
and provide a real and credible challenge to the status quo. So no revolt here,
now or in the foreseeable future. Sorry to have disturbed you, you can go
back to sleep now.
Next day, The News commented: As if our justice system had not
suffered enough, it is now suffering from a dearth of judges. Over fifty
percent of the sanctioned strength of judges in five high courts across
the land are lying vacant. Consequently, a disproportionate workload falls
on the shoulders of those judges who are in post and the Judicial
Commission (JC) is facing very considerable difficulty in filling the
vacancies At least, in part, the problem stems from the unwillingness of
senior lawyers to be elevated to the judiciary, plus the very high standard set
by the JC in order that only the best are appointed. The JC itself is very
stretched as it is primarily engaged with reviewing the cases of additional
judges who have been working in the high courts, rather than making the
necessary new inductions.
Further hurdles in the way to having a fully staffed high court are
provided by the tussle between the JC and the parliamentary committee that
has oversight of it. The recommendations of the JC are not automatically
approved; and judicial appointments are as political as every other
appointment to a government position. Somewhere at the bottom of this
unhappy situation is the poor litigant, the men and women whose cases are
either before, or due to be before, the courts. Cases are deferred, sometimes
for months or years, and drag on interminably. It is a legal axiom that
justice delayed is justice denied and as the politicians play chess with the
appointment process, countless thousands of people are denied the justice
which is their right.
In another editorial, the newspaper added: The level of belligerence
in Punjab and the centre is growing. The Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz
Sharif, using a distinctly sharper tone than the one used by him before, has
accused President Zardari of deliberately curtailing the gas supply to
Punjab. The accusation is a serious one, given the degree of damage the gas
shortage faced by the province caused all winter. The problems with the gas
supply continue The prime minister has denied any mala fide and claimed

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available gas was evenly distributed, but this, like much of what politicians
say, holds only limited credibility.
The comments on the gas supply mark a hardening of lines. We can
expect more angry words in the future. The president, following a meeting
with key aides, has accused the PML-N of engaging in horse-trading and
corrupt politics. In a typically cryptic remark, he has accused our friend of
encouraging these practices. More drama over the coming weeks would not
be unexpected. Fortunately, the president has clarified there will be no
attempt to dislodge the Punjab government. This is a welcome assertion
but we still do not know what lies ahead or how things will pan out in the
province. The fact that the governor is a close crony of the president may
become very significant indeed. The role he is likely to play is still far from
certain though we must hope good sense prevails and there are no attempts
to disrupt the working of government.
Concrete issues that are being raised meanwhile need to be dealt
with. Gas supply is one of them. The matter has lingered on for months and,
despite several rounds of meetings, remains unresolved. The problem is
obviously an acute one for the Punjab government. It needs to be
addressed. We also need transparency in the matter and a willingness to lay
out all the cards on a common table. Punjab and the centre will need to
continue cooperation at some level; this, after all, is a requirement in the
running of any federation. The degree to which they succeed in doing so
over the coming weeks will determine a great deal about the levels of
maturity of the political leadership, particularly those in Islamabad who hold
most power in their hands. We must hope, for the sake of our fragile
democracy, that they will use it wisely.
Rahimullah Yusufzai commented: The next general election is two
years away but it seems the campaigning has already begun. Coalitions
are falling apart and alliances are being repaired or formed anew. Talk of
Changa Manga, one of the worlds largest man-made forests near Lahore
that became known for hosting and protecting lawmakers from being bribed
to switch sides, is once again on many lips as another round of horse-trading
is about to begin.
Though Changa Manga, the 12,000 acre irrigated forest planted in
1890 by the then British rulers of undivided India to provide wood fuel for
the railway steam engines, became notorious as part of the game being
played by Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto to outwit each other, it wasnt
the only place for merry-making at the states expense at the time. There
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was the good old Murree and also the heavenly Swat, the two popular hillstations offering pleasant weather and beautiful sights in the hot summer to
the assembly members whose stock rose manifold in the 1990s as they were
offered anything and everything to defect.
Changa Manga was referred to as the stable for legislators siding
with Nawaz Sharif while Swat became the destination of choice for those in
the PPP camp led by Benazir Bhutto. It is sad that picnic spots and tourist
destinations became associated with the buying and selling of elected
representatives of the people. Those with the power and money used to
insist in the 1990s that there would be no horse-trading. Both sides did
exactly the opposite as they tried to buy the loyalties of vacillating
members of the assemblies.
This claim is again being made, but there arent many takers due to
the lack of credibility of the claimants Not surprisingly, the main political
forces in the arena are the same and, therefore, to expect a different or more
principled approach from them would be futile The principal players are still
the PPP and the PML-N, the former now led by President Asif Ali Zardari in
place of his slain wife Benazir Bhutto and the latter still by Nawaz Sharif.
Once again Punjab is the main battleground
Some of the minor players in the unfolding Changa Manga
politics are also familiar to the people of Pakistan. They include the ANP
and the MQM, the PML faction of Pir Pagara who refuses to call it a day
despite his old age and stale predictions, and one or two Baloch-centred
parties. The ANP in the 1990s was an ally of Nawaz Sharif and its
lawmakers were among those being feted and entertained in Changa Manga.
Now it is firmly in the PPP camp and is in the habit of showering more
praise on President Zardari than even his PPP loyalists. Such is the
unbreakable bond between the ANP and the PPP that the PML-N is not even
considering making an attempt to befriend Asfandyar Wali Khan and his
ANP lieutenants.
The MQM, forever in power for as long as one can remember and
adept at playing the role of both the government and the opposition, is also
an ally of the PPP. However, it would continue its somersaults, abandoning
the PPP at short notice and then agreeing to enter into a strategic alliance
with the same party. Principled politics are in short supply in present-day
Pakistan.
To complete the script of the changing political situation in the
country, there are also new kids on the block, or perhaps old ones in new
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guises. Shah Mahmood Qureshi is one Surely, old leaders such as Mr

Zardari would have to be discarded if the country really needs the new,
sincere and honest leadership that has become a trademark of Qureshis
speeches during his recent tour of his hometown Multan and then the towns
falling on the way to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh where he was planning to visit
the graves of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.
So desperate are our people for a saviour that a single act of defiance
by the former foreign minister on the issue of US diplomat Raymond
Davis, the undercover CIA agent who murdered two young Pakistanis who
were following his suspicious movements in Lahore, has made Qureshi an
unlikely object of affection for many Pakistanis. Qureshi wont be able to
stay in the PPP and do the kind of politics he is now doing and before
long would be expelled or forced to quit.
Others eager to play a more meaningful role in the emerging political
scenario are mostly the leaders of parties that made a mistake by boycotting
the 2008 general election. They are desperate to join the political
mainstream and would be happy if the existing, crisis-prone powersharing set-up referred to as national reconciliation by President Zardari
was packed up and mid-term elections were held. Imran Khan appears to be
the most active of the lot, but the Jamaat-i-Islami leader Syed Munawar
Hasan and the PMAP head Mahmood Khan Achakzai and some of the
Baloch nationalist leaders would, no doubt, welcome mid-term polls. The
return of Changa Manga politics would certainly provide valid reason to
these parties to push for mid-term elections.
On 2nd March, The News commented on increase in petroleum
product prices. The increase will unleash inflation on a still larger scale and
even if people are able to burn stoves we wonder if they can afford to pay
for anything to cook on them. How long, we must ask, will it be before
motorcycles stop running and smaller cars pull-up by the roadsides? The
government should not forget that inflation and corruption amongst
other factors triggered the orgy of rage sweeping across the Arab
world. Can it be confident such rage will not erupt at home?
We have already seen the first evidence of fury as protesters in
Karachi vented their rage against petrol pump owners who closed down their
stations in anticipation of the price hike. Similar anger was visible at some
places in Lahore as petrol ran short in the City. There is a real possibility it
could expand. The patience of people has been running thin for some
time. Their desperation is fanned by relentless inflation which makes it
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impossible to meet even the most basic needs such as that for food. And as
transport prices rise, vegetables, pulses, rice and virtually every other item
will also inevitably grow more expensive.
It is no coincidence that the announcement from the government has
been made as a new round of talks with the IMF begins. The increase in PoL
prices is believed to be a means to lay the ground to seek additional favours
from the donor team. But this is of little consequence to the ordinary citizen.
The intricacies of the IMF deal are poorly understood. What people do know
is that they need to commute to reach places of work, they need to bring
food into homes, and they need to educate children. When even this essence
of existence is pulled away, it leaves them with fewer and fewer options. We
have seen hope fade before our eyes. Sadly, the government has failed to
do anything at all to dispel the darkness and this makes it an enemy in the
eyes of people who badly need its help and support.
Mosharraf Zaidi attributed bad governance paying of undue attention
to Davis. Do you want to know why no one is watching the system of
governance take shape; because everyone is busy watching the non-stop
Raymond Davis circus. This system is what is causing the problem of loadshedding, not solving it. It is what is causing the problem of inflation, not
solving it. It is what is causing the problem of absentee teachers, not solving
it. The economy is being strangulated by this system. This is not of the
people, by the people, or for the people. It is the opposite.
Tanvir Ahmad Khan observed: The present scenario is, admittedly,
not conducive to a quick liberating revolution; in fact, it portends something
worse: descent into anarchy, drift and inane violence spreading from mega
cities like Karachi to small towns and even rural areas. Revolutions can
have a creative dynamic; anarchy only breeds nihilism. Pakistan has not
reached the proverbial tipping point as yet. It needs to radically rethink
domestic and foreign policies and not retreat into facile optimism if it wants
to protect democracy.
Najam Sethi wrote: If a war with India is provoked or there is
conflict with the US, then all bets will be off. Elements of a failing state are
anarchy, civil strife, war, economic meltdown and secession. The only
realistic option is for our political leaders to keep religious passion out
of law and politics, anti-American outrage out of economic and foreign
policy, and unaccountable corruption and inefficiency out of government.
We must make democracy work so that Pakistan can survive and prosper as
a nation-state.
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Next day, The News commented: Once again, the government has
chosen to flout the rule of law and frustrate the administration and
dispensation of justice. Once again, it is the Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA) that has attracted the ire of the superior courts. And the courts are
losing patience. The matter under consideration is the Haj scam, a report on
which was to have been submitted to the Supreme Court by the FIA. A
report was submitted, but it proved to be to all intents and purposes
worthless, and the SC has required that the government remove the Director
General (DG) of the FIA on the grounds that he is impeding the enquiry and
that no impartial inquiry is possible as the court believes he is shielding key
witnesses or failing to adequately interrogate them. Further, the court took
notice of the failure of the State Bank of Pakistan to cooperate with the
inquiry in the matter of accounts held by one of the accused Hamid Saeed
Kazmi. Indeed, every government agency or entity appears to be in noncompliant mode with the apex court regarding the Haj scam, and there is
a distinct impression that if the government stonewalls long enough, the case
will fade into the background.
The SC has now given the government three days to replace the DG
FIA with somebody either more competent or less biased and preferably
both, but it remains to be seen whether compliance is on the agenda. Abdul
Hafeez Pirzada, the counsel for the Federation, told the court that the matter
of the FIA DG, a contract employee, would be determined within three days
but as the Federation was already in contempt by failing to comply with a
previous similar order there seems little prospect of them bending to the will
of the judiciary this time around. In simple terms, the government is
choosing to ignore the findings of the courts where those findings are at
variance with its own wishes or objectives. Government officers and
institutions are making a mockery of the entire justice system, and as Mr
Justice Khosar observed The court is being compelled to supervise the
investigation by its own. The acquisition of a judiciary that appears
reasonably honest has done little, seemingly, to spread the virus of honesty
and accountability to those who rule us.
On 5th March, Ameer Bhutto observed: With several Arab rulers
bearing the brunt of public wrath, a number of our parliamentarians have
recently appeared on television talk shows to pre-empt a similar fate by
mocking and condemning public political activism. They say that it has
become fashionable, since the success of the lawyers movement, to try to
settle all scores in the streets. They argue that there is no need for such
extreme measures in the presence of an elected parliament. Have they
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forgotten that they are sitting in parliament and enjoying the perks of power
only by virtue of the mandate issued to them by the public? Who are they to
preach complacent inaction to the people when they have failed to solve
their problems? The people are the political sovereign. They are the fount of
political legitimacy and authority. Their role in the democratic process does
not end at the polls, nor is their mandate a carte blanche for rulers to run
amok and unchecked for a whole term. It is constant and continuous
public scrutiny that keeps governments honest in western democracies.
Far from limiting the role of the public, there is an urgent need for
greater public awareness and involvement, because the ship of state is
floundering and needs to be rescued. We need a salvage operation which
only the people care about and are capable of carrying out. Some reject
this outright because their political survival depends on the status quo and
are busy making hay while the sun shines. Others are of the view that
Pakistan cannot be bracketed with the Middle Eastern countries because the
scenario here is different.
They argue that, unlike Middle Eastern states, we have
democracy. Do we? Where is it? Elections alone do not define democracy.
There was an elected parliament and president in Egypt. Should a
government of the people, for the people and by the people not be founded
on a genuine and palpable commitment to serve the people, particularly
those in desperate need, rather than feathering its own nest? Is duping the
people by begging for votes in the name of a slain leader and then letting her
killers walk scot-free after forming a government democracy? Is stabbing
political allies in the back democracy? Is sacrificing public and national
interests at the altar of expediency before foreign masters democracy? Is
record-breaking corruption and sleaze that has rubbed national pride and
honour in the mud all over the world democracy? Do democratic leaders
take off to visit chateaus in France or for a sojourn in the presidential suite at
the Churchill Hotel in London, while their country is drowning in the worst
flood in nearly a hundred years? Does democracy condone a daily budget of
2.5 million rupees for the presidential and prime ministerial palaces while,
even six months after the floods, the displaced refugees continue to die from
starvation and bitter cold in camps? How can anyone gloat about this
democracy that, far from empowering the people and serving their
interests, exacerbates and compounds their pain and misery? It is worse than
some of the Arab monarchies and dictatorships the people are striving to
overthrow.

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We have had six general elections since 1988. Has the lot of the
common man improved by even an iota since then? While those who
have wielded power in this period have prospered enormously, with some
who used to travel in buses and live in mud shacks having acquired fleets of
luxurious vehicles and palatial properties not just in Pakistan but all over the
world, the poor labourer and hari has been pushed into such desperation that
he must sell his children to make ends meet. It may seem politically correct
to extol the virtues of this lame democracy and peddle ridiculous and
meaningless cliches like the worse democracy is better than the best
dictatorship on talk shows and in plush drawing rooms, but go to the
villages and inner cities where people are losing daily battles for survival
and tell them that they are better off under this democracy and see what
they do.
It is said that unlike the troubled Arab states, important state
institutions in Pakistan are independent and can be instrumental in resolving
issue of public importance. If this is the case, then why are people out in the
streets, with dozens of protests and demonstrations taking place all over the
country every day? Yes, parliament is elected and empowered to provide
relief to the people, but their greatest achievement thus far has been the
sanctioning of construction of new residences for themselves at a cost of
three billion rupees, while people are committing suicides daily because of
hunger and poverty. In what way has parliament lessened the agony that
people endure every day? Yes, the judiciary is finally free and is in the
vanguard of the fight against this governments corruption and illegal
conduct, but the government has found an easy way around it by simply
ignoring its orders. If the courts push harder for the implementation of their
orders, they are accused of judicial activism. Yes, the media is independent,
but all they can do is report realities. They cannot remedy the problems. All
important state agencies and institutions have been put under the control of
government thugs to facilitate loot and plunder. NAB, under its new
chairman, has reportedly withdrawn cases in which over 61 billion rupees
were allegedly embezzled. How does this help the cause of the people or the
country?
It is argued that the current dispensation in Pakistan is not despotic,
in the sense that Qaddafis is in Libya. But there are other ways to inflict
pain and suffering on a nation. Record-breaking corruption that leeches the
life blood out of the state, horrifying incompetence, ignorance and malicious
intent that have ground all public institutions to a halt and gross negligence
that is eroding the edifice of state all combine to have the same excruciating
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effect as despotism; the people are denied resources that should be

earmarked for their uplift, they have no security of life, property and dignity
and continue to be squeezed by the claws of poverty and lack of opportunity,
education, health services, electricity and clean water with no relief in sight.
If a chasm so wide opens up between the people and the government,
if a government strays so far from its mandate and obligations, does it not
become the moral duty of the people to step forward and correct the anomaly
when the system clearly cannot? In Pakistan, we need to go beyond targeting
just one leader, one party or a failed, useless, indeed harmful, government.
The whole system has collapsed because it has been made hollow by
repeated perversions. It needs not just a jolt, but reconstruction.
However, there are no portents of the needed public uprising on the
horizon. That does not mean that it is not needed or that it should not or
cannot happen. It is undeniably desperately needed and will happen. But its
beginnings are not visible at the moment. This is so because despite
continuous intolerable pain and humiliation, people habitually sell out too
cheaply, for a watan card or a thousand rupees handout from the Benazir
Income Support Scheme. The authorities in Egypt tried to buy people off by
announcing similar handouts, but it did not work. We should learn a lesson
from them. But the beautiful thing about revolutions is that they happen
when least expected. Nobody could have predicted the uprising in Tunisia
even weeks before it happened. Why should it be considered impossibility
here where it is needed more urgently?
Next day, Adnan Adil commented: In all probability, if the PPP does
not destabilize the PML-N government in Punjab, the PML-N would
not make any move against the PPP in Islamabad. The threat to the
present assemblies does not emanate from the PPP and the PML-N, contrary
to the practice of the 1990s when they had destabilized each others
governments with the help of the military establishment. A major challenge
for the PPP government is due in coming June at the time of federal budgets
presentation. Without the 25 MQM votes in the lower house, it would be
hard for the government to get the budget passed and under the law its
rejection would imply a no-trust vote against the PM. The only possible way
out for the PPP is to get support from the MQM and the JUI-F (a total of 13
members).
There would be some alternative scenarios. Some crucial cases of
corruption and implementation of judicial orders in the NRO cases and
removal of the contract officers from the senior government positions are
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part of the political problem. The NRO implementation involves none other
than President Zardari and the issue of retired civil servants working on
contract at high official positions is also touchy for the president who is
practically working as the countrys chief executive. Most of these men are
considered confidantes of President Zardari, including Salman Farooqi, a
retired senior police officer Asif Hayat, and DG FIA Waseem Ahmed.
In case the court decides to put its foot down and invoke the
power of contempt of courts jurisdiction over non-implementation of its
orders, mighty heads would roll in Islamabad after which no party seems to
be in a position to win a majority vote in the lower house. This would leave
no other option but to hold early general elections, if the constitution is
strictly followed.
Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N parliamentary chief Chaudhry Nisar
Ali Khan have already hinted at the possibility of mid-term elections. In
October 2010, Nisar Ali Khan had said that the mid-term polls could not be
ruled out. While presenting his 10-point agenda, Sharif had also talked
about the option of early elections in case the PPP did not agree to his list
of the demands.
If Nawaz Sharif persists with his estrangement with the PPP, the
emerging scenario is dependent upon two main factors: (a) the MQMs
decision to sit on the treasury benches or part ways with the PPP till the time
of Budget 2011 and (b) the verdicts of the apex court in some major cases.
One only hopes the conspiracy theories about any unconstitutional
intervention are just rumours.
Aijaz Zaka Syed wrote: Karunanidhi, the permanently wheelchairbound Tamil Nadu CM, cannot move an inch without the help of his family
and aides but cling on he must to his chair. Surely, a nation of billion plus
people deserves better. So does Pakistan and so do other nations in the
region. This is why, given the bankruptcy of politics in the region, dont be
surprised if we see an Arab spring in South Asia soon. Possibilities for a
brave new world are endless.
Dr Farrukh Saleem observed: the revolutionary bug has so far spread
over seven million square km with 200 million affectees. Will the
eastwardly driven revolutionary pollination pollinate unemployed
Pakistani youth? Well, that depends on the flower, the vector and the speed
of the wind. Will it be a breeze, a gale, a storm, tornado or a hurricane? Or,
would the revolutionary flotilla bypass Pakistan altogether?

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REVIEW
As said in the opening lines, it was time for enacting dramas.
Politicians worked overtime during the period to prove their mettle, which
they did but failed to earn any applause from those whom they wanted to
impress. Nevertheless, their efforts induced performance from other
quarters.
One of the performances came from Adiala Jail where an AntiTerrorist Court was hearing murder case of Benazir Bhutto. There the
regimes game-plan started unfolding when two senior police officers
became approvers. Soon after that the court issued arrest warrants of
Musharraf, the man who was allowed to slip away from the country by
Zardari.
Blackberry mobile telephone sets used by Benazir on the day of her
murder were found by the investigators. Benazir had allegedly received a
telephone call on one of these sets from Dubai urging her to come out of her
vehicle to acknowledge cheering of the crowd.
The recovered sets had been tampered with because these showed
that she had received no call from anybody during thirty minutes prior to her
killing. This game-plan has ensured no punishment of two police officers.
And, Musharrafs conviction remains doubtful, but Zardari and his
accomplices would certainly be saved.
In the ongoing drama competition Zardari accused Nawaz League of
promoting politics of Changa Manga. He was referring to what had
happened in plantation near Pattoki during last decade of last century of last
millennium.
This plantation was named Changa Manga because of a small town
located in the vicinity by the same name. History tells us that Changa and
Manga were two brothers, who earned their repute for looting and defying
law of the land. In that context Zardari spoke half truth as he could not keep
himself away from not indulging in this kind of occupation.
The naming of the town after them spoke that the masses in this part
of the world honour even those sons of the soil which excel in criminal
adventures. Zardari and Nawaz should know it better than anyone else. They
only have to mutually decide who is big brother; who is Changa and who is
Manga.
6th March 2010

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FOCUS OFF JIJAJI

The pattern of Americas holy war, which had been disturbed
temporarily by the display of sharp shooting at Mozang Chungi, returned to
near normalcy during last fortnight. The frequency of drone-launched
missile attacks in tribal areas was brought back to post-Mozang incident
level. Reports of killings on the fronts like Orakzai Agency also neared that
level. Suicide bombings also returned to Faisalabad and Peshawar.
These events indicated that overtly the attention of Pakistanis had
been shifted off the killer Jijaji with Raymond Davis as his fake name. But,
covertly the forces kept working overtime for securing honourable release
of Jijaji. The force that could be most effective in the context of Pakistani
mother-sellers, Saudi Arabia, was also mobilized to act as broker.
On the last day of period under review Mariana Baabar reported that
Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Association (PESA) had demanded full
interrogation of CIA contractor Raymond Davis including water-boarding,
which a CIA report had admitted it used on Khalid Shaikh Muhammad. The
US termed this demand irresponsible.
The News tried to contact DG ISPR for comments but he evaded
responding to the repeated calls of the newspaper. The same day Saudi
authorities denied any role in negotiating a settlement on the basis of diyat.
These developments indicated that some kind of solution was in the offing.

NEWS
In Pakistan, militants in North Waziristan refused on 1 st March, to
free kidnapped FWO contractor without payment of ransom. Gilani
announce Rs1.7 billion package for Kurram Agency. One girl student was
killed and 40 wounded in bomb blast in front of girls school in Takht Bhai.
Malik claimed police arrested a high-profile terrorist in Islamabad.
Team of US Immigration instructors canceled their visit to Lahore
because of Raymond case. The team was to impart training to Pakistani
officers of FIA and Customs. A petition was filed in LHC to make Munter
party in Davis case. State Department said it did not know why DeHaven
was arrested.
Next day, five terrorists of a banned outfit were arrested in
Bahawalpur. NATO oil tanker was set ablaze near Mastung. Chief Justice of
LHC said federal government would decide the issue of diplomatic
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immunity of Davis. Reportedly, US has sought help from Saudi Arabia for
settlement of Raymonds case under Islamic law of diyat. Saudi Arabia has
agreed and its envoy in Islamabad was in touch with Punjab government.
The families of those killed could be invited to Saudi Arabia for
bargaining.
Shahbaz Masih, Minister for Minorities, was shot dead in Islamabad.
Gilani offered to resign but his cabinet declined to accept the offer. Zardari
vowed to fight against militants. ANP leader Zahid while condemning the
incident asked what message the killers were conveying to the world.
Security of Tahmina Durrani and Sherry Rehman was increased. Hillary was
saddened over killing of Shahbaz.
The killers scattered handbills at the site cited the charge sheet against
the deceased and also claimed that it was the joint effort of Al-Qaeda
Fidayeen and Punjabi Taliban. This fitted in with the mission of Davis. The
killing of Salman Taseer was an act of an individual, whereas this murder
seemed to have been planned by an organization for motive other than
punishing a blasphemer.
On 3rd March, nine people, including three policemen were killed and
two policemen were among 33 wounded in bomb attack on police mobile
petrol in Hangu. Militants attacked a post and five of them were killed in
retaliatory fire. Six Khassadars were killed in attack on their vehicle in Bara
area. One man was killed when a shell landed at his house. NATO oil tanker
was set on fire in Peshawar; ten shops were also gutted.
Taliban had claimed but agencies were looking into involvement of
Xe-International and Raw in murder of Shahbaz Masih. Entire National
Assembly staged walkout to condemn the murder. Shahbaz Sharif warned
Rehman Malik over harping about Punjabi Taliban. Gilani telephoned
Nawaz and the two leaders agreed to jointly deal with the issue of
extremism.
General Petraeus, Karimi and Kayani met Rawalpindi and showed
satisfaction over cooperation in the ongoing war. Mullen underlined the need
for Pak-US trust building. Hillary Clinton said engagement is the way
forward to strengthen ties with Pakistan.
The judge rejected the plea of diplomatic immunity and next hearing
of the Davis case was fixed for March 8. Attorney General said the court
should not have given ruling on immunity as the matter has to be decided by
the government. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Davis has no immunity of and
kind and he wasnt a diplomat. Hussain Haroon, Pakistans Envoy in UN
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said cases like Davis arent decided in the courts, it has to de settled out of
the court especially after murder of Shahbaz Bhatti.
Next day, eleven people were killed and 43 wounded in bomb blast in
the compound of a mosque adjacent to a shrine in Nowshera. Basher Bilour
rattled out his favourite statement of last man last bullet. A tribal elder and
his friend were kidnapped from Kohat.
Rehman Malik was subjected to criticism in National Assembly and
was asked to resign; even Dasti said many US spies were sitting in the
House. Fazl said Bhattis murder has no link to Taseer or blasphemy law.
Malik retaliated by targeting Punjab government. Zardari and Gilani
discussed post-Shahbaz Masih situation.
US Embassy asked its citizens not to come to Pakistan without visa as
issue of visa on arrival has been stopped. Embassy also asked Americans
without visa to leave Pakistan; in other words fall back to bases in
Afghanistan. A US official threatened of punitive diplomatic and economic
action if Davis was not freed.
On 5th March, Zardaris article was published in Washington Post. He
assured Obama Administration that his government would stay steadfast
against extremists, but Raymond-like actions could erode public support for
the US and could also endanger his rule. He also requested the US not to
hurl threats on Davis as it could backfire. In Islamabad, Munter met Zardari.
More than 40 cards were recovered from Davis bearing three different
names. None of the cards showed that he was an employee of Embassy or
the Consulate. Two US law experts arrived in Lahore to defend Davis. Rana
Sana accused Rehman Malik of facilitating CIA in spreading its network
across the country.
Six militants were killed in artillery shelling in Kurram Agency. Eight
militants were held in Hangu. Three persons were wounded when grenade
was thrown on a post in Bara area. Security was tightened in Islamabad and
28 suspects were held in an operation. Three suspected militants were
arrested in Lahore. Fazlur Rehman condemned elements maligning Pakistan
and Islam in the waked of Bhattis murder.
Two persons were killed and two wounded in an accidental blast
during preparation of explosives for blowing up railway tracks; five activists
of Sindh Liberation Army, including two wounded, were arrested by police.
Two witnesses of murder of Geo TV reporter Wali Babar were reported to
have been killed quietly. Maulana Ahmed Madni brother of Maulana Azam
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Tariq and his son were shot dead in Karachi; two other persons were also
killed in the incident of targeted-killing. Policeman opened fire on his
colleagues killing one and wounding five.
Next day, NATO forces fired mortar shells across Durand Line into
North Waziristan and helicopters violated airspace. Three suspects were held
in Orakzai Agency. Three Pakistanis were killed near Chaman in firing from
across Afghan border. Grossman visited Islamabad and promised early
payment of Coalition Support Fund.
Gilani hinted Saudi role in Raymonds case. US law experts met
Davis in jail. Families of Faizan and Faheem held Chehlum. Faizans widow
wanted justice not the US aid. JI held rally against Davis and Munawwar
said stooges were involved in subversive activities in Pakistan. Foreign
Office said civilians could not be blamed for mass issue of visas and in the
same breath said Gilani had relaxed the rules and allowed Pakistani
Embassy to issue visas without prior clearance from Pakistan.
On 7th March, Grossman met Zardari, Gilani, Shahbaz and Kayani.
Zardari begged the visitor not to let bilateral ties spoiled by one incident and
Gilani requested restoration of confidence. While talking to media persons
the visitor demanded that Davis must be freed at once. Mark DeHaven was
granted bail.
Gilani claimed that the stance of government and masses on Davis
was the same and he ruled out any backdoor option. LHC dismissed petition
seeking summoning of Munter in Raymonds case and blocking transfer of
the case to ICJ. Faizans brother filed application to become party. Pakistan
and UK agreed to exchange of intelligence and launch national security
dialogue.
Next day, five people were killed in drone-launched missile attack in
South Waziristan and later four people were killed and five wounded in
another missile attack in North Waziristan. IISS said no military action in
North Waziristan has posed serious threat to peace. At least 25 people were
killed and more than hundred wounded in car bomb blast at a gas refill
station located near office of an intelligence agency in Faisalabad; TTP
claimed the responsibility. Raja Riaz termed it as failure of PML-N
government.
A judge in Jehlum awarded death sentence to Malik Ashraf who was
accused of blasphemy. Surely, there wont be Aasia-like hue and cry as the
convict is a Muslim. Hearing of Davis; case was adjourned until March 16.
Twenty former Pakistani ambassadors to US urged US not to threaten
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Pakistan over Davis. LHCBA termed Rehman Malik a security risk and
asked government for his immediate removal.
On 9th March, at least 36 people were killed and more than 40
wounded in suicide bombing at funeral of wife of commander of Aman
Lashkar in Mattani near Peshawar. Lashkar commander threatened to join
Taliban if their demands were not met by the government. Angry tribesmen
did not allow government representatives to visit the area, only security
forces were allowed for investigating. Rehman Malik on arrival in London
said Shahbaz Bhatti had been receiving threats since the incident of Gojra.
Four militants were held in Karachi.
Next day, Munter met Salman Bashir and Saudi Ambassador met Hina
Rabbani Khar for securing freedom of killer Davis and Saudi ground forces
chief was also in Pakistan to extend a helping hand in this context. A
Pakistani was arrested in Maryland and charged with a scheme to illegally
export nuclear-related materials to his home country.
On 11th March, fourteen people were killed in two drone attacks in
North Waziristan. Ansar Abbasi reported that 55 Raymonds went missing
from the radar screens of intelligence agencies. The agencies know little
about the activities of those still on the radar screens. A suspected militant
was held in Islamabad. Hillary Clinton said abandoning Pakistan wont be in
US interest.
Next day, three soldiers were wounded in attack on a post in Orakzai
Agency and eight militants were killed in retaliatory action. Two militants
were killed in a clash with security forces in Darra Adamkhel. Four militants
were held in Swat. Two police stations were hit by bomb blasts in
Gujranwala; one person was injured. Two NATO oil tankers were attacked
and set ablaze in Bolan Pass.
Foreign Office said the issue of diplomatic immunity to Davis was
being sorted out by Interior and Law ministries. Another Raymond hit a
motorcyclist in Islamabad and injured him, his wife and a minor.
Motorcyclist refused to get FIR recorded (anticipating the end result
correctly).
On 13th March, five people were killed in two drone attacks near
Miranshah. Eleven people were killed and five wounded in firing at a bus by
militants near Hangu. Police and Sunni Tehrik activists resorted to firing
outside Data Darbar. Munter held a meeting with Imran Khan. Intelligence
apparatus has warned the authorities that Davis could be killed exploiting
the staff employed on his security.
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Next day, one soldier and one civilian were killed in rocket attack on
Razmak Fort; three militants were killed in retaliatory action. Six people
were killed drone attack in North Waziristan. Two soldiers were wounded in
attack on a post in Orakzai and 12 militants were killed in retaliatory action.
FC soldier was wounded and a school was destroyed in Landikotal area.
Four US nationals were arrested while driving suspiciously in vehicle
with fake number plates in Peshawar University Town locality. They were
briefly detained by police and were released after an official of the US
Consulate arrived and told the police that they were jijajis.
The federal government maintained ambiguity about diplomatic
immunity of Davis. Deputy Attorney General did not produce the required
certificate but told the LHC that Davis came to Pakistan on official business
visa issued on the request of US Administration. The court dismissed four
writ petitions challenging his diplomatic immunity and directed the trial
court to decide the issue of immunity.
On 15th March, six militants were killed in clash with security forces
near Hangu. Two policemen and four militants were killed in a clash in
Mardan. Ansar Abbasi reported that despite the government decision not to
allow any DynCorp member to visit Pakistan unless cleared by the security
agencies; Hussain Haqqani issued visas to six operatives recently. Davis
showed dissatisfaction over police investigation and demanded fresh probe.
In Afghanistan, a NATO soldier was among five troops killed in
incidents of violence on 1st March. An Afghan policeman was killed when
artillery shells fired from across border landed in Nangarhar. Governor of
Kabul resigned over lack of resources. Next day, General Petraeus
confirmed that all those killed recently by US Special Forces were innocent
civilians. He felt sorry and was likely to convey his regrets to Karzai.
On 4th March, Grossman talked of political settlement of Afghanistan
issue. On 6th March, 12 people were killed and five wounded in road-side
bomb blast in Paktika. Karzai said apology of General Petraeus for civilian
deaths not enough. Next day, Robert Gates arrived in Kabul and announced
that the US was well-positioned for withdrawal. He apologized for civilian
deaths in Kunar Province.
On 8th March, 105 Pakistani prisoners were released from Kandahar
Jail. Two days later, police chief along with his two guards was killed in
suicide attack in Kunduz. On 12th March, Karzai visited Asadabad and asked

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Coalition forces to stop operations. Like Pakistani leaders he had to say that
to satisfy the families of the victims of collateral damage.
Next day, Iman Hasan from Kabul reported that US troop withdrawal
was only a smokescreen; the plans were under way to build permanent bases
till 2022. On 14th March, 37 people were killed and 42 wounded in suicide
attack in a recruiting centre in Kunduz. Next day, licences of seven security
companies were canceled.

India handed over 20 Pakistani prisoners. A Special Court in New

Delhi awarded death sentence to 11 Muslims and life imprisonment to 20 on
1st March in Godhra train case. On 4 th March, India regretted murder of
Shahbaz Masih and expressed concern over attacks on moderate forces in
Pakistan.
On 6th March, India tested interceptor missile. Two days later, India
freed 8 Pakistani prisoners. On 10th March, 26 Indian fishermen were
arrested by Maritime Security agency. Next day, India tested two nuclearcapable short-range Dhanush and Pirthvi missiles and Pakistan tested HatafII Missile.
On 1st March, joint investigation team was formed to probe
kidnapping of judges and lawyers in Balochistan. The apex court was told
that rules were especially relaxed to award contract; Chief Justice said court
was in no hurry to announce verdict. Next day, Chief Justice was unhappy
over mere statement on Balochistan and called for a report on law and
order situation in the province. The apex court also took notice of relaxation
of rules in Reko Diq case.
On 4th March, an engineer was kidnapped by gunmen from Hub. On
8th March, gunmen shot dead one person in Dera Allah Yar. Two abducted
judges were recovered. The Supreme Court directed Balochistan government
to coordinate with agencies for improvement of law and order situation.
Chief Justice said all agencies are answerable to government and judiciary.
On 9th March, seven people were killed and 15 wounded when their
vehicle hit a landmine near Pir Koh. Next day, two persons were killed and
18 wounded when OGDCL convoy was targeted with remote-controlled
bomb in Dera Murad Jamali. Seven people were wounded in bomb blast in
Sui area.
On 11th March, six people were killed in Jafarabad when a rocket fell
on their house. Next day, three policemen and an official were wounded in
landmine blast in Nasirabad District. Gas pipeline was blown up in Pir Koh
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area. Complete strike was observed in Balochistan over lawlessness in the

province.
On 13th March, main gas pipeline was blown up near Jaffarabad. Four
people were wounded when their vehicle hit a landmine in Dera Bugti area.
BISP van was burnt in Kaich. Next day, Khan of Kalats son was shot dead
by motorcyclists in Kalat.
Three Kashmiris were martyred in IHK in two incidents by
occupation forces on 11th March and Kashmiri leaders were placed under
house arrest. Next day, four more Kashmiris were martyred by occupation
forces in IHK. Apart from the reports of killings of Kashmiris there was all
quiet on this front.

VIEWS
In the context of Pakistan, on 2nd March, Thomas Houlahan opined:
Three Pakistani citizens have been killed by people sent to Pakistan by the
United States government. Those people werent there for diplomacy. The
US legal position is shaky. It would therefore be nice to see more contrition
out of the US government and less misplaced self-righteousness.
Mir Adnan Aziz wrote: Two thousand years ago, a Roman senator
suggested that all slaves wear white armbands for people to better identify
them. No, said a wiser senator, if they see how many of them there are,
they may revolt. These white armbands are becoming evident the world
over as reality sinks in. Here, too, the recent Davis episode was the trigger
for years of suffered unbridled American arrogance, intrusion and
highhandedness zealously facilitated by well placed assets. A handful
here profess the indispensability of the White House and Langley, a
multitude wants the riddance of the paid few and their paymasters.
Ahmed Quraishi commented: American military officials are telling
their Pakistani counterparts they want to save the Pakistani-American
relationship. The way to do this, they say, is to forgive and forget the
Raymond Davis debacle, one of the worst scandals to hit the Central
Intelligence Agency in years. The notion of saving Pak-US ties is good. But
the Pakistani government and military would do a disservice to the
nation by sweeping a number of urgent issues under the carpet in the
name of salvaging our ties with the United States. Instead of putting
Pakistani military under pressure, our American friends need to help save

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these ties by correcting dangerous imbalances in the bilateral relationship. A

fair and full trial for Mr Davis would be a good place to start.
It is also time for the Washington establishment to understand it cant
secure its interests in Pakistan by simply relying on proxies inside Pakistani
government or by invoking the Pakistani military. Their actions and policies
should also pass the test of Pakistani public opinion.
The Pakistani and American military leaderships met at a resort in
Oman last week, which is a couple of hours by plane from Karachi. Credible
sources in Islamabad confirm that US military commanders who met
General Kayani tried to push him to come down hard on ISI and portray the
Davis terror scandal as an ISI attempt to harm Pak-US ties. Some of the
American commanders tried to portray the public outrage in Pakistan over
Davis and other CIA assets in the country as ISI-engineered. Others are
trying to allege that this outrage is limited to religious parties. All of this
indicates a dangerous American disregard for Pakistani opinion.
It is also hilarious. If the American assessment is correct, the
Pakistani popular outrage is all ISIs fault. CIAs advocates have the
audacity to accuse ISI of exploiting the media. Someone should draw our
American friends attention to five years of intense anti-Pakistan campaign
in the US media, meant to destabilize Pakistan in every possible way.
A second mischaracterization the Americans are peddling now is
that Mr Davis was simply monitoring dangerous groups. The initial
debriefings of the American prove he was not just a spy but a military
intelligence operative whose assignment included mounting operations and
not just collecting information. His contacts with anti-Pakistan terrorists
strengthen earlier information about CIA elements helping terrorists
targeting Chinese engineers and Pakistani interests in Balochistan.
Information and piles of circumstantial evidence also show CIA elements
abetting a range of anti-Pakistan insurgencies across western Pakistan, all of
which emerged after our American friends firmly landed in Afghanistan in
2002.
CIA needs to be held accountable for all this. It must explain why
its hired gun was in contact with the same terrorists who recently killed two
retired ISI officers and who have mounted spectacular attacks in Lahore and
Peshawar killing a maximum number of ordinary Pakistanis.
A third issue is the role of President Zardari, his interior minister and
his Washington envoy in facilitating the entry of hundreds of US operatives
into Pakistan over the past months. It is clear that the US government and
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CIA rely on proxies to further its agenda in Pakistan. This must come to an
end. The personal interests of individuals in the Pakistani government must
never trump national interest. The Oman meeting indicates the goal now is
to sweep all these urgent issues under the carpet in the name of saving PakUS relationship.
Contrary to the eloquent pronouncements of senior US officials,
Washington is not interested in any long-term relations with Pakistan. The
American focus is temporary and limited to its regional interests in
Afghanistan, India and China. Only a few days ago the US mainstream
media was awash with US official leaks threatening Pakistan of termination
of relations. We should not kid ourselves about US intentions, the noise of
the small pro-US lobby inside Pakistan notwithstanding. Mr Davis must be
tried and we must strike at the heart of the entire anti-Pakistan enterprise in
the region which has been active for nine years. The opening provided by
Mr Davis must not go to waste.
Next day, The News commented: Mr Bhatti, a Christian, seems to
have become the second public figure to die simply because, like the former
governor of Punjab Salmaan Taseer, he had chosen to voice an opinion. The
barbaric killings of the two men mean that few others will choose to speak
out on the issue. The government appears to have already surrendered
and this may have been a factor behind the death of the minister. It is
unclear if the additional security Mr Bhatti had demanded in the wake of
threats had been offered to him. His demise will mean a deepening of
existing fractures in society, as minority communities face a still greater
sense of threat and isolation within a nation that seems unwilling to offer
them any space.
The governments reaction to this latest outrage is awaited. It can
simply not afford to wring its hands, make weak cries of condolence but do
nothing in concrete terms. We must not stand by and watch people perish
because they choose to voice an opinion about a piece of legislation they
wish to see amended. Certainly, disagreements exist about the blasphemy
laws. But the basic right of citizens to voice their views and for their lives
to be protected must be ensured; otherwise we will continue to descend
into chaos and an environment in which matters are decided by the force of
guns rather than through dialogue and discussion. Civilization has, over the
past years, seemed often to be receding from the country. With the tragic
assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti it has slipped a little further away.

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Marzeih Akhtari from Islamabad wrote: The religious parties which

have been screaming themselves hoarse over the issue of changes in the
blasphemy laws should take a back seat. The Taliban, or whoever they are,
are doing a good job of silencing people. After Bhattis murder no one
would dare raise his voice in support of any change in the laws, I am
sure. And those who are foolish enough to continue doing it know the
stakes.
On 4th March, Iftekhar A Khan wrote: Reportedly, thousands of
Raymonds live in posh localities of various cities, including a few hundred
in Quetta. No wonder Balochistan is in turmoil. Its in public knowledge that
the CIA operates its Predator and Reaper drones equipped with deadly
Hellfire missiles from Balochistan and from a base near Tarbela. If we have
allowed the CIA to use our space for its nefarious programme, why complain
about drone strikes that have killed innumerable Pakistanis?
Raymond hasnt confessed much because no persuasive methods
were used on him. Why not let him have the taste of Dick Cheneys
favourite sport: water-boarding? The CIA subjected Khalid Sheikh
Mohammad to water-boarding 183 times in March 2009 to force him to
confess that he had masterminded the 9/11. However, discovery at the site of
Twin Towers of residue and telltale marks of explosives used to demolish
high-rise buildings was another matter.
The Raymond caught in Peshawar, Aaron DeHaven, said he was a
contractor and worked for the US embassy in Islamabad, and that his firm,
staffed by retired US military and defence personnel, had offices in
Afghanistan and Dubai. The Raymond of the Lahore saga was also a
contractor. Arent we inundated by US contractors and instructors?
Perhaps we can now sit back to hum: too many contractors, too little time to
count.
Except for Imran Khan, the leaders of main political parties who
claim their hearts beat in consonance with public aspirations have remained
tight-lipped about the massacre caused by the drones. They think they owe it
to the US to be in power. Shockingly, even the ANPs top leaders are so
callous about the plight of their Pakhtun brethrens. Its Imran who
unequivocally asserts that the nation must unshackle itself from US control.
One way to determine the publics mood as to whether it supports US
policies in the region is to hold an opinion poll.
A poll would reveal that, except for a few hundred beneficiaries at
the top, the Pakistani people are against the US because of its policies.
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However, the public anger so far is impotent. But it could soon boil over as
it has in the Arab world. Its always a minor issue that ignites the tinderbox.
Was it not single a case of self-immolation in Tunisia that shook the country
and swept the despot out of power?
Shafqat Mahmood joined the mourners of Shahbaz Masih. After a
lengthy discourse he concluded: It has been correctly surmised by many
that people like Fazalur Rehman, and the Jamaat-e-Islami, have actively
sought to create a discourse of violence on the issue of blasphemy. Even
Rehman Malik and Babar Awan have evoked violent imageries we will
personally kill people who commit blasphemy to show what committed
Muslims they are.
No one can tolerate blasphemy in this country, but to inflame
emotions in this manner will naturally lead to violent acts by those who do
not understand the debate. People like Salmaan Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti,
or the courageous Sherry Rehman, have not been challenging the law;
only that its misuse should be prevented. Yet, this distinction, this nuance
has deliberately been submerged under opportunistic but dangerous politics.
This terrible deterioration in state, politics and society will have
to be arrested, or we are moving towards even greater bloodshed. Wherever
human beings reside they will differ on things. Orderly societies find ways
to mediate these differences without violence. We are heading towards a
situation where it is becoming the preferred solution.
If indeed we have reached or are reaching this stage, there is no
shortage of things that divide us. If our democracy fails to create
mechanisms for resolving them, we are heading towards anarchy, chaos and
bloodshed. Some would say we are already there. The shell of our state is
standing. The substance has long gone.
On 6th March, The News wrote: Once again, Interior Minister
Rehman Malik finds himself on the wrong end of the sharp tongues of his
political colleagues The National Assembly was debating the law and
order situation in the wake of the latest murder of a prominent member of
the government; and Mr Malik used the opportunity to politicize it by
saying that extremist elements were allowed safe-haven in seminaries in
south Punjab and that from there they carried out operations across the
land. Be that as it may, we should not lose sight of the fact that it was none
other than Mr Malik who in the aftermath of the Taseer killing is on record
as saying that he would personally kill any blasphemer who came in front of
him which somewhat reduces his credibility factor in terms of him having
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any kind of objective perspective on matters of blasphemy, extremism and

rule of law.
It is also worth pointing out that both Taseer and Bhatti were killed
within the Capital Territory, which is not a part of Punjab but a separate
entity. Security with the Capital Territory falls squarely in the lap of the
Federal Interior Minister Mr Malik. His attempts to dodge and weave his
way out of taking any kind of responsibility were accentuated by his
instancing of attacks on GHQ, and the FIA Lahore office both of which
most certainly are in Punjab. He also revealed but did not reveal how it
was that he knew what he was revealing that he, Fauzia Wahab and Sherry
Rehman were also on the list of targets held by extremists. What does seem
clear enough is that federal and provincial ministers who espouse any kind
of moderate views or support the revision of the laws relating to blasphemy
are targets, and that the provision of security for all of them is a priority.
That responsibility for that security rests in large part with Mr Malik may be
small comfort to anybody, and rather than playing political football with the
security issue, the government and all political parties need to be
unequivocal in their condemnation of terrorism. Now is not the time for
silence which is often an unspoken support for terrorist groups or halfheated condemnation that drips with insincerity.
Next day, Asif Ezdi observed: The government continues to evade
the issue. It is not clear what it hopes to gain by this dithering. The only
thing that is certain is that the Zardari government has been feverishly
trying for a deal with Washington under which Davis could be released
in return for some concession which could make the arrangement palatable
to an outraged Pakistani public.
Not so well-known is the fact that in its keenness to reassure
Washington of its pro-American credentials, the PML-N is also
prepared to cooperate in finding a way of returning Davis to the US in
return for some cosmetic concessions by Washington
It is no secret that in the wake of the Kerry visit, intensive contacts
have been taking place between the two countries, especially through their
military and the intelligence establishments, to work out an arrangement for
the release of Davis. The issue was discussed thoroughly at Kayanis
meeting with Mullen in Omanfollowed by telephonic contacts between
CIA Director Panetta and ISI chief Pasha.
Asif then mentioned the proposals of transfer of Aafia, payment of
blood money, efforts to involve Saudi and UAE government and allowing
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ISI to handle the case. He then added: ISI should confine itself to questions
of intelligence cooperation alone. Not only that, a senior ISI official has
been sending emails to The Washington Post on the progress of negotiations
on the Davis case. That is certainly no part of ISI turf and should stop
immediately. One of these emails expresses the Pakistani desire to be
regarded as partners, rather than subordinates. We need to be treated with
trust, equality and respect, it says. This is a legitimate wish. But this wish
will be fulfilled not through entreaties but only if we conduct ourselves with
dignity and self-respect. We should start by refusing to make any shabby
deals in the Davis case.
We have a strong case under international law and should not
make any compromise on this pointbut the Zardari government is
shying away from presenting it to the world in order not to anger
Washington. The senior US official who gave a briefing on February 21 was
asked what Pakistan had to say to the US stand. His reply was that he had
not seen the Pakistani counter-argument. He was not the only one. No one
knows precisely what the Pakistani position is, apart from the fact, as
declared by Gilani, that there is a difference of opinion between the two
countries because of ambiguity and inconsistency that is reflected in the
available record.
Clearly, Pakistan needs to declare forthrightly and
unambiguously that Pakistan does not recognize Davis as a member of
the embassy staff. Not only that, the government must also present its
detailed case under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations
(VCDR), as the US has done. This can be done in a background briefing,
as the State Department did, so that it may not bind us to any legal
proceedings.
The US is right, however, that the question of diplomatic immunity
cannot be resolved by the national courts of either country. Pakistan must
therefore take the matter to the International Court of Justice We
have a good chance of winning the case in the ICJ and vindicating our stand.
There is also another reason why we must refer it to the ICJ. If we want
Davis to be exchanged against Aafia, we must first obtain an ICJ judgment.
If he is then convicted by our courts, the Americans will surely listen to any
proposals for a swap. But not before that. What about taking Aafias case to
ICJ for her illegal trial?
On 8th March, The News wrote: Wherever there has been an
incident it is usually quickly tidied up and the evidence erased. Apologies
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may be made or not. But the Davis case is taking a different turn. It is
unusual both in the type of incident that it is with an outsourced covert
operative opening fire in plain view to the response of ourselves which is
to prosecute the killer as per the law. Both are something of a rarity. The
message albeit confused at times that we are giving the Americans is that
it is no longer acceptable that we allow your spooks free range over our
country to do as they please. Pakistan is not your back-garden, it is our
country and we get to say who plays on the swings and roundabout and who
paddles in the pool America in Pakistan (or anywhere else) can no
longer go about its covert business unchallenged. Moreover, if one of its
agents oversteps the mark then they must expect to meet the full force of the
law. Diplomatic immunity? We wont fall for that one again.
Next day, The News commented on bomb blast in Faisalabad. The
latest blast indicates a growth in the ring of terrorism. The menace has
expanded beyond the tribal belt and into cities everywhere. It is possible that
terrorists chased out of their strongholds in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have set
up bases elsewhere. It is also likely that they are working with activists
based in Punjab. We need to develop a broad-based strategy to tackle
terrorism and hunt down those behind it wherever they may be in the
country. The Punjab chief minister has already suggested that a national
conference be held to discuss this growing crisis
The fanning out of activities to still other cities adds to the security
challenge involved in netting them. There is no evidence that the efforts
made so far have had far-reaching results. The militants remain capable
of obtaining huge quantities of explosives, bringing them into cities and
using them to create havoc. We need to ask many questions about the failure
to stop them. It is only when the answers are found that we will be able to
work out what methods to use against them and to prevent the trail of
destruction which winds its way through the country from stretching out any
further than is already the case.
Ayaz Wazir pleaded for doing something to change the plight of
tribesmen. The people of FATA are being treated as second-class citizens
in their own country. They are accused of providing shelter to those
responsible for the evil taking place in that area. And when they are killed
they are bracketed with militants. They have suffered the most but got
nothing in return.
Should they keep on waiting for others to do favours to them simply
because they are not covered by the Constitution, without being allowed to
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do something for themselves? Shouldnt they fight for their rights?

Shouldnt they protest against the atrocities committed by
Islamabad/Rawalpindi against them?
Shouldnt the educated tribesmen in the main cities of the country
raise their voice about the step-motherly treatment meted to IDPs from
FATA, who are living in miserable conditions in Peshawar and Dera Ismail
Khan? Shouldnt they stage protests against drone attacks and military
operations killing innocent people, including women and children?
If responses to all these questions are in the affirmative, then let
us begin by taking our MNAs and Senators to task and seek an account
of all the personal favours bestowed upon them by the government until
now. At the same time, we should raise our voices in protest both within and
outside parliament.
Until the tribesmen decide to fight for their own rights, no one
will do it for them. Nobody is going to deliver to them what is their due.
Those living outside FATA cannot raise their voices because of the
stranglehold imposed on them. However, nothing stops those of us living in
the major cities of the country and abroad from raising the issue Until
they explain the factual position to the world, no one will believe that the
residents of FATA are peace-loving. Until that position is explained, the
outside world will continue to regard them as militants.
On 10th March, The News wrote: It must be extremely difficult for
those men who join the lashkar to see where the peace dividend lies for
them in their support for the government. A private TV channel said that this
was the fifth time that peace jirgas in the area had been targeted. The
Adezai jirga has already lost about 50 men while fighting the Taliban in the
last year according to some reports, and will have lost many more yesterday.
The peace jirgas were seen as a way in which the government could fight
the Taliban toe-to-toe using local irregular forces. Yet it appears, if reports
are to be believed, not to have provided the support that was however
vaguely promised to these men. Some are saying that they have to buy their
own ammunition. It is unreasonable to expect these men from tribal
communities to hold the line against a well-armed enemy. And for their
part, the lashkars need to pay closer attention to their perimeter security and
not offer soft targets to a pitiless enemy.
Next day, Ayaz Amir observed: The Americans are training our
commandos in Cherat. They are imparting training to the Frontier Corps.
They are training our naval commandos. And after feeding with golden corn
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the holy cow of national security all these years we thought that if not in
international ballistic missiles we were at least self-sufficient in basic
military training. We never cease to be amazed.
On 13th March, The News commented on report about 55 Americans
who entered the country and then became untraceable. A lax visa policy
allowed American citizens, many of them people connected to the US
Consulate and its various outstations, to come and go virtually as they
pleased. No other country is allowed to do this. If the French or the British
or the Germans want to increase the establishment of their diplomatic
mission there are channels through which they are obliged to go through
and go they do. There are working arrangements between the security
services of other nations and us that are perfectly in order and properly
conducted. This has been the case for many years and will continue to be so.
But America is different. America wants that much more than everybody
else, and it wants it as of right.
It is reported that between September 2010 and February 2011 a total
of 1,171 visas were issued by our embassy in Washington to American
officials without any security clearance. If correct, that is a truly astonishing
figure. Some of these men and women will be bone-fide, genuinely working
on project monitoring or other legitimate tasks and we have little concern
about them. But others may not be and unless we make a security check on
all of those making application how are we to know? All of them have to
live somewhere and the US Embassy is not so big that it can accommodate
such large numbers comfortably. They have to move around, drive, go
shopping, buy newspapers and socialize. They are not invisible in a country
where there are fewer and fewer foreigners they are going to stand out so
in that sense they have not disappeared. It is inconceivable that
somebody in our security services does not know at least where these
people are if not exactly what it is that they are doing. It is time to level
the playing field the same rules to be applied across the board for all
foreign nationals with any form of attachment to their in-country mission.
We do ourselves a disservice by applying the rules differentially and leave
open a door that the Americans are more than happy to walk through.
Kamila Hyat opined: Essentially, we need as a nation to accept that
we are in an extremely significant amount of trouble. The question now is
if we can find a way out at all and face up to the full truth about ourselves.
Sadly, even now, the realization that this is essential is too limited with the
top political leadership trapped in a state of paralysis from which it seems
quite unable to escape.
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On 15th March, Anil Datta observed that incident of Mozang Chungi

was only the latest of what has been happening since decades. He wrote:
Johnson was an officer of the force protection department pf the US
Embassy. Just before dawn on July 25 last year, he hit and killed a teenager
standing beside his motorcycle. Then he fled, with the motorcycles wreck
riding above the front bumper because it was meshed with his cars grille.
Jawwadur Rehman bled to death. On June 4, Mike had hit 45-year-old
Muhammad Yameen at the capitals Constitution Avenue. Fortunately, there
was no casualty when an American diplomat, reportedly drunk, ran a red
signal in Islamabad in October 2009 and rammed a fire-brigade vehicle of
the Capital development Authority.
Back in 1960, when I was a boy living in Lahore, a speeding pickup
belonging to the US air force communications base then existing in city
knocked down a woman and her child at Ferozpur Road. A press
photographer who happened to be present at the scene was prevented at
gunpoint from taking the photograph of the corpses.
Before the Pakistani media woke up, as it has now, many incidents
and crimes involving Americans had taken place over the decades, withy
little attention given to them by the press. However, the crushing of the
mother and child had caused uproar in the press back then. Which is why I
still remember the name of William Bridges, the American who grabbed the
photographers hair before his colleague pulled out the gun at the journalist.
Maleeha Lodhi opined: Abandoned by the countries where the term
was coined, the war on terror continues to be the phrase of choice used by
officials and many media persons in Pakistan to describe the countrys
efforts to counter terrorism and militancy. Dr Lodhi mentioned a few
phrases and terms coined since the start of war primarily meant to pass the
buck and lack of humane touch while talking of war.
She then concluded: Pakistans counter-terrorism policy remains
inadequate on several counts. The reliance on a kill or capture strategy
has reduced the effort to a numbers game that does little to address the flow
of recruits into violent networks. Unless this flow is retarded or thwarted by
a set of counter-radicalism measures as part of a coherent campaign
supported by government leaders, political parties and the media, the effort
against violent extremism will not succeed. Such a campaign must mobilize
public support on a consistent and not a fitful or one-off basis.

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Effective counterterrorism also rests on strengthening and reforming

the police, not just increasing their numbers. It means making the civilian
intelligence machinery, especially in the field, more central to the effort.
The war prism hobbles the development of the political,
ideological and social dimensions of a strategy needed to deal with a
multifaceted threat, a comprehensive strategy also has to be anchored in
the recognition that when governance fails to provide for the basic needs of
citizens or address social marginalization grievance are nourished and
breeding grounds created where people become susceptible to ideologies of
violence and hate.
Discarding this phraseology will not by itself bring about a more
effective approach. But if words have consequences, reframing the effort
might oblige all organs of state to own up to their responsibility and urge
society to also play it part rather than shift the entire onus on to the lawenforcement authorities.
Next day, M Saeed Khalid wrote: The prevailing situation in
Afghanistan and in our border areas does not vindicate Americas
militarist approach. Gen Musharraf used to argue that terrorism could not
be overcome by military means alone. According to him, the military could
only succeed in creating a favourable environment but solutions would come
through political means. Was it his reluctance to apply Pakistans full
military might in defeating terrorism which encouraged the US to look for a
more cooperative partner with democratic credentials? We may never know
the whole truth, but American pressure for a liberal visa regime for their
diplomats has resulted in tragic consequences. The Raymond Davis affair
affected a floundering partnership.
A cooling-off period is needed to work through the imbroglio. In
this period, the government could benefit from the brain-storming session
attended by its defence experts, senior diplomats and financial managers for
a policy planning review of Pakistans relations with the US, India and
Afghanistan. No such consultation would be fruitful without eventually
bringing the major political parties on board. This way, Pakistan would be
able to speak with confidence.
President Zardari would be well advised to postpone his planned
visit to the US until after an in-depth reappraisal of our partnership
with the US. Washington too may be reassessing its ties with Pakistan. The
short-term future of the Pakistan-US alliance may very well depend on how
the two sides cope with the Raymond Davis affair.
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But in the longer term, a close partnership with US should not be

viewed or pursued in isolation. Sixty years ago, we reached out to the US
not only for financial assistance but for strengthening our defence as well.
India was at the root of our defence doctrine. But that can change with an
improvement of Pakistan-India ties, with this country maintaining credible
deterrence. It is not too late to look for the solutions nearer home rather than
across the oceans. The 21st century is destined to see a gradual decline of
Americas global profile to the benefit of Asian powers. Let us adjust the
pendulum in time.
As regards Afghanistan, on 1st March Amir Zia wrote: Almost 10
years after the ousting of the Taliban from Kabul by the US-led forces, the
present political setup continues to bank solely on foreign money, muscle
and compassion for its survival. Its chances of standing without foreign
crutches appear bleak even in the long run. With little organized economic
and business activity in the country, the Afghan government could raise only
one billion dollars in 2010 from its own resources.
The remaining amount of more than 5.5 billion dollars had to come
from the United States and its allies, both for civilian and security needs of
the Afghan budget. Given the weariness of the NATO countries locked in
this decade-long conflict and Washingtons plans to end combat missions
here by 2014, the current setup is in a race against time to prove wrong
those prophets of doom and gloom who want to write in advance its
obituary.
But the trouble is that there are no easy, readymade solutions to the
complex Afghan crisis. It is not a simple them vs us divide. Afghanistan
stands deeply polarized and dividedhorizontally and vertically. The
Taliban insurgency underlines not just the ideological divide between
the modern and fundamentalist forces. It basically remains ethnic in
nature with the majority of Pakhtuns having a perception that despite being
more than 60 per cent of the total population, they remain denied of their fair
share in Afghanistans power structure, which they say remain lopsided in
favour of ethnic minorities including Tajiks and Uzbeks. Karzais Pakhtun
credentials and loyalty remain controversial.
For Mohammed Daud Miraki, a US-based and US-educated
politician, those Pakhtuns who are working for this government had
sold themselves to the devil. A genocide of Pakhtuns is going on both
sides of the border (Afghanistan and Pakistan), said the clean-shaved
Pakhtun politician sitting in Kabuls Intercontinental Hotel, where foreigners
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and locals brush shoulders discussing all sorts of theories on why peace
continues to elude Afghanistan
But the very thought of bringing top Taliban leaders into any
reconciliation process remains a big a no for many other Pakhtun and
non-Pakhtun politicians and intellectuals, who question the worldview and
way of life of the religious militia. For them any share of power to the
Taliban would mean losing whatever little freedom and modernity they
managed to restore in the capital Kabul, the countrys north and small
pockets in the Pakhtun belt.
But many of the Pakhtuns living in Kabul, including journalists,
appear to be seething with anger against the Karzai regime and the USbacked war which they see as directed against Pakhtuns in the name of the
Taliban. The government and its Western allies have so far failed to
remove this impression that this war was not directed against
Pakhtuns.
Indeed, the war has its own economy and vested interests. The way
regional and world powers contributed in making the situation worse in
Afghanistan also is a hard fact. But pointing fingers at this neighbour or
that in which Pakistan remains a favourite target of many educated
Afghans is not going to heal Afghanistans festering wound.
As all the Afghan sides engaged in the conflict tend to take extreme
ideological and political positions, it is the collective failure of the Afghan
leadership that they have been unable to find a middle ground which paves
the way for sharing of power and ownership of the peace process among all
the stakeholders.
There appears no end to the Afghan tragedy as the main players,
including the present Afghan setup and its Western allies, have failed to
alienate the al-Qaeda-linked hardliners from the mainstream Pakhtun
resistance. Until this is done and Pakhtuns are brought into the fold of
Afghanistans power structure, peace will continue to elude this unfortunate
nation, let down both by its leaders and foreign friends.
On 8th March, Rahimullah Yusufzai observed: Afghanistan has been
a tragic place since April 1978 Every time the NATO forces, armed with
the most lethal weapons and airpower, bomb targets in the hope of
eliminating Taliban fighters, they end up causing civilian casualties. It is no
longer collateral damage because that should happen once in a while. At
times, so many civilian deaths, are caused that it would be appropriate to
refer to it as carnage.
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On these occasions, one wishes that there were some powerful

world authority which could stop a big power from committing such
war crimes. Or that that power could be shamed into halting military actions
on moral grounds, because those being harmed are defenceless and also
among the poorest in the world. Without warning, they are condemned to
death from the air and the next moment they are blown into pieces.
It is followed by the usual denials by the US and NATO authorities
Grudgingly, and after a long delay, the US and NATO admit their
mistake, offer condolences to the bereaved families and promise
compensation and better judgment in their military actions in future.
President Karzai issues his customary condemnation, launches vocal protests
and warns about the falling support for foreign forces among the Afghan
people. Before long, another such incident happens and this cycle of events
is repeated.
The Taliban too cannot escape blame for causing civilian deaths
in Afghanistan In the latest attack by the militants, 12 civilians, including
five children and two women, were killed in the south-eastern Paktika
Province on Sunday when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Such
incidents have become common in southern Afghanistan where most
unpaved roads increasingly become unsafe due to the use of IEDs
However, even those critical of the Taliban concede that attacks
by the militants would not take place if there were no foreign forces in
Afghanistan. The real issue, then, is the presence of the US-led NATO forces
totaling around 150,000; backed by thousands of private contractors, or
mercenaries if you like, hired from scores of countries and known to use
strong-arm methods and violate local laws with impunity. Those foreigners
arent going away for the next four years if one were to believe the Wester5n
leaders, who decided at their Lisbon Summit late last year to retain their
forces for four more years in Afghanistan and keep the options open beyond
2014 in line with the ground situation at that time. This means four more
years of bloodshed in Afghanistan and its dangerous fallout on Pakistan.
The US has already broached the subject of its military plans for
Afghanistan beyond 2014 with President Hamid Karzai, who has been
telling his people that the Americans want to retain military bases in the
country Former Mujahideen commander and Herat provincial governor,
Ismail Khan, who is now Afghanistans minister for water and power was
the first to publicly oppose permanent US bases. Anti-government clerics led

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by Maulana Abdullah Zakiri had issued a statement opposing establishment

of permanent US military bases
President Karzai may take the issue to the Loya Jirga, a traditional
Assembly of elders convened at times of crisis and national emergency,
because the newly-elected parliament cannot be the right forum to make a
decision. A referendum too isnt an option in Afghanistan, where every
recent election has been marred by allegations of electoral fraud. It is likely
that the Loya Jirga may oppose giving the US the right to retain military
bases in Afghanistan.
The issue of civilian deaths in NATO military operations hit the
headlines as a large number of civilians were killed in Afghanistan in recent
weeks. President Karzai said 150 Afghan civilians were killed in NATO
military operations and other acts of violence. They included 65 in Kunar
Province, in one bombing raid in Ghaziabad district. A delegation sent by
Karzai came up with this figure of 65 civilians: 21 boys, 19 girls, 10
women and 15 male adults. In another NATO a raid a few days later nine
boys collecting firewood in Kuna5r Provinces Manogai area were killed,
followed by five men on a hunting trip in the mountains in neighbouring
Laghman Province.
The Afghan lawmaker from Kunar, Maulana Shahzada Shahid, said
after the recent NATO bombings in his native province that he would take
his complaint against NATO to the International Court of Justice. The issue
became so emotional that Afghan lawmaker Rafiullah Haideri wept
during the recent session of the upper house. He was unable to control his
emotions as he narrated the story of his visit as part of the official delegation
to Kunar to investigate the civilian deaths.
The issue of civilian casualties has certainly aroused resentment
in Afghanistan and triggered protests. The NATO forces may have scored
some small military victories against the Taliban and killed some of the
militants, but they have lost the battle to win the hearts and minds of the
Afghan people. It is a losing battle, and the sooner they accept this fact the
better.
On 14th March, S Iftikhar Murshed commented: The Taliban
movement seems to be fracturing. The international media has reported
that in recent months more than a 1,000 Taliban fighters have defected and
many of them have joined the Afghan National Security Forces. Though this
is only a fraction of the movements estimated armed strength of around
30,000 men, the defectors have provided valuable intelligence to the US-led
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troops enabling them to kill or capture hundreds of seasoned fighters as well

as overrun key Taliban bases in Helmand and Kandahar over the past one
year.
Zabiullah, a senior Taliban adviser, recently admitted that the group
is confronted with a severe leadership crisis. He said: In 16 years of the
Talibans military and political life, this is our most difficult phase.
Reports in the western media indicate that morale among the Taliban is an
all-time low. Taliban fighters have complained that their two key
commanders in the vitally important south, Abdul Qayum and Akhtar
Muhammad Mansoor, are ineffective and do not inspire any confidence.
Furthermore, there have been an absence of coordination among
the so-called Quetta and Peshawar shuras as well as the Haqqani network
is predominant in the eastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Khost. Mullah
Omar, the supreme leader of the Taliban, has not been seen or heard since he
fled Afghanistan in 2001. his influence also seems to have diminished
dramatically as was evident from his inability to save his close friend, Col
Imam, who was recently killed by a splinter group in the tribal areas of
Pakistan. Iftikhar did not mention the forces behind creating and sponsoring
splinter groups in Taliban.
At another level, popular support for the Taliban among the
Pushtuns could be in decline. The UN Statistics indicate that in the first 10
moths of 2010 the insurgents were responsible for 1,800 civilian deaths
which is three times the number of fatalities caused by NATO and US
forces,
The coming of spring will herald what is cynically called the
fighting season in Afghanistan. The ground situation is likely to change and
a constant policy review will be required. There was a time when an Afghan
Cell meeting presided by the president or the prime minister was regularly
held and there is need to revive this system to enable Pakistan to respond
to the emergent realities.

REVIEW
While governments in Islamabad and Lahore played major role
through delaying tactics to draw attention of Pakistanis away from Jijaji
Davis, there were few other incidents which also helped in this context. The
PPP was blessed with another Shaheed; Shahbaz Bhatti was murdered in

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Islamabad. Astonishingly, it had taken place only a day after Rehman Malik
had commended Islamabad Police for hauling up a high profile militant.
His murder was jointly owned by al-Qaeda Fidayeen, Punjabi Taliban
and TTP. This collective claim fitted well in the scheme for which Davis had
been working. Murder of Salman Taseer was an act of an individual, but this
murder seemed to have been carried out for a motive other than punishing a
blasphemer.
Obama was saddened and he demanded punishment of killers under
the law of the country. The same coloured man from the same White House
about a month ago had demanded that Davis should be freed as law of the
land was not applicable to him. Was it because in that case the killer was a
Christian and those killed were Muslims and in this case it was other way
around.
ANP leader Zahid while condemning the incident asked what message
the killers were conveying to the world. This question was not raised when
Davis killed two Pakistanis in Lahore and instead Bashir Bilour had
criticized media for creating undue hype over Davis act.
Unfortunately, the enlightened justify criticism of blasphemy law
under the right to freedom of expression on the lines West has been
justifying publication of blasphemous caricatures. While practicing the
western values and ridiculing Islam the enlightened forget that there are
certain eastern values which prohibit even the use of same language for
elders that friends would use while conversing among themselves.
Across the Durand Line a lawmaker wept during a session of the
Meshrano Jirga, the upper house of Afghan parliament, when he narrated the
agony of families which had lost more than sixty people, mostly children
and women in an air strike carried out by the occupation forces. No
lawmaker in Pakistan has ever been moved like the member of Meshrano
Jirga. Here the Americans have the licence to kill.
Here the lawgivers only go through the ritual of issuing a
condemnatory statements while quietly telling the Americans to keep killing
the Pakis. In his article published in Washington Post Zardari did the same
once again. He tried to tell the US that incidents like Raymond Davis erode
public support for US, which need to be avoided when other options to kill
Pakis were available.
He assured his masters that he wont be intimidated by the extremists,
but you must rein in the holy warriors like Raymond. In other words, he
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reminded them that if he has been so generous in allowing the US killers like
Raymond to roam around in Pakistan it does not mean that they should
resort to killings on roadside in day-light.
He also re-assured his masters that they must trust his commitment to
fulfilling promises he made in pursuance of his wifes desire to deliver more
on war on terror than Musharraf did. This and other events of the period
created an impression of return of normalcy and whenever such thing
happens something unexpected befalls.
16th March 2011

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MOTHER SELLERS
During the last decade of last century rulers earned a title of shame for
the Pakistanis. Aimal Kansi was extradited to the United States where he
was hanged for killing FBI agents. It was during his trial that an American
had remarked that Pakis would sell their mother for ten dollars.
Politicians were pioneers of mother-selling business, which flourished
during the rule of brave commando, Pervez Musharraf. He boasted of
earning millions of dollars and providing sound foundations to this
enterprise. Zardari has inherited this and is now a Bill Gates of this business
having services at his disposal of pioneer of the business and uniformed
salesmen trained by Musharraf.
The business has been going on without much fanfare and the people
looked the other way whenever a mother-selling deal came to their notice.
But, on 16th March, something happened which could not be tolerated by
those who still cared a bit for their self-respect and honour. Mother-selling in
the context of Davis conducted in full view of the global audience proved
too much even for the Pakis who over the decades have got accustomed to
all kinds of insult and humiliation.

NEWS
On 16th March, the hearing of Raymonds case by Additional District
and Sessions Judge started in-camera and soon it was reported that Raymond
Davis was indicted on charges of murder. Thereafter, entire proceedings
were held in the presence of US Consulate General and all others were kept
away, including media men and even lawyers of the bereaved families.
Nobody had any clue of about five-hour long proceedings till Davis was
acquitted, released, handed over to US Consulate General and driven straight
to Lahore Airport where a US Air Force plane was waiting to take him to
Kabul.
The media was then told that all the 19 heirs of the deceased had
appeared before the court and submitted an application for change of their
legal counsel which was accepted by the court. Their previous lawyers were
not allowed to go to the court room and were held in a room till the end of
proceedings ending in acquittal and release of Davis. In fact, they did not
know that their clients had disowned them.

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The new lawyer of the families of the victims was Raja Irshad Kayani
(of the same clan to which COAS belongs), a favourite legal wizard of the
ISI, who had successfully defended ISI in missing persons case. He is
known for taking cases in Supreme Court only and avoiding appearing even
in a High Court. Strangely, he decided to appear in a lower court.
It was reported that all the 19 family members had accepted diyat and
forgiven Davis of their free will. Reportedly, they were paid Rs200 million
and given US citizenship. All of them were taken into protective custody a
night before they appeared in the court to accept diyat.
The court had no option but to acquit him. On the charge of
possessing illegal arm he was fined Rs30,000 and sentenced for 48-days in
prison (the number of days Davis had already stayed in Kot Lakhpat Jail) .
Hillary Clinton, however denied paying any blood money, which was paid
by the in-laws of jijaji.
The judge and lawyer Kayani went underground after the acquittal of
Davis. However, two planes carrying 13 and 33 persons respectively from
Pakistan arrived at Bagram Base. Cameron Munter had come as chief guest
with jijas barat (marriage entourage) and some heirs of the victims were
also reported accompanying the entourage.
The media, which claims breaking news hundred times a day, only
got one literally broken news. Instant public resentment was shown across
the country. Police used force to disperse the protesters in Faisalabad,
Lahore and Islamabad and injuring several people in the process.
Mother of Shumaila resented the release of Raymond Davis and
vowed to commit collective suicide at the place where her son-in-law was
killed. People of neighbourhood assembled at her place and police used
force to disperse them and arrested Shumailas mother along with her
brother.
Intriguingly, all this happened when Nawaz was on his way to London
via Switzerland and Shahbaz had quietly slipped away to join his elder
brother. Zardari stayed away from Islamabad and remained busy in reembracing MQM after his short-tempered political darling had reconciled.
Gilani was on trip to Kyrgyzstan.
On arrival in London Shahbaz was asked about release of Davis and
replied that this question should be asked from federal government. He told
that he had come to see his brother having a heart problem. Chaudhry Nisar
said release of Davis has tarnished the image of Pakistani nation. Ahsan
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Iqbal said Punjab government could not detain Davis when the court had
acquitted him; as simple as that.
Law Minister of Sindh, Mr Somoroo, said PPP and its government
had nothing to do with settlement of this case; it has been settled by a court
with the consent of the families of victims. Faisal Raza Abidi told the TV
channels to as the judiciary which disposed off double murder case in matter
of hours and had dragged his boss Zardari from court to court for eleven
years.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said his stand on diplomatic immunity has
been vindicated with the settlement of case through payment of Diyat.
Sheikh Rashid held both the governments in Islamabad and Lahore
responsible for release of Davis, but PML-N was more responsible.
Imran Khan also held both the governments responsible. He said it
had been fixed well before the days proceedings in the court as US aircraft
was placed in advance. Imran also expressed his disappointment over the
role of judiciary. General Hamid Gul, JUI-F, JI and others vowed to protest
acquittal of Davis. Agha of PML-Q, however, availed the opportunity to put
all the blame of release of Davis on Rana Sana and Punjab government.
Cameron Munter thanked 19 members of the families of the victims
for acceptance of diyat and forgiving Davis. Hillary Clinton and John Kerry
thanked all the Pakistani leaders who played their role in securing release
of Davis, but in Pakistan no leader was prepared to accept their thanks. US
media reported that the deal was struck on March 10.
Next day, release of Davis was widely condemned across the country;
even PML-N leaders issued condemnatory statements. Only PPP, MQM and
ANP abstained from criticizing this and accepted it as normal disposal of a
criminal case by a court. PTI, JI, JUI-F and Sunni Tehrik activists protested
in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and elsewhere. JUI-F submitted an
adjournment motion in the Senate. Imran Khan telephoned Maulana Sarwat
of Sunni Tehrik to coordinate future line of action. He accused Judiciary of
involvement in the sell-out.
Lawyers in Punjab boycotted courts and in Lahore they passed a
resolution condemning the role of judges in release of Davis. Senior
Advocate of Supreme Court termed the release of Davis on the basis of
payment of diyat a slap on the face of people of Pakistan and Pakistani law.
Latif Khosa, Governor of Punjab, said Pakistanis have no right to
protest after receiving diyat. PPP and PML-Q joined hands in Punjab
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Assembly in defending release of Davis. Rana Sana once again denied

involvement of PML-N in out-of-court settlement of diyat. PML-N said
Army and ISI played main role in release of Davis. LHC denied any
knowledge of the deal for Davis release.
Reportedly, Army and ISI were satisfied with normalization of CIAISI ties in the wake of release of Davis. Raja Irshad Kiyani termed it mere
speculation that he acted on behalf of the ISI in this case. He was satisfied
over helping resolution of the case in the light of Quraan and Sunnah. He,
however, remained silent on questions that how and when the affected
families approached him for engaging him to perform this noble task.
Observers termed it sheer discrimination in judicial system on account
of hundreds of missing Pakistanis, languishing in the custody of security
agencies. Jurists and top lawyers in the country urged the Chief Justice to
take suo moto notice of the whole case of Raymond Davis declaring that the
judge who ordered his release showed gross negligence while penning down
his decision.
Maulvi Iqbal Haider filed a constitutional petition in the Supreme
Court challenging the release of Raymond Davis praying for declaring the
orders of release passed by additional district and sessions judge, Lahore
illegal, unconstitutional and having no legal sanctity. TV channels showed
the house of one of the families which received diyat; they seemed to have
left in hurry leaving half consumed food behind.
Reportedly, the US made no pledges to scale down CIA operations.
The US Consulates and Embassy to remain closed on Friday and asked its
citizens to exercise caution in Pakistan. State Department announced that
Davis was out of Pakistan and hail and hearty, but did not disclose his
whereabouts.
The US celebrated the acquittal of Raymond Davis by killing 42
members of Aman Jirga in Datta Khel area of North Waziristan by lauching
a drone attack. Unofficial sources placed the death toll twice the one
reported; General Kayani condemned the attack
On 18th March, while talking to Ansar Abbasi from London Shahbaz
Sharif offered to resign if he was found involved in any dubious deal
connected with the Davis episode. He explained that if he, directly or
indirectly, is found involved in settling the issue for Americans through
diyat or have interacted in any manner with any member of the judiciary to
let Davis go, he would quit the chief minister-ship.

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Abbasi added: when asked if he has worked together with any

security agency for any staged outcome of the Davis issue, he said he was
simply unaware of what the security agencies were doing or what they
managed But when told that his governments prosecution had neither
raised the issue of Fasad-fil-Arz nor contested the early release of the
convict in illicit arms case, he said that he did not know the details he
would have no details about many questions that Ansar Abbasi did not or
could not ask.
Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq revealed that according to
record Raymond Davis had paid blood money to the heirs in his individual
capacity. He was indirectly exonerating both the governments of paying the
diyat which has to be paid by the convict. Maulvi, however, referred to an
apex court order asking the government to set up a fund that could be
utilized for the release of such prisoners who could not pay fines. Maulvi
confused diyat with fine.
Protest rallies were held across the country, which generally remained
mostly peaceful and because of that failed to draw the attention of electronic
media. All the ruling parties, in the Centre or provinces, stayed away from
these rallies. Imran warned of launching civil disobedience and lawyers
observed Black Day.
Leaders of PPP and PML-N spent a busy day in blaming each other
for the release of Davis in indecent haste. Raja Riaz asked all to forget the
case of Raymond after placing at the door of Raiwind. Parvez Rashid of
PML-N and Faisal Raza Abidi asked for formation of a judicial commission
to find facts about hasty trial and acquittal of Davis. Gilani bowed before the
court verdict, because it was in favour of his governments client, unlike the
one which was against NAB Chairman.
Altaf said Sharif brothers always run away in difficult situation.
Qureshi said Shumaila was proved right. Later on, he said the fate of the
nation cannot be left in the hands of few rotten fish. He asked Gilani to
appraise the nation about the facts of Raymonds case. Chief Justice was
urged to take suo moto notice.
Foreign Office took the lead from General Kayani and summoned
Cameron Munter where Salman Bashir told him not to take Pakistan for
granted. Media was informed that a protest was launched over killings in
drone attack in Waziristan. Pakistan declined to attend forthcoming trilateral
meeting at Brussels and urged for the need to revisit fundamentals of

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bilateral relationship. In Washington, Haqqani also joined the ritual of

pretensions and lodged protest over drone attack.
Members of the grand tribal jirga from North Waziristan announced to
wage jihad against the US to avenge the assassination of innocent peaceloving tribal elders. The jirga said that fidayeen had been ordered to target
Americans in Afghanistan. The tribal elders hoped that that General Kayani
would do what he said.
Punjab Assembly passed a resolution condemning the drone attack
other provincial assemblies were in no hurry because it wasnt an issue as
critical as Kalabagh Dam. The resolution demanded raising of the issue at
various international forums.
Next day, the Supreme Court was moved against judge for releasing
Davis. Taliban threatened to target facilitators of Raymonds acquittal. PAF
jetfighters remained on high alert as about a dozen drones kept hovering
over Waziristan. PML-Q demanded APC on drone attacks. America once
again pointed finger at Pak-China cooperation in civil nuclear programme.
Mariana Baabar quoted General Assad Durrani that the military
leadership is spilling crocodile tears, and attempting to cover up by cutting
a bad deal with the Americans relating to the release of a CIA contractor
Raymond Allen Davis, by issuing an unprecedented statement condemning
the latest drone attack in North Waziristan.
Absolutely, I am of the firm view that these condemnations that we
heard last night are nothing but crocodile tears. Thousands of innocent lives
have been lost in the past but the military and civilian leadership looked the
other way by making polite noises; so why this hypocrisy and strong words
now, asks former ISI and MI chief Gen Assad Durrani.
Durrani was speaking to The News at a time when tribal elders of
Tank in North Waziristan announced three-day mourning against the killing
of 44 civilian of Mahsud tribe in US drone strike on Thursday. I agree with
Chief of Waziristan Malik Nasrullah who is demanding of the US
government to provide blood money to the heirs of victims killed in the
attack said Durrani.
The News also received telephone calls from North Waziristan who
claim that they got this correspondents telephone number from a PTCL
directory, to ask how the government justifies giving blood money to those
killed by an American in Lahore but not a single rupee has been paid to
those killed in Fata by the US drone strikes
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I also feel that there might have been a tactical understanding with
the Americans on future drone strikes so quickly, given the rising
temperatures on the streets, adds the former spy master, who has dealt with
the Americans during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Only recently
the military was publicly supportive of these drone strikes when General
Officer Commanding 7-Division Maj Gen Ghayur Mehmood stated in
Miranshah that most of those killed by the US drones were hardcore alQaeda and Taliban terrorists and a fairly large number of them were of
foreign origin
When DG ISPR Gen Athar Abbas was asked why now they were
screaming bloody murder, when in the past thousands of innocent and
unarmed civilians have been killed, he responded, This was a clear cut
strike against a civilian jirga and there is a difference between this and
taking out terrorists. Abbass emotional tone suggested anger. He said that
even in the past they have protested but this time it was very different from
the past. We have as yet not had a response from the Americans, he said.
During last four days the war on terror was overshadowed by the story
of one valiant Crusader; Raymond Davis. At the same time other happenings
were not too many. In Pakistan, four people were killed in drone attack in
North Waziristan on 16th March prior to eviction of Davis. Two NATO
containers were set ablaze in Peshawar. A driver was killed and four NATO
oil tankers were burnt near Mastung. Next day, kidnapped tribesman was
killed by militants in Bara.
General Petraeus said on 18th March that military action in North
Waziristan is must to defeat militants and that is in the interest of Pakistan.
Gunship helicopters struck in Kurram Agency killing 8 and wounding 7
militants. Five militants were killed in Swat. Two NATO oil tankers were
burnt near Hasanabdal. Next day, curfew was imposed in North Waziristan.
Militants killed an alleged spy in Bara area. A lashkari was wounded in
bomb blast in Mohmand Agency.
In Afghanistan, two persons were killed in bomb blast in a NATO base
in Uruzgan Province on 16th March. Two days later, six Pakistani engineers
were among five persons kidnapped by militants and bodies of two drivers
killed were sent to Pakistan. On 19 th March, two NATO soldiers and an
Afghan guard were killed in separate incidents of violence. Karzai planned
to unveil the programme of transfer of responsibility for security.
In Balochistan, one FC soldier was killed when his vehicle was
attacked in Quetta on 17th March. Two security personnel were killed and
214

seven wounded in remote-controlled bomb blast near Dera Bugti. Next day,
three people were killed and six wounded in Quetta.

VIEWS
While reporting the news on 17th March, Numan Wahab remarked that
not only in disposing of murder charges the court also showed
exceptional haste in giving a soft verdict on the illegal weapons case and
paving the way to Kabul within hours.
In another mystifying twist, a report in the US media has claimed
within hours that the blood money of about US$2.3 million was actually
paid out by the Pakistan government on the understanding that the US would
reimburse the amount later at an opportune moment The question
remains, if the US didnt pay up the diyat as proven before the court,
then who did?
Tahir Khalil reported: the sources revealed that the issue of Diyyat
was resolved between the government and the heirs of Faizan and Faheem.
According to the agreed-upon formula, the blood-money of Rs200 million
was paid from the government fund for the sake of national self-respect
and no money was taken from the United States
Three days ago, when the final talks were going on with the heirs, the
widow of Faizan refused to take Rs25 million blood-money saying it was
not enough. President Asif Ali Zardari was informed of the stand of
Faizans widow, and after that she was paid Rs50 million.
As per deal, the state will bear the expenses of education, employed
and other needs of the children of the dead. The heirs will stay in the US,
and in a few days will reach Dubai. At present they were shifted from their
homes to some safe places from where they would be sent abroad.
Ahmad Noorani wrote: Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez
Kayani through Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Punjab Chief Minister
Shahbaz Sharif through some influential families of Lahore, played key role
convincing the families of Faizan and Faheem that Raymond Davis
will be released in any case and they will get nothing so the best course is
to accept money and forgive the American killer.
The ISPR director general, who is also the spokesman of ISI and
Pakistan Army, Major General Athar Abbas, on being asked told The News:
I am completely unaware whether General Kayani or ISI played any role in

215

convincing the families in Raymond Davis case. General Athar, however,

did not deny the role of General Kayani and ISI in remaining
continuously in touch with the families of Faizan and Faheem for the last
two months.
On the other hand, Shahbaz Sharif categorically denied that his
departure for London on D-day was part of the deal. He said that he never
contacted the families of Faizan and Faheem to convince them to concept
the money. Shahbaz also said that his government arrested and detained
Raymond. He tried to give the impression that his visit to London was in
connection with the heart attack suffered by Mian Nawaz Sharif. The Punjab
government sources, however, confirmed that Shahbazs tour to London
was planned in indecent haste.
Though there were comments that the federal government also
played a role in convincing the families but sources privy to the
development confided to The News that despite having utmost desire to do
so the federal government was unable to play any role and the whole
credit went to Pakistan Army, ISI and Shahbaz Sharif
Senior PML-N leader Siddiqul Farooq while talking to this scribe
said that according to his knowledge there are reports that Saudi government
played vital role in resolution of Raymond Davis issue. Siddique said the
heirs of both Faizan and Faheem were taken to Saudi Arabia and were
paid most part of the agreed compromise amount
Ansar Abbasi commented: Over a decade back an American official
had stated: Pakis can sell their mother for ten dollars. Our past rulers have
been proving it time and again and Musharraf broke all past records of
his loyalty to Washington throughout his nine-year dictatorship and today
we have demonstrated it yet again under the so-called democratic rulers. We
have sold ourselves once again.
Our, real masters the Americans must be very pleased with the
work of their puppets in Islamabad and Lahore. However, there are
serious apprehensions that this latest shame earned for Pakistan would
unleash a new wave of terrorism and fuel extremism in the country.
Only time will tell as to who in the establishment and amongst
the civilian rulers of Lahore and Islamabad sold their souls, dignity and
honour of the nation to facilitate the smooth release and return of the
American double murderer Raymond Davis. However, in view of the earlier
court judgment Islamic law of Diyat is not applicable in the offences that fall
under the expression of Fasad-fil-Arz. Additionally Davis involvement in
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spying business was a crime against state, this point was altogether ignored
by the federal and provincial governments.
Although, it is for the religious scholars and jurists to ponder if
Raymonds case falls in the category of Fasad-fil-Arz or was a routine
murder invoking the provision of Diyat, this very aspect was not discussed
by the Lahore sessions court. The Punjab prosecution also did not raise
this aspect of this strange outcome of the Raymond case
Raja Arshad Ahmed, former attorney general and counsel
representing heirs of one of the deceased, told this correspondent that the
Punjab governments prosecution did not raise the issue that this case falls
in the category of Fasad-fil-Arz. Ansar elaborated this point with
reference to court judgments and also pointed out the issue of his name on
ECL.
He concluded: In the context of Punjab police investigation proving
Davis to have killed two young men in a cold blooded manner, it is
interesting to read this part of the PHC judgment: Where as person for
no sufficient reason resorted to indiscriminate firing, taking lives of four
innocent ladies which include his wife and three young daughters, should no
go scot-free just because the legal heirs of the four deceased have waived
and compounded the offence against the offender.
The News wrote: As suddenly as it begun on a busy street in Lahore
on January 27, the Davis case is over. It is over in the sense that Davis was
flown out of the country when these words were written, but it remains very
much open and unresolved in the minds of many in Pakistan. The solution to
the problem was eventually to be found in blood money. It was reportedly
paid to the relatives of the two young men Davis killed. They allegedly
signed the relevant documents forgiving him his crime in front of the judge
who had just indicted him willingly for murder. The questions are now
being asked whether or not they did so under duress. The judge rapidly
acquitted Davis. He left the court in the Kot Lakhpat Jail where he had been
held with American officials bound for an unknown destination. Also in an
unknown destination may be members of the families who were said to
have received the money as the local and foreign media were reporting in the
evening that their homes were locked and empty, their cell phones
unattended.
Details will emerge in coming hours and days, but a raft of questions
remains unanswered. The application of a solution under Diyat has let the
government off several hooks the first of these being the one labeled
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diplomatic immunity. There has not been any clear statement from the
government as to whether or not Davis had diplomatic immunity; and the
ambiguity that now hangs in the air leaves the door open for similar opaque
arrangements to that which allowed him in here in the first place. Then there
is sovereignty. Much has been said and written on the matter in the last year,
usually in connection with drone strikes. But this incident was rather more
up close and personal than a hit by a Hellfire in deepest Waziristan. Is our
sovereignty so compromised that it is within the rules of engagement for
CIA stingers such as Davis that they are permitted to carry and discharge
weapons in the street? To go equipped with the impedimenta of espionage
unchallenged? Again no definitive answer has been forthcoming.
The shambolic issuance of visas to Americans without any sort of
background clearance was an invitation to abuse the system which the
Americans duly did. The Davis affair was a textbook example of how not to
conduct diplomacy by both sides, and neither we nor the Americans
emerge with honour from this sorry business. There must be a certain irony
that both sides were apparently saved from further embarrassment by Sharia
law, although whether either side will have learned a lesson remains to be
seen. The public protests on the streets, which could snowball in the coming
days, may be an unpleasant task for the political governments in the Centre
and in Punjab to handle. What we have now is two murders, a death as
collateral damage and a suicide. What we may see in the coming days and
weeks is yet to unfold. But we have a trust deficit of cosmic proportions
not just between the US and Pakistan but also between the people of
Pakistan and their state.
Next day, the newspaper added: The US airplane that whisked
Raymond Davis out of the country following his release has left behind a
trail of fire and blackened earth. The anger over the freeing of a man who
gunned down two people in cold blood has already triggered protests. These
threaten to accelerate with all religious parties agreeing that protests will be
staged on Friday. They will be joined by lawyers and perhaps other groups
outraged by the devious deal that underlies the closing chapter in the
tale of Davis and his doings in the country. The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf
has already been out on the streets and various PML factions have also
expressed their disappointment at the outcome of the case.
The questions that have arisen from the manner in which the
affair was handled continue to highlight many doubts and concerns.
What agreements have been reached behind the scenes? Who was involved
in finalizing them and who was responsible for detaining the lawyer for the
218

heirs of the victims? The central government has refused to provide any
answers. There has been no comment from the prime minister or president
and even the weekly briefing given by the Foreign Office as a matter of
routine each Thursday was cancelled. The federal information minister has
merely said the release came under Shariah law; the judge who delivered the
verdict is reported to have gone on leave ostensibly for security reasons.
There is an element of mystery surrounding the role the Punjab government
may have played or where the Rs200 million paid as blood money actually
came from. The US has denied making any payments and there is conjecture
that the sum was removed from Pakistans own exchequer.
What we are left with, is a government which stands more
discredited than ever before and a further erosion of our standing as an
independent nation. We can no longer even claim sovereign status. It is quite
obvious that our government is unable to take any kind of stand against the
US or defend the rights of its people. The failure to tell citizens the truth
makes matters worse and underscores the fact that we live in a state where
deceit is the norm and underhand deals worked out behind closed doors
determine far too many issues. This is not how a democracy should work.
Nor is it viable to have a set-up in which people are so aggrieved with their
leaders and feel that they are serving interests other than those of the
electorate which brought them into power.
The Davis affair had placed a strain on Pak-US relations. But it
had also arguably offered Pakistan an opportunity to make things more even.
This has not happened. Things are perhaps back to where they stood before.
But while the government may have wheedled its way back into the favour
of the US and perhaps won a few pats on the back, it has lost the trust of
people everywhere in Pakistan. In time, it may find this is an enormous cost
to pay; many will never forgive it for selling the soul of the country in this
dastardly fashion.
Tariq Butt opined: Neither the federal government nor the Punjab
administration or the Pakistan Army can be singled out for the sellout.
Zardaris, Gilanis, Kayanis and Sharifs of this world were on the same
page with none picking up the courage to be in bad books of
Washington. It was the corporate decision to settle the tricky issue, and the
operation was carried out with precision, with every actor performing in his
own way to break the logjam. Of course, contributions vary in degrees.
Therefore, there is no sole punching bag. Everyone worked to walk
beyond the Davis saga to stem further ruptures in the Pak-US ties. The
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deal was aimed at making an effort to repair the deteriorating relations

between the premier spy agencies of the two countries, which are known
worldwide for their unique love hate ties.
As everyone was on board and playing a part, there is no
acrimonious trade of allegations between the mouthpieces of the federal
and Punjab governments, which are always ready to lock in a bitter fight at
the drop of a hat. Everyone is defending the outcome. If any single segment
was left out in this process, it were the people of Pakistan, treated as an
irrelevant commodity. Daviss abrupt release was not less than a bolt from
the blue for many with several people simply becoming speechless and
motionless for a while to fathom what has happened.
However, there are a number of lessons to be learnt both by
Pakistan and the US; directions set for their future relations, and terms of
engagement between the two awe-inspiring spy agencies; and a clear
departure from Pervez Musharraf fascist practice of bundling out all and
sundry abroad even on slight demands from his foreign masters.
After dwelling on the lessons which would never be learnt Butt felt
that despite the shortcomings the performance of democratic government
was better than military dictators. He went on: The way Pakistan handled
the Davis issue was a clear deviation from the practices of Musharrafs
rule when hundreds of Pakistanis and foreigners were sent packing in the
wake of US directions since 2001. This time there was also no repeat of
handing over of Aimal Kanzi and Ramzi Yusuf, who were clandestinely
delivered to the US without any judicial process. Even when all top
American leaders including Obama, Secretary Hillary Clinton and Senator
John Kerry were exerting pressure on Pakistan and engaged in the mantra
that Davis has diplomatic immunity, Islamabad kept him in jail for fifty
days. This was meant to send a message across that Washington must behave
and should not take Pakistan for granted.
Every senior leader in the political dispensation at the federal and
Punjab levels reiterated ad nauseam that it was for court, seized with the
matter, to decide about Daviss fate and future. Finally, Davis was set free
through the judicial process. The victims heirs received the compensation
and deposed before the judge about the compromise reached.
However, in a country like Pakistan where agencies have a lot of
sway in hammering out such sensitive matters, this deal too could not be
described as voluntary. But the additional sessions judge was required to
reject the settlement had even a single heir talked about coercion or use of
220

force. Questioning the compromise outside the court by heirs or

anybody else is of no consequence. The judge cant do anything if the
parties work out a compromise and state this before him.
The Davis drama produced a strong lesson for Washington:
American secret agents, who abound in Pakistan, cant just walk away
unscathed if they indulge in something that is illegal under the law of the
land. They have to a pay a price for their acts of omission and commission
as Davis did by remaining behind the bars for fifty days before getting
freedom after a lot a hullabaloo and bringing the relations between the two
countries to a brink.
If the Davis saga is going to serve as a guide for Washington,
American agents will be expected to be discreet in their activities and
actions in future; will have to keep local authorities especially intelligence
agencies informed about their movements and cant do what they will. They
will face a similar situation if they broke the new rules of engagement.
Ayaz Amir defended the democratic rulers. National dignity sold
once again, crieth the prophets and pundits of the honour-cum-nationaldignity armies as they give vent to their anger at the release, on the anvil of
Islamic law, of the CIA operative, Raymond Davis.
But what exactly are they howling about? What item of national
honour has been surrendered in the Davis affair? If they would suspend
their outrage for a moment and consider the matter calmly admittedly a tall
order for ones so self-righteous it is Pakistan which has had its way in the
Davis affair, not the United States.
The US wanted Davis not to be arrested at all. And once he had been
taken into custody all the pressure that Washington could harness and mount
was directed at his immediate release on grounds of full diplomatic
immunity. It wasnt just US diplomats calling for this but President Obama
too in a tele-speech devoted to Davis. It couldnt have got any higher than
this.
Ayaz argued that the democratic rulers especially of his party in
Punjab had performed much better than military dictators in showing some
sort spine existing in their backs. He then added: It must have taken some
time for all this to sink into the minds of our American friends. They
were seeking a shortcut but were not getting it because all approaches were
blocked by the chess game being played from Aabpara.

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So perforce and not gladly the Americans had to opt for

discretion over valour, behind-the-scenes contacts over Yankee-style
bluster. When did this happen? No doubt when they had swallowed some of
their anger, always a tough act to perform for an imperial power, and when
they had gone over their maps of Pakistan afresh and seen how the ground
lay.
What was the ISI, or rather the army, trying to prove? That the
key to decisions relating to war and peace were still in GHQ and Daviss
fate would also be decided there rather than any power-impoverished
corridor in Islamabad. Better than anyone else the Americans know how
things operate in Pakistan. But thanks to Raymond Davis they had to go
through a refresher course on this subject again.
There must be smiles all around in Aabpara and GHQ, all the more so
when most of the anger sparked by Daviss dollar-aided flight from Pakistan
will be directed at the political class. The military have long specialized in
having their cake and eating it too.
As a number of press reports have suggested stories in which too
the long hand of Aabpara can be detected the ISI has had serious
complaints about expanded CIA activities in Pakistan. It is not too
farfetched to suppose that the Davis affair was an opportunity for these
concerns to be aired and addressed. If the CIA in Pakistan was running
wild, here was a chance to rein it in. If Aabpara is given to emotion, Daviss
name will be taken with emotion in those hallowed precincts.
Where does this leave the holy knights of national dignity and
honour, threatening fire and brimstone and choking at the mouth
because Davis through an application of Islamic law, let us never forget
has flown the coop? Did these chumps really think that something as vital
and life-saving for the Pakistani establishment as the American connection
would be allowed to be jeopardized for the sake of an individual? This is not
how the real world functions.
Z A Ashras remarked: And the government? Ah yes, the government.
They appear to be busy saying as little as possible and putting distance
between themselves and the decision-making process, claiming it was purely
a judicio-legal matter and thus not for comment. Case closed. The matter
had to be resolved of course but a complete absence of transparency has
left a sour taste in the mouth and a sense of justice denied in the minds
of a wider public.

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Muhammad Azhar Khwaja from Lahore observed: March 16 once

again became a landmark day in the history of the country. Two years ago on
this day the people of this country won when an independent judiciary under
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was restored. Two years later, a
US spy and killer of two Pakistanis, who was being tried for murder, was
freed in a most dubious manner. It seems everything was pre-planned. All
the statements by politicians and security officials were perhaps for public
consumption and, in actual fact, these politicians had assured the US that
Davis would be freed at an appropriate time once the public agitation
subsided.
Now, the only face-saving measure for the all those who were
involved in this deal is that they should declare all such US contract
workers personas non grata and expel them from the country within 48
hours. The masses must be told the nitty-gritty of the deal under which
Davis was not only released but was flown out of the country within a
couple of hours.
Asiya Mahar from Islamabad opined: As always our leaders political
and military bowed down to the US. But what is new is the way it has been
done. The manner in which Raymond Davis was set free raised many
questions in the peoples minds. How did a family, which had been resisting
any deal for so long, agree to it all of a sudden? And where is the family
now? What led the so-called awami party, the PML-N that is, to take such an
unpopular stand? The PML-N had been continuously criticizing the PPP for
being Americas puppets, and what did it do itself? The politicians must
now get ready to bear the brunt of public reaction to this very
mismanaged case.
Khalid Mustafa also from Islamabad remarked: It seems in this case
the whole nation is on one side while the army establishment, the
government, the judiciary and the political parties are on the other.
Eilaf Faizi from Karachi wrote: Raymond Davis acquittal proves
one thing: there is always a price tag on a Pakistanis life. It may be high
for some and low for others, but in the end it all comes down to money. The
Davis case was not just a murder case; it had turned into an issue which
every Pakistani felt strongly about.
Afnaan Qayyum from Rawalpindi observed: Raymond Davis is a
free man. He had to be freed. After all, how else would our leaders get
loans and aid to maintain their luxurious lifestyle?

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UK Dar from Manchester, UK wrote: As expected from this puppet

regime, it surrendered to its masters demand. Public opinion and
sentiments do not mean a thing to our rulers.
Dr Farrukh Saleem wrote: Stars and Stripes, the official daily tabloid
of the Untied States Department of Defence, revealed some three weeks ago
that Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General
David Petraeus, commander of International Security Assistance Force;
Admiral Eric Olson, commander of US Special Operations Command; and
Marine Corps General James Mattis, commander of US Central Command,
met with General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistans Chief of Army Staff,
and Major General Javed Iqbal, Director General of Military Operations,
secretly at a beach resort in Muscat. The meeting took place on February
23 but what transpired during the meeting is not known.
What is known is that within a week of that daylong meeting at
least three things happened: 45 individuals who had been in touch with
Davis were arrested, 30 CIA operatives suspended their covert activities, and
at least 12 CIA covert operators left Pakistan.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) undertakes covert
activities at the request of the President of the United States and is also
responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior
United States policymakers. The CIA is, therefore, in the business of
HUMINT (Human Intelligence), SIGINT (Signal Intelligence), IMINT
(Imagery Intelligence) and MASINT (Measurements and Signature
Intelligence)
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a total of 851
Americans in Pakistan have diplomatic immunity of which 297 are not
working in a diplomatic capacity. According to the Ministry of Interior, the
number of embassy-connected, non-diplomat American citizens stand at
414. Roughly, half of all these Americans in Pakistan report to the Joint
Special Operations Command (JSOC). Thanks to what Raymond Davis did,
starting February 28, the CIA appears to be shutting down all or most of
its HUMINT operations in this country. SIGINT, IMINT and MASINT
will continue-business as usual.
On 19th March, The News commented on the drone attack in Datta
Khel. This seems a surly way to thank Pakistan for freeing Davis; the
central government should be thinking hard about its role in this, its efforts
to gain favour with Washington and the reward it has received in return. The
US ambassador Cameron Munter was called in to the Foreign Officebut
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this may not be enough to deter the US from staging similar strikes in the
future. The events of the past few days have, if nothing else made it clear
that the US looks at Pakistan with disdain, even contempt. The lives of its
people have no value.
What is worse still is the fact that Pakistans own government has
so far seemed ready to squander its sovereignty to a nation that calls itself
an ally but has done little to demonstrate this. The drone issue has continued
for years now. Over the last week or so we have experienced a stepped up
series of attacks, notably in North Waziristan, with the latest strike on a
gathering of tribal elders claiming the largest ever death toll in that agency.
While Islamabad repeatedly voices its annoyance each time more people are
killed because of drones and the missiles they spew, it is hardly a secret that
the drone attacks have the tacit support of the government. The protests are
essentially nothing more than a cosmetic exercise.
But the question to be asked is: Where is this leading us? The
anger left behind by the drones is growing in intensity. We have heard the
anguish and the rage in the voices of people from Datta Khel this time too. It
is unclear if any militants fell during the attack or what the principal purpose
behind the strike was. But even if some did die, even if the vehicle chased
by a drone across the Afghan border did carry a wanted person, the fact of
the matter is that more young men in the area will take up arms to avenge
those who have died and whose distraught relatives gather for burial.
Warnings about this have been issued many times and by many different
people. It appears they have not been heeded; it is also apparent that the
Pakistani government has failed to persuade the US of the folly of its ways,
and this can only mean more danger in the days ahead for all the people who
live in the tribal belt and have learnt to fear the sound of the drones which
have brought death and suffering time and again, making no distinction
between militants and ordinary men, women and children.
Ameer Bhutto asked: Isnt our legal system wonderful? On March
14, in the Raymond Davis immunity case hearing in the Lahore High Court,
the government submitted that he had entered Pakistan on a business visa
and the court ruled that the trial court would settle the issue of immunity.
Just two days later, on March 16, the trial court set him free after
payment of blood money to the heirs of the murdered boys. In these mere 48
hours, all 19 heirs of the victims were contacted (nobody knows by whom),
they were convinced to accept blood money, the amount was settled, their
lawyer was fired and a new one hired, the money was paid, statements to
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that effect were recorded in court, the case was disposed off accordingly,
Raymond Davis was freed and reportedly rushed to a waiting aircraft at
Lahore airport and the heirs of the deceased were all relocated to unknown
locations.
If only the system would work with the same speed for the rest of us
as well. I personally know of a case in which a man convicted of murder was
not released for nearly two years even after reaching a compromise with the
heirs of the victim. And what about the thousands of under trial prisoners
who languish in prisons for years while cases linger on without outcome?
What about our citizens that are allegedly handed over and even sold, to
foreign powers?
How very nice of our government to pounce at once to implement
the ruling of the trial court. It is another matter that the honourable Chief
Justice and his brethren in the Supreme Court have continuously strived in
vain to get the government to implement their orders and verdicts in matters
of national importance, but in this case the orders of a district level trial
court were implemented with lightening speed to facilitate Davis flight from
Pakistan. But contradictions have already surfaced in the accounts of the
Pakistani and American authorities.
Firstly, while the official version being peddled here is that blood
money was paid to the heirs of the victims by the American authorities and
the recipients of the blood money even recorded statements to that effect in
court, American Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has gone on record to
deny that any money was paid by the United States of America.
Her statement is corroborated by media reports to the effect that the
blood money was, in fact, paid by the Pakistan government. In other words,
our government paid taxpayers money to spring a foreign killer of
Pakistani citizens from prison. This is tantamount to subsidizing the
murder of our citizens by foreign adventurists and is an invitation to others
of Davis ilk to slaughter more Pakistanis. If the Pakistan government did
indeed pay the blood money as reported, then that does not satisfy the
religious requirements of diyat, which the murderer must pay.
Secondly, the government of Pakistan is desperately trying to
distance itself from the diyat deal, but a spokesperson for the United States
authorities has admitted in a press conference that they worked closely
with the government of Pakistan to secure Davis release.
The body of Shariah Law must either be accepted or rejected in toto.
It is hypocritical of western powers to reap benefits under its provisions
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while carrying on a full scale war against those who seek to implement
the same laws in society. In any case, other questions remain unanswered.
For instance, Davis suspicious conduct needs to be explained. What
business did a man who entered Pakistan on a business visa have in the
Mozang Chongi area of Lahore? Why was this businessman so heavily
armed? Widely publicized Russian intelligence reports have claimed that
Davis was passing nuclear material to the Taliban. Are these not serious
enough allegations to warrant investigation? Or was there a deal on those
matters too? If so, who benefited from it and what were the benefits?
The clandestine manner in which Raymond Davis was set free is
another nail in the coffin of our national sovereignty. We have sunk to a
new low. If anybody harboured delusions of freedom they should now lay
them to rest and swallow the bitter reality pill that our power hungry rulers
have reduced us to a colony of their foreign masters to cling on to power
with their support. Public and national interests never enter the picture.
Revolution in Tunisia was ignited by the suicide of just one man who set
himself on fire due to economic hardship. Hundreds of men and women
have committed suicide in Pakistan in the last few years for the same reason,
but there has been no public reaction here.
By the time this article is printed it will have become clear how the
public will react to this issue. The future of the country will depend on
their response. Lack of adequate action on their part is bound to open even
greater flood gates of oppression and humiliation that this country lacks the
strength to survive.
Raymond Davis is gone. All the petitions or suo moto notices in
the world will not bring him back to Pakistan. But the higher judiciary
can at least probe into the facts and glaring discrepancies in this matter. And
if they are going to hold the authorities responsible for any form of
culpability in allowing a murderer to get away, then they must also take the
government to task for allowing Pervez Musharraf to escape, with full
presidential protocol no less, before he could answer charges in the Benazir
Bhutto murder case.
What is the opposite of the Midas touch? Whatever it is, this
government has it. Everything it does, everything it touches or meddles
with, is soiled with filth and sleaze. It seems almost physically incapable of
acting under the umbrella of law and sound political and moral ethics. In all
its dealings there is the ever-present element of deception and corruption.
That is why the democratic process of electing a government is so critical.
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The Kennedy family holds almost royal status in America, yet the late
Senator Edward Kennedy was denied nomination by the Democratic Party to
contest for the presidency in 1980, mainly because of the Chappaquiddick
incident in which a young woman died, allegedly because of his negligence.
Electing leaders is a responsibility to be discharged not on
emotional considerations, but on the more solid grounds of reasonable
expectations of fulfillment of public and national interests. It is a decision
the public must take not on the basis of services rendered to the nation by
deceased leaders in the past, but on the reasonable expectations of services
to be rendered by the current politicians in the future based on a close
scrutiny of their past conduct. When public authority is vested in unfit
hands, they can do no better than to make a mockery of all that we hold
sacred. They are bound to hamstring democracy, cripple state institutions
and compromise national sovereignty while raking in the loot, operating
under the principle of after me the deluge.
How much longer must Pakistan suffer the consequences of the NRO
deal? How much more pain and humiliation are the people willing to tolerate
in silence? How can we hold our heads high after this? I have quoted the
following lines from Shakespeares Julius Caesar before and I offer no
apologies for reproducing them again since they so eloquently sum up the
sorry state of affairs we find ourselves in time and again: The fault, dear
Brutus, lies not in the stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Talat Farooq opined: It is like a slap in the face, a personal affront,
legality and religious endorsement of the act notwithstanding. Raymond
Davis has finally been delivered into safety and freedom by the federal
government, the provincial government, the security agencies and the
judiciary. How united we stand when it comes to serving our masters
overseas!
Who wanted Davis back? America. And who was the guarantor and
the mediator? Saudi Arabia. How did Saudi Arabia achieve this American
objective in Pakistan? By using the Islamic-leverage; a strategy that Saudi
Arabia has effectively applied since the Afghan-Soviet War in the 1980s.
They have used the religious bent of the people of Pakistan and their
sentimental attachment to the Prophet to help the US attain its foreign
policy goals in Pakistan.
Raymond Davis is not only the murderer of two individuals; he is
involved in espionage against the state of Pakistan. What right then did the
Saudis have to arrange Davis return? Who were they to pay the blood
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money on Americas behalf? The sad truth is that we as beggars cannot be

choosers.
The political hypocrisy of both the US and Saudi Arabia has
never been more apparent than it is today. It is reflected in their responses
to the peoples uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. It is
manifested in their prompt intervention in Bahrain and their delaying tactics
in stopping the hand of Qaddafi. The Saudi role whether in Pakistan or
Bahrain, has demonstrated how its monarchy works hand in glove with the
US.
The question is how then do our mullahs find the Saudis to be the
great upholders of the ultimate truth? Why are the Jamaat-e-Islami and
the rest of the bearded lot only condemning America? Is the Saudi
obsequiousness any different from Tony Blairs catering to the fancies of
George Bush?
The Taliban that have become the bane of our lives were
manufactured by the military and mullahs with Saudi riyals. Why then
do we consider them our benefactors? How is Saudi intervention in our
internal matters any different from Americas violation of our sovereignty?
The Saudis are as much responsible for what has become of Pakistan today
as America and Pakistans security agencies. Saudi riyals have bought
Pakistani vested interests with as much ease as US dollars.
The US and Saudi Arabia are not the only ones who stand
exposed. More importantly, it is Pakistan. The politicians, the judiciary
and the military establishment are all party to this drama. Raymond Davis,
the murderer of innocent Pakistanis has left the country; America, the mass
murderer of innocent people all over the world, has struck Waziristan with a
vengeance. Prime Minister Gilani tells us that the drone attacks were
irresponsible and the government has protested to the US. And the bases
from where the drones flew, where were they, Gilani Saheb? In India?
Afghanistan? America?
If there were any doubts about the nature of power politics in
Pakistan, the Raymond Davis drama has dispelled them. The politicians
whether from the ruling party or the opposition will always be remembered
as cowards of the highest order. The representatives of the judiciary will be
remembered as unjust, the military as inadequate, and the mullahs as
hypocritical.
They are all working according to their respective agendas. The
politicians want to loot and plunder while the iron is hot. The judiciary
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wants to rock the boat but not to the point of drowning itself. The military
wants to protect its self-created monsters in North Waziristan and Punjab;
the mullahs want to use religion to attain power and blame America but not
Saudi Arabia. They all have their own axes to grind.
No-one gives a toss about the people of Pakistan. They do not
matter; their integrity is a joke, their dignity for sale. They are treated like
commodities, used and discarded. They are a mild irritant in the way of the
high and mighty and their desires. They are insects that the elite dont even
notice when they crush them under their shoes. They once dared to dream of
an independent country where they would live with dignity. They once
believed that Jinnahs Pakistan will be better than Nehrus India. Today they
are crushed, abused, broken and humiliated. Their blood is being spilled
every day in the streets of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
But no one will ever ask for their forgiveness; no one will ever offer
to pay their blood money in order to win freedom. They are nobodies,
redundant, superfluous, and dispensable. They will remain uncounted,
faceless and nameless for their life is not a matter of national interest for
America or Saudi Arabia or Pakistan.
So let us then bow our heads and weep for the dreams that could
not materialize. Let us bow our heads and weep for the self-respect lost
along the way and for being betrayed by those we trusted with our lives and
dreams; the ones we trusted with the future of our children. Let us weep for
lost hopes and broken dreams. Above all, let us weep for never having the
courage to stand up to the usurpers, the exploiters and the oppressors. Let us
weep because our dreams were important to us but not that important.
Babar Sattar, being and enlightened, did not fail in remembering
Salman Taseer in the melee over release of Davis. What is it that makes us
really mad about the Raymond Davis saga? Is it that two Pakistani lives
have been lost and no one has been made to account for them? Is it that big,
bad America has rubbed our noses in the dirt, robbed us of honour and
established that with power and money one can even get away with murder
in Pakistan? Is it that our civilian and military leaders have proved yet again
that their personal servitude to US interests takes precedence over all else? Is
it that with the acceptance of blood money the families of the slain
Pakistanis have reminded us that ordinary citizens are as eager to sell their
souls for the right price as our leaders?
Or is it a vile conspiracy against Islam that a Shariah-inspired law has
been used by an infidel to get away with murder? Has the manner and
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speed of the Davis trial established that our justice system isnt really
blind and does play favourites if they are powerful enough?
How does one explain the outpour of national outrage at the death of
two Pakistanis (with suspect backgrounds at best) and nothing comparable
at the killing of Salmaan Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti? Why are the lives
claimed in Fata by drone attacks, in Balochistan by national security, and
across Pakistan by morality, honour and intolerance any less valuable?
Does Shariah-inspired law not endorse the concept of blood
money, the role of a victims legal heirs in granting forgiveness and the legal
system letting a killer off the hook if he manages to buy his pardon? Why is
the use of this law acceptable when it comes into play to excuse
premeditated murders of women by family members for the sake of honour
or to allow the rich to purchase their way out of the criminal justice system,
but not in the case of Davis?
Why criticize Hussain Haqqani for showing the Americans a
legal way out of the Davis debacle? Could he have shown such a way if
none existed? If the Davis case has made a mockery of justice why is no one
interested in plugging loopholes in the Qisas and Diyat law even today? Has
the justice system faltered in this particular case? Do we not know that
thousands use money and influence every day to grease the wheels of our
judicial system? Is financial or intellectual corruption kosher when it comes
to cases involving Pakistanis but swift judicial process abhorrent if it
benefits someone like Davis? The ability of a legal system to produce
justice is contingent on the merit and substance of laws together with the
integrity of procedures that comprise the system.
As a nation we are loath to critique and revisit abusive statutory
provisions such as the blasphemy law or the diyat law. We understand
that bigots in the past conceived flawed legal provisions in the name of
religion, present-day bigots defend them tooth and nail for their public
survival rests on their ability to continue to drag religion into politics and
abuse it, and yet we are too timid to stand for our beliefs and confront the
abuse of religion in our state. How can a legal system comprising flawed
laws and compromised procedural practices miraculously produce justice?
Leaving our hypocrisy and internal contradictions aside, let us form a
fair estimate of what happened in the Davis case. The fact that an
undercover CIA operative was formally arrested and information about the
case was released to the media was extraordinary. The federal government
refused to declare that Raymond Davis enjoyed diplomatic immunity despite
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US pressure backed by all its might having been brought to bear upon it. The
US administration was forced to backtrack and consider amicable
alternatives when Pakistan insisted that Davis release must be the outcome
of our court process.
At a time when the US is plunged into one of the most Islamophobic
phases of its history (with legislators in more than 13 states having
introduced bills requiring courts to disregard Shariah laws), the US
administration has had to rely on a Shariah-inspired Pakistani law to
buy the release of a spook in full public glare.
Notwithstanding current US status as the sole superpower and the
arrogance that comes along, the Davis episode (in the midst of the Middle
East turmoil) would have driven home the point that even in satellite
states such as Pakistan business-as-usual might not work for much
longer. The formula of relying on compliant elites within client states eager
and willing to do the masters bidding is on an extended lease of life if not
outdated.
In Pakistan with the judiciary and the media emerging as new sources
of influence more responsive to public opinion, power is no longer as
centralized and monopolized as it used to be. Such change in the powerdistribution pattern will make it harder for the US to rely on a coterie of
individuals within the ruling regime to secure its interests in utter disregard
of street opinion.
But here lies the rub as well. The manner in which the Raymond
Davis saga wound up has further entrenched the sense of
disempowerment of the average Pakistani. We are angry most of all for
we feel used. Our elites have not undergone a change of heart it now seems.
They are still eager to sleep with the enemy. It is obvious that public anger
was deliberately provoked in this case as a tactical maneuver to drive up the
price.
Our faceless khakis were running the show all along. Once they
extracted their pound of flesh things became hunky-dory and the system
started to speak with one voice again. The biggest winners in this haggle
have been the army and the ISI, and the democratic process, civilian control
of the military and a rational tolerant society the sorest losers.
Punishing Raymond Davis was not going to rid Pakistan of any
of its problems. We feel violated because this episode has thrown into our
faces the ugly realities that characterize our state and our society. Our
reaction is twofold: a sense of fatalism reflected in self-loathing commentary
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on how we are a failed people and deserve the hand we have been dealt; or a
sense of denial obvious in theories about the US-Euro-Zino-Indian
hegemonic-nexus conspiring to hold down the tremendous potential of the
faithful in this land of the pure. Neither position helps one indulge in
constructive self-criticism and take corrective measures. The real tragedy
surrounding the Davis saga is that while getting all riled up against the US,
we are refusing to learn the right lessons.
The Raymond Davis episode transpired because our security
apparatus is not accountable to the people of Pakistan and the national
security policy is not subject to public scrutiny. We will never know the
details of why the CIA and the ISI fell out in the first place and the terms on
which they made up and so more Davises will exist and thrive without our
knowledge.
What we do know is that the khakis have established conclusively
that anyone interested in doing business in Pakistan must go through
them (first by stirring up a national crisis over the Kerry-Lugar law and then
taming it, and now by getting Davis wound up in a legal conundrum and
then disentangling him).
This will remind the US and other foreign actors of the necessity
of building direct ties with the army, further perpetuate the civil-military
imbalance in Pakistan and weaken the democratic process. Meanwhile the
nation addicted to hollow notions of pride will continue to confuse jingoism
with national interest and growing anti-Americanism will keep religious
parties, bigotry and intolerance alive and well in Pakistan.
Abida Mahmood from Lahore observed: A feeling of grief and
helplessness swept through many of us when we heard about the release of
Raymond Davis. God knows whether the family really agreed to it or they
were forced to accept the blood money. People like me are left wondering
why Raymond couldnt be charged with possessing illegal firearms. It is
time for all of us to demand freedom from all these leaders whose sole
purpose is to sell our sovereignty for money.
Noor Ahmed Tariq from Rawalpindi wrote: I would like to ask all
those stakeholders who facilitated, directly or indirectly, the release of
Raymond Davis: will they exonerate the culprit who murdered their
beloved son or daughter; if so, the nation is ready to forgive them.
Umer Khalil from Peshawar opined: The whole drama of Raymond
Davis release was pre-planned. The cold-blooded murder of two people
was an act of terrorism against the state and the Diyat law was not applicable
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to this case. It is obvious that our rulers do not work for the interests of this
country.
Gohar Mahmood from Rawalpindi opined: The Americans
effectively played the Diyat law and took their man away. The Pakistani
leadership has always been forthcoming in obeying the US orders but this
time it showed its love for the religion as well. A license has been now
provided to the US to kill anyone and get away with it by paying blood
money. This is a unique case of selling religion which will be remembered
for times to come with an incentive to many murderers, inland and abroad.
Dr Ghayur Ayub from London asked few questions: Many members
of the lawyers community have repeatedly confessed that true justice and
independence have not trickled down from the higher judiciary to the lower
following the lawyers movement. Pressure tactics of various kinds affect
decision making, blemishing the image of the judiciary at that level. In other
words, justice is still limping in the same way as it did before March 13,
2007 the day the lawyers movement took the first step towards
reformation. The Raymond Davies case brought up important points to
surface. It confirmed that the lower judiciary still works under pressure. It is
pertinent to mention that the sessions judge who was hearing Davis case
went on sudden leave after pronouncing the judgment.
Also, why did the Lahore High Court transfer a very high-profile
case to a lower court knowing fully well that the lower judiciary had not
reformed as the high judiciary? Is it that the higher judiciary passed the
responsibility to the lower judiciary for the reasons the lower judiciary is
known for?
Yasir Amanat from Islamabad observed: It is amusing to hear
people associating notions like sovereignty and independence with our
nation. The recent events speak volume about our sovereignty. We handed
over a double murderer to the US and, to show its gratitude, the American
forces conducted a drone strike that killed over 40 people in our tribal areas
the very next day. And how did our government and security establishment
react? They condemned the attack, though we all know that the drones
cannot strike without our prior understanding and permission. But theres a
reason why things are the way they are.
Mahabat Khan Bangash from Peshawar commented: The Prime
Minister Gilani and the chief of army staff strongly have condemned the
recent drone attack in South Waziristan in which 41 people were killed. Sirs,
both of you are quite late in condemning the drone strikes. Hundreds of
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innocent Pakistanis are being killed on a routine basis in the drone

attacks which take place with the permission of the establishment.

REVIEW
Before attempting analysis of this event, it must be recalled that in the
last article it was concluded that John Kerry was advised by the Pakistani
puppet rulers not to insist on carrying Raymond Davis in his airplane. They
had feared violent public reaction and thus decided to resolve the issue by
resorting to their favourite delaying tactics.
Kerry went back, not empty handed. He had killers of Ebadur Rehman
with him and a commitment of Pakistani rulers to release Raymond Davis,
about which he was confident that they dared no betraying. Pakistani rulers
at that time had two options available for fulfillment of their promise;
fabricate documents for diplomatic immunity or secure forgiveness courtesy
Islamic law of diyat.
The first option evaporated into thin air soon after Shah Mahmood
Qureshi publicly announced that Davis had no diplomatic immunity. The
regime was left with only option of diyat. This option was not so easy to be
implemented as it appeared on the face of it.
Some of the problems which could be faced in this context were too
obvious. First, all the heirs of victims, which were quite a few, had to
voluntarily consent to accept the diyat; this appeared quite difficult
especially when most of them had publicly refused to accept any
reconciliatory approach. The only way to secure their consent was through
coercion or luring them with attractive incentives.
Another hurdle was that the application of diyat law could be
challenged on the basis Peshawar High Court verdict in which it was ruled
that it wasnt applicable where Fasad-fil-Arz was feared. This fact could be
exploited by religious parties to create hurdles in amicable resolution of
the problem.
PML-N too couldnt be trusted as it was likely to be tempted to avail
the situation to harm US-Zardari relations. Therefore, everything had to be
done in complete secrecy and ISI was considered the best to accomplish this
task clandestinely and through coercion. In addition, Saudi authorities were
involved only to the extent of passing a word to Sharif brothers not to
interfere in implementation of the scheme so evolved.

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Shahbaz government was thus under obligation to cooperate with ISI;

Sharifs could not afford ignoring favours of Saudi rulers. They were not
required to actively participate in execution of the plan conceived by Zardari
regime; they only had to look the other way when it was being implemented
by the agencies. Also remember that DG ISI got two-year extension during
this turmoil.
The unfolding of the scheme, in which 19 heirs were identified,
abducted, assembled, coerced or convinced and produced before the court,
proved beyond any doubt that it had touch of an accomplished secret agency.
The lawyers of the heirs were considered unreliable and therefore detained
while a new lawyer, having reputation of being ISI favourite, was rushed to
Lahore to be the new counsel of the heirs.
All this could not be done without taking the district and sessions
judge on board. Winning of heart and mind of the judge hearing the case was
no big deal. Having sold his soul along with his heart and mind he
performed his role quite efficiently. To this end he started days proceedings
by indicting Raymond on charges of double murder and then in matter of
few hours he was acquitted.
It must be noted that this dispensation of justice, the quickest in the
history of Pakistan was facilitated by Chief Justice of LHC by his act of
passing the buck of diplomatic immunity to lower court. There is no proof of
winning over of his heart and mind, but there are reasons to believe that he
too must have been convinced to stay away from the line of fire.
The above inferences drawn from the events that have unfolded were
corroborated by reaction of the spokesmen of two major political parties at
the helm of affairs in Islamabad and Lahore. When contacted by various TV
channels they seemed well prepared with answers. They were calm and
seemed relieved of getting rid of their troublesome jijaji. This meant they all
knew before hand about his likely honourable acquittal and departure.
It was further confirmed by the top leadership of PPP and PML-N,
which not only stayed far away from the scene of crime, but also abstained
from saying anything. More significantly, PPP leaders from Punjab, who
have been crying hoarse against PML-N government on various counts, did
not say a word condemning the release of Davis.
To conclude that all the rulers, big and small, were on board and
unanimous over the issue, would violate no rule of logic. If any doubt was
left in anybodys mind that would have been erased by the indecent haste
and secrecy in which the days court proceedings were conducted. The speed
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with which it was conducted should silence those who keep harping justice
delayed is justice denied.
Lets forget for a while that justice hurried is justice buried and
commend performance of the judiciary which has been recently liberated
through a year long popular movement. Its performance was so impressive
that even Faisal Raza Abidi wished that there were judges like Yousaf Aujla
for hearing the cases of his boss. It would have saved Zardari the agony of
eleven years in courts and cutting his tongue.
The session judges task of dispensing speedy justice was facilitated
by taking care of possible hurdles. The counsel of heirs was detained by the
jail authorities and prosecutor of Punjab government was tamed. He did not
question the blatant condensation of the legal process applying diyat law and
award of almost no punishment for the offence of possessing illegal arms.
The Punjab government, which now pretends ignorance by saying that
it doesnt know who has done it, had already prepared grounds for the
matter to end the way it finally did. It had framed no terror and no spying
charges. It also ignored the murder of Ebadur Rehman; no investigation, no
charges, no hearing and no blood money. Was he a rat or human being?
When and who removed Davis name from ECL, which had been
placed there on orders of LHC. This brings in clear involvement of federal
government. Ministry of Rehman Malik, who had granted immunity to
Davis on day one, had done that and placing of the US plane at Lahore
Airport was in the knowledge Ministry of Defence.
It can be said that the trial was a farce. Jurists and law experts seldom
agree on interpretation of certain laws in different situations, but in this case
they all agreed that the judge had acted in indecent haste in applying the law
of diyat and qasas. The manner in which the trial was conducted it amounted
to ridiculing this Islamic law by its blasphemous exploitation.
In fact, the US exploited and Pakistani puppets ridiculed the law of
diyat. This happened because it was not interpreted and applied in the light
of opinions of law experts, but by touts of America and applied to serve, not
the ends of justice, but to serve the interests of Uncle Sam. Speeding up of
the legal process did not reflect the intent to dispense justice but to save a
man who was accused of double murder apart from committing several other
crimes. So, the justice was in no was seen to have been done.
Religious scholar Ghamdi, known for his enlightened and pragmatic
interpretations of Quraan and Sunnah, was right in saying that in this trial
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nothing was according to Pakistan Penal Code, Shariah or Quraan. The

whole thing revolved around precluded design of acquitting Davis. He
observed that it has put Pakistanis and Muslims at large to shame.
Even the ordinary thinking citizens want answers to dozens of
questions lurking in their minds. How were the heirs determined? The
procedure in vogue for determining heirs is quite lengthy. It requires
publication of claim in newspapers and after lapse of laid down period the
court has to be approached for succession certificate. How was that
condensed into couple of days or perhaps few hours? It remained a mystery.
The confession by the accused is mandatory pre-requisite of
settlement through diyat, because it is paid by a convict not by an accused.
Did he plead guilty? No. Moreover, blood money is paid by the killer or his
family or tribe. In this case Davis, his family or his government did not pay
a penny. US government ordered the in-laws of jijaji to pay, who were
pleased to do so to save the matrimonial bond with him and his country.
What about diyat of Ebad? Was that paid American-style; pay for two,
get three. Many of these questions can be best answered by the judge and the
heirs of Faheem and Faizan. Why the judge vanished on leave after such a
commendable performance? Where are the heirs and why are they hiding?
Secular political parties and their enlightened backers never get tired
in accusing the religious parties of exploiting religion for political gains.
After the manner in which these secular forces have shamelessly misused the
Islamic law for earning goodwill of those who ridicule Islam day in and day
out they have been left with no justification to blame religious parties in
future.
The secular and enlightened elite reject fundamentalist and extremist
interpretations of Islam, which lays down moral and social obligations.
They say Pakistan was created by the Quaid for liberal Islam that permits
absolute freedom to indulge in all kinds of moral, social, economic and
political deviations. They tend to ignore the fact that the Quaid was more
fundamentalist and extremist in his beliefs and practice than any of the
Mullas.
Altaf Hussain took the mockery of this law to new lows when he
asked the US to pay diyat of tribal elders killed in drone attack. Suffering
from eternal disorientation the Imam Khomeini of the MQM was perhaps
under the impression that Obama and his administration had embraced
Islam, by tricking Zardari through diyat law to get Davis released.

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Someone from party of the middle classes should have dared

informing him that what to talk of paying blood money, the US holy
warriors dont believe even in keeping the count of people they kill. He
should have also been put wise that Americans have denied paying a penny
for release of Davis. The money has been paid by his political buddy, Mr
Zardari. It would have been wise if Altaf had asked Zardari or Kayani to pay
the diyat of tribesmen.
The very next day of the goodwill gesture of Zardari, Kayani and
others the US resorted to thanks-giving the way best known to it; nearly a
hundred participants of peace jirga in North Waziristan were killed. The
Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, who was
expecting a commendation card from Mullen or Robert Gates, showed
extraordinary courage and went beyond the call of his duty to condemn the
killings: so did an old baby-sitter in the neighbourhood.
General Kayani took more than three years to risk issuing even a
condemnatory statement. On the following day, Foreign Office too picked
up the courage to summon Cameron Munter where Salman Bashir told him
not to take the atomi londi for granted. Media was informed that the protest
was so strong that Munter had to rush to Washington to caution his country
of the wrath of Pakistani rulers. The impression created was that Munter
would urge the need for revisiting fundamentals of bilateral relationship,
which ironically had been saved only couple of days ago by freeing a killer
spy of the US.
The same day, Punjab Assembly passed a resolution condemning the
drone attack. Other provincial assemblies were in no hurry because it wasnt
an issue as critical as Kalabagh Dam, or they waited for a nod from Zardari
and Asfandyar. Bilours and Mians of ANP even refrained from issuing
routine vowing statements to fight and eliminate the last terrorist. May be it
was because of the Pakhtun psyche of shying away any terror that is
perpetrated from heavens.
With this the discussion comes to answering the most important
question: who won and who lost? Release of Davis was a great success of
US Administration and its victory has been wholesome. Firstly, it has
reassured its Raymonds operating all over the Islamic World that they wont
be left alone when caught in dire situations.
Secondly, by getting the job done through ISI and Army it has
reconfirmed its hegemony in the context of Pakistan. And, in doing that it
has caused irreparable damage to the image of both the prestigious
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institutions of Pakistan; thereby fulfilling a long outstanding ambition. ISI as

well as Army have been also made to believe that all that America desires is
in the best interest of Pakistan.
Most significantly, the devil called America, which has been
demonizing Shariat laws terming these inhuman and barbaric, has exploited
the humane nature of Islamic Shariah to secure freedom of Davis. The
wisdom behind diyat law is to end blood feuds, but it has been used to
protect those who promote Fasad-fil-Arz.
Within Pakistan Zardari has won a thumping political victory. He has
killed more than two birds with one stone and in doing that he has earned
eternal goodwill of the United States. His victory-run began with getting
rid of stiff-necked Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
He handled PML-N very cleverly by asking his American masters to
involve Saudi Arabia to launch an exterior manoeuvre. This move forced
the PML-N to close its eyes on the conspiracy for release of Davis and when
it opened the eyes it found itself on the forefront to get major share of blame.
He also suggested to the Americans that if they wanted him to remain
in power to serve their interests, it would be better not to get the job done
through the civilian government as it could trigger agitation against his rule.
He proposed that it should be accomplished by ISI and Army. That was
agreed to the US military brass assigned this task to Kayani in a meeting in
Muscat; thus Zardari undermined credibility of two institutions which could
facilitates tightening his grip over them.
Similarly, torpedoed the ship of judiciary which had been sailing in
high seas and judges had been boasting of upholding the cause of rule of
law. Faisal Raza Abidi put the blame squarely on judiciary by saying that the
judges were responsible for Raymonds release by deciding the case in
questionable haste; whereas his beloved boss Zardari was dragged in courts
for eleven years.
The PPP seemed to have been carried away by the victory. A PPP
parliamentarian, former judge, claimed that Zardari regime had manoeuvred
in a way that US Administration had virtually embraced Islam. It accepted
the settlement of issue under Islamic law of diyat. What happened
afterwards belied her claim.
The fact remained that the devil called America has exploited the
softer soul of Islamic teachings to fulfill its evil designs. It is for the laws
like diyat that Islam is called religion of peace. To the dismay of lady
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parliamentarian of PPP, the Lady Clinton denied paying any blood money.
Poor in-laws jijaji had to pay both in blood and money.
The list of losers is longer than the winners. The Davis-episode has
confirmed that PML-N had deservedly earned the title of mother-sellers by
extraditing Aimal Kansi. The party was now endeavouring to escape the
blame (though partly correctly) by pointing finger at Army and ISI.
This is a lame excuse, from a political party that has been boasting
that in future it would vehemently resist the military rule in Pakistan in
future over their dead body. This party had its government in Punjab and it
could not stop ISI from doing what it wanted to do; how come that PML-N
would confront Army?
The image of judiciary has been rubbed into the dust. This image had
been acquired just recently through relentless popular movement and its own
honest efforts since restoration of the superior judiciary. This has been
squandered in no time.
This time it has been virtually washed away by the black sheep in its
own ranks. The damage has been so devastating that even Chief Justice was
reluctant to attempt salvaging it; despite the repeated calls from public
urging him to take suo moto notice he has not dared taking it.
Pakistanis have been disappointed, not because they have still not got
the justice, but to find that their judges now stood in the company mothersellers or at best their brokers. They are in the distinguished company of
generals and democratic stalwarts, but the people who had high hopes about
them stand heart-broken.
ISI was lured to act as broker on the pretext of saving Pak-US
relations. The price on which the mother was sold remained undisclosed, but
irrespective of its quantum when it comes to selling the mother it is never
more than proverbial ten dollars.
ISI and of course its godfather the Army, could claim that they have
saved Pak-US ties, but the cost is unbearable for patriotic Pakistanis. And
the relationship that has been saved means spilling of Pakistani blood and
paying of blood money out of taxes paid by Pakistanis. It is the relationship
in which Pakistan is tangled into rendering bonded labour in the service of
US interests while perpetually subjected to humiliation, insult and disgrace,
with occasional slipping of greenbacks into the pockets of its puppets.
Of course, ISI accomplished the task on the direction of COAS
General Kayani. Army chief in any case wasnt the to indulge in this side241

business of salesmanship. Ironically, Aimal Kansi was sold out to America

courtesy the then Army Chief.
He as the chief of the Defenders of Pakistan considered saving the ties
with the US more important than the lives of Pakistanis. He, like his
American buddies, did not consider them as human beings, upon which the
famous saying could be applied, i.e. killing of one human being amounts to
killing of entire humankind.
One could only hope that he had seen a programme telecast by one of
the private TV channels after release of Davis in which the topic displayed
on the screen in Urdu read: Andhey sey maar khao aur ghar bhee chhorney
jao (get a beating of blind man and then also drop him at his residence). The
topic was slightly change translation of a Punjabi saying. The verbatim
translation would have been too vulgar, rather pornographic, yet the
producer had said what he wanted to.
The people of Pakistan are the biggest losers; they have their heads
hung in shame. They have been humiliated, disgraced and insulted. Their
ego is hurt and they are so heart broken that they have started even believing
in futility of exercising their right to protest.
Why so much of despair, hopelessness and disappointment; because
they are not aware of the expertise required for correct application or clever
exploitation of criminal law. They are not well conversant with finer aspects
of Islamic law of diayt. They are not aware of international conventions
which grant immunity to certain people.
They only know one thing that their rulers hold their relationship with
the United States much dearer than the lives of their subjects. They know it
for sure because this bitter reality has unfolded before them repeatedly. The
very next day of Raymonds acquittal innocent tribesmen were killed by
dozens to cement Pak-US ties.
What happened? Condemnatory statements were issued and this time
the successor of brave commando, the commander-in-chief of Pakistan
Army joined the ritual of pretensions. Do the military commanders issue
ineffectual statements or they pass executive orders in such situations?
The peoples pride is in quandary. They do not know who will protect
their lives and remains of their pride. They find their political rulers,
generals, judges and all those at the helm ever-ready to sell their blood cheap
for the sake of most valuable commodity on this planet; the Pak-US
relations.
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The people of Pakistan must pause and ponder to find ways to get out
of the state of eternal ridicule and humiliation. Some points worth pondering
are mentioned herein. First: why so much hue and cry over one Faheem, one
Faizan and one Ebad? So many Ebads are killed daily in Americas holy war
being fought inside Pakistan by Pakistani soldiers. Why no protests over
their deaths? If people do not shun discrimination, they must not crib over
being treated discriminately.
Second: Is Pakistan practically not in occupation of the US? The
occupation forces comprise the CIA contractors, hired Army and intelligence
agencies of Pakistan and puppet rulers installed through a deal. Third: Could
Pakistan have bitten more dust than it has if it has not maintained the socalled sacred cow? If answer is in negative, then Army must be cut to size
while maintaining a potent nuclear deterrence?
Fourth: If Pakistanis have to be slaves of America then what is wrong
with acceptance of subservience to India? Indians have more commonalities
with Pakistanis as compared to distant masters. Lastly: When there are so
many vertical and lateral divisions in the fractured society of Pakistan, why
not have one more; a division by separating mother-sellers from motherprotectors? This division will at least make the masses to be cautious of who
believe in sellouts.
Isnt this discussion futile as former Justice Wajihuddin had said when
he was taken on line by a TV channel at the time of breaking the news of
Raymonds? The news reader started asking questions on various legal
aspects of the case. Noting exuberance of the news reader he aptly remarked
in Urdu snake has passed, he did not complete the sentence thinking that it
would have been understood that there was no use beating the trail.
He was absolutely right in advising that there was no wisdom in
beating the trail of a rattle snake from a land far-far away but, what about
other domestic snakes with which the land of Pure is infested? One has to
keep asking questions about them till the land is cleared of these poisonous
reptiles failing which Faheems and Faizans would keep falling and breathing
their last. Last four days pondering has helped identifying quite a few
snakes but there are more still hiding and thus more pondering is needed.
20th March 2010

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SAHARAN STORM
Some years ago, the West had affectionately named its Crusades
against Iraq the Operation Desert Storm. In January, a new storm developed
because of the persistent depression hanging over the Arab World. This
storm began in Tunisia and soon engulfed the entire region from the shores
of Atlantic and Mediterranean to Indian Ocean.
The African brand of Desert Storm moved eastward leaving Tunisia in
post-storm gloom and calm. During the period wreckage left behind was
cleared by the court when it dissolved former ruling party. Egypt was the
first to be affected, while Libya remained in the eye of storm during last
three weeks. Sudan and Somalia had been affected since last storms.
The Middle Eastern countries also felt the impact of Saharan Storm
with their courtyards and backyards already littered with the wreckage left
behind by its indigenous storms. Other regions beyond Af-Pak, Central Asia
and Far East remained fairly calm.
The users of phrase Desert Storm reportedly have acquired the
capability of controlling weather by bringing desired changes. They seemed
to have control over the storm that had started blowing from the fringes of
Sahara. It was now directed so as to replace the old Arab rulers with even
more compliant ones.
Just as in the past, the United Nations have legitimized their plans for
against Gaddafi; though he had posed no threat to the life-style of the
civilized world. They had plenty of time to indulge in their favourite passtime as was evident from BBC insulting Islam and Holy Prophet (PBUH)
and a pastor in Florida, who looked more like a cleaner of butchery than a
priest, organized formal desecration of Quran.

NEWS
Libya remained in the eye of the storm, which had turned into
Twister because of the confluence of hot winds from Sahara and the cold
ones from across the sea. on 5th March, fierce fighting was reported from the
town of Zawiyah; 30 people were killed and 19 more died in weapon depots
blast near Benghazi. Gaddafi demanded neutral inquiry into the spread of
armed violence in the country.
Next day, fighting continued at various places and attempt of
government forces to re-take Misrata was foiled; 18 people were killed. Four
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Brits, including a journalist, were kidnapped. UN humanitarian organization

was granted access to troubled areas.
On 7th March, Gaddafi forces carried out air strike in Ras Lanuf.
Rebels were reported losing ground and pulling back from key oil port; 21
people were reported killed during the day. Libyan Prime Minister accused
the West of trying to disintegrate his country. Obama delivered fresh
warning to Gaddafi loyalists. Robert Gates opposed overt military
intervention and Russia opposed foreign military intervention. Gulf States
urged establishment of no-fly-zone over Libya. Next day, Gaddafi forces hit
rebels in Zawiyah and Ras Lanuf towns; rebels assure no action if Gaddafi
steps down. OIC supported enforcement of no-fly-zone over Libya; US,
France and Britain deliberated over the issue.
On 9th March, Gaddafi accused the West of plotting to control Libyas
oil. The government offered bounty for the capture of chairman of the rebel
National Council, Mustafa Jalil. Supporters of Gaddafi marched from
Zawiyah to Tripoli.
US ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz and other US officials met rebels
in Cairo. State Department spokesman said: We are engaging a wide range
of leaders and those who both understand and can potentially influence
events in Libya. The European lawmakers called on EU leaders to
recognize formally Libyas opposition and support a no-fly zone. UNSC also
discussed this issue.
Next day, government forces regained the control of Zawiyah town.
Tanks encircled Ras Lanuf and warplanes hit another oil hub further east.
Gaddafis son Saif said the government has planned a full-scale offensive
against rebels. France recognized the administration set up by rebels; Libya
severed diplomatic ties with France. Sarkozy supported air strikes at
Gaddafis command base. US planned to propose no-fly zone to NATO by
March 15. Rallies were held in European Union and EU ministers asked
Gaddafi to resign.
On 11th March, 14 people were killed as clashes between rebels and
troops continued. Gaddafi forces re-captured Ras Lanuf and started advance
towards Benghazi. African Union rejected any proposal of military
intervention in Libya. EU decided to freeze assets of Libyan oil companies.
Next day, government forces launched operation to re-capture the
town of Masrata. Saif claimed control over 90 per cent of country. Rebels
called for international help and women in Benghazi marched for and Arab

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League called on UN to impose no-fly zone. Obama said noose has been
tightened around Gaddafi.
On 13th March, troops re-captured Brega and pushed towards
Benghazi. Reports indicated that morale of rebels was sinking fast. Al-Qaeda
urged rebels to strive against Gaddafi. Next day, clashes continued in eastern
parts of the country; rebels claimed regaining foothold in Brega. Libyas
state news agency said Gaddafi had invited Chinese, Russian and Indian
firms to produce its oil instead of Western companies which have fled the
unrest. Turkish Prime Minister opposed military intervention, but suggested
to Gaddafi to appoint a president having popular support. Robert Gates met
rebel leaders. France and Britain pressed for action against Libya.
On 15th March, fighting around Ajdabiyah and Brega was reported.
Rebels claimed destroying two warships of the regime. G-8 countries
opposed no-fly zone idea. Next day, five people were killed in bombing on
Misrata; death toll in last 48 hours rose to 26. Gaddafi forces closed on to
Benghazi and asked people to leave areas held by rebels. US joined France
and UK in urging swift UN action against Gaddafi.
On 17th March, at least 30 people were killed in clashes between
rebels and security forces in eastern Libya. Rebels in Benghazi claimed
shooting down two jet fighters of the government. Troops consolidated the
control over Misrata and fighting for Ajdabiyah continued.
Next day, UN Security Council went beyond the no-fly-zone mandate
and urged all possible measures to protect civilians in Libya. Obama told
Gaddafi to pull back its troops from three cities and halt advance towards
Benghazi or face military action. Gaddafi halted the offensive in view of the
foreign intervention sanctioned under UN Resolution.
Air bases in Spain, Greece and Sicily will be used to cripple Libyan
air defence system through air action. Arab countries will be inducted to
make the action justifiable. Egypt will be especially asked to provide
forward air control teams in eastern Libya. The plan will revolve around first
blunting the offensive of Libyan troops and then providing logistics to
rebels to launch counter offensive through the desert.
On 19th March, al-Jazeera TV reported that 26 people were killed and
40 wounded when Gaddafi forces bombarded the outskirts of Benghazi.
France conducted the first air strike as part of the Wests military action to
disintegrate Libya. French jet fighters claimed destroying tanks and antiaircraft guns in eastern Libya. The US and UK followed with a volley of 110

246

cruise missiles targeting the air defence and command and control system of
Libyan forces.
Gaddafi condemned the air strike saying it had no justification after he
had announced ceasefire. Libyan TV said crusader enemy had targeted
civilian areas. Germany abstained from supporting military intervention.
Russia regretted, China criticized and African Union condemned the attack.
Next day, Mullen claimed that strikes against Gaddafis forces have
been successful as their offensive has been blunted. Reportedly, 64 people
were killed in initial strikes. Coalition partners said Libyan forces have
killed 94 in Benghazi offensive. Gaddafi vowed long war.
Eight warships of Italy were to take part in Crusades against Libya.
Pope Benedict baptized the military action by demanding permission for
convoys carrying humanitarian aid to the affected areas. Reportedly, the
humanitarian aid was already being distributed amongst the rebels; arms and
ammunition were being distributed generous philanthropy.
India condemned attack on Libya. Russia demanded stoppage of
indiscriminate use of military might, but the Crusaders vowed to continue
till exit of Gaddafi. Amr Moussa condemned air strikes and said it was
beyond the mandate of no-fly-zone. BBC immediately brought Abdul Malik
on the air to condemn Amr Moussas U-turn.
On 21st March, Gaddafis compound in Tripoli was attacked by the
Crusaders, but losses were not known; the US denied targeting Gaddafi.
With the relentless offensive by the Crusaders to back the rebels Libyan
forces retreated from Benghazi and the emboldened rebels vowed to capture
Tripoli. At least 40 people were killed and more than 300 wounded in firing
by Libyan forces in Misrata.
Putin said the statements regarding the ongoing military action against
Libya sound like waging of Crusades; he slammed the military action.
Pakistan termed the strikes regrettable. Khamenei backed the revolt, but
accused Obama of lying over Libya. Pro-Gaddafi demonstrators in Cairo
closed on to UN Secretary General and forced him to retreat in to the offices
of Arab League. Some US lawmakers challenged Obama on Libya. Robert
Gates said the role of US in military action would soon decrease.
Next day, Gaddafi loyalists and rebels clashed in Tripoli; nine people
were killed; clashes were also reported elsewhere. Obama ordered Gaddafi
to quit Libya immediately and coalition of Crusaders vowed to widen the

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scope of no-fly-zone. EU agreed to tighten sanctions. US F-15 crashed

during raid, in which 40 people were reported killed.
Iraq supported military action against Libya. Warplanes of Qatar were
reported landing in Sicily; Robert Gates had talked to his Qatari counterpart. Russia and Algeria demanded end to military action as it was beyond
the mandate given in the UN resolution. US criticized Russia for accepting
lies of Gaddafi. China expressed concern over civilian casualties in air
strikes; Turkey and Sri Lanka also condemned.
On 23rd March, at least 17 people were killed in fighting in Misrata;
Libyan forces shelled rebels and coalition struck Libyan troops. Gaddafi said
the West would end in dustbin of history. Coalition air strikes continued
and the US refused to give dateline to end military action. NATO did not
agree on taking over the command of military action against Libya. IMF
joined the demonization campaign by claiming that Gaddafi has 150 tons of
gold.
Next day, warplanes struck deep in Libya as Turkey joined the
collation of the Crusaders and UAE agreed in principle. EU failed to reach
consensus over military campaign against Libyan. Libyan tanks entered
Misrata despite air strikes; 109 people were reported killed in the town.
Rebels besieged Ajdabiyah and wanted more weapons from western
countries, which remained apprehensive of rebels success.
On 25th March, UAE agreed to send 24 warplanes to take part in
Crusades against Libya. Qatari warplanes participated in air strikes. NATO
agreed to take over command of military action and UK vowed to take
control of Libya in few days.
Libyan government reported that 145 people were killed and more
than four hundred wounded in air strikes of the Crusading forces. UK
minister, Haig said there was no proof of anyone killed by holy warplanes.
Syeeda Warsi said military action against Libya was necessary, not for
regime change but to save civilians (those civilians which are up in arms
against Gaddafi).
In Egypt, protesters entered and damaged office of security forces in
Alexandria on 5th March; these forces had killed protesters in recent rallies
and military rulers had not taken any action against them. Two persons were
killed in clashes between Christians and Muslims in a village south of Cairo.
On 9th March, 13 more people were killed and 140 wounded in
Muslim-Christian clashes. Ten days later, Egyptians voted in referendum on
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changes in the Constitution. On 20th March, Zawahiris brother was once

again arrested by Egyptian authorities. On 23 rd March, Egypts former
interior minister was charged with killing protesters. Next day, Mobarak
loyalists and opponents clashed in Cairo.
Militia burnt village in Abyei region of Sudan on 5th March. Two
days later, 92 people were killed in clashes between rival militias in southern
Sudan. On 12th March, 23 militants were killed when they attacked capital of
Sudans oil rich southern province. Six days later, at least 70 people were
killed in clashes between rebels and army in southern Sudan.
The happenings in the north had pushed Somalia into the
background. On 5th March, Burundi said it lost 43 soldiers deployed in
Somalia as part of AU peace force; 110 were wounded. On 13 th March,
Pirates freed five Pakistani sailors.
In Iraq, six people were killed and 12 wounded in bomb blast in
Basra on 6th March. Six days later, seven soldiers were killed by gunmen in
Mosul. On 13th March, curfew was imposed in Kirkuk after jailbreak and
escape of prisoners, including al-Qaeda men. Next day, eleven soldiers were
killed and 12 wounded in suicide bombing that targeted a convoy in Diyala
Province.
On 16th March, two persons were killed and 33 wounded in bomb
blast in Kirkuk. Two days later, 15 people were wounded when soldiers used
electric batons and gunfire to break up demonstration in Fallujah. On 22 nd
March, two soldiers 2were killed in Kurdish north.
As regards Israel, five Jewish settlers, parents and their three
children were killed by unknown persons near in Nablus on 12 th March.
Next day, Israeli prime minister ordered extensive operation after killing of
Jewish settlers. On 16th March, two Palestinians were killed in Israeli air
strike in Gaza.
Six days later, eight Palestinians were killed and twelve wounded in
Israeli shelling in Gaza. On 23rd March, one person was killed and 30
wounded in bomb blast in Jerusalem; the US condemned the attack. Next
day, Israel carried out air raids at four places in Gaza.
Protest rally was held in capital of Syria on 16th March; security
forces dispersed the participants. Two days later, four protesters were killed
by Syrian security forces in the town of Deraa. On 19 th March, Syrian

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security forces tear gassed the funeral processions of the protesters killed a
day before and the mourners called for revolt against the government.
Next day, five people were killed and more than hundred wounded
when Syrian security forces used force against mourners in the town of
Deraa. On 21st March, thousands marched in the town to protest killings. On
23rd March, 15 people were killed when security forces opened fire at
protesters in Daraa. Next day, Syrian president ordered troops not to fire
weapons as death toll in protests reached 37. On 25th March, protest rallies
were held across Syria; 17 people were reported killed.
In Bahrain, women also joined protests on 6th March. Pakistani
government continued supporting the ruler as per wishes of its US masters.
Six days later, thousands of protesters gathered outside palace in Manama
and called for the fall of regime. Robert Gates arrived in Bahrain to advise
the rulers.
On 13th March, police used force to disperse protesters in Manama.
Next day, one thousand Saudi soldiers entered Bahrain; other Gulf States
also sent their troops. America and its Arab stooges of the region seemed to
have decided to help Bahraini ruler against Shiite uprising; nevertheless
Washington issued a directive to respect rights of people of Bahrain.
On 15th March, emergency rule was clamped for three months after
Saudi Arabia-led Arab forces entered Bahrain. Iran opposed military
intervention and Bahrain recalled its ambassador in Tehran. Hillary was not
aware of Saudi troops entering Bahrain but wanted early political resolution.
Thousands of protesters marched to Saudi Embassy chanting slogans against
the king. A Shiite protester and one security personnel were killed in
separate incidents. Reportedly, Pakistanis were being targeted.
Next day, police launched crackdown to disperse protesters in
Manama; two policemen were among seven people killed and more than one
hundred were wounded. Obama telephoned Saudi and Bahraini kings to
discuss the 0progress and effects of crackdown. Iran recalled its ambassador
from Bahrain.
On 17th March, several people were wounded when police used force
against protesters; six opposition leaders were arrested and curfew in
Manama was lifted for four hours. UN warned of shocking abuses and
opposition demanded pullout of Saudi forces. Next day, army demolished
the monument in Pearl Square which had become a symbol of month-long

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protests. The King gave wide powers to army while clamping emergency
rule.
On 19th March, one more protesters died in Manama and the king
promised reforms. Next day, Bahrain expelled Iranian envoy and Iran
expelled Bahraini diplomat in tit-for-tat move. Opposition eased its demands
and said more than hundred people were missing. On 21st March, Kuwaiti
navy joined Gulf forces in Bahrain. On 25 th March, protest rally was held in
Manama; one person was killed.

Saudi Arabia took timely preventive measures. On 5th March, it

banned holding of rallies after Shia community had held one in eastern part
of the country. Next day, 22 Shiite protesters were held in eastern part. On
11th March, security forces launched massive crackdown to pre-empt protest
rallies to observe Day of Rage. Two days later, protest was held in front of
Saudi Interior Ministrys office for release of prisoners.
On 18th March, King of Saudi Arabia announced an unprecedented
economic relief package worth tens of billions of dollars for Saudi people
with a stern warning that any rebellion would be crushed mercilessly. Next
day, Saudi Arabia slammed attacks on its diplomatic missions in Iran and
Hillary warned Tehran of meddling in Persian Gulf; its reserved for the
Crusaders. On 23rd March, Saudi Arabia announced local bodies election on
23 April.
Protests continued in Yemen on 6th March and the opposition vowed
to intensify the struggle. Two days later, thousands protested in Sanaa. On
10th March, Saleh agreed to write new Constitution and hold referendum
over that. Three days later, one person was killed and more than hundred
wounded when police used force against protesters in Sanaa. US urged end
to violence.
On 14th March, Yemen deported four western journalists. Three days
later, at least 80 people were wounded when police used force against
protesters in Sanaa. On 18th March, at least 46 people were killed and more
than two hundred wounded when law enforcers opened fire at protesters;
Saleh imposed emergency rule.
Next day, the death toll in police firing rose to 62 and curfew
remained imposed in Sanaa. On 20th March Saleh dismissed his cabinet.
Next day, France said Saleh has to quit as president. Many army units
refused to fire at protesters and a general backed democracy and protesters.

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On 22nd March, Saleh announced to hold elections and resign next

year, but his offer failed to end crisis. On 24 th March, al-Jazeera TV was shut
in Yemen. Next day, thousands rallied in Yemen for and against Saleh
regime; one person was killed and several wounded. Reportedly, Saleh in his
meeting with General Ali Mohsen has agreed to quit under conditions.

Elsewhere, on 9th March, activists in UAE demanded right to elect

the parliament. A massive rally was held in Beirut on 13th March, for
disarming of Hezbollah. The same day, Sultan of Oman granted parliament
legislative powers; earlier he had removed two ministers in the wake of
violent protests. On 25th March, thousands protested in Jordan; more than
hundred people were wounded.

VIEWS
On 7th March, The News wrote: What began as a revolt in the east of
the country quickly spread west wards, eventually to encircle Tripoli and Col
Qaddafis birthplace, Sirte. As the days pass it becomes clear that what
Libya may be moving towards is civil war rather than revolt in the fashion of
Tunisia and Egypt. And Col Qaddafi, well-armed and withy the air force in
action is showing no sign of an early climb-down. The rebels to the east are
not well-equipped and their military strength is with army units that have
switched sides. They have no air assets and, beyond a squadron of elderly
tanks, not much by way of armour either. What they do have, particularly in
Benghazi, is an emerging model of governance based around the
committees that ruled before, but with different men and women at their
heads and with very different agendas. It is far too early to say that the
Qaddafi regime is at an end, and he clearly still commands support within
his tribal powerbase, but the stage is now set for prolonged, and perhaps
bloody, conflict.
As the Libyans play out their destinies it is possible to see that the
Arab world is at very different stages in terms of the emerging revolts
most of which hinge around the common factors of anger at long-entrenched
autocratic regimes, political disenfranchisement and a burgeoning youth
population that wants jobs and a curb on corruption. There are even ripples
of discontent within Saudi Arabia, which the BBC reported on Saturday was
moving security forces to the north-east to counter any sectarian unrest that
may spill over from neighbouring Bahrain.

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Egypt and Tunisia are still in a painful change-process, and other

states have introduced where they can afford to and not all can hasty
fiscal measures designed to buy the quiescence of their restive peoples. It
may take as long as a generation for the changes that began last December to
work themselves through. But whatever happens, the status quo that has
prevailed for the last century in the Arab world is gone. The certainties
on which the politics of oil were predicated are crumbling by the week and
major power, supporters and beneficiaries of despotic regimes are going to
have to do a rapid rethink as the Faustian pact they made with the oil
producers of the Arab world unravels.
Five days later, Dr Muzaffar Iqbal commented: One can think of
many ways of understanding the current wave of mass protests in the
Arab world. These can be understood as spontaneous uprisings of an
awakened populace, partially-controlled changes with foreign instigators
starting the initial flame, even a conspiracy-ridden scenario with Uncle Sam
at the helm of affairs, cannot be ruled out. No matter how one starts out,
certain basic facts remain the same in all equations and perhaps, it is these
basic facts which can provide a better starting point for a more analytical
understanding of the current state of this vast, resource-filled region.
Home to some 385 million people, representing less than one
quarter of the worlds 1.6 billion Muslims, the contemporary Arab world
consists of 22 countries. Its boundaries straddle North Africa and Western
Asia. There is perhaps no region of the world with such a concentration of
authoritarian and repressive regimes. According to UNESCO, the average
rate of adult literacy (ages 15 and older) in this region is 76.9 percent with
Mauritania and Yemen lying on the lower end of literacy curve with an
average of just over 50 percent and Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian
Territories and Jordan on the other end, with adult literacy rate of over 90
percent. The average population growth rate in Arab countries is 2.3
percent.
Equally important for any understanding of the current situation
are the historic realities: The Arab world took its present political shape
through a regional reshaping at the hands of European powers during the 19 th
and the 20th centuries. Arabs in Africa had to wait until the 1960s before
French armies left after bloody wars of independence, leaving behind
polities which were deeply scarred and which were handed over to rulers
who quickly established authoritarian regimes, mostly through military
coups.

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The Arab world accounts for two-fifths of the gross domestic

product and three-fifths of the trade of the Muslim world. The oil and
gas prices, which quadrupled between 2001 and 2011, have considerably
contributed to the current boom as well as rampant corruption.
Over and above all of these basic facts is the reality of Arab oil
which drives economies around the globe, brings invading armies to this
region, and continues to hold the entire world in its grip as even a little
turmoil in the region means millions of dollars of losses or gains. Arab
countries hold 681 billion barrels of crude oil, representing 58 percent of
proven global reserves, oil exploration and production. Egypt does not have
oil, but its Suez Canal is central to America for it is through this narrow
body of water that Americas lifeline passes.
There are also close to 300 billion barrels of potential, undiscovered
crude reserves in this region. This means big money and big politics for
exploration and extraction rights and concessions. This also means millions
of dollars for the middle men and (some women), as well as a dirty game of
who gets in first.
No matter, how one looks at these vast resources, the fact remains
that these massive reserves...mean that this region will continue to occupy
special significance in the global oil industry and trade for many decades to
come, as the Saudi Oil Minister, Ali al-Naimi confidently said in the last
OPEC conference.
There is no change in the global understanding of the importance of
Arab oil, but there is a significant change in the Arab world itself: a new
generation of mostly Western-educated leadership has emerged which
understands the importance of what Arabs have in their hands far more than
their fathers and grandfathers generations did.
This new generation is also becoming more confident of its potential
as global leaders and although many of them are still bound to the tribal and
family structures, there is a considerable change in their mental makeup as
compared to their fathers and grandfathers generations. In addition, a
middle class of sorts has emerged in most of the 22 states. Thus, compared
to the past, when only the very poor and ultra-rich constituted these polities,
there is an emerging middle class which is demanding its share in national
affairs.
In addition to the current production of 21.5 million barrels of oil per
day, more than one-third of which come from Saudi Arabia alone, the Arab
countries have nearly 30 percent of the worlds proven natural gas
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reserves, with stocks of 54.1 trillion cubic metres and the potential to add
more than 40 trillion cubic metres in the future.
Another remarkable fact is that most of the higher leadership
managing Arab oil and gas reserves is now Arab. They are still dependent
on European expertise and the numbers they quote in various international
conferences all come from channels which are not wholly Arab, but it is still
important that it is an Arab who speaks about what they have in their pocket,
so to speak. For instance, it was an Arab, Saad al-Kaabi, Qatar Petroleums
Director of Oil and Gas Ventures, who told a recent conference that Arab
countries currently supply 13 percent of the worlds gas production and
account for eight percent of global gas consumption.
Another important fact of the current state of affairs of the Arab
world is global anxiety about future energy needs. With China and
increasingly India consuming vast resources, there is fear of running out
despite constant assurances by OPEC, whose secretary general, Abdullah elBadri, recently said confidently that the Arab world has the potential to meet
rising global oil and gas demand and continue to play a leading role in
supplying the world with energy needs far into the future.
This psychological fear, which, nevertheless, has it foundation in
reality is played out in various realms and serves as a political weapon as
well. The future is uncertain by definition, but estimates for 2020 of Arab
oil production range between 29 million bpd and 36 million. OPECs current
actual production, including Iraq, hovers around 29 million bpd. The
International Energy Agency forecasts that the demand for oil will increase
from 85 million bpd now to 105 million bpd by 2030. At least 11 million bpd
of this will be met by OPEC, most of it coming from Arab countries.
Everyone knows that massive increases in natural gas consumption
are also predicted. Everyone also knows that rising global oil and gas
consumption means much higher prices and that the age for cheap energy is
simply over. Huge investments are also needed for the extraction of natural
oil and gas in order to meet the needs of an energy hungry world. This also
means a reconfiguration of global control over who gets what out of the
oil business. For the average Arab on the street, all of this must add a certain
degree of anxiety to a life ridden with the fear of midnight knocks, unending
degradation, and the loss of rights and dignity.
Shahid Javed Burki wrote: In this article I will analyze how the
surviving leaders of the Middle East are dealing with the disaffected youth
of their countries. The young in various countries in the region did not wait
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long to replicate what occurred on the streets of Tunisia and Egypt. While
Libyan leader Muammer Qaddafi and his sons dug in their heels and brought
their country to the verge of civil war, several other leaders preferred to
adopt a less confrontational approach.
Yemens Ali Abdullah Saleh announced that neither he nor his son
would run in the 2013 elections. Algeria lifted its 19-year state of
emergency, a demand of the opposition that had fallen on deaf ears. King
Abdullah of Jordan fired his cabinet and tasked the new one with the job of
producing political reform. He indicated that the all-powerful monarchy
would be prepared to give up some of its power. Even in the United Arab
Emirates, despite the fact that its population was already pampered with all
kinds of economic handouts; the rulers offered some timid political
concessions. The government only promised to widen the electoral college
for choosing representatives to the consultative federal national council.
Bahrain, having tried a bloody crackdown for a few days, pulled back the
security forces and elected to use politics to appease protesters. The cabinet
was reshuffled and political prisoners were released.
The governments that could afford to use resources to buy time
chose that route to survival. When the wave of discontent washed up the
shores of Oman, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said who had governed for 40
years, promised 50,000 new jobs and $400 a month in economic benefits.
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia announced a package of economic handouts
that amounted to a staggering $36 billion for housing loans, unemployment
benefits and pay rises. The measures included a 15 per cent salary rise for
public employees to offset inflation, reprieves for imprisoned debtors, and
financial aid for students and the unemployed. The king also pledged to
spend $400 billion by the end of 2014 to improve education, infrastructure
and healthcare.
But this package did not satisfy those who were asking for real
reforms. According to Hassan al-Mustafa, one of the 40 Saudi rights
activists and journalists who signed an open letter requesting an elected
parliament, more rights for women and enhanced anti-corruption measures:
we want real change. This will be the only guarantee of the security of the
kingdom.
Economic uncertainty that followed the revolutions on the streets
began to take a heavy toll on many countries. In Saudi Arabia, there was a
drop of 16 per cent in the valuation of the capital market since the beginning
of the year. This represented an outflow of more than $50 billion from the
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market. The Saudi stock market is worth more than the combined values of
the indexes in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, but it was the
worst performer in the region after Egypt and Dubai.
According to one analyst the marked change in sentiment is
especially significant; given that Saudi Arabias is a local and retaildominated index. The plunge probably is being driven by domestic wealth,
rather than jittery hot foreign money. The kingdoms investors may well
decide to stash cash under the mattress or send it abroad to safer havens like
Abu Dhabi, Switzerland or Singapore.
Some analysts believe that it is not correct to paint with the same
brush all the autocrats who currently rule in the Middle East and the
Muslim world. Robert Kaplan, author of Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and
the Future of American Power, advises the world to distinguish between
good and bad autocrats. Sometimes the former kind can deliver better
economic and social returns to their societies than democracies. Omans
Sultan Qaboos bin Said may belong to the category of virtuous autocrats. He
has built roads and schools throughout the rural interior, advanced the status
of women and protected the environment. He governs with the vision similar
to that of many erstwhile Asian dictators such as Chinas Deng Xiaoping,
Singapores Lee Kuan Yew and Malaysias more problematic Mahathir
Mohammad, who lifted their societies out of poverty and made them
aspiring middle-class dynamos...But the very success of a benevolent
dictator his abjuration of tyranny indicates his eventual downfall.
There was a suggestion of panic in the responses made by the leaders
who felt threatened by the wave of unrest that lashed their shores. But the
rulers who were struggling to stay in power did not seem to have
realized that demography was not in their side. The Middle East and the
Muslim world have the worlds youngest populations. In Egypt 52.3 per cent
of the population, estimated at 83 million, is under the age of 25; the
proportion for Libya is 47.4 per cent. In Tunisia, the ratio is 42.1 percent and
for Saudi Arabia the proportion is 59 per cent. The highest proportion is in
Yemen, with 63.5 percent.
The regions youth did not necessarily want bribes or promise of
political change but were looking for real programmes to be put in place
for political reform. They also wanted the adoption of strategies that would
provide the population with a much larger share in the existing economic
pie. And they wanted an even a larger share in what was likely to be added
to the wealth of these troubled nations.
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However, in responding this way, as Roula Khalaf wrote in The

Financial Times on March 1, the leaders were missing the point of the
unrest. If there is a single message from the revolts it is that for the first time
in decades Arabs are clamouring for political rights and accountable
government not only social benefits. In other words, they will continue
to agitate if their aspirations are not met.
On 15th March, Aijaz Zaka Syed termed al-Jazeera TV as the voice of
the Arab street. He wrote: The greatest tribute you could ever crave is to
get it from your detractors. So when Hillary Clinton admits that viewership
of al-Jazeera is going up in the United States (and around the world) because
its real news, the Qatar-based television network has every reason to
celebrate and pat its own back. Speaking before the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee last week, the Secretary of State warned that America
is loosing the information war, citing the superior quality of al-Jazeera as
one of the reasons for her opinion.
Zaka described the ascendancy this TV network acquired in reporting
the events in recent uprising and then came to the point as to how it was
achieved. He added: In a region where the media has long come to act as
the hand maiden of governments and journalism has largely meant
publishing and broadcasting of endless comings and goings of royalty, alJazeera came as a burst of fresh, life-giving air.
While rest of the pliant, media establishment obsessed over what is
known as protocol news, al-Jazeera, in the words of its boss Wadah
Khanfar, looked for real actors. We have been guided by a firm belief that
the future of the Arab world will be shaped by people from outside the aging
elites and debilitated political structures featured so disproportionately by
most other news outlets.
It kept its ear to the ground, listening to the drums beating in the
distance. This is why all those Western wonks and professional pundits
failed to see the wave of change spearheaded by the Internet generation of
young Arabs, dangerously aware of their democratic rights as well as the
hopeless inadequacy of their elites, al-Jazeera saw the Arab revolt coming,
as Khanfar so modestly claims.
It has exposed the shenanigans of both the corrupt, authoritarian
regimes in the neighbourhood and the terrorism and tyranny of big powers.
From Palestine to Pakistan and from America to Australia, al-Jazeera
has defied and demolished the lies and narrative of the empire. No wonder

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it constantly finds itself under attack from both brotherly Arab regimes and
the bullies of the West.
While the Doha-based network has been repeatedly banned and
harassed in numerous Arab countries, its journalists and offices have often
found themselves in the line of fire, literally, and the self appointed
champions of freedom and democracy. Amazingly, despite being funded by
the Qatari government, a close ally of Uncle Sam, al-Jazeera has managed
to jealously guard and maintain its independence so far. Which is how it
should be?
By the way, why cant we have more al-Jazeeras out there? God
knows we do need them more than ever. Instead of chasing those billion
dollar mirages in the sand, why cant Arabs invest more in the media?
Instead of crying all the time about Islamophobia and negative stereotyping
of Arabs and Muslims in Western media and popular culture, why dont they
do something concrete to address it?
Al-Jazeeras success especially that of al-Jazeera English proves its
possible to make professionally credible attempts on this front. If a tiny
emirate like Qatar can do it, surely big boys like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and
Turkey could do it. Even if five per cent of what many Muslim countries
spend on the expensive, junk sold by the West as arms was devoted to
developing world class media, universities and research institutions, they
wouldnt be stuck where they have been. For those who control the media
will control the mind.
Next day Tanvir Ahmad Khan commented: Covering complex
situations in real time, present day media rely on the repetitive use of
catch phrases and tag lines that are instantly grasped by the reader or
viewer. The current turmoil in the Arab world has produced several such
triggers of awareness such as Arab revolt, Arab awakening, days of
rage and Facebook revolution. The leitmotif of reporting is the quest of
Arab masses turmoil for democracy and freedom. Unfortunately, the labels
obscure the particular context of each event.
The Libyan uprising has, from the beginning, fit only partially
into the master story. Demonized for decades, Muammar Gaddafi came in
from the cold in 2003 when he allowed the western oil companies back into
Libya. He was then courted by virtually all European leaders including
President Nikolas Sarkozy who has taken the lead in recognizing the
Benghazi-based rebel National Council as the legitimate voice of the Libyan

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people. The rapprochement with Tripoli was worth billions of dollars to

western powers. In Libya too, the per capita income rose to $12,000.
The uprising in eastern Libya was immediately hailed as the
beginning of the end of Qaddafis 41-year-old reign. Triumphal reports
sketched its inexorable westward march. After an initial hesitation, Secretary
Clinton and President Obama both declared that it was time for Qaddafi to
step down. The message was reinforced by the mobilization of naval and air
power. Libyan assets in the West were quickly frozen; the United States
alone blocked assets worth more than $30 billion. The air became thick with
incessant talk about humanitarian intervention.
A contrary narrative, written mostly by left-leaning analysts from
Europe and North America, interprets western interest as lust for Libyan
oil. Libya has about 3.5 per cent of global oil reserves, its proven reserves
stand at 46.5 billion barrels. It argued that the Libyan uprising was not an
extension of non-violent movements in Tunisia and Egypt but an
opportunistically timed armed insurrection supported by foreign powers. It
opposed yet another invasion aimed at controlling, Iraq-style, the production
and pricing of Arab oil.
The Brother leader of the Libyans knew that the movement lacked
a nation-wide dimension and had not cut through tribal loyalties. The
bulk of his armed forces had not joined it either. He risked a bloody civil war
by calling upon citizens to fight back and committed substantial troops to the
defence of Tripoli, where a little less than one-third of Libyas population is
concentrated. The movement rapidly changed into a raging army hoping to
seize the capital with help from an expected western-enforced no-fly zone,
which the Arab League supports and arms that Obama has asked Saudi
Arabia to provide. Qaddafi has used the air force and tanks to wrest the
momentum from the rebels for now.
To intervene or not to intervene; that is the question. In the
Security Council, Russia and China may not support military intervention.
India, Brazil and South Africa have opposed it in a joint communiqu.
Obama will have to return to Bush era unilateralism and, in any case,
Washington can hardly walk into another quagmire with its resources
heavily committed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Without the US, Europe is sound
and fury signifying nothing. The likely option is covert operations and
sustained sanctions.
Libya needs an internal reconciliation. If Muammar Qaddafi is
winning, he should act with magnanimity and seek an accord with his
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opponents by accepting radical reforms that focus on democratic

institutions and equitable distribution of Libyas vast income. Recourse to
revenge will only invite outside intervention in one form or another.
The News wrote about Bahrain. Early on Monday, military vehicles
without national identity marks crossed the 26-mile causeway which
connects the island state of Bahrain to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They
were part of multinational Arab task force called in at the request of the
Bahrain government as it struggled with a deepening crisis. Those
protesting against the current regime immediately dubbed the force as
occupiers and on Tuesday afternoon, Iran issued a statement decrying
interference in the affairs of Bahrain by Arab states.
Although there are similarities between the unrest in Bahrain
and elsewhere, this is at heart, a sectarian clash. The Shia minority and
has many grievances, but it is the interests of foreign powers in Bahrain,
particularly America and Iran, which heighten concerns. The Iranians would
be beneficiaries of a regime change in Bahrain and a transfer of power to the
majority, and would be displeased by the presence of an intervention force.
The American Fifth Fleet has its base there and the Americans would
potentially be the losers if majority rule backed and perhaps underwritten
by Iran made their massive naval facility no longer welcome.
Iran has long sought to have naval dominance of the Gulf waters, an
ambition that far predates the Iranian revolution. If America had to find
another home for the fifth fleet, it would, at best, face a period when its
power in the Gulf was diminished, and worse cede some of that power to
Iran which could move into whatever facilities the Americans vacated. It
must be assumed that the Saudis are as aware of Iranian intentions as are the
Americans whose statement on Tuesday that they were unaware of the
move of foreign forces into Bahrain rings as true as lions declaring
themselves to be vegetarian all along. If they were truly as unaware as they
were then they should be dismissing from post every signals intelligence
officer in the fifth fleet.
Whoever controls Bahrain controls the Gulf and oil traffic. To the
northwest is Kuwait and to the east the Straits of Hormuz through which
virtually all of the oil exported from the region has to pass. The USA and its
close ally Saudi Arabia are goi9ng to be anxious to hold on to their
strategically vital island state, but the unrest there has already begun to seep
into the Shia eastern part of Saudi Arabia. Bahrain is a hinge on which much
will turn in the coming days and weeks.
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On 18th March, Dr Muzaffar Iqbal commented: The world seems to

be falling apart with every possible disaster unfolding at speeds no one
could even dream of a decade ago. Thousands may have died in Libya, we
are told, but even if the numbers are uncertain, death and destruction is
certainly spreading through that land where a maniac has ruled for over forty
years.
But regardless of the mania and the horrible crimes of that regime,
what is so strange and utterly unacceptable in this day and age is the
return of the colonial mentality. We had hardly gotten over the departure
of Lord Blair, when David Cameron is trying to put on his shoes. Just
imagine: a young upstart like David speaking like a king to the gentiles of
his vanquished empire: Do we want a situation where a failed, pariah state
festers on Europes southern border, potentially threatening our security,
pushing people across the Mediterranean and creating a more dangerous and
uncertain world for Britain and for all our allies, as well as for the people of
Libya? My answer is clear: this is not in Britains interests. And that is why
Britain will remain at the forefront of Europe in leading the response to this
crisis.
Let us, for a minute turn the scale upside down and recall when
millions, yes, not thousands but millions of men, women, and children
marched through London and told Tony Blair that he cannot invade Iraq; that
his claims are all lies and that he does not represent them.
Now, imagine, if at that point, a Muammar al-Qaddafi, Chavez or
Ahamdinejad had the guts to say: Hey Tony, listen, you have lost legitimacy;
you do not represent the will of the English people anymore. Leave the
office or else our armies are coming and if you dare attack Iraq, we will
consider it a violation of international law and impose a no-fly zone. Such
talk did not happen because no one in the third world has come out of the
colonial bondage yet. But certainly, no one can tolerate Blairism anymore.
David Cameron is no match to that hypocrite, but still, he is
trying his best to be like him and if it had not been for the unusual clarity
of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, we could easily have another
Iraq-like scenario. She is the one who told an EU summit last week that the
no-fly zone idea was potentially dangerous. What is our plan if we create a
no-fly zone and it doesnt work? Do we send in ground troops, she said. We
have to think this through. Why should we intervene in Libya when we dont
intervene elsewhere?

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Next day, The News commented: France and Britain, supported by

some Arab countries, have planned air strikes against Libya and may already
have done so by the time these lines are read. They have the backing of a
resolution of the UN Security Council which acted with uncharacteristic
speed and decisiveness, and it is a clear statement of intent in terms of
toppling the Qaddafi regime. Notwithstanding the risks, the stand of the
rebels against the Qaddafi regime appears to have coalesced the resolve of
his erstwhile allies to oust him. The Arab League has already given its
unanimous support for a no-fly zone, and he now finds himself on the wrong
end of his arms-suppliers and his brand of quasi-socialism has run its course.
The Libyan regime may be able to brush off the Arab League but not the
United Nations. The Libyan foreign minister announced an immediate
ceasefire late in the afternoon. His announcement was met with widespread
skepticism all around the Mediterranean, the Arab world generally and in
Europe.
In the event of an attack Qaddafi has threatened to retaliate in the
Mediterranean and this is no mere bluster. He still has powerful military
assets air, land and sea and could inflict considerable damage on the
commerce of the region if he struck at civilian shipping, for instance. Much
is going to depend on how effective early strikes against him are, and a
failure to take down the majority of his assets could point to a very
complicated and prolonged conflict. It is one thing to support the rebels
from the air, but the wider struggle for power in Libya faces much the same
problems as that faced by the Egyptians. They managed to overthrow a
repressive regime, but the apparatus of the state remained and a substantial
body of support for the old regimes as well. These things cannot be
eradicated by the waving of a flag or the exit of a dictator, and dismantling
them and replacing them with something that is hopefully better than what
went before no easy task. What the Libyans are going to need, as do the
Egyptians and the Tunisians, is help and support as they transition from one
form of governance to another. Much of that is going to come from the old
colonial powers, an irony unlikely to be comfortably received.
On 20th March, Aijaz Zaka Syed commented: The ineffectual angels
of the United Nations and big boys who run the whole circus may make a
great deal of promoting peace and stability around the world, but no one
really wants peace; especially not in the Middle East. Peace is the last
thing the arms industry and their friends in high places want in the region, or
anywhere else for that matter. Indeed, the greater the unrest and instability,
the better it is for people in the business.
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This may be why while the rest of the world has moved on at a mind
boggling pace over the past five or six decades, particularly after World War
II, time has stood still for much of the Middle East. The region is stuck in a
time warp that is centuries old. The more things change in our part of the
world, the more they remain the same for the Arab world.
This is perhaps why most conflicts since World War II have taken
place in the Middle East. Having drawn its lessons from the Two Great
Wars, Europe has managed to avoid major military conflicts and keep the
continent safe. However, war remains a big industry and vital source of
revenue for the industry that deals in trillions of dollars.
Only its now staged elsewhere away from the continent and in
distant Arabia or Africa and Asia. This is why the Arab-Israel conflict
continues to fester even after seven decades. If the Middle East finds
lasting peace, what will happen to all those fancy weapons the US and
European war machine has been churning out year after year?
Why would you want peace in the Middle East, or for that matter
anywhere else on the planet, if you are Lockheed Martin, Northrop
Grumman or even Dick Cheneys Halliburton that has been making billions
building those military bases all across the Middle East and Central Asia?
And its not just the awesome arms and ammo that are an endless
source of income for the merchants of death. Decades after its ostensible exit
from the region, the empire continues to control all levers of power and
economic interests in the Middle East. Using an ancient regime of licenses
and monopoly, the US, UK, France and others in the West still call the shots
by controlling virtually everything, from the oil industry to the supply of
essentials such as military uniforms and jackboots. Nearly 85 percent of
Saudi imports, for instance, are neatly divided between the US and UK and
uniforms for Bahraini troops are provided by the UK at a premium under a
special license.
No wonder, for all their protestations and pretensions to champion
freedom and democracy around the world, our colonial masters are cowering
in their pants as the tsunami of change sinks one subservient satrap after
another. Change is the last thing the West wants now. Status quo is the name
of the game. But who can stop an idea whose time has come? And beware.
The current churning doesnt merely target an old, corrupt order. It also
seeks an end to the injustice, exploitation and open loot that the empire has
presided over all these years.

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Ahmad Nazir Warraich urged the West for military intervention in

Libya. Muammar Gaddafi is proving what France was for Algeria in the
1960s, a reticent and out-of-touch power unwilling to let go off the colony
without a fight. He is determined to hold on to power at all costs, no matter
how bloody the price might be. All indications are that he is not willing for
the history to bracket him with Gorbachevs and F.W. de Klerks of this world,
who cooperated in the demise of their own regimes, and thus resulting in
bloodless power transitions in former Soviet Union and apartheid South
Africa.
This has created a dangerous situation with Libya seemingly ready
for a civil war and heavy repression by the Colonels regime. Against this
background, some quarters are demanding humanitarian intervention The
message from Gaddafi is that he will fight to the end even if it is a
bitter and bloody end. This could be dangerous for Libyans. If Gaddafi is
allowed to suppress the uprising with force, it would send a wrong signal to
repressive regimes the world over.
In this situation, there are three possibilities for the international
community to help the Libyans. One is humanitarian intervention, which
can be a no fly zone or/and bombardment and committing ground troops.
The second option is to impose economic and diplomatic sanctions, although
sanctions are slow to take effect and have the potential to hurt the people
more than the regime. The third option is to supply arms and ammunition to
the rebels, as well as military strategic advice, thus enhancing the
Transitional Councils ability to fight.
The legitimacy of inter-state relationships is determined by
international law, which has two main sources treaty law and customary
international law. This law, sanctioned by the UN Security Council, allows
the use of force at international level for only self-defence, otherwise it is
prohibited under the UN Charter (treaty) through its Article 2 (4). It allows
military action by the international body against a state which is posing
threat to peace. Humanitarian intervention as military intervention is also
allowed in customary international law.
However, this right has never been fully accepted due to its inherent
propensity to be misused for purposes other than humanitarian. On the eve
of declaring war against Iraq, former US president Bush gave two reasons
for the attack self-defence and the need for humanitarian intervention.
In addition to the legality, the other issue deals with the
practicality of such an intervention. In the Libyan case, there is no
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likelihood of a UNSC resolution under Chapter VII, as the UNSC works on

the basis of veto powers of the Permanent Five, out of which Russia and
China may veto any such resolution. This leaves the option of action under
customary international law without a UNSC resolution. However, the
legality of such an action would be questionable it may be morally right
and acceptable in cases such as Kosovo, and not in cases such as Iraq.
The West does not seem to have the stomach or national interest
compulsions for such an action right now. The US is already militarily
involved in two Muslim countries and it is unlikely that it would like to
commit itself to a third country. Therefore, the situation at the moment does
not seem ripe for any kind of military humanitarian intervention.
The recent recession also makes it economically very difficult for
the West to commit to any such action. Additionally, it is doubtful if there
would be enough domestic support in the Western countries for such an
action. The regional opinion is also against it, as both the Arab League and
the African Union oppose the imposition of a no fly zone. In the absence of
a UNSC-sanctioned action, the legality of such an action would become
tenuous, although there may be moral arguments in favour of such an
action.
Despite the global strategic and economic realities, the Libyans
still have a passionate and compelling case for intervention of some sort
to help them gain freedom from dictatorship. Against this background the
option which seems to be gaining support is to supply arms and ammunition
to the Transitional Council in Benghazi, thus enhancing its ability to fight. It
would be a long drawn out affair but would have the legitimacy of a freedom
struggle. This can be augmented with putting sanctions on oil export
revenues, trade and engagement and freezing arms sales to Libya.
Next day, The News observed: Cruise missiles launched from surface
ships and submarines hit radar and fire control systems. Fighter-bombers
knocked out tanks and the Libyan War, 2011, got under way in what has
become traditional manner late on Saturday. There is a pattern to modern
warfare first the air attacks to degrade enemy defences, then a pause to see
if the enemy feels like offering terms and if he does then diplomacy steps in.
If not, more aerial bombardment and eventually ground forces follow. The
relatively recent tool of an air exclusion zone such as that now in place
over large parts of Libya, has proved to be of mixed utility. It was last
used by NATO in Serbia in an attempt to dislodge Slobodan Milosevic and
it took 78 days of almost continual bombardment before he caved in.
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Colonel Qaddafi is a man no less convinced of the rightness of all he

says and does than was Milosevic, and some might consider him as, if not
more, deluded than the Serbian leader. The difference this time is that the
Americans, and everybody else involved in this difficult enterprise, have
said a firm no to boots on the ground. Whatever comes next is going to
have to be Libyan in its origin and direction. There will be support from
the coalition but none of the partners want to find themselves with another
Iraq or Afghanistan hanging around their annual defence budgets.
No commentator or analyst is yet projecting how long this initial
phase may last. If Qaddafi loyalists decide that they are not on the winning
side they may switch, desert their leader and lay down their arms if they are
a fighting force. Conversely, they may decide that a last-ditch stand is the
way to go and fight to the bitter end. Perhaps the option that lies between
these two is the one that is least desirable a divided Libya with Qaddafi
still ruling most of the west and the opposition nurturing some sort of infant
democracy supported by the coalition of the willing nations, in the east.
Whatever the outcome, there is in the forces ranged against
Libya a quite remarkable uniformity and agreement. Organizations not
normally noted for either unity or swift decision-making have stepped up to
the plate. By late on Sunday afternoon the Organization of Islamic
conferences (OIC) had moved off the fence and said that it supported the
Arab League and the UN Resolution 1973. Arab states, including Saudi
Arabia and Qatar amongst others were present at the mission planning
conference in Paris last Saturday.
The Arabs may not be providing much beyond moral support
and logistics, but that they are on board for this operation, and so strongly
supportive of it, is significant. The Arab states are themselves in ferment,
and there is little that is certain any more. Libya had few if any friends who
were key Arab players, which may make it easier for Arab states to openly
support the air strikes, but for many of those supporting the coalition forces
today instability is gnawing away at their own vitals. There is growing
unrest in Syria, Bahrain has boiled over and a massacre in Yemen after
Friday prayers leaves that country teetering on the brink. This is a time of
unprecedented change, with history set to fast forwards. Qaddafi could yet
survive, but even if he does the Libya of last week is not the Libya of
tomorrow.
On 22nd March, The News observed: The old order is fighting hard
to retain its hold on power in Libya, Yemen and Bahrain and the
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outcome is far from clear. There are also violent protests in Deraa, Syria,
and Tunisia and Egypt have yet to form into a settled shape and direction
after their leaders of decades were toppled. The government in Yemen has
been sacked and the country remains in ferment, and the Libyan War, 2011,
is in its fourth day. All eyes may be on Libya, but for real threat, real change,
we have to look at Bahrain. Bahrain has an importance in the current round
of revolt out of proportion to its size. Ruled by a not very popular Sunni
minority the Shia majority has pushed back, to the alarm of Saudi Arabia
and to a relatively muted response by the US.
The US may be content to leave the Libyan imbroglio to the
Europeans to do the heavy lifting on; it has few interests there and would
prefer not to be involved in another war with a Muslim country. Not so
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, because added to the equation is Iran, the btenoir of Uncle Sam since the revolution toppled the Pahlavi regime that was a
western puppet. Since then, Iran has in large degree prospered. It is welleducated but its youth is beginning to push against the strictures that
encapsulate its lives and it is ambitious. The US may wish to foster the
rebellious youth of Iran but it fears the ambitions of its leaders because
the prize that they eye is Bahrain and control of the waters of the Gulf.
They may hope to physically posses it (Iran declared it a province in 1957)
but probably will not, being content instead to bring regime change in
Bahrain that sees a Shia majority government. Saudi Arabia may find it
difficult to welcome an Iran-centric government in Bahrain 26 miles of its
eastern seaboard; so would the Americans. Elsewhere, pro-democracy
movements have had Uncle Sam applauding from the sidelines. Not in
Bahrain. Today the world watches Libya, but tiny Bahrain may well be the
mouse that roared.
Abid Mahmud Ansari from Islamabad noted: They only join hands
and rush to help if they smell oil in abundance in some countries. The
same countries remain unconcerned if the Israeli forces slaughter the
Palestinians or the Indian forces violate human rights in Kashmir.
Sheikh Taimur Nawaz from Rawalpindi wrote: The western forces
have attacked Muammar Qaddafis forces in Libya to enforce UN-mandated
no-fly zone. I wonder if the organization represents all the countries of
the world or serves the agenda of a few countries only.
Rahma M from London was glad that finally the UN took a bold step
and the western forces are now attacking Col Qaddafis headquarter in
Libya. The Libyan people are not powerful enough to throw out Qaddafi, so
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this is the only way through which the country can be freed from the
dictators clutches.
Lt-Col (r) Sarfaraz Hussain Abidi from Karachi enquired: Why is an
absolutely justified protest by the majority in Bahrain being viewed as a
sectarian uprising? Is it not true that the Bahraini people have been ruled
by a minority dynasty for the last 200 years? What meaning should one give
to the armed intervention by two Arab countries in the internal affairs of an
unarmed nation? Where are the UN and the other champions of democracy,
freedom and liberty? One is completely bewildered by the double standards
of the UN and other western and NATO countries which are showing
indifference to the just struggle of the Bahraini people who are being
marginalized on the basis of their sect.
Next day, Hashim Rasheed from Islamabad wrote: The UN mandate
is to ensure peace in the world. However, that mandate has been
trampled by the leading powers of the world time and again, sometimes
in the form of a veto and other times by taking unilateral or allied actions
against other nations. The attack on Iraq in 2003 is considered a prime
example of how the UN mandate was ruthlessly squashed.
The responsibility of the UN in the case of Libya was simple: to
ensure peace in Libya by making both the warring parties start a dialogue,
which should have been monitored by the UN. However, instead of
ensuring peace, the UN, once again is taking sides in the conflict.
On 24th March, Farooq Sulehria recalled some of the unjust military
actions sanctioned by the UNSC and then wrote: In case of Benghazi, antiaircraft guns would have been a solution. But the permanent thieves lording
over you have their eyes on oil prices. I wonder if you establish a new no
fly zone over Gaza next time Israel goes beserk?
Patrick Cockburn opined: In the next few weeks Qaddafi is likely to
lose power. The forces arrayed against him are too strong. The US, Britain
and France are scarcely going to permit a stalemate whereby he clings on
to Tripoli and parts of western Libya while the rebels hold the east of the
country.
Even before the air strikes Qaddafi had not been able to mobilize
more than about 1,500 men to advance on Benghazi, and many of these were
not trained soldiers. The reason for their advance is that the rebels in the
east were unable to throw into the fighting the 6,000 soldiers whose
defection touched off the original uprising.

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The first days of foreign intervention mirror the experience of the US

and its allies in Afghanistan and Iraq, by going extremely well. Air attacks
shattered a column of tanks and infantry south of Benghazi. Survivors have
fled. The rout may soon resemble the rapid dissolutions of the Taliban
and the Iraqi army. In Iraq and Afghanistan most people were glad to get
rid of their rulers, and most Libyans will be glad to see the back of Qaddafi.
His regime may well fall more quickly than is currently expected.
It is the next stage in Libya after the fall of Qaddafi which has
the potential to produce a disaster similar to Afghanistan and Iraq. In
both cases successful war left the US as the predominant power in the
country. In Iraq this turned into an old-fashioned imperial occupation.
In Libya there will be a lack of a credible local partner. The rebels
are politically and militarily weak. Indeed, if this had not been so, there
would have been no need for foreign intervention. The local leaders who rise
to the top in these circumstances are usually those who speak the best
English and get on with the US and its allies. There is a further
complication. Libya is an oil state like Iraq, and oil wealth tends to bring out
the worst in almost everybody. It leads to autocracy because whoever
controls the oil revenues can pay for powerful security forces and ignore the
public.
Few states wholly reliant on oil are democracies. Aspirant Libyan
leaders could put themselves in a position to make a lot of money. Already
there are signs that David Cameron, Hillary Clinton and Nicolas Sarkozy are
coming to believe too much of their own propaganda, particularly over Arab
League support for air strikes. Diplomats normally contemptuous of the
views of the Arab League suddenly treat its call for a no-fly zone as
evidence that the Arab world favours intervention.
This could change very fast. Arab League leaders are mostly people
whom the Arab Awakening is trying to displace. Military participation in
action against the Libyan government is expected from the UAE and Qatar,
members of the Gulf Co-operation Council that clubs together Gulf
monarchies. This is the same GCC that has just sent troops to Bahrain to
help the government crush pro-democracy protests.
The worst verifiable atrocity in the Arab world in the past week was
not in Libya but in Yemen, where pro-government gunmen machine-gunned
an unarmed demonstration last Friday, killing 52 people. In terms of the
exercise of real authority, Qaddafi is likely to be replaced not by Libyans

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but by foreign powers. It will not take much for their actions to be seen as
hypocritical and self-serving, and resisted as such.
Nisar Ahmed Thakur from Islamabad wrote: Intervention by the
western forces in Libya will not solve the problem. Besides widening the
gulf between the Muslim world and the West, the invasion will also
jeopardize the prospects of peace in the Arab world. It is strange that the
UN can see human rights violations in Libya but cannot see the maimed
and mutilated bodies of Palestinian men, women and children. The
western world will have to change this policy if it wants to see peace and
interfaith harmony in the world.
Baqar Rizvi from Karachi observed: The latest developments in
Libya are seen differently everywhere. However, our hypocrisy becomes
visible on the issue of Bahrain. Hundreds of people are being killed in
Bahrain and the Gulf Cooperation Council is sending its troops to eliminate
the upsurge. The UN Security Council, the US and its allies remain
indifferent to what is happening in Bahrain, Yemen and other countries
where people are being butchered.
Next day, Harris Khalique observed: The plastic cities of the
monarchies and oligarchies of the Middle East are being threatened by the
stemming of frail, green saplings of organic resistance. The ruling dynasties
want to root out this growth at once so that a new oasis of human dignity,
democratic values and social change could never appear in the Arab desert.
People are clamouring for political change across Maghreb and the
Middle East. Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain, all are in the midst
of unprecedented tensions in their history. Other governing families and
classes in the region are both angry and nervous. Saudis on the one hand
are trying to dole out money to their populace to keep them calm and have
announced local body polls to create an illusion of participation in decision
making among the citizenry. On the other hand, they have sent armed men to
support the royal family and suppress the uprising in Bahrain.
The world watches. While rulers of influential countries are
calculating their interests and accordingly weighing up options to
interfere or stay back, civil society in these very countries is desperate to
see democratic changes come about quick for their fellow global citizens.
Until now, the western powers, led by the US, are selective. This is quite
usual though. While we see them pounding bombs on Qaddafis bases, Saudi
intervention in Bahrain, exactly contrary to what the west stands for in
Libya, continues unabated.
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The reasons are far too simple. In the proxy war between Iran and
Saudi Arabia played out in Bahrain, the US will side with the Saudis.
Iran is a theocratic democracy, marginally better than Saudi Arabia in terms
of a cleric-controlled representative government but defying the policies of
the US. Saudi Arabia is a theocratic kingdom but a close collaborator and a
joint custodian of US interests in the wider region with Israel.
Although the Saudis do not recognize the Jewish state, they are hand
in glove with their biggest sponsor when it comes to shared strategic
interests. Americans get a rich ally who could foot its own bills and also of
Americans at times like in the first Iraq war, and Saudis get what an
unrepresented regime desperately needs, international political influence and
military support
Dr Muzaffar Iqbal commented: Mercifully, it was Vladimir Putin and
not Osama bin Laden who characterized the UN resolution number 1973 as
defective and flawed, even though he could have stopped it by using
Russian veto power. It allows everything, he said, it resembles medieval
calls for crusades.
Regardless of this characterization and regardless of the reasons
given by Britain and France, the two great powers responsible for
massacres across the Muslim world as well as desecration of almost the
entire Muslim world during the last three centuries, this UN resolution
really takes us to a new level of western shrewdness and a new level of
international coalition against Muslims. It has achieved what no
previous resolution was able to. Also for the first time, we have Muslim
support for Wests aggression against a Muslim country in this naked form.
Imagine upstarts like Qatar and UAE sending their planes to bomb Libya!
Imagine a whole array of potentates and dictators helping Libyans get rid
of their dictator!
There can hardly be any situation more ironic than this. But
nothing matters anymore. Neither logic nor ethics; all that matters now is
brute force. Morals, ethics, even basic human decency has long gone. If
anyone is in doubt, just have a look at the grinning face of Jeremy Morlock,
the young US soldier, posing for a photo, with his hand holding up the head
of the dead Afghan boy he and his colleagues have just killed. These pictures
were released by the German magazine Der Spiegel and they are available
on the internet. But the strange thing is that there has been no outcry against
this inhumanity, no international cry for justice, decency, even humanity;
just a horrible silence. According to testimony collected by Der Spiegel the
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boy had, as a matter of routine, lifted up his shirt to reveal that he was not
hiding a suicide bomb vest. That was the moment Morlock, according to a
pre-arranged plan, threw a grenade at the boy that exploded while other
members of the rogue group who called themselves the kill team opened
fire. Then they took pictures, smoked cigarettes and made jokes.
It is hard to believe that we are living in the twenty-first century.
Even crusaders would feel ashamed for these acts of inhumanity. But
nothing matters anymore, only greed and lust for power and brute force
matter and these are abundantly present in the cunning diplomacy of the
western world as well as in their arsenal of deadly weapons.
But back to Libya a country forsaken by the entire Muslim world
because of its ruler. This is of course not without justification: the maverick
colonel has been a thorn in every eye and his craziness has soured
relationships with many rulers, but to hand over Libya to the West for an
undisclosed and open-ended invasion is utter folly. The UN is of course not
to be blamed; as the true mistress of its creators, it always does what it is
asked to. But unlike Iraq, this time around there is no outrage against this
intervention; no mention of the duplicity that characterizes this western
intervention while similar situations in Bahrain, Morocco and Yemen
remain unattended.
Libya is not another Iraq, we are being repeatedly told, but it is. The
UN resolution is so vague that it really allows everything. Air strikes can
cripple Libyan air force, they can even destroy its communication system,
but eventually somebody has to arrive on the soil and that is where the
slippery resolution has already started to lead. First it was said that it will
only be the enforcement of a no-fly zone that will be required. Then, that
new incarnation of Lord Blair, Mr David Cameron, started to talk about
international forces knocking over the government; in other words, the
objective is regime change, just as it was in Iraq. His government
comfortably won the Commons vote by 557 to 13, even though a few
backbenchers used the six-and-a-half-hour debate to raise concerns about
how the intervention would end.
Of course the nightmarish scenario for most westerners is the
deployment of ground troops, not because they think it is immoral and
illegal, but because it contains the possibility of body bags returning home
something everyone dreads. Thus when pressed on whether British ground
troops could be deployed in a defensive role, Britains cunning response
was: I dont think we would at this stage rule anything in or rule anything
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out but I agree with the distinction that you draw between landing an
occupying force and the use of anybody on the ground. This is called testing
waters, preparing public for the inevitable. Both Britain and France already
know that they will need to send in troops even though US support is lacking
for this, Mr Obama also knows this to be in the plan.
So, if we have western forces in Libya, and the Middle East
continues to explode at the rate at which it is exploding, then where are we
going with this open ended intervention: Are we at the beginning of a
grand reconfiguration of the entire region? Are we at the beginning of a
new world order in which Europe will claim its share of Muslim world along
with the United States of America? If yes, then who is next? Syria is the
obvious choice, as Yemen is too poor and too remote and all the other
countries are already client states.
Imagine a new Middle East under western control, with all its oil and
riches serving the masters. Imagine the fate of some one billion Muslims
whose lives will be reconfigured in a manner they cannot even imagine. And
the irony of this situation is countries like Pakistan, which can really play a
role in stopping these new crusaders, are mired in an endless drama of no
consequence.

REVIEW
The events of last three weeks indicated that the storm that had started
blowing from North Africa was now in control of the West. In other words,
the much hyped uprising of the Arab masses in less than three months
was blowing under complete control of colonial powers of the past, which
today believe in joint ventures of corporate imperialism.
During the period under review the entire Arab World experienced
stormy conditions; however Libya remained in the eye of storm. At the very
first hint of storm dissipating, the West added to it the fury of French
Mirages and British Tornados. Russian Prime Minister, Putin named the
recipe of storm-cum-mirages-cum-tornados as the Crusades.
The West aimed at liberating the oppressed people of eastern Libya
from the tyranny of an old rogue. For a change, the Crusades were
spearheaded by a new Richard the Lion from France. After successful
conduct of air strike by French jetfighters on 19th March Sarkozy issued the
royal decree telling Gaddafi to pull out his troops from eastern Libya.

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The people of eastern Libya were declared oppressed, not because of

the excesses of a tyrant, but more because of the oil reserves which rested
under their feet. They were oppressed just like the people of resource-rich
East Timor and South Sudan, who have been liberated since the waging of
Crusades after 9/11.
The time has come to liberate the people of eastern Libya, despite the
fact that unlike East Timor and South Sudan there are no followers of Christ
in this region. But, Christ had come to this world at a time when the man had
not yet known that oil is more precious for his economic well-being than the
Faith.
The most shameful aspect of this military intervention has been that
whereas Germany, China, Russia, India, African Union and many others
criticized the military action, the Arab League and Union of Gulf States have
supported the military action. No doubt, the Arab-obsessed Pakistani rulers
have resorted to mother selling taking lead from their Arab brothers.
The recent storm has only provided a pretext; otherwise Europe and
North Africa have been in constant conflict since the recorded history. Geopolitical plates of the two continents have been continuously pushing against
each other from Egypt to Spain. However, this time the entire Arab region
has been jolted simultaneously.
True face of the uprising in Arab World has started exposing its
ugliness; this is the face of western hold over information technology and
over the UN through aggressive diplomacy. Wests determination to
liberate Libya and its insistence on Gaddafis exit indicated that they have
some compliant puppet in their kitty; Abdul Malek or someone like him.
While the Crusaders have ventured to get rid of Gaddafi through
direct intervention by using the military might, their approach in other
countries of the Arab World varies but the aim, however, remains constant.
That aim, as has been said so many times, is to have control over oil for
which it is imperative to have compliant rulers; the well-being of the masses
has no place in the scheme of things.
In Egypt, the public agitation was defused by exerting pressure on
Hosni Mobarak to quit, because it was assessed that he had spent his useful
life and his hanging around some undesirable forces to sneak in. The puppet
was removed but the system run by the military was saved and thus the
chance of Islamists coming into power was averted.

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The country in the south, territorially largest in Islamic World, had

already been cut to size through a UN dictated referendum. Sudan was made
to shed its oil-producing fatty bulk in the south. After this slimming course
Bashirs regime was considered to have been effectively neutralize.
Somalia had been neutralized during days of first Desert Storm in
which Pakistan had played major role as peace-keeper. Since that day the
peace has not returned to this country where peace-keeping duties are now
performed by the African Union. The country in its present state is neither
capable of serving the interests of the West nor posing any serious threat in
that context and thus ignored.
Saudi Arabias oil and its royal family are the corner stone of the
scheme of the Crusaders. They were secretly advised to spend some of its
wealth to prevent any possible uprising. The advice was well received and
the King announced a generous welfare package.
The ruler of the country in the south, Yemens Saleh, has rendered
commendable services to the cause of Americas holy war like Pakistans
Musharraf. He fought against al-Qaeda and Shiite population just as
Pakistani rulers have done more and more in the context of Taliban. He too
has been allowing US strikes, but has passed his useful life Like
Musharraf. However, Crusaders have not yet found a Yemeni Zardari who
could deliver more than his predecessor; thus Saleh retained his
indispensability.
Bahrain is ruled by pro-American Sunni minority. Its strategic
significance needs is evident from its location. Its a big island in Persian
Gulf located beneath the under-belly of Iran, which has been the base of
Fifth Fleet since the start of the ongoing Crusades. The West and its Arabian
ally will do everything to save the present rulers and that was why troops
from neighbouring states have entered Bahrain.
The West considers Syria an enemy country of the level of Iran. Syria
has also experienced the public protests; though these were restricted to
southern town of Daraa, yet the western media and diplomats projected it as
uprising against the tyranny of Bashir al-Assad. The Crusaders will portray
Syria as next place fit for waging Crusades after Libya.
Disarmament of Hezbollah remained a priority of the Crusaders a
rally was held in Beirut to this end, but in view of so much happening in the
region this was deferred for the time being. Jordanian king was quick to
respond but he had no money like his Saudi counterpart and had to be

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satisfied with appointment of a reform commission, which might not be

enough to save his rule.
With the Arabs kept engaged Israelis will be allowed full freedom of
action to settle old and new scores against Gazans and they were availing the
opportunity. Iran has experienced relative calm, but suppression of Shiite
communities in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Yemen was part of long pending
encounter with Iran.
26th March 2011

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MOTHER SELLERS -II

Prime Minister Gilani said that all the stakeholders were on board
when release of Raymond Davis was secured through services of the
judiciary. He was indirectly advising the Ghairat Brigade not to make an
issue of non-issue and so did the other liberal forces tell the Ghairat Brigade
to keep shut.
Despite the declaration by the descendent of Ghausul Azam, out of the
three stake holders the two, PPP and PML-N, spent busy week in blaming
each other for the release of Raymond Davis, while the third, army/ISI
thought it wise to let the civilians perform the task of beating snakes trail.
Their silence, however, was not enough to save them from the muck they
had opted to splash all over their faces.
They had tried to rub some of it of their faces by lodging a strong
protest by condemning drone attack in North Waziristan, but the US did not
bother to say a word about that. Zardari, however, renewed his commitment
to Americas war on terror in his address to the Parliament. It earned the
appreciation of Cameron Munter, who was present in the visitors gallery.

NEWS
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on 20th March that the demands of diyat
law were no met before acquitting Davis. Governor Latif Khosa declared
that the case was decided according to law and Shariah. Babar Awan
preached that rallies are not held against court verdicts he made it
convenient to forget all that happened in Sindh after the court verdict that
removed Deedar Shah.
PML-N asked 13 questions from Imran Khan regarding his allegations
against it over release of Raymond. Imran Khan contacted Altaf Hussain to
have a joint stand on the issues of Raymond and Dr Aafia. Ebadur Rehmans
family staged a sit-in outside US Consulate, Lahore.
Militants in North Waziristan mulled ending peace accord with
political administration. JUI-S asked government to halt NATO supplies.
Next day, LHC summoned CCPO, Lahore in connection with a petition for
recovery of the families of Faheem and Faizan, which have gone missing
after receiving diyat.
On 22nd March, Zardari in his annual address to joint session of both
the houses of Parliament did not mention Raymond Davis; observers
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remarked that he could not dare that when US Ambassador and Army chief
were sitting in the gallery. He also termed Salmaan Taseer and Shahbaz
Masih as shaheeds and without saying so he accepted Raymond Davis as a
ghazi.
Leader of Opposition held press conference after Zardaris address
and condemned him over making no mention of Raymond. He also
criticized his friend Imran Khan for pointing finger at PML-N on this issue.
He demanded judicial commission to find facts.
Next day, Firdous Awan accused PML-N of doing politics on court
verdict. She said it was unfortunate that PML-N accepted the verdict in
Deedars case but criticized in Raymonds. She preferred to see the things
upside down. Siddiqul Farooq of PML-N apologized to Saudi Arabia over
his statement in which he had blamed Saudi Arabia for playing role in
release of Raymond.
On 24th March, Zardari termed Terry Jones a lunatic. Lawyers in
Lahore said Quran was desecrated in revenge of Raymonds arrest. Brutus
(Musharraf) said foreign agents freely roam in Pakistan. Haqqani said US
and Pakistan were working to mend their relations, which had been saved
by freeing Raymond. Reportedly, Punjab prosecution had opposed release of
Raymond till last moment and its request for adjournment of the case for
two days was also rejected by the judge.
Next day, rallies were held across the country to protest desecration of
Holy Quran by Terry Jones. Imran Khan addressed a public gathering in
Peshawar and demanded end to drone attacks in one month failing which he
vowed to stage sit-in to block NATO supplies for three days.
On 26th March, Rehman Malik said America, not Pakistan is
conducting drone attacks but his government is helpless to check attacks. He
recommended that Pakistani leaders should accept invitation of Manmohan
Singh and go to Mohali to see Indo-Pak cricket match.
Mufti Muneebur Rehman urged suo moto notice of Raymonds
release. First time ever the government decided to pay blood money for
victims of Dattakhel drone attack; Rs300 thousand for each dead and Rs100
thousand for the wounded.
General Petraeus apprising the US Administration of severe protest by
Pakistan Army leadership over the Dattakhel drone attack demanded that in
future such attacks should be avoided otherwise cooperation of Pakistan
Army with respect to war on terror would end. Pakistani sources have
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revealed that Army has asked US not to rely entirely on local sources for
intelligence prior to launching of such attacks.
Salman Bashir appeared before the Senate Committee for foreign
affairs and warned the events in Arab World could have serious implications
for Pakistan. Without saying it clearly, he drew attention of the Upper House
to listen to the alarm bells that have been rung by UNSC Resolution No
1973. This resolution has allowed the Crusaders to take all possible
measures, including perpetration of death and destruction, to save lives of
civilians.
Some of the events reported during the week, other than the Davisdrone related happenings, are briefly enumerated. In Pakistan, eight people
were wounded when a passenger van was attacked by gunmen near Hangu
on 20th March. Railway track was blown up near Nowshera. Next day, forces
killed five militants in Swat.
On 22nd March, two people were killed and four wounded in bomb
blast in Bara; 370 people were held in a crackdown. Six militants were killed
in Mohmand Agency. Next day, 12 security personnel were wounded in
remote-controlled bomb blast near Hangu. Two militants were killed in an
encounter in Nowshera. Three NATO oil tankers were set ablaze near Sibi.
On 24th March, one policeman was among eight killed and 25
wounded in car bomb attack at police station in Hangu. In another incident
two security personnel were wounded when a grenade was lobbed into their
vehicle and in retaliatory action six militants were killed.
Next day, eight people were killed in firing at passenger coaches and
three wagons carrying 45 passengers were hijacked in Kurram Agency.
Seven militants were killed in shelling in Orakzai Agency. Two Afghans
were killed by unknown gunmen in Islamabad. UNHCR decided to collect
data of Afghan refugees (it took only two decades to feel the need to have
it).
In Afghanistan, a child was killed in NATO troops firing in Khost on
23 March. Next day, two NATO soldiers were killed in a bomb blast. An
American soldier was sentenced for 24-year in prison for killing innocent
Afghan civilians and mutilating their dead bodies to show an encounter with
Taliban. The same day, General Petraeus claimed winning Afghan War as
Taliban were giving up fighting.
rd

On 21st March, Amnesty International condemned India over

detentions in IHK. On 25th March, Manmohan Singh invited Zardari and
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Gilani to witness Cricket World Cup Semi Final to be played in Mohali on

30th March. The ever excited media that tends to rush to draw wishful
conclusion started talking that Indian and Pakistani rulers would solve the
Kashmir dispute in a day-long interaction in a cricket stadium. Nobody
visualized that is the invitees land in Mohali the match could be fixed.
In Balochistan, 11 persons working as labour were killed and two
wounded in attack by unknown gunmen at FWO camp near Gwadar on 21 st
March. Next day, two electricity pylons were blown up in Bolan Pass. On
23rd March, four people were killed and 16 wounded when three rockets
landed in Quetta city; three persons were wounded in bomb blast.

VIEWS
On 20th March, The News commented: The human operator of the
drone which fired the missiles which killed about 44 people in North
Waziristan would have watched the event on a live video feed. He or she
would have been far away, perhaps somewhere in Afghanistan or in the CIA
HQ at Langley, Virginia, or even somewhere here in Pakistan. The operator
would be flying the mission on the basis of real-time intelligence either
electronic or human or a combination of both; and would have reconnoitered
the site before pressing the fire button. They would have known what they
were firing at, how many people were present in the target area and what the
outcome would be missiles fired from drones very rarely miss what they
are aimed at. There are reports that the target was a vehicle which just
happened to be passing a house where there was a jirga meeting to resolve a
dispute over the operating rights of a chromites mine; and the deaths of 44
men is just another piece of collateral damage which has blasted yet
another hole in American credibility in the eyes of the people.
It is unusual to have such a large number of fatal casualties in a
single incident, and equally unusual that the strongest possible
condemnation has come not only from senior political figures but from
Chief of Army Staff General Kayani. Coming as it does so close to the
release of Raymond Davis, it is hard not to see this as a blatant contempt
by America for us and our sovereignty.
Incidents such as this are the best recruiting sergeants the extremists
could ever have, and the drone attacks drive a steady stream of young and
very angry people straight into the arms of those who are more than happy to
train and equip them. Is it any wonder that extremism thrives like the

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poisonous plant that it is when it is fed a daily diet of Hellfire missiles? We

add our voice to those condemning this despicable piece of casual brutality.
This country is not a free-fire zone for America or its proxies. US
Ambassador Cameron Munter was called in to the Foreign Office on Friday
afternoon for a conversation unlikely to have been comfortable and we have
withdrawn from the trilateral talks on Afghanistan to be held in Brussels on
March 26. The tribesmen of the area have now collectively declared war on
America and there is a sense that this truly was a drone strike too far.
Actions have consequences. And the extremists will be looking at the body
count with a cynical satisfaction, knowing the recruits will come knocking
on their doors in the days to come.
Adiah Afraz was sarcastic while her resentment over the release of
Raymond. As for Raymond Davis (or Diamond Davis as his local
investigators called him), lets not forget him in a hurry, and lets have his
image carved out in gold and put it on the flag of Pakistan. In fact, heres a
plan. Since gold is too expensive now, why dont we all nominate one
member of our families each to be killed by Raymond Davis, on crowded
city roads in broad day light, and then ask the state of Pakistan to pay us
some blood money each? Not only would it pay off all our loans, but it
would also take care of our daily financial woes, pay for our childrens
education, rid us of all worries, and at the end of the day leave us enough
cash to build some Davis temples in our houses. And all this in ex-change
of just one, ordinary life each, sacrificed by all Pakistani households
Amazing plan isnt it? Sounds better than selling our children on the
streets. I never really liked that I am selling my children plan. It lost its fizz
pretty quickly, and it wasnt even feasible in the long run. Who would want
to buy children with green passports anyway? I mean even if you are a
philanthropic celebrity wanting to make a rainbow family, there are plenty of
other colours to choose from. And come to think of it, even the rainbow
doesnt have the colour green any more, or does it?
So lets try my plan and volunteer ourselves to be killed. And do
all that in the spirit of reconciliation and democracy. After all if Mr Zardari
can call an ailing Nawaz Sharif a national asset in the same spirit, if the
Army Chief can call the ordinary incident of drone attacks foul play in the
same spirit, then why cant we nominate ourselves to be killed in the same
spirit as well? This is the least we can do for our beloved Do More ally in
the war against terror. And then look at all the population we can control this
way.

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Hey, heres an idea. Why dont we revamp the population ministry

altogether and call it the assassination ministry. Lets call Raymond
Davis back and make him our assassination minister. All those politicians
willing to step down from your constituencies and invest in the election of
Davis, please raise your hands. Cmon guys, volunteer! You never know you
might get a special mention in a Hillary Clinton speech one day. How cool
would that be!
And those of you who are afraid of dying, well, dont worry people,
with the new taxes coming up and the summers descending upon us with all
its associated power short-age, pretty soon we will all be dying any way.
And I believe that its better to die quickly, in broad day light at the
hands of a shady American rather than meet the same fate in the middle
of the night, in a dark room full of bleak thoughts and black mosquitoes, at
the hands of something as unromantic as the electricity bill. Say What?
Ghazi Salahuddin observed: An irony of ironies it was that Raymond
Davis found his escape from a prison in Lahore through a Shariah law. And
it has left the Islamists in a rage while the rest of us are wondering about
what really did happen. On their part, the Americans, too, should feel very
uneasy with this recourse to a legal stratagem that sanctifies the
payment of blood money diyat.
What really matters is that the Pakistani and the American
establishments made their deal on an issue that was threatening to upset their
respective game plans. Some of our commentators have argued that Pakistan
has taken more in this give and take. What is not certain is whether the
additional surge in anti-Americanism that was prompted by the Davis
affair would cast any dark shadows on an essentially collaborative
relationship.
Whether its timing was tactically set to distract attention from the
cloak-and-dagger escape of Davis or not, there was this drone attack in
North Waziristan just the next day in which more than forty persons, mostly
civilians, were killed. It was, thus, one of the bloodiest drone attacks,
termed as The gift of death in this newspapers editorial comment on
Saturday. Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was quoted
as saying that such acts of violence take us away from our objective of
elimination of terrorism.
Indeed, the focus has very much shifted to the outrage that has
been caused by Thursdays drone attack. The US Ambassador to Pakistan
was summoned to the foreign office on Friday and, as a report in this
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newspaper said, given an earful by a tense foreign secretary. He was told

that under the present circumstances, Pakistan would not be able to
participate in the trilateral meeting between Afghanistan-Pakistan-US in
Brussels on March 26.
In the immediate future, anti-American sentiments will angrily be
stoked up by a variety of religious and political groups. Immediately after
the departure of Davis on Thursday, plans for street agitations were
announced by some religious parties and it was seen as a great opportunity
for Imran Khan to exploit popular feelings on the issue with a grand show
and finally make his mark on the national scene, far from the hothouse
frenzy of television talk shows
More disconcerting is the feeling that the military establishment
may have connived in this resistible rise of the religious elements. There
is hardly any doubt about the clout that the establishment carries in our
public affairs and in the execution of our security policies. Look at how the
Davis escape has been perceived as an operation produced and directed by
the security agencies. The manner in which fingers have been pointed is
really unusual.
The big question is: what does all this say about the nature of
democracy that we have and that we desire Obviously, the veto power that
the military establishment has retained in the exercise of our national
security and foreign policies is a valid point of reference in any discussion
on the state of democracy in Pakistan. In that sense, it should be instructive
to make an attempt to comprehend the Davis episode and wade through the
dense fog of the conspiracy theories that are in circulation. It is sad that a
rational and meaningful debate is very difficult in the prevailing
environment. Somehow, the liberated electronic media has made such an
attempt more hazardous, with the norms it has set in its talk shows.
Still, most observers seem convinced that there is no threat of a
military intervention. But the absence of rule of law and the states writ may
prove to be the cause of unraveling the system. Add to this the pervasiveness
of intolerance and religious extremism and decide what you want to bet on
the survival of the present democratic dispensation.
Its funny that Anwarul Haq believes Raymond Davis paid blood
money out of his own pocket. Mr Haq is either too nave or simply trying to
fool us. Pray tell us how on earth could a CIA contractor arrange over
two million dollars in a few weeks? I live in the United States and can

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safely say that no government employee can, even in his wildest dream, earn
that much money, a Pakistani from Hartford, US wrote.
Akbar Swati from Karachi noted: Our senior officials are not only
cowards but dim-witted. They cant tell the truth even when Raymond
Davis has been freed. Was it necessary for the attorney general to say who
paid the money? Why couldnt he just keep quiet?
Air-Cdre (r) Mohammad Yaqoob Khan from Rawalpindi opined: In
the latest drone attacks, over 40 people who were conducting a peaceful
tribal jirga were killed The US, in its arrogance, appears to be taking
us for granted and our lives as expendables. Boycotting the forthcoming
tripartite strategic dialogue is a step in the right direction. However, it should
be followed by measures including refusal to allow a supply route to the
NATO forces. Drone attacks must end forthwith and compensation for the
lives of innocent people lost in the attacks so far must also be demanded.
Waqar Gillani wrote: In retrospect, its interesting how these media
men failed to observe the unusual happening right before their eyes. For
instance, the deployment of traffic wardens to stop and divert the traffic on
the road from one entry point; the continuous patrolling of a senior police
officer on the road; the presence of the bomb disposal squad and rescue
department team planting thorny wires at the entrance to deal with any
emergency situation. They even ignored the secret agency officials
mysteriously entering and exiting the jail. And how could they miss the
arrival of 18 members of the two victims families boarding a car and
vanishing (previously only two brothers of the victims accompanied
Advocate Butt). Nobody even suspected the presence of Inspector General
Prisons and Deputy Inspector General Operations Lahore in the court.
Finally the proceedings were over. People started emerging from
inside the jail. Relatives of the victims came out first. They boarded the cars
waiting for them and escaped rather hurriedly escaped. Nobody got an
inkling of how and when Principal Officer, US Consulate Lahore
Carmela Conroy drove away with Raymond Davis to the army airbase in
Lahore from where he flew away.
The breaking news eventually came in the shape of Mr Butt, the
disowned advocate who was asked to leave the jail premises after the
case was over. He was the first person to speak to the media on phone,
saying: I was detained in the jail for four hours and not allowed to go into
the court. I have seen relatives of the victims. Perhaps a forced agreement
has been signed to free Davis
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All actors America, ISI, federal and provincial governments, courts,

families and friends of America in Pakistani political circles played well,
except the media, said a senior journalist colleague, laughing with some
embarrassment. Yes, the case was over. Only the media was the last one to
know.
Aasim Sajjad Akhtar opined: As I write this, religious parties are
gearing up for their standard protest after Friday prayers they are hoping
for large numbers, but the protests that took place on Wednesday evening
and Thursday were conspicuous for how small they were. Even so, the
government has taken numerous precautions, while the Americans have shut
up shop completely, and will only reemerge once they are sure that any
commotion has completely died down.
But the commotion will not die down. The invocation of Shariat in
the court decision to free Davis notwithstanding, the right-wing lobby has
been baying from blood since the day Davis decided to make himself
famous. Polarization across the length and breadth of this country between
the secularists and the theocrats has been on the up for years, and in
recent months has become acute. The Americans are not about to abandon
their strategic interests in the region anytime soon, just as the Pakistani
establishment refuses to abandon its strategic assets. And so some other
sensational story will emerge in days to come when the furore over Davis
dies down. And ordinary Pakistanis will continue to be held hostage to the
whims of those who play Great Games, save the world for freedom and
democracy, and project the cause of national security.
If there is a silver lining to all of this it is the fact that the
machinations of the spymasters are coming under intense scrutiny in a
manner that is surely unnerving to both those under the spotlight and their
yes-men in the media, religious parties and the intelligentsia. The Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) had already received a good deal of stick even
before Daviss release, and rightfully so. The CIA has for decades been at
the forefront of every major imperialist adventure across the world, employs
unspeakable methods in the most cynical ways, and yet remains the most
unaccountable government institution since the inception of the modern
state. But in the aftermath of the Davis fiasco the CIA can only be
condemned as much as its Pakistani counterpart, the Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI).
For the very first time and this is what happens when the state and
dominant classes are riven by potentially irreconcilable internal
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contradictions commentators and politicians alike have been forced to

admit that the greater national interest has not been served by the
ISIs cutting of a deal with the CIA. The judiciary too, the darling of the
right, the other incorruptible institution, has also been exposed. The
establishments delicate public relations act is teetering on the brink
It is now up to the rest of us to take the game to the right, for a
change, and expose the innumerable holes in their argument. This cannot be
done, as our liberals insist on doing, by defending the Raymond Daviss of
the world (or at the very least not condemning them), but by asserting the
simple fact that the CIA-ISI nexus has gotten us into a quagmire that can
only be redressed if and when we clearly enunciate what has happened
and who has done it. The debate over whether the mullahs have become an
autonomous force that is willing and able to challenge the establishment can
go on forever. What matters in the here and now is that the establishment
and its imperial patron continue to be the bane in the existence of working
people. The cause of Pakistans long-suffering people will be greatly helped
if this basic fact is openly asserted, again and again and again.
In closing, even though I am not one for conspiracy theories, is it not
intriguing that the drone attack that followed Daviss release was condemned
so forcefully by not only the government, but the Chief of Army Staff
(COAS) himself? There has been much debate about whether the drones kill
terrorists or civilians, and this latest attack will not alter the terms of this
debate. The outspoken reaction to the attack is what truly stands out given
what has happened in recent days. It surely does not take a rocket scientist to
figure out that this is a classic case of the proverbial defenders of the nation
reclaiming their mantle as the guardians of our sovereignty. Now is surely
the time to put this myth to bed, once and for all.
Next day, special correspondent of The News reported: 1,140-word
detailed decision of Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Yousaf Aujila, in
which Raymond Davis was acquitted, has confirmed some facts and laid
bare certain specifics. The judgment did not accord diplomatic immunity to
Davis and the court framed murder charge against him before accepting the
compromise between the parties on the same day. It says that the foreign
office response placed before the Lahore High Court which was also handed
over to the additional judge, shows that accused has not been declared
immune from the criminal jurisdiction.
Another important point noted in the decision is that the recovery of
photographs of some sensitive places from Davis placed before the judge is
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not proved by any independent evidence. This demonstrated the flaws in

the investigation.
The judgment makes no mention or even presence of any or all the
three Punjab government public prosecutors in the court on the D-Day.
Usually, leading lawyers say, judicial verdicts not only refer to the
prosecutors but also allude to their arguments and objections time and again.
Lawyers say while reading the instant decision it may be safely assumed that
either no prosecutor was physically present in the court on the fateful
day or if any one was there he just kept quiet over the proceedings and
chose not to play any role
The judgment confirmed that the two set of heirs of Daviss victims,
Faheem Shahzad and Faizan Haider, received Rs100 million each as the
blood money to surrender their right of Qisas against the accused and had no
objection if the accused was acquitted of the charge. It also confirms that the
share (Rs197,687.50 each) of the blood money of Musarat Bibi, mother of
Faheems widow, Shumaila, who committed suicide, and her sister Ayesha,
being Shumailas legal heirs, has been deposited with the court that they
can withdraw when they desire so.
The decision reflected the urgency and haste that was observed
on the day of acquittal. It says as two separate petitions were made by the
complainant Imran Haider while present in the court through his counsel
Raja Irshad, at which the complainant has been summoned, who is present in
the court and he acknowledges both the petitions made for compromise and
accordingly superintendent Jail Mushtaq Ahmad is directed to summon the
legal heirs of the deceased who were reported to be present outside the jail.
Be put up after ten minutes, the judgment said.
Most importantly, the verdict noted that the police investigation
report did not show the commission of Fasad-fil-arz (spreading mischief
on earth), which was filed with the judge under Section 173 of the Criminal
Procedure Code (Cr P C).
A legal expert said that had the police report talked about Fasadfil-arz, the judge would have taken cognizance of it under Section 311 of
the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). In this connection, the decision says there is
no evidence before the court under section 311 PPC against the accused.
Even the report under section 173 Cr P C is silent as to attract section 311
PPC regarding commission of Fasad-fil-Arz as the past conduct and
previous conviction of the accused does not stand mentioned and even there

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is no mention in the report under section 173 Cr P C that the accused can be
considered a potential danger to the community.
Section 311, dealing with the principle of Fasad-fil-Arz, says
where all the walis do not waive or compound the right of qisas, the court
may, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, punish an
offender against whom the right of qisas has been waived or compounded
with death or imprisonment for life or imprisonment of either description for
a term of which may extend to fourteen years as tazir; provided that if the
offence has been committed in the name or on the pretext of honour, the
imprisonment shall not be less than ten years
Asif Ezdi commented: It was not only the federal government under
PPP leadership but the PML-N government of Punjab and the leadership of
the Pakistan army and the ISI were also fully involved in the shady deal
that bought freedom for the American killer whom Obama last month called
our diplomat.
There is no other country in the world whose leaders speak in public
more often and more loudly of safeguarding national dignity and sovereignty
and then dishonour the country through their own deeds. It was the same
under Musharraf. It happens every time our leaders protest at attacks by
American drones, some of which have taken off from bases in Pakistan, to
hit targets in the country on which intelligence has often been provided by
our own agencies. Now, by setting Davis free without bringing him to
justice, we have added another episode to this shameful record.
Both the federal government and the Punjab government have
been trying to obfuscate their own role in this deal. They have suggested
that this was essentially worked out by the courts, the accused and the
families of the slain Pakistanis. But the facts tell a different story. Davis
release was the last act of a scheme worked out between the two countries
with the full participation of their intelligence agencies, the ISI and CIA.
There are strong indications that the agreement of the families of the
two victims of the shooting to settle the matter through payment of blood
money was obtained by abusing the Diyat law. There are two reasons for
this: First, the two families were heavily pressured to accept diyat
Second, the families were told that there was little possibility of bringing
Davis to justice. This is what drove Shumaila, wife of one of the victims, to
suicide
It seems that even the judiciary was not spared in this heavyhanded approach. The New York Times reported on March 17 that
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Pakistani officials exerted quiet political pressure on the courts to get

Davis release. According to the newspaper, the Pakistan government
requested influential politicians in Lahore, including the family of Nawaz
Sharif (read Shahbaz Sharif), to press the Lahore High Court to delay a
ruling on the Davis case. These reports have not been rebutted.
To soothe Pakistani public opinion, Hillary Clinton has said that the
US Justice Department has begun an investigation of the shooting. On his
visit to Pakistan last month, Kerry had said the same thing. But as an
unnamed US official told the Washington Post, an investigation does not
mean that Davis would be charged and tried, even if there was evidence of
his guilt. Any CIA inquiry that might be held is more likely to focus on why
he failed to make good his escape after the shooting and on what additional
equipment and training US spies should receive so that they do not get
caught in similar circumstances. In any case, whether the Americans hang
Davis or give him the congressional medal of honour is now their own
business and of little interest to us.
The ISI claims that under the deal for Davis release it has received
assurances that the CIA would declare all its operatives in Pakistan and
would curtail its activities in the country. But US officials deny this. They
insist that there was absolutely no quid pro quo by the CIA; and that
the agency made no pledges to scale back covert operations in Pakistan
or give a list of their spies in Pakistan. Between these two contradicting
assertions, we do not know where the truth lies.
But the ISI should know better than anyone else that in the
business of intelligence, any such pledges are worthless. It would
therefore be illusory to imagine that US spies working under diplomatic
cover would now stop tracking the activities of militant organizations inside
Pakistan or trying to unearth their alleged links with the agencies or
gathering intelligence on Pakistans nuclear programme.
Zardari will be happy that he can now have his one-on-one
meeting with Obama in the White House that he craves. But nothing can
hide the fact that by employing the full might of the state to enable Davis to
escape justice, the Pakistani leadership has brought humiliation upon the
whole country. Our handling of the case shows also how little our rulers
value the life of the ordinary Pakistani
The CIA greeted the release of their contractor by carrying out
one of their deadliest drone attacks on Pakistani soil the very next day.
Pakistani intelligence officials said at first that those killed were militants.
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Later in the day, the army chief issued a strong condemnation of the attack,
saying the drones had targeted a meeting of peaceful citizens and was in
complete violation of human rights. Do we really expect to be taken
seriously, especially after the amicable end to the Davis case?
An American official gave a good indication of the contempt with
which they treat such protests. Those killed, he said, were not gathering for
a bake sale. They belonged to a group of terrorists, not the local mens glee
club. The message was unmistakable: You Pakistanis can scream as
much as you like; we know that you have to do it to pacify public
opinion; but we will continue our drone attacks for the safety of our
homeland; and if any Pakistani civilians get killed, too bad for them.
After the drone attack, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement
demanding that Pakistan should not be treated as a client state. The Foreign
Ministry is right. But it should know that Pakistan is treated as a client
state because our government itself acts as one, as it did in the Davis
case.
The fault is that of our own leaders, of our corrupt ruling class
and of their allies in the countrys liberal elite. Granted, we need
external assistance to keep our economy from collapsing. But we could
easily overcome this dependence if our ruling class stops looting the country
and starts paying its fair share of taxes, starting from the top.
Taj M Khattak talked of legal recourse against drone attacks. In April
2010, the chief of the PAF visited the Combined Air and Space Centre of the
US Air Force in Southwest Asia. His host, Lt Gen Mike Hostage, later called
it an opportunity for the chief of the air staff to meet the terrific US
airmen, some of whom obviously used their childhood skills in video
games to good effect on Predators and Reapers now raining hell on
defenceless Pakistanis.
These terrific airmen have the blood of innocent Pakistanis on
their hands, and shaking their hands can only mean condoning their crimes.
If the guardians of our airspace cannot protect their fellow Pakistanis from
drone attacks, the least they can do in dignified protest is to keep away from
visiting such Command Centres.
Ones heart goes out to the people of Khyber-Pakhtukhwa, who are
routinely battered by suicide bombers on the ground and by drones from the
air. They cannot even assemble to resolve their disputes in accordance with
their age-old customs and traditions, as were the unfortunate participants of
Thursdays jirga. The legality of these attacks has been questioned by UN
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human rights investigators. But beyond questioning the legality, the United
Nations has done little to stop this carnage
Karim Khan, the Islamabad-based journalist from Machikhel village
in North Waziristan, has started the initiative of filing a class action suit in a
US court against Defence Secretary Robert Gates, CIA director Leon Panetta
and the CIAs former Islamabad station chief, Jonathan Banks. The action
has already forced Mr Banks to leave Pakistan. It is believed that more
families want to follow Mr Karims example, not so much in the hope of
winning lawsuits but to gain international publicity for this illegal
employment of the CIA by the US administration to kill innocents in other
countries.
Karim Khan and others need to be helped to appeal to the
sensitivities of the American people whose conscience hopefully is not as
dead as their governments. Our rulers have disappointed us completely and
there is hopelessness all around. Organizers of civil society protests on
Constitutional Avenue in Islamabad should seriously consider collaboration
with Karim Khan and others for action in US courts.
Afiya Shehrbano, acting as voice of the enlightened, availed the
occasion to criticize extremist forces and urged reformation of Islamic
laws. It is quite understandable that the Jamaat-e-Islami, Imran Khan
and the likes consider the acquittal of Raymond Davis to be a symbol of
the nations loss of honour. Their stand is reflective of the Pakistani
Muslim males general obsession with lost honour. In fact, hundreds of
criminal cases demonstrate just how strongly Pakistani Muslim men feel
compelled to restore their stolen honour. The way to do so is to eliminate
the enemy or woman that they think is responsible for the imagined but
reparable loss. In both situations, the loss of lives denotes lesser significance
than the loss of an abstraction, honour.
She then went on to discuss flaws in Islamic laws in vogue in
Pakistan and need to rectify those and then concluded: Those who say that
the Raymond Davis case will increase extremism are wrong. It may
motivate more extremist attacks, which are political not religious, but if
anything, the way the right wing responded to this case, their politics has
been exposed for the damage and limitations that their regressive approach
offers the place of religion and religious laws in society. So on the contrary;
more of the younger generation may just become more secularized in their
views after witnessing the blatant hypocrisy, blood-thirsty politics, moral
double standards and hollow knowledge demonstrated by the guardians of
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Pakistans honour and religious identity, over the last few months. That
would be true poetic justice.
Lt-Col (r) Mukhtar Ahmed Butt from Karachi opined: Due credit
must be given to the government which did not compromise on the issue of
diplomatic immunity and resisted the pressure. Understandably the deal is
the outcome of detailed discussions and deliberations between various
stakeholders. We must stop giving strike calls and have pity on this poor
nation as these strikes harm the country. We should sit together and decide
what should be our line of action now. We must endeavour to change the
existing system in such a manner that tried-out politicians never get
elected again.
Mobeen Afzal from Lahore observed: Raymond Davis is a free man.
With his expertise in the Pushto language, contacts with the people who
matter in the troubled Afghanistan, knowledge of and commitment to the
American strategic objectives in the region, there is every possibility that
he will be relocated to Afghanistan to continue his work. I wonder
what is in store for the Pakistani nation now.
Bahre Kamal from Peshawar proposed: After the shameful handover
of Raymond Davis, I feel the government which does everything in the
national interest should also handover our nuclear assets to the US in the
national interest. Can anyone imagine a nuclear power which cannot even
meet its energy requirement?
Arshad Ali Haider from Nowshera wrote: I expected a lot from the
judiciary but feel disappointed now. I have also decided not to say even a
single word about the PPP, the PML-N or any other political party for that
matter. They did what was expected of them. But Im really hurt by the
role the army played. It seems it intervenes only when its own interest is at
stake.
Haider Ali from Swat opined: We had no right to chest-beat the
killing of two Pakistanis at the hands of a foreigner in the first place
when spilling the blood of Pakistanis in drone attacks is a matter of routine
for the US. With the unwise move of protesting against the killings in the
wake of the event, we shocked our patrons. We should be careful in the
future now and act cautiously.
On 22nd March, Air-Cdre (r) Azfar A Khan from Rawalpindi
commented: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif says he was not involved in any
deal in the Raymond Davis case and that he would resign if found involved,
directly or indirectly. It was equally interesting to learn from a PML-N
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politician that it was the ISI which was responsible for this embarrassing
situation. Can this gentleman tell us in whose custody Raymond Davis
was? The ISI does not control the police force, jails, etc in any province
surely. These fall under the domain of the chief minister and the provincial
government.
Rahimullah Yusufzai observed: A section of the Western media did
try to create doubts about the identity of those present in the jirga, held
in the open space near the banks of river Tochi, by pointing out that one
Sharbat Khan who died in the attack had links with the local Taliban.
However, this claim had no leg to stand on because everyone knew Sharbat
Khan, the contractor who had leased the chromites mine for Rs8.8 million
and had been summoned by the jirga to explain as to when and how he was
planning to pay the lease money to different sections of the Madakhel Wazir
sub-tribe that owned the Khar Sangi hill. Even if there happened to be a
Taliban fighter or sympathizer in the jirga on that fateful day, no government
or military would order bombing a gathering of more than 150 people
discussing a mundane issue in the open just to kill one suspected militant.
They werent doing military training or finalizing plans to infiltrate the
nearby Afghan border to attack the US-led NATO forces. That kind of
gatherings arent held in the open and everyone in South and North
Waziristan is aware of the constant overhead presence of drones carrying out
surveillance and searching for targets.
It wasnt the first time that a gathering of tribesmen was
attacked with lethal missiles fired by the Predators and the more
advanced Reapers. Funerals of militants killed in drone strikes in
Waziristan have been hit due to the belief of the attackers that all those
present would be Taliban or their sympathizers. Across the border in
Afghanistan, trigger-happy Americans and their NATO allies employing jet
fighters, gunship-helicopters and drones have attacked not only funerals and
graveyards but also weddings, passenger vehicles, jirgas and children
collecting firewood. In recent strikes, farmers digging, weeding and sowing
in their fields were attacked from the air because the pilots thought they
were planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs)!
In fact, both the militants and the NATO forces in Afghanistan, and in
many cases their counterparts in Pakistan, now use the same tactic of getting
even with each other, and in the process killing and injuring a larger number
of ordinary civilians than their enemies. The militants trigger a second
explosion mostly through a remote-controlled device, after having ensured
that rescue workers, including soldiers and cops, have gathered in sufficient
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numbers after the first blast. The NATO pilots flying jets and helicopters and
the drone operators sitting thousands of miles away from the killing fields of
Waziristan and Afghanistan in the US and undertaking operations through
computer screens and remote auto-feeds, now invariably carry out the
second and third strike to take out all those rushing to rescue the dying
and the injured. This has been described by UNHRC investigator Philip
Alston, who challenged the legality of the US drone strikes in Pakistan as
the PlayStation mentality to killing because the person manning the
computer just has to push a button to rain death from the sky
Though the drone strikes resumed while Davis was still in the Kot
Lakhpat jail in Lahore, the day chosen for the deadliest attack in North
Waziristan was March 17 when the disguised CIA contractor was out of
harms way and flying home to the US. The attack was variously mentioned
as celebration of Daviss release and a gift to Pakistan and CIAs
revenge for jailing and prosecuting its agent. Army chief Gen Ashfaq
Parvez Kayani came out with a strongly-worded statement condemning the
drone attack and assuring the people of Waziristan that their life, honour and
dignity would be protected at all costs.
It was unusual for him to comment on the drone strikes, though one
wondered whether the military would now be taking concrete steps to
protect the people of Waziristan from such attacks in future. As if on cue,
everyone in the government, including President Asif Ali Zardari, also
issued statements condemning the drone strike. Few believed them,
however, in view of the widespread belief, thanks to Wikileaks, that they
have been privately condoning these attacks in their meetings with US
officials.
In fact, the army chiefs anger also seemed confined to this particular
incident on March 17 due to the heavy death toll of civilians and on account
of the outrage caused by it in Pakistan. A week before the attack, Maj Gen
Ghayoor Mahmood, the military commander of the operations in North
Waziristan, had publicly and unusually acknowledged that the US drone
strikes were effective as mostly hardcore al-Qaeda and Taliban militants
were being killed. He even gave figures to the media to substantiate his
claim. This was strange, because even the US military authorities have
made no such claims. Rather, the US doesnt even officially acknowledge
that it is carrying out the drone strikes in Pakistani territory. Instead,
information about those killed in the attacks is leaked to the US media or
claims about the presence of someone important in the al-Qaeda or Taliban

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hierarchy, such as Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri, are made in case the drone strikes
miss their targets and cause civilian deaths.
Maj Gen Ghayoor Mahmoods statement must have gladdened the
hearts of the Americans as it justified the drone strikes and showed
their efficacy. It also angered the Hafiz Gul Bahadur-led militants in North
Waziristan who arent part of the Hakimullah Mahsud-headed Tehrik-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP) and are still bound by a peace accord with the
government. Though the militants are threatening to end the peace
agreement as they believe the drone attacks take place with the cooperation
of Pakistan government, efforts are being made by the grand tribal jirga in
North Waziristan to save the accord. The call for jihad against the US given
by some members of this jirga is also being downplayed as the personal
viewpoint of those tribal elders. Before long, the drone strikes could resume
because the CIAs past and present heads have described them as the only
game in town and the Pakistani ruling elite are unwilling and unable to stop
them.
Zafar Hilaly wrote: There comes a point at which forbearance ceases
to be a virtue, and that point was surely reached when the latest US drone
attack accounted for the deaths of 44 innocent tribesmen in North
Waziristan. We were told better intelligence-sharing and greater accuracy
had virtually eliminated the possibility of error but, clearly, drone targeting
remains a victim of faulty intelligence and trigger-happy drone operators
who care a fig who they kill or maim.
The intoxication with military power has created a loophole in the
American mind through which a pervert seems to have crawled, treating
civilians as expendable, mere chaff. Terms such as collateral damage are
concocted to justify faulty targeting. They are useful contrivances which
trivialize death and enable the US military to pass them off as inevitable,
and, hence, an acceptable consequence of war. They are bland enough not to
convey the full measure of the mayhem and grief. By depicting as
unavoidable and mistaken what is deliberate and inexcusable; they suggest
that a touch of remorse and a few dollars should suffice to atone for the pain
caused by the killings. Such cynicism thankfully does not wash any more.
If careless bombing of innocent civilians by Qaddafis pilots is a war
crime sufficient to alert the International Criminal Court, why cannot
irresponsible targeting by US drones killing innocent Pakistanis
warrant a similar complaint? In fact, just so this cannot happen, America
has arrangements in place preventing the transfers of its own personnel to
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the ICC, thus effectively extra-territorializing Americans engaged in

counterinsurgency everywhere, no matter what actions they might take or
what crimes they may commit.
British historian A J P Taylor said human blunders do more to shape
history than human wickedness. For the US, which has a monopoly of both,
the distinction is irrelevant. Americans are indeed shaping history, but in
a direction that ensures their defeat in Afghanistan and in the
undeclared war they are waging on Pakistan. Already, no American dares
venture onto the streets of Pakistan due to flawed US policies, but more so
to the reckless use of American military power. Iraq and Afghanistan are
further contemporary examples of this phenomenon, just like Vietnam was
of earlier decades.
Surely, Pakistan can no longer bow in supine submission to what is
wrong and unacceptable, morally, legally, politically and militarily.
American blundering and the accompanying mindset are intolerable.
They fuel terror, and to the vast majority of our people they are evil and
selfish. If pacts have to be made with the devil they may as well be made
with the Taliban.
Our response to the latest drone atrocity should not be limited to
postponing participation in the NATO meeting in Brussels, or confined
to cliches such as Pakistan cannot be taken for granted. We are and have
been taken for granted by the Americans for as long as one can remember.
Any doubt on that score should have been removed by Petraeuss recent
remark advising Pakistan to forget about the latest drone incident and get on
with the North Waziristan operation. It was a reminder not only of American
indifference and our powerlessness but also the timidity of our leaders. Or
else, by now, a drone would have been downed in retaliation, accompanied
by an announcement shelving the North Waziristan operation.
We must not be stampeded into action by alarmist American prattling
about the gargantuan dimensions of the threat we confront from extremists.
Extremism is indeed the hallmark of empty souls and empty minds.
Extremist propositions which claim to have a monopoly of the truth do enter
the mind now and then to dislocate and strain, but in due course, given time,
they are expelled by instinct. Thats how it has always been in the
subcontinent and there is nothing to suggest that our psyche has changed.
The battle against extremism has to be fought against rural vagabonds and
their urban counterparts, as much in the minds of Pakistanis and in the
classrooms of Pakistan as in our mountains and cities. It is an ideological,
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political and spiritual battle, rather than purely a military affair. And,
because it cannot be won exclusively by military means, the American
preoccupation with force is more of a hindrance than a help.
The controversy surrounding the release of Raymond Davis and the
rage that has swept the country following the drone attack have once again
raised doubts about the efficacy of the alliance. The general view is that the
benefits are meagre; they have been too long in coming and the price is too
steep. Indeed, a recent report shows that Pakistans economic losses as a
result of the war exceed the amount of aid received from the US by five
times ($43 billion v $8 billion). Of course, that is not to say that the
expenditure would not have been incurred had the Americans not been
involved; we may have had to foot the entire bill rather than only a major
part. However, working with the Americans entwines our destiny with theirs
and that is far, far from what we wish or what we consider in our interests.
Our respective concerns are very different. While the US does not
want the region to become a ballpark for extremism which will threaten
mainland America, our fear is being outflanked by India in cahoots with a
hostile Afghanistan. Rather than allay such fears, Americas India-centric
approach to the region has further heightened them. As a result the acrimony
and mistrust has seldom been greater or our security more imperiled. So
much so that we seem to be working at cross-purposes and the
contradictions are becoming more apparent by the day. Following the drone
attack and the declaration that the Wazir tribes now regard the US as an
enemy and will take up arms against them, Pakistan faces a situation where
an ally has been proclaimed an enemy by the entire population of a
strategically located segment of the country.
Instead of engaging exclusively with the Pakistani establishment,
Washington should widen the ambit of the dialogue to include the public,
because when it comes to relations with the US the two are no longer on the
same page. Similarly, for our military to think that it can alone call the shots
and single-handedly deal with a vexed and complex relationship is folly.
Matters have gone far beyond that. Pakistan-US relations now rank with the
economy as perhaps the two issues of most concern to Pakistanis. The
publics voice must not only be heard but heeded or else the divisions and
malaise which afflict Pakistani society and Pakistan-US relations will
become endemic and terminal, and hence the urgency for a national
government and national consensus.

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Ultimately, action, and not words or sentiments, will determine

the future of the US alliance. More errant drone strikes will effectively end
it because, if truth be told, the friendship that exists today is no more than a
pious fraud.
Next day, Roedad Khan commented: Not too long ago, we possessed
a great country. But where giants walked, midgets pose now. The talk
today is of a vanished dignity, of a nation diminished in ways not previously
imaginable. It is almost as if no one wants to acknowledge a sad end to what
once was a beautiful dream. Our rulers squandered Jinnahs legacy and
turned his dream into a nightmare.
Many nations in the past have attempted to develop democratic
institutions, only to lose them when they took their liberties and political
institutions for granted, and failed to comprehend foreign threats to their
sovereignty and independent. Pakistan is a classic example. Born at
midnight as a sovereign, independent, democratic country, today it is neither
sovereign, nor independent, nor democratic. Today it is not just a rentier
state, not just a client state. It is a slave state, ill-led, ill-governed by a
corrupt, power-hungry junta running a puppet government set up by
Washington.
Sixty-three years after independence, are we really free? Are the
people masters in their own house? From the kind of country we have today,
Pakistan has lost its manhood and is a ghost of its former self. If Pakistan
were to look into a mirror now, it wouldnt recognize itself Today Pakistan
is dotted with American fortresses, which seriously comprises our internal
and external sovereignty. American security personnel stationed on our soil,
like Raymond Davis, move in and out of the country without any let or
hindrance. Pakistan has become a launching pad for military operations
against neighbouring Muslim countries. We have been drawn into
someone elses war without understanding its true dimension or
ultimate objectives. Nuclear Pakistan has been turned into an American
lackey, currently engaged in a proxy war against its own people.
Old man briefly described how Pakistan landed where it is now and
then concluded: Pakistan shares many of Egypts problems: rampant
corruption, social injustice, a growing wealth gap, inflation, total
subservience to United States of America. One reason for the rebellions in
Egypt and elsewhere was the in-your-face corruption that everyone knew
about. We in Pakistan inhale corruption in the very air we breathe. How
can any of our hopes emerge from this quagmire?
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This is one of those moments in history when all that is needed is for
someone to push open the door. The present corrupt political system would,
I have no doubt; disappear in a violent upheaval since it carries within it the
seed of its own destruction. At this moment, when the nation is standing
on the escalator of corruption and anarchy, right-minded citizens
cannot afford to stand frozen in disgust and dismay. We cannot merely
look upon the political developments in sorrow and upon our politicians in
anger.
Aurangzeb from Swat wrote: I have been reading many emotional
letters on the Raymond Davis issue in the newspapers. Neither these letters
nor the demonstrations will make any difference to the US government or
our government for that matter. Soon after the 9/11 tragedy, the then
president Gen Musharraf was ordered by the US government to cooperate
with the US forces in their operations in Afghanistan. The cooperation
included not only transit facilities, but many other conditions which no
sovereign state would have accepted. Needless to say Musharraf did.
Thereafter, the CIA personnel continue to enter Pakistan with full knowledge
and permission of our governments. Why blame Davis then? Let us hold
responsible our own rulers.

REVIEW
Pro-American secular and liberal forces were encouraged by
unexpectedly low turn-out in response to calls for strike to protest release of
Raymond Davis. These nephews and nieces of Uncle Sam bounced back and
once again started taunting at those who oppose US policies, especially the
war on terror.
They demonstrated their competence at sarcasm by calling the antiwar elements as Ghairat Brigade and by doing that they failed to understand
that by implication their sarcasm meant that they themselves belonged to
rank and file of Beghairat battalions. No big deal as long as Uncle Sam was
happy.
The strong protest lodged by Salman Bashir, which had forced
Cameron Munter to rush to Washington merited no response from the US.
May be the response was conveyed secretly through Pentagon to Salmans
brother commanding Pakistan Navy. At the end of day acquittal of Raymond
only added 19 more names to the list of persons that have gone missing in
the ongoing war on terror, of course along with blood money.

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On the eve of Pakistan Day, Zardari approved the award of Hilal-iPakistan to Holbrooke and in his address to the joint session of the
Parliament he did not say a word about Raymond Davis. It could be that
decision on his citation would have been deferred till next year.
Leader of Opposition held press conference after Zardaris address
and condemned him over making no mention of Raymond. He also
criticized his friend Imran Khan for pointing finger at PML-N on this issue.
He demanded judicial commission to find facts. He must have thought that
such antics could exonerate his party of the blame for release of Raymond.
Zardari in the opening lines of his address to Parliament condemned
Terry Jones. Mention of desecration of Quran by Zardari, heading a secular
political party, was not for the love of Islam; it was to divert the public
attention away from Raymond Davis. Next day he called the Florida pastor
mentally deranged person, but what about the mental state of a person who
condemns acts of a mad man?
TV anchors and moderators have frequently asked a question as to
what should be our reaction to acts like those of Terry Jones. The intention
behind their questions is to preach tolerance; to digest insult and ridicule of
our Faith without a protest.
The end to such incidents may be a desire of these enlightened
moderators, but it is their priority. Tolerance will in no way help in
averting the repetition of blasphemous acts; rather the evil-minded would be
encouraged to join the band of blasphemers. Tolerance will also not preempt the clash of civilizations which has already been raging since years,
only the Muslim elite have been refusing to acknowledge this reality.
If those who claim to be embodiment of tolerance presenting the
other cheek when slapped can resort to provocative acts desecration and
blasphemy, why are liberals among the ranks of Muslims in pursuit of
peaceful solutions? Islam preaches forgiveness but it also grants the right to
take revenge, or punish the offender. This is the only way to keep the
habitual offenders in check. They must get the befitting reply, firm and
dignified.
Within ten days Raymond Davis went off the TV screens and those
resenting his release were made to forget him. It happened because of
administration of two courses of shock treatment. First, tribesmen attending
a peace jirga were charred alive by drone-launched missiles and then Terry
Jones blasphemous act overcame the pain afflicted by the acquittal of a killer
charged with double murder.
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They now march in the streets chanting slogans demanding end to

drone attacks and cursing Terry Jones. They have been deprived of even a
trail to beat about. Who could be happier than the mother-sellers over
effectiveness of these diversionary moves?
In addition to the above, Salman Bashir drew attention of the Senate
Standing Committee to the wording of UNSC Resolution Number 1973.
This resolution has allowed the Crusaders to take all possible measures to
save the lives of civilians in Libya. This has set precedence for passing
similar resolution if another Masih is convicted on charges of blasphemy or
murdered by unknown gunmen.
27th March 2011

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THEATRE OR CIRCUS
In the last article Pakistan was equated with a big stage where dramas
are enacted round the clock. Tragedy and comedy shows are going on side
by side. The list of tragedy dramas is fairly long, some of which drew
attention during the period need to be mentioned in the preamble.
Row between Judiciary and the Executive in the wake of 18 th and 19th
Constitutional amendments ended, at least temporarily, when the Supreme
Court placed its foot, though Asma Jahangir termed the ruling illegal. On
the issue of DG FIA stubbornness of Zardari and Gilani kept testing patience
of the apex court.
The Supreme Court verdict on appointment of Chairman NAB was
the most tragic for the Zardari regime. PPP protested and the Scoundrel
showed arrogance by insisting on reappointment of Deedar Shah. His
premature reaction was not only knocked down by the Leader of Opposition
and by the court in its detailed judgment, but it also earned contempt notices
for PPPs Sharjeel Memon and Taj Haider.
MQM-PPP political marriage of convenience kept causing
inconvenience. MQM has been behaving like under aged girl married with
middle aged man like Mirza Zulfikar. The people of Karachi suffered the
most when tension mounted between in-laws and out-laws of MQM and
Mirza.
Other serials that went on and are worth mention included: strike
against sales tax on textile products; move against loan gobblers; Chief
Justice urging stricter laws to block illegal write-offs and arrests of Moonis
Elahi and Hamid Saeed. Of course, the comedy show of arrest warrants for
Musharraf could not be ignored.

NEWS
On 6th March, Asma Jahangir met Gilani and after the meeting she
said decisions of Parliamentary Committee cannot be brought before the
court. As head of the Bar she showed solidarity with the Executive instead of
Bench. Gilani said institutions bound to work within their ambit and only
Parliament can amend the Constitution.
FIA sent arrest warrants for Musharraf to London. Presidency
condemned indictment of Babar Awan in a 12-year old case. Writing about
Governments defiance of court orders regarding removal of DG FIA Ansar
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Abbasi observed Supreme Court showing remarkable patience over

persistent stubbornness of Zardari-Gilani duo.
Zulfikar Mirza adopted Aman Committee as baby of the PPP. MQM
leaders reacted by saying that PPPs backing of targeted killings in Karachi
has been confirmed. They talked of quitting coalition government of Sindh.
As usual Mirza said his statement has been misunderstood. Meanwhile, three
more people were killed in Karachi.
Next day, MQM decided to sit on opposition benches in Sindh
Assembly in protest against Zulfikar Mirzas statement about Lyari-based
Peoples Aman Committee. Formal announcement is likely to be made after
meeting with Zardari on 8th March. MQM boycotted Sindh Assembly
session and Mirza received standing ovation from PPP parliamentarians.
Zardari and Gilani discussed this latest development. Meanwhile, seven
people were killed in Karachi.
Chief Justice took note of the statement of DG FIA in which he had
charged that the owners of the Khanani and Kalia had used heavy amounts
of money for their release, despite the fact that enough evidence was
presented against them. Chief justice asked SHC to appoint a senior judge to
ascertain the veracity of the allegation.
The Supreme Court sought details of contract appointments. Chief
Justice formed larger bench to hear contract appointments case and
summoned AG and Establishment Division secretary for 11th March.
Shahbaz proposed to Gilani to hold all parties conference, including nonpolitical stake-holders like army, judiciary and media, to find way out of the
crisis faced today.
On 8th March, MQM team led by Farooq Sattar held a lengthy meeting
with Zardari over the issue of Mirzas statement. The resident of Presidency
following the lamkao policy of Ranjit Singh bought one week to resolve
MQMs grievances. Fazlur Rehman rejected Shahbazs proposal of stakeholders conference to solve national crisis. FIA assured SHC about probe
into treason charges against Musharraf. Justice Sajjad was appointed by
SHC to probe into Khanai and Kalia scam.
Next day, lawyers observed Black Day over Musharrafs act of 2007.
Asma Jahangir ruled that the verdict of the apex court on extension of judges
was illegal. Her statement invited remarks for and against. Mansehra Bar
banned her entry to its premises. Parliamentary committee asked
government to file review plea in the Supreme Court.

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Rehman Malik on arrival in London refused to say anything about

Musharraf as the case was sub judice. He called Altaf his brother with
whom he would try and settle issues related to political mafias of PPP and
MQM operating in Karachi.
The Supreme Court was informed that notices were issued to one
thousand dealers for recovery and 17,000 employees were working against
less than 6,000 posts; the Chief Justice observed that losses in Pakistan Steel
Mills were controlled to some extent. The Supreme Court directed flood
body to complete probe into breaching of embankments in six weeks. DG
FIA Waseem Ahmad submitted resignation. Arrest warrants of Musharraf
were handed over to UK authorities.
On 10th March, the Supreme Court ruled the appointment of Chairman
NAB void ab initio. The short order also clipped the wings of Deputy
Chairman thereby foiling the regimes clever move in which Deedar Shah
had delegated powers to his deputy soon after he had assumed the charge.
Zardari had arranged this through Babar Awan so that NAB could function
according to their desires even if Deedar Shahs appointment was declared
illegal.
The regime once again decided to play the Sindh Card and PPP there
decided to observe Black Day on 11th March, but gunmen in Karachi took to
the streets at night torching eight vehicles and killing five people in Karachi.
Meanwhile, Zardari decided to reappoint Deedar Shah. Law experts termed
government protest against Supreme Court as immoral.
MQM boycotted Sindh Assembly session and Mirza received heros
welcome when he entered the house. After the session Mirza said he would
not apologize to anyone as he had said nothing wrong. Pir Mazahrul Haq
telephoned Governor Ishrat and asked MQM to join proceedings of the
Assembly. Gilani advised Zardari for regularization of 74 officers employed
on contract.
The Supreme Court told Governor SBP to move against loan gobblers
and Chief Justice wanted stricter laws to block illegal write-offs; case
hearing was adjourned until March 14. LHC reserved judgment on
presidents dual-office case. A judge of LHC granted bail to Moonis Elahi
but restrained him from giving any statement.
Next day, during hearing of the case of Haj scam the court enquired as
to how Rao Shakeel and Faiz were appointed. When the counsel for the
federation presented secret summary about why DG FIA could not be
removed as his retention was important for security reasons a judge termed it
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as the biggest joke of the year and other said it must be treated as classified
joke. The counsel requested more time and the proceedings were adjourned
until March 16. In Karachi, DG FIA appeared before SHC in Khanani and
Kalia case.
Strike was held in Sindh on PPPs call to protest against Supreme
Court judgment on NAB chairman; at places jiyalas forced the shopkeepers
to bring shutters down. PPP MPAs marched from Assembly to SHC.
Speakers spitted fire against Punjab and lead of Opposition. Death toll in
Karachi reached eight and several vehicles were burnt. Asma Jahangir
disapproved strike and violence over SC verdict.
Zardari wrote letter to Leader of the House and Leader of Opposition
and asked their views on re-appointment of Deedar Shah as Chairman NAB.
Zardari is also bound to consult the Chief Justice for this appointment but
spokesman of Presidency said nothing about the letter to Chief Justice.
PPP and PML-Q disrupted the proceedings of Punjab Assembly for
more than two hours and kept shouting slogans condemning lotacracy. The
Supreme Court categorically rejected the assertions of PPP and PML-Q
leaders that Punjab government was surviving on a stay order; no case was
pending before the court.
Chaudhry Shujaat along with his mouthpiece Mushahid Hussain met
Zardari and assured him that his party wont destabilize PPP government.
PML-Q filed reference against nine members of U-Block in Election
Commission. Sheikh Rashid addressed a public rally in Rawalpindi and said
fresh polls were essential to save democracy.
On 12th March, Zardari met PPPs parliamentarians from Sindh and
told them that if he could forgive Nawaz Sharif then PML-Q could also be
forgiven. Zardari telephoned Mushahid Hussain. Karachi kept bleeding in
the presence of Zardari and Gilani; the death toll reached 12. The Chief
Justice took suo motto notice of Deedar strike and violence and sought
report from Sindh.
Mobashir Luqman filed a petition in the Supreme Court begging for
cancellation of voter list which include 36 million bogus votes. He
nominated the Election Commission and Nadra as respondents. UK
government refused to accept application for arrest and handing over of
Musharraf. Rehman Malik in London said, we know where BB murder plot
was hatched. Moonis appeared before FIA probe team.

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Next day, Leader of the Opposition held a press conference and

accused Zardari of fanning provincial prejudices and hatred over a court
verdict; yet when Saleh Zaafir asked him whether or not he considered
Zardari a threat to the solidarity of Pakistan Nisar refrained from saying the
truth and termed Zardari a threat to democracy.
Nisar said he has received no letter from President regarding reappointment of Deedar Shah. He ruled out any consultation on the issue
before the detailed judgment of the apex court. He advised Zardari to mend
his undemocratic ways and render public apology for blaming PML-Q for
murder of Benazir.
Fazlur Rehman said the game for government was almost over, unless
an immediate political injection from MQM. Malik met Altaf Hussain and
assured him of meeting genuine demands of MQM. Shujaat said his
meeting with Zardari was held in national interest.
Zardari postponed meeting with MQM team because of his busy
schedule. Zardari telephoned Nawaz and enquired about the health of his
wife and Zawaz thanked Zardari for arranging protocol at London Airport.
Nine more people were killed in Karachi; Mirza blamed non-political
elements for the killings.
On 14th March, the Supreme Court issued interim order in loan writeoffs case; asked SBP to publish suggestions for formation of three-member
commission a judge and two experts to review all the cases and make
recommendations for recovery.
Leader of Opposition received the letter of Zardari proposing reappointment of Deedar Shah. Nisar in his interview to Hamid Mir said
PML-N would welcome MQM on opposition benches. Late at night the
government claimed end of row with MQM. Earlier, Shujaat had telephoned
Altaf. Cameraman of a TV channel was hit by a bullet in the premises of
Punjab assembly. The death toll in Karachi violence in the wake of Deedar
Shahs removal by the apex court reached 46. ANP activist was among five
people killed in Karachi.
Next day, the government imposed mini budget through presidential
ordinance to generate Rs50 billion additional resources; 15 per cent
surcharge was imposed on income tax; excise duty was raised from 1 to 2.5
per cent; sugar price to increase Rs7 to 8 per kg; 17 per cent GST exemption
on fertilizer, pesticide, seeds and agriculture machinery and surgical
instruments was withdrawn. Two per cent surcharge on every unit of
electricity was levied and four per cent more by June. Having done that the
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government promised austerity. PML-N rejected the taxation through

ordinance.
Zardari banned Peoples Aman Committee and MQM landed back
into his reconciliatory embrace. But this embrace cost more than fifty lives
in Karachi. PML-N filed a privilege motion in NA Secretariat against Sindh
Assembly for indulging in unconstitutional act of passing a resolution
against the Supreme Court. PPP and PML-Q MPAs again disrupted
proceedings of Punjab Assembly and vowed not to allow the assembly
function.
Chief Justice was surprised to learn that Mr Ishaq Khaqwani, one of
the main petitioners in the much publicized Royal Palm Golf Club Railway
lease case, had himself paid merely Rs12 per year to the Pakistan Railways
for the same golf club and now wanted the new lease canceled in the larger
fiscal interest of the country.
Former minister Hamid Saeed was arrested from court room after
rejection of bail and was sent to jail. FIA rejected tax returns submitted by
Moonis Elahi and he was told to appear before the probe team again on 16 th
March. The Supreme Court sought comments from ECP and Nadra on
petition about bogus votes.
On 16th March, Chief Justice remarked that the government should not
push the courts to wall. We are not against anyone, but it is shameful that
Hajis were suffering without any help. We know that the FIA is facing a lot
of pressure, but it is the duty of every Pakistani to show zero tolerance to
corruption.
Earlier, DG Haj, Rao Shakeel appeared in person and a statement of
Pakistani ambassador to Saudi Arabia was submitted before the court.
Justice Javed Iqbal observed that all those who performed Haj at government
expenses must be given notices and be asked to return the expenditure or
face legal proceedings.
The probe had also revealed that Shagufta Jamani, minister of state,
was also involved in the scam and had visited Saudi Arabia where she had
two front men. She was promised to get SR25 for each Haji. Meanwhile,
Kazmi was handed over to FIA on five-day remand.
In a case pertaining to contract hiring, the court urged that the
government should itself take a decision in removing such employees
instead of forcing the court to issue order. Court remarked that these officials
were holding these posts in violation of Article 9 of the Constitution.
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SCBA in its meeting chaired by Asma Jahangir expressed concern

over non-implementation of orders of apex court. Later she left for India
along with 138 lawyers to celebrate Holi. Meanwhile, six more people were
killed in Karachi. No fuel, no trains from Quetta.
Next day, two policemen were among eleven people were killed in
Karachi; 13 people were also wounded. Moonis Elahi was arrested from
LHC after cancellation of his bail. On 18 th March, Moonis and Rao Shakeel
were sent on three and 14 day remand respectively.
On 19th March, the Jang Group wailed and begged the Supreme Court
by publishing front page blocked-headline in The News. It cried that Pemra,
PTV, and cable operators had colluded to punish us for speaking the truth.
It was with reference to Supreme Courts decision in favour of Geo Super
TV channel giving right to show the Cricket World Cup matches live.
In a clever move Pemra pretending to be acting for implementation of
enforcing the court verdict conducted raids and seized equipment of 78
networks for defying court orders. The body of cable operators resented the
raid and announced 24-hour strike starting mid-day 19th March and
intriguingly PTV channels were to remain available on cable. Meanwhile,
MQM activist was among eight people killed in Karachi and drama of
Benazirs murder trial continued in Adiala Jail; the judge ordered production
of Musharraf on March 26.
Next day, Amir Zia reported that banning of controversial Amn
Committees in Karachi saved alliance, but not the lives of people. Sixteen
more people, including three activists of MQM, were killed in the city and
several vehicles were burnt. Farooq Sattar said Mirza was involved in
kidnapping for ransom; PPP MPAs said people of Sindh were proud of
Mirza. ANP asked MQM to back its call for military action in the city.
PML-Q vowed to boycott join session called for Presidential annual
address. Shujaat contacted JUI-F and MQM for evolving joint strategy.
Shujaat contacted Nawaz and enquired about his health. Punjab government
promised raise in salary of doctors from July 1.
On 21st March, the Supreme Court issued detailed judgment in judges
appointment (extension) case. It ruled that Parliamentary Committee cannot
be given veto power as such power in appoint of judges would be against the
independence of Judiciary. Its decision will be subject judicial review.
A seven-member bench of the apex court heard the intra-court appeals
filed by PCO judges against the courts verdict. The court sought a written
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statement from the government on the issue of judges who took oath under
the PCO promulgated by Musharraf.
Counsel of Moonis Elahi prayed to the Supreme Court for change of
investigation officer, Zafar Qureshi, because of his political leanings; the
court sought views of Zafar on next hearing. Moonis and Hamid Saeed were
sent on 3 and 5 days remand respectively.
Leader of the Opposition in his reply to Presidents letter for
reappointment of Deedar Shah as Chairman NAB rejected the proposed
name. Nisar was astonished over presidents proposal before the issue of
detailed judgment. He opined that Deedar has been made controversial by
PPPs call for strike in Sindh even if he wasnt to start with.
Gilani spent a busy day to make Zardaris address to joint session of
the Parliament a success. The opposition parties delayed the decision until
tomorrow about the line of action to be taken. Meanwhile, it was reported
that Leader of Opposition declined to accept Nishan-e-Imtiaz Award. ANP
leader was among three killed in Karachi.
Next day, the Supreme Court issued detailed judgment in the case of
Chairman NAB and disqualified him for reappointment with the remarks
that Ministry of Law does not understand the law and Constitution. The
verdict also made Chief Justice party to consultative process for appointment
of Chairman NAB.
Zardari made a record by addressing joint session of the Parliament
for the fourth time in which he rattled out a well-rehearsed speech like an
actor tutored by director staging a Shakespearian drama. PML-N, PML-Q,
JUI-F, JI and PPP-S staged walkout to record their protest.
He repeated his favourite lines on democracy, democratic revenge,
reconciliation, war on terror, BISP, pay increase and so on. He made it
convenient to ignore mention of taxation through ordnances, Raymond
Davis, drone attacks in tribal areas, implementation or resolutions passed by
Parliament and Pakistan Day that fell next day. Advised political parties to
refrain from point-scoring; invited them to dialogue; desired consensus to
solve electricity and gas load shedding; asked judiciary to remain within its
limits and promised to end targeted killings.
Leader of Opposition held a press conference after Zardaris speech
and termed it speech of a political leader and not of head of the state.
Cameron Munter was all praise for Zardari for his address to the Parliament,
especially his pledges on war on terror.
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Altaf addressed public gathering via satellite in Lahore and termed

ruling mafia agents of foreign powers. He called his party soldiers to come
to nations rescue. He warned plunderers of peoples rule and advised them
to bring back looted wealth or quit country (and join him in London).
Meanwhile, fifteen people were killed in Karachi.
On 23rd March, Umar Cheema reported that the regime has planned to
blackmail Zafar Qureshi, the officer investigating NICL case; Registration of
FIR against former secretary establishment is part of the plan in which
brother of Zafar would be entangled. The auditors informed the apex court
that Niazi and company ate up Rs12 billion in NICL scam.
Three leaders of PML-N declined to accept civil awards from Zardari.
Latif Khosa said he has read Supreme Court judgment and Zardari could still
appoint Deedar Shah as Chairman NAB. World Bank held back Rs73
billions. UN said Pakistan government has pushed food prices too high;
doubled in three years. Seven people were killed in Karachi.
Next day, the Supreme Court took notice of the FIR against Ismail
Qureshi to pressurize Zafar Qureshi and ordered not to arrest him without
clearance from the court. The order came when FIA probe was ordered
against Ismail. The Chief Justice remarked that criminals flee abroad crying
victimization. The court ordered bringing back drag race organizer, Atif
Sheikh of Bahria Town, from Dubai.
The strike against sales tax on textile products continued on fifth day
in Faisalabad. Lady health visitors of Sindh and Punjab staged sit-in on
National Highway near Ghotki to push their long-standing demand of
regularizing their temporary employment. Sixty protesters along with Marvi
Memon were arrested. Senate Committee urged the government not to reemploy the retired officers. Eleven more killed in Karachi.
On 25th March, rallies were held in Faisalabad and Multan by workers
and businessmen linked to power-looms to protest over imposition of sales
tax. After the rally they decided to shut the looms for indefinite period.
Rehman Malik claimed all the killers of Benazir have been traced out and
they would be exposed soon; but the trial of killers has already commenced.
In London, the Home Department approached the court for implementation
of arrest warrants of Musharraf sent by Pakistani court. Mirza ordered
release of lady health visitors while 13 more people were killed in Karachi.
Next day, Chief Justice said provision of justice is the responsibility of
the State. Supreme Court served the notices to PPPs Sharjeel Memon and

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Taj Haider for contempt of court while uttering derogatory remarks to

ridicule and disrepute the court after disqualification of Deedar Shah.
The ATC was informed that Interpol was being contacted to arrest
Musharraf. The court adjourned until April 2 while directing to produce
Musharraf on next hearing. Hamid Kazmis remand was extended for four
days. Three people were killed in Karachi. On 27 th March, Chief Justice
formed body to curb corruption in courts. Moonis Elahi and Saad Rafiq
received kidnapping for ransom threats from a militant group. Gas supply to
textile industry was further reduced.

VIEWS
On 8th March, The News commented on yet another episode of drama
serial enacted by PPP and MQM. As in the past, the fracas arises from
comments made by the Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza, stating that
the Lyari-based Peoples Aman Committee was affiliated with the PPP and
its members were children of the party. The PPP has in the past, repeatedly
denied any link with the group accused by the MQM of being involved in
Lyaris gang wars and the murder of its activists. The MQM, in turn, also
stands accused by this group and some others. It is hard to say what
prompted the home minister to make comments that were bound to rile the
MQM. He is either especially prone to blunder or engaged in some
power game of his own. Despite attempts by the interior minister and other
PPP leaders to defuse the situation; the MQM has accused Dr Mirza of
patronizing criminals while announcing its decision to quit the coalition.
The PPP stands on a very sticky wicket, with seemingly few expert
players in its line up to tackle the situation. It faces an onslaught on other
fronts too. Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif has reiterated a
suggestion that major parties in the country sit together, alongside the
military leadership and the judiciary, to work out a plan to prevent further
deterioration in the countrys situation. He has also said the prime minister
had been contacted in this regard. The PML-N is clearly displeased at the
absence of a prompt response to its magnanimous suggestion and the
apparent failure to even realize just how grave matters are. The law and
order situation worsens by the day, and it seems obvious the government is
clueless about what to do. The latest twist in affairs in Sindh will
obviously not help matters. We wonder how long they can continue on
this strained note, with the clouds growing darker across the skies and
threatening to bring an especially angry storm crashing down upon us.
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Next day, Tanvir Ahmad Khan cribbed about misuse of word

reconciliation by the Zardari regime. Words often have an interesting
history of their own; they mean different generations and get upgraded or
downgraded over the years. The most obvious word on a downward spiral in
Pakistan today is reconciliation which only three years ago meant survival,
hope and eventual glory.
Tanvir mentioned the use of this word in different spheres of life and
by Benazir and her husband in Pakistani politics. He then added: Not
surprisingly, the result is not reconciliation but a return to the kind of politics
that demolished elected governments in the 1990s. For the broad masses, the
word reconciliation has come to mean fresh bargaining for partisan profit
every few months.
Zafar Hilaly saw over-centralization as the problem. Not all of Mr
Zardaris woes are self-created. In Pakistan we either elect dictators or
are saddled with military dictators. That fact that we can frequently
replace the elected dictators every so often is not the point. Handing over a
country for five years to any one person except Aristotle is foolish.
Power in Pakistan is far too centralized. There are simply too
many decisions that only the prime minister or president can legally take. To
make matters worse, incumbents develop a fetish for power. The act like
control freaks. They want to have the final say on just about everything even
on matters about which they are perforce ignorant like, say, which variety of
wheat seeds would best germinate in the dust bowls of Balochistan. If they
ever delegate authority, it is only to recall it when it suits their fancy. In
short, they act like know alls, a trait, which Mr Zardari reportedly
possesses in abundance.
The chief ministers too regard themselves as the fount of all wisdom
in the provinces. They hog the ministries for themselves; treat the minister
entrusted with the portfolio as a factotum and hire and fire civil servants at
whim. Shahbaz Sharif is the epitome of this particular failing Why we
should persevere with the current dysfunctional system that produces
over-centralization and makes for bad decision making. The trouble is that
if Mr Zardari were to blame the system for his lack of success, no one would
believe him and there would be an outcry of a poor workman blaming his
tools but for once he would be right.
Raoof Hasan also talked of undemocratic mindset. Interior Minister
Rehman Maliks refusal to resign after the latest instance of a serious breach
of security in the federal capital on the basis that nobody resigned when Lal
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Masjid operation was launched casts a long shadow on the democratic

credentials of the incumbent government. Has he forgotten that the Lal
Masjid operation was launched during the tenure of a dictator, or is it that he
believes that this government is only a continuation of the policies and
practices of the former despot? At the very least, it establishes that the
governing mindset is moulded in the traditions of dictatorship.
The statement is also a testament to a palpable lack of morality
that has been the hallmark of the incumbent administration. More than
anything else, this has been aptly reflected in the governments persistent
endeavours to confront the apex judiciary. Capping a spate of instances of its
intransigence in the face of the Supreme Courts directives is its recent
refusal to remove the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA). This came immediately after the Parliamentary Committee,
dominated by members of the PPP, refused to approve the Judicial
Commissions recommendations with regard to the extension in the services
of six additional judges of the Lahore and Sindh High Courts.
After quoting more instances like this Raoof concluded: Confronted
with serious existential challenges, national survival can only be ensured
through voluntary subservience to the rule of law. That has not been the
case so far which has damaged the countrys prestige and sovereignty. It is
ironic, though, that the subjudice syndrome is exploited in cases where it
benefits the government to hide its real intentions, for example, the
Raymond Davis episode. But, the same is construed as an attack on
legislative authority when it concerns critical issues that may adversely
impact the governments position. This duplicity should be addressed
urgently as its continuation and consolidation could further bedevil national
ability to successfully confront the existing challenges as well as Pakistans
position in the international comity.
The old man Roedad Khan kept singing the Revolution Raga.
Pakistan shares many of the conditions that triggered the revolutions in
Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. The Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions have
shown how people can bring down corrupt rulers without firing a shot. It
was a sea of peaceful humanity that washed away Hosni Mubarak and Zein
ul Abedin of Tunisia and is threatening to topple Gaddafi.
Every once in a while I feel despair over the plight of the country but
nobody wants to hear about it or do anything to avert it. We stand on a
volcano. We feel it tremble, we hear it roar, how and when and where it will

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burst, and who will be destroyed by its eruption, it is beyond the ken of
mortals to discern.
On 10th March, The News wrote: The question is how long this farce
can continue. The PPP is aware of the consequences of losing MQM support
and the jeopardy this would place its government under. But the kind of
instability we see is not doing anyone any good and is only adding to
economic and political turmoil in the country. Successful coalition
governments run on trust. It is clear in the present case that this has all but
vanished between the MQM and the PPP. The growing legacy of bad blood
makes it hard for them to work together, and even now we do not know what
the final outcome of the current dispute will be. There is a real need to sort
out matters on a more permanent basis. The sudden threats that we see and
the feuds that break out are damaging to the system. They detract from the
good governance we need and spoil the sense of harmony that is vital to the
functioning of any country.
Next day, Usman Manzoor recounted the tale of condoning
corruption and catching small thieves during short illegal tenure of Deedar
Shah as Chairman NAB. He wrote NAB pushed various high profile case
under the rug, turned a blind eye towards mega corruption cases of the
present regime and the bureaus prosecution machinery turned itself off,
benefiting influential NRO beneficiaries.
Some of the instances he mentioned were closing of inquiry against
Defence Minister; no prosecutor general was appointed which halted the
progress of prosecution; cases being heard by SC were not taken up; all the
high profile cases were dealt by Deedar and his deputy Javed Zia Qazi, who
had withdrawn ARY Gold, polo ground and cotecna references; initiated
inquiry against JUI-F minister after JUI left the coalition government;
important inquiries were closed and so on.
He concluded: No high profile case was initiated during the ousted
chairmans tenure and the cases which were initiated did not exceed Rs200
million. A few of them include: Re-inquiring a very important case of
Khurram Javed and Muhammad Younis Marwat, an employee of NBP,
references against Noor Jamal of Pak PWD, Gulraiz Ahmed Raza and others
of FBR for the bogus sales tax refunds amounting to Rs30 million, Munishi
Sheruddin and few others.
Ansar Abbasi observed that declaration of Deedars appointment as
illegal also clipped the wings of his deputy which has hurt the regime
that thought that Deedars exit wont affect its plans. Deedar has delegated
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most of its powers to Javaid Zia Qazi as part of the scheme that he would
continue delivering in case his boss was told to go. Abbasi wrote: Sources
in NAB said that following the said internal order (related to delegation of
powers), Deedar had become redundant as Javaid Zia Qazi used to chair all
important meetings and decide crucial matters whether administrative or
legal.
To Qazis bad luck, this would be for the second time that all his
actions that he has been taking on behalf of the chairman would stand
void. Earlier, the Supreme Court had declared Qazis appointment as acting
chairman as illegal and as a consequence all his decisions and actions taken
as acting chairman stood invalid. Now he has again met the same
embarrassing situation as the apex court has now declared the appointment
of Deedar as void ab initio which means the retired justice was never
appointed as NAB chairman and thus passed no orders as such.
Deputy Chairman, Javaid Qazi is a controversial officer, who
according to media reports was not promoted and was superseded for
doubtful integrity in the previous government He belongs to interior
Sindh (Shikarpur) and was serving member Custom Tribunal in Karachi
before assuming office in NAB.
Shaheen Sehbai commented: The gloves are off on all sides. After
the SC verdicts on FIA and NAB chiefs and the reserved judgment in
presidents dual office case, President Zardari has decided to go after the
courts, not to tolerate anymore interference and to fight these legal battles
politically, mainly using his strength in Sindh.
PPP leaders have given a strike call in Sindh, the presidents right
hand man Zulfikar Mirza has publicly attacked the SC judges in a highly
threatening tone, most of the rural Sindh will take out rallies against the
judges and since urban Sindh, especially Karachi and Hyderabad, may not
join the strike, the urban-rural divide will be further accentuated.
The Sharif brothers of Raiwind have decided to go after Zardari,
who they think made a monkey out of them in the last three years. In a
public reversal of their stated policy of not involving the army in political
matters, the Punjab chief minister has invited the Pakistan Army and the
Supreme Court to a stakeholders conference. That this invitation is but a
tacit admission of Raiwinds failure to match Zardaris political antics and
tactics is another matter.
The Supreme Court is showing renewed grit and determination
to give striking judgments which mainly hit the PPP top brass directly, be it
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the sacking of the FIA or the NAB chiefs, both positions being the key to the
implementation of the previous SC decisions on the NRO or reopening of
the Swiss cases of President Zardari.
This new show of spine by the SC is being interpreted in many
circles as an ominous sign of other major decisions, specially in the NRO
review case, the Swiss accounts issue, the presidents dual office case and
appointment of judges review, if filed.
The so-called Establishment, led by the Pakistan Army, has been
quietly watching the situation, seriously disturbed and concerned deep
inside. It has, nevertheless, achieved what it wanted and thought was right,
like the three-year re-hiring of COAS General Kayani or the latest two-year
extension to ISI chief General Ahmad Shuja Pasha. It is perturbed by the
failure of the politicians to govern, manage the economy, create hope for the
masses buried deep under poverty, inflation and helplessness.
All agree that the countrys freefall into political, economic, social
and security domains has to be stopped first and then reversed. But there is a
reluctance and hesitation in coming out openly and addressing the root cause
of the present state of disarray and disorientation the dismal failure of the
PPP leadership because of the sheer greed, incompetence and selfishness
of its top leaders.
Shaheen dwelled on this point and then concluded: Three years of
waiting have left us with the present mess which will get worse if
nothing is done now. The onus has now come back on the Pakistan Army to
support the judicial and democratic system to clean the polluted waters of
this land. No direct intervention is needed but in the light of the Raiwind
proposal, the army should itself declare, and unequivocally, that it would
support all major judgments of the judiciary, whether politically sour or
sweet.
Let then the judges deal with the corrupt and the shameless. And if
the disgruntled PPP in Sindh tries to create strife and unrest on SindhiPunjabi basis, it should be crushed with an iron hand. If this is not done now,
it may be too late, very soon, to do anything about it. Mafias must be
handled like they are handled all over the world. There are no political
solutions for people who hold people, or a nation, hostage.
Hamid Mir was of the view that Pakistan is once again heading
towards a deadly clash of state institutions against each other. Pakistan
Peoples Party leadership have decided to open three fronts against
Supreme Courtasked party office bearers to condemn the superior court
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in their demonstrations today, PPP want to reappoint Didar Hussain Shah in

NAB but top government sources never confirmed this and said that
reappointment will take a very long process and we will not waste our time.
On the other hand PPP also decided to use parliament against Supreme
Court.
Top PPP leaders revealedthat federation will file a review petition
against the short order of Judges appointment case and the detailed
judgment of the same will be discussed in the parliament. PPP sources
claimed that article 68 of the Constitution will not become a hurdle in this
regard because this article only stops parliamentarians to discuss the conduct
of judges and we can discuss judgments of the superior court.
Another PPP source said that when discussion on a court judgment
will be started then some of our angry colleagues will definitely discuss
the judges who wrote that judgment. PPP claimed that PML-Q, ANP and
JUI-F leaders will join their parliamentary attack against SC.
It is also learnt that PPP leadership is consulting some lawyers to
file a reference against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry under
Article 209 of the Constitution. PPP leadership thinks that the conduct of
Chief Justice is creating problems of governance They quote two recent
cases in this context, i.e. sacking of DG FIA and appointments on contract
basis.
Hamid continued: Federal government will also try to take
advantage of the resentment of some secret agencies against Supreme
Court which was quite visible during the recent hearings of missing
persons case. One PPP legislator expressed deep reservations about the antijudiciary plans of his leadership and said that may be some powerful
elements within the establishment are encouraging parliament to attack
judiciary and then a third force will definitely take advantage out of that
confrontation.
Mir went on to conclude: A top lawyer confided to this scribe that
some PPP leaders have started a campaign against Chief Justice in the
diplomatic circles of Islamabad. These leaders are criticizing some recent
verdicts and suo motto actions of Supreme Court in front of the diplomats
and telling them that our bad governance is not due to bad policies the real
reason of our bad governance is the over stepping of Supreme Court.
An independent diplomat told this correspondent that the diplomatic
community was closely watching Pakistans situation and the judiciary. He
said that it was good omen for Pakistan to have such an independent and
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vibrant judiciary which had fearlessly decided cases involving

government, private sector, armed forces as well as intelligence agencies. He
said that actually corrupt elements in the top echelons of the government
whose personal corruption-related cases, including the Swiss ones, were
being heard in Pakistan as well as abroad would never accept an independent
NAB or independent judiciary. The diplomat said that that apparently the
PPP-led government and some elements in the establishment had joined
hands to malign judges especially the Chief Justice.
Tariq Butt observed: The judgment had left the PPP leaders in a
tight corner with hardly any option to continue with a tamed NAB that
would protect their past corruption or financial interests. The reaction of
accountability-shy, badly cornered PPP government was to announce a
protest throughout Sindh it proves that the vested interest of top command
of the party has been badly hurt band the party is not ready to face
accountability or accept an independent judiciary.
Deedar was firstly not disqualified because of his domicile but his
appointment process was also flawed. The governments reaction also
establishes the fact that Deedar was a trusted PPP loyalist. The purpose
of the Sindh protest is to send the message that PPP will confront the SC.
The surprise was the person to lead the attack an otherwise serious and
sane Senator Taj Haider, who is considered an intellectual. But he seems to
have blindly acted on the diktat of President Zardari.
Deedar Shahs removal has left two choices for the government
either to appoint an independent chairman following consultation among the
prime minister, the leader of the opposition and the Chief Justice of Pakistan
or to replace the NAB with an autonomous Accountability Commission as
envisaged in the Charter of Democracy. In both cases, the Presidencys
desire to have a disciplined accountability apparatus cannot be fulfilled. In
view of this situation one odd option could be to continue with the headless
NAB but in this way it will not obviously produce the desired results.
Deedar Shah is the third NAB chairman to go on the orders of the
Supreme Court in less than a year with his exit promptly bringing the socalled principal anti corruption agency under the control of his deputy Javed
Zia Qazi. Butt explained by narrating the incidents that brought the situation
to this impasse.
The News commented on the presently contested issue of appointment
of judges. An eight-member parliamentary committee has suggested the
government move a review petition against the Supreme Court judgment
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delivered a few days ago, overruling the committees rejection of the

Judicial Commissions recommendations on extension of six judges of the
higher courts. The threat of a stand-off between institutions, which we
had hoped would be settled following the apex court ruling last year and the
passage of the 19th Amendment, arises once more. The issue is a crucial
one, given that perhaps more than anything else, we need an independent
judiciary able to mete out justice freely and without any restraint. Behind the
many angry words we hear, this is the crux of the matter.
The periodic challenges to an independent judiciary are inflicting
a great deal of damage. It is clear that people seek this ardently, as do most
members of the legal profession. The celebration of Iftikhar Day by
lawyers, to mark the anniversary of the restoration of the judiciary headed by
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is just one indication of this.
Many of us also wonder where we would stand if the judiciary had not been
willing to assert itself and take up issues such as corruption. The situation
we face could have been even worse than is currently the case, and this is a
frightening thought in more ways than one.
We badly need our judiciary to be able to work independently
and without pressure. The role of the courts in introducing the reform in
countries such as India is well-established. That process seems to be
beginning at home. It should not be disrupted. What we definitely do not
need at this point is any kind of power game between institutions. There are
enough problems already. Since the 18th Amendment was passed by
parliament last year, there have been warnings of a clash between
institutions.
In the present case we have already heard a variety of views. What is
vital is that the matter be sorted out before any lasting damage is
inflicted the role of the judiciary as laid down in the Constitution
accepted, and the principle of a separation of the institutions fully accepted.
Unless this happens, we will keep running into roadblocks, and this can only
hurt a democracy that has still to establish itself in the country. It will be able
to do so only if every institution is given the space it needs to grow and
develop.
Dr Qaisar Rashid listed impediments endangering the juvenile
democratic polity of Pakistan, which in brief are:
The slogan of extra-constitutionalism is becoming apolitical ethos;

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 The religious parties active in the political domain are refusing to

learn the way the political path be tread;
The concept of liberty falling under the head democracy is considered
to enfold the mandate of imitating western values of liberalism;
There is a dearth of the informed voters;
During an electoral process, a considerable number of voters tend not
to vote for or against contesting candidates of their electoral
constituency.
On 12th March, The News commented: The sense that we are
millimeters away from a crisis has been with us for months. The consistent
contempt shown by the government for the Supreme Courts decisions has
contributed to this. We see now a refusal to accept the verdict on the
appointment of Justice (r) Deedar Hussain Shah as NAB chairman, a
decision that had raised many eyebrows from the moment it was announced
last year given his close links with the PPP and the unsuitability of such a
candidate to fill a post that demands neutrality and integrity. In response to a
petition moved by opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the threemember bench had declared the appointment void. This should hardly have
come as a surprise to the PPP given the provision in the 18th Amendment that
the opposition leader be consulted before appointing the NAB chief. Yet in
both Sindh and the centre, the response has been almost violent. The strike
called by the PPP in the province is reported to have led to deaths and to
buses being torched and shops being shut down as tension grips Karachi
and, according to reports, also other cities. Meanwhile in the centre, after
several hectic meetings, the government has decided to reappoint Deedar
Shah, claiming it has removed the Supreme Courts objections. This
seems implausible at best.
It is worth noting that key PPP allies have distanced themselves from
the move. Most interpreters have no doubts that the reason why the PPP
wishes to ensure a loyal henchmen heads NAB is to protect leaders against
whom many cases of corruption stand. It is also apparent that no system can
function smoothly when there is so much unwillingness to abide by the
Constitution and disregard court orders. The fear that we may find
ourselves facing complete mayhem is growing by the day, indeed by the
hour. As had been predicted many weeks ago the governments actions have
landed us in very serious trouble indeed. The attempt to use people on the
streets against the courts will simply not work. It has already resulted in

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disrupting normal life in Karachi and creating a graver crisis than the one
we are already locked in. The fragile relations between the judiciary and the
executive have once more broken down and once more they appear difficult
salvage. Each episode from the past has added to the tensions. The
unwillingness of the government to abide by court orders has put the whole
system under tremendous pressure. Many wonder how long it can last under
the present situation and what can be done to regain some sense of order.
Next day, The News commented: We see strange sights every now
and again in our country. The notion of political gamesmanship of every
kind, of leaders who rob their own people without restraint and of a constant
state of chaos that refuses to die down is with us constantly. But lately
things seem to have taken a turn for the worse. The calling of a strike by
the government and the outbreak of violence before and during it are
unusual to put it mildly. Leaderships do not usually attempt to subvert
peace in their own cities or put at risk the lives of their own people.
The fact that this is happening indicates a state of affairs that does not
add to our confidence as to the abilities of the ruling set-up. Who knows
what may unfold next or what the future may bring. There is more to this
political mess. We have a distancing by all the major allies which once
formed a part of the ruling set-up from the PPP. The PML-N has parted ways
completely and opted to carve out its own path; the MQM is showing signs
it could opt to do the same. Even the ANP has made it clear it does not
support the Karachi strike action, while the JUI-F too maintains its distance.
The PPP continues its efforts to woo a PML-Q that is itself deeply insecure,
given the carving out of new blocks from within it and the fact that
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain no longer retains control over the party he played
a key role in founding on the instructions of a dictator. His talk of not doing
anything to create instability, following talks with the president, is
obviously a move intended to keep some relevance within the existing
scenario and make sure the PML-Q does not become an entirely redundant
entity.
On top of all this, we witness continued militancy, new acts of
terrorism every few days and a worsening law and order situation
everywhere. The question of the blasphemy laws lingers on; nothing has
been solved; nothing has changed. The PPP appears not to know what to do,
with the interior minister now talking of building consensus. This should
have happened many weeks ago. We have also a complete social and
economic mess, with education, the economy, healthcare and all else in a
terrible state. There seems to be no way out of this quicksand which
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pulls the nation into deeper and deeper trouble and places us in a situation
which gets worse and worse by the day.
Reema Omer opined: An unbiased process of judicial process of
judicial appointment is integral to the independence of judiciary. If there is
consensus that the Parliamentary Committees final say over judicial
appointments makes appointments susceptible to being politically motivated,
there must be movement calling for a change in Article 175-A of the
Constitution. The Supreme Courts taking the matter in its own hands and
bypassing the Constitution to defend it, achieves little and ends up putting
the judiciary and parliament in an unpleasant confrontation.
Sana Bucha wrote: Lies have helped create a nation with strange
characteristics. We would go to war with India in an instant, yet just one
Indian entertainment channel has more viewer-ship in Pakistan than all
Pakistani channels combined. We will continue to see our people die in
bomb blasts and wonder where these terrorists came from. No one
concedes to fact that these terrorists were bred for our national interest and
strategic depth.
On 14th March, Dr AQ Khan observed: The country is currently at a
dangerous crossroads. There is no sense in looking to the army for rescue.
All military dictators proved to be corrupt, loved sycophancy and destroyed
national institutions. The only institution that can rise to the occasion id
the judiciary. If they do not deliver quick justice without fear or favour, we
are doomed or as the saying goes, our goose is cooked. A grave
responsibility lies on the shoulders of the lawmakers to enact effective laws
quickly to enable the honourable judges to use them efficiently and to save
this poor country from total destruction and disintegration. The country is
indeed at dangerous crossroads either we reach our destination or we fall
into a deep, dark pit.
Asif Ezdi expressed his apprehensions about the next general
elections. Under an amendment to the Constitution made by Musharraf in
2002, a general election is to be held not in sixty days preceding the end of
the five-year parliamentary term but in the following sixty days. This means
that during the time between the end of the tenure of the ongoing parliament
and the beginning of the term of the newly elected parliament the three
month during which election is held the president, acting through a
caretaker prime minister has complete and unfettered legislative powers. It is
mind-boggling how a man like Zardari could abuse that power to influence
the outcome of the election.
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All this does not augur well for the fairness and transparency of
the next parliamentary elections. These elections will be the first since
those of March 1977 and only the second in our history to take place
under a purely civilian setup. The Election Commission will bear a heavy
responsibility. Not only our electoral system but the entire political system
will be put to severe test. The continuity of political process will be at stake.
We only need recall what the 1977 election led to.
Zardaris foremost objective is to win five more years as president
after his present term expires in September 2013, so that he retains the
immunity from criminal process without which he would be in the dock on
corruption charges. He will therefore stop at nothing to obtain positive
results in the parliamentary elections, to borrow Ziaul Haqs immortal
words. Clearly, Pakistan is about to enter what promises to be an even
stormier period of its turbulent political history.
Next day, The News wrote: We have a warning from Maulana Fazlur
Rehman that the government seems unlikely to survive; Opposition leader in
parliament Chaudhry Nisar Ali has warned that the President Zardari is
taking the country into a huge crisis and the PPP is reported to be
considering more protests in Sindh over the appointment of the NAB
Chairman. None of this augurs well for the country. The situation we see
also gives rise to some basic questions. How long can we continue like
this? How long can the country sustain the toll being taken? The chaos on
the political scene means far more than material for TV talk shows or
newspaper headlines. It means that we, in effect, have no governance, and
there is instead, a paralyzed system, which fails to deliver what people need.
For months we have seen failures in this regard. A worsening state of affairs
would plunge us into a crisis from which recovery would be still harder.
Sadly, there seems to be no recognition of this on the part of the
government. Efforts remain focused on bid to remain in power. The interior
minister has been in touch with the MQM leaders in order to persuade them
to offer the support the PPP needs. There is talk of dismissing the Sindh
Home Minister whose comments triggered the latest crisis with the MQM.
But such tinkering will lead us nowhere. While the PPP is desperate to
save itself, what we actually need is a functional government. The
absence of one will only lead to bigger problems for the people.
Zafar Hilaly opined: Pakistan has been stumbling from one crisis to
another without let up for decades and the underlying tensions between the
civilians and the military have brought us to the cumulative mess in
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which we find ourselves today. There appears to be no end in sight to our

uninterrupted decline with the specter of national disaster looming larger
with each passing day.
In such a situation we have to think out of the box, the sooner the
better. Only the combined strength of the civilians and the military for
once working in shared partnership with a shared stake rather that at crosspurposes and in mutual distrust can offer the way out.
On 18th March, The News expressed concerns over the plight of
Pakistanis caught up in various catastrophes around the globe. While
the situation faced by the large Pakistani community in Bahrain, where one
Pakistani national has been killed by protesters and another four have been
injured, draws attention to the risks faced by persons living overseas. It also
brings into focus the role of our missions in other countries. Following the
targeting of Pakistanis in Manama by youth angered by the role of riot police
which includes personnel from Pakistan and allegations of the use of
excessive force by them, expatriates have been gathering outside their
embassy seeking protection. While discussions have reportedly been held on
how to offer this, the Foreign Office spokesperson in Islamabad has said
there are no immediate plans to bring Pakistanis home. A mass airlift out of
Bahrain may not be necessary at this stage, but we hope the situation is
being closely monitored and that preparations are being made to rescue
Pakistanis should the situation grow more volatile.
It is a matter of concern that, in the very recent past, this has not
happened in other places where nationals found themselves in peril.
Pakistanis caught up in the terrifying violence in Libya were first brought
out aboard a Turkish Airlines flight. Those trapped in Tripoli and other
places stated they had received no assistance from the Pakistan Embassy.
Similar complaints have been made by those who recently returned home
after the earthquake in Japan, with the Pakistani mission in Tokyo apparently
doing little to help them even though our diplomats based in that country
must have been aware of the sheer horror of the situation considering that
Japan was struck by one of the worst natural disasters in living memory.
Our Foreign Office and our political leadership need to review the
role of missions overseas. After all, staff is not posted to these embassies and
high commissions simply to enjoy the pleasures of life in far-off lands. One
of its principal roles is to assist Pakistanis based there. Yet we have heard
repeatedly of failures to even visit those in jails or take any measures to help
those in distress. The recent complaints of indifference that have poured in,
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both from the Middle East and elsewhere must not be ignored. There is quite
evidently something amiss with the working of our missions. Steps need to
be taken to correct this and ensure Pakistanis in danger in foreign
countries are not left to fend entirely for themselves. This is all the more
true given that many Pakistani expatriates are poorly educated and lack the
capacity to determine how to safeguard themselves in a violent or otherwise
dangerous situation.
On 22nd March, The News commented: It is difficult to know whether
to classify the latest outbreak of killings in Karachi as a new wave of
violence. The fact is that violence here never fully recedes, or at least it has
not done so for months. Nevertheless, the death of at least 15 people as new
tensions erupt between the MQM and other groups represents a grave
political threat. The latest unrest came as some workers of the Pakhtunkhwa
Milli Awami Party and some of the MQM were killed, following a grenade
attack on an MQM office. As inevitably happens after such incidents, there
were bursts of firing, more deaths across the city and more such attacks.
Given the ethnic and political undertones to the violence, things may well
worsen over the coming days. Certainly, the efforts that have continued
for over a year to bring things under control have failed. This has serious
repercussions given the nature of life in Karachi, where it is essential for
communities to live together; peace is also essential to business activity and
the normal movements of citizens who for too long now have lived in a state
of terror.
That the new spate of violence broke out even as the PPP attempts to
patch up its strained relations with the MQM is itself significant. The failure
to enforce and sustain peace, despite the series of meetings held and the
promises made by the provincial and central governments, makes them look
especially ineffectual. This can only encourage those responsible for
sporadic violence in the city. We still do not know precisely what their
purpose is but far too many innocent people, uninvolved in politics of any
kind, have died because of it. Low-scale violence has continued in Karachi
for far too long now. We hear of eight deaths some days, on other days of
three or four. It is vital that we stop this flow of blood. It is difficult to
comment on exactly how this will be achieved. But the government needs
to come up with a plan and lay it before its allies so that the frightening
sound of gunfire and the ensuing mayhem it brings to communities
everywhere in the city can be brought to an end before we see a still greater
toll taken on peace and harmony in Karachi.

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Next day, The News commented: What the president said amounted
to little more than a reading of the shopping list, the items were ticked off as
bullet points and policy was absent throughout other than in anodyne nods in
the direction of foreign policy. It was not a speech of highs and lows, more a
plateau of uniform mediocrity. The devolution of budgets to the provinces
got an honourable mention the failure to create the provincial capacity to
effectively spend those budgets did not. The Benazir Income Support
Programme was lauded as being our first national safety net the tale
though is marred by the incompetent administration of BISP. Any
economists listening might have experienced a cardiac moment at the
announcement that the economy was back on track. The politics of revenge
were eschewed, murdered minorities mourned and the regulation pleas for
political peace and harmony were duly delivered. When the president sat
down he must have felt pleased that he had managed to get through the event
without having anything thrown at him. Which is perhaps progress of
sorts.
Saleem Safi opined: The Sharif proposal stops at a onetime
conference of the three players. One would go a step further and suggest a
permanent consultative forum. This proposal may well be opposed by
democracy brigades, but I am convinced that this is the key to solution of
our problems. And if we didnt act today, God forbid, we may rue our
decision the same way as the rejecters of Jahangir Karamats National
Security Council proposal did on Oct 12, 1999.
Sher Zaman from Islamabad wrote: The people of Karachi are
suffering once again. Due to the killings, economic activity has come to a
halt. The disruption in financial activity badly affects revenue generation and
thus millions are lost due to deteriorating law and order. A serious and
meaningful interaction between the police, the political parties and the
people of Karachi might restore peace to the city.
On 24th March, The News commented: Once again, it is the superior
judiciary that has made its mark, but whether the mark it has made in ruling
on the appointment of the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau
can be made to stick to a Teflon-coated government, remains to be seen.
Simply put, the ruling means that neither this nor any future government will
have sole responsibility for the appointment of the NAB chairman, and that
the process of making the appointment will henceforward include the chief
justice. The Supreme Court recognized the incongruity in those who
themselves may be corrupt and the subject of investigation, as being the
ones to appoint the head of the primary body investigating corruption. The
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current dispensation has thus far ensured that the inquisitive eyes of NAB
are averted from its own senior officers, and NAB as it stands today is both
leaderless and toothless a situation that the government is in no hurry to
rectify.
The SC was in no doubt that there was a widely held perception that
NAB in its current format was possibly being used as a cover for corruption
rather than as a device to expose corruption and wrongdoing in high places.
The battle against corruption featured nowhere in the list of
achievements that the president recited to the joint session of parliament
last Tuesday, indeed, you would think that corruption is nowhere on the
government radar. One might think that far from being a matter of minor
importance, corruption is the very large elephant in the room. But no, the
elephant has had a thick coat of invisibility paint applied to it.
Now whether the government will comply with the ruling of the
court and speedily appoint an impartial chairman of NAB having lost the
odious Deedar, or simply remove the irritation by abolishing NAB
altogether, remains to be seen. A government that had an investment in
probity, honesty and transparency would not have allowed matters to
deteriorate to the point at which we find ourselves today. Corruption at
every level has become almost our national defining characteristic, ...an
unfortunate bane of our society to quote the SC ruling. Even if this
government fails to implement the ruling there will be other governments in
the future that will be bound by it. No government is forever, and the life of
this one, even if it goes to term, is now short. It is to be hoped that the
government that follows this one has more respect for the rule of law, and is
able to face squarely the corruption that so weakens us today.
Hilal Murtaza Qazi from Sahiwal opined: It is not the shallow
understanding of the Constitution due to which this government takes
actions such as appointing people who are not suitable for the job to
important posts. It is plain stubbornness and the intention of getting
away with its corrupt practices due to which such people are given
important jobs.
M S Hasan from Karachi observed: In his address to parliament
President Asif Ali Zardari talked about many invisible and non-existent
achievements and improvements his incompetent government supposedly
brought in the areas ranging from economy to governance to foreign policy
to internal security and a lot of other things the nation is sick of hearing
about. No speech of Mr Zardari is complete without making references to
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the vision of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, the two crutches he
dearly holds on to. He should know that this will not work anymore. What is
this mysterious vision, anyway? Mr Zardari had the audacity to assert that
the reforms announced on August 14, 2009 would soon be implemented.
Would he care to tell us why the reforms have not been implemented thus
far?
He asked the domestic entrepreneurs to form private-public entities
with the existing public-sector companies. Who on earth would like to
have a substantial equity sunk in the corruption-ridden public-sector
organizations such as PIA, Steel Mills, PSO and OGDCL etc? He
mentioned the commencement of cargo-train service between Turkey and
Pakistan but did not say a word about how his government would put the
Pakistan Railways back on track.
On 27th March, Dr Farrukh Saleem described the prevalent gloom in
Pakistan. In Pakistan an average of 20 Pakistanis die every single day in
terrorist-related violence. Over the past seven years, total fatalities in
terrorist violence stand at 33,467 Pakistanis. In 2010, 7,435 Pakistanis were
killed in 473 bomb blasts and 49 fidayeen-type suicide attacks.
In Pakistan three out of four Pakistanis make Rs170 per day or less.
Imagine; atta sells for Rs600 per 20-kg, ghee for Rs143 per kilo, tea Rs90
for 200 grams and red chili powder Rs64 for 200 grams.
Now, welcome to the circus. For our politicians Pakistan is one big
circus. MQM is developing a specialty in acrobatics, somersaults to be
specific forward, backward and sideway somersaults plus 360 degree flips,
feet over head. PML(N) is becoming a pack full of tightrope walkers some
walking along thin ropes while others perform publicity stunts specifically
designed to attract attention of voters nothing much else.
JUI has assembled a trained bunch of jugglers. Their head honcho
has become an expert in devil sticking, at times juggling with knives and fire
torches, while his junior lieutenants juggle balls and beanbags. PPP, in the
meanwhile, gets up every morning prints Rs300 crore worth of currency
notes and by the time PPP is finished printing notes its already time to call it
a day.
The Pak Army is fighting on so many fronts, and when it is not
fighting it is either making movies about its fighting or playing the
ringmaster directing and stage managing our political acrobats, tightrope
walkers and jugglers. Our ringmaster has all the political authority in the

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world and yet little political responsibility best of the best some would
argue.
The fact remains that Pakistan is burning. The other fact is that there
is so much combustible material present right now that the conflagration is
spreading like never before.
Who will put an end to the circus and put out the fire? Pakistan
cannot remain Pakistan without drastic reforms economic, social, political
plus legal, and in that order. A trillion rupee annual deficit will burn us all
and not just our skin but our muscles, bones and our blood vessels.
We all know what Pakistanis need: personal security, economic
security and dispensation of justice. The circus must end or Pakistan will be
burnt with her citizens in severe respiratory distress. Our acrobats, tightrope
walkers, jugglers and note printers must come out of their tent and see the
real Pakistan before the tent also catches fire. End the circus and assess the
patients breathing, his airway and his circulatory state before it is too late.
Some of our democrats actually believe that democracy is the art of
running the circus from the monkey cage. And then there are some who
fiercely complain that Pakistani TV has turned our democracy into a circus.
To be sure, the circus was already there, Pakistani TV just shows day-in-dayout that not all performers are up to the mark.
Next day, The News commented on killings in Karachi. Can we
expect an early end to this madness? Things on the ground suggest that
citizens are likely to suffer more of the same in the coming months.
Unable to share in a civilized manner the biggest financial pie that this city
is, the coalition partners cannot afford to sever links between their politics
and the extortion, land and drug mafias. Consider this: the MQM is busy
mainstreaming itself in other parts of the country, especially Punjab, and
cannot lose sight of the bigger picture ahead of the next general election (it
has lost around 65 activists since January this year but continues to cling to
power despite threatening several times to quit the government); the PPP
spearheaded by its home minister in Sindh is trying to venture out of Lyari
and gain ground in Bin Qasim and Malir towns with the help of the banned
Peoples Aman Committee; and the ANP is striving hard to learn to speak
the language of violence so it does not lag behind its rivals.

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REVIEW
The drop scene of Deedar Shahs tenure as Chairman NAB would
have been most humiliating for any political leadership with correct
perception of self-respect. But, Zardari was no Manmohan Singh, who
addressed the nation and apologized when Supreme Court of India ruled the
appointment of Indian equivalent of Chairman NAB, who had been
appointed under similar circumstances.
Zardari, to the contrary, was not embarrassed at all and instead he
hurried to bulldoze his way to reappoint Deedar Shah to convey the Supreme
Court and his political adversaries as to who was the Don around. In doing
that he earned rebuke from the Leader of the Opposition who bluntly
rejected the proposal.
Next day, the Supreme Court issued detailed judgment that ruled
Deedar was disqualified to be reappointed as Chairman NAB. Will this put
the Don to shame? The record shows that he not only enjoys Constitutional
immunity but he is also genetically blessed with immunity to shame.
The reason behind the Scoundrel not feeling the need to mend his
ways is that he has faced setbacks only in the apex court. On political front
he has been able to often out-manoeuvre and out-wit his opponents and with
fair ease. During this period the pressure built on Moonis Elahi over NICL
case paid dividends as Shujaat was constrained to visit Presidency to assure
Zardari of saving his government, of course, for the sake of his nephew.
In the last article Pakistani stage was equated with a theatre, but on
second look it resembled more with a circus and that too when during
closing minutes of a show all participants come on the stage and start
waving at the audience expecting appreciations. Will the members of this
circus be applauded or hooted out remains to be soon?
28th March 2011

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SAHARAN STORM -II

Pakistans Foreign Secretary while appearing before the Senate
Standing Committee on 26th March said Pentagon injected $130 million in
Western media to destabilize Arab countries and US Administration was
supporting opposition in these countries as well. He said the main reason of
crisis in the Arab World is corruption, unemployment, police abuse and ban
on political parties. He indirectly warned the rulers to beware of Pakistans
turn.
The twist that Saharan Storm has taken in Libya is in fact a warning
for all the rulers in Islamic world, especially for those countries which have
some kind of natural reserves. The message is that these rulers must submit
to the might of Crusaders or be prepared to meet the fate of Mulla Omar,
Saddam Hussein and now Gaddafi to whom Hillary has told to get out of
Libya. This was the new beginning that Obama had talked about in his
Cairo speech and earlier during in his election campaign.
If the people in Islamic World read too much in between the lines it
was no fault of the son of Africa fathered by a Muslim. The same was true
about what he had vowed regarding closing of Guantanamo Bay facility. It
was no more than a password for entry into White House, which he
conveniently forgot till he remembered it only when he launched the
campaign for second term.

NEWS
In Africa, Gaddafi remained the main target of the forces waging
Crusades to save innocent civilians; while killings continued unabated in the
country in the southwest in fighting between Quttara and Gbagbo. Nothing
much was reported from elsewhere during the two weeks under review. In
the region of Horn of Africa a UAE-flagged vessel with 29 on board,
including 17 Pakistanis was hijacked by pirates on 30th March.
Next day, thousands of Egyptians marched to Tahrir Square, Cairo to
protest law to criminalize protests. A week later, tens of thousands of
Egyptians gathered in Tahrir Square and demanded trial of Hosni Mobarak.
On 2nd April, security forces opened fire to disperse unemployed people
demonstrating in a southern town of Tunisia. On 8 th April, six people were
killed in post-election violence in Nigeria.
Ajdabiya and Brega fell to rebels on 26th March with intimate close air
support of the Crusaders, but rebels were reported saying that they no more
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needed outside support. Libyan troops closed on to Misrata from two

directions. Number of casualties and who killed whom remained unclear.
Obama said Mission Libya would be accomplished soon and claimed saving
countless innocents. Top Russian general termed the air strikes
unsuccessful and said ground operation would be needed to topple Gaddafi.
Next day, NATO assumed command of military operations. Rebels
made arrangements to export oil in a week. Pope urged ceasefire. Robert
Gates said the aim of military action is not the regime change; the past
experience of regime change has not been good. He also came out with new
justification for military action saying turmoil in Libya could destabilize
Tunisia and Egypt, which implied that the US was satisfied with current
arrangements in these two countries.
On 28th March, advance of rebels was halted by east of Sirte, the
birthplace of Gaddafi; Libya stood practically divided into two half. The
Crusaders blasted the town of Sirte for resumption of rebels towards Misrata
and Tripoli. Meanwhile, government forces recaptured Misrata. NATO
planned to take formal charge of military action from 30th March.
Russia said UN mandate did not allow attack on Libyan forces;
Lavrov accused coalition taking part in civil war and expressed concern over
civilian casualties. Obama reiterated that military action would continue till
exit of Gaddafi. France said coalition was strictly abiding by the UNSC
Resolution.
Next day, Libyan forces blunted and reversed rebels westward
charge. Gaddafi accused the West of massacre of civilians. British planes
were playing key role. Delegations of thirty countries met in London to
remain in touch with each other for toppling of Gaddafi; members of AL and
AU were among the participants. Next meeting was scheduled for Qatar.
On 30th March, Libyan forces pushed rebels out of the towns of Bin
Jawad and Ras Lanuf, where they had entered under Crusaders air cover.
The Crusaders faced with near stalemate situation wanted to go beyond air
strikes and arm the rebels. The members of coalition, however, disagreed on
arming, training and planning operations of the rebels. Hu Jintao warned the
visiting Sarkozy on air strikes on Libya.
Next day, rebels were reported fleeing towards Brega under pressure
of Libyan forces. Gaddafis foreign minister and former intelligence chief
Mussa Kussa defected to Britain; he was reportedly a US lackey. A senior
diplomat in UN defected and more were likely to follow seeing the end of

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Gaddafi regime nearing. The NATO launched a probe into reports of civilian
deaths in Crusaders air strikes.
On 1st April, opposition leader urged Gaddafi to step down and
announced unilateral ceasefire as fighting raged in and around three towns.
Two weeks of military action from the air could only achieve a stalemate in
Libya and this led to debating the possibility of ground action while keeping
the rebels on the forefront and Crusaders acting as trainers and
coordinators.
US government admitted that its intelligence operatives were on
ground since the beginning of the unrest. BBC confirmed civilian killings in
coalition strikes; French envoy in Islamabad defended the civilian killings.
German Foreign Minister saw no military solution for Libya. Next day,
fighting was reported in the towns of Brega and Misrata. Rebels said ten of
their fighters were killed in coalition air strike; NATO expressed concern
over the deaths. Gaddafi termed the offer of ceasefire silly.
On 3rd April, fighting continued at various places. British delegation
arrived in Benghazi to hold talks with rebels and presence of US and French
envoys in the town was also reported. The Crusaders were hectically busy to
break the stalemate. Libyas deputy foreign minister crossed over to Tunisia.
Next day, British Prime Minister visited air base in Italy from where British
Tornado fighters were operating. Rebels rejected a proposal that suggested
take-over by Gaddafis son; clashes continued at various places.
On 5th April, Libya said it was ready for talks but Gaddafis exit was
unacceptable. Forces pushed back rebels from the town of Brega. NATO jets
continued attacking Libyan ground forces to enforce no-fly zone. Turkish
Prime Minister held talks with Indonesian President and after that urged all
sides for ceasefire and stop bloodshed and destruction of infrastructure in
Libya. UN Special Representative, a Jordanian diplomat, was working to
negotiate a ceasefire to protect civilians.
BBC correspondent interviewed son of Gaddafi, Seif and frequently
asked about ceasefire and talks, but Seif insisted that the government could
not talk to bands of criminals and terrorists who are backed by the West. The
reporter countered him by recalling Irland and Lockerbie and threatening
trial of his father in ICC.
Next day, Gaddafi wrote a letter to Obama asking him to stop the
unjust war against Libya. Hillary visited Italy and praised its role in
implementation of UNSC Resolution 1973. She ordered Gaddafi to get out
of Libya and termed it as the only solution to the problem.
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On 7th April, five rebels were killed and several wounded in NATO air
strike near the port of Brega an oil field. NATO also struck Libyan forces
near Misrata. Next day, NATO refused to apologize for the killing of rebels.
The coalition decided to meet on 13th to consider ground operations against
Gaddafi forces.
The tensions that kept rising in Ivory Coast since elections in
November erupted into fighting towards the end of March. The armed
struggle is going on between the forces of strongman Laurent Gbagbo, who
was clinging on to power despite calls from former colonial master France,
and forces of internationally recognized president Alassane Outtara in
Abidjan. By 2nd April, more than eight hundred people were killed in the
western town of Duckoue alone.
On 3rd April, UN started evacuating its staff from Ivory Coast as 152
more were reported killed. Next day, forces loyal to Quattara were preparing
to launch fresh assault on Abidjan. On 5th April, the strong man Gbagbo
holding on to the capital tried to negotiate a ceasefire but president-elect
Quattara demanded surrender of his forces. Next day, forces of Quattara
attacked stronghold of Gdagbo after the latter refused to give in and the
fighting continued till late at night. On 8 th April, more than hundred dead
bodies were found in southern part of Ivory Coast.
In the Middle East, the Western media focused on Assad and Saleh
and ignored the happenings elsewhere except Bahrain where strict counterrevolutionary measures were taken by Saudi Arabia and Gulf States on the
behest of the US. On 31st March, Kuwaiti cabinet resigned amid calls for
political and economic reforms. Next day, protesters in Jordan demanded
reforms.
In Iraq, 58 people were killed and 97 wounded on 29 th March when
security forces clashed with gunmen after they had entered provincial
councils building in Tikrit. On 7th April, Robert Gates visited Iraq for
negotiating extension in stay of occupation forces. He said Iran and al-Qaeda
would benefit from unrest in Arab World. Next day, Iraqi security forces
reported a clash with Iranian exiles north of Baghdad in which 25 people
were killed and 320 wounded, including five soldiers.
On 1st April, Israel killed three Palestinians in air strike. On 7 th April,
two Palestinians were killed and 14 wounded in Israeli attack on Gaza; two
hundred women were arrested in Nablus. Next day, three Hamas activists

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were among nine killed in 20 raids by Israeli jetfighters and gunship

helicopters.
In Syria, ruling party office and a police station were set on fire by
protesters in Deraa on 26th March. The government freed 200 political
prisoners. Next day, Syria arrested a US national for inciting protests against
the regime. Hillary ruled out action against Syria. Syrians in Lebanon held
pro-regime rally in Beirut, one person was wounded.
On 28th March, security forces used tear gas against protesters in
Deraa. Next day, thousands of Syrians marched in Damascus in support of
their government. Prime Minister resigned to pave way for new government.
On 30th March, Assad addressed a massive gathering of his government and
said the conspiracy of protests was hatched outside Syria.
On 1st April, protests were held in five cities of Syria to express their
dissatisfaction over what Assad said in his speech yesterday; they wanted
more freedom. Four protesters were wounded in Damascus when security
forces opened fire. On 3rd April, Assad named new Prime Minister, but
protests continued. On 8th April, at least 22 protesters were killed in Syria
when police opened fire at protesters; 17 policemen were also killed in firing
by protesters.
In Bahrain, opposition accepted mediation from Kuwait on 27 th
March. Next day, Bahraini recruiting teams were in KPK to recruit Pakistani
ex-soldiers to suppress uprising. Reports about Kuwaiti mediation were
denied. Opposition party said its 250 members were arrested and 44 were
missing. On 4th April, Ahmedinejad demanded pullout of foreign troops from
Bahrain and cautioned Arab countries not to fall into the trap of the US. On
8th April, Shiites in Saudi Arabia protested intervention in Bahrain. Bahrain
flayed Iranian interference in GCC affairs.
Saudi Arabia printed and distributed 1.5 million copies of antidemonstration edict as part of its campaign to suppress uprising. On 6 th
April, Robert Gates visited Riyadh and met King Abdullah; the puppet and
puppeteer got together for improvement of ongoing show.
In Yemen, Saleh indicated quitting with honour. Army claimed killing
six al-Qaeda men on 26th March. Next day, seven Yemeni soldiers were
killed by al-Qaeda men. On 28th March, at least 40 people were killed in a
blast in arms and ammunition factory when protesters were looting it in
southern Yemen. Next day, protests continued in Sanaa.
On 30th March, Saleh made fresh offer to protesters; he stays in office
till elections, but hands over charge to interim setup. Next day, protest rallies
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were held in several cities across the country demanding immediate exit of
Saleh. On 1st April, thousands protested in Sanaa for and against the regime.
On 4th April, security forces killed 17 protesters in the town of Taez,
200 kilometers from Sanaa. Two days later, tens of thousands protested in
Sanaa and opposition leaders met ambassadors of Gulf Cooperation
Council after Saleh accepted mediation by GCC. On 8 th April, two people
were killed and more than two hundred wounded when police opened fire at
protesters in a southern town.

Elsewhere in non-AfPak regions things remained quiet during the

fortnight, except that Russia killed 17 rebels in air strike Caucasus region on
28th March. On 3rd April, MILF fighters killed eight armed men of a
politician in southern Philippines.
In Europe, a policeman was killed in car bomb attack in Northern
Ireland on 2nd April. Next day, British TV channels kept mourning the death
on a police officer killed in bomb blast in Ireland. Later BBC linked the
explosives used in the blast to Gaddafi.
In America, the White House said on 4 th April that desecration of
Holy Quran was un-American (most un-American things happen in
America). Obama once again talked of closing Guantanamo Bay facility, but
his administration decided to try Khalid Sheikh inside that facility.

VIEWS
On 26th March, Amir Zia commented: The United Nations Security
Council resolution 1973, which called for a no fly-zone over Libya and all
necessary measures to protect civilians, provided these Western nations a
so-called justification to act as world goons and meddle in the affairs of a
sovereign state, which should have been left on its own to decide its future.
But the massive oil stakes in Libya motivated the Western nations to
prop up armed rebels and get directly involved in the conflict, making it
bloodier and messier.
The swift manner in which Security Council went into action on
Libya stands in contrast to many other bigger conflicts on which the world
body has been dragging its feet decade after decade. Israeli atrocities on
PalestiniansIndian subjugation and repression However, the swift
Security Council verdict on Libya should not come as a surprise. The US-led
Western nations have a record of using the United Nations to advance
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their vested interests. The West-sponsored-armed revolt, which is more

tribal in nature rather than a democratic or ideological movement, has
provided Washington and its allies a chance to get rid of Libyan strongman
Muammar Qaddafi who has been defying the West for a long time. The
plan is now to install a subservient government in the name of protecting
civilian lives even though the same argument can be made about
intervening in Bahrain or Yemen. The real goal, however, remains exploiting
Libyas vast oil wealth.
The Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference
(OIC) have lived up to their reputation of being spineless blocs by
blindly endorsing the Security Council resolution, which paved the way for
the third Western military intervention in a Muslim country within a decade.
The buzz of protest coming from them against aerial bombing is just
eyewash. This third war on a Muslim country remains more blatant as it
came without any provocation of the Sept 11-like terror strikes on the United
States or fabricated charges of weapons of mass destruction as in the case of
Iraq.
The Western media, particularly the electronic media, is playing
like an orchestra by resorting to one-sided reporting and propaganda
against Libya to justify the military intervention. CNN, Fox, and the BBC,
all are following the script in totality. Programmes presented by the smiling
anchors with their excited voices giving details of the humanitarian blitz
on Libya are appalling to watch. One of the analysts was seen predicting
Qaddafis assassination by someone from his close circle. Was it a prediction
or instigation remains a question.
The Libyan conflict may not drag for long, given the small size of the
population and the isolation of the Qaddafi regime, but this third NATO
front against a Muslim country will have far-reaching consequences. It will
fuel Muslims anger against what they perceive as arrogant Western
nations and further radicalize their societies and strengthens those forces,
which get energy and life out of such conflicts. The narrative and the world
view of us versus them propagated not just by puritan legal Islamic groups,
but also by extremists, militant and terrorist organizations will gain more
acceptance and fan anti-US and anti-West sentiment. It will provide radical
group with new willing recruits, who see violence and terrorism as the only
means to avenge what they perceive western injustices and atrocities.
The Libyan conflict also remains a bad news for moderate and
pro-democracy forces, which are fighting against the tide of extremism and
militancy in countries such as Pakistan. They stand weakened as the west
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continues to interfere and interrupt in the natural evolution of Muslim

societies most of which remain unprepared for the Western-style
democracy because of their particular social, economic, political and
religious background.
It is high time for the Western nations to come out of their
mindset of white mans burden, which can only intensify conflicts in this
day and age of powerful individuals, who have the ability and capacity to
take on the world powers and keep the pot on the boil. The rulers and the
elite of majority of the Muslim countries may be in the pocket of the
Western powers, but not the Muslim street. It will react and strike back.
On 30th March, High moral purpose invoked in electoral battles is
often dented by the realpolitik of the incumbency of power but, regrettably,
the gap in Obamas promise and performance goes beyond the expected
dent. The Middle East peace process is in disarray, the Israeli lobby in
Washington has brought it to a grinding halt. In Afghanistan, Obama often
subordinates a desire for a negotiated settlement to the preferences of
military leaders.
Now, Libya adds another dimension to the pressures that skew his
decisions. There were no imperatives of national interest including al-Qaeda,
the Libyan oil and the dictates of the military industrial complex that
demanded urgent American engagement. Admittedly, there were
apprehensions of a vengeful Qaddafi inflicting severe punishment upon the
rebels facing defeat but then there are other hotspots in the Middle East and
Africa that put civilians in harms way. It seems that Obama accepted
intervention in Libya more in the interest of France and England. Ruled at
present by leaders with nostalgia for a bygone imperial era, than in American
interest
It will depend greatly on whether the pacification of Libya follows
the intended script. With instant air support from the coalition and fresh arms
supplies, the rebels are recovering the coastal cities fast but resistance from
pro-Qaddafi tribes now being armed by him may prolong the conflict. As it
drags on, the aura of humanitarian intervention Responsibility to Protect
(R2P) would increasingly evaporate. In the end, even the Arab nations that
have supported it may come to view the Libyan episode as predatory
western power seizing targets of opportunity as they present themselves or
are manipulated to become through covert operations. The Arab spring has
already lost some of its innocence. It has become the midwife in the
rebirth of military interventions.

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Next day, Paul Craig Roberts opined: What does the world think?
Obama has been using air strikes and drones against civilians in
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and probably Somalia. In his March 28
speech, Obama justified his air strikes against Libya on the grounds that
the embattled ruler, Qaddafi, was using air strikes to put down a
rebellion.
Qaddafi has been a black hat for as long as I can remember. If we
believe the adage that where there is smoke there is fire, Qaddafi is
probably not a nice fellow. However, there is no doubt whatsoever that the
current US president and the predecessor Bush/Cheney regime have
murdered many times more people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen
and Somalia than Qaddafi has murdered in Libya.
Moreover, Qaddafi is putting down a rebellion against state authority
as presently constituted, but Obama and Bush/Cheney initiated wars of
aggression based entirely on lies and deception. Yet Qaddafi is being
demonized and Bush/Cheney/Obama are sitting on their high horse draped
in cloaks of morality. Obama described himself as saving Libyans from
violence while Obama himself murders Afghans, Pakistanis, and whomever
else.
Indeed, the Obama regime has been torturing a US soldier, Bradley
Manning, for having a moral conscience. America has degenerated to the
point where having a moral conscience is evidence of anti-Americanism
and terrorist activity.
Washington, focused on its newest war, is oblivious to Americas
peril. As Joseph Stiglitz, former chairman of the Presidents Council of
Economic Advisers notes, the costs of the Iraq war alone could have kept
every foreclosed family in their home, provided healthcare for every
American child, and wiped out the student loans of graduates who cannot
find jobs because they have been outsourced to foreigners. However, the
great democratic elected government of the worlds only superpower
prefers to murder Muslims in order to enhance the profits of the
military/security complex. More money is spent violating the constitutional
rights of American air travelers than is spent in behalf of the needy.
The moral authority of the west is rapidly collapsing. When
Russia, Asia, and South America look at Europe, Australia and Canada, they
see American puppet states that contribute troops in the aggressive wars of
the Empire. The French president, the British prime minister, the president
of Georgia, and the rest are merely functionaries of the American Empire.
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The puppet rulers routinely sell out the interests and welfare of their peoples
in behalf of American hegemony. And they are well rewarded for their
service.
In his war against Libya, Obama has taken America one step
further into Caesarism. Obama did Bush one step better and did not even
bother to get congressional authorization for his attack on Libya. Obama
claimed that his moral authority trumped the US Constitution. The hypocrisy
reeks. How the public stands it, I do not know.
The American president, whose drones and air force slaughter
civilians every day of the year said Libya stands alone in presenting the
world with the prospect of violence on a horrific scale. Obviously, Obama
thinks that one million dead Iraqis, four million displaced Iraqis and an
unknown number of murdered Afghans is just a small thing.
On 1st April, Dr Muzaffar Iqbal observed: The fact that the Arab
League and the OIC had actually provided the necessary although flimsy
raison detre for this new western crusade against Muslims, which was
bound to result in a civil war in Libya, underscores the emergence of a new
western strategy of colonizing the Muslim World, especially the oil-rich
countries.
The anatomy of this neo-colonialism, now in its initial phase, is
already clear: all regimes which do not comply should be changed. Regime
change, accomplished at a huge expense in Iraq, was the first experiment; it
has now become a much easier process: ferment revolt from within, then
watch the situation and control it from behind the stage. Wherever
possible, attempt a Jasmine revolution, where this is not possible, device a
mechanism for covert military action and when that also fails, use the everwilling mistress called the United Nations, drawing in the non-representative
Muslim bodies such as the OIC and the Arab League. This mechanism is
not new; the United States has already unsuccessfully tried it against Iran. It
did not work in Iran for various reasons specific to Iran, but it is fairly
workable in the rest of the Muslim world.
Many readers may wonder why the western powers need a regime
change when a Hosni Mubarak or a Musharraf was already doing what they
wanted. The answer is: every puppet has an expiry date and when that
date comes, he must go. He has become useless, because he cannot move
on to the next stage due to inherent limitations in his first role. Musharraf of
Pakistan, for example, was already doing the required job, but growing
opposition, and his blown up ego had become hurdles to quick results
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desired by his masters, so he was shown the exit door. The same goes for
puppets elsewhere.
There is also another dimension of this new strategy. In Bahrain, for
instance, the United States wanted to exert pressure, sell more arms not only
to the tiny Gulf state but also to the neighbouring Saudi Arabia and hence a
certain controlled pressure has been brought to bear on the potentate
who obliged immediately.
Some may construe this anatomy of neo-colonialism as another
conspiracy theory, but a brief look at the historic pattern through which this
mechanism has emerged can provide a reasoned argument against such a
claim.
The colonized world was set free by France, Italy and Britain shortly
after the Second World War. This was not a voluntary exit from the lands
which these colonizers had plundered, desecrated, and destroyed for a
century in some cases for two centuries. The exit was forced by the
awakened populace, whose fathers of the nation nonetheless, were soon
replaced or co-opted by the departing colonizers who were now joined
by the United States of America in a global effort to control the natural
resources of the colonies.
The forty-year period between 1960 and 2000 provides ample
historical evidence to prove that the oil and minerals of the Muslim World
were the most obvious material reason for various western aggressions
against them. The post-9/11 period, however, is a different era, now it is not
just oil, gold and minerals, but the entire make-up of the Muslim World that
is the target; even the taste buds of the new generation should be changed to
make the terrible and unhealthy McDonalds seem delicious food to them.
This added factor in neo-colonialism has its ideological, even
religious raison detre, but what matters most is the lack of
comprehension of the extent of devastation being wrought. The entire
Muslim World seems fast asleep. The heedlessness is infused through a
massive media campaign, numerous economic, political and cultural
interventions and outright military aggression.
Yet another aspect of the anatomy of neo-colonialism is the timetested divide and rule policy. In the post-colonial phase, divisions within
Muslim polity are both ideological and material. The most obvious proof of
the success of this policy is the raging fever of Shia-Sunni conflict which
has gripped the Arab world since the emergence of a Shia government there.
In addition, even the Sunni house of Islam has been fracture. This is more of
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a problem in Pakistan than the Arab world, where the intra-sectarian

dichotomy is not so pronounced.
The most obvious question which needs to be answered at this early
stage of neo-colonialism is: where would this lead to and how long will it
last? Obviously, no one can predict the future, but if history and an objective
understanding of the current state of affairs can be entrusted, the Muslim
World is heading towards a transmutation from within which will destroy the
entire fabric of the Islamic civilization, leaving behind an individualized
Islam, with only a veneer of a common identity. Thus, in not-too-distant a
future, one can see a Lebanon like situation in many parts of the Muslim
World where one will be free to go to a bar or a mosque and where
gambling houses and places of worship will exist side by side.
On 2nd April, Patrick Cockburn opined protesters in Syria wanted
reduction in the arbitrary power of the security forces and guarantees of
greater rights. He wrote: British-educated doctor was seen as a possible
reformer when he succeeded his father, President Hafez al-Assad on his
death in 2000. But the changes he introduced were largely cosmetic and
those who took advantage of the more liberal atmosphere to criticize the
regime later found themselves targeted.
The Syrian authorities have a long tradition of refusing to make
concessions and fighting back vigorously against all opponents. So far this
strategy has enabled them to withstand pressure from the US and Israel in
Lebanon and to crush domestic opposition movements, such as guerrilla war
by fundamentalists in the early 1980s and serious unrest among the Kurdish
community in 2004.
In trying to seize the initiative from the protesters the regime is
emphasizing Syrian nationalism and a plot against the unity of the country.
Breaking News: the conspiracy has failed! declared one banner waved by a
demonstrator at a vast rally in Damascus.
In addition there were the more traditional chants of God, Syria and
Bashar. In Deraa protesters changed this to a chant of God, Syria and
freedom. The government is also clamping down on the foreign media,
expelling three Reuters journalists. In all Arab countries affected by the prodemocracy protests governments have struggled to gain control of
information and modern communications.
Next day, Ahmad Nazir Warraich wrote: A number of political
commentators have expressed reservations about the use of military
force. They see risks and the chances of large-scale loss of life. They fear
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that the nations that participated in its implementation could be drawn into a
protracted military conflict that could expand into nearby countries.
There is also a concern that the military intervention might have the
unintended effect of exacerbating the current tensions on the ground and
causing more harm than good to the very same civilians we are committed
to protecting. It is also acknowledged that military action alone might
not be enough, as any long term solution would involve a political process.
In view of the tribal divide in Libya between the eastern and western half,
there is a fear that this conflict could eventually turn into a civil war and
divide the country on ethnic lines.
The imposition of the no-fly zone through force accompanied by a
targeting of Libyan military structures seems to be achieving the desired
effect. The onslaught of the Libyan forces has been stemmed in many
cases reversed. The morale of rebels has improved and if this continues
there are chances that gradually there would be renewed desertions from
Gaddafis ranks, which could constitute a tipping point in the war for control
of the country.
There are those who warn against complacency, arguing that this
could become a long drawn out struggle, with civilians suffering more.
Britain, France and the US are saying that Gaddafi should go immediately.
Others are not so clear. The success of the coalition lies in the success of the
rebel forces on ground. The opposition has launched a manifesto in London
on March 29 of the kind of Libya they would like to see after Gaddafi.
The meeting of the coalition in London on March 29 shows the
willingness to move to the next political steps in addition to the military
ones. However, the UNSC and the world wish to support the aspirations of
the Libyan people for democracy and freedom from an autocratic and nonrepresentative regime. Nobody, however, is promising that the transition
is going to be smooth.
On 4th April, Aijaz Zaka Syed commented: So it has come down to
this. After Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, Libya now finds itself in the line
of fire of the Coalition of the Willing. Of course, unlike Afghanistan and
Iraq, the West is not fighting Islamist terrorism in Libya nor is it on the
quest of the Holy Grail called Weapons of Mass Destruction. The mission
now is to save lives and take out the monster that just refuses to fade away
like the other friendly, neighbourhood dictators in Tunisia and Egypt.
He must hang on in there like a bad dream, an evil spell over Libya.
Those who thought Muammar Qaddafi would soon follow his fellow
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travelers into the sunset were clearly mistaken. The demented author of
the Green Book seems to sincerely believe hes Gods gift not just to the
people of Libya but to all of humankind. But then Col Qaddafi, distinctly
delusional that he is, isnt the only one to live in this make-believe world.
There are many out there who have persuaded themselves that their
leadership is crucial to the survival of their people and their departure would
bring on the end of the world. Such is the power of delusions of grandeur.
You tend to believe you are at the center of the universe. Those larger
than life statues, from Baghdad to Benghazi, are not the celebration of a
monstrous ego but the manifestation of a perennial insecurity of the
powerful. They have to constantly reassure themselves about their own
power.
Some of the biggest and most obscene tributes to human vanity are
found in Muslim lands. Islam came to banish all man-made idols and we
have replaced them with men who view themselves as divine. They
worship themselves and expect their people to do so. Qaddafi is not the only
one to believe in his immortality and his right to rule Libya forever. He must
kill his people, if need be as he has been doing all these years, to govern
them. There are others out there who have convinced themselves that if they
deprive their people of their noble leadership, they will all perish and go to
hell. After me the deluge!
He quoted examples of Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen and Bashar
Assad of Syria, who find excuses to step down, and then went on: Truth be
told, whether it is Libya or Syria or numerous other Arab republics, they
have all suppressed, abused and persecuted their people for decades or
the lifetime of a tyrant. In addition to perpetual abuse of power and allpervasive corruption, they all have one thing in common. Theyve all
repressed popular democratic movements that turn to Islam for guidance and
inspiration, rather than dance to the tunes of London and Washington. And
they have all done this with the blessings of Western champions of
democracy and freedom.
In Egypt, both Hasan al Banna, the legendary founder of the Muslim
Brotherhood, and his successor Sayyid Qutb were assassinated by the
powers that be, not to mention the thousands of its activists who were
incarcerated and tortured for years for believing in a better world. From
Gamal Nasser to Anwar Sadat to Hosni Mubarak, the most admired
grass-roots movement in the Arab world has remained banned and
suppressed for half a century.

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This is the same story all across the Arab world. From Egypt and
Yemen to Syria and from Algeria and Tunisia to Libya, the Islamists have
been hunted like animals for decades. In 1982, Syrian forces massacred
thousands in the city of Hama in a crackdown on Ikhwan. The memories of
Hama massacre are still fresh.
And who could forget how Algerias veteran revolutionaries dealt
with the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) when it swept the first ever multiparty democratic elections in 1991-92? The regime not just annulled the
historic vote and the verdict it threw up, it unleashed a reign of terror
against the Islamists for daring to take the democratic path to change.
Nearly 300,000 lives perished in the subsequent civil war whose wounds are
yet to heal.
History repeated itself when Hamas wrested power from the corrupt
and clueless elites of Fatah in 2006. The Palestinians are still paying the
price for this cardinal sin, locked away as they are in the largest prison on
the planet.
All this of course wouldnt have been possible without the active
support and cooperation of our Western masters. Even as they have
endlessly sung hosannas to the deity of democracy, they have aided and
abetted their ever obliging allies to crush and destroy those foolish enough to
believe in their rhetoric. Indeed, if the Middle East is still stuck with tyranny
in the 21st Century and men in khaki rule forever, you know who to thank
for.
So its rather touching to see Uncle Sam and his cohorts come
around cheering on the juggernaut of change that is on the march in the
Middle East. The folks who are still working with a racist and terrorist
regime to wipe out an entire nation in its own land have no shame in
pontificating about a peoples right to choose their destiny.
Those who have protected and pampered the Mubaraks and Ben
Alis all these years see no irony in coming forward to claim credit for
the tide that has turned the Arab world around. Talk of hunting with hares
and running with hounds! Some Western pundits even have the cheek to
thank the Cowboy Crusader, who gave us Afghanistan and Iraq and sent
more than a million people to their death, for the Arab revolt.
Is there no limit to Western hypocrisy and duplicity? Why do they
think they can fool all the people all the time? Dont they see the writing on
the wall? The tide has turned in the Middle East and Western powers will

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ignore it at their own peril. For those who have the courage to throw out
their corrupt despots are capable of confronting their masters too.
A whopping majority in the Muslim world has no sympathy for
Qaddafi whatsoever. They are waiting for his imminent fall and will
celebrate his exit and of others like him just as they rejoiced over the
departure of Ben Ali and Mubarak. But they arent going to welcome
Janus-faced friends of their tormentors either. So expect no roses in
Tripoli Mr Obama and Mr Sarkozy and Mr Cameron!
Iftikhar A Khan observed: Eight years after the Iraq invasion of
March 2003, the armed forces of the US, Britain and France launched an
attack on Libya. As usual, US-led military aggression against the oil-rich
Muslim state is as humanitarian as the ones intended to free the Iraqi people
from Saddam Hussein and to emancipate Afghan women from Taliban
oppression. Before the invasion of Libya, the envoys of five Arab countries,
Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar and the UAE, attended a meeting in Paris to
approve the use of military force in Libya. Qatar did one better, by sending
its air force jets to be part of the invasion. Regime-change through military
aggression is nothing new; weve been there before.
Whats new is that the first black president in the White House has
invaded Africa, the continent to which he traces his lineage. After Saddam
Hussein was sent to the gallows and replaced with Maliki in Iraq, after the
Taliban government was thrown out and one under Karzai was installed in
Afghanistan, Moammar Qaddafi is the candidate for change. And Mahmoud
Jebril is the likely new man to head the interim transitional government
in Libya. He has been in the US for many years and all that he now needs is
a Karzai-style green cloak to be in business.
Iftikhar mentioned how the legitimacy for the illegal action was
acquired through the UNSC and then added: But arent US-NATO double
standards starkly evident when we compare Western positions on Libya
and Bahrain? While the imperialist powers support the uprising in Libya,
they oppose the protests in the Persian Gulf emirate of Bahrain. Bahrain,
where Sunni emirs have ruled for more than two centuries, faces an uprising
mostly by the Shiites, who are 70 percent of the population. The hostility of
the protesters against the ruling elite is not directed so much against the
emir, however, as it is against his slimy uncle, Khalifa ibn Salman alKhalifa, who has ruled the city state as pri9me minister ever since it became
independent in 1971.

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Saudi Arabia has troops stationed in Bahrain, because it believes that

the uprising there is instigated by Iran, which is the only Muslim country in
the turbulent region where people are living with honour and dignity under
their selfless leadership. It appears that Muslim blood, cheap as it is, will
continue to be spilled, whether the population of the country in question
is Shiite or Sunnis, or even if the victims are liberal or agnostic, for that
matter.
Dr AQ Khan briefly described the history of the Crusades and the role
of Arab rulers in the ongoing phase of holy war against Muslims and then
concluded: Now coming to the crux of the matter, as mentioned earlier,
these curses are of our own doing. We have totally ignored Divine edicts.
Look at the rulers of Islamic countries; see their character, policies,
friendship with the Western World and their dependence on them, their
submissive attitude towards all injustice and brutality by their patron and,
above all, their patrons attitude towards Israeli atrocities against the
Palestinians and their biased policies towards anything that is Islamic. Still
the continue to consider the West to be their friends and protectors. It is all
inviting what the Almighty has warned us of disgrace and destruction.
Next day, Roedad Khan observed: Today the US is once again in an
expansionist mood, moved by the lure of oil in Libya and the notion of
Manifest Destiny to export democracy and Western civilization to the
Islamic World. Anyone can see what is happening in Libya. It is nothing
less than a war of colonial conquest fought for oil, dressed up as a crusade
for western life and liberty. Nobody believes that what compelled President
Obama to act so quickly was the immediate prospect of mass atrocities
against the people in Libya. Today the dominant view in the Islamic world is
that Americans are attacking Libya not to protect civilians, not to spread
democracy but to steal Libyas oil.
Once we thought this one-of-a-kind American president could do
great things. In his inaugural address he focused more on soft power and
told the Muslim world that he wants a new way forward, based on mutual
interest and mutual respect; all that seems to have changed. When millions
of young students gathered in Tahrir Square in Cairo, President Obama
jettisoned Americas ideals and placed himself on the wrong side of
history. He decided to side with the Pharaoh right to the very end. Many
questions come to mind: Why did Obama react so slowly to the democratic
revolution in Egypt? Why did he maintain support for Mubarak so long?
Why did he move more cautiously in the present crisis than did President
Reagan in moving away from Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines? Why
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was President Obama so slow to embrace the young protestors? Why

President Obama didnt come out more strongly and more quickly on the
side of the protestors? And last but not least, why is Obama not supporting
the democratic revolutions in Bahrain and Yemen and supporting despotic
rulers in these countries? Why doesnt he stop the use of brute force against
unarmed, innocent protestors in these two counties? Why has he turned a
blind eye to the monsters in Bahrain and Yemen and the atrocities they are
perpetrating? Why is he on the wrong side of history in Bahrain and
Yemen?
Two hundred years ago, America caught the imagination of the world
because of the ideals which it stood for. For decades the United States has
played a unique role in the world Today the United States is self-centred,
preoccupied only with itself, and subordinating everything else in the
world to an exaggerated sense of its insecurity.
America does not care for democracy in the Islamic world and has no
intentions of bringing about radical, political, social and economic changes
in the region. The American diplomat (late) Richard Holbrooke pondered
this problem on the eve of the September 1996 election in Bosnia. Suppose
the election was declared free and fair and those elected are racists, fascists,
separatists or religious zealots. That is the dilemma. Indeed it is, not just in
Bosnia, Algeria, Turkey or Pakistan but in the entire Islamic world. No
wonder, Obamas speech in Cairo about bringing democracy and freedom to
the Islamic world, has fallen on deaf ears and left people cold. It is now
abundantly clear that no country in the Islamic world will ever be allowed
by the United State to be truly democratic for one simple reason: were
free, fair and impartial elections, the essence of democracy, the inescapable
sine qua non, held tomorrow in the Islamic world, the resulting regimes
would almost certainly be anti-American, anti-Israel, and pro-Islamic. No
wonder, America didnt accept the result of a free, fair and impartial election
in Algeria.
Though it rejects imperial pretensions, America is perceived in
the world as peremptory, domineering and imperial. The war on terror is
used to topple weak regimes. History will hold America and its president
responsible for undoing one of its noblest dreams. What many friends of
America find hard to understand is how America, upholder of the Rights of
Man and the beacon of liberty, could be transformed so quickly into an
Imperial power. The world sees America as an aggressor acting in support of
the oppressors.

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Today the Islamic world is a prime target for America, the latest
imperial power, virtuoso in the art of smashing Islamic countries and
establishing its control over the remains... At relatively little risk and cost,
America can gain strategic advantages in the Islamic world and place
itself increasingly in position to control the worlds resources and life
lines. The aim is to gain control of the energy treasure house of the Middle
East and the Gulf.
Democracy, freedom of choice, rule of law and human rights, are
highly desirable American goals but their priority has obviously diminished
since September 11. Many in the Islamic World are wondering: why is
Obama pushing democracy only in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya? Why is he
advocating democracy only in authoritarian regimes that oppose America
and not in authoritarian regimes that are pro-America? Today American
policy towards the Islamic world, as described by Thomas Friedman,
renowned American columnist, is: to punish enemies with the threat of
democracy and reward its friends with silence on democratization.
On 6th April, Farrukh Saleem saw Saudi Arabia leading the counterrevolution. House of Saud is the biggest indigenous counterrevolutionary force in the Middle East. Other counter-revolutionary forces
in the area include House of Khalifa, the ruling family in Bahrain, House of
Al-Sabah, the ruling family in Kuwait, House of Al Said, the ruling dynasty
in Oman, House of Al Thani of Qatar, House of Al-Falasi the ruling dynasty
of Dubai, House of Al-Falahi of Abu Dhabi, the Qaddafi family, led by
Muammar Qaddafi and his seven sons and Bashar al-Assad of Syria.
House of Saud, fully backed by the military might of the United
States of America, has now become the biggest defender of status quo.
House of Khalifa has the 5th Fleet of United States Navy headquartered at
the Naval Support Activity Bahrain. House of Al Thani has CENTCOMs
forward HQ at Al Udeid Air Base with 8,029 US military personnel and the
House of Al-Sabah is host to 25,250 US troops. Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as
Suudiyah has been an absolute monarchy for 267 years. House of Khalifa,
migrating from Saudi Arabia in 1766, have ruled Bahrain for 245 years as a
constitutional monarchy.
House of Al-Sabah also migrated from Saudi Arabia and has ruled
Dawlat al Kuwayt for 259 years as a constitutional hereditary emirate. The
Ayatollahs of Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran, for the sake of their own strategic
interests, are becoming the biggest indigenous revolutionary force in the
Middle East. Here are two things about Iran: one; Iran is the largest
indigenous conventional military force in the region (under the US-Iraq
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Status of Forces of Agreement all US forces will be completely out of Iraq

by 31 December 2011. Two; 40 percent of the worlds seaborne oil
shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Back to the revolution. It all began in Tunisia on 17 December 2010.
Mohamed Bouazizis self-immolation turned the pre-existing individual
frustration into collective aggression. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali had to flee.
Middle Eastern Sheikhdoms have two things: barrels of oil and tons of
frustration. Individual frustration is now turning into collective aggression.
Initial protests are usually about reforms but longtime dictators take these
protests as a challenge to their authority. If and when non-violent, reform
demanding protests begin to produce martyrs protests have a history of
becoming violent-and demanding regime change.
Counter-revolutionary forces in Bahrain and elsewhere will try
bribery as well as violence to dilute revolutionary fervor. There will be
periods when counter-revolutionary forces will appear to be winning but
more often than not demonstrators will come back. There will be cycles of
protests, killing of demonstrators, funerals and more protests. Revolutions
more often than not pass through a series of nightmares before reaching
the dream.
Forget Libya because Bahrain is where the real storm is brewing.
Iran sees this as a historic opportunity to alter the balance of power in
the Persian Gulf. The US is goading the House of Saud to fight it out. King
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, at 87, is not well. Crown Prince Sultan bin AbdulAziz, at 83, is not well either (rumored to have colon cancer). Prince Nayef
bin Abdul-Aziz, the 78 year old hard-hitting, second-in-line to succession to
the throne, is overall in-charge. The real power-play is on. If and when Iran
gains an upper hand the US will negotiate with the Ayatollahs for a new
balance of power. The storm is fast approaching and once it does the Middle
East would be the same never again.
Next day, Rizwan Asghar observed that great phrases such as
humanitarian agenda and promoting democracy are being used just to
lend an air of dignity and to cloak their intervention with the veneer of
morality. The western leaders are trying to control the direction of Arab
uprisings ignoring the sentiments of the Arab masses. These policies,
driven by neo-imperialist strategic interests, are only aimed at seizing
control of key oil rich areas and belie all humanitarian claims. The
overwhelming majority of Libyans are asking: Americans have come to save
them from Gaddafis brutality but who will save them from the Americans?

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In Bahrain, protesters fighting for their freedom are being gunned

down by the ruling thugs. There are no sanctions or attacks to stop the
carnage. This cruel silence of the international community in the face of
gross human rights violations in Bahrain and Yemen is a classic case of
irony.
Robert Gates has recently stated that there are only three repressive
regimes in the whole Middle East: Iran, Syria and Libya. It is no surprise as
these countries have defied American dictates in the region and consistently
opposed Israels aggressive designs. It is more than ironic to see the
Obama Administration still unhesitatingly protecting and nurturing
autocratic regimes because their loss will cost the US its allies who are
strategically vital to its imperialist interests.
Today, the US has turned a blind eye to the intervention of Saudi
troops to snuff out freedom fighters in Bahrain but 21 years ago, NATO
troops had jumped into an all-out war against Iraq when Saddam Hussein
intervened in Kuwait on the invitation of local revolutionaries. This
presents a fascinating contrast of extremes. The US has refused to learn
lessons from the past 10 years. Military intervention can seem simple but is,
in fact, a complex affair with the potential for unintended consequences.
This is a highly unpalatable and frightening option pregnant with the
possibility of widespread chaos and prolonged social instability.
In an almost mindless way, the Obama Administration has committed
another profound and unnecessary mistake, an instance of what Joseph
Conrad called human folly, further igniting an ever-deepening hatred for
the US in the Muslim world. Using force to secure peace in Libya may
mark an initial move towards a faster route leading to a point that will
make future peace in the whole region impossible.
Mir Adnan Aziz briefly described the history of United States
concern for saving innocent civilians; a pretext being used for
perpetrating death and destruction in Libya. We dont do body counts,
Gen Tommy Franks, commander of the US Central Command, told reporters
at Bagram Airbase near Kabul in 2002. He led the invasions of both
Afghanistan and Iraq.
Nor did Curtis E LeMay (1906-1990) bother about body counts. In
1944-45, Gen LeMay reversed three decades of American airpower doctrine
with incendiary attacks on Japanese cities. These gruesome attacks raised
profound questions of morality and legality. LeMay retrofitted his planes
with napalm bombs, dropping them at night over Tokyo, then one of the
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most densely populated areas in the world. After Tokyo, 66 other cities
followed. They were bombed and set afire. In these 67 cities, 50 to 90
percent of the population was decimated.
Gen LeMay orchestrated the murder of millions of innocent people.
In just one three-hour sortie, his bombing force dropped 1,665 tons of
incendiary bombs on Tokyo. Afterwards, aircrews of the bomber stream
reported that the stench of burnt human flesh even permeated to the aircraft.
Unmoved by the devastating loss of innocent lives, he quipped heartlessly:
There are no innocent civilians.
Subsequently, his men dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. After the war Gen LeMay said: I suppose if I had lost the war, I
would have been tried as a war criminal. The war was won and what would
have been otherwise a war criminal, ended up with 37 medals and
decorations. He was also dubbed a hero and Father of the Strategic Air
Command.
Today, the United States pays $2,000 as compensation for the death
of an innocent Afghan. The US set up a Victim Compensation Fund for
Americans who perished in the Sept 11 attack. The average payment made to
the affected families was above $2 million. In this equation, mathematically,
the US regards the life of an American as equivalent to the lives of 150
Afghans; in reality the ratio is well over 1:1,000. Gen Stanley McChrystal,
commander in Afghanistan, reportedly admitted: Weve shot an amazing
number of people and killed a number, and, to my knowledge, none has
proven to have been a real threat to the force.
Der Spiegel and Rolling Stone have confirmed the atrocities wrought
on innocent Afghans. Both magazines have published extremely graphic and
disturbing pictures of American soldiers self-designated kill teams seen
posing with murdered Afghan civilians, one a 15-year-boy. Killing for
pleasure, these soldiers then kept fingers, bones, teeth and even skulls as
trophies. The Pentagon tried its best at a cover-up.
Gen David Petraeus, who took over from McChrystal, graduated high
school during the middle of the Vietnam War. To join the war he chose to go
to West Point. However, the war ended as he graduated. He is known to have
said: Aw shucks, the war is over and I was so looking forward to it.
After a US-led assault in the Ghaziabad district of Kunnar province,
which killed 65 civilians, including 40 children, Gen Petraeus made
particularly outrageous remarks at Hamid Karzais presidential palace,
which were reported on Feb 21 by Joshua Partlow of Washington Post
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Foreign Service. Some Afghans might have burned their own children to
exaggerate claims of civilian casualties, Gen Petraeus said. The general has
the war he longed for at West Point all those years ago.
At a joint White House press conference with his Afghan counterpart,
President Obama said: When there is a civilian casualty that is not just a
political problem for me. I am ultimately accountable, just as Gen
McChrystal is accountable. He went on to say: I take no pleasure in
hearing a report that a civilian has been killed; thats not why I ran for
president, thats not why Im Commander in Chief. Yet, during his tenure,
civilian deaths in Pakistan and Afghanistan have seen a 20-percent increase.
As a matter of record, in the run-up to his election, Mr Obama had
called the Afghan horror a good war. President Obama has agreed to the
trial of Khaled Sheikh Muhammad in a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay,
not in a civilian court as he had promised. For that matter, he had also
pledged to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.
The Iraqi occupation saw 1,033,000 Iraqis perish, with 1,556,156
wounded. Congenital disease and birth deformations will haunt generations
because of the ruthless use of depleted uranium munitions by the coalition
forces. In its Annual Report the United Nations Assistance Mission to
Afghanistan reported 8,832 civilian deaths, 2,777 in 2010 alone. Afghan
sources quote a far higher number of casualties. With the Commander-in
Chief and his generals admitting the murder of innocent civilians, will they
be held accountable for the crimes?
Afghans and Iraqis, as in our own case, have absolutely no recourse
to the legal process in civilian deaths. The US does not accept International
Criminal Court jurisdiction over its forces. Cases lodged in the courts of
victim countries are useless because of lack of US cooperation; and, as US
attorney general Eric Holder has said, cases against US military personnel
by foreign victims will not be allowed in US courts.
The United States has refused to apply the Geneva Conventions to its
prisoners of war. It has also refused to adhere to the UN Charter regulating
the use of force. The United States wars of aggression violate US and
international law. They are crimes against peace and humanity, outlawed by
the Geneva Convention, the UN Charter and various treaties against torture
and human rights abuses. They are also war crimes, and in a more just world
order those who initiated and abetted them would have been tried as war
criminals. The Nuremberg Tribunal declared: To initiate a war of aggression
is the supreme international crime.
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Unaccountability powers the roving American war machine, with

Libya in the crosshairs now. These wars, from their fabricated inceptions to
their execution in greed and arrogance, are war crimes of unfathomable
proportions. Had Hitler prevailed or Stalin lived longer, what could have
been different? As Gen Curtis LeMay conceded, the difference between a
war hero and a war criminal is who wins the war.
On 9th April, Zafar Hilaly commented on the situation in Yemen. Of
all the Arab uprisings the one in Yemen will be the most complicated
and difficult to resolve. Just about every factor is involved. Its part tribal,
religious/sectarian, political, economic, military and generational. The revolt
is not exclusively about democracy even though it does involve a yearning
for freedom. Of course, the selfishness of one man, his family and the fact
the goodies the state has to offer only benefit his coterie offends many. But
whether under the Ottomans, imams or presidents it has always been like
that in Yemen, the land of incense, myrrh and spices. The spices came from
Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and India to which the sea faring Yemenis had
discovered a passage much before Vasco de Gama. But, wanting to keep it a
secret, they claimed the provenance of these much sought after items was
Yemen itself.
Developments in Yemen, the dark hole of Arabia, have seldom
bothered the outside world. Yemen is a backwater state; it has no oil or at
least none that is left; very little money to buy anything; and absolutely
nothing of value to export. In many respects Yemen is like what
Afghanistan used to be, so far off the beaten track, so inhospitable the
terrain and so fractious a people that in times of peace nobody really
bothered about what happened there. But just as Afghanistan when in
ferment aroused concern in the capitals of empires so does instability in
Yemen in the Arab world. And just as Afghanistan is the gateway to the sub
continent so is Yemen to Saudi Arabia through its soft underbelly in the
south.
No wonder then turbulence in Yemen has the senior most geriatrics of
the ruling Saudi family Abdullah, Sultan and Naif riveted and
apprehensive. Yemen is their backyard. Collectively and individually they
are deeply concerned by what is happening. Each has his own favourites
among Yemens leaders and tribes; and each also has his own opinion of
how to deal with Yemen, and these differ considerably. Naif and Sultan, for
example, have little time for Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. King
Abdullah, on the other hand, has a good working relationship with him. But

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what all find insufferable is the endemic hostility of the ordinary Yemeni
and his traditional contempt for Saudis.
Yemenis look down on their Saudi neighbours and their
unsophisticated desert culture. They believe Yemen is the cradle of Arab
civilization and the birthplace of the Arabic language. They proudly claim
Yemen to be the first country to convert to Islam and allude to a mosque in
Sana whose construction Hazrat Ali reportedly supervised. Hence, they have
little time for Saudi pretensions about being the font of Islam.
To complicate the situation they consider their neighbours effete,
lazy, even cowardly and insufferably conceited. The al Houthi tribe of the
(Shia) Zaidi sect have incessantly raided Saudi territories. Their links with
the Shias in the southern Saudi provinces of Najran and Jizan are strong and
were they to emerge more powerful as a result of the current unrest in
Yemen this would embolden the Shia in Saudi Arabias oil rich Eastern
Province bordering Bahrain to step up their agitation against Riyadh, backed
possibly by Iran. Such a scenario deeply worries the Saudis as it would
threaten Saudi Arabia and provide the use of Yemen as a base for
staging attacks on the Kingdom. To make matters worse, armour and
sophisticated Saudi weaponry is useless in the mountainous terrain of north
Yemen where the al Houthis, like the Taliban, are masters of mountainous
guerrilla warfare.
Needless to say, not all tribes which are members of the Hasid and
Bakil confederation of tribes of north Yemen feel the same. The influential al
Ahmer clan of the Hashid tribe is staunchly pro Saudi. However, most other
clans and tribes, especially those of south Yemen, are at best indifferent;
and it is only a small step from indifference to outright hostility.
Latest reports suggest Saleh, seeing the writing on the wall, is
prepared to quit. Washington has belatedly come to the same conclusion and
has conveyed to Saleh that he is no longer a part of a solution. The two
Saudi princes and the king also seem to have finally concluded Salehs ship
wrecked presidency is beyond salvaging. But all of them and especially the
Americans are understandably apprehensive as to what will happen and
who will follow him.
Saleh wants to be succeeded by his vice president who is a nonentity
and an acolyte, but to the protestors anyone associated with the Saleh regime
is unacceptable. Jihadists, Islamists and conservative tribesmen, who
prevailed in the civil war against Marxist south Yemen, feel power should
rightly devolve on them and specifically Salehs brother-in-law, Mohsen al
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Ahmar, under whose command they fought and who has deserted Saleh.
However, according to one American sponsored publication, the US feels
otherwise. It lays the blame for the largely unsuccessful US backed
counter terrorist campaign against al Qaeda in Yemen on their inclusion in
the security apparatus.
Hamid al Ahmar, a Saudi backed candidate from the influential al
Ahmer clan has trumpeted his Saudi connections and proffered it as a reason
to succeed Saleh. But he is hardly the ideal successor being considered too
much of a Saudi pawn; nor does he speak for the other tribes.
As confabulations continue paranoia about al Qaeda rushing in to
fill the vacuum in Yemen deepens in Washington. The International
Herald Tribune reports that the anti al Qaeda operations have ground to a
halt in the wake of the political tumult. It also quotes a US expert on Yemen
as saying the narrow focus on combating al Qaeda through military
operations overseen by the Saleh family has had the disadvantage of tying
the US counter terrorism effort to one family.
Speculation abounds that Yemen will again break up following
Salehs departure. Southerners gained nothing from unity and memories
subsist of the bitter civil war in which they were defeated by the north. A
fairly strong southern secessionist movement is gaining traction. The
more educated and secular Marxist south have little respect for their
unsophisticated northern tribal brethren.
The stakes are high for the Saudis and the Americans and with all
the fluidity still in the Middle East, the Yemeni situation acquires acute
importance, not least because of the al Qaeda aspect and Yemens strategic
location in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden which puts it in close proximity to
the Suez Canal, the Horn of Africa and also underscores Yemens strategic
importance in the wider Indian Ocean context.
Why does the fast changing scenario in Yemen affect Pakistan?
Because of the possibility our Saudi nexus will be exploited by Riyadh to
summon our help if the tumult in Yemen leads to a war in which Saudi
Arabia feels it must intervene. Defending Saudi Arabia against unprovoked
aggression is one thing and perhaps even an honourable step, but helping the
Kingdom to assert control over the territory of a neighbouring state is quite
another. In the past our forces stationed in Saudi Arabia came close to being
asked to play such a role, today it must surely be out of the question both for
external and internal reasons.

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REVIEW
The experience of nine-year post-9/11 Crusades taught a lesson to the
US and its European allies that they dont have to depend any longer entirely
on military dictators and monarchs to act as their stooges in the Islamic
World. The experiments in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan proved that under
the cloak of democracy elected rulers can deliver more efficiently in
service of their foreign masters.
Karzai, Maliki and Zardari are living examples of that. They are far
more compliant than military dictators or monarchs. Their acts also enjoy
legitimacy because as elected representatives they seem to be acting on
behalf of their people; whereas the non-elected rulers are often portrayed
acting against wishes of the masses.
Therefore, democratic rulers installed through controlled
dispensation of democracy are considered perfect tools for serving the
interests of foreign masters. They symbolize government of the people, by
the people, but for the United States.
In view of this experience the Crusaders secured a UNSC Resolution
1973 to protect innocent lives by taking all possible measures, though they
had been harping all along about clamping of no-fly zone over Libya. After
crippling the air defence system in initial air strikes spread over not more
than a day or two, imposition of no-fly zone did not require more than
aggressive air patrolling.
But, the attacks on other targets continued without break, which
showed no-fly zone was not the aim. The intention was to provide close air
support to the rebels so that they could liberate Libya for the Crusaders or
at least its oil-rich eastern part and thus fresh boundaries could be drawn.
The Crusaders, however, soon realized that the mission to topple
Gaddafi was not likely to be accomplished in timeframe visualized at the
beginning of military action after passage of UNSC Resolution. London
meeting indicated that they now expected the military action to last for
weeks or even months.
The operation, which was launched with the mandate of establishing
no-fly zone to save innocent civilians, paid special focus on Libyan tanks
and guns. It was not because the Crusaders were apprehending that these
machines could fly, but to facilitate success of the rebels.
However, with continuous close air support the rebels could only
achieve a stalemate, but in doing that they had secured eastern Libya. The
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Crusaders assessed that in their present combat preparedness the rebels were
incapable of capturing remaining western half. It was also apprehended that
they could lose what they had gained so far.
The situation warranted that rebels be trained, equipped and organized
for which a period of respite was essential. This led to the idea of ceasefire
and an Arab was appointed as UN Special Representative to negotiate that.
In addition to the appointment of Jordanian diplomat as negotiator the
Western media hyped the importance of ceasefire for protection of civilians.
First air and missile attacks were launched to protect civilians and
now ceasefire was being sought to achieve the same. The fact is that the
sinister intention behind the ceasefire remained unstated; Libya has been
practically divided into two and that has to be consolidated.
Once that is done, it would act as a stepping stone for permanent
division of Libya, in case rebels fail to liberate entire country. The humane
touch synonymous to the word ceasefire could also be used as pretext to
start ground intervention to stop Gaddafis brutalities. This possibility had
already been catered for in UNSC Resolution which permits all possible
actions to save civilians.
Since blowing of Saharan Storm, all the humane feelings have been
reserved for Libyans. The bloodshed in the country located in the southwest,
Ivory Coast, was almost ignored as no desire to save human lives in that
country was shown. Perhaps, what Libya has is considered more precious
than the Ivory.
In the context of neighbouring Egypt, the Western media as a preemptive measure has launched concerted campaign to maintain the
demonized image of Muslim Brotherhood. The civilized world continuously
reminded the military rulers in Cairo about the threats this party could pose
to its values.
Elsewhere, strong counter-revolutionary measures were adopted to
preserve the rule of Sunni minority in Bahrain with the help of neighbouring
Arab states and on the nod of the Crusaders. The case of Saleh of Yemen
was pending for want of a suitable substitute. Assad of Syria will be sorted
out once Gaddafi has been removed from the scene.
The rulers in Islamic World, barring few exceptions, are in connivance
with the Crusaders in all that has been happening. Because, they do not
represent their people and instead are employees of their foreign masters and
posted as security guards in various countries to protect the interests of their
employers. Their duty is to extinguish any spark that is observed in the
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Ummah, which according to Allama has been rendered into rakh ka dhair
(heap of ashes) by their forefathers.
9th April 2011

BACK TO BUSINESS
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The noise over release of Raymond Davis and killings of innocent

civilians in drone attacks died down rapidly, though not so surprisingly.
Those who arranged release of Davis got down to the business as usual
related to war on terror conducted under direction of the Crusaders.
The American masters of the regime in Pakistan wasted no time in
thanks-giving formalities and had got down to business the very next day of
the release of Davis. Towards the end of the period under review the Obama
Administration declared that Pakistan has no strategy and no plans to fight
the war to defeat terrorism.
How right the masters were! The very goodwill gesture of
Raymonds release was a proof that rulers had no will or spine to effectively
deal with terrorists. The fact remains that stooges never have their own
plans; they only act on commands of their masters.
Other events related to business as usual were the start of operation in
Mohmand Agency which coincided with the visit of General Mattis and
resentment over civilian casualties across the Durand Line. There were also
some unusual happenings, i.e. refusal of tribesmen of Waziristan to accept
first ever blood money offered by the government for drone attacks; violent
protests against desecration of Holy Quran in Mazar-e-Sharif and semi-final
of Cricket World Cup between Indian and Pakistani teams.

NEWS
In Pakistan, four persons were killed in rocket attack in Kurram
Agency on 27th March, two were shot dead and four kidnapped in separate
incidents. Grossman regretted civilian casualties without specifically
referring to Dattakhel drone attack. US diplomats denied reports that
General Petraeus neither apologized nor gave any explanation to General
Kayani over the drone attack
Founder of Lashkar-e-Islam was arrested in Bara. JI held a rally in
Islamabad to protest desecration of Quran, release of Raymond and drone
attacks. Rana Sana said those who received blood money are present in
Rawalpindi and he denied Punjab governments role in Raymonds release.
Next day, fourteen soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed
in an ambush in Akakhel area of Khyber Agency. Three militants were killed
in Swat when they tried to escape. Two NATO oil tankers were set on fire
near Khuzdar.

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Senate passed a resolution seeking US and UN action against Terry

Jones. Senator Ishaq Dar criticized Interior Ministry for the language used in
the letter to the Interpol on the issue of desecration of Holy Quran. The
language was too soft and Terry was elevated from pastor to reverend. He
called the man who drafted the letter an idiot.
During hearing of the petition for recovery of heirs of Faizan and
Faheem LHC was informed by home secretary of Punjab in writing that deal
for release of Davis was struck by federal government and provincial
government knows nothing. Counsel of the petitioner pointed out that Rana
Sana had said that the heirs were living in Rawalpindi and he should be
summoned. The court, however, directed deputy attorney general to get reply
from federal government in writing.
Shahbaz said he would resign if found linked to release of Raymond,
directly or indirectly. A simple point could not sink into his mind; he would
be guilty if he was not involved in the incident in any way. Wajih said
release of Davis was not simple matter; Centre, Punjab and agencies were
involved and even the judiciary kept mum, which was quite painful for the
people of Pakistan.
On 29th March, Justice Javed heading the bench hearing missing
persons case said no one has right to confine anyone without legal
justification. He took notice of governments silence over burnt bodies being
recovered in FATA, Swat and Balochistan. The court asked IGPs to submit
reports on missing persons in two weeks.
Punjab Assembly once again turned into fish market when PPP MPAs
were not allowed by the Speaker to speak on Shahbazs statement on Davis
in which he had blamed the federal government. PPP MPAs said Chief
Minister had tried to blame Zardari for a deal that was struck between
Raymond and Raiwind.
Next day, security forces camp was subjected to rocket attack near
Miranshah. Militants blew up two electricity pylons in FR Kohat region. Ten
people were killed and 12 wounded when a motorcycle suicide bomber
targeted a reception procession of Fazlur Rehman at Swabi inter-change.
JUI-F alleged agencies were behind the attack Fazl termed US a terrorist
state. Al-Qaeda operative, Umar Patek of Indonesia and wanted in Bali
bombing, was arrested by ISI in Pakistan, reported Mariana Baabar.
On 31st March, the heirs of victims of March 17 drone attack rejected
the first ever compensation offered by the government. Eight militants were
killed in shelling by security forces in Kurram Agency. Thirteen people were
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killed and 29 wounded in suicide attack on JUI-F gathering in Charsadda;

this was second attack on consecutive day. JUI-F said Raymond network
was behind attacks on Maulana and the representative of Pakistani forces
behind that network, Rehman Malik ordered probe into attacks. One person
was killed and another wounded in firing at NATO oil tanker in Wadh, near
Khuzdar.
Next day, one person was killed and ten wounded in bomb blast in
Darra Adamkhel. One tribal elder was wounded in remote-controlled bomb
blast in Bajaur Agency. Strike was observed in all major cities over suicide
attacks on JUI-F processions; Raymonds network was blamed.
LHC gave ten days for the recovery of heirs of Faizan and Faheem.
Akram, brother of one of the two youths killed by Raymond, said that
settlement through diyat was opted in the interest of the country, i.e. to save
Pakistan from a Libya-like fate; and everybody knew when it was being
done.
On 2nd April, five security personnel were wounded when a blast
targeted their vehicle in Bara area. Six militants were killed in factional
fighting in Zakakhel. Akram, brother of one of the two youth murdered by
Raymond, said none of the heirs of had negotiated the amount of blood
money with Raymond or Americans. The money was paid by the
government and after that they were told to disappear.
Next day, Shahbaz vowed to lead long march if drone attacks were not
stopped. Two soldiers and ten militants were killed in clash in Darra
Adamkhel. Seven militants were killed in a clash between Zakakhel tribe
and Mangal Bagh in Tirah Valley. At least 46 people were killed and about
hundred wounded in three bomb blast in Sakhi Sarwar shrine near DG Khan.
One militant was arrested and Taliban accepted responsibility.
On 4th April, seven people were killed and 13 wounded in suicide car
bombing at Monda bus-stop, Lower Dir; 18 vehicles were also destroyed.
Two lashkar commanders of Bajaur were among those killed. Three
militants were held as they were going to Lahore to launch terror attack.
Next day, two militants were killed in a factional clash in Kurram
Agency. Five people were killed and eight wounded in bomb blast in Tirah
Valley. Death toll in DG Khan blasts rose to 56. LHC released Saud Aziz
and Khurram Shahzad on bail in Benazirs murder case. Rashid and Imran
said Centre, Punjab, Army, Judiciary and ISI were on board for release of
Davis.

363

British Prime Minister Cameron arrived in Islamabad on one-day visit

for strategic dialogue; a year back he had cross-border chat from New
Delhi. Both sides agreed to enhance intelligence sharing on terror in addition
to boosting partnership in defence, security, education, health and trade. To a
question related to extradition of Musharraf Cameron said if the government
is really interested it should adopt proper procedure.
On 6th April, tribesmen demanded action against violators of peace
deal in Kurram Agency. Four children were killed in accidental blast of an
abandoned hand grenade in Kohat. Four members of a family were killed in
air strike by PAF jetfighters in Mohmand Agency. The residents started
shifting to safer places with the initiation of new operation in the agency.
The US offered $5 million for information on Ilyas Kashmiri.
Next day, in yet another operation that began with PAF air strikes in
Mohmand Agency led to fierce fighting on ground in Baizai subdivision of
the Agency. The militants attacked the troops advancing towards the area
and gunship helicopters took part in the ensuing fighting; 18 militants and
four soldiers were killed and eight soldiers were also` wounded.
Foreign Office spokesperson rejected US assessment report which
alleged that Pakistan has no strategy/plans for fighting against terrorism. She
said Pakistan should not be held accountable for the failings of coalition
strategy in Afghanistan. However, General Mattis met General Kayani in
Rawalpindi and termed Pakistan Armys role against militancy
unquestionable.
On 8th April, three people were killed in North Waziristan by militants
for spying for Americans. Four militants were killed and two held in Orakzai
Agency. SHO and a constable were wounded in a bomb blast in Peshawar.
Seven militants were killed in Khyber Agency. PAF jetfighters and gunship
helicopters killed 30 militants in Mohmand Agency; five children were
wounded when shells landed at their houses.
Another militant linked to Faisalabad bombings was arrested. Militant
apprehended in DG Khan disclosed that four hundred suicide bombers were
being trained in North Waziristan. Corps commanders were briefed about
operations in FATA and forthcoming visit of DG ISI to the US. COAS
expressed satisfaction over operations.
Next day, six people were kidnapped in Kurram Agency. Four
militants were killed in Orakzai Agency. Dissident commander of LI and his
son were shot dead in Bara. Three policemen were wounded in attack on a
post in Mardan. Four militants were held in Karachi.
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US official said Pakistan was trying to curb CIA activities which

might imperil aid to Pakistan. ATC hearing Benazirs murder case took
serious note of non-compliance of its orders regarding producing Musharraf
before it. The judges directed that government should send proper
application to British government.
In Afghanistan, several civilians were killed in air strike in which
two vehicles were hit in Helmand on 27 th March. Forty job-seekers were
abducted in Asadabad area. Spokesman of Mulla Omar, Zabihuulah said
those who attack and destroy schools, mosques and hospitals are not Taliban
but agents of enemies of the country. Taliban consider education key to
success her and hereafter.
Next day, 24 people were killed when a suicide truck bomber drove
into construction yard in Khost. On 1 st April, rally was held in Mazar-eSharif to protest desecration of Holy Quran and angry protesters attacked
fortified UN compound and at least eight foreigners and five protesters were
among 20 people killed. Protest was also held outside US Embassy in Kabul.
US magazine published photographs of US troops indulging in killing
innocent Afghan civilians in southern Afghanistan. The magazine claimed
having more pictures and US Administration putting pressure to stop
publication. The US admiral, William Blake tried to play it down saying that
the aggrieved families were condoled withy, compensations were paid and
Karzai was informed; the matter should be treated as closed.
On 2nd April, ten people were killed when police fired at rally held in
Kandahar against desecration of Holy Quran. Terry Jones said Islam, not his
act of desecration, was responsible for killings in Afghanistan. Obama
strongly condemned the killing of UN employees. NATO base was attacked
near Kabul; three attackers were killed. Next day, three persons was killed
and 30 wounded on second day of protests in Kandahar against desecration
of Holy Quran.
On 4th April, an Afghan soldier of border security force shot dead two
foreign soldiers on training mission. Protests against desecration of Holy
Quran were held in Jalalabad. Next day, NATO forces killed six Afghan
civilians in Mazar-i-Sharif area. Seven Pakistanis were among 11 held in
Helmand Province. On 6th April, a convoy on occupation forces crushed two
civilians near Kabul and shot dead the third when residents pelted stones at
convoy.

365

Next day, six security men were killed in an attack at police center
near Kandahar. NATO troops hunted down and shot dead Afghan policeman
who had killed two American soldiers. Taliban admitted that their 24 fighters
were killed and 13 wounded in recent military operation in Kunar Province.
Protests were held in Kabul against desecration of Holy Quran. On 9 th April,
ten soldiers were wounded in suicide bombing at their bus in out skirts of
Kabul. Probe confirmed that NATO forces killed five civilians in the north.
On 27th March, Zardari pardoned Gopal Das, an Indian in Pakistani
jail, on recommendation of Supreme Court of India. Next day, interior
secretary level positive talks were held in New Delhi. Cabinet approved
visit of Gilani to Mohali to witness cricket match; fifty people, including
some ministers would accompany him. Rehman Malik said players were
watched closely over match-fixing; Imran Khan said Malik needed to be
watched more closely than the team.
On 29th March, two-day interior secretary level Indo-Pak talks end
with agreement to set up hotline on terror as if existing lines were too cold.
Next day, Gilani with fifty members of his entourage went to witness cricket
match in Mohali and after Pakistani team lost India he said victory and
defeat are immaterial as compared to bringing the two nations together. The
US welcomed the coming closer of the two nations.
On 31st March, driver of Pakistani diplomat was arrested in
Chandigarh. Reportedly, senior diplomats of India and Pakistan exchanged
hot words in Mohali; only a few yards away from the two prime ministers.
On 7th April, Indian spy Gopal Das was released after Zardari pardoned his
remaining sentence; one has to have criminal record to deserve mercy of a
scoundrel. Indian intelligence agencies reportedly got Chhota Dawood killed
in Karachi by outsourcing the fight against terror. He was close aid of
Dawood Ibrahim. Next day, a prominent Muslim cleric was killed in a bomb
blast outside a mosque in Srinagar.
In Balochistan, gas pipeline was blown up in Dera Bugti area on 27 th
March. Four days later, three persons were killed in landmine blast in
Loralai area; three security guards were killed in bomb blast in Tump and
three more perished in other incidents of violence. On 1st April, blast and
firing at Quetta Express derailed four bogies and injured the driver.
Next day, two persons were killed and three wounded in bomb blast
near Kohlu. Four dead bodies were found near Dera Bugti. The government
decided not to disclose names of 57 missing persons on the request of
intelligence agencies. On 5th April, Chief Justice said parties to Reko Diq
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agreement have serious reservations. Nest day, the Chief Justice remarked
that Reko Diq is more important than 18th Amendment and NRO.
On 7th April, one person was killed and seven wounded in suicide car
bombing at the residence of DIG Investigation in Quetta. The Supreme
Court questioned making of new rules to help companies exploring in Reko
Diq area. The court was told that BHP had sold exploration licence for $100.
Next day, one person was killed and 17 wounded in bomb blast in Panjgur.

VIEWS
In the context of Pakistan, on 28th March, Asif Ezdi observed: The
press release issued by the foreign ministry on March 18 on the strong
protest made by the foreign secretary with the US ambassador at the
massacre of civilians in drone attacks a day earlier is remarkable for
several reasons.
First, it starts by saying that the protest was made under the prime
ministers orders and concludes that this was not a pro forma demarche. The
clarification that the protest was not a formality was probably considered
necessary, in view of Gilanis advice to the US ambassador in August 2008
to ignore Pakistans public protests at drone attacks and Zardaris assurance
to the CIA director in November 2008 that, though it might worry the
Americans, collateral damage did not worry him.
Second, only a week earlier, the general who commands the armys
Seventh Division in North Waziristan had defended the drone attacks in a
rare briefing given at Miran Shah to Pakistani journalists. He asked them not
to believe myths and rumours about the strikes. The reality, he said, was
that many of those killed in these strikes were hardcore elements and that a
sizable number of them were foreigners.
Third, the foreign secretary told the US ambassador that it was for
the White House and the State Department to hold back those who have
been trying to veer Pakistan-US relationship away from the track. The
implication that there are some in the US (the CIA?) who are working at
odds with the administrations policy towards Pakistan is quite bizarre.
Could it be that this part of the press release was added at the wish of the
ISI, which is still smarting at having been outwitted by the CIA in the Davis
affair in the eyes of the Pakistani public? Contrary to claims made by the
ISI, US officials have said quite categorically that there was absolutely no

367

quid pro quo from their side for Daviss release and that there will be no
curtailment of the CIA personnel or activities in Pakistan.
Fourth, the foreign ministrys statement pleads that Pakistan should
not be taken for granted, nor treated as a client state. This pious wish,
needless to say, is not going to be fulfilled as long as our leaders continue to
act as though Pakistan were a US dependency.
Fifth, the foreign ministry called for revisiting the fundamentals of
(Pakistan-US) relations. Here the ministry is right or half-right because
the US has already carried out a reassessment of its policy towards Pakistan
in the wake of geopolitical changes of the last two decades. It is Pakistan
that has not carried out this review. It is high time it did so. And not just
because of the drone attack in Datta Khel. In fact, Marc Grossman suggested
as much in a roundtable with Pakistani journalists on March 7 when he let
slip an elementary truth for Pakistani policymakers to chew over. USPakistan relationship must be based on mutual interest, said the US special
representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, the challenge is to find that
mutual interest.
It is not an easy task, because Pakistans place in the US policy
calculus has been slipping while the importance of India has grown as a
result of geopolitical developments in recent years Our present
government, like the Musharraf regime before it, has chosen to disregard or
play down the full impact on Pakistans security of the US policy of making
India a global power. Instead, our leaders have been mainly focused on
getting Washingtons backing to prolong their unpopular rule. The
government might occasionally make loud noises at American actions, as it
did over the Kerry-Lugar Bill and the Raymond Davis case, but that is only
to soothe domestic public opinion, and the Americans know it.
It is therefore little wonder that Washington ignores Pakistans
protests. Our condemnation of the drone attack on Datta Khel, the decision
not to attend a trilateral meeting with Afghanistan and the US and the call
for a review of bilateral relations have been treated in Washington as another
storm in a teacup that Pakistani leaders occasionally have to kick up for
reasons of domestic politics. American officials have indicated that, despite
all the commotion, they expect business to continue as usual. Zardaris visit
to Washington, earlier planned for April, is being rescheduled and
preparations are in hand for the next round of the strategic dialogue to be
held shortly in Islamabad.

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Pakistan will continue to be taken for granted, as the foreign ministry

complained it is being, as long as our leaders remain in the supplicants
mode that they are so comfortable with. After Shah Mahmood Quraishi was
sacked last month, he spoke passionately about holding our head high in our
dealings with the US. But this thought does not seem to have occurred to
him while he was in office.
He too went through the charade of a strategic dialogue in which
the US even refuses to include what should be the most important strategic
issue Pakistans access to civilian nuclear technology on the bilateral
agenda. If we are serious about this matter, we should refuse to schedule the
next round of this dialogue unless this question is seriously discussed.
Besides, we should tell Washington that unless Pakistan is assured of parity
of treatment with India in nuclear matters, Pakistans logistic and
intelligence support to the US war in Afghanistan should not be taken for
granted.
Next day, The News commented on recent incidents of militancy in
Kurram Agency. The location of Kurram on the Pak-Afghan border, with
inlets jutting into Afghan territory makes the agency strategically significant
for militants engaged in fighting state forces. There is a reason to suspect
they wish to ensure Kurram remains in a state of anarchy this would make
it possible for them to use it as a point to cross without check into
Afghanistan, and make it harder to capture the militants who have reduced
the tribal belt to a war zone within which no one is safe.
Rahimullah Yusufzai wrote: Now that the president and the army
chief have for the first time offered condolence to the families of those killed
in North Waziristan and the dead and the injured are being compensated,
isnt it time to formulate a proper policy on the subject. The government
needs to come clean on US drone attacks because the issue wont go away.
The attacks could resume and there would be civilian casualties also.
Militants too would get killed in these attacks and some of them would be on
Pakistans own hit-list. Pakistan wants the US to transfer the drone
technology to it and this means it acknowledges the efficacy of the drones.
However, Pakistans military wants to use the drones itself instead of the US.
As things stand, one cannot expect any major change in Pakistans policy on
the drone attacks. It seems civilian deaths would be condoled and
compensated, but no effort would be made to stop US drone strikes.
On 30th March, Mir Adnan Aziz wrote: The present dispensation
religiously follows Musharrafs foot-prints in letter and spirit. For our
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consumption, civilian set-ups blame dictators, khakis criticize humbling

civilian leaderships. Pakistan has been abysmally let down by both.
The leaders express fury and sorrow at the death and destruction
wrought by the drone attacks, terming them as unacceptable. No
condemnation could be more superficial. After the recent deadly attack that
left 41 innocent people dead, Ambassador Munter was told that Pakistan
should not be taken for granted nor treated as a client state. No
scriptwriter, not even Nasir Adeeb of Maula Jat fame, could have
penned a more fallacious line.
The world sees us as a nuclear power unable to defend the sanctity of
its holders, a state that does not extend a dimes worth to its citizens lives,
whereas rulers are seen as having absolutely no control over their passions.
The daily mayhem in Karachi, FATA and elsewhere, contractors and spooks
galore, compared to the brimming coffers and smug smiles of a few are a
stark testament to this harsh dichotomy. The battle of Waterloo was won at
the play fields of Eton is a quote attributed to the Duke of Willington. A
cricket win may be a heart-warming temporary respite but the battle
for Pakistan cannot be won at the playing fields of Mohali or Mumbai.
We as individuals have our way, for a national cause we seek refuge
in the false premise that we are helpless to alter our suicidal course. When a
society attains this state of mind, self-destruction is not far away. History
teaches us that if a nation fails to control its own destiny, its fate is
decided by others.
Next day, The News commented: The Punjab government has told
the Lahore High Court that it was the central government that brokered the
deal and that the Punjab government knows nothing about the whereabouts
of the relatives of Faizan and Fahim, the two young men killed in Lahore by
Davis. Their families have been missing since the killer was freed, and
the court was hearing a habeas corpus petition in which the fear was
expressed they have been kidnapped given that they were carrying a large
amount in blood money.
The sense of mystery has been heightened since the court was told
that Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah informed the media that the
families of the two victims are living in Rawalpindi and keeping a low
profile. The LHC asked for further details to be sought regarding the law
ministers comments and other details he may be aware of. There were
rumours that one brother of each of the two deceased had been whisked
away to the US with Davis. There has been a denial of this from official
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quarters. A lot of this is immaterial now that Davis is back home. But, the
question of his diplomatic immunity ligers on. It is likely we will never
know the whole truth.
On 1st April, The News commented: National and provincial leaders
have condemned the strike. Investigations are underway and the bomber at
Swabi has been identified as a teenager from the Khyber Agency. The
pattern is one we are familiar with. The JUI-F also suffered a terrorist attack
on a madressah in Pishin, in March 2009, in which five people died. But this
time around, there seems to be a far more urgent desire to remove
Rehman from the scene. It is impossible at this point to say why, or guess
when the next attack may come. Leaders like Rehman are all the more
vulnerable because they must meet people and mingle with them. We cannot
help but ask if this may be a case of monsters along the lines of Frankenstein
coming home to roost.
The JUI-F has been seen, over many years, as being close to the
Taliban; it has also been accused of helping to train militants. Perhaps, these
militants now blame it for refusing to make a complete break with the
government or perhaps the latest attack is a result of infighting between
the growing armies of splinter groups. Quite possibly the motive is totally
different. But whatever the truth is, these attacks serve to highlight the
increasingly dangerous situation faced as attempts continue to be made to
eliminate key leaders. Over the past few months, we have seen too many
deaths. The major political parties need to sit together to decide on strategy.
There is no other viable choice. The alternative is that the risk of other
associations will remain, adding to the instability and the threats we already
face, with things rapidly assuming ever more ominous proportions.
On 3rd April, Rahimullah Yusufzai observed: Kurram Agency is
once again suffering from violence perpetrated by the militants and an
old peace agreement revived in February 2011 to end almost four years of
conflict is under threat. The peace accord signed in Murree in 2008 has
acquired the status of a sacred document concerning the sectarian problem in
Kurram Agency, but the big challenge has always been ensuring its
implementation.
Though Sunni and Shia elders from Kurram Agency and members of
a wider and influential jirga from rest of the tribal areas on February 8 this
year overcame hurdles and mistrust to revive the peace agreement, those
against it have violated it so many times by now that the survival of the
accord has become a major concern not only for the conflict-weary
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inhabitants of the valley but also the government. Both civil and military
authorities had pushed for the revival of the Murree peace agreement and
were relieved that peace was returning to Kurram Agency after the
reopening of the main road passing through the valley and linking it with
other parts of the country.
Members of the Turi-Bangash tribes, who are Shias, are claiming that
there have been seven violations of the accord. There were attacks on
passenger and supply vehicles using the crucial road linking Parachinar in
upper Kurram valley to Sadda in lower Kurram and onward to Hangu and
Peshawar. Passengers have been killed, injured and kidnapped and vehicles
have been torched. According to one count, 20 people have been killed in
such attacks during the six weeks period after the conclusion of the
peace agreement.
The elders of the Turi tribe, which is 100 percent Shia, and the
Bangash tribe, who include both Shias and Sunnis, are demanding that the
military should play its role and provide protection to the Shia civilians
facing militants attacks. They are asking for tough action against the
militants so that the road is secured and people could use it without any fear.
The Shia elders have been accusing the government of failure to check
the activities of militants as they gained strength in lower and central
Kurram valley in recent years and became a threat to the peace of the area.
The Sunni elders who agreed to revive the peace accord appear
helpless before the Taliban militants. They cannot openly challenge the
militants, who are powerful and have assisted in some of the battles that
local Sunnis have fought with the Shias. The militants are ruthless and
would exact revenge from anyone opposing them.
Though Fazal Saeed Haqqani, the commander of the local Taliban
militants in Kurram Agency, had publicly backed the peace accord, the
attacks against Shia passengers using the Parachinar-Sadda-Hangu road
show that there are differences in the ranks of the militants over the decision
to support the agreement. However, the differences have not been specified.
Another likely reason is the lack of control by Fazal Saeed Haqqani
over the faction-ridden groups of militants. Most of the attacks are being
blamed on the militants belonging mostly to the adjoining North
Waziristan and some to South Waziristan, who are outsiders and not bound
by the decision of the Taliban from Kurram Agency to support the peace
accord. The normally aggressive Waziristani Taliban have also been blamed

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for subduing local militants and having their way in other trouble spots such
as Orakzai and Khyber tribal regions.
Before he became the head of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP),
Hakimullah Mahsud was commander of the Pakistani Taliban in
Orakzai, Kurram and Khyber agencies and controlling the activities of all
militants whether local or outsiders. His successors have maintained their
tight control over all sets of militants.
The Haqqani Network of the Afghan Taliban commander Sirajuddin
Haqqani, son of the former mujahideen leader Maulvi Jalaluddin Haqqani,
had also played a role in the revival of the peace accord in Kurram
Agency. According to sources in the Haqqani Network, they agreed to play a
mediation role on the request of Kurram Agency tribal and religious elders
including Shias and not for any strategic reasons. The Haqqani Network,
some of whose members have been operating out of North Waziristan, have
been mediating in local tribal and militant disputes and had played a crucial
role in a few peace agreements that the government concluded in the past
with the Pakistani Taliban in the two Waziristans.
The Haqqani Network would clearly be worried that their
influence over the Pakistani militants is waning. They would surely want
the Kurram Agency peace accord to succeed as they had a role in brokering
it. It would be the second instance in recent months that some of the
Pakistani Taliban are not listening to them. The first instance was the refusal
of Hakimullah Mahsud to a request by the Haqqanis to forgive former InterServices Intelligence (ISI) officer Colonel Imam, who was executed recently
and the videotape released to the media.
The Haqqanis or the other Afghan mujahideen groups have never
faced any real problems from the Shia community in Kurram Agency
while crossing the Pak-Afghan border. The Haqqanis in particular have
operated freely on both sides of the Durand Line border and enjoyed friendly
relations with the frontier tribes. Most Kurram Agency Shias werent
opposed to the Afghan jehad against the Soviet occupying forces as groups
of Afghan Shias including those led by the late Abdul Ali Mazari, the present
Afghanistan vice-president Karim Khalili, Mohammad Mohaqiq and Ustad
Akbari were also part of the mujahideen and fighting the Soviet Red Army
troops and the Afghan communist regime in Kabul. However, the Shias of
Kurram Agency are against both Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, though they
wont want to become involved in any armed conflict with them.

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The revival of the peace accord was widely welcomed by members

of both sects, particularly the Shias who had suffered more due to the
violence and the closure of the Parachinar-Sadda-Hangu road. They had
to travel through Afghanistan and undertake a longer and risky journey to
reach Peshawar. Their fragile economy had also suffered and prices of
everything had increased in Parachinar and other Shia towns and villages.
This also offered an opportunity to anti-Pakistan elements in the Afghan
government to interfere in Kurram Agencys affairs. Some Sunnis living in
upper Kurram valley had also suffered due to the virtual blockade of the area
by the militants.
The political administration of Kurram Agency had arranged joint
Sunni-Shia peace meetings and Pashto mushairas, or poetry recitals, to
welcome and celebrate the peace accord. One such mushaira was held in the
lap of the snow-capped Spinghar mountain range at a time when spring was
beckoning and there was hope and joy in the air. Elders of both the sects
issued statements calling for religious unity and sectarian peace.
Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Asif Yasin Malik, head of the
military operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, and the new
provincial Governor Masood Kausar are under pressure to make the peace
accord work in Kurram Agency and ensure protection to people using the
Parachinar-Sadda-Hangu road. The corps commander had listed the
revival and implementation of the Murree peace accord as one of his
priorities while the governor has promised strict action against those
attacking civilians and endeavouring to foil the agreement. Their actions
would be watched in the coming weeks and months to find out if they really
mean business.
On 8th April, The News wrote: A new White House report, tabled
before Congress, suggests that Pakistan lacks a decisive game plan in the
war against militants and has struggled to consolidate its gains in the
tribal areas. The report, put before the US Congress twice a year, also notes
militant resistance, bad weather and the discovery of large caches of
explosives in the conflict zone have been factors holding back success. At
the same time, it makes it a point to mention the sacrifices made by those
combating the Taliban. While the report has, for obvious reasons, not
pleased Pakistan, it raises some extremely relevant points. While our
soldiers have made significant gains in most tribal areas, we can hold on to
them only through a strategy that includes efforts to win over people, offer
them compensation and help them rebuild lives. This is still missing in
almost all areas and disenchantment with officialdom allows the Taliban an
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opportunity to worm their way back into the hearts of people who
desperately seek peace and a chance to resume the livelihoods that are vital
to their survival.
In view of the report, which also discusses the state of the insurgency
in Afghanistan, and the clear evidence of a militant comeback in many areas,
perhaps the time has come to pull up chairs around a table and discuss
future tactics. The military and civilian leadership need to work together for
this. The militants have demonstrated that they can fight a long, hard battle.
We must think harder about how to defeat them and involve the civilian
setup in the effort so that jobs are created, ravaged towns rehabilitated and
an all-out effort made to regain full control over the war-torn areas.
Next day, The News commented: Sometimes, context is everything.
The context in which a report to the US Congress is critical of the role that
we play in fighting extremism is that of a superpower with its back
effectively against the wall in Afghanistan. It is not possible to separate
ourselves and Afghanistan when considering the fight we now fight within
our own borders and using our own resources. Currently, America is moving
ever closer to withdrawing its combat troops from Afghanistan, and other
countries which are part of the coalition would dearly love to do the same.
More countries want out of Afghanistan than want into it (with the possible
exceptions of India and Iran). Much of the south and east of Afghanistan is
under the de-facto rule of the Taliban and we may expect that to become a
harder reality once the Americans leave as the Afghan central government
simply does not have a writ in areas under Taliban control. Even with
America and its allies gone from Afghanistan there will still be a war for
us to fight, because those who currently seek the overthrow of the state will
be able to concentrate their efforts in a single direction Islamabad rather
than Islamabad and Kabul.
We are right in saying that we should not be held responsible for the
failings of coalition strategy in Afghanistan. Indeed, if there is a failure of
strategy to be discussed, it is that of America and its allies rather than us,
who are a small corner of the bigger picture of American foreign policy. We
have become a part of the collateral damage, the fallout from the 9/11
attacks, that is going to poison the atmosphere for generations to come.
Pillorying us for not doing enough once again when we have lost 2,800
soldiers with another 8,000 wounded and about 4,200 civilians, who have
died across the country as a result of post 9/11 terrorist action, is egregious
and patronizing. The US Congress needs to be hearing a lot more about

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why the US government strategy in both countries Afghanistan and

Pakistan has failed and what the consequences of that are going to be.
On 29th March, Dr Maleeha Lodhi wrote: A recent Washington PostABC poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans now believe that the
war in Afghanistan is no longer worth fighting. Similar majorities in
Europe want an end to the conflict and the withdrawal of their combat
troops. Can the Obama Administration summon the political courage to
prevail on its military to accept the primacy of a political surge and get
behind a diplomatic effort? Much hinges on an answer to this question.
A settlement could take years to negotiate and would likely see
incremental progress in the first instance. That should urge urgency to start
such a process. Prevarication on the political track and the continued
pursuit of a military strategy can complicate, even derail efforts towards
lasting peace in Afghanistan.
On 4th April, Rahimullah Yusufzai: The horrific incident in Mazar-iSharif city in which 20 UN staff members, including 10 foreigners, were
killed during a violent protest is being seen by some observers as the
outpouring of anger against the presence of foreign forces and their
tactics in Afghanistan.
Many protesters at the UNAMA compound in Mazar-i-Sharif, the
biggest city in northern Afghanistan, said they were also protesting the US
plans to set up permanent military bases in the country. The protestors
burnt US flags and shouted Death to America slogans. They were
looking for Americans but they couldnt find any and at that stage the
UNAMA offices became the focus of their attention as it housed foreigners.
The recent publication of pictures of the so-called US kill team
soldiers posing with Afghan civilians that they had tortured and killed is
believed to have fuelled the anger against the foreigners. Besides, the UN is
seen by many Afghans as an organization that cannot defy the US and
its Western allies. The immediate cause of the violence was the action of
the US pastor, Terry Jones, who recently burnt a copy of the holy Quran.
Taliban have limited influence in Mazar-i-Sharif and there was
no way they would have carried arms and joined the protest to provoke
the protestors into attacking the UNAMA compound. There are reports that
at least three clerics who made speeches on the subject of desecration of the
Quran at the nearby mosques during the Friday prayers provoked the people
who then decided to vent their anger on the UN staff. The population of

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Mazar-i-Sharif is mostly Tajik, Uzbek and Hazara with Pashtuns being in

small numbers.
The violence in Mazar-i-Sharif would be cause of worry for the
NATO authorities and the Afghan government because it was one of the
four relatively peaceful cities where security was to be handed over to the
Afghan security forces in July this year as part of the eventual drawdown of
the foreign forces. The other three cities are Herat, Mehterlam, which is
capital of the eastern Laghman province and Lashkargah, capital of the
southern Helmand province. Security of Bamiyan and Panjshir provinces
and Kabul province excluding its Sarobi district is also being handed over to
the Afghan security forces in July.
The deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan could be gauged
from a recent report of the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC), which noted dramatic deterioration in the security situation for
ordinary Afghans in the first two months of 2011. The ICRC said suicide
bombings in public places and roadside bombs by armed opposition a
phrase used for Taliban-and civilian casualties as a result of foreign forces
operations have added to the sufferings of Afghans. It is an untenable
situation. Civilians must be protected from harm as much as possible, not
become victims of the fighting, it quoted the ICRC head of delegation, Reto
Stocker, as saying.
It said the worsening security also means that peoples access to
health-care services in remote areas is becoming ever more compromised.
Spring is also the time of year when measles epidemics reach a peak. It is
essential, therefore, that countrywide vaccination campaigns be allowed to
go ahead without hindrance, the report said. It said reminding parties to a
conflict of their obligation to protect civilians is a fundamental part of the
ICRC efforts to promote compliance with international humanitarian law.
On 5th April, Jeff Sparrow wrote about American hatred for
Muslims as displayed in Afghanistan. In 2010, Jeremy Morlock and
Andrew Holmes, two US soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, set out to kill a
civilian, for no other reason than that they could. The latest edition of
Rolling Stone magazine documents the activities of Morlock and Holmes
and the so-called Kill Team they led, activities that culminated in the
murder of a young farmer named Gul Mudin.
The story is shocking. But, depressingly, much of it is also very
familiar. Consider, for instance, a brief video taken by the soldiers,
documenting an air strike on two suspected insurgents. Like Wikileaks
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Collateral Murder video, the soundtrack records the unabashed pleasure the
men take in watching the Afghanis die.
The soldiers subsequently edited the clip for distribution, sexing up
the footage with a rock soundtrack and a title card reading Death Zone.
Throughout the internet, theres a flourishing genre of such home-made
combat films. As far back as 2005, the Pentagon denounced the proliferation
of clips in which real deaths had been overdubbed with heavy metal or hip
hop, on the basis that, as the New York Sun rather diplomatically put it: they
could be regarded as anti-Arab.
Another clip from the Rolling Stone story shows soldiers gunning
down two armed Afghan men riding a motorbike. After the shooting, the
men gather round the corpses. I want to look at my kill, says one, and all
the soldiers pull out cameras and begin snapping. That photographic
enthusiasm produced a cache that Rolling Stones Mark Boal describes: a
grotesque image gallery of severed heads, mutilated torsos and other body
parts, sometimes adorned with props.
Boal argues that the photos from the Kill Teams Third Platoon
exemplified a culture of hostility toward, and contempt for, the people of
Afghanistan. Most people within the unit disliked the Afghan people,
whether it was the Afghan National Police, the Afghan National Army or
locals, one soldier explained to investigators; everyone would say theyre
savages.
That was the context in which Morlock and Holmes embarked on
their thrill-killings. And that was the also context in which no-one tried to
stop them. The military trains soldiers to kill; killing entails dehumanization.
But in wars like Iraq and Afghanistan, its very easy for that dehumanization
to take on an explicitly racial dynamic.
Authorities might talk about the need to win hearts and minds in
Afghanistan and Iraq. But in the context of an occupation theres a
countervailing pressure to discourage soldiers from empathizing with the
locals they police.
As it happens, the soldiers from the Third Platoon Kill Team are, in
fact, in trouble, with five soldiers charged with murder. Yet Rolling Stone
describes an army desperately scrambling to portray those involved as bad
apples even though murders of civilians were allegedly common
knowledge among the unit. No officers have been charged indeed, some
have been promoted despite allegations they knew about the killings from
the beginning.
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Conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan require very young men to police
a population thats largely hostile to their presence. The dynamic between
occupiers and occupied facilitates a racial antipathy, such that some of those
young men will inevitably do terrible things.
Yes, individual perpetrators must be held accountable for their
crimes. But should we not also be asking questions about the character of
wars that foster such a tremendous hatred toward the civilian population in
whose name we are supposedly fighting?
On 9th April, Rizwan Asghar talked of the state of Afghan Army. The
United States will start withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan in July this
year, but there is no clear end in sight to the turmoil sweeping across
Afghanistan. For too long, the Afghan National Army (ANA) has been
considered the cornerstone of NATOs counterinsurgency efforts in
Afghanistan. The long-term strategy to stabilize Afghanistan rests also on
the Afghan armys ability to take control of the situation. But the Afghan
army remains a highly unprofessional and fragmented force, pushing the
country to the brink of another civil war. It is divided into four main
factions; Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras who consider each other
enemies.
Viewed historically, it should come as no surprise that the Afghan
army has remained unskilled political rulers have invariably tried to use it
as an instrument for personal aggrandizement The Afghan army is beset
by a host of problems including poor combat effectiveness because of the
fictionalization of the ANA through the early domination of the Ministry of
Defence by the Tajik community. Northern Alliance warlords still continue
to monopolize resources causing widespread discontent among other ethnic
groups.
All appointments to the defence and interior ministries are made
on a sectarian basis. For instance, amongst the 100 generals appointed in
2002, almost 90 belonged to the Northern Alliance. The result is that troops
are often more loyal to a group led by a local commander than national
goals. This policy has fundamentally upended the old slogan of the Afghan
Army, Khuda, Watan, Wazifa (God, country, responsibility).
Drug addiction is another major impediment to improving the
armys capacity and cohesion Chronic shortfalls in training personnel
and poor logistics have seriously jeopardized the armys quality and longterm viability. Additional problems include crippling attrition rates, a weak

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chain of command and the fact that many army officers have been involved
in drug trade, illegal contracting practices and killings.
The Indian militarys presence in Afghanistan, in an attempt to
deny Pakistan strategic depth and expand Indias power projection in
Central Asia, has also played the role of a spoiler and has badly affected the
unity of the Afghan military. Members of the factionalized Afghan army are
often found fighting alongside militants against the US and NATO forces,
playing the role of 10 to 50 dollars-a-day Taliban. They are also known to
use army vehicles and helicopters for commercial purposes and sell arms to
the Taliban. With such poor management and infrastructure, the Afghan
army can hardly be expected to be able to prove effective in the war against
militants.
Asif Ezdi made a pertinent observation in the context of meeting of
prime ministers of India and Pakistan in cricket stadium of Mohali which
wad acclaimed as a breakthrough by certain circles. Popular sentiment in
Occupied Kashmir can be gauged from the fact that Pakistans victory over
the West Indies in the World Cup quarter-final was celebrated with fire
crackers but Indias win against Australia passed without a murmur, as a
Western news agency reported, apart from some crackers lit under official
orders by the Central Reserve Police of India. While Gilani and Manmohan
were watching the Pakistan-India semi-final, together with hundreds of
millions of other Pakistanis and Indians, orders had been issued to enforce
Section 144 strictly in Srinagar and public screening of the match was
banned across Kashmir in order to avert an outbreak of anti-India
demonstrations.
The British weekly, the Economist, wrote last December that Western
leaders, keen to keep India onside against China and greedy for its markets,
have disgracefully quiet about human-rights abuses in Kashmir. Gilanis
silence on Kashmir at Mohali was worse. It was shameful, scandalous
and outrageous. How can we blame Obama, Cameron and Sarkozy for
something of which our own leaders are equally guilty?
On 10th April, Najam Sethi noted: The good news is that relations
with India may improve. The bad news is that relations with the US may
deteriorate. The fear is that worsening relations with the US could lead to
an economic and political crisis that would set back Indo-Pak relations and
also plunge us into an unprecedented existential crisis.
The import of Indias recent cricket diplomacy should not be
underestimated. It is the first time since Mumbai that India has abandoned
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its core conditionality of discussing Pakistani-inspired terrorism to the

exclusion of other elements of the composite dialogue. This is as profound a
gesture as that of General Pervez Musharraf in 2004 when he abandoned the
core conditionality of discussing Kashmir to the exclusion of the other
elements of the composite dialogue.
In General Musharrafs case, there were two radical new elements of
the initiative: Pakistan closed the tap of jihad in Kashmir and offered out-ofthe-box-thinking on Kashmir that buried the UN Resolutions for good. This
was carried forward by way of a back channel dialogue that went quite far.
In Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs case, there are also two new elements
of the Indian initiative: India has agreed to share details of the Samjhota
Express case which exonerates state or non-state elements in Pakistan and
indicts Hindu extremists instead; and it relents pressure on the ISI to crack
down on Hafiz Saeed, the leader of the Lashkar-e-Tayba, following the
acquittal of two Indian Muslims in the case of Ajmal Kasab who were
alleged to have confessed to direct links with Mr Saeed. One factor seems
to have been in common between the initiatives taken by General
Musharraf and Dr Singh that of time. General Musharraf cut the ice
midway through his term. Dr Singh is doing much the same, a year into his
second term when he doesnt have to worry about too many coalition
partners tugging at his sleeves.
The Indian initiative is based on the notion of permanent peace
articulated by Dr Singh. For tactical reasons South Block isnt talking about
the composite dialogue which is a red rag to the Indian media in the wake
of Dr Singhs abject backtracking after Sharm el-Sheikh last year. Instead,
there is stress on a comprehensive dialogue. The Indian foreign secretarys
remarks in a recent interview are worth noting: Dialogue is the most
intelligent means of addressing points of contention...We continue to deal
with the civilian democratic government in Pakistan, the elected
representatives of the people there...the interface is with the civilian
government.... Four rounds of secretary level talks commerce, interior,
defence and foreign are scheduled in the coming months, followed by a
meeting of the foreign ministers, with the aim of clinching a trip by Dr
Singh to Pakistan in which at least one breakthrough is announced on Sir
Creek or Siachen. This is no mean agenda for the next six months or so
after a freeze of five years.
On the US-Pak side, however, two recent US reports highlight the
growing distrust and tension between the two partners. President Obamas
bi-annual report to Congress highlights Pakistans lack of commitment to the
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war in FATA and worries about its negative consequences for the US
roadmap in Afghanistan. There is no clear path to defeating the insurgency
in Pakistan, says President Obama, who is obliged to lay out his plan in
June for troop withdrawals from Afghanistan by 2014. The report indicts
Pakistans military but also goes on to slam the civilian government as weak,
divided and unable to deal with Pakistans myriad developing crises. The
response in Congress wasnt unexpected: ditch Pakistan and embrace
India. Pakistan is about to go broke or collapse, warned Congressman
Gary Ackerman, a New York Democrat, the brightest light in South Asias
constellation and the strategic centre of gravity in the region is India. The
contempt with which Mr Ackerman treats Pakistan should not be missed.
Dismissing the State Department argument that the US should continue to
help Pakistan face up to the challenges, he said: So if we give another $20
billion, I guess, would they like us in the morning, as we gave $20 billion
through another night?
A second report by the State Department on the state of human rights
also raps Pakistans culture of impunity in which its security forces (ISI
and MI) operating outside the civilian domain are guilty of gross human
rights violations. Under the circumstances, hectic efforts are underway to
repair the damage before it becomes irrevocable. Pakistans foreign
secretary is on his way to Washington to clear the air and try and clinch a
meeting between President Asif Zardari and President Obama that was
postponed during the height of the Raymond Davis affair not so long ago.
The problem lies in two differing perspectives. The US-Pakistan
relationship is billed as strategic by Washington which wants Pakistan to
do more to help the US short term agenda in Afghanistan. But Pakistan
complains that the relationship is actually transactional because the US
isnt trying to understand and help Pakistans long term regional
concerns. The crisis comes at a time of mounting problems for the Obama
administration: the Republicans are demanding drastic spending cuts and
President Obama is worrying about winning the trillion dollar war in
Afghanistan before his term is up. Pakistan is both a big recipient of US
economic and military aid but also a critical snag in the US agenda in
Afghanistan.
If US-Pak relations deteriorate and the aid and grant pipeline doesnt
gush in the short term, Pakistans economy will start to melt in the absence
of a civil-military consensus on radical economic and political reform that
leads to belt tightening and sacrifice all round. The peace initiative with
India will be frozen again and the promised peace dividend will
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evaporate. Pakistan will face a further breakdown of law and order and civil
strife, compelling a new round of enforced political experimentation.
Unfortunately, however, given past record and current disabilities, this may
prove to be the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back.

REVIEW
The settlement of double murder by Raymond Davis under Islamic
law of diyat was unique in many ways. After the settlement the man accused
of murder was freed without paying a penny from his pocket, or by his
government, but 19 heirs of the two deceased, who received the money, went
missing.
After the LHC gave ten days to authorities to find out whereabouts of
the missing heirs, some of them were traced out in Pir Mahal area. They
revealed that diyat was not negotiated by them with the accused Raymond
Davis or any American officials. The government had told them that the
Davis would be freed in any case; therefore it would be in their interest to
accept the amount and then get lost.
The regime that values relations with US more than the lives of
Pakistanis, however, was unable to convince the tribesmen of North
Waziristan about the wisdom behind acceptance of blood money. They
refused to receive the blood money offered to them by the government.
The two terror attacks that targeted JUI-F gatherings on two
consecutive days at Swabi inter-change and Charsadda were part of yet
another off-shoot of Americas war on terror which has been adopted by the
rulers in Pakistan in general and by KPKs red-cappers in particular. The
JUI-F did not mince their words in blaming the Raymond network for
targeting Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
The leaders of the party, however, refrained from mentioning other
possibilities. For example, they did not suspect that their political rivals in
whose stronghold of Swabi and Charsadda Maulana had been roaming
around must not have liked it.
The semi-final cricket match between India and Pakistan in World
Cup held in Mohali unfolded some bitter and pleasant realities. The Indian
Prime Minister invited his Pakistani counterpart to witness the match. His
gesture was meant to project the soft image of India, but media and official
circles in Islamabad took it as a breakthrough in Indo-Pak relations.

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The Zardari regime, which has been very keen to improve close ties
with India, portrayed it as resumption of the peace process that had been
severed two years ago. Zardari regime projected Gilanis trip to Mohali as a
big leap forward in improving the bilateral ties.
The myth, however, was broken by reports that senior officials of the
two countries exchanged hot words only a few yards away from two prime
ministers and the host declined to talk on any bilateral issue. Later driver of
a Pakistani diplomat was arrested in Chandigarh.
Another revelation, for those who werent aware of it already, was the
degree of starvation of Pakistani nation of good news. The entire nation
across length and breadth of the country prayed for their teams success.
Apparently, their prayers were not answered but it amply reflected the good
nature of people of Pakistan.
The manner in which the masses prepared and waited to see the
televised match was aptly described by someone through SMS. Yesterday I
walked on the streets trying to find Punjabis, Balochs, Pathans, Sindhis,
Mohajirs, Shias, SunnisbutI couldnt find any of these. Everyone
everywhere was a Pakistani. Nothing else. Now tell me, was that a defeat or
a great victory?
This proved that Pakistanis firmly believe in merits of national unity
and have earnest desire to manifest it in any given situation. In has to be
acknowledged that all the horizontal and vertical fractures in Pakistani
society are superfluous and those have been caused by the vested interests
from within and without.
Despite so many forces seeking instability of Pakistan through
disunity, the people still display national unity in times of crises and when
indulging in healthy pursuit of sports activities. This is despised by the
enemies in and out of Pakistan and that is why they strive for isolating it in
sport, especially cricket.
Beauty of the game of cricket has been tarnished by gambling as its
slow-pace renders it vulnerable to this negative activity more than any other
sports. The manipulation of results through match fixing, spot fixing and
fancy fixing adds to the ugliness of gambling marring the beautiful game.
Rehman Malik had cautioned the team that its members were under
close watch to check match fixing. The most corrupt regime in Pakistans
history thought a semi-final was too lucrative a business to be left to players.

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After the defeat of Pakistan a lot was said about match fixing; who knows
Malik too was in contact with bookies.
Such blame game has become a routine occurrence after every match,
especially the ones which produced upset results. The allegations of matchfixing double the grief of the losers by adding insult to injury. On the other
hand, the charm of victory is marred by such allegations.
10th April 2011

SINDH CARD
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Zardari regime has been using the Sindh Card for the last three years
and it was used with all its obscenity during the last two weeks. The two PPP
leaders who were served contempt notices for using derogatory language
about court verdict that disqualified Deedar Shah as Chairman NAB
appeared in the Supreme Court along with large number of PPP MPAs with
the sole aim of intimidating the judges by conveying the threat they could
pose to the solidarity of the federation.
Within the pack of Sindhi cards Zardari has been so far cashing on the
Queen; his deceased wife Benazir Bhutto. He even renamed his son Bilawal
to draw maximum advantage. Encouraged by the results of using Bhuttos
name he was tempted to cash the name of his father-in-law. He filed a
presidential reference in the Supreme Court for reopening of ZABs case.
Other events of significance during the period were Irsa first turning
down Punjabs request to fill Mangla Dam and then asking the federal
government to construct more dams as water in Tarbela was reaching dead
level. The regime also seemed bent upon extracting democratic revenge
from HEC for the role it played during verification of fake degrees.
Somehow, DG FIA, Waseem Ahmed, at last resigned.
In Punjab, the five week long strike of young doctors was called off,
but not before earning plenty of bad names for the medical profession and
the PML-N. Earlier the victory of Owais Leghari of PML-Q in bye-election
of NA-172 had delivered a political blow to PML-N and towards the end of
this period MQM entered politics of Punjab by holding a public meeting in
Lahore.

NEWS
On 28th March, remand of Moonis Elahi was extended by four days.
Cabinet okayed filing of reference before Supreme Court to revisit the
decision of hanging of Bhutto. Ansar Abbasi reported NAB was dying slow
death as six officers have already left and boxes containing documents of
Swiss cases were in danger. Ajmal Pahari and 11 others were held in
Karachi; Ajmal is involved 58 cases of targeted-killings. Next day, PML-Q
candidate Owais Leghari won bye-election of NA-172.
On 30th March, Kazmi was sent to jail on 14-day remand. Taj Haider
and Sharjeel Memon planned to show forces by appearing in the Supreme
Court along with large number of PPP MPAs and activists wearing Sindhi
caps and ajraks. Exchange of abuses continued in Punjab Assembly.
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Next day, the Supreme Court observed that Election Commission

failed to perform its duties and directed tit to update voters lists and delete
37.1 million bogus votes. PPP decided to file a petition for review of ZA
Bhuttos trial before anniversary of his hanging on 4th April. LHC asked
government reply on removal of Raymonds name of ECL.
End of month-long strike by young doctors was announced and then
on some petty disagreement the association changed its decision and decided
to continue strike across Punjab. A UK report made public by William Haig
claimed rise in corruption and lawlessness in Pakistan and the government
muzzling independent media. Prices of petroleum products were increased
by 10-13 per cent. Irsa turned down Punjabs request to fill Mangla Dam.
Five people were killed in Karachi.
On 1st April, Taj Haider and Sharjeel Memon appeared in Supreme
Court with the gang of PPP MPAs of Sindh Assembly, who came all the way
from Karachi to show solidarity with their colleagues. Before the days
proceedings Mirza declared entire Sindh PA would go to jail if any PPP
leader convicted. The court allowed both of them time to prepare and submit
their replies within 14 days and fixed next hearing for 25 th April; both had
demanded sixty days.
The Supreme Court delayed operation of its verdict on judges
appointment till April 11. Rao Shakeel involved in Haj scam was sent to jail
for 14-day remand and Moonis Elahi went to a rest house, which had been
declared a sub-jail. Accountability Court acquitted Saeed Mehdi in polo
ground case and his co-accused Zardari enjoyed Constitutional and therefore
case was consigned to record room.
Increase in petroleum products prices was challenged in LHC;
opposition staged walk-out in Senate. Doctors gave 24-hour ultimatum and
the Punjab government authorized to hire new doctors; deaths were reported
due to non-availability of medical care.
Next day, ATC hearing the murder case of Benazir was informed in
writing that UK has refused to hand over Musharraf and the court
summoned Director FIA to appear during next hearing for not producing
Musharraf as ordered. The regime filed a presidential reference in the
Supreme Court for reopening of ZABs case. Meanwhile, young doctors
continued strike while the government started employing new doctors.
On 3rd April, Speaking at BISP ceremony Zardari hinted at rumours
about establishment of technocrat government. Jiyalas and jiyalis converged
to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on 32nd death anniversary of ZAB. Rehman Malik
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presented the probe report of Benazirs murder to CEC of the party, which
decoded not to make the findings public. Bilawal said premature release of
the report could hurt the case. He termed the murder of his mother a grand
plot. Police investigations found that Musharraf and intelligence agencies
were not involved in the murder.
Fazl and Shujaat saw ZAB case reference as part of the Sindh Card.
Ansar Abbasi noted that in his ZAB case reference sent to the Supreme
Court, Zardari has surrendered, perhaps innocently, his prolonged fight for
constitutional immunity from criminal and corruption cases by referring to
Islamic teachings to prove the point that no one is above accountability.
MQM leaders met finance and interior ministers to urge review
increase in petrol prices Punjab government dismissed 64 doctors and served
notices to 84 others as the strike continued. Fauzia Wahab was on US yatra
financed by USAID. Four people were killed in Karachi.
Next day, Chief Justice said ignoring PCO judges is akin to reviving
doctrine of necessity; the Court reserved judgment. PPP leaders, Waheed,
Fauzia and others criticized judiciary and media for conspiring against PPP
government. Waheed termed judicial system as enemy and wanted filing of
cases against certain judges.
US held back aid worth $250 million for HEC and World Bank also
contemplated stopping 300 million. Punjab dismissed 13 more young
doctors and doctors in Sindh decided to join strike to show solidarity. Farooq
Sattar said targeted killings in Karachi are aimed at keeping MQM out of
Punjab; he said that after some PML-N members joined MQM in Mianwali.
Zardari insisted that ZAB reference was aimed at correcting history
and washing black spot from the faces of judges. Ghinwa saw no need to
reopen ZAB case. Sethi termed ZAB reference a cunning and dangerous
move. PPPs Shaheed Bhutto group activists tore apart posters of Zardari
and Faryal. Nahid Khan said Zardari cant become Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
On 5th April, Traders held strike to protest against batha (extortion) in
Karachi; for change MQM sided with them. Rehman Malik promised action
on intelligence. The federal government added to the woes of Punjab
government by holding a meeting with young doctors of Islamabad and
accepting all their demands.
Ministry of information said ZAB reference was sent to the Supreme
Court without the advice of Prime Minister as under Article 186 the

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President needed no such advice. This belied the claim of Babar Awan who
had said the cabinet had approved sending of the reference.
Next day, LHC asked FIA not to cross limits and remain within
parameters of law. DG FIA, Waseem Ahmed at last resigned and IG Police
Balochistan was appointed in his place. Zulfikar Mirza also resigned for
health reasons, but Sharjeel Memon was rewarded through his appointment
as minister. Ahmed Raza Kasuri said he would accept the verdict of the
Supreme Court verdict on ZAB reference.
PML-N decided to stage protest in National Assembly HEC
devolution. Devolution of HEC was challenged in IHC. Asian Development
Bank said Pakistan excelled in price hike in the region. Seniors announced
support for young doctors of Punjab. The regime ordered stoppage of Geo
Super telecasts. The government denied the charge saying that signals of the
channel were not received being too weak.
On 7th April, young doctors in Punjab called off their strike after Chief
Minister formed a six-member committee, which would submit its
recommendations to him within two weeks. MQM invited Pervaiz Elahi to
be guest at public meeting scheduled for 10th April.
PPP confirmed that Musharraf and Pervaiz Elahi were not involved in
Benazirs murder. One person was killed and 18 wounded in grenade attack
in Karachi and a police officer was shot dead. PML-N moved National
Assembly against ban on Geo Super. Rafiq Tarar moved a petition in LHC to
declare Musharraf not president. Zardari directed PPP MPAs to improve
relations with PML-Q.
Next day, the Supreme Court ordered recovery of money from those
who performed Haj at government expense. The court was informed that
Rehman Malik has assured that this would be done once he returned to
Pakistan and on that the court directed probe into his involvement as well.
Chief Justice of LHC ordered Punjab chief secretary to appoint a
commission to fix responsibility for death of patients in government
hospitals during the young doctors strike and submit its report in 15 days.
He questioned health secretarys appointment and Chief Ministers silence
during the strike.
Zulfikar Mirza said MQM was involved in targeted-killings and
extortions in Karachi; Wasim refused to comment. He also claimed that
MQM was behind the killing of Geo TV reporter and pressing for his

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removal from the post of home ministry. Meanwhile, 18 police officers

refused to investigate cases of targeted-killings.
ZAB reference was challenged in the Supreme Court. Saad Rafiq
sought references on other issues, including Bhuttos role in breaking of
Pakistan. KPK Assembly supported reopening of ZAB case; PML-N and
JUI-F members staged walkout.
Pemra ordered closure of Aag TV, another channel of Jang Group.
Zardari said government firmly believed in press freedom. Chaudhry Nisar
condemned victimization of Jang Group. A US report said corruption and
discrimination are rampant in Pakistan.
After PML-Q, PTI (Insaaf) was also invited by MQM to take part in
tomorrows public meeting in Lahore. Gilani called on Nawaz in London
and enquired about his health a day after Hasan Nawaz had done the same
about Gilanis son. Government planned to create new setup to replace HEC.
On 9th April, speaking to the officers of the National School of Public
Policy Lahore the Chief Justice said public support for enforcement of court
orders is necessary in a system in which the Executive enjoys majority in the
Legislature and it feels not obliged to abide by legal limits. He said officers
are not obliged to follow illegal orders of their superiors. Zardari claimed
political minds have attained maturity.
PPP also announced that it would take part in MQMs public meeting
on Sunday. Gilani accompanied by Rehman Malik met Altaf Hussain in
London and rejected the idea of technocrats government. Father of 18 th
Amendment, Raza Rabbani commenting on the criticism related to HEC
said vested interests were undermining provincial autonomy. Government
filed a petition for review of verdict on Deedar Shah. Farzana Rajas BISP
was also hit by a scam; hundred appointed fraudulently in the programme.
Irsa warned that water in Tarbela Dam would reach dead-level in a
day or two and asked the government to construct new dams; what a timely
demand! Shahbaz took notice of diversion of 45 percent of Punjabs water
share to Sindh.
Next day, Altaf asked Punjab to save Balochistan and promised
referendum for Saraiki, Bahawalpur and Hazara provinces. He thanked
people of Punjab for making the MQM public meeting a success and the
party held celebrations in Nine Zero. PML-Ns spokesman, however, did not
see the meeting as big a success as the money spent. Foreign missions
closely observed MQMs meeting in Lahore.
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Sindh Home Department report on targeted-killings in Karachi named

activists of MQM, ANP, MQM-H, Lashkar and Sipah, but no one from PPP
was accused. Six more lives were lost in Karachi and ANP gave one month
to the government to end the killings.
Gilani met Zardari and the two agreed to resolve HEC issue through
Parliament. Irsa chief rejected Punjab Chief Ministers accusation that 45
percent of his provinces share was being scrounged for Sindh; he termed it
sacrifice by big brother. Participants of dialogue arranged in Peshawar
advocated devolution of HEC.

VIEWS
Babar Sattar commented on the latest verdicts of the apex court with
focus on the one on judges case. Excerpts from his comments concluded in
two installments on 2nd April are reproduced. The jurisprudential debate
over what judges ought to do in courts has largely subsided across the world.
It is now agreed that judges do not declare what the law should be, but
only what it is. In other words, judges are not legislators or lawmakers, but
adjudicators interpreting the text of the law laid out by legislators and stating
what the text means.
Deedar Shahs appointment has been declared ultra vires because law
required the president to consult with the leader of the opposition before
appointing a candidate to the office of Chairman NAB and this mandatory
requirement was not meaningfully discharged. This is why Justice Shahs
appointment was illegal. But the court went on to produce other outcomes
backed by unconvincing reasons. The first is the uncharitable manner in
which the possibility of Justice Shahs reappointment has been eliminated.
Subtler, but more dangerous, is the insistence of the court that an
administrative role for the chief justice in the process of appointing
Chairman NAB must be carved out even though there is no statutory or
textual basis for the same.
If Justice Shah has a right to be appointed Chairman NAB upon
satisfaction of all other legal requirements, how can such right be taken
away due to someone elses fault? Has the Supreme Court just undone ubi
jus ibi remedium (where there is a right there is a remedy)? Would the court
even have expounded on the legality of Justice Shahs reappointment had he
not been re-nominated before the announcement of the detailed judgment?

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The Zardari-PPP decision to reappoint Justice Shah as Chairman

NAB was ridiculous. Thus, as a practical matter the court stretching the law
to lay this controversy to rest is quite welcome. But principled determination
of legal controversies has no room for expediency. We might be sick of the
trickery employed by the Zardari regime to run this country down. But does
that allow constitutional courts to replace principled reasoning as a basis of
the rulings with crafty strategies to pay a devious regime back in the same
coin?
And then this business of the chief justice being pater familias and
the lord and saviour of the pitiful multitudes simply refuses to go away,
despite much talk about the need for building institutions. The suggestion
incorporated in the NRO case and the Harris Steel case has been repeated in
the Chairman NAB appointment case: the chief justice should also be
consulted before appointing an individual as Chairman NAB.
Now, NAB is an executive agency under the prime ministers control.
Its statute provides that its chairman is to be appointed after consultation
between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; meaning, with
bipartisan support. There is absolutely no statutory basis for the chief justice
to get involved with the process. And yet our apex court demands such a
role. Whence do our judges derive this authority to say what the law ought to
be?
While expounding provisions of the Constitution to delineate the
respective scope of authority of the Judicial Commission and the
Parliamentary Committee, the court doesnt rely on settled principles of
textual interpretation. As a consequence, disparate treatment is meted out
to the role and importance of the Judicial Commission and the Parliamentary
Committee.
In defending the authority of the Judicial Commission (essentially
run by the five senior most judges of the Supreme Court) the apex court
doesnt seem to have applied restraint and taken into account the ageold maxim that no one should be the judge in his own cause. And while
the court seems conscious of the principle of separation of powers and the
limitation it applies to the scope of judicial authority, such consciousness
does not shape the operative part of the ruling.
Let us recall that the Supreme Court opted to hear challenges against
the 18th Amendment despite the constitutional prohibition that no
amendment of the Constitution shall be called in question in any Court on
any ground whatsoever. While the case remains pending, the Supreme
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Court, through an interim order, provided parliament a window of

opportunity to re-amend the Constitution to the courts liking. As this sword
hung over the 18th Amendment, the parliament passed the 19th Amendment to
appease the Supreme Court. Parliament abided by the courts
recommendation that the Parliamentary Committee should give reasons if
it doesnt endorse the Judicial Commissions advice, but it didnt write in the
Constitution that such reasons shall be justiciable as the court wanted.
Through the Judicial Nominations Case the court has now had its way.
The interim ruling in the 18th Amendment case was not a marvel of
jurisprudential merit. But those who followed the proceedings of the case
feared that the dreaded adoption of the basic structure theory and striking
down of a provision of the Constitution was imminent. When the court
found a pragmatic solution to avert such outcome, there was relief.
The ruling in the Judicial Nominations case lacks rigour. First, its
deductions do not flow logically. While allegiance to the principle of judicial
independence is a cornerstone of our Constitution, why assume that should
serving judges not have a veto over who adorns judicial robes judicial
independence will be compromised?
What about all those countries that boast independent judiciaries with
judges having absolutely no role to play in the appointment of future judges?
Second, the ruling confuses principles enshrined in the Constitution with the
mechanics adopted to realize them. Judicial independence can be secured
through multiple ways. Appointment of judges through a rigourous,
consultative and transparent mechanism is imperative to safeguard
such independence.
The court believes that the work of the Judicial Commission will be
rendered nugatory if the Parliamentary Committee has the right to question
its recommendations. Can reasonable minds not reach different
conclusions based on the same information? Sattar thinks the judges on
the Bench were not reasonable.
The test prescribed by the Supreme Court is that it is illegal for the
Parliamentary Committee to consider any information about judicial
nominees that has been deliberated upon by the Judicial Commission. What
independent stream of information does the Parliamentary Committee have
for the consideration of which the Constitution specially created it?
In effect, each time the Parliamentary Committee disagrees with the
Judicial Commission, it would have traveled beyond the zone of legality
according to the Supreme Court test. Why have the Parliamentary
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Committee at all then? To discuss the antecedents of proposed judges, we

are told, and nothing else. And please dont think the court is encroaching
upon the vast powers of the legislature. The eight member bipartisan
parliamentary committee is actually a part of the executive according to this
ruling.
The Supreme Court is a court of limited authority and incapable
of producing elixir for all our national ills. So far it has been the khaki
saviour instinct that has molested our Constitution and political process.
Would it not be a shame if the apex court followed in the stead and allowed
a do-good approach to interpret the Constitution?
Emphasizing the doctrine of limited powers in the much celebrated
PCO Judges Case of 2009, the Supreme Court held that, neither the
Supreme Court itself possesses any power to amend the Constitution, nor
can it bestow any such power on any authority or any individual. It is a
settled principle of law that what cannot be done directly, cannot be
done indirectly.
Shaheen Sehbai commented: With April 11 set by the Supreme Court
for hearing of the NRO review petition and appointment of judges cases, the
PPP strategy to go for an open, full-scale confrontation with the apex
court is now a declared policy. The stage has been set for the final
showdown, a path the PPP bigwigs have, hopefully, chosen after careful
thinking and deliberations.
This strategy could become a make-or-break decision for the current
PPP leadership and appears to be a desperate move. But one thing is certain:
the Supreme Court has been pushed into this battle and it has no option
but to win as the survival of the whole judicial system has been put at stake
besides the honour, integrity and even survival of the judges themselves.
If the PPP thinks, or succeeds, in pressuring, bulldozing, defying or
subjugating the current independent judiciary, the country will roll back
into the era of the Dogar and ZA Bhutto courts. Who suffered at the
hands of those spineless men of straw sitting in what were wrongfully called
Supreme Courts is a part of history but what is obvious is that their main
targets were democracy, the political process and politicians.
So why the PPP has chosen to go back to that era is a million
dollar question. When popularly elected leadership decides that it does not
need, or want, or tolerate an independent judiciary, who can stop gun-totting
adventurers from using pliant cowards sitting on the SC benches to once
again uproot, maim and disrupt democracy?
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One answer can be that this time the PPP thinks it will defeat the
court and use a subjugated bench to first save its top leaders and then
manipulate the judicial process to its advantage, as the Dogar court before
Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was doing, first to serve
General Musharraf and then the PPP. This may be a misguided belief in
some over-zealous or over-confident minds.
Another plausible explanation can be that given its tentative
coalition situation and sensing that it is unable to carry on its agenda in
parliament, the PPP has started preparing for a mid-term election. But it
needs a soft political target and someone to blame for the massive failures in
governance and giving a visionary leadership, which may have strengthened
the democratic process.
Because it has over-stretched the reconciliation mantra for too long,
the party also needs an immediate cause, and an enemy to stir up the
Sindh Card and activate its support base. Instead of targeting the political
rivals, it has also picked up the Supreme Court mainly for the over-riding
reason that the judges have put the personal survival of the partys top
leadership at stake through the NRO case, the Swiss bank cases, the dual
office issue and involvement of near and dear ones of the prime minister in
mega scandals.
The PPP is attacking the SC from many sides, knowing well that
the judges have no guns to pay them back in the same coin. (Those who
have, the PPP concedes to every demand they make). A massive show of
strength, possibly to intimidate the judges, was orchestrated under the
leadership of Zulfikar Mirza in Islamabad in the case against Taj Haider and
Sharjeel Memon on Friday. High voltage statements were issued. Besides a
physical show of the Sindhi ajrak and topi, Mr Mirza surprisingly said
Sindhis were being treated like Bengalis. How and when? He also threatened
that if Taj Haider and Sharjeel were jailed, the entire PPP leadership will go
to jail. What did he mean?
All these belligerent outbursts against the court and the judges were
mixed rather sheepishly with the oft-repeated mantra of We do and will
respect the judiciary. The opening salvo of the PPP strategy was the call
for Sindh-wide protests on the sacking of NAB chief Deedar Shah.
Reopening the ZA Bhutto case is another calculated googly to play psygames with the SC judges. Zulfikar Mirza was blunt when he spoke outside
the SC on Friday, attacking Justice Nasim Hasan Shah because his picture
was on the wall of the SC among other chief justices.
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All this has been planned while non-implementation of key SC

judgments continues. Delaying tactics are to be employed to get full
mileage out of the Sindh Card, declaring the PPP once again as MartyrsR-Us. The demand for a 60-day extension for Taj Haider and Sharjeel to
prepare their statements was deliberate.
The irony is that the SC judges, the political parties, the
Establishment and the media, all can see through this PPP strategy,
understanding full well what is being done to achieve what purpose. The
court did not accept the 60-day demand and gave the PPP Jiyalas only a
couple of weeks. Not without reason, the SC also suspended the other
hotwire case of appointment of judges till April 11 when a full bench will
start hearing the NRO case. So mid-April has thus been set as the timeline
for this marathon PPP-SC encounter.
On the macro level, grave concerns have arisen because of this
confrontation. This situation has come to the present deadlock because of
just one fly in the ointment the Swiss cases of money laundering and
the dual office case of PPP co-chairman. As the largest political party of the
country, the collective leadership of the PPP has failed miserably and has
been manipulated cleverly by a small group of people to protect the interests
and assets of just one man.
Whereas this elected leadership should have joined hands with others
to address the monumental social, economic and security issues crushing the
nation, the miseries of the masses have been brushed aside by these
confrontational policies diverting attention from the everyday bombings on
the street, the dacoities in the name of price hikes, super-inflation unleashed
by massive borrowing from local and international banks and the political
turmoil being caused within the coalition ranks.
This chaos at the national scene cannot be sustained and the Supreme
Court has done the right thing by clubbing and addressing all these critical
issues together in the next couple of weeks. It is now time that the bluff of
the Sindh Card be called, the judicial proceedings in all these high voltage
cases be ended and clear, unambiguous and courageous judgments be
given.
Let then the chips fall where they may. Let then the countrys
permanent establishment decide on which side they want to stand. Let
everyone who has to make this country run share the credit, or the
blame, if things come to a grinding halt. This has to be done quickly

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because the deadly Middle East virus now gripping monarchies, sultanates,
dictatorships and republics is already looking menacingly at Pakistan.
The poor and the deprived, depraved masses are already on the
streets every day protesting one injustice or the other. Political leaders who
are part of the problem keep shouting about a revolution, probably against
themselves. The security apparatus is thinly stretched to fight many
unnecessary wars. Only two beacons of light, the judiciary and the
media, provide some hope but those trying to protect their own ill-gotten
riches are bent upon destroying both these institutions.
If they succeed, what would be left to prevent a total free fall?
And who will gain from it? Everyone must think hard now: Extremists,
secessionists, gunrunners, terrorists, warlords? Please make up your own
list!
Next day, Noman Ahmed wrote about killings in Karachi. The
conventional process of crime and punishment may not be able to
address this situation. A political consensus backed by mass support of
ordinary people shall be the first building block towards a preventive
mechanism. Monitoring and objective reporting by electronic media can
help in pre-empting crises in the making. And, finally, state response
towards the spread of arms and ammunition shall have to be quick. The
present approach of looking the other way towards stockpiles of deadly
weapons can cause probably the deadliest manmade disasters in this
unfortunate metropolis.
The News commented: For a few days, Karachi has been relatively
calm. But it is hard to say when violence may erupt again Following the
latest killing spree, the chief minister and interior minister have discussed
the situation in the city arising from the death of some 44 people since
March 10. We are told that the police and rangers have been ordered to move
into troubled areas and begin action there. There are vague promises that
calm will prevail and order will return. We wonder how many people are
willing to believe these words, given that promises of a very similar nature
have been made in the past. They have come to naught
We all hope that the latest measures will bring results. But, sadly,
there is also doubt. What is of special concern is the degree of confusion
inherent in Mr Maliks words. He talks of elements involved in Balochistan
being responsible but also says that there are intelligence reports of the
involvement of members of political parties. We wonder which version is
correct. Mr Malik also dismisses the difference of opinion over the Peoples
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Aman Committee between the Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza, who
publicly praised it, and the federal government that banned it after an MQM
outcry, as an outcome of democracy. However, the fact that so wide a
divergence on a key issue exists within a ruling party seems to point to
chaos, rather than freedom. This inability to see things clearly is perhaps
one reason why Karachis woes continue.
We have now been told that key culprits are being held by authorities
and that there are serial killers among them. We hope that there is some
truth to all this and that taking these alleged mass murderers off the streets
will bring some peace to Karachi. Sadly, it is hard to be confident about Mr
Maliks comments. We have been deceived too many times in the past, and it
frequently seems that despite the many meetings held and the interior
ministers arrival in Karachi to preside over them, there is in reality, a lack of
clarity over what is wrong and how to fix it. This is dangerous and does not
augur well for the future.
In another editorial, the newspaper wrote: In a move timed to
bewilder many observers, President Asif Ali Zardari has decided to use
presidential rights bestowed on him by the Constitution under Article 186 to
move before the Supreme Court a review petition seeking a re-examination
of the murder trial of his late father-in-law and PPP founder, Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto. While the verdict that led to the countrys first elected prime
minister being taken to the gallows remains shrouded in controversy, ZAB
was hanged 32 years ago. The man seen as the chief architect of his
overthrow and execution, General Ziaul Haq is also dead. Although there
have been many voices over the years calling for the re-opening of one of
the most unsavoury chapters from our unpleasant history, doing so at this
juncture does not make obvious sense, unless the purpose is to distract
attention from far more relevant ongoing issues or as some commentators
have suggested embarrass the Supreme Court by raising before it all kinds
of awkward issues. This appears to be the thinking behind the move which
has been finalized after deliberations between the president and his aides.
Many legal questions arise. There seems to be a lack of consensus
among former judges as to whether a review can be sought in a murder
case after all this time. At a more practical level, people ask why the
president has suddenly acquired so keen an interest in the case, especially
since far more pressing matters remain unresolved. We still have little idea
for instance, as to who killed ZABs daughter. The suspicion that this is the
first step in a political game of some kind makes the whole thing seems

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especially sinister. Who knows what is being planned, what plots are being
hatched, and why.
In yet another editorial it talked of Sindh Card: There has been talk of
confrontation between the PPP government and the Supreme Court for so
long now, that some of us had begun to think it may not happen at all. But
the indications are now clearer than ever that we may be heading towards a
final showdown and a dastardly attempt to reduce the courts to the
kind of puppet set-ups that have existed in the past, nodding tamely when
political masters speak, and doing their bidding without so much as a whine
of protest. This is the very last thing we need. At the moment, an
independent judiciary offers the only beacon of light for our future.
We have seen over the past months repeated efforts to thwart its
efforts and to ignore its verdicts. As the SC has itself noted, the strike in
Sindh following its ruling on the appointment of the NAB Chairman
amounted to a terrible act of open defiance. There are indications that the
PPP may now be preparing to step up the scale of this defiance and take
matters further. Panic within its ranks is reported to be mounting as the
NRO petition and the matter of judicial appointments comes up for review
with the henchmen who surround the president concerned about a revival of
the Swiss cases and what this would mean for them.
The tactics of desperation are being seen. The astonishing show of
strength put on by Dr Zulfikar Mirza and his supporters as the SC heard the
contempt case against the PPPs Taj Haider and Sharjeel Memon for their
remarks in the case of the NAB Chairman, Deedar Hussain Shah, suggests
that the Sindh Card is to be used in the future. Dr Mirza has made
controversial remarks about Sindhis being treated like Bengalis. None of this
makes sense, but the purpose is obviously to strike at the courts through
street power at its ugliest. The PPP sees this as a battle it must win. The
apex court obviously cannot match such tactics. As an institution, its role is
one of dignity and the ability to command respect. It is precisely these
qualities that the PPP seeks to challenge. We can only hope for the sake of
our collective future that it does not succeed and we do not lose the breath of
fresh air that has wafted our way since the Supreme Court under Justice
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry resumed duties some two years ago.
Kamran Ali from Hyderabad observed: The PPP showed its true
colours when a large number of its parliamentarians (most of whom are
feudal lords and mill-owners) turned up at the Supreme Court on April 1 to
pressurize the judiciary. Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza, who is not
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only a feudal lord but also owns sugar mills, wore a Sindhi cap to play the
politics of provincialism. May I ask what on earth a feudal lord has in
common with a poor Sindhi hari or ordinary sugar-mill worker?
Syed Zain Shah also from Hyderabad asked: It seems that the PPP
believes in politics of intimidation. Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza
and his associates pose as the ultimate symbols of sacrifice. In reality,
though, they are just wealthy people who received party tickets because of
their influence in the little fiefdoms they have created for themselves in
Sindh.
Ali Naqvi from Karachi asked: What did Zulfiqar Mirza mean when
he said the entire Sindh Assembly would go to jail if Taj Haider was
convicted by the Supreme Court? How is it not intimidation? Was it not
tantamount to threatening the judiciary?
Razi Bakhtawar also from Karachi observed: Zulfiqar Mirzas
complain that the Supreme Court did not take notice of Karachis targeted
killings was simply hilarious. Sir, you are the home minister. The targeted
killings in Karachi prove your incompetence, not of the Supreme
Courts. How could he blame his own poor performance on the Supreme
Court?
Rashid Nazar from Lahore wrote: The entire PPP is now basically a
save-Zardari party. Forget about any meaningful changes in governance,
all that the PPP is now concerned with is surviving another two years in
power. Awami politics of the Bhuttos has now been replaced with power
politics of Asif Zardari.
On 5th April, Shaheen Sehbai commented : The top PPP leadership
has lobbed a very loose ball towards the Supreme Court and President
Zardari has staked much of his legal capital on the ZA Bhutto review
case. It will thus soon become clear how the PPP pays for this grave
mistake. Why I say so is obvious. The SC has quickly fixed the reference
case for April 13, right when the other key cases of NRO and appointment of
judges would be in the middle of hearings.
Whatever the legal constraints or realities, the ZAB case is easy for
the SC to dispose of. There has been a general consensus in the country that
the ZAB judgment was bad and his hanging was unjustified. Bulk of the
onus of the tragedy should, and rightly so, fall on the then dictator who
ignored a split verdict and hanged the leader. He is no more to face the
consequences if the SC verdict is declared void.

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Now that the reference has been made, the SC can declare, provided
legally justified and in their own judicial lingo, that the judgment may be
revisited if the PPP or the petitioners want to have a retrial. Let then the
PPP decide whether and when they want to reopen the can of worms in
which a lot of worms will bite the PPP as well.
Together with such a verdict to satisfy the PPP, the SC can also
observe that other cases in which judges gave wrong verdicts but now
feel that they were under pressure or had given a wrong decision for some
other reason, could also be allowed to be reopened, if the petitioners or the
defence so want.
Once the PPP leadership gets such a judgment in the ZAB case, the
party will be left with hardly any justification to further use the ZAB card or
challenge or shout at the SC. The black spots the President Zardari has
referred to on the faces of the judges will then be washed clean. And then,
after this new clean look, when the same SC gives verdicts in other
important cases of NRO and dual offices for the president, it would be
difficult to accuse them of persecuting the Sindhis. The Sindh Card would
thus stand useless and turn into a blank piece of trash.
And all these judgments can come either simultaneously or within a
few days of the ZAB case. The SC could also assert its authority by giving a
timeline for implementation of its judgments so that the government does
not drag its feet on steps that it thinks may be damaging to its leadership,
like reopening the Swiss cases or holding two offices or reappointing Deedar
Shah.
Whatever the SC decides, it has the golden opportunity to silence
the PPP leadership through the ZAB case and bring the current leaders to
justice, as they should be. ZAB should be proved to be innocent while those
who are criminals should get the punishment they deserve.
Next day, Taj M Khattak observed: Although tensions between
government and the judiciary have a long history in Pakistan, the recent
slide in this relationship in its varying manifestations is a serious cause for
concern The PPP continues this undesirable practice of intimidation of the
higher judiciary.
Taj mentioned Babar Awans appearance in the Supreme Court in July
2010, accompanied by a large posse of cabinet ministers and party
politicians and compared the incident of 1997 and the show of force in
2011. he noted that the only difference is that the mob which attacked the
Supreme Court consisted of supporters hailing from Punjab, determined to
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cause physical harm to then-chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who is from
Sindh; and now it was politicians and workers of a party with a Sindhi leader
trying to impress a judge who has Chaudhry as his last name. Justice Iftikhar
Mohammad Chaudhry is an ethnic Punjabi. It is Sindh and Punjab which
have ruled or misruled Pakistan whenever the military establishment hasnt
been visibly at the forefront, with politicians from the smaller provinces
readily available as permanent coalition members for petty gains.
Musharraf, who had taken an oath to protect the Constitution and on
numerous commissioning parades administered the same oath to a
generation of officers, surpassed them all by sacking the entire higher
judiciary with total disregard of the Constitution. In retrospect, Nawaz
Sharifs long march for restoration of the judiciary was more a political
ploy than an expression of support for an independent judiciary. He did
so to enable his party to take a backseat in parliament, leaving the Supreme
Court to turn on the heat on the ruling party every now and then.
World over, it is an effective opposition, and not the countrys courts,
which checks unbridled corruption and keeps the government of the day on
the straight and narrow. There is little doubt now that the oppositions
conduct in the last three years has been far from assertive and fallen well
short of public expectations. History is unlikely to be kind to the PML-N,
even if the electorate favours him in the next elections because of the
unpopularity of the incumbent rulers.
The governments latest spat with the judiciary, like some others in
the past, has stemmed from the presidents support for his cronies rather than
regard for merit and justice qualities which are a requirement of his
constitutional office. The strike in Sindh against the Supreme Courts
decision on the appointment of the NAB chairman was unique as it was
probably for the first time that a province-wide shutter-down call was given
by a party in power. It is open defiance of the Supreme Court and a
Machiavellian political move, not just a simple matter of contempt.
The two officials who were issued notices of contempt of court were
accompanied to the Supreme Court by nearly one hundred second-tier
politicians and workers from Sindh, who were prominently displaying their
ethnic symbols. In a style usually associated with trade unions, Sindh home
minister Zulfiqar Mirza warned that the entire Sindh Assembly would
voluntarily court arrests if any harm came to the two whose conduct was
taken a note of by the court

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These intimidating tactics in our legal regime are uncalled-for,

because they could only set dangerous precedents. Already a Karachi-based
political party has marginalized the Sindh High Courts efforts to proceed in
the case of the carnage of May 12, 2007, in the city. Would the government
be able to stop a village feudal from trucking a couple of thousand people
outside a district and session court in a small town where a murder case is
being heard against him? Or, worse yet, what if this becomes the norm
across the length and breadth of the country?
The Sindh home ministers frequent outbursts are utterly
misplaced The Sindh home minister would do well to put his weight
behind targeted killings in Karachi whose numbers are now fast catching
up with the number of causalities caused by US drone in our north-west.
Corruption has spread like cancer in the body structure of the state. The
reconciliation strategy has been overstretched to the point where it has
become a means for the extension of the PPPs rule.
The downside of idolizing an independent judiciary is the ease with
which people seek a judicial review when they see that something is not
right. Islamabad these days has become the most litigious city in Pakistan
mainly because government actions and decisions invariably fail to
measure up to constitutional propriety. If the opposition or any individual
exercises his or her right to go to the court, why should the ruling party feel
upset or call for strikes which turn violent and cause loss of life?
Some political parties in the coalition are leaving the treasury
benches with an eye to the next election. Likewise, the PPP would not be
too unhappy if its remaining term is interrupted and the party can present the
interruption as martyrdom, which would gain it sufficient political mileage
before the elections. Dirty politics will continue to be played in this country,
but let it not be said that the judiciary failed to rise to the occasion. And, yes,
there is a lot of substance to the argument that the individual reasoning and
autonomy of each judge is central to a truly independent judiciary.
Tail Piece: Justice Muhammad Rustam Kiyani, or MRK, as he was
fondly known, was chief justice of West Pakistan from 1958 to 1962 and
was allotted some agricultural land in Sindh on retirement. He soon ran into
serious trouble with the patwari for possession. MRK wouldnt entertain the
slightest thought of impropriety and the patwari had never done a days
honest work.
There was no love lost between MRK and President Ayub, but Ayubs
gentlemanliness was to last to the end. Ayub decided to intervene in favour
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of the good judge by summoning the entire hierarchy of the department

concerned to circuit house in Sukkur on his next hunting trip. Last to be
ushered in was the patwari who came in with his basta (bag). As Ayub pored
over his drawings, lo and behold, the khasra numbers of the chief justices
land had simply vanished, not a trace of it to be found anywhere. MRK won
on his principles but lost out on matters of land to a patwari. Chief Justice
Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry is dealing with a hugely difficult
situation. Let us wish him luck.
The News wrote on shutter-down in Karachi. Extortionists,
kidnappers and bandits seem to thrive in Karachi where most legal
businesses remain on the edge because of the recent surge in crimes. The
effective shutter-down by small shopkeepers and traders on Tuesday reflects
the growing frustration of the business community over the governments
inaction against crime mafias in the city. The bigger trade and business
groups, however, deferred their shutter-down to give the government more
time for a crackdown on criminals. The cracks in the protest strategy are
understandable as closing businesses is never a first choice, but the last
resort especially in Karachi where countless workdays are lost because
armed militants belonging to various political parties often force trade
centres and markets to close. But the biggest problem for Karachis
business community remains widespread extortion and kidnappings for
ransom cases. The old parts of Karachi, the hub of most retail and
wholesale businesses, are the worst affected. The stories of receipts, or
parchis demanding a few hundred to millions of rupees as protection
money or bhatta from victims is now an everyday occurrence for those
who do business in the city. The refusal to pay often leads to armed assaults
or even killings.
Although most political groups have been involved in this activity to
some extent, the recent rise in crime has been blamed largely on the
shadowy Peoples Aman Committee (PAC) of Lyari, the stronghold of the
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the city. Although the PAC, once called a
sister organization of the ruling party, enjoyed the blessings of some key
PPP Sindh stalwarts, Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced the
banning of the group on March 17 to meet a key demand of the estranged
coalition partner, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. But little action has so
far been taken on the ground. The governments inability to curb extortion
and kidnappings, led to protests by traders and shopkeepers last month,
prompting President Zardari to again issue directives to the interior minister
to fight the menace in coordination with the provincial government. But
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political considerations seem to prevent the authorities from going after the
gangs in Karachi.
The truth is that criminals operate under the cover of all the
major political parties in Karachi, which have criminalized politics and
politicized crime. What Karachi needs is even-handed, impartial action. For
this the city needs not just an independent police force but a speedy justice
system. Major political parties, especially the ones in the ruling coalition,
also need to walk their talk and clear their stables of criminals. The first
prerequisites for a flourishing economy remain rule of law and security.
Karachi in 2011 is certainly more dangerous than it was in 2008 when the
PPP came to power. The government needs to do some soul-searching to
find out what went wrong and start corrective measures.
On 7th April, the newspaper commented: The priorities of our
government seem, to put it very mildly, quite peculiar. While the threedecade old case of the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is being vigourously
pursued, after the president moved a review petition before the Supreme
Court, not even a written application has been lodged seeking the extradition
of former president Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf is being strongly
implicated in the far more recent case of the murder of Benazir Bhutto, and
visiting British Premier David Cameron has said that while no extradition
treaty exists between the UK and Pakistan, as a first step a formal request
seeking the return of the dictator needs to be put in so that the matter can be
considered in London. This seems to be the logical way to proceed
provided that the government is serious about solving the case. The response
by Information Minister Firdaus Ashiq Awan, that court orders are being
awaited in the matter seems somewhat odd, given the gravity of the matter.
A judicial ruling is hardly required to begin discussing the issue with
London but it seems that this was not taken up with Mr Cameron during
the detailed discussions with him in Islamabad. Do our leaders really want
to bring BBs killers to justice, or are we being played games with? Are
the intentions of those who hold power what they seem to be?
Certainly, the situation seems bizarre. Aged witnesses, who in some
cases have confessed their recollection of events is now hazy, are being
called before the court in the ZAB case, far less effort seems to be on to
determine what events led to his daughters death. Is there a lot to hide? This
seems to be the case. Even beyond the murder of Benazir, there are many
who would like to see Musharraf returned to the country to answer
various questions about his actions including those pertaining to the
judiciary. There would certainly appear to be no harm in beginning an effort
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to do so, and using the warmer ties now established with the British
government as a means to move forward and put to an end to a tradition
which allows de facto rulers to escape without having to answer for the
wrongs they have committed or the harm they may have inflicted on their
country and its various institutions.
Amjad from Rawalpindi opined: The government is pursuing its
plans to do away with the Higher Education Commission under the cover of
the 18th Amendment. All arguments which the government has been
extending in support of its devolution plan are devoid of logic. The
people of Pakistan are fully aware of the real reason behind this decision.
Higher education is a very sensitive matter linked with the future of our
children and our country. During the past few years HEC made immense
contribution towards the cause of education by sponsoring Pakistani students
for PhD programmes in prominent universities all over the world. The
commission also successfully controlled the mushroom growth of
substandard private universities in the country. It had played a vital role in
the modernization of Pakistani universities by providing liberal grants for
induction of modern research equipment.
We should have no doubt that doing away with HEC will play havoc
with our education system. To save the future of our children and the
education infrastructure of Pakistan from the nefarious designs of our corrupt
rulers, it is the duty of every Pakistani to rise and resist the implementation of
this plan.
Mubashir Mahmood from Karachi asked: I fail to understand the
policy of the political parties which are now vehemently opposing the
governments decision to devolve HEC to provinces. According to the 18 th
Amendment, the education ministry is to be transferred to the provinces. Why
didnt the political parties raise their voice on this issue when the 18 th
Amendment was unanimously passed in parliament?
Humaira Batool also from Karachi wrote: Handing HEC to people like
those who claim degrees are degrees whether fake or real is like giving a
piece of gold to someone who cannot differentiate between fake or real and
on top of that ask him to break the gold into pieces. At a time when all the
developing and developed countries are focusing on and investing more in
higher education, devolution of HEC in our country with the purpose of
ending the financial monopoly of the body once and for all as has been said
by Raza Rabbani, the Chairman of the Implementation Commission of the
18th Amendment, is sad and unacceptable.
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Lt-Col (r) Sarfaraz Hussain Abidi also from Karachi noted: I wonder if
we can draw parallels between the ongoing blowing up of schools in Fata
by terrorists and devolution of HEC by the enemies of knowledge. I fail to
understand what inconvenience HEC caused to this democratic government
that it is set to remove it from the national horizon. The opportunists in the
government must have their eyes on the forthcoming grant of Rs40 billion to
HEC and large pieces of land lying vacant with every Pakistani university.
Apart from these opportunities, our politicians probably want to settle score
with HEC which committed the crime of verifying their degrees for
authenticity. Indeed, it is the question of the collective ghairat of our
parliamentarians.
Raoof Hasan wrote: The principal organ of the state, the legislature,
has abdicated its responsibility to the whims of the ruling few. It is
manoeuvred to suit their gory cravings. The executive has corrupted itself out
of function. It only works to satiate its corpulent abdomen. The political elite
are busy in their trademark Machiavellian tricks to render the electorate
abysmally dependent on their largesse that they would dole out against the
promise of continuing support at the elections. The tentacles of economic
bondage are digging deeper into the poor peoples flesh causing incurable
hemorrhage.
The judiciary, the only organ of the state that is functional, is being
continually indicted to render it inoperative. There is a villainous intent to
it this being the only way for the incumbent aberration to complete its
tenure, even go beyond. Every directive emanating from the apex court is
being dubbed as a challenge to the supremacy of the legislature. The edifice
of the state rests on inducing a fear syndrome of some invisible forces.
The reference filed by the president asking the SC to revisit the death
sentence awarded to ZA Bhutto, later executed by tyrant Zia, is a doubleedged weapon. While the SC may proceed with speed to undo an historical
wrong, it would instantly deprive the PPP leadership of the relevance of the
Sindh card that it has been brandishing wantonly since taking charge more
than three years ago. The injection of the ethnic vaccine in the conundrum
is bound to add further bite to the exploits of the ruling elite. Their
ravages have depleted the poor of their ability to survive. Weaving further
webs of deceit would soon deprive them of their right to life.
Next day, Ayaz Amir criticized his partys government in Punjab for
mishandling the young doctors. Excerpts from his column are reproduced:
Matters on the doctors front are still not past the point of no return. They are
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very much retrievable if, apart from the proviso of untreated iron in
bureaucratic necks, the Punjab government recognizes the following: (1)
young doctors are the backbone of health services across the country; (2) as
an overworked and underpaid community, they have genuine grievances and
their demands have struck a chord not only in the Punjab health service but in
that of other provinces as well; (3) the movement launched haphazardly by
the Young Doctors Association (YDA) represents a collective breaking point,
doctors simply fed up with their conditions of service and working
environment; (4) this movement has now arrived at a point where it cannot be
crushed by police methods; and (5) nowhere in the world is there a substitute
for trained doctors.
The Punjab provincial health department is purveying dangerous
nonsense when it says that it can handle the situation by replacing striking
doctors with freshly-inducted recruits from private medical colleges or basic
health units. This is the kind of unthinking arrogance which has led to this
crisis in the first place. Doctors are not bus drivers or sanitary workers. It
takes years of education and training to produce a medical officer from a
recognized institution, say, King Edward Medical College or Fatima Jinnah
Medical College.
Matters had been settled between the YDA and the CMs senior
adviser Zulfikar Khoso on March 31st, only a formal announcement
remaining to be made. It had been agreed that house officers would get a raise
of Rs12, 000 a month and other categories of doctors a raise of 20, 000 a
month. The CM was supposed to meet YDA reps and in their presence make
this announcement. What happened? Who sabotaged this move? Or was
untreated iron the problem again?
There are 22,500 doctors in the Punjab health service, of which 2,500
are house officers. The March 31st package if agreed upon Rs12,000 for
house officers and Rs20,000 for other categories would have had a
budgetary impact (I have the rough calculations) of roughly 5-6 billion
rupees. The police pay rise of two years ago had a budgetary impact of nine
billion rupees. The cost of road-building in Lahore alone involves huge sums,
many times more than what it would take to satisfy the doctors. No one puts
in longer hours than government doctors. And no work is more arduous than
theirs.
True, doctors have a bad image problem. Looking at the private
practice of senior doctors too many of us think doctors to be no better than
butchers and cutthroats. But the generality of doctors, those who keep health
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services going, is not like this. Theres also the larger point about the kind of
health service we want in this country. Pakistan is suffering a massive brain
drain, with some of our best doctors seeking greener pastures abroad. Come to
think of it, 4,000 Pakistani doctors went to Saudi Arabia last year; 2,000 more
are on the verge of going.
And why is Saudi Arabia looking for Pakistani doctors? Because
Indian doctors are returning to India, drawn by the higher salaries that doctors
now get there. What do we want to do with our health services? Do we want
to improve them, are we interested in keeping our best doctors here, or are we
closing our eyes to trends that spell ruin for the future of our health services?
Clearly, more is at stake than wounded pride or hurt feelings. This is a
time for leadership, for transcending pettiness of mind and spirit. And if
anyone has to show this leadership, it is the CM, the elected head of the
province. But theres no time to lose, for it is the public which is suffering.
Another point which may be kept in mind: Musharraf had his black coats and
he lived to rue the day he pushed them on the warpath. The PML-N can do
without the provinces white coats up in arms against it.
Dr Qaisar Rashid talked of HEC. Even in the light of the 18 th
Amendment, it is a moot point whether or not the HEC is a regulatory
authority established under a federal law in accordance with entry No 6 in
Part II of the Federal Legislative List. The HEC comes under the Council
of Common Interests under Article 154 (1), which reads: The Council shall
formulate and regulate policies in relation to matters in Part II of the Federal
Legislative List and shall exercise supervision and control over related
institutions.
The question is whether or not the HEC is an institution related to
the CCI because the CCI is related to resolutions disputes like distribution of
water among the provinces. Apparently, the HEC is not related to the CCI
because the division of the provincial funds (including those for education)
will take place under NFC awards. The CCI seems more related to that
distribution mechanism than to the HEC.
The 18th Amendment is silent on whether both the HEC and the
CCI assert relevance to certain entries given in part II of the Federal
Legislative List (like entry No 7 focusing on ...planning and coordination of
scientific and technological research and entry 12 focusing on standards in
institutions for higher education and research, scientific and technical

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institutions), which one should prevail over the other?

Under the 18th Amendment, Article 270-AA allows the legislature to
alter or amend the charter of the HEC through either an act of parliament or a
presidential ordinance to keep the HEC federal. The point is not whether
this can be done or not, but whether there is a will to do it.
Harris Khalique approved of governments decision to do away with
HEC. To think that HEC managers were somewhat divine visionaries and
were exceptionally superior to those running the resource constrained UGC
earlier will be a bit of a misconception. Nevertheless, the issues around
competitive standards and resource allocations have to be addressed by
provincial and federal governments. This can be done by creating a statutory
coordination and quality assurance mechanism including all stakeholders. It
is the right of the provinces to run their institutions and compete freely
in the job market and in the intellectual arena. They understand no less
the challenges posed by the present day and age.
Dr Muzaffar Iqbal commented: Wherever two Pakistanis are
sitting, there is endless talk about the dismal state of the country, the
corruption and incompetence of its politicians, and the unending intrigues
and political drama, but there is never a spark of hope. Perhaps, it is this lack
of hope that has hampered the Jasmine revolution, but then, Egypt was worse
in this respect. There, two whole generations had grown up without hope. So,
was it the intensity of their hopelessness that made change possible? Are
Pakistanis not sufficiently engulfed in darkness?
Revolutionaries must be clear about what they want. Let there be a
charter of minimum, non-negotiable demands with the top item being
regaining sovereignty. It should be written in bold letters: Henceforth, all
drone attacks will be responded to in kind.
Furthermore, all CIA operatives must leave the country within 36
hours. All politicians must declare their wealth to the public within 24 hours
and whatever is not declared should become public property and whatever is
declared should be scrutinized by an independent commission.
In addition, there should be a list of basic national problems for
which solutions must be found within a reasonable time by an
independent council of experts who should have the power to implement
solutions. On top of the list will be the energy crisis, which has been blamed
on corruption, poor planning, lack of resources and just about everything
else. However, there are ways to estimate demand for gas and electricity and
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all that the country needs is a transparent and fast track procedure to meet
this demand.
It will cost money, but money is not the problem here; the problem
is sheer incompetence and corruption. It has been claimed that if Pakistan
were to replace its old grid wires, there will be enough electricity to meet our
needs. And it has also been said that if Pakistans rulers were to stop their
extravagance, there will be enough money to overhaul this grid system.
In Egypt and Tunisia, Jasmine revolutions had strong technological
components: the internet and various social networking platforms. These
platforms were needed because of extreme political suppression; in Pakistan
these are likely to play a secondary role in the presence of relatively free
news media.
Those who started the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions were just
small youth groups; in Pakistan these can easily come into existence
through existing mechanisms and hence, objective analysis indicates that
the time is just right for a Jasmine revolution in Pakistan.
Pakistan has an abundance of educated youth. These young men and
women have great ideas and plans for a different kind of society. All that
this new generation lacks at this point is the initial ray of hope; someone
just needs to provide them that initial spark of hope and there will blossom a
spirit of change.
On 9th April, Babar Sattar commented on ZAB reference. In rendering
an opinion under Article 186, the Supreme Court will be limited to
addressing the question of law raised by the Zardari regime and hence unable
to take into account the factual controversies peculiar to the Bhutto murder
case. Critics argue that the Zardari regimes mala fide intent is apparent in
this choice of means, as it is incapable of serving the desired end. Given that
the Bhutto case cannot be reopened pursuant to a reference under Article
186, this course of action has been deliberately selected to undermine the
credibility of the apex court, argue that the judicial branch harbours an
ethnic bias, and present the NRO decision and other rulings against the
Zardari regime as a manifestation of such bias.
Notwithstanding the vile intent attributed to explain this move
(backed by evidence of the Zardari regimes readiness to play victim and use
the Sindh card every time it gets in trouble), there can be no principled
objection to finding legal ways to reopen the Bhutto case.
Bhutto might be a terrible man who couldnt stand dissent, had a
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feudal mindset and unleashed ruffians upon his critics. But Bhutto was not
tried for creating the FSF, getting his opponents molested or launching an
operation in Baluchistan. He was tried and hanged for the murder of one
man. The demand for reopening the Bhutto case rests on the argument that
his conviction was based on evidence insufficient to establish his
connection to the murder and the death sentence was disproportionate to
the alleged wrong he had committed.
If this contention is correct and there is evidence to establish that he
was wrongfully convicted, his legal heirs and supporters have a right to wash
the stigma of criminality attached to his name There is also nothing to
gainsay that courts make mistakes. The problem of wrongful convictions
and miscarriage of justice plagues legal systems around the world.
But it is not the courts alone that can ensure that the outcomes
produced by a legal system are just. The statutory provisions providing for
procedural and substantive justice, the law enforcement agencies and state
attorneys in charge of prosecution and the judges overseeing adjudication, all
contribute to the quality of justice produced. And thus, all three branches of
government the executive, the judiciary and the legislature are
responsible for judicial outcomes.
Every legal system strikes a balance between demands for swiftness,
accuracy, finality and fairness. Ours provides for a trial and then an appeal
process all the way up to the Supreme Court. It provides for a review of the
appellate decision. And once the judicial remedies have been exhausted, it
allows the head of the state to issue a pardon in exceptional
circumstances under Article 45 of the Constitution.
But the law at present allows the Supreme Court to review its
decision only once. In Mr Bhuttos case such review was granted and the
conviction upheld. Now the court cannot bend the law to undertake a second
review of the Bhutto case merely because he was a popular leader and the
party that he founded, now led by his son-in-law, is currently in power.
The claims of innocence of others who believe that they might
have been wrongfully convicted are no less worthy. What we therefore
need is an institutionalized mechanism to address the problem of inadvertent
miscarriage of justice that readjusts the existing balance between the safety
and finality of judicial outcomes
Sattar mentioned the circumstances in which trial was held and Dr
Nasim Hassan Shahs statement regarding the judgment and then concluded:
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The desire of the Zardari regime to reopen the Bhutto case can actually be
an opportunity to introduce a criminal cases review commission in
Pakistan through proper legislation, which can then be tasked to reassess
the Bhutto verdict and hundreds of others to determine if they caused
miscarriage of justice.
The Supreme Court, in response to the presidential reference, can
educate the federal government on the available legislative and institutional
options to introduce such a safety valve within our justice system without
impinging on the separation of powers and judicial independence. The
Zardari regime also has an opportunity to prove its critics wrong and use the
Article 186 process constructively, as a means to strengthen our criminal
justice system, as opposed to vilifying the judiciary.
Mumtaz Ali Bhutto wrote: We have just witnessed another festival on
Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhuttos death anniversary. I use the word festival
deliberately because what transpires at the family graveyard of this branch of
the Bhutto family, at Garhi Khuda Buksh, is nothing short of a political mela
which most of the visitors celebrate rather than mourn the occasion with the
solemnity and dignity that it deserves. This is not surprising since 90 percent
of ministers, senators, MNAs and MPAs who flock to the graveyard are those
who opposed Shaheed Bhutto in his lifetime and some even rejoiced at his
murder.
However, this time around, Zardari and his team have out done
themselves in submerging into the Bhutto ethos by filing a petition in the
Supreme Court for reopening the Bhutto murder case. The whole world
already treats Bhuttos hanging as judicial murder. This includes one of the
judges who passed the death sentence
But the real question Zardari is running away from is: After three
years of his rule, what have the people got? He may run but he cannot hide
from the answer that, the people have got nothing but uncontrolled
lawlessness, rampant corruption, non availability of basic amenities, a
shattered economy, no foreign policy except total submission to US
suzerainty and hollow claims of reforms which break down on scrutiny.
The essence of the current governmental strategy is to rule by
spreading corruption and keep the people entangled in chasing a buck
while the ship of the state is sinking. Even the fate of the Benazir Income
Support Scheme is dismal: Transparency International disclosed that in the
first year, out of the Rs90 billion earmarked for distribution, only Rs17
billion reached the people while the rest disappeared into deep pockets.
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Similarly, the first installment on the Watan Card got worn down from
Rs20,000 to Rs10,000 by the time it got to the intended beneficiaries.
The politicians, who are well entrenched at the banquet of
Reconciliation, are of course parties to the state of affairs and too full to
complain. Then there are those who are left out but living on hope. This is a
totally foreign made, backed and run government, they say, which has
been put in place by removing Shaheed Benazir from the scene.
The sponsoring powers will give full protection to this government
and not allow any change. Others say that any political upheaval now will
bring in the armed forces and another 10 years of military rule so we must
endure the remaining two years of the current agony until elections, with the
hope that it will be fair and free (fat chance).
There are even those who feel that the country is beyond
redemption as Zardari has conclusively destroyed all state institutions
and replaced honest and efficient officials with his jail mates and notoriously
corrupt bureaucrats to the extent that even NAB has been turned into a venue
of protection rather than punishment of the corrupt. So much so that it is now
the task of the Supreme Court to take suo moto notice and initiate action.
Next day, Asif Ezdi discussed the damages caused by the 18 th
Amendment, one of which was being felt now a day in the form of
devolution of HEC. He concluded: Whatever, Rabbani might claim, the 18 th
Amendment, of which he is the profound author, has achieved not so much
the devolution of powers to the provinces as the demolition of large parts of
the state of Pakistan. Last month, he received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz from
Zardari for his pains. Rabbanis award was well-deserved, but for services
performed in a field very different from the promotion of constitutional
democracy; being the countrys most diligent demolition man.
Ahmed Quraishi opined: No other democracy in the world allows its
elected representatives to maintain bank accounts and conduct local politics
abroad, in Dubai and London. There are also the falling standards of personal
integrity of Pakistani politicians. Our democratic warriors include thieves,
looters, credit card thieves, rape suspects, and even accomplices to
murder and to burying women alive in the name of honour (at least in one
case). Lastly, the Pakistani political system is now structured to stifle the
emergence of new faces and ideas.
We cannot rely on time to heal these major flaws in our political
system. The culprits will not step forward to correct themselves and these
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flaws will damage the state. We are already on the path of slow suicide. The
only solution is extra-constitutional intervention by the people and the
judiciary to force change onto a dying political system. Such an
intervention has enabled the Egyptian people, for example, to force changes
in their constitution and political system to root out incompetence and allow
for fresh faces and ideas.

REVIEW
On 1st April, PPP MPAs from Sindh came from Karachi to Islamabad
as part of the plan to play Sindh Card. They wore Sindhi caps and ajraks,
just to ensure that they might not be mistaken as Pakistanis. They did not
hesitate in complaining about the bias of judiciary against Sindh and
threatened not to tolerate it any more.
Will the contempt notice lead to punishing habitual offenders for a
change or will it be yet another self-humiliating act? This depends on the
judges as to how much ridicule they can absorb. Perhaps, it is not mere
capacity to tolerate the insult; judges seemed to have been intimidated by
the threat of dire consequences of Sindh Card.
Swarming of the Supreme Court by PPP MPAs from Sindh was
certainly an obscene display of Sindh Card. It was Scoundrels way of
showing force to deter miscreants just as army organizes flag-marches
when called in aid of civil power. Army units do it to deter unknown
miscreants, but Zardari did it right in front the building where the suspected
trouble makers were sitting.
As already said the presidential reference for reopening of Zulfikar Ali
Bhuttos case is part of the Sindh Card game. The reference has been sent to
the Supreme Court on the pretext that the judges then had given the verdict
under pressure of a military dictator. There may be evidence supporting this
argument but merits and demerits of reopening this case needed to be
debated.
The most important aspect of the reference is the motive behind it. It
is not the one Zardari had announced while addressing the party gathering at
the shrine of ZAB, i.e. to wash the black spot from the face of Judiciary.
The evil design behind this move is to spray more blackness over that face.
The Judiciary of that time has been blamed for giving a wrong
decision under pressure of a military dictator. The exertion of pressure on
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judges has not been confined to that period alone. The judges have been
under pressure before and after that; and the ugliest form of pressure has
been exerted by the present regime.
The pressure to secure conviction ZAB was bad, but he deserved the
fate he met because of crimes he had committed against his political
opponents and the role he played in breaking up Pakistan. On the other hand,
the present regime has been exerting pressure to get acquittal of Zardari and
his gang who have committed crimes serially.
The pressure exerted by Zia may not have had the grace of a military
dictator, but the pressure now being exerted by Zardari regime on Judiciary
has definite touch of a scoundrel. The experience of people of Pakistan tells
that military dictators, like lions hunt, kill by choking and occasionally
growl while eating. Politicians are like hyenas, they hunt and start eating the
prey alive and make lot of noise while eating, perhaps this is a way to relish
a free feast.
Quite ironically, the reference has been a brain child of Law Minister,
Babar Awan, the man who had celebrated the hanging of ZAB by
distributing sweets in Rawalpindi District Bar. He drafted, processed and
filed the reference, according to him, to correct a historic wrong.
Without taking cognizance of other factors, the Babar factor alone
proved that the reference was not meant for undoing any wrong, but to
commit more wrongs to target Judiciary, which somehow has been treated as
main adversary of Zardari regime. It is not filed for the love or grief for
ZAB. In fact, it would remind the people of many sins that the founderfather of PPP had committed and had remained unaccounted for.
The timing of the reference reflected the sinister motive behind it. The
Supreme Court has scheduled hearing of important cases of NRO, 18 th
Amendment, contempt of court and others in the weeks to come. This
reference will be used to divert public attention away from the sins of the
man who now heads ZABs party.
In case the apex court dared dispensing justice and upholding the
cause of rule of law, this reference will facilitate effective play of Sindh
Card. This in turn will help defaming the Judiciary by hurling accusations of
bias and prejudices against politicians from Sindh.
This will also revive the sympathy vote as next elections are nearing.
That was why it was timed just before the Urs of ZAB when jiyals and

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jiyalsi turn majawars and congregate in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh and Zardari as
Gaddi-nashin oversees the conduct of annual ritual.
There were other events which deserved to be commented upon.
Victory of Owais Leghari in bye-elections indicated two ground realities.
One; the claim that media has brought significant change in political
awareness of the people was proved wrong. Two; if PML-N has performed
so badly against PML-Q candidate, it is unlikely to improve its political
standing in the next election.
Those who want positive and meaningful change through ballot have
lot to do as in the rural areas the feudal hold on voters is intact. Similarly,
PML-N too has to rethink its strategy and come out with new ideas rather
than sticking to reactive approach if it has to compete with PPP and host of
other political forces.
It has to go beyond sasti roti scheme which was initiated in reaction to
BISP. It has served no useful purpose; both schemes have wasted more than
Rs120 billion. BISP may have consolidated PPPs vote bank, but the billions
spent on sasti roti have simply been burnt into tanoors without bringing any
relief to masses or adding to the popularity of the party.
The young doctors remained on strike for more than five weeks. Their
demands were genuine but the extent to which they went to get those
demands accepted by the government was not correct. The same was true for
provincial government which showed undue arrogance and secretary health
was blamed by the most observers and even by the LHC.
The policy followed by Irsa is the same as gas load shedding in
Punjab; the latter was meant to damage industry in Punjab and the former
has similar design for agriculture sector. Irsa turned down the request of
Punjab to fill Mangla Dam and a few days later it informed the federal
government that water in Tarbela Dam would fall to dead level in a day or
two and urged construction of more dams. This hardly needs any
commentary.
The devolution of HEC is part of the regimes doctrine of
democracy is the best revenge. This revenge is two-fold: one, to punish
HEC for the role it played during the issue of fake degrees verification; two,
to scrounge the funds and foreign aid provided to HEC.
11th April 2011

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MALIGNING MULLEN
The brave commando after he had surrendered on a long distance call
was rewarded with the title of most favoured non-NATO ally for the country
he ruled. He had not yet enjoyed the favours when quietly the sticker of AfPak was pasted on his country and the US started pulling the rug from under
his feet by fooling him through NRO deal.
The implications of the Af-Pak title now stand completely revealed.
The most favoured non-NATO ally finds itself in the rank and file of
enemies of the Crusaders, or in other words in the line of fire. How
prophetic was the brave commando in naming his book.
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Having equated Pakistan with Afghanistan, the US media now urge its
government to once again tell Pakistan that you are either with us or against
us. Maligning Mullen came to Islamabad to announce that some Pakistanbased groups are not only threats to the US and India but also to the global
peace.
Amid the onslaught of allegations and accusations by its strategic
partner Pakistan made a self-assuring move in which Gilani and Kayani
visited Kabul to find indigenous solution to the problem both countries
faced because of the intimate company of their master from other side of the
globe. The optimists saw it as silver-lining in the looming dark cloud.

NEWS
In Pakistan, gunmen wounded two persons in Jamrud on 10th April.
Two LI commander were killed in Khyber Agency. Seven militants were
killed in a clash with security forces in Swat. Mastermind of twin blasts in
DG Khan was arrested from Bajaur Agency. One soldier was killed and five
wounded in attack on a convoy in Mohmand Agency.
Next day, jetfighters and gunship helicopters continued bombing
targets in Mohmand Agency. Two more militants were held on lead from the
suicide bomber in DG Khan. DG ISI left for Washington where reportedly
he met CIA chief and demanded end to drone attack and reduction in CIA
activities in Pakistan. He then cut short his meeting and returned.
Munter acknowledged that Raymond case had damaged Pak-US
bilateral relations. Speaking in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar asked the
government as to why the man who played key role in securing release of
Raymond was given extension.
On 12th April, five militants were killed in Kurram Agency and two
were arrested. Two persons were wounded when rocket fell at their house
near Hangu. Four militants were held in Peshawar and Major Zia was buried
ceremoniously but when, where and how was he killed was not reported in
the media, obviously he died in waging Crusades which has been adopted by
Pakistani rulers. Militants kidnapped three persons in Bara. Eight militants
were killed and six suspects were held in Mohmand Agency. State
Department said number of diplomats in Pakistan was not being reduced.
On 13th April, six people were killed and seven wounded in drone
attack in South Waziristan; only a day after DG ISI had gone to Washington
to request ending such attacks. Leader of the Opposition asked Prime
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Minister to tell the Parliament the mandate with which DG ISI had gone to
Washington. Prime Minister said his government would force its American
friends to end these attacks through other friends. However, strong protest
was launched with US over the attack and US vowed to continue attacks
despite protests.
Political administration arrested 70 tribesmen, including 58
Khassadars as collective punishment for abduction of FWO contractors in
FR Tank. A suicide bomber was held in Gujranwala. The Supreme Court
directed all the four provincial secretaries and Interior Minster to appraise it
about the actions taken to recover missing persons; court adjourned for four
weeks. US Admiral warned Lashkar-e-Taiba was expanding to Europe and
Asia-Pacific. US team began investigation into misuse of funds provided
under Kerry-Lugar Law.
Next day, COAS visited North Waziristan. PML-N staged walkout
from National Assembly to protest governments silence over drone attacks.
According to HRW 957 people were killed in drone attacks last year. DG ISI
visited France and Turkey on his way back from Washington.
TTP commander was held in Hangu. Asma Jahangir, during visit to
Swat, vowed to raise the issue of extra-judicial killings. At least 22 militants
were killed and 25 wounded in a clash in Mohmand Agency; two soldiers
were also killed and ten wounded. French and Pakistani sources disclosed
the arrest of two French terrorists in Lahore a few weeks ago; they are linked
to international network. Thirty illegal Pakistani workers were held in
Britain.
On 15th April, two soldiers and three militants were killed in a clash in
Kurram Agency. Three militants were held in Kohat. Pro-government elder
was among four wounded in two incidents in Mohmand Agency. DG ISI
briefed COAS about his visit to the US.
Wall Street Journal basing on an opinion poll said Pakistan needed to
be given an ultimatum of the kind it was given immediately after 9/11. CIA
no more trusted ISI and Zardari having allowed increase in drone strikes yet
it resorts to cheap form of politics by complaining about attacks publicly to
shore up its waning popularity.
The US declared that the CIA wont halt operations in Pakistan. Malik
asked international allies to stop flow of terrorists into tribal areas. Shahbaz
urged rejection of aid under Kerry-Lugar Law to prove not purchasable and
this would end drone attacks.

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Next day, The New York Times reported that CIA doesnt need help
from ISI as CIA has established its network in last two years for carrying out
drone attacks. EU rebuked Pakistan for going slow on Taliban. Western
media once again started accusing Pakistan of smuggling nuclear industry
goods. Imtiaz Safdar Warriach said Shahbazs statement about drone attacks
was bigger than his status and he accused Sharif Brothers of releasing
Raymond.
On 17th April, Rehman Malik said even F-16 cannot bring down US
drones. Ansarul Islam said Mangal Bagh has fled to Afghanistan. Eight dead
bodies of young men were found dumped in an abandoned well near
Nowshera reportedly they deceased were Chechens killed by strangulation,
but DCO denied. In pursuance of intercepts, 70 suspects were held in
crackdown in Rawalpindi. Police arrested 18 HT activists protesting against
the US for interfering in Pakistan. Authorities released 134 Afghans from
Turbat Jail. Dr Aafias sister claimed that Pakistan Embassy had threatened
her lawyers.
Next day, three security personnel were wounded in roadside bombing
near Bannu. Two militants were killed in factional fighting in Tirrah Valley.
Two militants were killed and a soldier wounded in a clash in Mohmand
Agency; thirty unidentified dead bodies were buried. KPK Assembly passed
a resolution against drone attacks. US print media quoted Zardari blaming
Pakistan Army for playing double game. While responding to the queries of
Nisar, Gilani defended ISI chiefs visit to the US. Dr Farrukh Saleem noted
that Pak-US talks were not proceeding well.
On 19th April, At least 12 people were killed in a clash between
Laskar-e-Islami fighters and Zakakhel tribesmen. Munter called on Zardari
to discuss matters of mutual interest. Parliamentary Committee on National
Security recommended suspension of NATO supplies in reaction to drone
attacks. Imran mulled moving International Court against drone attacks. The
Senate Committee was informed that a NATO container paid Rs450 only
and Pakistan suffered loss of Rs700 billion in Afghan Transit Trade annually.
Next day, a civilian and eight militants were killed in exchange of fire
with security forces. A civilian and three militants were killed in action in
Darra Adamkhel. Two persons were shot dead by militants in Mohmand
Agency. Nisar assailed the government for drone attacks. OPML-N walked
out of National Assembly raising anti-Zardari and anti-US slogans.
Mullen arrived in Islamabad and announced that some elements in
ISI were still in contact with Haqqani group and supporting it which is
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unacceptable to the US because this group threatens lives of American

soldiers Afghanistan. He also declared that Lashkar-e-Taiba isnt a threat to
India only; it is a threat to international community. He later met General
Wynne and the former was told that drone attacks were not acceptable.
On 21st April, eight kidnapped tribesmen were found dead in Kurram
Agency. An Afghan lashkar comprising several hundred armed men attacked
in Lower Dir killing, wounding and kidnapping many FC and Levies
personnel; however death of only two personnel and injury to seven was
confirmed. Rail track was blown up near Nawabshah. Shamsi Air base was
taken back from CIA and US Forces. US agreed to give Pakistan 85 minidrones. Kayani visited Mohmand Agency and rejected US notion of not
doing enough. JI urged the government to reject allegations leveled by
Mullen.
Next day, five children and four women were among 25 killed in
drone attack in North Waziristan and ten more were wounded. Five militants
were killed in shelling by gunship helicopters in Orakzai Agency. Ten people
were killed in factional fighting in Khyber Agency. Sixty-two militants
surrendered in Mohmand Agency. Salman Bashir, during his meeting with
Grossman, said drone attacks were proving counter-productive. JI demanded
troops pullout from tribal areas. On the eve of scheduled two-day sit-in of
PTI to block NATO supplies in Peshawar the regime stopped NATO
containers and oil tankers in Punjab till 24th April.
On 23rd April, Kayani addressed PMA passing out parade and assured
the nation that the Army was aware of the threats to the country and urged
the people to trust the soldiers. He claimed that backbone of terrorists has
been broken and Pakistan would prevail over this menace.
Imran Khan led sit-in in Peshawar against drone attacks in tribal areas.
He vowed that Pakistanis wont be dictated by the US and warned the rulers
to respect aspirations of the people or be prepared to meet fate of rulers of
Tunisia and Egypt. He also threatened of a march onto Islamabad.
Toll in drone attack reached 27. Six militants were killed by security
forces in Orakzai Agency. Police arrested 25 suspected militants in Dera
Ismail Khan. A prominent pro-government tribal elder was among five
people killed in suicide attack in Salarzai area of Bajaur Agency. Hafiz
Saeed rejected the charge of Mullen against Lashkar-e-Taiba.
In Afghanistan, three tribal elders were killed in road-side bombing
near Herat on 10th April. Next day, fifty Taliban surrendered in Kandahar. In

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Pakistan, Munter said 2014 is not the year of withdrawal of occupation

forces; the US would not leave Afghanistan like the Soviet Union. It would
ensure Iraq-like steps to safeguard American interests.
On 12th April, three children were killed and four women and children
wounded in cross-fire between militants and troops in the north; occupation
forces claimed killing several insurgents. According to a report 1,424
American soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001; the figure is
almost three times more than that given by defence department.
Next day, ten people were killed in suicide attack in Kunar Province.
Pakistan sought record of containers related to transit trade from Afghan
government. On 14th April, three policemen were killed in suicide attack in
Paktia Province. Hillary warned against hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Next day, police chief of Kandahar was killed along with two bodyguards in
suicide attack.
On 16th April, Prime Minister, Defence Minister, COAS and DG ISI
held meetings with their Afghan counterparts in Kabul. Both sides agreed to
form Peace and Reconciliation Commission at foreign ministers level which
will be answerable to both the prime ministers. The commission will boost
joint efforts with Taliban. Gilani said the US was on board.
Afghan government wasnt willing to share information related to
Rs20 billion loss in Afghan transit trade cargo scam. A suicide bomber in
army uniform hit an army base in Laghman Province killing nine, including
five ISAF soldiers.
On 17th April, three NATO soldiers were killed in bomb blast in
southern Afghanistan. Gilani said if Pakistan failed the US would also fail.
Marian Baabar reported that the US was not taken into confidence about the
Gilani-led teams visit to Kabul. Next day, two people were killed in suicide
bombing in Defence Ministrys building in Kabul and seven policemen were
killed in another suicide attack in Ghazni. Ten Iranian engineers were among
15 kidnapped in Farah Province and police detained 25 Pakistanis in Zehri
district of Kandahar.
On 20th April, Mariana Baabar reported US admitted that there was no
military solution to Afghan situation and endorsed up-gradation of PakAfghan Peace and Reconciliation Commission. Two days later, 14 militants
were killed in Paktika and four policemen were killed and two wounded in
roadside bombing in the south. Five Pakistanis were killed in roadside
bombing in Spin Boldak. ISAF claimed successes and said Taliban leaders

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were hiding in Pakistan. On 23rd April, one Coalition soldier was killed in
helicopter crash.
Hussain Haqqani said on 10th April, terrorists did not want
improvement in Pakistans relations with India. Next day, India freed 39
Pakistani prisoners. On 11th April, Rehman Malik held one-to-one meeting
with Shahid Afridi during dinner hosted by Gilani in honour of cricket team
and only a day after Afridi had bitterly criticized Indians for their attitude
towards Pakistan. Gilani praised the team for being instrumental in revival
of Indo-Pak relations.
On 14th April, Pakistan handed over 89 fishermen to India. On 14 th
April, Pakistani diplomat was shot and wounded in Katmandu. Next day,
India handed over Samjhota Express report to Pakistan. The report has been
tampered with before giving to Pakistan; the main accused who had
confessed acting on instructions of an Indian serving colonel has retracted
from that in his statement included in the report.
On 19th April, Pakistan successfully tested short-range surface-tosurface nuclear-capable Hatf-IX missile using multi-tube launcher. Next day,
India offered cheap electricity to Pakistan. On 22nd April, Maharashtras antiterror investigative body admitted that it had manipulated investigations to
frame innocent Muslims while probing into bombing in German Bakery,
Pune; the Muslims so held were falsely implicated as militants of Lashkar-eTaiba. Next day, Rehman Malik said enough evidence has been collected
about masterminds of Mumbai attacks and he hoped the court would convict
the accused persons.
PML-N leader was gunned down in Khuzdar on 12 th April. Railway
track was blown up near Jacobabad; train movement was suspended. The
Supreme Court asked chief secretary to submit report on law and order
situation in Balochistan. Next day, the court observed Punjabis and Sindhis
were being killed in Balochistan and number of missing persons was
increasing day by day. The court vowed to take action against agencies if
evidence found. Justice Raja Fayyaz asked why the government was not
taking up missing persons case in Parliament.
On 16th April, main gas pipeline was blown up near Dera Bugti. On
18th April, two security personnel were killed in landmine blast near Dukki.
Two Punjabi labourers were held in Quetta. COAS visited Gwadar and
announced that Sui and Gwadar cantonments would be handed over to FC.
He also said that the things in Balochistan wont improve without

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contribution from Chief Minister. Later he promised to establish Army

Medical College in Quetta.
On 19th April, dead body of an abducted doctor was found near
Quetta. Four people were wounded in two blasts in Dera Bugti area. On 23 rd
April, two policemen were wounded in grenade attack in Mastung and one
person was killed in landmine blast near Dera Murad Jamali.

VIEWS
On 13th April, The News commented on bilateral relations between
Pakistan and the US. There appears to be much mending of fences as the
dust begins to settle on the Raymond Davis affair. After a fortnight spent in
his home country, Ambassador Cameron Munter was back and speaking to
the media. He called for a policy of renewal after what he described as a
period of acute problems and was clearly doing his best to turn a threat into
an opportunity. Unfortunately communal memory is rarely in step with
diplomatic requirements. We may be a large aid recipient that America gives
money to in support of its foreign policies, but there is a deep and abiding
suspicion of America at every level of society and it is difficult to say that all
of it is unfounded. That suspicion is sometimes manifest as outright hatred.
To say that America has an image problem in Pakistan understates the case
by several orders of magnitude.
Creating a countervailing narrative to that which currently pertains is
an uphill job for America, and Cameron Munters speech was long on
emollients and platitudes and short on anything new or insightful. It is
going to be some time before there is business as usual between us and the
US, and there is going to have to be a significant diminution in the numbers
of covert operatives or private contractors, and those that are here of
necessity need to have their diplomatic status defined with crystal clarity
before they set foot on our streets. We are going to need to see fewer drone
strikes and preferably no drone strikes at all. There need to be joint
operations at every level. For Munter to say that he was more optimistic
about our relations today than when he came to Pakistan, suggests that he
has little or no contact with the average Pakistani. It is that fundamental
disconnect that needs addressing, because without it the mindset of a
majority of the population is going to remain unshakeable, unchanged.
The dust may be settling on the Davis affair but the wounds it has left
are going to take years to heal and for some they never will. It may prove to
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be the single most damaging incident to US/Pakistan relations for decades.

The directors of our intelligence services and the head of the CIA have met
in the US to continue the repair work, although their meeting seemed
strangely truncated and our man returned home after twenty-four hours, with
silence on all sides as to the nature and content of their discussion. No
matter how damaged relations may be, a stark truth remains. We need
America, and America is just as needy of us but in a different way. American
dollars may keep us afloat, but our cooperation across a range of military
and intelligence matters floats the American boat as well. But this is no love
marriage, instead a marriage of convenience. And it is going to need a lot
more than a soft-centred speech by Mr Munter to smooth what remains a
rocky road.
Next day, Dave Lindorff observed: Pakistan has privately
demanded that the CIA halt the drone strikes and pull out most of the CIA
and special forces personnel operating in the country. But by the end of the
article, we learn that the country is requesting a halt to attacks by the US
on its own territory and people. But odder is this notion that because the
CIA is a covert agency, its operations dont need Pakistans support
under US law. Excuse me for asking, but what exactly does US law have to
do with whether or not the CIA needs another governments support for it to
operate in that country legally?
Somehow were at a point where even journalists and editors in the
US accept without question the notion that the US is somehow free to run
military operations anywhere it wants, to kill civilians with impunity, and to
ignore demands not just of foreign governments but of the people of entire
nations, at will, and that the issue is not whether CIA and special forces
activity in a foreign country is legal in that country, but whether it is legal
under US law. This is the definition of imperialism. Its what I remember
reading about how the Roman Legions behaved in the lands they occupied.
This whole sordid tale in Pakistan came to light because of the
outrageous actions of one CIA operative, Raymond Davis, who was arrested
and charged with two murders after he slaughtered two young men,
apparently operatives of Pakistans ISI, on a busy Lahore boulevard. For all
the US hyperventilating against Shariah law in Muslim countries, it was by
applying Pakistans Shariah Law on the use of death payments to victims
families that the US got Davis sprung.
But he was not freed before virtually everyone in Pakistan had begun
calling for his trial and execution, and not before it became clear that he, and
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the rest of the US spy army in Pakistan, was actually involved in subverting
civil authority in that country. There will eventually come a day of
reckoning for this kind of imperial over-reaching.
Already, the US is losing its war in Afghanistan, largely because its
imperial legions treat the whole Afghan population either as the enemy, or as
obstacles in the way of its killing machine. Already the US is finally being
pushed out of Iraq (another war lost). And things arent looking that great
even for Americas latest imperial adventure in the little country of Libya.
In fact, as our vast and unprecedented expensive military bankrupts
the nation, we may someday even find our own country being overrun by the
armed agents of other lands, with their robotic aircraft bombing our helpless
citizenry. When it does finally come to pass, we will have only our own
imperial hubris to blame.
Taj M Khattak wrote: After the latest slump, the White House has
issued a 38-page report to Congress which is an indictment on Pakistan
but accepts virtually no responsibility on what increasingly looks like 3-D
model of conflicting US policies and incoherence in Afghanistan and
Pakistan. Consider: if the CIA has ownership of drones and spies like
Raymond Davis, the State Department pushes the nuclear deal with India but
opposes the same deal with Pakistan and the Pentagon manages the United
States Afghan policy in Kabul at the macro level, thus widening mistrust
between Pakistan and the US, why then put the onus of the failures entirely
on Pakistan?
The report ignores Pakistans national interests, or they are not
given sufficient importance. If the US has clarity on achievable war
objectives in Afghanistan, they may be known to a few in Washington and
the information is not shared with Pakistan.
It is evident that through its heavy-handed policies, US is only
interested in lowering militancy threat level on the Afghan side till its
drawdown commences and least concerned with any proportionate decrease
on this side of the border. Pakistan had been left holding the baby in the
past and is unlikely to be fooled so easily this time around. The US
makes much of the $8 billions aid and Coalition Support Fund but is
insensitive to a nearly $80 billions hit to our economy.
In response to the White House report the Congress panels
recommendations contained little that was new. It cited the usual differences
between the US and Pakistan on their threat perceptions which are adversely

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affecting operations against extremists. It has also alleged that Pakistans

military establishment has links with banned outfits.
India and Pakistan have fought three destructive wars and were on
the verge of conflict on at least two other occasions. Any country which has
dismembered another through use of force would be a threat by any
definition of the word and India fits that bill. Neither the US nor India has
any interest in a forward movement towards permanent peace in the
region. If this is not a threat situation and the US sees it differently, then so
be it.
What is one to make of the US withdrawal from four bases in
Nuristan on the border with Pakistan which left the north-eastern province
as a safe haven for the Taliban-led insurgency to orchestrate local battles?
This had a direct negative impact on the Pakistani armys operations as
militants from Afghanistan infiltrated into Mohmand and Bajaur to help the
Pakistani Taliban under siege.
Al-Jazeeras footage of Taliban fighters brandishing US weapons has
not been denied either. How is the US administration going to explain to the
families of its perished soldiers that not only is the US involved in
Afghanistan for all the wrong reasons but has also supplied insurgents
with weapons to kill their sons and daughters serving in this godforsaken
country? Is there any surprise, then, as to why its frustratedsoldiers are
killing innocent Afghan civilians at random as reported recently by the
German magazine Der Spiegel?
The congressmens panel report has asked President Obama to
abandon Pakistan and embrace India which, according to Congress, is
emerging as the brightest light in South Asia. They have conveniently
forgotten that the US has never really embraced anyone in the true sense of
the word. It has only used countries along the way and then dumped them
when they are no longer required. The Indians are too sharp not to
understand this.
Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir would soon be on his way to patch
up a floundering relationship. A relationship which is cozy today and in
the doldrums tomorrow can hardly be helpful or strategic in nature.
One hopes he can successfully plead Pakistans case for convergence and not
divergence of long-term interests between the two countries.
If not, it might be appropriate to move away from this fractured
close relationship to a normal one. The strategic relationship is a
misnomer and cannot take us anywhere if we are looking in different
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directions. We need to focus our energies on improving relations with our

neighbours in the region. To be sure, there will be economic difficulties in
the beginning as we move away from the US orbit. The Chinese didnt give
up opium in a single day. Our addiction to foreign aid too will take a while
to go away. The Y junction on the road ahead and out of the US embrace
may well be a blessing in disguise.
On 15th April, M Saeed Khalid observed: The Americans are
frustrated over what they consider a less than enthusiastic attitude of
our army. They want it to adopt a still more vigorous approach towards the
indigenous Taliban. This aggravated further the resentment caused by
Washingtons public exhortations to Pakistan for it to do more, although its
army already finds itself overstretched in its struggle to curb extremist
elements involved in an armed jihad against the infidels and those who
support them.
On the other hand, Pakistan has its own concerns regarding the
United States designs in the region. Foremost among these is the worry
that Americas staying power in Afghanistan is limited while the Taliban can
live with the hope of fighting another day. And when that day comes, with
Americas power already waning, the plausible permutations of forces
within Afghanistan do not give reasons for hope as far as Pakistans strategic
interests are concerned. And yet Washingtons tilt towards India in
pursuance of Americas vital security and economic interests grows
unabated. These two factors are sufficient to understand Islamabads
skepticism about the United States commitment to Pakistan beyond
Afghanistan.
The United States is keen to forge a strong civil nuclear partnership
with India. At the same time, it appears to be trying to undermine the supply
of Chinese nuclear power plants to Pakistan and obstruct the development of
a gas supply link with Iran. These are policies which have greatly damaged
Americas standing in Pakistan. The proverbial last straw was the decision of
President Barack Obama to exclude Pakistan from his trip to this region and
then criticizing Pakistan during his visit to India last year.
Given this background, it was something of an exaggeration for
Ambassador Cameron Munter to claim during his talk at the Institute of
Strategic Studies in Islamabad on Monday that Pakistan-US relations were
strong. He also said that, despite the problems these relations encounter,
he was optimistic about their future. Disagreeing with those in America
who belittle Washingtons relationship with Islamabad, Munter described
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both India and Pakistan as Americas friends, and concluded by emphasizing

that both relationships were important to the US. Another interesting remark
Munter made was that the US wanted Pakistan and India to become strong
friends and Washington was persistently making efforts for the realization of
that goal
The media can reflect on Munters remarks in their own time. But
there is no doubt about the growing trend of Pakistani media highlighting the
decline in this countrys relations with the United States. In doing so, the
media overlooks the positive elements. Munters claim that the Fulbright
programme for Pakistan was on way to becoming the largest in the world
has not produced any headlines. It is left to the readers to think about the
many facets of Pakistan-US cooperation which are not newsworthy but may
be producing deeply beneficial effects for the country.
Next day, The News commented on reported irregularities in BISP.
We are told that the president had been briefed about the appointments. He
obviously thought it unnecessary to interfere. This is hardly surprising given
the conduct of the top PPP leadership on a whole range of similar matters.
The reality is that corruption has become endemic, infiltrating every
nook and cranny of our country. What is worse still is that those who attempt
to thwart it, or at least refuse to indulge in wrongdoings themselves, are
punished like the officer who declined to assist with the appointments.
The failure of top officials to react, even with embarrassment, when
such deeds are exposed, makes matters worse still. Conscience everywhere
appears to be diminishing rapidly. The BISP is a programme intended to
help the poorest of the poor. Instead, like so much else, it seems to have
become a way to benefit the powerful and allow them to buy over cronies in
all kinds of places and win favours by offering bribes. Other programmes, it
seems, are being taken along that same road by those responsible for running
them. We must be thankful that in this case, as a result of reporting and the
actions of an officer, a crime has been prevented. But in other places,
malpractice of all kinds continues. It is possible that some of it goes
unnoticed despite the vigilance of the media and also the courts. This is
nothing less than a true tragedy which affects all of us adversely,
highlighting the sorry plight of our nation.
On 17th April, Najam Sethi commented on Pakistans civil and
military leaders double speak on drone attacks. Maj Gen Ghayur Mehmud,
GOC 7th Div North Waziristan, did not mince words in his printed brief
Myths and Rumours about US Predator Strikes handed out to journalists
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from his command post in the area. He made two main points: (1) A
majority of those killed by drone strikes are hardcore Taliban or Al Qaeda
elements, especially foreigners, while civilian casualties are few. (2) But
by scaring local populations and compelling displacement through
migration, drone attacks create social and political blowbacks for law
enforcement agencies. Obviously, the first consequence is good and
welcome as part of the national solution strategy and the second is
problematic and should be minimized because it creates local problems of
a tactical nature.
Gen Mehmud hasnt been fired or reprimanded. This means he had
the green signal from the GHQ To be sure, the tactical issues are not
insignificant. The Pakistani military would dearly love to own some
Predators or at least have a measure of command and control over
them, so the demand is worth making publicly all the time even though it
routinely falls on deaf American ears for obvious reasons, this devastating
technology isnt available to any state except Israel.
Similarly, the Pakistan military would like to have a critical advance
say on the choice of drone targets so that hardcore Al-Qaeda elements and
foreigners noted by Gen Ghayur are usefully targeted but some Pakistani
assets among the Quetta Shura of Mullah Omer, Gulbudin Hekmatyars
Hizbe Islami and Siraj Haqqanis Taliban network are spared for long-term
application in Afghanistan. Disagreement with the Americans over this
particular issue compels military spokespersons to blow hot (in public)
and cold (in front of the Americans) over all drone strikes.
Sometimes, when it gets uncomfortably hot under the collar, then
General Ashfaq Kayani has to weigh in for public consumption as he
did recently when, the day after Raymond Davis was freed (courtesy ISI)
amidst howls of protest from the media, a drone strike killed over 40 pro and
anti-military tribesmen in a jirga for local conflict resolution in FATA.
Pakistan and America have some strategic interests in common, like
eliminating al-Qaeda from Waziristan. But there are disagreements about
who is a good Taliban and who is not. This is not strange at all. The
answer to this question will determine who will rule or share power in
Afghanistan in the next five years and who will not. It will also have a
bearing on Afghanistans strategic and tactical allies in the neighbourhood in
the future India or Pakistan. Therefore Pakistans military, which loves to
hate India even as America is itching to embrace India, believes it cannot

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shrug away any openings or opportunities for leveraging its concerns and
interests.
This perspective explains how the Raymond Davis case was handled
(exploited) by the ISI and the import of DG-ISIs recent dash to Washington
for a meeting with the CIA chief. The ISI wants greater tactical
input/output into CIA operations in Pakistan (to protect its strategic
assets at home like the Lashkar-e-Tayba and the Haqqani network) even as it
strategically allows the US to operate drones and run special agents freely
from two bases in Pakistan where visas and landing rights are not an issue.
Who knows how many Americans land or take off from these bases, how
many carry weapons and what they do in their bulletproof SUVs when they
cruise the length and breadth of Pakistan?
Under the circumstances, the DG-ISIs request in Langley was
about reposing trust in joint operations rather than any overt threat to
deny existing facilities and rights. The US has responded with a drone strike
in South Waziristan which is supposed to be strictly out of bounds. This
signals its intention to remain focused on the Taliban and al-Qaeda even as it
considers Gen Pashas request for greater sensitivity to Pakistans needs
and interests. No more, no less.
A recent editorial in The Wall Street Journal, a pro-US establishment
paper, sums up the American position bluntly So its time for Pakistans
military leaders to make up their minds and deal with its consequences.
They must be upfront with America because its a greatly beneficial
friend to have and a deadly enemy to make and honest with Pakistanis
because theyre not stupid and can eventually see through duplicity, as
they did in the Raymond Davis case.
The military cannot forever hunt with America and run with an
anti-American Pakistani public they have helped to create. They cannot
instruct the DG-ISPR in Islamabad to convey the impression of tough
talking in Langley while asking the GOC 7 Division in Waziristan to give a
realistic brief to the media about the critical benefits of drone strikes amidst
all the myths and rumours of their negativity. This double-dealing confuses
the public, annoys a strategic partner, and discredits the military all round
when it is exposed.
More significantly, it makes it difficult for Pakistanis to swallow the
hard realities and the harder decisions necessary to change them for the sake
of the states survival and the nations growth. The duality or contradiction
in the militarys private and public position vis a vis its relationship with
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civilians in Pakistan and its relationship with America is a direct

consequence of two inter-related factors: First, the militarys threat
perception of Indias rising military capability, and second, its fear of losing
control over India-centred national security policy to the civilians who are
keen to start the process of building permanent peace in the region, thereby
diluting the militarys pre-eminent role in Pakistans polity
The militarys policy of renting itself out to America for its own sake
and also complaining about it at the same time for the sake of the Pakistani
public is clearly bankrupt. Isnt it time, therefore, to consider a different
paradigm, one in which conflict resolution and peace with India deliver an
economic dividend that can be reaped by all in an environment free from
destabilizing extremism and war in the neighbourhood? In pursuit of an
untenable philosophy, what use are dubious non-state assets that can
become extreme liabilities in an impending national meltdown?
Under the circumstances, General Kayani could do worse than go on
the national hookup and defend the truth of the briefing given by his
subordinate Maj Gen Ghuyur Mehmud. He will be surprised how quickly a
majority of Pakhtuns in particular and Pakistanis in general will back him to
the hilt and help change the national paradigm. This is more our war than it
is Americas because we live and die here and not far away across two great
oceans.
The News commented: Washington appears to have slid off its velvet
gloves or even any plain cotton ones it may have worn as far as its
dealings with Pakistan go. An opinion article in the influential Wall Street
Journal suggests that it is time to get tough with Islamabad The answer
this time round may not prove easy for President Zardari and his team to
give. The US is said to be annoyed over the clumsy strategy of allowing
drone attacks privately, but then, condemning them publicly. The
president is reported to have allowed increased drone strikes, which explains
the record number of strikes we saw in 2010. Patience with such duplicity is
obviously wearing thin in other places, as it is at home.
It is also said that Washington does not trust the ISI and we
wonder if it is only a coincidence that the latest indications of a change in
line come soon after a meeting between the intelligence chiefs of both
countries. CIA Director Leon Panetta has meanwhile made it clear that his
agency has every intention of continuing operations in Pakistan. Joint
missions with the ISI were widely reported to have been suspended in the
aftermath of the untidy Raymond Davis affair, and there has been reason to
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believe that some CIA agents may, at least temporarily, have been pulled out
of the country.
To sum up a highly complex situation rather briefly, we can say the
government seems in effect to have botched things up rather badly. It clearly
does not have, for now, the capacity to withdraw from its bear-hug
relationship with the US. There are both economic and political reasons for
this. While reasserting sovereignty is obviously desirable, this cannot happen
suddenly. It will take time to do so and movement in this direction presents
various challenges. We can only wonder if the government has the
capacity to handle these sensibly. The new foreign policy equation put up
by our most important ally on the blackboard is not an easy one to solve.
Yet, it is necessary that this be done to prevent ourselves from becoming
even more vulnerable to crisis in the short-term, even as we, for the longer
term, consider precisely how we wish to tackle Washington while at the
same time taking on the militants and the enormous threat they represent.
In another editorial it wrote about the missing containers related to
Afghan transit trade. The chairman of the FBR Salman Siddique said that
out of the missing 2,981 containers, there were records of only 408 the rest
having disappeared into the ether. Considering that most of the missing
containers would be 40 feet long by 8 feet high by 8 feet wide and having a
loaded weight of up to 71,650 lbs; the missing 2573 add up to a very large
volume of missing goods. Not the sort of tonnage of goods that you could
hide under a couple of tarpaulins, for instance. These containers never
made the crossing at Chaman which means they must be somewhere in
Pakistan. And the importers of these containers might be? None other than
our very own National Logistics Cell (NLC) who apparently have no means
of tracking the vast quantity of containers they import, thereby opening the
door for all and sundry to steal, divert or otherwise render invisible anything
and everything.
The bench was told that the Afghans had in place an electronic
tracking and checking system for containers which seemingly surpassed
anything we might have. The bench was unimpressed. The FBR will make
further attempts to obtain data and report again in four weeks. They seem
confident that at least some of the missing billions might be recovered.
Clearly, many of the answers lie in the NLC, but whether they are ever
going to be revealed remains, like the whereabouts of the missing 2573
containers, something of a mystery.

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On 19th April, Zafar Hilaly commented on The Wall Street Journals

advice to Washington to confront Pakistan with the same choice as Bush had
done in 2001: Are you with us or against us? He wrote: The Americans
have, in a manner of speaking, thrown down the gauntlet, and now it is up to
Pakistan to either pick it up and accept the challenge or walk away. Although
both sides are playing it down for their own reasons, it was in many ways a
seminal moment. And, in retrospect, it may mark the beginning of the end of
a relationship that has always vacillated between attraction and repulsion,
with both sides realizing that a bitter parting would be fraught with
dangerous consequences, initially more for Pakistan but eventually also
for the US and the region.
The Americans have probably calculated that Pakistancan be had
for a price. Our ambassador in Washington encouraged such a view when he
told his American interlocutors, in a fit of unbecoming candour, that
Pakistanis are by nature rug merchants who may initially ask for a steep
price but will settle for a trifling amount if properly bargained with. And,
indeed, such seems the hunger for dollars here that both may be right.
Except that the stakes now are not quantifiable only in dollars. Our
differences are stark. In fact, they are distinct, diverse, sheer opposite,
antipodes. Worse, while we want to pour balm upon the battleground we
feel that the US vexes us.
How, then, will this government react to the American ultimatum? To
the astonishment of many, Mr Gilani said he plans to enlist the help of
SAARC members to persuade Washington not to have recourse to drones.
Goaded by him, tiny Maldives will presumably be making a demarche to the
US on this score. Mr Zardari has said nothing, because his First
Commandment is not to defy America.
As for the opposition, Shahbaz Sharif asked the nation to forego
Kerry-Lugar handouts, as if that will force the Americans to change their
mind The militarys usual reaction to such predicaments is to hide
behind the government while maintaining a loud silence. But its no
secret who runs the war effort or who signs off on policy.
The Americans, like the rest of us, see it in practice every day and
know better than to blame the powerless civilians. When dismissing Gen
Pashas request out of hand, the Americans obviously felt they had the
measure of our military and there was virtually nothing to fear. The
military now risks earning public ridicule if they refuse to pick up the
gauntlet.
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Many had hoped that the undeserved strictures in the US biannual

report that the military had not performed well would provide the incentive
the army needed to finally consider disentangling Pakistan from the
suffocating American embrace. However, others claiming they know better,
predict nothing of the sort would happen. Whatever their misgivings and
suspicions about Americas motives, the Pakistani military will remain
fixated on the American alliance just as it is obsessed about India, said
one military pundit. Perhaps thats why the military has never developed an
alternative strategy that will enable Pakistan to carry on without their
American lifeline.
One reason why we have never embarked on such an exercise is the
dysfunctional relationship that exists between civilian governments and the
armed forces. The former are ever wary of the military and the latter barely
able to conceal their contempt for the bloody civilians. So unless there is a
mutual awakening the sea change in attitudes required to draw up a plan
slipping the American chokehold is unlikely.
Zafar briefly mentioned that China cannot do much to alleviate our
problems with our neighbours Afghanistan and India. He then added:
Internally too we face a difficult situation. Extremist groups initially
nurtured by us as instruments of an overly ambitious foreign policy have
become so entrenched that they have cowed down and marginalized
moderate groups as well as the silent majority. Either due to inertia or
contagion, our strategic thinking does not seem to have evolved since the
1990s. What started off as a solution to our external challenges has evolved
into our most implacable problem.
Survival of the fittest is a well known phrase but one that can be
easily misunderstood leading to blunders. Fitness is not physical strength
alone or power to dominate others but, most importantly, the ability to adapt
to changing circumstances and to handle them skillfully. This Darwinian
principle applies to strategic policy with equal force. Our policies,
therefore, must evolve in the light of far-reaching developments because
clinging to the old paradigms, as we (and India) are at the moment, is folly.
Next day, Taj M Khattak opined: As far as suggestion for a second
ultimatum by Wall Street Journal, the newspaper would be doing no service
to the US by suggesting such ideas. The Journal is displaying gross underestimation of the prevailing indignation in Pakistan against the United
States. Dont even think about and ultimatum, please.

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In stating that it is his duty to protect the American people for which
the drones will continue to operate as a weapon of choice for open-ended
revenge on people who had nothing with the tragedy of 9/11 the CIA
director has made his position clear. So we hope that Pakistans rulers will
recognize their own foremost duty, that of protection of innocent
Pakistanis. If not, our people will have to make it clear to Americas powerdrunk and rogue Gestapo that whenever excesses have been committed, they
have always come back to haunt the perpetuators, one way or the other.
On 21st April, The News wrote: The tapestry of our relations with
the US becomes more complex almost by the day. Of late the fabric of the
tapestry has come under extraordinary strain, epitomized by the Raymond
Davis Affair. Our exchanges have become more fractious; we are more
assertive in our determination to retain sovereign power and we seek to limit
the extent to which the US acts unilaterally within our borders. There are
credible but inevitably denied rumours that the exchange of information
between our own and the American intelligence agencies has slowed to a
trickle. Anti-American public sentiment has reached a new high. Despite all
this the ties that bind us together, willingly or otherwise, are intact and must
be maintained so said Admiral Mike Mullen before he arrived in
Islamabad yesterday. He said that we could not afford to let security ties
unravel. To allow this to happen would be dangerous for us, for the US and a
danger to the region as a whole. Mullen is almost certainly right, though
perhaps more right in terms of US interests than our own.
As he was making his statement our Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh
was singing from a different song-sheet on the other side of the world It is
all very well for Admiral Mullen to talk of the importance of our security
relationship, but in parallel with that is the relationship the US has with us
economically, and if those two interconnected relationships are differentially
serviced as they appear to be it is unsurprising that tension is the outcome. If
the US wanted to really do us a favour it would open its markets to our
goods and allow us to compete on a more level playing field. That there
needs to be change in the way we do many things is undeniable, but
equally undeniable is that those who seek change from us need to make
changes for themselves if the relationship is to prosper.
Ashraf Jehangir Qazi wrote: The reported CIA statement justifying
drone bombings of Pakistani territory over the protests of the Pakistan
government an unquestionable international crime needs to be seen in a
broader context. The governance challenge in Pakistan presents the west
with a dilemma. On the one hand, it complicates their so-called war on
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terror. On the other, the war on terror complicates governance challenges in

Pakistan. What is the way out of this vicious circle? The US must recognize
that its continued active military presence in Afghanistan is destabilizing that
country and the whole region without assuring it a dignified exit. Pakistan
must address its governance challenges as a matter of urgent priority to
increase its policy options and to be a real peace broker in Afghanistan. It
needs to realize that a US military presence on its territory, and in the
neighbourhood, can never be a substitute for good governance as a guarantor
of its security, stability and development. The current pessimism that this is
unlikely must be overcome through making difficult choices and
implementing policies based on them.
Next day, Shafqat Mahmood observed: Complaints and countercomplaints flow back and forth. The Americans are holding on to the ISIs
relations with the Haqqani network as their principal grouse The Taliban
and the Haqqani network are the principal American adversaries in
Afghanistan. Links with them remained an irritant between the Pakistani
and US military, but not a make-or-break issue. Why has this become a
major problem now?
Before we answer this, consider another fact. The drone attacks have
been going on for a long time. There is sufficient evidence that successive
Pakistani governments have acquiesced, if not facilitated them. Claims are
even made that Pakistani airbases are used for them, obviously with the
approval of our defence establishment. Why have these attacks now
become such a big issue?
The real underlying factors are different, but part of the reason is
miscommunication and the timing of these drone attacks. The last two
have been particularly unfortunate. The first occurred the day after Raymond
Daviss release. It not only took a great many innocent civilian lives but also
was a terrible payback for the cooperation on the Davis issue by the
Pakistani power players.
After a very strong protest, the language and tenor of which was the
strongest since the drone attacks began, there seemed to be an American
rethink. There was some talkno promise was made of scaling down the
drone attacks, despite veiled Pakistani suggestions that there will be a
military reaction. To make matters worse, no sooner had these talks
concluded and Gen Pasha hardly out of the country when another
attack took place.

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This seemed like a deliberate attempt to call what the CIA considered
a Pakistani bluff. A marker was being laid down that we, the US, would
retain the initiative in choosing when and where to attack, and if the
Pakistanis have a problem, let them do what they can to stop it. This was
arrogant in the extreme and dealt a severe blow to the confidences that had
been built up between the Pakistani and American militaries
While the drone issue has escalated into a major crisis, the underlying
reason for the tension in Pakistan-US relationship is different. From the
Pakistani side, it is linked to suspicions about Americas real motives: Is
it destabilizing the Pakistani state? Does it want to neutralize Pakistans
nuclear capability? Is its relationship with India undermining Pakistani
interests in Afghanistan? And more.
The Americans worry about the non-state actors in Pakistan, their
collusion with the Pakistan security establishment and their ability to attack
the West. Their take on Pakistani state stability is a feared takeover by
Islamic radicals or its nuclear material falling into their hands. At some
level, the US considers Pakistan the most dangerous country in the
world.
The Raymond Davis affair symbolized all these tensions The
stories around Davis also captured the Pakistani fears. Was he in touch
with the TTP? What was he doing photographing defensive positions on the
Indian border? Was he or his other partners scouting Pakistani nuclear sites?
Was the ultimate purpose to create instability in Pakistan? And so on. The
role of the American operatives within the country thus became a major
issue for the security establishment. The Americans had placed all these
operatives on the ground because they did not trust the Pakistani state. They
were trying to penetrate outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba. And they may well
have been scouting the nuclear sites or defence establishments to get a
greater handle on what goes on here.
Admiral Mullen is correct when he says that the real problem is
lack of trust on both sides. Pakistan now wants the American undercover
agents out, and many have reportedly left. This is a setback for the CIA,
because its network within the Pakistan is in the process of being severely
undermined. Is its anger reflected in untimely and deliberately embarrassing
drone attacks?
The US leadership has to get a handle on various elements of its
state working at cross-purposes. It needs Pakistan to sustain its forces in
Afghanistan and play a supportive role in the endgame to wind down the
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war. This latter is not possible unless Pakistan has leverage with the various
Afghan groups fighting them.
It is an informed guess that the American military understands this,
but does the CIA or the political leadership? In a brilliant move, Pakistan
and Afghanistan have developed complete consensus on how the
endgame will be played. The Americans have no choice but to come on
board, because ultimately the peace process has to be led by the Afghans,
who see Pakistan as an essential element in it. There is much at stake for
Pakistan and the US, not only in Afghanistan but in the long term. The trust
deficit can only be bridged with mutual respect and understanding, putting
aside superpower arrogance. Is the US ready for it?
Dr Qaisar Rashid wrote: Had Raymond Davis not been captured,
the drone strike in Dattakhel would have created no reaction and the
consequent human casualties would have stirred no one into action.
Similarly, had the casualties in the drone strike not occurred immediately
after Davis controversial release, no statement of condemnation would have
been issued following the US drone strike against the jirga, and not a penny
of compensation would have been paid to the victims. It is yet to be seen if
the condemnations of the drone strike were a one-time phenomenon or they
will be issued after every incident of this kind.
Since last year, the US has increased the frequency of its drone
strikes, besides broadening their target areas. Secondly, it has unilaterally
increased the number of agents like Raymond Davis operating in Pakistan.
The US has also expanded the base of CIA operations in Pakistan. On the
other hand, Gen Kayani has given an assurance to the tribal people that
they will be protected in future, but it remains to be seen how that will be
ensured.
Regarding the anti-drone strategy, there are two options available
with Pakistan. The first option is that it persuades the US to curb the strikes.
The drones can be shot at but as a result a war may break out between the
US-NATO forces and the Pakistani forces. Pakistan cannot afford that, for
obvious reasons. In 2001 the UN gave a mandate to the US-NATO forces to
stay in Afghanistan to root out al-Qaeda from Afghanistan. Afterwards, as
per the Af-Pak policy announced by Barack Obama in March 2009, the tribal
belt of Pakistan was included in the Afghan theatre for operational purposes.
At least publicly, Pakistan did not object to that sort of diplomatic relegation.
The US-NATO forces claim that their failure in Afghanistan is because of
insurgents attacks on them from across the Pakistani border. Though the
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term Af-Pak was abandoned by the US in January 2010, the policy is still
functional. Resultantly, every gathering in the Pakistani tribal belt (be it
social or political) is seen with suspicion by the Americans and consequently
a pre-emptive drone strike is carried out. Hence, neither can Pakistan curtail
the frequency of drone strikes nor can it compel the US to narrow down the
target base of these strikes.
The second option with Pakistan is to live with drone strikes. There
are two ways to do that. First, establish a liaison with the drone handlers (the
CIA) to inform them through proper channels if there is a socio-political
gathering taking place in the tribal belt. If drone strikes are unavoidable,
they must be humanized to minimize the loss of innocent lives. Second, the
drone handlers could be educated to appreciate tribal traditions. If the US
intends to weaken the bad Taliban and promote the good Taliban, it should
be made to realize that indiscriminate drone attacks enrage the local people.
Consequently, the popularity of the good Taliban will shrink while the ranks
of the bad Taliban will swell and the Taliban will be persuaded to gang up
with Al-Qaeda. That development would be detrimental for both Pakistan
and the US. Nevertheless, in the Pakistan-US context relations it would be
perilous for Pakistan to insist on having control over the use of the drones in
the war.
On 23rd April, The News commented on attack by Afghans in Dir.
The post under attack is eight kilometres inside Pakistan, so not sitting
directly on the border with Afghanistan, and it was said to have been
attacked by a group numbering in the hundreds. This figure has to be
treated with a degree of caution as the attack was launched at night, and it is
difficult to see how hundreds of potential attackers could have been
counted so accurately. Counting them in daylight may be no easier either as
the fighting will be from concealed positions in what is by all accounts
rugged terrain. Exact numbers aside, there are reliable reports that the
attackers overwhelmed the lightly armed occupants of the FC post and
may have kidnapped a number of personnel and retreated with them back
into Afghanistan.
Local people are said to have blamed NATO forces but this seems
highly unlikely, though what may be less unlikely is that NATO forces in
Afghanistan could have been aware of the preparations for the attack as
assembling and moving a company-size group of heavily armed men is not
something you can easily do in complete secrecy even in Afghanistan. If
they were Afghans, and this seems likely, then were they regular Afghan
forces? in which case, a whole new dimension is added to the incident or
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irregulars conducting a raid for their own arcane reasons but possibly
linked to the recent assassination of a pro-government Afghan commander
Malik Zareen in Kunar, a province on our borders? Raiding across the
Durand line is nothing new and has a history that far predates the conflict in
Afghanistan today. What marks this incident as being different is the depth
of the raid and the numbers in the raiding party which were clearly greater
than platoon strength. Who ordered or organized it? Should we be looking
for answers from the Afghan leader himself who has by inference blamed
the assassination of Malik Zareen on Afghanistans historical enemy
meaning Pakistan? Much remains obscured by the fog of war, but what is
uncomfortably clear is that not all those who profess friendship and
brotherly love towards us are as good as their honeyed words.
Imran Khan, Chairman PTI, has been opposing the ongoing war in
general and drone attacks in particular. It is amazing to see the glibness with
which the rulers continue to lie to the nation about the drone attacks and the
surrender of Pakistans sovereignty to the USA. Feigning anger and regret
over the drone attacks which have multiplied yearly since the Zardari
government came to power, the civil and military leadership continues to
give access to the US to kill Pakistanis in FATA through these lethal drone
attacks. Even a parliamentary resolution has failed to push the government
into acting against these drones and moving to control the free-wheeling,
gun-toting and murderous American Rambos in the guise of CIA operatives,
US Special Forces and private US mercenaries, who have added to the
murder of Pakistani civilians and security personnel. Instead, as the
WikiLeaks revealed, Prime Minister Gilani informed the US government
thatPakistani lives are simply irrelevant collateral damage shows the
utter contempt the democratic rulers of Pakistan have for their people.
Meanwhile, despite skilful propaganda to the contrary from Western
sources (both through NGOs and officials) and some of their embedded
media personnel in Pakistan, the people of FATA are increasingly becoming
more vocal and resentful of the drones and therefore more resentful towards
the Pakistani state. Even PPP members from FATA have denounced the
drone killings as primarily targeting civilians. While only a handful of
militants have been known to have died in the drone attacks, the civilian
death toll goes beyond 2,000 and includes large numbers of women and
children Worse still, the government has still not inquired into the killing
of the 40 Maliks in the recent drone attack against a tribal jirga. Khan vowed
revenge against the US and the Pakistani state which would go on for 500
years. Therefore, it is not surprising to find the tribes of FATA announcing a
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jihad against the US which means more radicalization spreading to the rest
of the country.
For Pakistan, the costs of this subservience to the US and surrender
of national sovereignty has proven extremely costly and far outweighs any
short term gains that may have been made although that is itself a
contentious issue Ironically, Pakistan has also become far more insecure
as a result of becoming a surrogate for a US militaristic agenda that is
rapidly slipping into a quagmire of confusion and hysteria. By opening up
the whole country to the US, our rulers have also allowed all manner of
external intruders into conducting low intensity operations in our
sensitive areas not only of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but also of Balochistan.
Add to this the bombings of shrines and mosques and the accentuating of
Shia-Sunni and Deobandi-Barelvi divides, and the costs for Pakistan of the
present alliance with the US rise even higher. Even Karachi and,
increasingly, Punjab are becoming susceptible to militancy and violence as
the provincial governments remain unresponsive to the needs of their people
and the federal government remains preoccupied in appeasing the US and
the destabilizing IMF.
Not that the US has achieved anything from its military-centric
approach to fighting terrorism. All that has happened is that a more
conducive environment has been created for extremism and militancy post9/11. The hope that Obama would bring more rationality to a traumaridden US policy-making elite was dashed very early on when the
generals prevailed on him in connection with the militarist policies in
Afghanistan; and just as the Zardari regime has pushed further the
detrimental policies of Musharraf, so Obama has done the same in terms of
accentuating the neocon militarism.
We feel it is time for all hues of the Pakistani nationalist leadership
to put aside its other differences and come together on a singular platform
of reclaiming Pakistans sovereignty and national dignity so that we can
isolate and fight the militants and extremists in our midst more effectively
through a strategy of space denial. Since Parliament has failed in pushing the
government into taking the necessary steps to end drone attacks and delink
from the deadly US militaristic agenda for this region, PTI has been
compelled to bring people on to the streets and take direct action against this
loss of sovereignty and drone killings. The PAF chief had declared over a
year ago that Pakistan had the technical capability to bring down drones but
the political decision was lacking.

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The US public has to realize a number of points: One; that they

have to extricate themselves from this so-called war on terror which is
causing a loss of $140 billion a year in Afghanistan as well as undermining
the US position in the region. Ann Paterson, the previous US ambassador to
Pakistan, admitted the adverse impact on the US of the drone policy. Two,
the US is violating its own humanitarian laws with the drone attacks by
acting as judge, jury and executioner and incinerating the families and
neighbours of suspects. Three, in the long term, the US war on terror has
added to the radicalization of Muslim youth in the US and Europe.
Today we Pakistanis of all shades and convictions need to come
together to support our FATA brethren and protest their killing and
displacement. We have to show by actions that they are one of us and we
will not allow the US, NATO or our own misguided rulers to continue their
military policies against the people of FATA. We also want to show that we
are sensitive to their developmental needs and the urgency with which FATA
needs to be brought into the mainstream of Pakistan. It is not enough to
simply issue statements against US policies and drone killings; we need
to act so that the voice of the people becomes a force for the rulers to reckon
with. Unless we stand up for our rights no one will protect us. As we gather
together the multiple strands of the Pakistani nation to reclaim our territorial
integrity, sovereignty and national dignity, the message will go out to the
rulers and their foreign masters that they are nothing without the support of
their own nation.
The political spokesman of Imran Khans party, Akbar S Babar, took
on propagandists of war. Pakistan has suffered, and continues to suffer,
unimaginable human, economic, and social consequences of the US-led war
on terror. Yet, some so-called opinion-makers with their convoluted views
go against the national consensus that the sooner we distance ourselves from
this war, the brighter our chances of national survival.
One such opinion-maker, Mr Najam Sethi, in his article He
concludes his article by stating that this is more our war than it is
Americas, because we live and die here, and not far away across two great
oceans... Mr Sethis article is, by far, the most misleading and inaccurate
analysis of our present mess. At a time when the West is making concerted
efforts to disengage from its ten-year war by engaging in political
negotiations with its enemy, Mr Sethis recipe for eliminating terrorism
conveniently ignores that a failed policy by all accounts cannot be justified
as the rationale for more of the same, with some minor tactical
adjustments.
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Rather than contemplate, assess and objectively analyze the root

causes and the cost of this deadly war and think of ways to mobilize national
resources to save the country from further chaos, Mr Sethi continues to
advocate national suicide. First and foremost, terrorism is an age-old and
complex phenomenon. The underlying causes of terrorism change with
changing times and political realities. Terrorism is akin to political violence
committed by individuals or groups who do not have a legitimate army
under their control. According to Robert Fisk, al-Qaeda exists because
injustice exists in the Middle East and it feeds and breeds on (the Wests) lies
and hypocrisy.
The US occupation of Afghanistan was to eliminate al-Qaeda and the
small band of Arabs who had been inducted into the war against the Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan. According to Pentagon estimates, there remain
around 100 al-Qaeda members in Afghanistan. The US spends about $100
billion per annum to support the occupation of Afghanistan. So the US
taxpayer is being charged almost $1 billion per annum per al-Qaeda
member in Afghanistan.
During the Vietnam War, the propagandists tried to persuade the
world that the war was justified, and that defeat would produce a domino
effect, with nation after nation crumbling before a communist onslaught. At
that time also, thanks to our self-serving rulers and their propagandists, we
were a frontline state against communism. The US exit from Vietnam
resulted in the fast growth of the countrys economy. Vietnamese are
enjoying the fruits of peace today.
Not a single Pakistani was involved in the 9/11 attacks on the Twin
Towers and the Pentagon building. Yet Pakistan is battered and ruined as
a consequence of that event. Let us analyze the state of affairs in
Pakistan since 9/11, with the focus on FATA. Suicide attacks, an alien
phenomenon until 9/11, are almost a daily occurrence there. All the seven
agencies of FATA and the adjoining six frontier regions have become
ungovernable. Hundreds of schools and health facilities have been
destroyed, and the social infrastructure in FATA and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is
in tatters. The political administration exists in name only and the army is
directly administering FATA and Swat.
The system of Maliks has been destroyed with the extermination of
dozens of noted Maliks in FATA. In all, almost four million people were
displaced at one time or another and about one million citizens continue to
languish in IDP camps. Our total internal and external debt has ballooned
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from Rs5 trillion to Rs10 trillion despite US aid. Military operations are a
daily occurrence with 140,000 troops deployed in Fata alone, apart from the
20,000 troops now required to be permanently stationed in Swat. Out of the
total budget of Rs1.6 trillion, Rs750 billion is being spent on debt servicing
and Rs550 billion on defence, which leaves little for social development.
Tourism has collapsed and expatriate staff of diplomatic and
international development agencies is lured with special hardship benefits, to
be posted in any part of Pakistan for the limited term of one year. All the
major cities of Pakistan, cantonments in particular, have been turned into
fortresses with civilians forced to endure police barricades.
An estimated 3,000 people have been killed in 235 drone attacks
since 2004, a majority of them innocent Pakistanis. Even the UN has
declared the butchery by drones as extrajudicial killings. Hundreds of
Raymond Davis-type operatives are on the loose and probably thousands of
their local operatives are pursuing agendas totally against our national
interests. No wonder, our internal security stands compromised and attempts
are being made to rein in CIA operatives roaming the streets of Pakistan.
Mr Sethis describes the use of drone attacks as part of the national
solution strategy and terms the dislocation of the populace in the hundreds
of thousands as problematic. Can Mr Sethi even conceive of his own
house being leveled, with all his loved ones inside, by a Hellfire missile
that was actually targeting another house in the neighbourhood? And, as a
consequence, his entire neighbourhood had to vacate their homes and live in
IDP shelters?
The policy advocated by Mr Sethi is only going to lead to further
violence and mayhem in Pakistan. Most independent analysts are now
convinced that the US occupation of Afghanistan fuels extremism in
Pakistan, and if the US wants to help Pakistan, it should leave Afghanistan.
What is strategic for Pakistan? For it to be at peace with itself, as
a country where, despite the social challenges and poverty, its people can
sleep peacefully; where parents can send their children to school without
fear; where there are no traffic jams because of police roadblocks; where
politicians can reach out to the people without fear of being blown apart;
where the images of shredded human bodies are a thing of the past; where
international sporting events are frequently held once again, where cultural
events can be held without body frisks at security gates. In short, Pakistan
should no longer be chasing Al-Qaedas ghosts in Waziristan at the behest of
the US.
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As against 3,000 innocent US citizens killed on 9/11, 52,000 innocent

Pakistanis have lost their lives and over 100,000 have been injured. If the
US policy which Mr Sethi advocates is to protect US citizens from
perceived and potential threats, do we have a similar policy to protect
our citizens? Or do we continue to allow our soldiers and innocent civilians
to be turned into cannon-fodder in pursuit of the policies of self-serving
rulers and prejudiced opinion-makers?
Next Day, Najam Sethi responded to his critics: When you cant
argue with someones logic, call him an American agent and clinch the
argument rather than debating or clarifying the message logically and
reasonably. This would suggest a cheap shot at popularity rather than serious
concern about the credibility and efficiency of parliamentarians.
Rahimullah Yusufzai opined: Sooner or later Pakistans security
forces would have to launch operations in North Waziristan not only
due to the persistent US demand but also on account of the fact that this
tribal agency has become the centre of militants attacking targets all over
Pakistan. That may soften the US attitude towards Pakistan, but the
Americans would not be satisfied until the Haqqani Network is dismantled.
That is beyond Pakistans power and not in its interest. And this would mean
that the Pakistan-US relationship would continue to suffer ups and downs.
Sajjad Bukhari from Lahore wrote: My blood boils with anger every
time I hear somebody say that the majority of people killed in drone attacks
are militants and their sympathizers. How can innocent children and
helpless women be willing collaborators of militants? It is hard to believe
that the CIA-run drone operations in FATA are precise (as claimed by many
pro-American news analysts) because the CIAs well-documented past
record of human rights abuses in different parts of the world.
Kalim Sultan from Peshawar urged: Let us all participate in the sit-in
being organized in Peshawar by a number of political groups against drone
strikes. This will send a strong message to our government as well as the
United States that Pakistanis disapprove of the US drone in the tribal areas.
The death of five children and four women in the recent drone attack should
wake us up from our deep slumber. It is time we told America: Enough is
enough.
Tanvir Ahmad Khan wrote on 20th April about Gilanis visit to
Afghanistan. That the two sides are close to resolving the duality issue
was reflected in the coded language of leaders statements. President Karzai
reassured his nation that it was a different Pakistan; on their side the
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Pakistanis predictably reiterated that they had always supported peace and
stability in Afghanistan. These insights signal a new understanding.
Another important message which our talk shows missed was that the
leaders were not talking merely of taking ownership of the US-led war
on terror but also the ownership of the peace process. This is an
important milestone as a regional approach can only be built on a strong
Pakistan-Afghanistan consensus on the modalities of an effective negotiating
process with the insurgents. And it is noteworthy that the initiative has been
institutionalized in a joint body. Presumably, Pakistans fears that
Washington may connive at the Indian design of excluding Pakistan from
Afghanistans strategic landscape have also abated. That the much talked
about Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline can have an Indian
spur for the asking alone demonstrates that Pakistan is by no means averse
to Indias legitimate interests in Afghanistan.
The meeting has been seen by some analysts as Islamabad and
Kabul distancing them from the United States; others say that
Washington is secretly orchestrating this initiative. A safer approach is to
conclude that difference on how to organize a peace process involving the
Taliban, the Haqqani Group and Gulbadin Hikmatyar have narrowed and
that there is a greater acceptance of a distinct role for Pakistan. Some
western pundits will still suggest that Pakistan went to Kabul to thwart the
US-led peace overtures. The official US approach would become clearer
when Robert Gates and some generals fade out this summer and President
Obama establishes the contours of his new election strategy.
Pakistan should use the forthcoming strategic dialogue to help the
United States develop a realistic and viable regional approach. Washington
has to find its way out of the conflicting policy prescriptions by various
lobbies especially in regard to India, Iran and China. Unlike India and Iran,
China stays clear of internal Afghan politics and yet it may be a major actor
in Afghanistans national reconstruction and development. Finally there has
to be a broad consensus on the long term American military presence in
Afghanistan which is likely to be an important feature of their exit strategy.
Rahimullah Yusufzai wrote: A major outcome of the visit was the
decision to upgrade the Pak-Afghan Peace and Conciliation
Commission, established in January this year, to a two-tier body so that the
chief executives of Afghanistan and Pakistan along with the army and
intelligence chiefs and foreign and interior ministers could sit in the first,
higher tier to facilitate decision-making.
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A related development was the deterioration in the already

difficult relationship between Pakistan and the US, two uncertain allies
fighting the war with different objectives. The damage to their ties caused by
the incident involving the disguised CIA operative Raymond Davis hasnt
been repaired even though Pakistans civil and military authorities behaved
embarrassingly to facilitate his release. The presence of many more such
CIA agents disguised as diplomats and military trainers in Pakistan
continues to poison relations between the two countries.
Another emotive issue is the unchallenged use of the CIA-operated
drones by the US to attack militants in Pakistans tribal areas bordering
Afghanistan With so much distrust in their relations, it would be
surprising if Pakistan and the US were able to work together to pursue
military or political objectives vis--vis the Taliban. It also makes one
wonder whether the US approved the recent high-level talks between the
Afghan and Pakistani leaders and their decision to form and use the joint
peace and conciliation commission for reconciling with Kabuls armed
opponents.
More importantly, one has to wait for the Taliban response to the
deepening of the relationship between Islamabad and Kabul and the
likely effect it would have on the Afghan peace process. The Taliban have
rejected Turkeys offer to host Taliban office to facilitate contacts as part of
the peace initiative. President Karzai and President Asif Ali Zardari had
backed the Turkish initiative, but the Taliban have made it clear that Turkey
as a NATO[3] member with troops in Afghanistan isnt neutral and is thus
unable to act as a peacemaker. The first choice for the Taliban to set up an
office is their homeland, Afghanistan, followed by Saudi Arabia and
Pakistan. Once they make up their mind to negotiate, the Taliban would
prefer talking to the Americans instead of the Afghan government in view of
their stated position that Karzai is a puppet of the US and hence powerless.
It wont be easy for the Taliban to agree to a power-sharing
arrangement with Karzai after fighting for 10 long years with his
government and the NATO[4] forces. Taliban field commanders and
hardliners could revolt against Mullah Omar and his shura if he settled for
some berths in the cabinet or for control of certain southern provinces. Just
like the Karzai government in which hawkish elements mostly belonging to
non-Pashtun groups oppose reconciliation with the Taliban, Mullah Omars
followers too are divided into factions that differ over the likely solution of
the Afghan conflict. There are also limits to Pakistans influence over the
Taliban, who wont make a deal that goes against their own interests. Karzai
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wants Pakistan to deliver the Taliban to him, but Islamabad risks alienating
the Taliban if it were to push hard to make this happen.
On 14th April, The News wrote: The Supreme Court has noted that no
one seems to be doing anything to protect the lives of the people of
Balochistan or devise a definite strategy to do so. It observed that even the
house of the DIG has come under attack, while target killings, kidnappings
for ransom and all kinds of other violence directed against citizens continue.
The court has summoned the chief secretary of Balochistan to appear before
it and articulate the plan that has been devised to deal with this situation. It
has also stated that while the people of the province have been staging
protests outside parliament, no one appears to have bothered about their
concerns or the situation that they are attempting to highlight.
This is an especially pertinent point. The crisis in Balochistan is
hardly a secret. Murders, ethnic killings, the discovery of bodies and attacks
on installations have been reported regularly. Newspapers carry an item or
two of this nature from the province nearly every day. But what is shocking
is that this state of affairs causes hardly a stir. The unrest in Balochistan has
continued for years now. Failure to address it can only make matters worse.
The state of affairs in the province needs to be dealt with most urgently. In
some ways it is a testimony to the state of affairs we face that it has taken
court intervention to bring the matter to the attention of citizens with the
government being urged to do something about the complex mess that
affects the lives of everyone in Balochistan. An effort to sort out matters
should have been initiated a very long time ago. Since this was not done, the
effort must begin now before things become even grimmer than they are at
present.

REVIEW
After fighting Americas war on terror for nearly a decade, Pakistan
finds itself at the same spot where it was soon after the 9/11 attacks when
Bush Administration had asked Musharraf you are either with us or against
us. It is also obvious that the reply of the rulers in Islamabad would be no
different from that of the brave commando.
It is because of the receptive posture of the puppets in Islamabad that
Mike Mullen frequently rushes to Islamabad whenever he feels for
maligning Americas most favoured ally affectionately nicknamed Af-Pak.

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This time he came to reiterate that ISI was linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and
Haqqani Group which are threats to India, the US and the civilized world.
The American visitors seldom arrive alone; drone attacks in tribal
areas come on their heels. The drone attack that accompanied Mullen killed
several women and children and no one, master or puppets, regretted. There
was, however, a sit-in organized by Imran Khan to oppose these attacks; this
could prove first step towards ending criminal acts of the Crusaders and their
facilitators.
Gilani-Kayani visit to Kabul has been termed by some observers as a
bold step assuming that Kabul and Islamabad have decided to act
independent of Washington for restoring peace in the region. The reports
claim that the US wasnt taken into confidence about the agenda of Gilaniled delegations visit to Kabul.
These reports are a clear expression of exaggerated optimism; in fact
it could a propaganda ploy. Both Karzai and Zardari could dare not act
independent of their American masters. Probably, the reports are aimed at
luring Taliban into the trap of Peace Process. Once a group or two would
be brought into trap, it would fulfill long standing desire of causing a split in
Taliban.
If the observation happens to be true the visit and decisions taken
therein would turn out to be a milestone; first, but an important, step towards
regaining the lost sovereignty. However, couple of questions needs to be
answered. Can Zardari and Karzai dare acting independent of their American
Masters? Will the puppet Karzai prove more trustworthy than his masters?

Meanwhile, India has been enjoying since winning over heart and
mind of the lone superpower. While returning from Central Asian trip
Manmohan talked of normalizing relations with Pakistan and then India
offered cheap electricity to Pakistan. Perhaps, it intends that high power
transmission lines should run aligned with beds through which once rivers
ran; lest Pakistani Punjabis forget that.
24th April, 2011

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WIN-WIN MOVE
Hearing of the Zardari regimes reference for reopening of ZAB case
started amid theatrics of Babar Awan. His antics, sacrifice of law ministry
and yalghar (invasion) of jiyalas on Supreme Court failed to impress the
judges and they could not resist from admonishing him for substandard
drafting on the reference.
The reference has a lot to do with the review of court verdict on NRO
case. The regime also continued with delaying tactics to stall the court
decision on its review petition. It did not allow Kamal Azfar to plead its case
but the court did not permit Khalid Ranjha to replace him. In the process, the

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false statements earned contempt notices to Advocate on Record and

Solicitor General.
As the budget time neared and support in the Parliament dwindled
Zardari regime sent Hafeez Sheikh to the US where he earned the wrath of
parliamentarians by calling the Parliament as an impediment in taxation and
the request for Rs1.3 billion was also rejected by IMF. At home, Zardari
embraced Qatal League for passage of annual budget but the issue of
Moonis Elahi and some other demands were yet to be resolved.
Other issues kept smouldering if not burning in flares, i.e. bloodletting
in Karachi despite political slaughter of Zulfikar Mirza; victimization of
Punjab through gas and electricity load-shedding; devolution of HEC; and
statements for more provinces. The enlightened like Farzana Bari found time
to worry about Mokhtaran Mai and polygamy. And, the Chief Justice
advised the army officers attending Command and Staff College to stay
away from interfering in this democratic dispensation.

NEWS
On 11th April, the Supreme Court rejected governments request for
accepting Khalid Ranjha as it counsel; it directed Kamal Azfar to continue
after seeking its permission. The Court observed that the request for change
of counsel was only part of delaying tactics. The court also desired
appearance of Malik Qayyum.
LHC accepted petition of Rafique Tarar for hearing in which
petitioner had begged for removal of Musharraf from the list of former
presidents of Pakistan. All the VCs of public and private sectors, 133 in all,
assembled in Islamabad and opposed devolution of HEC.
Moonis Elahi was sent to jail after FIA submitted chalan in the
banking court; the investigators found proofs of transaction of illegal money
through the account of his wife. MQM leader and two MQM-H activists
were among five shot dead in Karachi. JIT report on targeted-killings said
MQM has a militant group; MQM denied.
Next day, Additional AG told the court that the government has not
permitted Kamal Azfar to plead its case of review of NRO verdict and he
requested permission to change the counsel. The court refused to allow
change of counsel and asked Additional AG to plead the case and gave him
two days to get permission, failing which the court would act unilaterally
and dismiss the appeal.
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Kamal Azfar said the government wanted to delay the court decision.
Earlier, Faisal Raza Abidi had disclosed the reasons for delaying tactics
when he had consulted some cooks and they had informed him about the
likely decision of the court.
The court was assured in writing by the AG that the HEC would
continue functioning till new legislation is passed; students in Islamabad
held a rally to protest devolution of HEC. Raza Rabbani termed it a
conspiracy to stop the process of provincial autonomy and was surprised
over court orders. PML-N and Q decided to bring privilege motion against
Rabbani for driving wedge between Parliament and Judiciary.
The court questioned the role of Parliamentary Committee in judges
issue. DG FIA stopped inquiry about Waseem Ahmed. Farzana wanted that
officer sacked who sought Supreme Court help to deal with BISP scam to
check leakage of more evidence of corruption.
Three staff members on census were shot dead during the house count
in Karachi and three workers of MQM were killed separately. PML-F
decided to quit Sindh government over irregularities in census (house count).
Chief Minister said every death is dubbed as targeted-killings. According to
investigation reports some ANP and MQM-H activists also confessed their
involvement in targeted-killings.
CNG stations went on strike for indefinite period over gas load
shedding. Protest rally was held in Peshawar to protest attempt to bomb the
house of provincial head of JI. Rally was held in Abbottabad on first
anniversary of killings over beginning of movement for Hazara province.
On 13th April, Babar Awan appeared in the Supreme Court in Bhutto
reference case and wanted to plead the case. He was told to get his licence
revived; he resigned as federal minister and got his licence revived from Bar
Council. This time he did not go to the Bar with sweets to celebrate the
occasion, but a journalist did ask him a question in this context which he
declined to answer. Ansar Abbasi in his report asked: will he start with an
apology for what he dead three decades ago. Aitzaz said he was not
consulted about ZAB reference.
The Supreme Court observed that despite evidence against certain
accused FIA had not taken appropriate action. The bench after having shown
dissatisfaction over investigation into PSM scam ordered arrest of all those
named in the corruption. Kazmis remand was extended by 14 days in Haj
scam case; he moved court for bail.

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The court was informed that Pakistan has suffered loss worth Rs7
billion in ISAF containers scam. The government has sought record of
containers related to transit trade from Afghan government. Nearly, three
thousand notices have been or in the process of being issued.
Students marched from Assembly Hall to Governor House Lahore to
register their protest against devolution of HEC. Raza Rabbani and Ishaq
Dar, the due that reconstructed Constitution through 18th Amendment,
slammed the criticism of devolution of HEC. Meanwhile, ten people were
killed in Karachi.
Next day, Babar Awan appeared in the apex court in ZAB reference
and the Chief Justice asked him what if everyone starts seeking review.
Babar said the government wanted to correct history; not the revenge. He
was informed that his endeavour to correct history carried lot of errors and
even the Article quoted was incorrect. The court said it would guide him
about the appropriate Article under which such a reference could be sent.
After the hearing Babar avoided answering a question from a media
person that did the regime has sought opinion or the verdict from the court.
Tariq Butt observed that the Chief Justices decision to hold full-fledged
hearings on the reference took the steam out of the government strategy to
scandalize the judiciary and use the Sindh Card.
Kamal Azfar told the court that Advocate Abu Bakar Zardari had
threatened him of dire consequences through his wife if he (Azfar) appeared
before the bench hearing NRO case. Abu Bakar was present in the court as
always during the hearing of NRO case. He denied the allegation when
asked by the court. The court relieved him of the responsibility of pleading
on behalf of the federation as a special case and ordered IG police to
investigate and the incident of threat within two days.
Industrial and domestic consumers in Faisalabad held a protest rally
and besieged gas companys offices. In Lahore, CNG station owners and
employees protested in front of Governor House and a team held talks
inside. Farzana Raja changed stance after news reports and canceled 100
illegal appointments in BISP.
Kazmis bail plea was rejected. Chief Justice told FIA to recover
NICL money. One of the killers of Wali Khan Babar of Geo TV confessed
before a judge. Investigations proved the involvement of political parties
high-ups in targeted-killings, especially MQM.

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On 15th April, Babar Awan and Gilani briefed Zardari on ZAB

reference. Federation lodged a complaint with PBC accusing Kamal Azfar
for indulging in professional dishonesty and sought disciplinary action
against him. Asma Jahangir urged Zardari and Gilani to take notice of threats
to Kamal Azfar.
The regime offered two ministries to PML-Q and the party was
considering the offer and trying to seek consent of Amir Muqam and Faisal
Saleh Hayat. Yet another FIA officer, Asghar, dealing with Haj scam was
posted out. Five people were killed in Karachi. Malik ordered shot-at-sight
the dacoits and extortionists. The authorities confessed that consumers were
billed for 13 months a year in electricity bills.
Next day, while addressing the visiting officers attending the
Command and Staff College said Armed Forces must act within jurisdiction.
He observed military interventions weakened democratic institutions and
democratic governments failed to enforce rule of law. He urged all arms of
state to act in aid of the Supreme Court.
Judicial Commission deferred judges appointment issue till 23 rd April
for want of Law Minister though newly appointed Mulla Bakhsh Chandio
was keen to attend the meeting without taking oath. Zardaris friend Dr Asim
Hussain was elected Senator unopposed. Degree of Chairman OGRA was
also found fake; Sadiq said corrupt officials were behind this propaganda.
Zafar Qureshi, officer in-charge of NICL scam investigation was transferred.
Eight people were killed in Karachi as Rangers carried out operation.
On 17th April, a day after having been elected as Senator unopposed,
Dr Asim was appointed as advisor Petroleum and oil and gas MDs were
fired. Public Service Commission dismissed 28 lecturers in Sindh for their
illegal appointments. Hafeez Sheikh told IMF that Parliament was hindering
tax reforms. Six people were killed in Karachi; Firdous A Awan said Army
operation is no solution to Karachi problem.
Next day, the Supreme Court bench hearing review petition of NRO
case asked the AG to start argument as directed during last hearing, but he
told that the government had not permitted him to do so. Advocate on record
also declined to saying that he had some problem with his ear. The court said
if no one was willing to plead governments case prime minister could be
asked to appear. Advocate on Record and Solicitor General were served
contempt notices for attempt to mislead the court.
The hearing ZAB reference began with the court room jam-packed
with ministers, parliamentarians and jiyalas. The bench observed that the
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point of law needed to be determined and stated clearly; the court wont be
able to proceed if the basis were not correct. Babar told the court that he was
not there to discuss technicalities. Qaim Ali Shah said Babar Awan
represented the voice of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and urged Chief Justice to listen
to him rather than passing remarks.
Zardari regime took yet another step for the well-being of criminals
under trial. President signed the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment)
Bill, 2011 to grant statutory bail to under trial prisoners and convicts whose
trials and appeals have not been disposed within a prescribed time limit.
LHC expressed its annoyance over contradictions in statements of
Pemra chief in the case of closing of Geo Super TV channel. PML-N MNAs
wore black armbands to protest closure of Geo Super. A petition was filed in
IHC challenging Pemra chiefs right to exercise administrative powers.
Meanwhile, Zafar Qureshi was formally removed fro FIA post.
On 19th April, PML-Q remained divided over attractive offer made by
Zardari regime to join the cabinet; reportedly in addition to deputy PM, UN
envoy and seven ministries, the Qatal League wanted the post of Governor
Punjab. This was being done in the name of forming a national government.
MQM decided not to join the cabinet.
The regime insisted on changing its counsel for NRO review and the
court adjourned for two weeks due to illness of one of its Judge. Ministry
sought PMs nod to sack 8 MDs in oil and gas sector. Haqiqi activist was
among two killed in Karachi.
Next day, the Supreme Court rejected the review petition of the
federation on appointment of judges. The 8-member bench said
Parliamentary Committee cannot be superior to the Constitution, which
prohibits formation of parallel institutions.
The government submitted a report before the Supreme Court on the
Bank of Punjab scam worth Rs9 billion out of which Rs4.5 billion were
siphoned by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. Chairman FBR was blamed for
approving unlawful proposals of Rs1.1 billion.
Cabinet met to revise ZAB reference and endorsed five questions of
law. Ishaq Dar resigned from Implementation Commission of 18 th
Constitutional Amendment due to differences over HEC, devolution and
some other issues. He blamed the government for not acting on consensus as
had been agreed upon to begin with.

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Chaudhry Nisar criticized the government for victimizing Geo TV and

feared another worst NRO in the offing. China signed an agreement with
Punjab for generation of 120MW power. MD OGDCL was removed. Three
PPP activists were among five killed in Karachi.
On 21st April, Babar Awan appeared before the court with five points
of law and requested these should be included in ZAB reference. The
Supreme Court decided a larger bench would hear the reference from May 2.
Later on Babar met Zardari who congratulated him on his five points.
Speaking from the floor of NA Javed Hashmi apologized for joining
the government of Ziaul Haq and asked his party leaders Nawaz and
Shahbaz to do the same for abandoning the nation for ten years. He also
asked Zardari and Nawaz to apologize for supporting military dictators.
Apex court upheld verdict of LHC in Mokhtaran Mais rape case and
acquitted all but one accused. One of the enlightened liberals, Mosharraf
Zaidi, termed the verdict shocking, but he added that the Supreme Court
could not be singled out as police and the society were wanting in many
ways. Asma Jahangir also found faults with the judicial system.
Zardari was empowered to cut deal with Qatal League; as if he is not
allowed to do without empowerment. Two Sindhi nationalist leaders were
shot at and then burnt alive near Shahdadpur. Fifteen people were killed and
35 wounded in bomb blast in a gambling den in Karachi; no religious
extremists were blamed or claimed responsibility.
Next day, the Chief Justice ordered FIA to complete probe into Haj
scam in a week. Tariq Butt reported PML-Q did not trust Zardari and wanted
iron-cast written guarantees in PPP-PML-Q alliance. Rehman Malik assured
security and legal aid to Mokhtaran Mai. Usman Manzoor reported that most
parliamentarians of MQM, which claims to be party of middle classes, are
millionaires and some have tripled their assets in last two years. Six more
people were killed in Karachi.
On 23rd April, Judicial Commission recommended confirmation of
services of 14 additional judges of LHC and 4 of BHC, besides, making
nomination of ten new additional judges for the LHC. The recommendations
were made in an in-camera meeting of the commission.
SCBA secretary accused Asma Jahangir of running the affairs without
the consent of the Bars Executive Committee. She was meeting the highups of the government as well as superior judiciary without taking into

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confidence the executive members. He said that the Bar wont cooperate
with her unless she mended her way.
Babar Awan called on Chaudhry Brothers to deliver the message of
the Scoundrel about power-sharing. Babar Awan rejected that power-sharing
was because of corruption allegations against Moonis Elahi. Asim Yasin
noted that PPP and PML-Q were clueless about power sharing formula.
MQM also considered its options as Zardari wooed PML-Q.
FIA asked ATC hearing Benazirs murder case to declare Musharraf
absconder. Ansar Abbasi reported that report on corruption in Bank of
Punjab submitted to Supreme Court protected the big wigs and accused
minnows. Six people were killed in Karachi.
On 24th April, Chief Justice speaking at the concluding ceremony of
the National Judicial Conference said judiciary regulates state machinery; it
doesnt act against the Executive. He added that public trust in courts is
evident from increase in litigation. He observed that because of the faulty
probe system the courts are blamed for freeing the accused.
Tariq Butt reported that the probe report submitted to the Supreme
Court has made startling revelations of corruption in Bank of Punjab.
According to the finding Rs143 billion were swindled out of which the
directors of the bank misappropriated more than Rs20 billion.
Replying a question regarding Saraiki Province Shahbaz counterquestioned why not create more provinces in Sindh. Media projected his
statement as his demand for Karachi as separate province. PPP, MQM and
ANP bitterly criticized Shahbaz for talking against the integrity of Sindh.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressing a public meeting in Khapro said
the PPP has been split into two factions; one faction is intoxicated with
power and there is nobody to resolve the problems of the faction. He said
ZAB and Benazir had given the PPP the face of federal party, but some
unwise people in the party were talking about prejudices.
PML-Q and MQM were ready to join federal cabinet, while PPP
decided to ignore JUI-F. The loyalists of Benazir abhorred the decision to
have alliance with PML-Q. Not only disgruntled leaders of the party, but
also its some senior members close to Presidency expressed their
reservations.
Gilani inaugurated Cadet College in Okara and speaking on the
occasion did some electioneering. He said promised ownership rights to

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tenants of military Dairy Farms land. He also vowed to expand BISP and
claimed the college would enhance literacy rate.
An emergency meeting of the executive committee of the SCBA was
called on May 7 to debate the attitude of the bar President Asma Jahangir.
The requisition for the meeting has been filed by eleven members of SCBA
executive committee vowing that they would run affairs of the Bar without
Asma if she did not change her attitude.
Liaqat Baloch slated Asfandyars for uttering remarks about
blasphemy law during his yatra of Bharat Mata. He said, Asfandyar has
made a mockery of the Constitution. There was no need to raise the issue
when it is already resolved. Meanwhile, four people were killed in Karachi.

VIEWS
On 12th April, The News commented on MQMs public meeting at
Lahore: What may be said about the MQM rally with some certainty is that
by holding it the party is demonstrating a potential to develop a national
voice. It has made moves outside its traditional power base before, most
notably with registering a presence in the last elections in Gilgit-Baltistan. It
is also a party that speaks to the middle class and has not been marred
by the curse of dynastic politics like most other parties. If it were able to
somehow shake off the image of violence associated with it by many, then it
might bring a welcome diversity to our narrow political spectrum.
What is far less certain is how the MQM would achieve some of the
things today being promised by its leader. His offer to mediate between the
beleaguered and much-oppressed Baloch and the government is fine in
principle. But how is he going to do the mediating? Equally fine is the
much-promised end to feudalism, bur to be replaced by what? Where is the
model by which we transition from feudalism to whatever the MQM vision
is of the post-feudal period? For the MQM to be a credible national
political force it has to add a lot more substance to broad and finesounding promises?
Nisar Ahmed Thakur from Karachi wrote: It is the inalienable right of
every Pakistani political and religious party to pursue their agenda in any
part of the country within the established principles as enshrined in the
Constitution. Instead of resorting to the old practices of political vandalism,
and mud-slinging, we must acknowledge each others viewpoint without any
prejudice to promote the much-lacked pluralism in our country. It is high
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time for the MQM leadership to show magnanimity, embrace and

encouraging other political forces in Karachi and shed the perception that the
party practices the politics of regionalism and communalism. In order to
attract more and more people into the partys fold the MQM stalwarts will
have to reciprocate positively and provide a level playing field to other
political forces in Karachi.
Tasneem Noorani suggested 20th Amendment in which five-year
tenure of the government be reduced to three or four years to facilitate
the evolution of democratic dispensation in Pakistan. Having discussed its
merits, he came to this conclusion: The response of the PPP is likely to be,
why such a proposal in their term? Well, one can say that it offers the party a
chance for a graceful exit or coming back again to power for another four
years. It may even be an opportune to go back to the voter earlier, because
one year later public may have become that much more disappointed with
the government. In any case, a four-year term will reduce the chance of the
government will reduce the chance of the government being thrown out.
Unless the PPP wants that because it can then claim that it was not able to
deliver because its tenure was cut short.
The PML-N seems complicit with the PPP in letting things drift the
way they are, because they are enjoying unbridled power in Punjab, their
main, and perhaps only, base. Withy the indisposition of Mian Nawaz Sharif,
the inclination for an early election for the PML-N may be even less
welcome.
Despite the likely reluctance of the major political players in the
field, the logical and the long-lasting solution is to have the constitutional
tenure of the government more in line with the nations temperament and
stage of political development. If we let things slide the way are doing
currently, we may have to restart the process of rebuilding Pakistan, from
square one.
Next day, Tanvir Ahmad Khan wrote: Minister for Inter-Provincial
Coordination and Chairman, Implementation Commission on the 18th
Amendment Mian Raza Rabbanis disclosure that Islamabad is evolving a
new commission raises the hope that the genuine fears of the opponents of
the HEC dissolution can be redressed. But one has to withhold applause till
a number of questions have been answered. Is there a judicious assessment
of the successes and failures of the existing HEC? If so, what metrics of
quantity and quality were applied and by whom? How wide and deep is the
consultation in evolving the new commission? How many of the eminent
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scholars who have followed educational reforms since the Ayub era have
been consulted?
Then there are individuals who have looked at higher education not
only from the viewpoint of excellence, particularly in science and
technology, but also its role in fostering a more enlightened society. Have
they been brought into the loop? Does the government plan to hold nationwide seminars and symposia to ensure a comprehensive review of higher
education?
In the post-Benazir Bhutto era, the PPP is getting increasingly
dominated by elements that distrust knowledge, intellectuals, free research
and an inquisitive and questioning culture. Can Rabbani assure us that his
project would not become another administrative fiat, another sleight of the
hand by an incompetent government?
Tanvir dwelled on these questions and then concluded: Since no
drastic decline in internal and external funding is apprehended at this
moment, the federal government should come out with a white paper on
its plans for devolution in the field of education and the improved
commission that Rabbani has talked about.
Rahimullah Yusufzai commented: If the departure of Dr Zulfiqar
Mirza is MQMs gain, the ANP leaders in Sindh see it as their loss. They
were happy that Dr Zulfiqar Mirza was pointing accusing fingers mostly at
the MQM for its role in the target-killings and were hoping that the killers in
government custody would be prosecuted and their sponsors exposed. The
major ANP worry now is that Dr Zulfiqar Mirzas removal would
demoralize the police officials and make them reluctant to do their job to go
after criminals linked to political parties. Already, a number of policemen
who in the past took action against such elements have been eliminated.
There are many instances of police officials being targeted and killed for
having investigated and nabbed killers having influential connections.
It is going to be a tough balancing act for the PPP to keep both
the MQM and the ANP happy. The priority, however, is to keep the MQM
amused because it is a bigger political party in Sindh and has more street
power than any other party in Karachi. The ANP has been making noises
lately about reviewing its decision whether to continue being part of the
coalition government in Sindh. It has alleged that the promised funds for
development work in the Pashtun localities, almost all of which are slums, in
Karachi have not been provided during the last three years and the problems
facing Pashtuns remained unresolved. The ANP has two provincial assembly
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seats in Sindh and is thus in no position to put enough pressure on the PPP
and the provincial government to accept its demands. However, the ANP has
considerable political clout as an ally and coalition partner of the PPP in the
federal government and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In fact,
the ANP has been the most loyal ally of the PPP and, therefore, cannot be
ignored.
The PPP until now has managed to keep both the MQM and the ANP
on its side despite the growing rivalry between these two largely ethnicbased parties. It may succeed in retaining their support for the remaining two
years of the governments five-year term because all the parties have a
vested interest in remaining in power. However, the important question is
whether their success in keeping their opportunistic alliance and
coalition governments intact could lead to an improvement in the
lawless situation now prevailing in Karachi. There isnt much hope that
such a turnaround in the situation is possible.
In such a scenario, it is the people of Karachi who would continue to
suffer the daily round of killings and the general lawlessness that brings life
to a standstill and interrupts their ability to earn livelihood Proposals have
been made about making the country weapons-free, using the army to
cleanse Karachi of the various mafias as the scope of the challenge was
beyond the power of the police and rangers and prompting the political
parties to stop patronizing criminals and target-killers. These are measures
which are needed but impractical given the state of affairs in Pakistan, at
least for the time being. One wishes the situation changes for the better and
Pakistan is able to overcome the problems tearing at the fabric of our
society.
S Khalid Husain opined: Zulfiqar Mirzas dexterity in playing the
Sindh card,, and his utterance of vitriol against settlers of all shades and
hues in Sindh, have been well used by the PPP to instill a measure of healthy
respect for the among the principal political players in urban Sindh, who are
mostly Urdu-speaking Sindhis, or the MQM. The dance was
choreographed by the president, of that there is little doubt. The
inimitable signs of presidential choreography appear in every whirl and
swirl.
All the above is not to say that in gaining healthy respect for itself
with the MQM, through the dance almost flawlessly executed by Zulfiqar
Mirza, the PPP does not have the same respect for the MQM. The difference

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now is that no one party has an exaggerated sense of its primacy, or of

the others vulnerability, in urban Sindh.
Where a new sense of unease must now prevail, however, is in the
top PPP ranks. The president is known for not only standing by his friends
but generously rewarding those who have done him a service. The latest
yeomans service rendered is by Zulfiqar Mirza, and he is an ambitious
man, as ambitious as the president is generous. If he is given a seat in the
Senate, while his wife sits on a high rostrum to preside over the National
Assembly proceedings as its speaker, Zulfiqar Mirzas feeling a bit queasy
sitting on the benches in the Senate would be natural.
As for an important slot in the centre, it could also be looking
after the interior of the country, not just of Sindh. If there is at present an
element of unease with some, in the Senate and elsewhere in the power
complex as it is set up at present, the reason is Zulfiqar Ali Mirza.
Ameer Bhutto was of the view that if something is to be salvaged
from the wreck this country is turning into, deep rooted change is
urgently needed. The litmus test of any system is its ability to correct
anomalies and jettison bad blood. This system has failed us on both counts.
The institutions and organs of state that are its supporting pillars are
hemorrhaging under the merciless onslaught of the Zardari administration.
If the judiciary tightens the noose around the government because of
its corruption and misconduct, it is rendered helpless and ineffective by
simply ignoring its orders with impunity. If NAB is an obstacle in the
robbing of public funds and is unearthing ghosts of corruption scandals
past, it has to be neutralized by putting it under the charge of a compliant
stooge or crippled and rendered useless. If the HEC is pursuing members of
parliament who hold fake degrees, it must be done away with. How can the
state function without such vital institutions and organs?
There is often a tendency to cling on to the known and familiar, even
though it is harmful, rather than venture forth into the promising unknown.
This phobia of the new is exacerbated by fear-mongering by old crumbling
orders. Presidents Ben Ali of Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt both
claimed that if they were to go, their respective countries would be plunged
into civil war
But in Pakistan, apart from those who have a vested interest in the
stagnant status quo, even some reasonably enlightened elements seem
terrified of initiating any process of change. It is said that revolution causes
too much upheaval and disorder. Did the partition of India in 1947 not
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unleash disorder in the short run? Was it not worth it? Instead of focusing on
the transitory period of disorder, why cant we look beyond it to the fruits
that are to be reaped? The Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions caused
temporary upheaval but the positive change there is already palpable.
In societies where the old failed order is firmly entrenched and
refuses to make way, revolution becomes a necessary instrument of political
progress. Just as cancer cells having completed their natural life-cycle,
refuse to die and instead fester and become malignant, outdated and failed
old orders in society too are a malignancy in the body politic of the state and
need to be removed. Cancer can be successfully treated if detected in the
early stages. Societies too can be saved from ruin provided the requisite
change is brought about before it is too late. The beauty of democracy and
power of the people is that it transforms seemingly chaotic discord into a
melody from which order is born, embodying the will of the people and
imparting legitimacy to representative governments.
There also appears to be an underlying fear in some quarters in
Pakistan concerning the difficulty in evolving a consensus in the framing of
a new order, the sort that was achieved in 1973. If there is indeed any
substance to these fears and our sense of nationhood has disintegrated to
such an extent that we can not even agree on how to save the state from
sinking, then it makes the argument for change even more urgent.
The slide down the slippery slope of fragmentation cannot be
halted by sitting on our hands and pretending all is well We need to
get our priorities right. Hard decisions have to be made, and soon. Anything
that is meaningful and worth having cannot be achieved without struggle
and sacrifice. A better and brighter future awaits the brave people of Tunisia
and Egypt. They earned it by paying a heavy price for it. If we are not
prepared to pay the same price, then we have no right to continue with our
favourite national pastime of wailing on incessantly about the slings and
arrows of outrageous fortune.
On 14th April, Ikram Sehgal wrote: Asif Ali Zardaris political and
personal reasons notwithstanding, he must be commended for trying to
right the legal wrong done against his childrens grandfather and the
party that he now controls by default. Murder most foul was committed by a
hit squad of the Federal Security Force (FSF). Except for the one person
who directly ordered the atrocity, all went to the gallows. Whether Z A
Bhutto gave the orders to Masood Mahmood or the FSF chief invented such
orders to turn approver and escape the gallows is a moot point. The split 4-3
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making the Supreme Court judgment controversial, Bhuttos execution

became a travesty of justice Masood Mahmood conveniently passed the
blame onto Bhutto to escape the gallows. Why was the actual perpetuator of
the crime allowed to become an approver?
The Supreme Court has a unique chance to correct this egregious
legal wrong. The removal of this blot from our legal history will certainly
not only endear it to the PPP rank and file and a great majority of Pakistanis
but restore our judiciarys credibility in international circles.
The Supreme Court can than eliminate the blackest of black
laws, the NRO, from the statute books of Pakistan, and settle many other
legal issues in contention without having to contend with the Sindh Card
bogey. President Zardari has displayed tremendous courage in voluntarily
resolving another controversial issue of consequence, the question of
immunity for the president. In his affidavit to the Supreme Court on Bhuttos
execution, he has invoked Islamic injunctions in unequivocally stating that
everyone is accountable before the law. Charges of corruption and misuse
of authority can no longer be considered off limits because of presidential
immunity.
As one of the pillars of democracy, the media holds the organs of the
state accountable on behalf of public interest. The guerrilla campaign by
the government against Geo TVs various channels must be
unequivocally condemned. Freedom of speech must be defended and
cannot be allowed to be curtailed. The Supreme Court can start addressing
our woes by ensuring that justice about the freedom of speech is not
delayed. Justice delayed will be justice denied.
The News commented on HEC issue. In the context of the provisions
of the 18th Amendment, the devolution of the HEC is a given. It is now,
once the legislation is on the books, that the thinking work that should
have been done in committee has been done retrospectively, and along
with that has come the realization that devolution in this case and perhaps
in other instances particularly relating to education is likely to be
detrimental rather than beneficial. Why this realization has come so late in
the day to so many is a matter for conjecture, but come it has, and with it
more than a suspicion that the government is keen to punish the HEC for
its principled stand on the matter of fake degrees.
It now appears that the action of the Supreme Court in effectively
putting any change in the functioning of the HEC on hold has created a
breathing space in which the matter may be further examined before it is
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formally broken up. As with the devolution of all federal functions

associated with the 18th Amendment, there has been a significant failure
to think through its consequences. Whatever its shortcomings and they
are not insignificant, the HEC is not going to be improved by being divided
into provincial units. There will inevitably be duplication and inconsistency
coming into national standards. Let us hope that the legal breathing space
afforded by the Supreme Court allows better counsel to prevail, and that the
HEC is ring-fenced against galloping devolution.
In another editorial the newspaper talked of regimes delaying tactics
to save the scoundrel. It is sometimes quite hard to make sense of events in
the country or understand what is going on. We appear to be caught in a
bizarre pantomime which follows some surreal script, drafted perhaps by the
powerful overlords who run things in our country. Take the unfolding saga
of who is to argue the governments case in the NRO review petition. The
Supreme Court says the lawyer who put up the case initially must do so
again. Kamal Azfar, the man who fits this description, after being summoned
before the court, now says that the government does not wish him to do so,
has handed the brief in the case to Dr Khalid Ranjha and appointed him
adviser to the prime minister. Rather unnecessarily, Mr Azfar has also
complained about not being given respect as adviser a request by him to
visit the flood-hit areas was ignored. This, of course, has no relevance to the
rather serious matter at hand and the need to get on with the NRO case.
Perhaps, it is yet another delaying tactic, with Mr Azfar now saying such
tactics had been used by the government.
The court for its part has pointed out that in 2010 Mr Azfar had stated
in a letter that he had resigned as adviser and could now plead the case. It
has also reemphasized that the rules state that this should happen. At any
rate, even if Kamal Azfar is an adviser to the PM, there appears to be no
reason why he cannot step down. After all, in a highly theatrical gesture, law
minister Babar Awan has done just this to allow him to plead the ZAB case
re-trial. The matter is now being heard by the apex court. It can only be
assumed that the tactics used in the NRO plea are yet another means to gain
some time. The government has, after all, clearly demonstrated that it
has no desire to follow up on court orders in the matter. What we need is
for the case to proceed, the confusion over counsel for government to end,
and a willingness to abide by court rulings to be demonstrated in a matter
that has already lingered for far too long.
Next day, the newspaper wrote: The real motives behind the PPPs
reopening of the case are open to question. Concerns have been voiced
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that the real intention may be to embarrass the apex court or distract
attention from other issues. So far, the party has only succeeded in exposing
itself by indulging in behaviour that many already consider ludicrous.
Bizarrely, the man who has taken upon himself the role of defending
ZAB in the case, Babar Awan, is well known for having spoken out bitterly
against the founder of the party in the days that led up to his death and even
advocated his execution. His role as part of the opposition to the PPP too
lives on in the memories of many. The fact that this man now holds so much
power within the party even as others known for years of staunch support
for Bhutto and his late daughter have been sidelined can only leave one
wondering at the hypocrisy and deceit involved in the whole affair.
Awan, in typical melodramatic fashion, has said that he will speak
in the voice of ZAB. It is a relief that the late Bhutto, a man admired for his
courage and his refusal to abandon principle, is not alive today to see the
charade, apparently thought up by Awan himself. Awan must also have
considered all the consequences. Inevitably, tough questions about his own
past will come up in court. We wonder what answers he will be able to offer
about his own past or the reasons why the PPP should have allowed him to
plead the case, given the feelings he once had against ZAB. While looking
into history is important, it is also a fact that many will wonder if this is not
a luxury we cannot afford at this time of multiple crises, when so many
problems that concern our present need to be addressed on an urgent basis.
Shafqat Mahmood opined: A recipe for success in life should be
obvious: basic intelligence, good education, hard work and a few lucky
breaks. It works quite often, but only up to a point. Those who reach the
very top have something more: fire in the belly, native cunning, eye always
on the ball and a willingness to pay any price, bear any burden.
I was reminded of this after Babar Awans sacrifice of his ministry to
plead the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto reference to the Supreme Court. Here is a man
accused of distributing sweets after the great leaders hanging. Ijazul Haq
claims that the said Awan was a diehard supporter of his father and was the
stage secretary on Zias first death anniversary. And now, twenty-odd years
later, the same man is going to plead the Bhutto case.
It is not as if Babar Awans chequered past is not known in the party.
Politics is a hard playground and the competition in the parties for a few
crumbs of office is cutthroat. Anything and everything is used to bring a
competitor down. Lies are easily manufactured if evidence of perfidy is not
available, but if it is, no one lets you forget it. So also it has been with Awan.
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When he first made his appearance in the party ranks in the late nineties, he
was not only looked at with suspicion but every possible garbage was
thrown at him. Yet, he has not only survived but prospered.
The reason is that little extra he brought to the table. He was willing
to defend the indefensible, say and do anything that pleased the boss, and
never for a minute let conscience or any other nicety of life, such as
morality or right and wrong, bother him.
These are the qualities that not only he but many others have used to
inch up lifes greasy pole. Another classic example in the PPP is Rehman
Malik. He is everyones favourite: Zardari, Gilani, the Americans, even the
military. The simple fact is that, besides being smart, he has dollops of
native cunning.
For instance, he has a sharp eye for power and is willing to bend until
his head touches the floor to serve those who have power. Stupid things like
ego or self-respect never bother him. Moral values as generally perceived
are conceptual constructs he has never had the time to pay attention to. He
was too busy fighting his way up. From a lowly FIA employee, he is now
the interior minister of the country, and a very rich man to boot.
Lest it is misunderstood because Rehman Malik is very nice to me
whenever we run into each other I say this not in a condemnatory tone but
admiringly. The Babar Awans and Rehman Maliks of this world, who started
with few advantages in life, have a fire in their belly that many others,
eminently good people, dont have. They are determined to succeed, come
what may, and do.
Such people thrive in our political milieu. If our political parties
were collegial enterprises in which everyone could aspire for leadership,
things like education, understanding of policies, probity and uprightness,
loyalty to party ideals and, of course, tactical skills would be highly valued.
But this is not the case here.
Our political parties, with one or two exceptions, are family
enterprises passed from generation to generation like other material assets.
This obviously means no internal party democracy because the leader is
supreme and whatever he or she decides is unchallengeable. People rise and
fall within them seldom for political reasons, but because the leader takes a
fancy to or develops an aversion for someone.
What the leaders generally cannot stand is anyone who disagrees
with them, even if the reasoning is good. They also value people who would
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be ready to do anything and in their estimation further the family enterprise.

At these times, it does not matter what their past is or what nasty political
affiliations they have had. It is their skill and can do spirit that is considered
important.
Shafqat continued commenting on prevalent culture in political parties
and also compared it with the promotion system in military and then
concluded: Life is hard and the road to success not easy. Some would
quibble with the use of the word success to describe worldly advancement. A
good case can be made that real success is spiritual attainment or living a
stress-free life, with greater space for aesthetics and morality.
Fair enough, but in this case, the focus is on career paths and people
who reach the top in their specific spheres of activity. The good life in a
philosophical sense is a different quest altogether. The parameters for it are
otherworldly and satisfaction not easy to calculate. It is the crass material
world that provides easily identifiable examples. Let us then stop and
admire those that have gone up the greasy pole of worldly success inch
by inch. It takes determination and perseverance. Let those left behind
worry about honour and morality.
Ayaz Amir was of the view that On the question of Bhuttos trial
and his hanging, history has already rendered its verdict. Apart from
diehard Bhutto enemies, and their number is not small, most people in
Pakistan consider his trial a travesty of justice and his hanging a judicial
murder.
But Zardari and company obviously have different ideas. Or is it
that their motives are different? And so something about which neither
Benazir Bhutto when she was alive nor anyone else felt the slightest need is
now before their higher lordships further testimony to the Pakistani talent
for frittering away time and energy on the inconsequential.
And the central character of this drama, the star player on stage, is
my imperturbable friend, the very picture of cool, Dr Babar Awan. Nothing
fazes him. Hurl anything at him and it just doesnt stick. Didnt we all
make heavy weather of the fact that Monticello University, from where he
supposedly received his doctorate in international jurisprudence or
something equally fancy, existed only in the realm of the imagination that it
was about as real as President Zardaris graduation certificate? But did any
of this bother him?
A lesser man would have wilted, or felt slightly embarrassed a
rush of colour, say, to the cheeks. Not Dr Awan who remained his cool and
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jovial self, chatting and laughing and not a bit put out by all the snide
remarks about that celebrated seat of learning, Monticello University, which
had to close down, as we were to learn, for issuing fake degrees.
So all the cannons now pointing at him for having distributed sweets
on Bhuttos hanging and for being an acolyte and admirer of Gen Ziaul Haq,
the guy, if we care to remember, responsible for Bhuttos plight, should be
seen in the same perspective as his doctorate. It is not going to bother him at
all, Babar Awan simply not being cut from the cloth where anything like
embarrassment exists. His critics may choke at the throat, not him. His
grandstanding has already begun and before the lights go out on this affair
we should be prepared for more of it.
Pity Mr Bhutto. First his enemies hanged him and now the socalled keepers of his legacy are not sparing his memory. Many a
circumstance since his hanging, not least the transformation of the PPP and
its hijacking at the hands of a crowd Mr Bhutto would have been hard put to
recognize, would have made him turn in his grave. But none, I suspect, more
so than the thought that after all these years who should be defending him in
court but someone like Babar Awan, whose first steps in politics consisted of
Bhutto-baiting
Bhuttos real lawyers during his trial are largely forgotten figures.
Who remembers D M Awan who defended Bhutto in the Lahore High
Court? Even Yahya Bakhtiar is a receding figure from the public mind.
Transcending the past now steps into the breach our good doctor. For his
sense of timing and sense of spectacle, not to mention his gift for the
diversionary move, he deserves the highest accolades.
As for the old PPP and the real PPP, this is a narrative and a
debate which have lost their appeal and, indeed, their relevance. Is Yousaf
Raza Gilani old PPP? He wasnt anywhere near the PPP when Mr Bhutto
was alive. His maternal uncle Hamid Raza Gilani was a Bhutto friend from
Bhuttos time in the Convention League under Ayub Khan. When Bhutto
was forming the PPP he asked Hamid Raza to join him but he didnt, no
doubt to his everlasting regret. He joined the PPP later during the twilight of
Bhuttos prime minister-ship. But then the shadows had already begun to
close in on what still remains the most colourful and dramatic chapter in
Pakistans history. Come to think of it, even President Zardari cant claim to
be old PPP
The PPP had begun to change under Benazir Bhutto. The antiAmericanism and many of the radical slogans which were a feature of the
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partys ethos were discarded, as were the uncles who had been associates
of her father. With her marriage a new power centre within the party formed
around her husband. With her assassination this clique assumed the reins of
the party leadership. Just as Pakistan today is not Jinnahs Pakistan, the
PPP of today is not the party of Bhutto. To some extent it may still be the
party of Benazir Bhutto. But on its flag the most vivid imprint is that of Asif
Zardari. This is how the wheel turns. Such are the ironies of history.
Babar Awan becoming Zulfikar Ali Bhuttos judicial champion, the
Mark Antony who will be reading his funeral oration so many years later, is
less strange than Asif Zardari, through the workings of fate, becoming the
PPPs undisputed leader.
Salman Babar from Lahore opined: Mr Babar Awans decision to
resign and plead the Bhutto murder re-trial in the Supreme Court proves that
he is more loyal than the king himself. However, one must give him credit
that at least he is trying to make up for distributing sweets on the execution
of Mr Bhutto.
Subhan Soomro from Karachi wrote: So now Babar Awan will plead
the re-trial of Zulfikar Ali Bhuttos murder. The PPP leaders seem to have
forgotten how Mr Awan publicly abused Zulfikar Bhutto and Benazir
Bhutto in his speeches and public gatherings. He is on record to have
demanded Bhuttos execution. I have been associated with the PPP for the
last 30 years. The partys co-chairmen and others can forget and forgive
Babar Awans past antics, many faithful party workers like myself cannot.
On 16th April, Babar Sattar observed that HEC seemed to have fallen
victim to follies of the righteous. Even advocates of the HECs devolution
acknowledge that the authority to set standards in institutions of higher
education and oversee research remains a federal power and hence the
suggestion that the HEC will be replaced by another federal commission.
But there are problems with this design.
One, it does absolutely nothing to promote financial autonomy of
provinces or the cause of higher education. Even if the fiscal powers of
the HEC are abolished under the garb of devolution, it doesnt help the
provinces for the HEC doesnt generate any revenue of its own. The source
of its funding is grants from the federal government and foreign partners. So
even if provincial commissions can be the successors-in-interest of the HEC,
who will fund these commissions on an on-going basis other than provincial
governments through their existing budgets? Foreign grants in the realm of
education will remain a federal subject under Part I of the federal legislative
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list. With no new sources of revenue and the abolition of the HEC and the
federal governments responsibility to fund higher education, provinces will
be footing the bill of higher education from their share of the NFC award.
Two, deconstructing an autonomous HEC and distributing its
disjointed components across the spectrum of federal ministries would
actually be against the spirit of the 18 th Amendment. Given that Part II of
the Federal Legislative List covers the HECs primary functions (setting
minimum standards for higher education and coordinating research), Article
154 of the Constitution requires the Council of Common Interests to
formulate and regulate policy in relation to these functions and exercise
supervision and control over the institution implementing such policy. And if
there is to be an autonomous statutory body to deal with some components
of higher education that the federal government and the CCI will monitor
jointly, why tear away other components such as authenticating degrees,
facilitating students in foreign countries, and coordinating foreign grants and
stick them under the cabinet division, the foreign ministry and the economic
affairs division respectively?
Finally, demolishing the HEC and distributing its parts among a
diverse set of federal ministries is bad policy. Granted the HEC has been
the subject of genuine criticism. But critics have questioned the subjective
choices made by this body (choice of projects, speed of implementation,
mechanisms employed to match performance of academics with career
progression and imprudent use of resources) and the claims of its
accomplishments.
Even its harshest critics have not argued that the functions being
performed by the HEC do not belong together or that the HEC as a
public authority is guilty of corruption or malfeasance. Now that the
institution is to be placed under the control of the CCI, let us tweak the
system of checks and balances to supervise the HEC better and enhance its
performance. The HEC is not broken yet. Let us address its weaknesses and
build on its successes. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.
On 19th April, The News commented: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza
Gilani has decided, on the advice of Dr Hussain, to immediately fire the
heads of all the oil and gas companies and orders to this effect have been
given to the Petroleum and Natural Resources Ministry. Dr Hussain has also
made it clear that court cases need to be pursued aggressively and circular
debt reduced at all costs. To make all this possible it has also been decided
that the new heads of organizations that include the Pakistan State Oil, the
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Sui Southern Gas Company, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited and the
Oil and Gas Development Company Limited will be brought in from
overseas. The argument goes that the expertise required to restructure
the sector is simply not available within the country. Other changes in the
working of the organizations are also envisaged. The Sui Southern Gas
Company and the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited will, for example, be
made responsible for the distribution of LPG.
These moves will arguably create a stir in the country. It is hard to
assess if the import of heads is truly necessary or whether the high-salary
packages these individuals are certain to be offered will only add to the
fiscal problems we face in this sector. There is also reason to believe the
move comes as a direct result of the talks in Washington between
Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh and the IMF, where the issue of
reforming the energy sector is reported to have come up strongly. There can,
however, be no doubt that urgent improvement is needed in the running of
the crucial energy sector which quite literally keeps the country moving. We
wish reform had come sooner, perhaps a year and a half ago when proposals
in this regard were first made. Matters should not have been allowed to
deteriorate to this degree. Now we can only hope that things can be
salvaged; that it is not too late to do so and that the improvements that are so
essential to our future can come about as the process of putting things in
order begins.
The old man Roedad Khan chose his favourite topic and added few
paragraphs to Zardari Nama. Isnt it ironic that today the people of
Pakistan, especially the poor, the disadvantaged and the voiceless, expect
justice not from parliament, not from the Presidency, not from the prime
minister, but from the Supreme Court?
The few hours I spent recently in the Supreme Court in the NRO case
made it abundantly clear that the executive is determined to defy the apex
court. Attempts are being made to subvert the peoples will and overturn the
judicial revolution. It is the last desperate gamble of a hated and doomed,
corrupt autocracy.
President Zardari, symbol of the unity of the Federation, has declared
war on the Supreme Court. The governments refusal to comply with the
Supreme Court directive is an alarm call of the most compelling kind. The
fear of conspiracy against the Supreme Court hangs heavy in the air.
Our history can show no precedent for so foul a plot as that which this
corrupt and dying regime has hatched against the Supreme Court.
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Today Pakistan is ruled by a president who lacks credibility and

integrity and is interested only in perpetuating himself and protecting his illgotten wealth at all, costs and cost be damned. The country is breaking
down. It has become ungovernable and would remain so as long as he
remains in power. When he goes abroad or speaks to foreign heads of state,
Pakistanis sit on the edge of their seats wondering how their ruler will
embarrass them next.
Today we are engaged in a great battle for rule of law and
corruption-free politics. With the demise of the NRO, we won the first
round, but the fight is not over. In fact, it has just begun. No military dictator
and no corrupt civilian ruler can afford an independent judiciary or an
independent media. They cannot coexist. Today both are under attack in
democratic Pakistan. The conspirators who have ganged up against the
Supreme Court and independent media must not succeed.
Today nuclear Pakistan lies prostrate and has lost its
independence. It cannot protect the lives and properties of its citizens. It
cannot prevent the violation of its airspace. Why? Because it is now virtually
an American satellite and is portrayed in American media as a retriever
dog. Pakistan has lost its honour, its dignity, and its sense of self-respect.
It is not enough to sit back and let history slowly evolve. To settle
back into our cold-hearted acceptance of the status quo is not an option. The
present leadership is taking Pakistan to a perilous place. The course they are
on leads downhill. This is a delicate time, full of hope and trepidation in
equal measure. Today it is a political and moral imperative for all patriotic
Pakistanis to fight for our core values, to destroy the roots of the evil that
afflicts Pakistan.
After elaborating the point for a while he concluded: If people want
a change, they will have to vote with their bodies and keep voting in the
streets over and over and over. A government like this, which is defying
the Supreme Court, can only be brought down or changed if enough people
vote in the streets. This is what the regime fears most. A bloodless revolution
but a mighty revolution that is what we need today. The feeling of the
nation must be quickened, the conscience of the nation must rouse; the
proprieties of the nation must be startled, the hypocrisy of the corrupt rulers
must be exposed.
Next day, The News observed: The Supreme Court is quite obviously
losing patience with the governments shenanigans in the NRO review plea
placed before it The government has, all along, been playing for a
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delay. Its tactics have in many ways already made a mockery of the entire
judicial process. It also seems clear that it has nothing to say in its own
defence. The logic that follows from these goings on also indicates that it
has no intention of showing good intent as far as the issue of complying with
court orders goes. We have seen this again and again, most notably in the
NRO case which involves the top brass of the PPP.
There are many who believe the unusual ZAB case has been raised
simply to push back the verdict in the NRO matter. But the affairs of the
state cannot continue to be run in this haphazard manner. Almost everyone
has seen through the government tactics and its behaviour can only reduce
further the degree of respect for it and its leaders, even as the apex court
makes it clear that it will not fall for the ham-handed tactics being
employed.
On 21st April, The newspaper commented on expansion of cabinet:
According to reports four slots in the cabinet as full-fledged ministers are
being suggested (to PML-Q), alongside positions as minister of state and in
the provincial setups. A post of deputy prime minister is also said to be
under consideration, while overtures are also being made to the PML-N to
join what would be a national government. The purpose of the exercise,
we are told, is to create a wider setup which can deal with the most
pressing issues we face. Economic recovery tops the agenda, and this of
course is hardly surprising given the failure to extract solid cash from the
IMF during the tough talks in Washington. Worsening law and order and the
energy crisis are other issues to be put before any new, wider body that can
be formed as a result of the latest efforts.
Developing consensus on key issues is always a welcome step. But
do we detect here a hint of distinct desperation on the part of the
government? Is it now after making a mess of matters and some two years
before the elections are due keen to share out the blame and save itself
from standing alone on the chopping board as voters express what is likely
to be anger. There seems to be little other logic in setting up a broader
government at this juncture, especially as ties with allies have weakened and
whittled away over the past months. The exercise will also bring together
parties with widely differing ideologies. Indeed the sight of former archenemies the PPP and the PML-Q around a common table will, if things
happen as is being planned, be rather comical. What is not at all funny is the
sums of money that will be spent on a swollen cabinet. The PPP has already
faced criticism for setting up one of the largest cabinets in the world; and it

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is now set to increase the size of government dramatically once more, in an

exercise that may not necessarily yield very positive results.
Ikram Sehgal commented in the context of Chief Justices address to
students of Command and Staff College. The CJ emphasized that since
Pakistan is being governed by a written Constitution, all powers and duties
of the armed forces must flow from the provisions of that charter, that a
heavy responsibility lies upon the shoulders of their officers to adopt
patriotism and the highest moral and professional standards. Only then you
will be able to defend your country from extraneous threats, he added
The circumstances in Pakistan are usually such that they provoke
the minds and senses of the personnel of the armed forces as they do of
common citizens. It does not help for them to see the apparent helplessness
and inadequacy of the SC to implement its judgments on the one side and on
the other, the long suffering public exhorting them to do something and
being insistent about it (no matter that they turn on their benefactors soon
after they have done it).
This frustration is enhanced when the rank and file see the incumbent
government adopt the simple expedient of repeated filibustering, the
changing of counsels that has successfully hindered the implementation of
the NRO judgment for the last 18 months since late 2009. All the rhetoric by
the SC declaring the NRO to be a black law and those in office affected by
the NRO to be ineligible for office has remained just that, rhetoric. The
ineligible have thus become legitimate and are legitimately looting the till.
The result is that those who should be prosecuted by law for their countless
misdemeanours are themselves prosecuting those who should be prosecuting
them.
While defending the Constitution is the SCs prime duty and one
does not doubt for one moment that the honourable justices have their hearts
in the right place, where is the definite will to ensure the ends of justice are
served? The fact that many of their judgments have simply been ignored by
the government rankles the public mind and even if the public does not
doubt its true intentions it makes both the intelligence and the masses
sceptical about the SCs ability to implement the rule of law. One fears for
the rule of law as this provides fuel for those who encourage the military to
believe that they are the saviours incarnate of the republic. Is it a
coincidence that some controversies miring SC judgments have gained
currency and the SCs pristine reputation has been brought back a peg or two
by clever manipulation of facts with fiction?
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CJ Chaudhry says the welfare of the people must be the supreme

consideration of all institutions and all functionaries of the state, adding that
in adherence to constitutionalism and legal principles lies our salvation and
future development as a civilized nation. The CJ and his fellow justices
have certainly tried but have not been able to stop the loot and plunder
by deliberate and systematic disregard of rules and regulations. The integrity
and sovereignty of the state has clearly been eroded, if the SC does not act,
who will? Given that the government of the day has no intention of listening
to the SC, is it a mystery that the masses hope that they will at least beware
of the rage of angels as represented by the men in uniform?
Shaheen Sehbai wrote: With a PPP coalition with the dying and
discredited PML-Q now almost ready for a takeoff, the brilliance, or some
say bankruptcy, of PPP politics has now been fully exposed, if there still
was any doubt in any mind. The largest party of the country, which has a
creditable record of struggles and sacrifices for democracy, has lost its
political direction, has shown very little ability to govern but has displayed
an unmatched capacity to blackmail and survive. Practically the party is
hostage to the whims and machinations of one person with a twisted and
troubled mind with a bagful of tricks.
Whatever ZA Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and many stalwarts fought,
believed and meant by democracy, certainly does not match up with what
their party has shown by its actions. The current PPP has proved that its
definition of democracy means absolutely no scruples, no principles, no
respect for any institution or any democratic tradition, no larger political
vision except bulldozing and blackmailing individuals and institutions,
cheating political allies and friends in self-interest, buying or bullying
opponents, browbeating those who cannot retaliate and surrendering to those
who can hit back.
The underlying and prime objective of the party has shifted from
the larger goals of democracy, a clean and sustainable polity aimed at
bringing betterment and prosperity for the impoverished people, to survival
of the present gang of leaders, saving their illegal assets and properties at
home and abroad, making as much gains as possible through indiscriminate
and almost daredevil loot and plunder for everybody at the helm.
To make this possible, the partys gung-ho leaders have devised
the strategy of using provincial cards, personal threats, confronting and
browbeating every institution that threatens them, launching deception
plans, diverting attention from critical issues to non-issues, wasting time of
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the nation and the people and keep hanging on to power, by hook or by
crook.
Though government officials deny, people talk about, right or wrong,
that all its major political and economic initiatives have one thing in
common the lucrative prospect of commissions and kickbacks of
millions and billions, whether it is the money-wasting Benazir Income
Support Programme, rental or offshore power projects, stuffing thousands of
PPP workers in collapsing and dying state-run corporations, signing
hundreds of MOUs with Chinese companies or appointments of cronies to
key posts in the financial and corporate sector like the NBP, ODGC, PSO,
petroleum ministry, PIA, Pakistan Steel Mills and dozens more.
After explaining the point further, Shaheen came to Zardaris latest
embrace with PML-Q. In this scenario and faced with the blackmail of JUI
and MQM and no longer a free lunch offered by the PML-N, the PPP has
quickly invented a new definition for the PML-Q, from Qaatil league
(Killers party) to they are not guilty, Musharraf was and big carrots are
being offered to get it on board before the budget.
On its part the Chaudhrys of Q-League have got the chance of their
life Now that corruption cases have caught up with their mainstream
leadership, Moonis Elahi being the poster boy, the desperate Gujratis need
a safe haven and what better place to hide than the Federal
Government, with a prospect of toppling PML-N in Punjab as well. They
will grab even half the carrot at double the price being asked by the PPP.
But once the budget is passed, what kind of minced meat the PPP
will make of the Gujratis can only be guessed. The case of MQM vs
Zulfikar Mirza is a good example. There are many Mirzas in Punjab to take
care of Gujrat if there is need to keep them under the thumb.
How the security establishment is looking at all this is interesting.
Many chirping birds are flying in every TV talk show these days disclosing
what is happening. These birds dont fly abroad but some informed people
tell us the establishment is not creating another IJI with MQM, Imran Khan,
JUI and some Q-leaguers and the birds spreading these rumours are flying
direct to the TV houses from the Presidency to scare Mian Nawaz Sharif and
others.
What is deplorable is how some of the more respected media
persons have started pushing the agenda of the corrupt and the
discredited by raising these bogeys. As the opposition led by Nawaz Sharif
has no plan or vision to stop this rot, the key responsibility comes back on
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the shoulders of the establishment. But where does it stand and what will it
do is a big question.
But those who know say that they will ensure that an independent
Election Commission is set up, a free and strong judiciary stays on course
and its judgments are implemented, the corrupt are punished and
disqualified and a free election is held under a genuinely neutral and fair
caretaker administration, sooner or at its time. Then the chips may fall
where they may. No one should be scared of these scarecrows sitting in
talk shows.
On 22nd April, The News wrote: The role of the eight member
parliamentary committee which under the 18 th Amendment is to review the
appointment of judges became clearer as a four-member Supreme Court
bench dismissed the federations review petition against the court order
setting aside a recommendation by the committee rejecting a one-year
extension in the terms of six additional judges of the Sindh and Lahore high
courts. The verdict should settle the issue of which institution holds
supremacy in the matter. The problems inherent in the grant of powers to a
committee of parliamentarians to overview decisions made by the judicial
commission had already been pointed out by legal experts. The provision of
course posed a threat of eroding judicial independence and the SC judges,
by rejecting the plea, have made it clear they will not allow this to happen.
Senior lawyers have welcomed the move.
While the matter has given rise to controversy for months, it seems
that the need to safeguard judicial independence is essential in our particular
circumstances. The failure to do so over the years has led to all kinds of
problems and essentially resulted in a judiciary subservient to the executive.
Even those of us not well-versed in history have a good idea of the disasters
this caused and the unfortunate traditions it set in place. The apex court is
quite obviously determined to eradicate these and work towards a future
where the role laid down for each institution within the Constitution is fully
protected.
The decision also brings into question what the role of the
parliamentary committee is to be. Experts attempting to defend its existence
have argued that a body able to act only as a rubber stamp serves no
purpose. There can be no real argument with this. The logical thing to do
under the circumstances would be to scrap the body, or at the very least to
clearly re-define its powers, leaving no doubt that the judiciary is fully
empowered to take decisions in matters that have an impact on its working
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without any interference from the outside. It has already made it quite clear
that it intends to do so, and has reasserted this intention through its latest
verdict. It is essential that it be accepted with good grace and the role of the
judiciary as a fully independent body established once and for all. Such a
step could play a crucial role in determining the future of our country and
the manner in which events within it unfold.
Mir Adnan Aziz opined: A states sovereignty and road to prosperity
depends on its ability to make decisions independent of external authorities
and its capacity to govern. Aid dependency is a yoke that inhibits both. It is a
shot that gives an addictive economy a temporary high. Touted as an
antidote, it is a major cause of our present asphyxiation. With an
ideologically bankrupt leadership being the custodian of a non tax paying
privileged class, the solution does not lie in austerity IMF style and taxing
the poor further. Benjamin Disraeli said: To tax the community for the
advantage of a class is not protection, it is plunder.
The merciful rejection by the IMF may have been precipitated not by
our inability to meet the performance bench marks but the post Raymond
Davis ISI-CIA cold war Pakistan today epitomizes the private opulence of
our political elite; as a beggared and battered country sinks ever deeper
under debt and diktat. At this critical juncture the national reconciliation
government is yet another act of shame. The PPP wants to ensure passage of
the budget whereas the Qatil Leagues politics has been reduced to ensure
the freedom of just one man Moonis Elahi. The survival circus continues;
the nation, from Fata to Karachi, may rest in peace.
Lord Acton said: When a rich man becomes poor it is a misfortune.
When a poor man becomes destitute, it is a moral evil. Our rags to riches
politicians could do with a bit of poverty and a thought for Pakistan. This
may allow a semblance of life and dignity to this betrayed land and the poor
made destitute within.
Next day, S M Taha opined: There are some structural flaws in
Pakistans democracy. First, in this system, the opinion of the sane and the
insane counts for the same. Or, in other words, democracy is the form of
government in which heads are counted not weighed. Secondly, political
parties are undemocratic, family sponsored and most of them are centred on
personalities. In the absence of grass-root political nurseries, that is, elected
bodies, at union, town and city levels, cronies and family members get
nominations in provincial and national elections.

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Thirdly, highly skilled human capital is out of the political process.

Last but not least, the federal structure of Pakistan divides along a number of
fault lines that hamper democratic growth in the country. The federation and
its four uneven units are uneven in all aspects; ethnic, religious, resources,
and population. Sectarian and provincial feelings play havoc to an already
fragmented society. Sixty-two years after independence, we still havent
begun the process of nation-building.
These structural flaws prevent the growth of real democracy in
Pakistan. A real democracy is one where society manages diversity, where
society exercises democratic behaviour and constructs a pattern of
democratic morality, where nations attain sustainable economic growth, the
delivery of social welfare services to all citizens, good governance and equal
opportunities to all.
Contrary to these attainable goals, elected governments from Zulfiqar
Ali Bhutto till today have perpetuated corruption, bad governance, economic
meltdown and underdevelopment. Elected governments have bulldozed
merit and snatched the rights of public participation at the grass-root level.
The failure of democracy has led to the rise of ineffective institutions
which in turn have produced patterns of behaviour inimical to
democratic success. Institutional breakdown has caused functional
inefficiency in Pakistan. It is rightly said that a democracy without a sense of
direction is like a ship with a sail, but no rudder.
The call of democracy demands betterment in the quality of citizens
lives. Their lives can only be improved in the presence of rule of law, rights
of equal access to public services, due social justice, and sustainable
economic growth. Desirable and holistic growth is only possible through
participatory decision making. And devolution of power (along with fiscal
devolution) to local government is the right and tested strategy to strengthen
genuine democracy in the country. The present state of democracy in
Pakistan is not really democracy; it is a denial of democracy.
On 24th April, The News commented: The prime minister, while
speaking in Karachi, has referred to a new political alliance in the offing,
though in rather typical fashion he has remained somewhat vague about
precisely what he means or what this new alliance would constitute. We can
however, safely assume, that Mr Yusuf Raza Gilani has in mind a new linkup with the PML-Q that many believe is on the anvil with talks reported to
be in progress between top leaders from both sides

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The building of alliances is a legitimate part of the business of any

democracy. But it is interesting to note how, in our particular political
realm, principles are quickly forgotten. Ideology is a matter that stands
still further away. Retaining power, hanging on to cabinet seats and
enjoying the many trappings of power is all that seems to matter to
politicians who most often put service to themselves above service to their
nation, or the very people who elected them. Till the 2008 elections and in
the months afterwards, the PPP had been scathing in its criticism of the
PML-Q. While ideology is a less and less significant part of our politics, on
this count too the party manifestoes and the speeches made down the years
by leaders, reflect major differences on key issues.
The man behind the PML-Q, General Pervez Musharraf has been
blamed for many of the ills we face today, ranging from the economic
crunch to the energy crisis. But while our political parties evidently see
principle as being insignificant to their working, they should remember
that the people may see things in a somewhat different way. While these
people are largely ignored today, in less than two years time, these same
politicians will be courting votes. Lack of principles is not something the
people forget easily. They recognize too, the degree to which politicians seek
only to stay in power. But all this acts to add to the distrust people feel for
their leaders, and parties need to remember that the politics of optimism may
not go down well with those whose votes they seek when it comes to starting
off their campaigns once again and explaining their actions to people in their
constituencies.
Next day, Asif Ezdi wrote: The Bhutto reference is more than
political gimmickry. It is also continuation of the governments not-sosubtle effort to portray the Supreme Court as having an anti-Sindhi bias
we would do justice to Bhutto not for his sake alone. We must do it also
because we owe it to ourselves as a nation. People who are entrusted with
important positions should know that they will be held answerable for their
deeds, sooner or later.

REVIEW
The PPP leadership has claimed that the intention behind filing of
ZAB reference in the Supreme Court is to wash black spot from the robes of
Judiciary. The real motive behind this clever move, however, revolves
around the win-win feeling it gives to the leadership that has opted for
confrontation with the Judiciary.
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The feeling of victory before the fight comes from the assessment that
if the court decides in favour of the PPP the point of victimization of
Sindhi leaders would stand proved. If not, it will be interpreted as
persistence of their victimization. In both cases it will provide a pretext for
concealing the black spots of corruption on the face of Zardari.
It is because of this attitude of Zardari regime that one feels like
repeating what has been already said in the past more than once. Four
military dictators are accused of causing lot of damage to Pakistan by
disrupting the democratic process. The present military regime, by
allowing the democracy to extract its revenge, would probably cause far
more damage than that inflicted by all the four dictators put together.
While confronting the judiciary head-on, the regime continued
making the so-called reconciliatory moves towards political forces one
after the other. The latest move targeted Qatal League primarily to get the
budget passed in Parliament and on the other hand PML-Q has well-being of
Moonis Elahi in mind.
This move has could mean anything but reconciliation. Somehow, for
Zardari reconciliation means compromise with corruption, with looting and
plundering, bending backward or forward before the strong, suppressing the
weak, obeying the dictates of strong, tolerating drone attacks and targeted
killings. And, at the same time exact democratic revenge from those who
oppose such reconciliatory steps.
The democratic revenge has many forms. One form, or deformation
to be correct, is dissolution of federation in the name of devolution. And, the
devolution itself has many forms which have been manifested by the genius
of Raza Rabbani in 18th Amendment of the Constitution. It was because of
his this display of evil genius that forced Asif Ezdi to call him one-man
demolition squad that has done damage to the Constitution that the two
military dictators could not do.
Gas load-shedding is yet another ugly form of devolution through
which democratic revenge is exacted from Punjab. It has ruined the textile
industry which has been the backbone of industrial sector of Punjab. But,
then the evil genius of the Scoundrel does not dependent on devolution; the
electricity load-shedding is used for the same ends without the pretext of
devolution.
His evil mind is at his best in defying the Judiciary. Even the Chief
Justice has been forced to beg all arms of state to act in aid of the Supreme

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Court. Iftikhar had urged that in the same speech in which he had advised
the students of Command and Staff College to stay away from politics.
In spite of all the humbug the enlightened and liberal secular men
and women spared time for issues like suspected gang rape of Mukhtaran
Mai and challenge the Islamic concept of polygamy. Farzana Bari while
discussing the concept of polygamy dared accusing religious scholars of
misinterpreting Sura Nisa.
She claimed that as meting out equal and fair treatment to two or more
wives is humanly impossible; it therefore implies that Islam forbids having
more than one wife. She further strengthened her argument by saying that
Islam being staunch upholder of human rights it is just not conceivable that
it allows polygamy.
Can Farzana tell that spouses are fair in one-on-one marriages? If
enquired, a large number of men and women will accept to the contrary and
many would prefer to remain non-committal. If so, will Ms Bari agree that
the on the analogy of human rights the very institution of marriage be
abolished as is the tendency in civilized societies?
Why tie a matrimonial knot when it is blatantly against personal
liberties. This legacy of Dark Ages should be done away with. In the
modern era of enlightenment and liberalism where rights and personal
freedoms take precedence over all other human obligations it would be
better if Ms Bari and her ilk start campaigning as such.

Once they succeed in achieving this the problem of polygamy as

well as polyandry will be automatically resolved. All men and women will
have equal rights of choice; a woman as to whose child she would like to
conceive and a man as to whose child he would like to father. Both will also
have the freedom to have variety, as diverse as their urge to express their
personal freedom.
25th April, 2011

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SAHARAN STORM III

The Whiteman of the Christian World suffers from a genetic fault that
gives him false sense of perfection. Such feeling leads to a self perception of
righteousness; that he can do no wrong. The man, who thinks he can do no
wrong, obviously needs no conscience.
So, the Whiteman is a conscience-less and prick-free creature. He
does not consider it a deficiency but an advanced stage of evolution; a
hallmark of sophistication that leads to superiority complex. For him all
other racial varieties of humanity are sub-human creatures.
In less than a decade they have found yet another sub-human to deal
with to save other human beings from his brutalities though those being
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saved too happened to be sub-humans. In performing this noble task the

crusading Whiteman has put the Savage Gaddafi to shame in perpetration of
ruthless brutality. And, they nourish the desire always to do more in this
context.

NEWS
In Africa, Libya remained in the eye of the storm and unstable
political weather persisted in Ivory Coast, Egypt, and Somalia. Elsewhere,
protesters in Morocco demanded sweeping reforms on 24th April, the third
consecutive day. Four days later, 12 foreigners were among 15 killed in a
blast in a caf in Rabat. In Sudan forces killed 20 rebels in Kordofan
Province; more than 800 people have been killed in the south in current year.
French forces raided and captured Gbagbo on 11th April and handed
him over to Qattara, the elected puppet of France in Ivory Coast. Two days
later, Qattara vowed to investigate and put those on trial who committed
atrocities. On 14th April, Russia flayed the role of UN peacekeepers in Ivory
Coast in which they took side with Qattara and termed it a dangerous
tendency. On 19th April, at least 33 people were killed in fighting in Ivory
Coast.
In Libya, fighting continued on 9th April, in and around towns of
Misrata and Ajdabiyah between Gaddafi forces and rebels; eight rebels were
killed. The Crusaders carried out air strikes to engage Libyan ground forces
and tanks to effect no-fly zone. Rebels retreated from Zawiyah. Efforts to
affect a ceasefire were increased.
Next day, South African Prime Minister arrived in Libya to hold talks
with Gaddafi. At least 12 rebels were killed in fighting in Zawiyah and ten in
Ajdabiyah and NATO jetfighters struck back. Protest rally was held in
Lahore against NATO attacks on Libya.
On 11th April, Gaddafi accepted the peace plan proposed by AU
delegation which visited Libya, but rebels rejected it and insisted on exit of
Gaddafi and his son. Italian Prime Minister repeated the same lines and said
no solution which included Gaddafi in power would be acceptable.
Next day, Secretary General of NATO announced that air strikes on
Libya would continue to protect civilians. France urged NATO countries to
do more. Russian president said the situation in Libya had slipped out of
control. Russian Muslims offered help to Qaddafi and volunteered to join
Libyan forces.
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With the reports of civilian deaths in NATO strikes the propaganda

about the atrocities committed by Gaddafi forces was increased. An official
of rebels was quoted saying that Gaddafi forces killed 10,000; wounded
30,000 and 20,000 went missing. British government said Mousa Kussa was
going to Qatar and some Libyan leaders were meeting in Algeria. These
moves were aimed at putting the acts of Gaddafi opponents together.
On 13th April, Arab brothers assembled in Doha and urged Gaddafi to
get out of his country. The Libyan government said that by rejecting peace
proposal of AU the rebels have proved that they didnt want peace. At least
15 people were killed in fighting for Ajdabiyah. Britain and France wanted
deployment of more jetfighters for operations against Libya. The rebels were
being provided more cash and defence means.
Next day, eight rebels were killed in fighting in Misrata. NATO states
resisted French and UK call to do more in Libya; Spain out rightly declined
to do so. UN Secretary General, having facilitated UNSC Resolution No
1973 to begin with, now urged political solution to unrest.
On 15th April, eight more rebels were killed in fighting and several
people were wounded in NATO air strike. Russia accused NATO of
exceeding UN mandate and urged political recourse. The US, UK and
France, which had been harping that military action wasnt for regime
change, vowed to continue attacks till ouster of Gaddafi as his stay in power
was unthinkable. Zawahiri declared jihad in Libya against NATO.
Next day, rebels launched fresh push to capture oil port of Brega and
Gaddafi forces shelled Misrata; three people were killed. Hillary said the
coalition (of the Crusaders) was finding ways and means to fund rebels. On
17th April, David Cameron rejected plans to send ground forces into Libya.
Next day, 20 people were wounded when police used force against protesters
in Sanaa and 88 were wounded in the town of Haida. Some
parliamentarians formed a group to support demands of the protesters.
On 18th April, UN and Gaddafi reached deal on humanitarian aid and
Ban appealed to Libyan forces to hold fire, but more than hundred people
were reported killed in a district held by UN/NATO backed rebels. Britain
announced that Moussa Kussa would seek asylum in Qatar. Next day, rebels
appealed to the NATO for help and it obliged to announce its plan to attack
Gaddafis command sites.
On 20th April, Sarkozy categorically promised Libyan rebels: we will
help you. He dispatched liaison officers to Misrata. Next day, Misrata
continued to be pounded as the West talked of tougher action. One Ukrainian
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doctor and two western photographers were killed. Hillary ruled out US
military advisers inside Libya.
On 22nd April, three people were killed in NATO air strikes at
Gaddafis command sites. Mullen accepted stalemate in Misrata, but denied
presence of al-Qaeda in rebels. Senator McCain visited Benghazi and the US
deployed drones against Libya; rebels welcomed the deployment. Next day,
at least 25 people were killed and 50 wounded as fighting for Misrata
intensified. The US carried out first drone strike and NATO carried out air
strikes in Tripoli. The US was accused of crimes against humanity.
On 24th April, Pope Benedict stressed upon diplomatic resolution of
Libyan crisis. He expressed solidarity with displaced people. He hoped light
of peace may overcome darkness of division in North Africa and Middle
East. Next day, the Crusaders intensified their operation after the call from
Pope Benedict to end darkness in North Africa and Middle East. NATO air
strike targeted Gaddafi, s building was flattened killing three people and
wounding 45 others; the target escaped. Thirty rebels were killed in Libyan
forces attack on Misrata.
On 26th April, Italy announced joining military action against its
previous colony of Libya. After targeted air strike at Gaddafi compound in
Tripoli Putin said Coalition has no mandate or right to kill Gaddafi (but has
enough power to do that). Libyan forces pressed on their offensive against
Misrata. Next day, demonstration was held against Gaddafi in Benghazi.
Sixty-one tribes asked Gaddafi to resign. AU urged end to military action.
In Egypt, two persons were killed in Cairo on 9th April when police
used force against protesters who gathered in Tahrir Square on second
consecutive day to demand trial of former president and warned the Army
chief not to become another Hosni Mobarak. Next day, Hosni Mobarak was
summoned over crackdown and corruption; he denied charges but was
willing to cooperate in investigation. Former prime minister was detained
over corruption.
On 12th April, Mobarak was hospitalized after he had heart attack
during investigation. Next day, he and his two sons were arrested. Speaker
of National Assembly was also arrested on corruption charges. On 15 th April,
Mobarak was shifted to military hospital. Next day, his Democratic Party
was banned.
On 19th April, at least 846 people were killed during protests against
Mobarak and more than six thousand were wounded. Three days later, his

489

detention was extended for 15 days. On 27th April, gas supply to Israel and
Jordan was suspended after pipeline was blown up in Sinai.
In Somalia, sixteen Pakistani hostages were got freed from Somali
pirates by Danish Navy on 12th April. Two day later, AFP reported 97 attacks
by Somali pirates during first quarter of this year as compared to 35 during
the same period last year. On 17th April, six people were killed by gunmen in
two attacks on mosques in self-proclaimed state of Puntland in Somalia.
The Middle East has been suffering for multiple reasons; the
complications of illegal birth of Jewish state of Israel, four Arab-Israel wars
in short period of 25 years, two Iraq wars and latest uprisings in the region.
Iraq, Palestine and Iran remained affected by the past; Syria, Bahrain and
Yemen were affected by the uprisings; and elsewhere there was relative
quiet, except that on 15th April, at least 40 policemen were injured during
protests in Jordan.
Angry protesters in Baghdad demanded on 9 th April that the US troops
must get out of Iraq. Five days later, two policemen were among three
killed and six people were wounded in roadside bombing in Mahmoudiyah.
Iraqi Army attacked Irani mujahideen camp and killed 34 of them.
On 17th April, 31 people were wounded when police used force
against protesters in Sulaimaniyah. Next day, at least 5 people were killed
and 23 wounded in two suicide car bomb attacks near Green Zone, Baghdad
On 23rd April, Maliki pledged not to ask for extension of US troops stay in
Iraq. Nest day, seven people were wounded in a bomb blast in Iraq.
Israel killed 12 Palestinians, including three activists of Hamas, on 9 th
April, Next day, Arab League picked up the courage to say that it would
request UNSC to impose no-fly zone over Gaza. On 12th April, Saudi
government spared time to condemn killings in Gaza by Israel.
On 17th April, two Palestinians were held for murder of a Jewish
settler family. Ten days later, Hamas and Fatah agreed to form unity
government and hold elections within one year. Israel rejected the
reconciliatory deal by two Palestinian parties saying Fatah has to choose
between peace with Hamas or Jewish state.
Iran expelled Kuwaiti diplomat in a tit-for-tat move on 10 th April.
Four days later, Iran conveyed its resentment to Islamabad over continuing
recruitment of the retired Pakistani military officials to bolster the strength
of security forces of Bahrain. On 17th April, Iranian military commander

490

accused Siemens of collaborating with the US and Israel over launching a

cyber (virus Stuxnet) attack on its nuclear programme.
On 18th April, Ahmedinejad said the US wanted to sow discord among
Shiites and Sunnis. Rights activist, Shireen Ibadi wrote a letter to the UN
that Iran killed 12 peaceful protesters in Khowazistan. Next day, Iran assured
Saudi Arabia of protection of its embassy in Tehran.
Four people were killed and 17 wounded by security forces in Syria
on 10 April when they opened fire in coastal town of Banias. Next day,
students held a protest rally in Damascus. On 12 th April, security forces
besieged Banias and a nearby village to check protests. Next day, women
and children marched in coastal town for release of arrested men.
th

On 16th April, Assad announced end to 50-year emergency rule in

Syria. Next day, protests continued despite Assads pledge to lift emergency
and reform. On 18th April, eight people were killed in a clash between police
and protesters in the town of Hamz. Wikileaks revealed the US has been
funding Syrian opposition. Next day, Syria banned demonstrations as ten
more people were killed in Hams.
On 22nd April, 88 protesters were killed and many wounded in
demonstrations across the country. Next day, two parliamentarians resigned
as 13 more were killed. Iran denied aiding Syrian crackdown on protesters.
On 24th April, thousands protested as four people were killed in southern
town on Nawa. Next day, at least 25 protesters were killed in a crackdown in
Daraa.
On 28th April, invitation to Syrian Ambassador to attend royal
wedding was withdrawn by Britain. UN Security Council failed to reach
consensus on action against Syria. Entry of foreign journalists into Syria was
banned. Next day, four soldiers were among 62 people killed in clashes
during protests in Daraa. UN Security Council adopted a condemnatory
resolution. US froze assets of Assads brother and other Syrian officials.
Bahrain was brought into control of Sunni rulers by the joint effort of
the Crusaders and their Saudi and Gulf region allies. Some of the events
reported that related to the abode of US Fifth Fleet were: On 9 th April, rights
defender was arrested and beaten up; two days later, two Shia activists died
in jail and on 15th April, Iran urged UN to help stop killing of Bahrainis.
Yemen recalled its ambassador from Qatar on 9th April over statement
asking Saleh to step down. Fourteen protesters were wounded in the town of
Taez. Next day, one protester was killed and several wounded in Taez and
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Sanaa. On 11th April, the opposition rejected peace plan proposed by GCC
and protests continued demanding exit of Saleh. Next day, protests
continued.
On 13th April, seven people were killed and 40 wounded when
security forces used force against protesters demanding exit of Saleh. Two
days later, several protesters were wounded and ten prisoners escaped. Saleh
addressed rally of his supporters. On 21 st April, Saleh was offered immunity
if he resigned within 30 days. Next day, 13 soldiers were killed by al-Qaeda
militants.
On 23rd April, Saleh accepted Gulf States peace plan and agreed to
quit in a month. Next day, five soldiers were killed in a clash with al-Qaeda
fighters. On 25th April, two protesters were shot dead and 30 wounded by
security forces south of Sanaa. Two days later, fifteen people were killed
and 130 wounded during protests across the country.
From elsewhere in the world, two events deserved mention: On 22 nd
April, six soldiers were killed by militants in Thai south and five days later
Russia tested ICBM with 11,000 km range. In Europe, full veil ban
became effective in France On 11th April. Eight days later, pigs head under a
cross was buried at the site of a mosque in Belgium; did the culprit mean
desecrating mosque or the cross? A youth was punished for burning a copy
of Quraan in Britain.
On 10th April, China told the US to quit as human rights judge. Next
day, a Pakistani, Farooq Ahmed, who was arrested last year, was sentenced
for 23 years in prison for links with al-Qaeda. On 27 th April, Obama ordered
Saudi Arabia and others to increase production of oil.

VIEWS
On 10th April, Dr Farrukh Saleem chose four important points for
commenting on Arab uprising and its impact on Pakistan. Point Number
1: Arab monarchs are up against an unprecedented wave of national
uprising. Point Number 2: The interests of the United States of America and
that of Arab monarchs will be best served by maintaining the status quo.
Point Number 3: Arab armies are either incapable or unwilling to suppress
uprisings. Point Number 4: The US Army is overstretched.
Now consider this brief timeline of events: February 25: President
Zardari meets the emir of Kuwait. February 26: President Zardari meets

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Prince Nayef, the second deputy prime minister of Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah

as Suudiyah. March 8: Commander royal Saudi land forces meets our chief
of army staff. March 26: Prince Bandar, secretary-general of Saudi Arabias
National Security Council, arrives in Islamabad. March 29: Sheikh Khalid
bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, Bahrains foreign minister, arrives in Islamabad.
April 5: The Right Honourable David Cameron arrives in Islamabad.
April 6: Robert Gates arrives in Riyadh. April 7: General Mattis, commander
of United States Central Command, meets General Kayani, COAS.
Undoubtedly, a window of Pak Armys strategic utility is opening
up yet once again. Heres our current order of battle: I Corps 37 th Infantry
Division is already in Swat. II Corps 14 th and 40th Divisions are in Okara
while the 1st Armoured Division is in Multan. IV Corps 10 th and 11th
Divisions are both in Lahore. V Corps is headquartered in Karachi. X Corps
19th Infantry Division is in Northern Swat and its 111 Infantry Brigade is
focused on Islamabad. XI Corps is in Waziristan, XII in Quetta, XXX in
Sialkot and XXXI in Bahawalpur. In effect, Pak Army has no strategic
surplus. How about raising a new corps with Saudi and American input?
Back to the Middle East, the three powers that are trying to contain
Iran are: the United States of America, Saudi Arabia and Medinat Yisrael
(Israel). At the same time, the House of Saud, backed by the American war
machine, is now the biggest defender of status quo in the Middle East the
ultimate counter-revolutionaries.
Here are the pros and cons of Pakistans involvement in the Middle
East: Pros: One; additional leverage over the US. Two; leverage over Saudi
Arabia. Three; increased military aid. Four; advanced weapons systems.
Five; oil on deferred payment basis.
Cons: One; Pakistani workers in the Middle East may face threats.
Two; expatriate remittances may be affected adversely. Three; Iraninstigated trouble in Balochistan. Four; potential of trouble from domestic
Shia population. Five; more trouble in the AfPak region.
Pakistani decision makers must stay ahead of the curve. To be
certain, every Pakistani decision to get involved or not in the Middle East
will have a cost associated with it. Over in Manama, 1,444 km west of
Rawalpindi, the defenders of status quo seem to be winning for now. Can
there be a military solution to a political problem? Is it the lull before the
real storm? Congratulations; Round 1 goes to counterrevolutionaries!

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Two days later, Dr Maleeha Lodhi opined: The Libyan intervention

meets all three of Tuchmans criterion to qualify as folly. It has been
questioned in the countries leading the effort where many have asked why
their governments are getting embroiled in other nations civil wars. Doubts
have also been raised whether the Libyan uprising represents a democratic
struggle or a tribal conflict.
Many see President Obama on a slippery slope, embarked on a
venture in which it looks increasingly unlikely that the goal of dislodging
Qaddafi can be achieved by the motley bands of rebel fighters. Although
Obama has ruled out boots on the ground, reports of CIA and special
operations personnel being dispatched to eastern Libya in covert support to
the insurgents has heightened the risk of an expanding involvement with no
exit strategy in sight.
Was there an alternate policy course to military intervention? Most
certainly, yes. Sanctions, applications of political and economic pressure and
achieving a ceasefire were among the available options in a diplomatic
toolkit that could have helped to craft a negotiated political solution
without the resort to armed force.
A number of troubling questions are raised by the intervention.
Why was the calculation of the intervening powers that the Qaddafi regime
will quickly crumble before the ragtag band of rebels so off the mark?
Do increasing signs of a standoff between government forces and
rebels mean a protracted stalemate ahead and a slide into a prolonged civil
war?
Will the intervening NATO countries become party to the de-facto
partitioning of Libya with the oil-rich east controlled by the so-called
Transitional National Council and Qaddafi hanging on to the western part of
the country?
Will the need to prop up the rebels administration lead to more
deepening western involvement in further contravention of international law
and the principle of non-interference?
Do the intervening powers know who the resistance is? If the still
cannot be sure who is leading the rebels why are they covertly aiding them?
Even if Qaddafi was to go quickly through a negotiated transition how
will an ill-defined and fractious opposition transform itself into a functioning
government and assure stability?

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Will western involvement only end with a client government being

installed?
Is the US objective of preventing al-Qaeda from exploiting the turmoil
recently voiced by Defence Secretary Robert Gates being achieved by
the intervention or compounded by the widening political vacuum that the
NATO action has fuelled?
Has this external intervention cast a shadow over the dynamics of
democratic change in the Middle East?
These unresolved issue engender deep uncertainty about the future of
Libya as well as about how this will affect the rest of North Africa and the
Arab World. What is already apparent is that this intervention has put at
stake the stability of the region and the interests of the intervening
powers themselves, follys hallmark.
The announcement of initiatives by the European Union and the
African Union t6o help bring about an immediate ceasefire now seems the
only way out of a descent into chaos and lawlessness. But diplomatic
solutions should have been sought in the first place rather than a rush to
military intervention, which betrayed an imperial impulse.
On 15th April, Dr Muzaffar Iqbal observed: Libyan situation
replicates eighteenth and nineteenth century classical scenarios of
colonial occupation. The format of this classical modus operandi was
simple enough: a local traitor or a group of local traitors were encouraged to
revolt against the rulers. Money and arms were supplied and invitation was
extracted to come and help. These were considered legitimate reasons to
send hired mercenaries (Gurkas, for instance) as a first step; in certain cases,
this step was eliminated and white soldiers were sent right away. Local
population was divided and corridors of freedom were established. Then
demands were made to the rulers to leave. In most cases, they all ended up in
unmarked graves.
This scenario was repeated in numerous African and Middle Eastern
countries; its modified version was played out in Latin America and wholescale massacres of aboriginal population were added to the script in
Australia, New Zealand and certain parts of South America. In North
America, a slightly different mechanism was adopted to take over vast tracts
of land from the local tribes, but the end result was the same in all cases:
white supremacy established on the strength of brute power.

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The latest case of European and American hegemony is Libya, where

a dictator has ruled for over forty years with brute force. Suddenly
European powers realized that the Libyan strong man is a dictator.
They then extracted a resolution from their mistress called the United
Nations, which is the vaguest and most open-ended resolution this mock
organization has ever passed in its history. But even in its broadest
interpretation, there is no way to include regime change as mandate of the
intervening European powers, yet that is exactly what is being demanded
openly by Americans and Europeans.
The role of media is yet another amazing aspect of this new brute
war. The whole affair has been hushed up; real and concrete information has
been blocked and whatever comes through news channels is quickly taken
away into folds of secrecy. Yet, one can gather the following facts from what
has been revealed so far: France was the first to recognize the Libyan rebels
as legitimate rulers of Libya, it was considered a mad idea by all states, but
the racist ultra-rightist French president stuck to his decision; three other
states have now joined. The media has constantly called the Libyan armed
groups fighting against the dictator rebels. If they are rebels then how can
any legitimate government supply military aid to them? Yet, despite this
strange adjective, European powers are dealing with them as if they are the
legitimate rulers of the country.
In reality, the whole affair revolves around Libyan oil. The mad
colonel, as the dictator is called by many Libyans, has lost favour with his
Western buyers. Thus, suddenly, his duck has stopped laying golden eggs.
But no one is telling the details of how he lost his multi-million dollar deals
with the Western oil companies. Why, after forty-one years, these powers
have suddenly turned against him? What is the inside scoop on his illegal
money in Swiss and British banks? Who is benefiting from the interest on
millions of dollars in these accounts?
Then there is an absurd Arab link to this faade: of all countries in
the world it is Qatar that has been set up against Libya. Imagine, a tiny Gulf
state, where no one can speak against the potentates, funding insurgency in
Africa in the name of freedom! Nothing can be more absurd than this, but
we are really living in an absurd world now; nothing makes sense anymore.
First the world was told that a no-fly zone has been authorized by the
UN and that it is only a matter of days that the Libyan dictator will be
ousted. The Libyan dictator proved tougher than that and the tiny Gulf state,
and its European masters needed to cook up other stories. The latest is the
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creation of an international fund to help the Libyan rebels against

Muammar Gaddafi.
There is hardly any other word in English language that has been
debased more than the word international; but let us call that linguistic
collateral damage and move on the next phase of the Qatari-ParisianLondonite junta trying to hunt down a mad colonel for crimes which they
are not even telling us: what they are doing now is, in fact, exactly a replay
of UN oil-for-food programme used to alleviate sanctions against Iraq under
Saddam Hussein. But, it does not matter how many comparisons are made;
what matters now is just brute force.
While NATO bombardments have killed rebels in friendly fire,
destroyed civilian infra-structure and even killed innocent civilians, the
vague claims by William Hague continue to pour forth at maddening pace.
NATOs decisive action has saved thousands of lives! He claimed in Qatar
last week. We have sent more ground strike aircraft in order to protect
civilians. We do look to other countries to do the same, if necessary, over
time. What other countries? William Hague actually wants Arab
countries to pay for the cost of this mad adventure and Arabs to bomb
Libya so that the buck is passed on.
Despite all these tall claims, and despite tremendous European
efforts, there is no organized opposition in Libya. The rebels are fractured
and divided among themselves. Even though there might be some wellmeaning individuals among them, they are obviously playing into the hands
of European powers that have their own goals for Libya. This is no way to
get rid of a dictator; only a mad idea to launch the country into an endless
civil war. Regime changes at gunpoint may have worked in the nineteenth
century; it is too late to replay that nauseating movie again.
Pakistani rulers were not lagging behind their Arab brothers in their
mad rush to participate in perpetration of death and destruction triggered by
the Crusaders in Islamic World. Amir Mir wrote: Tehran has conveyed its
resentment to Islamabad over continuing recruitment of the retired
Pakistani military officials to bolster the strength of the security forces of
Bahrain, which have been cracking down on pro-democracy Shia protesters
in the Gulf state with the help of the neighbouring Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia.
The Fauji Security Services (Pvt) Limited, which is run by the Fauji
Foundation, a subsidiary of the Pakistan Army, is currently recruiting on war
footing basis thousands of retired military personnel from the Pakistan
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Army, Navy and the Air Force who will be getting jobs in the Gulf region,
especially in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. But sources in the Fauji Foundation
say over 90 per cent of the fresh recruitments, which started in the backdrop
of the recent political upheaval in the Arab world, are being sent to Bahrain
to perform services in the Bahrain National Guard (BNG), and that too at
exorbitant salaries. Thousands of ex-servicemen of the Pakistani origin are
already serving in Bahrain and the fresh recruitments are aimed at boosting
up the strength of the BNG to deal with the countrys majority Shia
population, which is calling for replacement of the Sunni monarchy.
Bahrains ruling elite is Sunni, although about 70% of the population is
Shia.
While taking serious notice of the ongoing recruitment process for
Bahrain, the Iranian foreign minister has reportedly warned Pakistan that if
the recruitment was not stopped by Islamabad, it would have serious
ramifications for diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Iran. According to
well-informed diplomatic circles in Islamabad, Pakistans charge daffairs in
Tehran Dr Aman Rashid was recently summoned to Irans foreign ministry
by deputy foreign minister Behrouz Kamalvandi to convey his countrys
serious reservations over the recruitment of thousands of Pakistanis for
Bahrains armed forces and police. However, it seems that the decision
makers in Islamabad have ignored the Iranian warning as the
recruitment process continues. Approached for comments, a senior official
of the Fauji Foundation said while requesting anonymity that the foundation
has been making such recruitments for almost 50 years and nothing unusual
has happened now
But what is being clearly seen as Sunni and Shia rivalries, Iran is
annoyed with the recruitment of mainly Sunni Muslims for the Bahraini
security forces because it blames them for crushing a mainly Shia uprising
against the rule of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Tehran believes that all
these recruitments were being made at the behest of Saudi Arabia. For long,
Riyadh has been one of the two foreign hands the other being the US
rocking the cradle of Pakistani politics, brokering truce among warring
leaders, providing asylum to those being exiled and generously lavishing
funds on a state strapped for cash. But the explosion of democratic upsurge
is gradually bringing about a role reversal it is Pakistans assistance the
Arab royal families have now sought to quell rebellion in West Asia,
rekindling memories of 1969 when the personnel of the Pakistani Air Force
flew the Saudi fighter planes to ward off an invasion from South Yemen.

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In the backdrop of the current political uprisings in the Middle East

and the Arab world which has led to the ouster of several autocratic rulers of
the Muslim world, it seems that Pakistan has decided to play a key role in
the region by supporting Saudi Arabia to pre-empt a possible revolt
against the Saudi Kingdom, with whom Pakistan has had a longstanding
cozy relationship for almost half a century now. According to diplomatic
circles in Islamabad, Pakistan seems eager to become the bulwark of the
royal families against the popular Arab rage. They further say Islamabad has
kept at standby two divisions of the Pakistan Army for deployment in Saudi
Arabia should the simmering discontent there bubble over.
Pakistan in fact turned its gaze towards West Asia following the
visits of, first, Saudi prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz and then,
Bahrains foreign minister, Khalid bin Ahmed al Khalifa, in March. Though
pro-democracy sentiments havent gathered a critical mass in Saudi Arabia,
Riyadh is worried that the popular upsurge in Bahrain, a mainly Shia country
over which Sunni kings rule, could well, with time, permeate across the
border. The Americans seem to have endorsed Riyadhs decision to seek
Islamabads assistance. In return, the Saudi prince has offered support to
resuscitate the Pakistan economy and meets its energy demands. But the
khaki circles in Rawalpindi believe that Pakistan wont commit its regular
forces to a country other than Saudi Arabia.
Already, the presence of Pakistanis in Bahrains security forces
prompted pro-democracy forces to target the expatriate community. The
Pakistani Embassy in Bahrain recently reported that two Pakistani-born
policemen and three other Pakistanis were killed and another 40 injured in
the clashes between the security forces and protesters, some of whom told
the media that they were set upon by uniformed men speaking Urdu.
Analysts, therefore, feel that Pakistan could get embroiled in the SunniShia rivalry for supremacy in West Asia. Iranian media has already
predicted a prominent role for Pakistan in West Asia, accusing Islamabad of
collaborating with the Sunni rulers of Bahrain to crush a pro-democracy
movement. As Tehran is supporting the Shia protesters and Saudi Arabia is
siding with Bahrains king, the recruitments from Pakistan give an
impression as if Pakistan is on the anti-Iran side.
In other words, as things stand, Islamabad, wittingly or unwittingly,
has become the frontline state for protecting the supremacy of Sunni Islam
which would not be taken lightly by Iran that has the ability to create
problems in Balochistan province, neighbouring Iran. Although protests
against Islamabads growing role in the Gulf region have been largely non499

existent in Pakistan, dozens of activists belonging to small groups who

protested outside the Islamabad Press Club recently, decried hiring of
mercenaries from Pakistan to curb pro-democracy forces in Bahrain. With
the uprising in Bahrain decidedly having a popular base, some feel it would
turn the people of Bahrain against Pakistan, which is perceived as the stooge
of its imperialist masters.
Next day, The News commented: Surprise and concern were
expressed recently when Pakistani citizens were killed in Bahrain,
apparently by protesters against the ruling royal family. Their deaths are
placed into a wider context as we learn that as many as 10,000 Pakistanis are
serving with, or training, the armed forces of Bahrain. Retired members of
our armed forces are being recruited at monthly salaries of up to 100,000
rupees. The struggle which is ongoing in Bahrain is also sectarian. The
ruling family is Sunni while the majority of the population are Shia. Those
retired service personnel being recruited here to serve in the Bahrain
National Guard are predominantly Sunni as well, meaning that they will be
deployed against Shia protesters.
Such is the concern felt by Iran a state with a considerable interest
in events unfolding in Bahrain as well as parts of Saudi Arabia that Tehran
has expressed its concern about the role of Pakistan, conveying its
resentment in no uncertain terms to Islamabad. There are reports that our
ambassador to Tehran had been summoned by the Iranian Foreign Ministry
to be served a demarche, but when questioned about this by journalists on
Thursday Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua made the slightly
alarming admission that she had no idea what a demarche is. Slightly
alarming because a demarche is a formal diplomatic protest issued by one
country to the representatives of another; and if Ms Janjua does not know
what this is then we have to wonder at her competence to fill the office that
she does. It would appear that we have chosen to ignore the Iranian
protest, perhaps sparking a rift in our relations with Tehran. That we
have chosen this course is also indicative of our role vis--vis countries like
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain within the context of the upheavals in the Arab
world. The signal is that we are supporting them as they have in the past
supported us, with the quid-pro-quo being that mutual support in pursuit of
mutual benefit will continue. There is no meaningful threat as yet to the
regime in Saudi Arabia, and the monarchy would be keen to ensure that the
status-quo remained undisturbed. We are thus seen as supporters of the
Sunni regimes in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, with possible consequences for
ourselves if Iran chooses to react more strongly. Events in the Middle East
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may seem far away and of little consequence to us, but the reality is that they
are very close to home, and could damage us in ways yet uncalculated.
On 17th April, Ahmad Warraich observed: Since the ouster of
Mubarak, Egypt seems to have an unsettled air with people not sure
about what the future holds, and isolated reports of human rights
violations surfacing, and fears by the West and the secular elements of the
fundamentalists finding space in the political arena. Some civil society
groups are asking for elections within six months, an end to the emergency
law in place, a new constitution enshrining basic freedoms and new elections
held under true democratic principles.
Others are asking for some time lapse, so that they can build and
better organize their nascent political parties. Some are hopeful and looking
towards a freer and more open Egypt with full constitutionally guaranteed
freedoms, still others are fearful that the military may not want things to
change too much and some that the Muslim Brotherhood may gain majority
in the next parliament, because many Egyptians fear that it is at heart not a
democratic entity.
In Egypt, the National Democratic Party of Mubarak was the only
party from whose platform a candidate could run for the presidency
anybody else was simply not allowed. This is why no other political party
was able to develop properly. Perhaps the only exception is the Muslim
Brotherhood which too had been banned in Egypt. It is, therefore, the most
organized opposition group, and this has caused apprehension among some
secular forces in Egypt and many Western countries. The rest of the
opposition parties have no credible organizational structures and the
impromptu Tahrir Square rebels dont have any single party, although many
new parties are coming up.
In this state of flux, everybody is looking towards the military,
perhaps the strongest institution in the country. In spite of some
apprehensions, the military still commands respect from the majority of
Egyptians. It has been asking the people ever since Mubaraks resignation to
go back to their homes and work. The military is caught between wanting to
maintain security and stability, and the expectations of the people for rapid
and quick change in the forms of governance. Earlier the army was hidden
behind the Mubarak regime, now it is upfront, dealing directly with
governance and people. This is bound to create some friction and
disappointments.

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Some feel that the military is sending mixed signals. A blogger,

Maiket Nabil, has been jailed by a military court to three years in prison for
criticizing the military. A matter of grave concern to the revolutionaries and
rights activists is that, they claim, many people who took part in the Tahrir
Square uprising have disappeared.
On the other hand, the public prosecutor in deference to public
demand and mood has summoned Mubarak for questioning on corruption
charges and deaths during protests. There have been growing demands for
investigation into Mubaraks alleged corruption. The Egyptian
government has already asked a number of foreign governments to freeze
the assets of the Mubarak family. In addition, some former ministers have
also been charged with corruption.
The military held a referendum on March 19, asking for a yes or
no vote to proposed changes in the constitution, which mainly dealt with
restricting the powers of any future president. The referendum got a
majority yes vote, with around 41 per cent voter turnout. The Muslim
Brotherhood and Mubaraks National Democratic Party supported the
referendum, whereas some new parties voted no to gain time to organize
themselves better for the future elections.
Egypt is in a state of flux with the forces of both progress and
regression active. Though Mubaraks removal has changed the political
scene, things have not settled down yet. One thing is sure that now the
people of Egypt will not accept any reversal to the situation prior to Tahrir
Square.
On 20th April, Vijay Prashad observed: Air strikes over the past
several weeks have not dampened Qaddafis counterattack. It is unlikely that
an escalated military intervention will do any more. Qaddafis survival is
premised on the destruction of those who oppose him. Similarly, the rebels
say that Qaddafis eviction, not to say, termination, is a sine qua non. This is
a recipe for protracted civil war. No political position is possible out of
this intractable world-view. Qaddafi probably rues the day he decided to
give up his nuclear weapons agenda. The Benghazi rebels are now
convinced that Natos no-fly zone will soon morph into armed supply, and
perhaps boots on the ground (this is promised in Resolution 1973). They
have no need to compromise. This is the reason why they did not see eye-toeye with the African Union delegation.
From such hardened positions, the way forward is difficult to
surmise. The easy answer from London and Qatar is for greater military
502

force against the Tripoli hub. Libya is poised to being destroyed for the
purposes of higher aims. The bombardiers and artillerymen have made
their case, and they have failed. It is time for NATO to pressure Benghazi,
and for the AU to renew its pressure on Qaddafi: there is no substitute for an
armistice and a political discussion that has been decades in the making.
Next day, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi wrote: According to Professor
Ziauddin Sardar, a noted Islamic scholar, the Arab Spring happened through
a leaderless and pluralist but electronically connected community that
broadened through global information feedback. It is bound and impelled
by a shared vision of democratic responsibility and accountability. This is
creating space for the streets in other essential countries of the Grand
Area. No matter what the media hype about western support for the Arab
Spring, in reality western power practitioners recognize the potential threat it
represents to the stability of their Grand Area. In conjunction with the
financial meltdown and economic recession in the west and the rise of the
BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), the Arab Spring has
confronted the US with the prospect of a secular decline of its global
hegemony in what Sardar calls a post normal world. It is, accordingly,
reacting like a wounded tiger.
The reported CIA statement on drone attacks and the Triumvirate
joint statement on Libya are manifestations of wounded tiger responses to
a broader paradigm shift of international power and influence. Similarly, the
current intellectual respectability accorded to Muslim baiting in the west and
the lead role of military aggression in western peace building strategies,
etc. are symptoms of the same syndrome. This wounded tiger syndrome
(WTS) is likely to get more acute as the global competition for scarce
resources intensifies, and as the post normal world increasingly threatens
the hegemony of international and dependent domestic elites through
increasing connectivity among the awakening streets of the Muslim world.
Humanitarian norms such as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and UN
Security Council resolutions are likely to be used as cover for hegemony
maintenance before a genuinely multi-polar world eventually displaces a
declining uni-polar post Cold War order.
Meanwhile, the Arab Spring in Egypt and elsewhere will struggle to
overcome inevitable impediments. According to Professor Sardar, the
degree of trust it has reposed in the Egyptian Army as an agent of change is
one of its weaknesses. Moreover, pessimists believe that organized and
sustained popular support for the Arab Spring is as indispensable as it is
unlikely. The elite power structure will not concede more than it has to while
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it plans a restoration. The battle is joined and history, far from being at an
end, as Fukuyama insisted, is being created. The failure of the Arab Spring
in Egypt would, of course, endanger its dissemination throughout the Arab
and Muslim world.
On 28th April, Patrick Cockburn observed that military action against
Libya is continuation of the brutalities that were committed in Iraq and
Afghanistan. He wrote: Publication of pictures showing Iraqi prisoners
being abused and humiliated by American soldiers It is worth looking at
the grim aftermath of foreign intervention in Iraq as British, French and
American involvement in Libya grows by the day. Both actions could be
justified on humanitarian grounds. In Libya foreign powers are at the start
of a process aimed at overthrowing an indigenous government, while in
Iraq the shattering consequences of foreign intervention on the daily lives of
people remain all too evident long after the foreign media has largely
departed.
This is the weakness of journalism. It reports, and its consumers
expect it to report, what is new. The abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu
Ghraib, which once seemed so shocking, has become old news and no
longer relevant. A useful antidote to the preoccupations and narrow news
agendas of the foreign media is the excellent Institute of War and Peace
Reporting, which publishes stories from local journalists.
Iraq slipped off the international media map in 2008 just as
Afghanistan had done in 2002, in both cases on the mistaken premise that
the enemy was defeated and the war was over. From about 2009 news
editors began to notice that the Taliban were back in business and the
Afghan war was on again. Now it is once again disappearing from the
headlines as there is a surge of journalists into Libya to cover a new war.
War has always been the meat and drink of international
journalism. The same is true of home-grown violence. If it bleeds it leads,
is the well-tried editors; rule. But how well is war reporting being done as
the Arab world is convulsed by uprisings against the police states that have
ruled it for so long? Will it do better than it did during the conflict in Iraq?
A problem is that the causes, course and consequence of wars are
vastly complicated, but the reporting of them is crudely simple minded.
Saddam was once condemned as the source of all evil in Iraq just as Qaddafi
is today demonized as an unrelenting tyrant. This picture fosters the lethally
misleading belief that once the Satanic leader is removed everything will fall

504

into place, and, whatever the failings of new leadership, it is bound to be

better than what went before.
The reasons why so much of the media have headed for Libya
rather than covering uprisings in Bahrain, Yemen or Syria are simple
enough. There is a real war there and the US, Britain and France are
involved in it. It is also easy to get access to Libya without being stopped at
the border at a time when it is becoming difficult or impossible to get new
visas to enter the other three Arab countries where there have been serious
uprisings.
The exaggeration of military strength of the rebels has led to a
misunderstanding of the consequences of NATO involvement. President
Obama, David Cameron and Nicolos Sarkozy started by claiming they were
launching air strikes to defend civilians. This has since escalated into saying
that the aim of the war is to get rid of Qaddafi. When all this is over what
will Libya look like? The country is gripped by civil war whatever the rebels
mat say and its legacy of hatred will take decades to disappear.
While all the Crusaders were busy throwing Gaddafi out of Libya,
Sarkozy imposed ban on the veil in France. Aijaz Zaka Syed commented:
Taking part in the raging debate over the ban on the Muslim veil that came
into force in Nicolas Sarkozys France this week, a reader who identifies
herself as A Muslimah writes: Time and time again in free, democratic
societies women are manipulated and taught to believe that their
freedom is directly linked to the removal of their clothing. Such emphasis
has never been placed on men, though. Its the removal of womens clothing
and not the choice to wear whatever they like that women are brainwashed
into believing preserves their freedom, as is evident from this (French) ban
on the veil.
Her whole post deserves to be read by everyone, and widely shared.
But I have to round it off with her closing lines: Yet, those supporting the
ban would have us believe Muslim women are the ones who are manipulated
and suppressed. But its hardly surprising to see free societies ban women
from covering their bodies. These are the nations in which women are
used daily as mere commodities for buying and selling. The lands of the
living Barbie dolls where the daily objectification of women and young girls
as sexual playthings has reached the mainstream. The female physique has
become public property. Women must be on public display at all times.
Need I add more? I am yet to come across a more fitting and righton-the-nose take on the issue. Perhaps only a Muslim woman could have
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spotlighted the absurdity and rank hypocrisy of this whole circus in the
continent that takes pride in its image as the land of freedom and civil
liberties.
In the land of Magna Carta, no eyebrows are raised if you go around
in your birthday suit, go French kissing or get intimate in public. In fact,
such actions only prove your liberal ethos and qualification to be part of
Western societies. But you are a grave threat to peace and stability of the
state the moment you cover your face. How ridiculous can you get.
Do the Europeans even realize the absurdity of their actions? Did
President Sarkozy watch the scenes of French cops rounding up and rouging
up veiled women in nationwide crackdown even as head-to-toe fully clothed
Christian nuns watched? This is why I believe this debate has more to do
with politics, rather than religion.
This is not about individual freedoms, religious tolerance or Islams
incompatibility with France or Europe. There are two issues at the heart of
this conflict. First is old-fashioned politics. Even as Europes politicians,
from Belgium to France and from Switzerland to Denmark, trumpet their
liberal values and secular democratic credentials, they tap into the deepseated insecurities and paranoia of their Caucasian and Christian European
populace for swift electoral gains, or power.
So Sarkozy, hoping of re-election, not just comes up with this weird
idea of banning the veil and punishing those refusing to take off the piece of
cloth that is part of their religious beliefs; he presides over a national
debate as to why Muslims cannot be part of the liberal and democratic
French society. His interior minister, Claude Gueant, under fire for terming
the French campaign against Libyas Qaddafi a new crusade, has gone to the
extent of saying the problem is with the growing numbers of Muslim
populations.
In the Alpine paradise of Switzerland they have outlawed mosque
minarets because they do not blend in with a European skyline. In Denmark
and other Scandinavian countries and in Holland, they have found another
way of rejecting the Muslims by targeting their sacred icons and beliefs,
from caricaturing the Prophet to attacking the Quran in films and art.
Paradoxically, all this is done in the name of Europes liberal ethos
and tolerance. So even as they pontificate to us about an individuals
freedom to say and do what he or she wants, they are targeting the very same
freedom by forcing the Muslim woman to take off the veil.

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The second and core issue at the heart of this conflict is the
deepening fear psychosis of the white, predominantly Christian West about
Islam and the Muslims eventually running over and taking over the West and
annihilating their entire civilization. Looked at it from their perspective, you
would understand their insecurity and growing paranoia.
On the one hand, their numbers are diminishing, and not just in
Europe. The continent that ruled the world for nearly four centuries is
shrinking and aging fast. It is yet to recover from the destruction and
depletion of its numbers during World War I and II. To maintain its
ascendancy, it needs a young population, and lots of it. Its precisely for this
reason that, willy-nilly, it has had to take in the growing numbers of
immigrants from around the world, especially from those lands that it not
long ago ruled. The new arrivals are heading to the West not merely because
it offers greater economic opportunities and freedom; many of them are
victims of the long years of colonization of Asia and Africa by European
powers.
On the other hand, notwithstanding these compulsions, the West
finds it difficult to reconcile itself to the reality of its changing
demographic profile and what it sees as a cultural and intellectual invasion,
especially from Islam and Muslims. European pundits have long talked
about Europe turning into Eurabia and London into Londonistan
With excessive materialism and moral decay destroying the family
unit and society as a whole, more and more people are finding spiritual
solace in Islam. So if the religion is the fastest growing in the world today
despite a relentless global crusade against its followers, you know where
to look for answers.
Therefore, we need to look from this perspective at this wave of
Islamophobia, from burning the Quran to banning the veil. More important,
Muslims must desist from responding to these bouts of bigotry with bigotry.
Hatred cannot fight hatred. Only love and understanding can. As the Quran
suggests, when faced with adversity we must fight it with something that
is better.
The current wave of Islamophobia is largely fuelled by ignorance,
myths and insecurities. You can counter it with by promoting knowledge
and true understanding of the faith that came not just for the Arabs but for
the whole of mankind. Not an easy task by any means. We have no other
choice, though.

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On 19th April, Rizwan Asghar wrote: Prejudice against Muslims was

already evident in all European countries but through this law France has
institutionalized this scourge of discrimination. In addition to banning
face-covering veils in public places, the French government has scheduled a
national debate on religion and secularism, which is being considered a
political scam that will focus unfairly on Islam. The debate may raise
sensitive topics such as the provision of halal menus in school cafeterias,
spilling of crowds into the streets during Friday prayers, and public funding
for the construction of Muslim places of worship.
French Prime Minister Fillon has distanced himself from Sarkozys
adventure saying that the debate may risk stigmatizing Muslims. By Elysee
Palace logic, the law banning the burqa has been made to liberate
women from subjugation and enhance their power in society. But here
the point is missed that liberty and strength come through maturity of mind
and not by wearing western clothes or keeping ones face unveiled in public.
Liberty does not merely mean that women are free to walk around halfnaked or wear tight jeans. Rather, if a woman wants to cover her face, she is
totally free by the same criterion of liberty. If the French government is
really interested in enabling Muslim women to stand on their own feet and
make their own choices, this purpose will not be achieved by imposing its
own choices on them
In a nutshell, all the French politicians are exploiting societal
divisions, fear of Islam, xenophobia and deliberately singling out
Muslims for political gains especially after the far-right National Front
partys popularity has soared after its leader compared Muslims praying in
the streets outside overcrowded mosques to the Nazi occupation of France.
But unknowingly these opportunist politicians are creating very dangerous
interfaith tensions with the Muslims, putting communal harmony at risk in
their country. The French government has plunged the country into an
identity crisis making it hard to understand what it means to be French and
what constitutes French values.

REVIEW
Apart from Libya, two other countries were quite vulnerable to the
Crusaders for pushing their boots into their doors. In Syria, what Assad had
done in a very short period exceeded far beyond the crimes that Gaddafi has
been accused of committing against his own people.

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In spite of that the self appointed contractors of save humanity

project did not move the UN Security Council though they had been on the
look out for a pretext to sort out Assad. It was not because that they had a
change of heart, but due to the fact that they have had their hands full in
doing the noble duties elsewhere.
In Yemen, Saleh accepted Gulf States peace plan and agreed to quit
in one month. He should have gone long ago after having out-lived his
utility like Musharraf, but for want of a Zardari the Crusaders hanged onto
him. Moreover, there was no urgency because Yemen has no oil.
Situation in two more countries need to be mentioned before talking
about Libya. In Egypt, despite the detentions of Mobarak and his sons and
arrest of the Speaker for investigations the pro-US system comprising the
military establishment remained firmly in control to serve the Western and
even the Jewish interests. The Crusaders seemed satisfied with the
controlled demolition of Hosni.
In Ivory Coast the French Crusaders, who are spearheading the
ongoing phase of the holy war, have successfully installed their new
puppet Qattara. He like Karzai and Zardari was chosen courtesy democratic
process. The old one arrested by French commandos and handed over to the
new one.
The war against Gaddafis Libya was formally baptized by Pope
Benedict as Crusades though he stressed upon diplomatic resolution of the
crisis. His statement for the civilized world where religion has been thrown
out of statecraft and politics was a clear proof that the Church has every
right to guide international politics in the context of Muslims.
He also expressed solidarity with displaced people (opponents of
Gaddafi) and hoped light of peace may overcome darkness of division in
North Africa and Middle East. It was a clear directive to the Crusaders
waging holy war against dark forces of Islamic fascists in these regions.
At the end a mention may be made of call of President of Pakistan for
more Pak-Saudi cooperation. Zardari regime has already allowed
recruitment of former servicemen (Sunnis) mostly from the province ruled
by Asfandyars ANP; a new die-hard ally of the Crusaders.
Pakistan has also sent a battalion each to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for
training assignments and Iran has conveyed serious reservations in this
regard. The Scoundrel out of sheer greed was pushing Pakistan into ShiaSunni confrontation, a long unfulfilled ambition of the Crusaders.
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30th April 2011

OBAMA KILLED OSAMA

The US President Obama signed the execution order of Osama bin
Laden on 29th April, two days later, Geo TV reported crash of a helicopter
near PMA Kakul, Abbottabad and three blasts were also heard. This
apparently a routine report became the initial footage of the biggest news of
the war on terror.
Nine years seven months and twenty days after 9/11 the President of
United States announced that Osama bin Laden was killed by American
troops in a raid on a house in Bilal Town Abbottabad, Pakistan. He also
declared that the trophy of his dead body was held with US Army.

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When this was happening the illegitimate political grand children of

Ayub Khan and children of Pervez Musharraf were relaxing in the
Presidency in Islamabad after having made a move to isolate the children of
Ziaul Haq. Meanwhile, Shahbaz Sharif held a secret meeting with the COAS
the same night.

NEWS
A US Special Forces team took off from Jalalabab in four helicopters
and arrived over Abbottabad at midnight between 1st and 2nd May. Once
these machines were airborne the air traffic control system and Pakistani
radars were jammed and on their arrival at the destination the electricity
supply to entire city was shut.
The giant machines hovered over the fort-like compound in Bilal
Town located close to Pakistan Military Academy Kakul. One of the
helicopters, a double-rotor Chinook, crashed while landing to disembark the
raiding party. Some reports said the helicopter was fired and hit from the
ground.
The raiding party of forty specially trained troops entered the
compound and encountered only about eight persons; five men and three
women and six of them were killed and two were wounded. Osama was shot
in the head from close range and apparently no effort was made to capture
him alive. The wife and daughter of Osama were wounded.
After the operation helicopters flew straight to Afghanistan leaving
the Pakis to clear the mess. Obama was informed about the successful
accomplishment of the mission. He personally informed the Americans of
the good news and that there were no US casualties. America burst into
cheers of jubilation.
Osamas dead body was taken to Afghanistan where his DNA test was
carried out with positive results. No picture of his dead body was released
arguing that showing the dead isnt in good taste. The dead body was then
flown to a US ship in Arabian Sea and was thrown into sea after Saudi
Arabia has refused to accept it.
His burial at sea was carried out to avoid building of his shrine so that
none of his marks remain in the history. He wasnt the only one to be
obliterated this way; dead bodies of Che Guevara and Mehdi Sudani were
also thrown into sea/river.

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While issuing the victory statement, Obama had said that Pakistan had
helped the US to lead to Osamas hideout and declared that the US wasnt
and would never wage war with Islam. However, separately Washington
refused to rule Islamabads backing of Osama.
After the announcement made by Obama, the US erupted in
jubilation. They danced, waved national flags and some wore US Army Tshirts. They gathered outside White House in Washington and Ground Zero
in New York. Their chanting: We can do it. We can do it told their mindset.
Hillary exclaimed: America is invincible.
It was established that first information about Osamaa presence in
Abbottabad was obtained through telephone intercept and provided to CIA
in August last year. Obama also made passing remarks about this, yet both
the US and Pakistan said it was an exclusive feat of US Special Forces.
A US official said there were still a dozen al-Qaeda leaders were still
operating from Pakistan. It was also claimed that Pakistani intelligence
agencies were not aware of presence of Osama in Abbottabad. The US
lawmakers, with Joe Lieberman in the lead, demanded to know how the
worlds most wanted man could have resided for a long period in
Abbottabad. Another Senator called for attaching more strings to dollars
given to Pakistan. It was demanded that Pakistan must answer few important
questions.
Western Media claimed the victory exclusively for US troops and
accused Pakistan Army and ISI of, understandably, having the knowledge of
whereabouts of Osama for so long but did not share that with the US. This
was done despite the fact that Obama had appreciated the assistance
provided by Pakistanis. The media, however, praised Zardari for the role he
played; what role he played was not mentioned.
The nature of compound where Osama lived was exaggerated. His
presence was established through information collected by interrogating
detainees that led to a courier, who use to facilitate contact of the compound
with outside world. Arrest of the courier led to the breakthrough. In January
2011 it was established that high value target housed inside was Osama bin
Laden. In March, Obama okayed the operation in principle and on 29 th April
Obama signed the execution order.
The British newspaper, Guardian wrote Osamas death was nothing
compared with what may now follow for Pakistan. The New York Times
said the aid to Pakistan could be in jeopardy. Reuters termed it a huge blow
to al-Qaeda.
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The world leaders welcomed the killing. His death was also celebrated
in Europe, Israel, and India and so was in corridors of power in Islamabad.
Karzai said Americans should now know that his country isnt the abode of
al-Qaeda. It is Pakistan as I have been saying all along. He advised Taliban
to learn from the fate of Osama.
Indian officials and media expressed similar feelings. Israel was
fulsome in its praise for the US. China, Saudi Arabia and others were also
appreciative of the killing. Iran said after the killing of Osama the US has no
justification to retain its troops in the region. UN Secretary General
welcomed the news.
Two hours after Karzai had held a press conference over the
operation, Pakistans Foreign Office told the media that Osama was killed by
US troops in a raid conducted last night. It was in line with Americas
declared policy of carrying out operation inside Pakistan whenever
actionable intelligence was available. Any Pakistani involvement was
denied.
When a western news agency contacted Gilani he termed it a great
victory made possible due to intelligence sharing, but he congratulated
America. British PM telephoned his Pakistani counterpart and commended
his governments role. Wajid Shams said Pakistan did not know the exact
target of the US troops. In a TV discussion Tasneem Qureshi of PPP felt sort
for Mushidullah of PML-N for the demise of his leader Osama. DG ISI said
he was aware of US raid, but Army maintained the silence.
Musharraf said operation should have been carried out by Pakistani
forces and the US should not have been allowed to violate Pakistans
sovereignty. In Pakistan, TTP released an audio tape confirming the killing
of Osama by the US. They vowed to take revenge and declared Pakistan as
its first target and the US second. Imran Khan said the same thing which Iran
said; UF has now justification to stay in the region.
On 3rd May, Osamas daughter confirmed her father was shot dead.
One report said it was done by one of his colleagues to avoid him falling in
the hands of Americans alive. One of the wounded women was from Yemen
and she was Osamaa doctor; her passport was also found.
Army evacuated eight persons from the compound and recovered five
dead bodies including two children; two children were found tied down. One
of the wounded is Osamas son who is under treatment in Abbottabad.
Attackers had taken away two dead bodies and a lady. Obama had watched

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the operation live on TV screen. The US said Osama was unarmed when
killed. Saudi Ulema said sea burial isnt in line with Islam.
The government expressed deep concern over Osama operation and
denied any prior knowledge of US raid. Reports about helicopters taking off
from Tarbela were strongly denied. Foreign Office cautioned the US and
others that an unauthorized action cannot become the rule. Zardari,
however, claimed in his article published in the US that Osama was killed
due to close Pak-US cooperation.
Salman Bashir held joint press conference with Grossman and said
Osama is thing of the past and we must forget about that. Foreign Office.
however, admitted total intelligence failure. ISI felt embarrassed but rejected
accusation of complicity.
Imran Khan said the country was being sacrificed by leaders for
personal gains. Nazir Naji was right in asking that could the nation trust that
their country and its nuclear assets were safe under present civil and military
leadership. Haqqani said there had been intelligence lapses and concerned
people would be probed. JuD held prayers for Osama in Lahore and Karachi.
Mirza Aslam Beg said Osama was killed in Tora Bora and what
happened in Abbottabad was a drama. A report said he was killed in
Afghanistan and killing at Abbottabad was aimed at implicating Pakistan for
conniving with terrorists. Reportedly, the compound was a safe house.
Kuwait TV released Osamas will (unauthenticated) in which he told
his wives not to remarry after his death and advised his children not to join
al-Qaeda. Western media hurled the favourite accusation that Osama had
tried to use his wife as human shield. Panetta said Pakistan was not informed
by design, because Osama could have been fore-warned. China believed in
Pakistans commitment to war on terror but UK and France expressed their
doubts. World Bank, Asian Development Bank and IMF canceled their visits
to Pakistan.
Next day, Foreign Office said Osama lead was provided two years
ago. The US sources said that reaching Osama was made possible by two ISI
men who were working for CIA. It was confirmed that 79 soldiers in four
helicopters took part in operation. Haqqani complained of insecurity in the
land of neocons, whom he has served for so many years
The compound was handed over to police custody. A farmer of
neighbourhood was arrested for peeping into the compound. Hamid Mir
reported hunt for Mulla Omar and Zawahiri would intensify and pressure for
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operation in North Waziristan and Quetta would increase. Funeral prayers

were held in Peshawar. Four foreign diplomats, including a British and an
American, were caught hiking near Kahuta a day before killing of Osama.
Salman Bashir said remarks on CIA chief were disquieting since
Pakistan pivotal role. Army official blamed lack of technology for the
failing. He said that ISI gave information to CIA about Osama compound in
Abbottabad and went on to complain that then why accusations were hurled
at Pakistan especially by CIA chief.
Gilani said only Pakistan couldnt be blamed; the entire world
agencies failed on Osama. ISI denied that Pasha had he and his agency had
prior information of Osama operation. JI Senator asked Army and ISI chiefs
must apology to the nation. Senators delivered furious speeches against the
operation to kill Osama. Altaf questioned silence of military and ISI. Hamid
Gul said the US wanted to break Pakistan.
US Senator said the Osama episode told us that Pakistan government
is either incompetent or in connivance with the terrorists. CIA had also said
that Pakistan is either incompetent or involved. The US said Obama reserved
the right to act again in Pakistan. US AG insisted that killing of unarmed
Osama was in self-defence. NATO Secretary General urged Pakistan to
speed up its actions in war on terror.
A US official said now no one can see Osama alive and his photos
wont be released as ordered by the killer Obama. He claimed that his dead
body was treated with respect. US Ambassador in India said the question of
any apology for carrying out operation inside Pakistan did not arise. Merkel
defended her initial reaction when she said that she was pleased over the
killing of Osama. European happiness started dissipating after reports that
Osama was captured unarmed and then shot dead.
Afghan official said Pakistan knew that Osama was present in
Abbottabad. Gilani in France was frequently asked questions about Osama;
whether his government is incompetent or accomplice. Funeral prayer and a
rally was held in Khartoum. Reuters reported perils deep inside Pakistan and
termed Pakistans role in Osamas killing.

VIEWS
The News published on 3rd May the key events in the life of the
former al-Qaida leader and alleged mastermind of 9/11 attacks 1957 (exact
date never confirmed) Born Osama bin Mohammad bin Awad bin Laden in
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Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one of more than fifty children of construction

magnate Muhammad Awad bin Laden, an immigrant from neighboring
Yemen, who runs a construction company, the Saudi bin Laden Group. His
mother, one of four wives of Muhammad bin Laden, was Syrian by some
accounts, Palestinian by others.
1970: Father dies in a helicopter accident. Bin Laden eventually
inherits a share of the family fortune.
1974: Marries distant relative at age 17.
1976: Studies economics and management at King Abdul-Aziz
University in Jeddah where one of his teachers is Abdullah Azzam, a
Palestinian who played a large role in the resurgence of Islamic religiosity.
1979: December Soviet Union invades Afghanistan and the young bin
Laden goes to there to help Afghan resistance fighters, known as the
mujahedeen, repel the Soviet invasion of the country.
1984: Bin Laden involved in Peshawar supporting Arab volunteers to
fight Soviets: moves between Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Sudan.
1988: Al Qaeda, the Base, established in Afghanistan as centre for
radical Muslims joined in opposition to the US, Israel and its allies. Bin
Laden becomes the chief financier of the organization, which evolves into a
group known as al Qaeda (the base). The Arabs assisting the mujahedeen
become known as Arab Afghans.
1989: After the Soviet pull out from Afghanistan, bin Laden returns to
Saudi Arabia to work for the family construction firm. He uses his network
to raise funds for veterans of the Afghan war.
1990: The Saudi government allows US troops to be stationed in
Saudi Arabia following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, which leads to the
Persian Gulf War. Bin Laden is outraged by the US military presence in
Saudi Arabia, considered the cradle of Islam, and begins to write treatises
against the Saudi regime.
1993: Bin Laden family expels Osama as shareholder in its complex
of businesses. A bomb at the World Trade Center kills six and wounds
hundreds. Six Muslim radicals, who US officials suspect have links to bin
Laden, are eventually convicted for the bombing. In October, 18 US
servicemen who are part of a humanitarian mission to Somalia are killed in
an ambush in Mogadishu. Bin Laden later says that some of the Arab

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Afghans were involved in the killings and calls Americans paper tigers
because they withdrew from Somalia shortly after the soldiers deaths.
1994: Saudi Arabia revokes bin Ladens citizenship.
1995: Saudi Arabia claims Bin Laden links to Riyadh car bombing,
six killed including five Americans, 60 injured.
1996: Under pressure from the United States and Saudi Arabia, the
Sudanese expel bin Laden from the country. Bin Laden moves with his 10
children and three wives (he is rumored to have since added a fourth) to
Afghanistan. Bin Laden declares a jihad, or holy war, against US forces.
Nineteen US soldiers die in a bombing of the Khobar military complex in
Saudi Arabia. The United States indicts bin Laden on charges of training the
people involved in the 1993 attack that killed 18 US servicemen in Somalia.
Bin Laden issues fatwa against all US military personnel, faxed to
supporters across the world.
1998: Truck bomb explosions at US embassies in Kenya and
Tanzania, killing 224 including 12 Americans. Bin Laden added to FBIs 10
most wanted fugitives list. On August 20, US President Clinton orders
cruise missile attacks against suspected terrorist training camps in
Afghanistan and a pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, Sudan, that he says is
involved in making weapons.
2000: Al-Qaida claims responsibility for strike on US destroyer Cole
at Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen soldiers killed.
2001: 11 September Hijacked planes destroy the Twin Towers of New
Yorks World Trade Centre and target the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000.
President George W Bush says he is wanted dead or alive.
2001: December US backed anti-Taliban forces capture Bin Ladens
base in the Tora Bora mountains in Afghanistan, but find no trace of Bin
Laden.
2002: September al-Jazeera broadcasts poor-quality tape claimed to be
voice of Bin Laden, praising 9/11 hijackers for changing the course of
history.
2002: November Al-Qaida claims responsibility for three suicide car
bombs at the Mombasa Paradise resort hotel, killing 15 and wounding 80.
2004: October 18-minute video sent to al-Jazeera in which Bin Laden
claims credit for the first time for orchestrating 9/11 and attacks Bush days

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before US presidential election. Claims inspiration for attack was Israeli

aircraft bombing tower blocks in the Lebanon in 1982.
2007: September Rumours that Bin Laden is dead confounded by first
new video in three years, warning US it is vulnerable.
2008: May Bin Laden urges Muslims to break Israeli blockade of
Hamas-controlled Gaza strip.
2010: January Audiotape message from bin Laden, claiming
responsibility for failed Christmas day attempted bombing of US bound
plane. US president Barack Obama claims al-Qaida weakened by US
actions.
2010: March Bin Laden claims in taped message that al-Qaida will
kill any American prisoners if the US executes September 11 planner Khalid
Sheikh Mohammed.
2011: January Bin Laden says in taped message that French hostages
held in Niger will not be freed unless France pulls troops out of all Muslim
lands.
2011: May 1 Barack Obama announces Bin Laden has been killed in
Pakistan.
Hamid Mir wrote about Osama bin Laden he knew. I am son of a
rich father, I could have spent my life in luxury in Europe and America, like
many other wealthy Saudis. Instead I took up arms and headed for the
mountains of Afghanistan. Was it personal interest that drove me to spend
each moment of my life in the shadow of death? No! I was merely
discharging a religious obligation by waging Jihad against those who
attacked Muslims. It does not matter if I die in the course of fulfilling this
responsibility; my death and the death of others like me will one day awaken
millions of Muslims from apathy.
These were the words of Osama bin Laden, which he spoke to me
one morning during March 1997, in the cave of Tora Bora mountains of
eastern Afghanistan. I was the first Pakistani journalist to interview Osama
bin Laden. In May 1998, I encountered him for the second time in a hideout
near the Kandahar Airport for many hours. He mentioned his possible death
again and again to me in that long conversation and said: Yes, I know that
my enemy is very powerful but let me assure you, they can kill me but they
cannot arrest me alive. I received his messenger within a few hours after the
9/11 attacks and he praised all those who conducted these attacks but he
never accepted the responsibility of the 9/11 attacks. It confused me. I tried
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to meet him again. I took the risk of entering Afghanistan in November 2001
when American warplanes were targeting al-Qaeda and Taliban from
Jalalabad to Kabul.
I was lucky to meet him for the third time on the morning of
November 8, 2001. I was the first and the last journalist to interview him
after 9/11. Intense bombing was going on inside and outside the city of
Kabul. He welcomed me with a smile on his face and said: I told you last
time that the enemy can kill me but they cannot capture me alive, I am still
alive. After the interview, he again said: Mark my words, Hamid Mir, they
can kill me anytime but they cannot capture me alive; they can claim victory
only if they get me alive but if they will just capture my dead body, it will be
a defeat, the war against Americans will not be over even after my death, I
will fight till the last bullet in my gun, martyrdom is my biggest dream and
my martyrdom will create more Osama bin Ladens.
Osama fulfilled his promise. He never surrendered. US President
Barack Obama finally announced the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2,
2011. His death is the biggest news of 2011 for Americans but his
sympathizers are satisfied that Osama bin Laden was not captured alive
otherwise the Americans would have humiliated him like Saddam Hussain.
For me, it was a great surprise that the worlds most wanted person was
hiding in a Pakistani city, Abbottabad, home to Pakistan Military Academy
(PMA). This is the same area where Pakistani intelligence agency ISI
conducted a search operation to arrest Aby Faraj al Libbi in 2004 but the
son-in-law of Osama escaped to Mardan where he was captured by ISI after
few weeks.
It was learnt that the Americans conducted the operation without
informing their Pakistani counterparts. Two American Chinook helicopters
entered the Pakistani airspace from eastern Afghanistan. The government
sources say: We were unaware because the Americans jammed our radar
system. On the other hand, highly-placed responsible sources in the
government confirmed that Pakistan shared very important information
regarding Osama bin Laden in May 2010 with CIA. Pakistan security forces
intercepted a phone call made by an Arab from the area between Taxila and
Abbottabad. The CIA was informed in August 2010 about the possible
presence of an important al-Qaeda leader in the area between Taxila and
Abbottabad. Probably, this phone call was made by Osama bin Laden and
that was a blunder. According to my knowledge, he escaped death at least
four times after 9/11. At times, he dodged the worlds most sophisticated
satellite systems and dangerous missiles by his own cleverness, and at
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others, it was his sheer luck that saved him from enemy strikes with only
minutes to spare. The US air strikes started against the Taliban and al-Qaeda
on October 7, 2001 and Osama bin Laden was spotted along with Dr Ayman
al Zawahiri on November 8, 2001 in Kabul. They had come to Kabul from
Jalalabad to attend an al-Qaeda meeting, and also to pay tribute to their
Uzbek comrade, Jummah Khan Namangani, who lost his life in the northern
city of Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, on November 6.
It was the same day that I was granted an interview by the worlds
most wanted man in Kabul. I was not allowed to use my camera to take
photographs of bin Laden. One of his sons, Abdul Rehman, took my picture
with his father and with Dr Ayman al Zawahri. Abdul Rehman used his own
camera and gave me the film. Despite all these security measures, a female
spy was able to notice the unusual movement of many important Arabs in
Kabul.
I remember an incident that happened when I was having tea with bin
Laden and Dr Zawahiri after the interview. Bin Laden reminded me that this
was the third interview I had with him. He informed me that I made some
errors in translation of the article published after my first interview in 1997,
but said he had found no evidence of any misrepresentation. He was hopeful,
he said, that I would not misrepresent him in this interview. More than 20 alQaeda leaders were also present in the small room where they were taking
tea. Conversation on that day proved that most of them were of the view that
the US-backed Northern Alliance was moving close to Kabul due to the
support of General Pervaiz Musharraf, who was providing air bases to the
Americans in Pakistan.
Suddenly, an Arab al-Qaeda fighter entered the room and informed
his leaders that they had arrested a woman in a blue burqa just a few meters
from the place where we were meeting. She had been spying under the cover
of posing as a beggar. She begged money even from some al-Qaeda
security guards posted outside of the place where I was interviewing bin
Laden. But after a few minutes, one guard noticed that she seemed more
interested in watching him than begging.
So the al-Qaeda fighter started observing her movements. He soon
caught her red-handed when she was overheard talking to someone about
Sheikh on a Thoraya satellite telephone. This news was broken to the
meeting in Arabic, but I also understood the gist. Bin Laden immediately
ordered one of his close associates that his guest must not be harmed. The

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associate, whose name was Muhammad told me that he would be taking me

to Jalalabad.
In the ensuing rush, I said goodbye to Osama bin Laden and left with
Muhammad in a private car. We were arrested by some Taliban guards
outside Kabul because I was without a beard and I also had a camera in my
possession, which had not been used in the interview. Muhammad never
informed the Taliban that he was from al Qaeda. He told them instead that he
worked for Interior Minister Mullah Abdul Raze Ached. The Taliban verified
this information from the interior minister and released us after three hours.
It was late in the evening when we reached Jalalabad. Muhammad
dropped me at a big house and disappeared. He came back after two hours
with some startling news. He claimed that the place in Kabul where I met his
Sheikh had been bombed just 15 minutes after our departure, but luckily
Sheikh and others had left the place immediately after us and nobody was
harmed. Muhammad told me: Brother, you missed martyrdom with us. I
was unaware of the exact location of the earlier interview. Muhammad told
me that it was in the Weir Akbar Khan area of Kabul.
I spent that night in Jalalabad, surviving intense US bombing on my
right and left. Next morning, in Jalalabad Muhammad said goodbye to me
and I left for Pakistan by road. We were to meet again in 2004 in Kunar
when I was covering presidential elections in Afghanistan. It was then that
he told me the whole story of how he and his Sheikh had survived the
carpet-bombing of the US Air Force for many days running through the Tora
Bora mountains of eastern Afghanistan.
It wasnt until the third week of December 2001 when bin Laden and
his fighters broke the circle created by Americans with the help of Haji
Zahir, Haji Zaman and Hazrat Ali. The strategy of a-Qaeda sometimes
resembles that of the hunted in American western movies. A huge number of
al Qaeda fighters entered into the Kurram tribal area of Pakistan from Tora
Bora but Osama bin Laden headed off in a different direction with a small
group. Eyewitness Muhammad was also part of that group. Some Chechen
and Saudi fighters provided them a cover of gunfire and they walked the
whole night towards the safety of Paktia.
A top Afghan security official, Lutfullah Mashal, confirmed to me
later that Osama bin Laden escaped to Paktia from Tora Bora in December
2001. Mashal followed him secretly. He claimed that Osama bin Laden
entered North Waziristan from Paktia. He spent some time there in Shawal
area and then moved to the mountains of eastern Afghanistan in the province
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of Khost. Mashal is now working with President Hamid Karzai and he is

sure that the Americans missed the capture of bin Laden in Tora Bora
because they were not ready to deploy their own forces on the ground.
Americans depended more on a Northern Alliance commander, Hazrat Ali
but this man betrayed them. According to highly reliable Afghan sources,
Hazrat Ali provided safe passage to al-Qaeda after getting lots of money
from them.
Osama bin Laden remained underground throughout the entire year
of 2002. He and his colleagues were always on the run. They kept changing
their hideouts again and again. They were determined to save their lives, and
because of that, during this chapter they were not fighting.
It was in April of 2003 that the worlds most wanted man was to
surface again in Afghanistan, after the US invasion of Iraq. He called a
meeting in the Pech Valley of Kunar province and delivered a hard-hitting
speech, in which he announced his plans to resist America in Iraq. He said:
Get Americans in Iraq before they get us in Afghanistan. He declared that
Saiful Adil would be in-charge of organizing resistance in Iraq, and advised
him to contact Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, who was hiding in Iran at the time.
Bin Laden started addressing small gatherings of his comrades in Kunar as
well as Paktia. One of his daughters-in-law died during childbirth in the
Kunar mountains.
There was a big gathering at the funeral of his daughter-in-law. Local
Afghans came to know about the death and started visiting the homes of
some al-Qaeda fighters, who had married in Kunar. The news of these events
reached the Americans. They launched an operation in Kunar, but once again
Osama bin Laden escaped towards the south before the bombing started in
Pech Valley.
It was late in 2004 when bin Laden found himself surrounded by
British troops in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. Bin Laden had
been hiding in a mountain area with three defence lines. Highly placed
diplomatic sources revealed to this writer recently in Kabul that the British
forces were very close to taking Osama bin Laden, dead or alive. He was
besieged for more than 24 hours but he managed to dodge one of the worlds
best equipped armies. According to details gathered from some Taliban
sources in Helmand, the British forces broke two defence lines of al-Qaeda
in an area of five kilometres.
One-to-one fighting was about to start, but as the day ended the
darkness of night provided some welcome relief to al-Qaeda. Osama bin
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Laden wanted to fight on the frontline, but his colleagues stopped him.
Heated arguments were exchanged. Bin Laden was angry, but Abu Hamza
al-Jazeeri convinced him to escape. They placed many rockets with timers,
aimed at two different directions, as a deception. They decided to break the
enemy encirclement, heading in the third direction with a group of foot
fighters. That group was providing cover to bin Laden. Most of the fighters
lost their lives, but the plan succeeded.
Osama bin Laden slipped from the British hands along with Abu
Hamza al-Jazeeri and some other fighters. These sources denied some
reports that bin Laden had ordered his guards to shoot him if he was about to
be arrested. The al-Qaeda sources claimed that he does not believe in
suicide, it is easier for him to sacrifice his life in the battle against the enemy
till the last bullet and the last drop of his blood. After that escape, he was
very careful.
He stopped moving inside Afghanistan and chose Pakistani tribal
areas for an underground life. His big family was scattered after 9/11. Some
of his children lived in Iran and one of his sons reportedly spent time in
Karachi for a brief period but nobody thought that Osama would be captured
in Abbottabad. He was hiding in Abbottabad with one of his wives, a son
and a daughter. When Americans attacked his hideout, he immediately
started fighting. His wife got bullet injury in her foot. According to his
injured wife, Osama rushed to the rooftop and joined his guards who were
resisting the attack. His 10-year-old daughter Safia watched American
commandos entering the house, who took away the dead body of her father.
She confirmed later: The Americans dragged the dead body of my father
through the stairs.
Osama bin Laden is dead but al-Qaeda and its allies are not. Osama
always exploited the flaws in American policies. His real strength was hatred
against America; Islam was never his real strength. Physical elimination of
Osama bin Laden is big news for the Americans but many outside America
want elimination of the policies that produce bin Ladens. America came into
Afghanistan in search of Osama bin Laden. No doubt that he was
responsible for the killing of many innocent people but Americans cannot
justify the killing of innocent people through drone attacks just because
Osama killed some innocent Americans. Both Osama bin Laden and
Americans violated the sovereignty of Pakistan. It must be stopped now.
Osama is dead. If America does not leave Afghanistan after the death of
Osama bin Laden, then this war will not end soon and the world will remain
an unsafe place.
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Ansar Abbasi had lots of questions. When they told us he is a great

Jihadi hero, we treated him like a prince. When they said he is the main
architect of 9/11, we blindly believed them and cursed him. When they
stated he is the worlds to terrorist, he instantly became a terrorist for us
too. And now they claim they have killed him within Pakistani territory and
have thrown his dead body in the sea, we also took it as the gospel truth and
are jubilant because they are delighted.
Pakistan is really a sold nation. We have truly become Americas
voice. We have no decision of our own. We have stopped thinking and acting
independently, and we cant believe Pakistan can survive without
Washingtons support.
It was President Obama, who made the announcement of one of the
most successful operations during his tenure. He confirmed that the US
Special Forces conducted the operation against what is claimed as Osama
bin Ladens hideout, just adjacent to Pakistans top military academy Kakul
in Abbottabad. Our Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani termed it a great
victory hours after Obamas announcement but did not feel, even
slightly, about the flagrant breach of Pakistans sovereignty by the US
forces.
The Americans say it was an operation, carried out by 35 US
Marines in two fighter helicopters, one of which was shot down but not even
a single Marine was injured or dead. We and our rulers buy everything
that Washington sells without raising any fundamental question. From
which part of Pakistan these helicopters flew and where were US Marines
stationed. Did they come from across the border? In any case Pakistans
sovereignty was breached yet again, but it did not bother any of the
government or military leader
According to reports while the American Special Forces opted to
conduct the operation, the Pakistani soldiers were made to cordon off
the area to ensure no one interrupted it. A leading Pakistani journalist claims
that the operation was a shock for the Pakistan Army, which was not
informed prior to it.
Within weeks of shame Pakistan earned over the Raymond Davis
episode, this is yet another serious of national humiliation that we have
attracted at the hands of our civilian and military leadership. Why did the
president and the prime minister allow foreign troops to conduct a ground
operation within Pakistan? Certainly, by doing this they have not violated
the oath of their office.
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While the political leaders have been generally seen as a sold

community. What is now left for Pakistans military establishment to say.
Within 48 hours of Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayanis statement
that the dignity and honour of Pakistan and its people would not be
compromised to achieve prosperity, the get-Osama operation was conducted
by the US Marines. The nation was in the process of gradually healing up
the deep wound inflicted by Daviss release in a shameful manner that it
received a yet another much deeper wound.
It does not matter whether the operation was conducted with the
cooperation of Pakistan Army leadership or without its information, in both
cases its a charge sheet against the military establishment. Why should
we raise and sustain the worlds seventh largest army, costing more than
Rs600 billion per year if it could not or does not counter such a foreign
invasions?
If Obama was considered a terrorist by the Pakistani government just
because of being convinced by Washingtons propaganda, then why was not
he apprehended by our own forces? He should have been tried and
sentenced here if he was doing anything in violation of the law of the land.
Osama was branded as terrorist by the US after his alleged
involvement in the 9/11 attack, which resulted in the killing of a few
thousand innocent Americans. So, the principle is that those who kill
innocents are terrorists. Therefore, if Osama was a terrorist for his alleged
involvement in the 9/11 episode, then following the same principle why
the US that is responsible for killing more than a million innocent Muslims
in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan is not termed a terrorist state.
If Osama, without a trial, could be condemned and killed, then
why the killer states involved in the assassination of innocent Muslims in
Indian Held Kashmir and Palestinians India and Israel are not declared
terrorist states for killing innocents.
The Pakistani leadership might have thought it would pocket
more dollars in exchange for the latest shame earned for the nation. But
in reality Pakistan might soon find itself between the devil and the deep sea.
Instead of getting dollars, the whole world has already started discussing
Pakistan as the epicenter of terrorism. And what al-Qaeda and Taliban would
do with Pakistan is anybodys guess.
Amir Mir described as to how Pakistan helped the US get Osama.
The run of good luck for the worlds most wanted fugitive, Osama bin
Laden, actually began to run out on January 29, 2011, when Pakistani
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intelligence agencies arrested from Abbottabad Umar Patek, an al-Qaedalinked Indonesian militant. Bin Ladens specific location was then confirmed
on the basis of information gleaned while interrogating Patek and two
French nationals, Sharaf Deen and Zohaib Afza, arrested from Lahore on
January 23, 2011, along with Pakistani national, Tahir Shehzad.
According to well-informed Pakistani intelligence sources privy to
the hidden details of the Get Osama Operation, the information the
abovementioned men provided during interrogations was what eventually
led to a well-orchestrated covert commando operation on May 1, targeting
Osamas fortress-like hideout in Abbottabad. The al-Qaeda chief was
subsequently killed in a shootout.
Sources say crucial information leading to the whereabouts of Osama
bin Laden was actually passed on to the American Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA) by Pakistans premier intelligence agency, the Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI). Patek, a key leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI or Islamic
Group), was arrested along with his wife, from the Abbottabad residence of
Hameed following a bloody gun battle with Pakistani security forces. It is
largely believed that Patek had been visiting bin Laden there.
Hameeds son, Kashif, who was a student of telecommunications at
an Abbottabad college, was also arrested with Patek, who received bullet
wounds to his leg during the commando operation. Patek had been on the
run for almost a decade and there was a $1 million bounty on his head for
helping mastermind the 2002 suicide bombings of nightclubs in Bali,
Indonesia, which killed 202 people.
Specific information about Pateks Abbottabad hideout was actually
provided by two French nationals captured by Pakistani authorities on
January 23, 2011, hardly a week before Pateks arrest. However, while
Pateks arrest was made public two months later, on March 30, 2011, the
arrest of the two French nationals was announced by the Pakistani
authorities only on April 14, 2011. Patek had traveled to Pakistan on a
commercial flight via Bangkok after obtaining a genuine passport using a
false name.
The two French nationals, suspected of being part of a terrorist group
responsible for the Bali bombing and who had given information about
Pateks Abbottabad hideout, were arrested from Lahore while meeting Tahir
Shehzad, an al-Qaeda-linked Pakistani national. One of the detained French
citizens is of Pakistani origin while the other is a convert to Islam.

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Tahir Shehzad had been under surveillance by Pakistani intelligence

sleuths since August 2010 when he was spotted in Abbottabad with an Arab
terror suspect. As he left the hilly town of Abbottabad on January 23, 2011,
Tahir Shehzad was followed by intelligence sleuths and finally arrested
along with two white jehadis from France, whom Tahir had picked up from
the Allama Iqbal International Airport.
According to Pakistani intelligence sources, on the basis of
information provided by Patek and his arrested aides about Osamas possible
whereabouts, Pakistani intelligence sleuths had been monitoring his multistory hideout in Abbottabad near the Kakul Military Academy for several
months.
Built amidst green agricultural fields, the conspicuous size of the
house, with high windows and few access points, made it stand out and gave
rise to suspicions that the compound was meant to hide someone important.
Osamas presence there was eventually confirmed when a courier, who was
a trusted aide of Laden and was the official owner of the house, was
discovered.
Osamas hideout, which was reportedly built almost five years ago,
was eight times larger than its neighbouring houses, had no telephone or
television connection and the residents used to burn their trash. The large
compound had walls 12 to 18-feet high in height, topped with barbed wire.
The top-secret military operation had been carefully planned over
many months after it was confirmed that Osama had been living there with
members of his family, including his son and youngest wife.
As the operation began in the wee hours of Sunday, May 1, 2011, two
American military helicopters swept into the compound at 1:30 and 2:00am.
Roughly two dozen highly trained American soldiers, aided by the American
CIA and the Pakistani ISI, stormed the Abbottabad compound to conduct a
surgical raid designed to minimize collateral damage. A besieged Bin Laden
resisted the assault force and was eventually killed in a firefight along with
four others, including one of his sons, two companions and a female who
was reportedly used as a human shield. While one US military helicopter
was lost in the raid, no American lives were lost.
Well-informed intelligence sources say the Get Osama Operation
was conducted jointly by the US Special Operations Forces and the US
Navy Sea, Air and Land (SEAL), also known as Navy SEALs. US Special
Operations Forces work under the American Special Operations Command,
which is a reserve component force of the US Military. They are designated
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by the United States Secretary of Defence, and are specifically trained to

conduct operations in areas under enemy or unfriendly control or politically
sensitive environments to achieve the military, diplomatic, and informational
objectives of the United States.
Similarly, being the US Navys principal special operations force,
SEALs is a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) as well as
the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command
(USSOCOM). SEALs are trained and have been deployed in a wide variety
of missions, including direct action and special reconnaissance operations,
unconventional warfare, foreign internal defence, hostage rescue, counterterrorism, and other missions. It is quite astonishing to notice that the
worlds most sought after FBI fugitive was hiding in the Bilal Town area of
Kakul, a town situated in the Kakul Valley at an elevation of 1,300 meters,
near the Thandiani Hills in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Interestingly,
Osamas hideout was hardly a kilometre away from the Pakistan Military
Academy (PMA) of the Pakistan Army in Abbottabad and barely about half
a kilometre from the Cantonment Police Station.
The picturesque Abbottabad is the headquarters of the Hazara
Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The city is situated in the Orash
Valley, 50 kilometres northeast of Islamabad and 150 kilometres east of
Peshawar at an altitude of 4,120 feet. Abbottabad briefly saw an influx of the
Pakistani Taliban fighters led by Maulvi Fazlullah after the Pakistani Army
flushed them out of the Swat Valley in 2009. Abbottabad is one of the first
towns on the famed Karakoram Highway that leads to Himalayas and China
and is less than a days drive from the Afghan border. During the era of
British rule, it was a major garrison town and remains so today, with
Pakistani troops now occupying the barracks built and lived in by the
regions former rulers.
The city, famous throughout Pakistan for its pleasant weather,
remains a major hub for tourism. Abbottabad is bounded on four sides by the
Sarban hills, from which residents and tourists can see breathtaking views of
the region and city. The location and the hills allow Abbottabad to
experience pleasant weather in the summer and cold winters.
The neighbouring districts of Abbottabad are Mansehra to the north,
Muzaffarabad to the east, Haripur to the west and Rawalpindi to the south.
Tarbela Dam is situated west of Abbottabad, which is hardly five kilometres
away from the Pakistan Armys Kakul Military Academy.

528

In fact, Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani

visited the Kakul Military Academy on April 23, 2011, just a week before
bin Ladens death. Addressing the passing out parade of the 123rd PMA
Long Course at the Kakul Academy, General Kayani had declared that the
Pakistan Army has broken the backbone of militants.
The death of the al-Qaeda chief raises many important questions,
such as why the fortress-like hideout of the worlds most sought-after
fugitive was situated only a few hundred metres from the Kakul Military
Academy, and how it went unnoticed by Pakistani authorities. In fact, there
are already fears in the establishment circles that his death inside Pakistan is
likely to mark the beginning of a shift of the war theatre from Afghanistan to
Pakistan, which is still considered by the Americans as a safe haven for
fugitive al-Qaeda leaders.
Amir Zia viewed the things after Bin Laden. The killing of alQaeda chief Osama bin Laden is indeed a triumph in the global war against
terrorism, but for Pakistan its implications should be more a cause for
concern than relief. The mere fact that Bin Laden was holed inside a luxury
compound in Abbottabad not very far from the Pakistan Military Academy
should be seen as a massive security lapse.
For how long had Bin Laden and his aides been using this plush
compound, surrounded by 18-feet high walls and barbed wire, as a hiding
place? Why did such a big compound, which was without a telephone or
internet connection, not raise suspicion within the ranks of our intelligence
agencies? Who were the Pakistani collaborators of Bin Laden and his gang
and how did they manage to secure this property? Why was it the US and
not the Pakistani security forces which conducted the raid? And, most
importantly, why did the worlds most dreaded terrorist gravitate to Pakistan
and manage to find a foothold here?
Although details about Bin Ladens last hideout, his final moments,
his life in Abbottabad and the raid remain sketchy so far, in the era of
Wikileaks and an aggressive media, these facts and the gloss over them are
likely to hit us sooner than later.
US president Barrack Obama has certainly talked about Pakistani
cooperation in efforts to fight terrorism while announcing the death of
Americas number one enemy, but Al-Qaeda leaders killing on our soil has
given Islamabads opponents and critics a brush to paint Pakistan black.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has already said that the war against
terrorism should not be fought in Afghanistan but in Pakistan. New Delhi
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has expressed concern over the presence in Pakistan of safe havens for
terrorists. There are strong lobbies in the West, especially the United States,
which have been carrying out a sustained propaganda campaign against the
Pakistani armed forces, and the Inter Services Intelligence, accusing them of
doublespeak and double games.
It is indeed ironic that Pakistan, which suffered and sacrificed the
most because of terrorism, including the deaths of more 30,000 civilians and
5,000 security officials in recent years, is seen as providing sanctuaries to
terrorists.
Bin Ladens killing will increase pressure on the country both on the
international and domestic fronts. On the international front, there will be an
increased pressure now on the civil and military leadership to pursue and
strike the local and the Taliban terror network, especially in the countrys
northern rugged mountainous region, more decisively now. The focus of the
war on terror will be on Pakistan more than Afghanistan, which is being
portrayed by the Afghan leadership as a victim of militants coming from
across the porous frontier.
Both the covert and overt demands of Washington and its allies from
Pakistan to do more against militants are all set to become more loud and
pressing now. There also remains a possibility of an increase in US drone
attacks and operations against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants following Bin
Ladens death, which is likely to create problems for the civil and military
leadership.
On the domestic front, there is a huge possibility that Al-Qaeda, the
Taliban and their shadowy Pakistani sympathizers will try to hit back just
to prove that they still matter and remain a force to reckon with, even
without Bin Laden.
Members of the local terror network, which remains intertwined with
Al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban militants, have the potential to carry out
assaults with more vengeance now. To create mayhem and terror, they are
likely to go for soft targets more aggressively now, along with selective
attacks on the security forces and government officials whom they see as
collaborators of the West. In an era of ideological confusion in which sacred
Islamic teachings have been misinterpreted, the concept of jihad, or holy
war, is distorted by religious fanatics and extremists, and there isnt a dearth
of willing recruits.
Legal religious parties, including the Jamaat-e-Islami and the major
factions of the Jamiatul Ulema-e-Islam, which have a history of keeping
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mum over the spate of terror attacks within the country, need to show
maturity and come out openly to condemn and disown terrorism. This is not
the time to ignite emotions but to help the security agencies in getting rid of
extremism and terrorism in the country.
The killing of Bin Laden in Pakistan is a big blow to those religious
parties and their likeminded politicians who opposed Pakistans cooperation
with the international community in its bid to defeat terrorism. Living in a
state of self-denial is not going to help Pakistans cause. The world is
justified in its demand that Pakistani soil should not be used for terrorism
against any country or provide shelter to the extremists. This is also the
stated policy of successive Pakistani governments. In the countrys own
enlightened self-interest, there is need to ensure that the states writ is
established across the country and all terror havens are abolished. Our
failure to do so will prompt others to go for terrorists as in the case of Bin
Laden. This is necessary if Pakistan wants to keep pace with the
international community in the 21st century.
Bin Ladens killing on Pakistani soil is indeed a test case for both our
civilian and military leadership as to how they handle the pressure and turn
this incident into an opportunity to get rid of the twin monsters of terrorism
and extremism that have bled Pakistan more than the United States. It is time
not just for a more decisive, resolute and determined action against these
monster groups on our own but to increase our collaboration with the
international community to defeat these groups. It is time to seize the
moment.
MAK Lodhi felt that Pakistan needs to rethink its priorities, be
wiser after OBL takeout. Its a great day for the United States and its
forces. With steely determination, the US forces have finally eliminated
Osama bin Laden. The flip side of the great event that marks the end of an
era of terrorism is that the most wanted terrorist was hiding in the heart of
Pakistans military garrison station in close proximity to Kakul Academy
where Pakistan Army trains its officers. All that Pakistan and its rulers,
especially the military leadership including former president Pervez
Musharraf, have been saying that OBL was not on Pakistan soil has proved
untrue. At the end of a tumultuous decade, we find that he was living under
the very nose of the Pakistan Army. Its shameful for every Pakistani,
particularly our intelligence outfits, which bothered little to capture the most
wanted and the most hated man on earth. As an ally of the United States in
the long war against terror Pakistan couldnt claim the credit of capturing or

531

killing him. Pakistan was not even trusted for performing an operation well
inside its territory to take him out.
The mistrust of Pakistani agencies has its background. Despite being
sympathetic to the cause of fighting against Osama and his forces that have
been messengers of death for thousands of innocent people all around the
world and within Pakistan also, OBL enjoyed a great deal of sympathy in the
Muslim world. Today Pakistan is left with no face to show to the world.
Almost anyone who has been a leader of Pakistan including the military
leadership has been denying that he could be in Pakistan. The truth is that he
was living in one of the cool and sleepy cities of Pakistan. Only a few days
earlier, the chief of Pakistan Army addressed officers in the same city and in
close proximity to Osamas residential quarter, expressing his determination
to live with honour and dignity rather than welcoming foreign aid (US paid
$20billion for the fight) for the starved country that Pakistan has become
today mainly due to the OBL factor and the long-drawn war in the region
being conducted to defeat his evil forces.
What dignity Pakistan is left with? Everyone is saying that Pakistan
provided shelter to the biggest terrorist in the world. Not only that, the world
has also seen that roots of terrorist act perpetrated anywhere in the world had
links with Pakistan. Theres little left to doubt that OBL has been living with
his family rather comfortably and undisturbed in Pakistan since the US
forces attacked Afghanistan to end the misrule of a government sponsored
by the evil-minded genius and his escape from Tora Bora caves.
Indeed, the people of Pakistan suffered more than any other nation as
OBL spread the seeds of hatred and led thousands of suicide attacks inside
Pakistan targeting, among others, former president Pervez Musharraf, GHQ,
military sites, offices of intelligence agencies and police, shrines, bus stops,
school buses and what not.
Pakistans military establishment and its intelligence apparatus must
realize now that there are no pro-Pakistan and anti-Pakistan terrorists and
that a terrorist is a terrorist whether he fights in the garb of an Islamist or as
a non-believer. They must also realize that Pakistans future lies in living in
peace with neighbours. It cant terrorize the world and be successful. Such a
policy would ultimately lead to mutually assured destruction at best and selfdestruction at worst. Pakistan has almost become a pariah state and the
world has started hating Pakistanis. That Pakistan has survived so far is no
less than a miracle. Pakistans establishment must vow to shun any kind of
backing of the evil forces that kill innocent people in any form whatsoever.
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Considering the last decade in the given milieu it wouldnt be wrong

to say that the US support in fight against terror has been a great blessing for
Pakistan. Without the world support, Pakistan might have succumbed to
such a powerful dark forces. Designs of Osama bin Laden and his cohorts
were clear after their defeat in Afghanistan.
They wanted to weaken Pakistan, intimidate its public and then take
over it in collusion with forces that cant ever think of ruling Pakistan
through democratic process. What if Pakistan had succumbed to their
pressure and if they had acquired Pakistans nuclear weapons? It was such
scenario that had worried not just the people of Pakistan but the whole
world. The US officials had always expressed their apprehensions that
Osama was hiding inside Pakistan. But leaders in Pakistan and its
establishment always strongly denied his presence. It appears now that
Pakistan has been a reluctant player in the fight against these terror groups
despite the fact that the presence of such elements posed an existential threat
to Pakistan.
Despite strong rebuttals and denials, the world always suspected
Pakistani agencies role in acts of terrorism in other countries, particularly
India. Theres dire need that Pakistans establishment must revisit its
strategy. Pakistan cant dictate the world and get through with its agenda.
The history of wars, overt and covert, proves that they cant be won even if
one maintains superiority in numbers and weapons. Pervez Musharraf has
confessed in his book that Kargil was only a tactical win. One wonders why
no strategic thinking takes place and why the nation has to pay a big price
and take the blame.
Osamas hiding and subsequent killing in Pakistan once again shows
that Pakistan must explore solution of problems through peaceful means.
Strategic depth in Afghanistan is often said to be the reason for being soft on
militants but Pakistan can keep its western neighbourhood friendly through
goodwill gestures. It should not be wary of a pro-India government in Kabul
and their better relationship. If Pakistan remained unharmed during proSoviet Afghanistan for decades it cannot be harmed by Indias presence in
that country. It should instead focus on its development and progress.
Another hard lesson that Pakistans establishment must learn is that it
should not pursue any covert anti-India activity even through a third country.
If India pursues such a policy it can be thwarted through a defensive
mechanism. Both countries need to make a paradigm shift in the concept of
security and defence after becoming nuclear weapons states. The
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reconnaissance of logistics of the enemy positions is hardly an issue as

satellites can show any place anywhere in the world. Sabotage activity,
which former Soviet Union and some other big states perpetrated in smaller
countries, never paid off. Sri Lanka, which faced much bigger threat than
Pakistan, fought its war with the separatists without any outside help.
Pakistan can learn from China, a mighty power that can just devour Taiwan.
Yet, it shows remarkable patience and the policy has been successful.
Pakistan must look at Jehadi or Fidai outfits as terrorists. Crime
committed against humanity should be considered crime and in no way
should it be called martyrdom. Theres a strong need to change the basic
thinking about it. Pakistan is the only country in the world where killers of a
governor or federal minister are openly and publicly hailed as heroes.
Anyone who supports the wrongdoer should also be labeled in the
same bracket. This must be done at the conceptual level so that the nation
becomes a tolerant and peace-loving society once again. Pakistan should,
therefore, go fast and eliminate all types of terror dens and pockets within its
territory whether they are in North Waziristan or anywhere else. It should
not even rely on the US intelligence in hitting targets. Rather, Pakistani
forces should take the lead and cleanse its badlands before the US sends in
drones. Its in the national interest of Pakistan and its people. It is time to
erase the stigma that has shamed every Pakistani everywhere in the world.
The News commented: The death of Osama bin Laden ends the story
of a man who had, over the last decade, dominated much of the news around
the world, even after he disappeared from the public eye presumably into
the mountains of the Pak-Afghan frontier following the 9/11 attacks. A
hero to some and a villain to many, Bin Laden remained, till his last
moments, the symbolic leader of al-Qaeda, even if there is some doubt as to
how much actual command he wielded in terms of the day-to-day running of
the worlds most feared terrorist outfit. The delighted reaction over his death
in a US operation that has poured in from many parts of the world is thus
expected. While Washington has led the chorus, the rest of the West has
chimed in. Not unexpectedly, India and Afghanistan have wasted no
time in repeating their allegations of Pakistan harbouring terrorists. Within
Pakistan though, except amongst the extremist outfits, there will be relief
that a man whose operatives claimed lives in cities everywhere is no more.
Certainly, the astonishing manner in which the operation that resulted
in Bin Ladens death the news of what had happened broke first on Geo
TV leaves us all gasping in astonishment. Bin Laden, and it appears that at
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least two other persons including a woman, were killed in what the US says
was a gun-fight, as helicopters swooped towards the palatial house where he,
his guards and some family members apparently lived. This estate stood not
in some remote, mountain valley but in a peaceful Abbotabad suburb, only
kilometres away from the Kakul Military Academy. The failure of Pakistan
to detect the presence of the worlds most wanted man here is shocking
though there is still a lack of clarity as to what role, if any, our security and
intelligence apparatus played in the whole affair. It is hard to believe that
foreign aircraft could have flown so deep into our territory undetected and
unanticipated. Delay in any kind of official response only added to the initial
confusion, with a Foreign Office spokesperson finally issuing a statement
after an emergency meeting at the presidency that the action against Bin
Laden had been carried out in line with US policy to go after him anywhere
in the world. President Obama has meanwhile spoken of Pakistani
cooperation and discussion with President Zardari regarding the operation,
and Prime Minister Gilani has described Bin Ladens death as a victory.
Many questions still hang in the air. We may find answers to
some of these questions in the near future. Other questions may remain a
mystery for far longer. For Islamabad, the whole business is something of an
embarrassment. Despite years of fervent denial, Bin Laden has been found
on Pakistani soil. And now that the brazen US action in Abbotabad has
happened, there may be other attempts to go after key militant figures in
different urban centres. The thought is not a comforting one, considered in
light of its implications for national sovereignty. Security has been stepped
up at US consular buildings and in all cities. There have been reports of
sporadic protests but it is not known if these will expand. A lot may
depend on how the operation and Pakistans role in it are perceived. The
Western jubilation we are seeing on our television screens should not distract
us from the fact that militancy will continue. It has not died with Bin Laden.
Al-Qaeda has, over the years, splintered, and given rise to many other
groups. These will continue with their actions; revenge may be attempted
and the dangers we face are, tragically, far from over, even if the killing of
Bin Laden delivers a demoralizing blow to militants everywhere.
Chris Cork observed: For the American people this will bring a
sense of closure. The killing or capture of Osama bin Laden has been high
in the mind of just about every American since 9/11. This was in every sense
personal for the Americans and many will doubtless rejoice as the crowds
that quickly gathered at the White House and Ground Zero in New York are
testimony to. But Osama bin Laden had ceased to have any operational role
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with al-Qaeda years ago, he commanded no forces in the field and his
organization had been reduced locally to a shadow of its former self. AlQaeda has become a global terror franchise, and its various arms have long
since lost physical connection with ObL. However, he was the ideological
backbone that has spawned a patchwork of terrorist units in a number of
countries and it remains to be seen if his death will affect their ability to
operate but it is doubtful.
What the operation does raise is a host of questions for our
government, which apart from an ambiguous statement from the foreign
office has been largely silent. A careful reading of the FO statement indicates
that we were told about the raid after it happened and that we seem to have
had little or no foreknowledge of it. The statement also suggests that the
Americans acted unilaterally in accordance with their policy of hunting and
striking against ObL wherever he was in the world.
That he was living in the heart of the military and intelligence
establishment of a country that has denied any possibility of him being
within its borders almost as often as the accusation is made; practically
beggars belief. Unsurprisingly, the Afghan President Karzai was almost
gloating in his comments about the incident, with a finger-wagging I told
you so feel to it. Is the world a safer place now that he is gone? No. The
conflicts that he was midwife to will continue, perhaps for many years;
including here in Pakistan. But what his death may do is provide the
Americans with a sense of job done in Afghanistan and in the wider game
hasten their regional exit. History is never going to forget Osama bin Laden.
He has no obvious successor and we can but hope we never see his like
again.
Amber Alibhai from Karachi wrote: As a Pakistani, I am disturbed
that Osama bin Laden was found and killed in my country. I want some
explanation from all those people whose duty it is to safeguard the countrys
borders and stop miscreants from entering the country. The local people
must have known or at least suspected that someone special lived in their
neighbourhood. Dont the security agencies keep a strict vigilance around
the Kakul Academy, one of our countrys premier military colleges?
Iftikhar Shaheen Mirza from Islamabad hoped that the US huntgame, in which tens of thousands of people have been killed so far, ends
with the killing of Osama bin Laden. The most shocking part of Obamas
speech was that the terrorist was responsible for the murder of
thousands of men, women and children. It seems as if the US forces
536

have been distributing flowers in Afghanistan since 2005. Invading other

countries is, in fact, the most brutal form of terrorism.
Dr Shaista Afandi from Peshawar observed: Due to its past record,
the US government does not enjoy the reputation of being entirely truthful in
many matters. How do we believe that it was indeed Osama bin Laden
who had been killed in the raid? If Osama has been killed, the US should
have shown his dead body or any other proof to prove its claim.
Dr N Khan from Islamabad wrote: In our country the overall
reaction of people to Osamas death is one of indifference and disbelief.
Many conspiracy theories are floating around. I wonder how such a highprofile personality was living in the area without being noticed by anyone.
Was it mere inefficiency or a deliberate policy?
Next day, The News commented: Osama bin Laden is dead but all
kinds of uncertainties remain, especially those pertaining to the nature of
Pakistans role in the affair. There are all kinds of contradictory statements
coming in. President Zardari speaks of past cooperation and intelligencesharing with the US. Pakistans ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani,
stresses an inquiry into the failure to detect Osamas presence in a sprawling
mansion in the heart of a garrison town. Prime Minister Gilani talks with a
beaming smile of a significant victory. The smile may soon vanish from
Gilanis face and Zardari too may find that he needs to do some explaining
to his friends in the US. There are predictions that these friends may just
turn distinctly more hostile. Western analysts point out that the operation in
Abbottabad goes to prove that Pakistan is not doing enough to combat
militancy an assertion Washington has made again and again. Reports
cropping up in the US media suggest that Pakistans old bogey, the North
Waziristan-based Haqqani network, may have been protecting Osama. We
do not know if this is true, but from the way things have looked over the past
few months, the US may use any excuse to heighten pressure on Pakistan
especially as it marks the Osama annihilation operation as a major triumph.
Whether this is strictly accurate is something to think about given that
Osama may, for years, have been nothing more than a symbolic leader.
As security goes on red alert in many places, Islamabad must also
combat the threat of retaliatory attacks. Some reports suggest such threats
have already been made by the Taliban. The paucity of comment from
politicians, even those who love appearing on air, betrays a sense of fear and
a feeling of uncertainty over what the future holds for us. It is true that the
death of Osama may be good news but the issue of how Pakistan has
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played its cards in the matter leaves us staring into a huge hole, down which
we could possibly tumble. Some clarity is required. We need to come up
with a common stance rather than a string of statements that sound like a
discordant opera. The matter of how we deal with the militants must be
tackled and the intelligence failure that seems to have occurred must be
discussed before the heat we could quite possibly face turns our way and
leaves us scrambling for cover.
Chris Cork opined: The denial of there being any possibility that
Osama bin Laden was living here in Pakistan had become stock-intrade for our ambassadors, the interior ministry, the military and anybody
else who held an official position that allowed them to speak on the record
and in public. Last October a NATO official had the temerity to suggest that
Osama bin Laden was living somewhere in northwestern Pakistan. Oh no
he isnt said Ambassador Haqqani speaking to CNN on October 10 th,
2010...If anybody who thinks that Pakistan or any other state, for that matter,
has any interest in protecting Bin Laden, who has brought nothing but
mayhem to the world, is smoking something they shouldnt be smoking.
Then we have President Zardari speaking to reporters on April 28th,
2009... The Americans tell me they dont know, and they are much more
equipped than us to trace him. And our own intelligence services obviously
think that he does not exist any more, that he is dead.... The question is
whether he is alive or dead. There is no trace of him. So thats alright
then the Americans dont know so obviously we could not possibly know
either.
Prime Minister Gilani was in full denial mode during a press
conference with the then PM of the UK Gordon Brown on December 3 rd,
2009. I doubt that the information you are giving me is correct because
I dont think Osama bin Laden is in Pakistan he said in response to a
reporters suggestion that he was. He was, but that was perhaps a known
unknown that Mr Gilani could not possibly comment on.
The arch-confuser Rehman Malik finds himself quoted in a
Wikileaks cable of September 7th, 2009. He was responding to questions
from US Senator Giffords as to what he knew of the whereabouts of ObL.
He said that he...had no clue, but added that he did not believe that Osama
bin Laden is in the area. Bin Laden sent his family to Iran, so it makes sense
that he might have gone there himself. Alternatively, he might be hiding in
Saudi Arabia or Yemen, or perhaps he is already dead he added. The lily of
denial was further gilded later when he said...I categorically deny the
538

presence of Osama bin Laden, his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri, and even
Mullah Omar in any part of Pakistan. It does not get much more categorical
than that. Or, as it happens, more wrong at least in the case of Bin Laden.
All of these denials we tend to dismiss or view skeptically, but the
possibility is that all those doing the denying really did not know that Osama
bin Laden was playing with the wife and kids in a shabby villa nestled close
to our equivalent of Sandhurst, and that he may have been thus ensconced
for up to five years. They may not have known because the people who
provided the support network for Osama bin Laden during his time as our
guest had not told them. It is entirely possible that senior officers of state
did not know that Osama bin Laden was here. They may have suspected.
They may have heard the rumours that everybody else heard but they may
not have been aware of an address or a monthly budget for the upkeep of the
man a lot of people were looking for. They also may not have known
because they chose not to ask those who might have told them, because if
you dont ask you dont know and if you dont know denial is all the easier.
But somebody knew. And that somebody or somebodies were
powerful enough to sustain a support network that included a house, food
and water, computers even though there was no internet connection to the
house and all the other bits and pieces that go to make up the fabric of a life
hidden in plain view. Our leaders may with a degree of plausibility deny
they knew anything of Osama bin Laden, and can smile cheerily to the
worlds media as they do. But if they really did not know about him the
question they need to be asking themselves is...what else dont we know?
Eat your heart out, Donald Rumsfeld.
Nauman Qaiser opined: The West will cast doubts on the capability
of Pakistani intelligent agencies which could not track down the worlds
most-wanted terrorist who was living in a colossal 10-kanal mansion half-akilometre away from a military academy. The West can accuse Pakistan of
non-seriousness despite that fact that this country has sacrificed thousands
of lives in the war on terror.
The second impact of this episode would be that the US would be
able to insist on the efficacy of the drone attacks on the territory of
Pakistan. Most recently, after the Raymond Davis incident, the Pakistani
government and army had, on a number of occasions, tried to bring home to
the US functionaries that these drone attacks are counter-productive, and are
stoking terrorism instead of curtailing it. However, now these voices of
sanity in Pakistan will be silenced, notwithstanding the fact that this
539

operation in Abbottabad was carried out in grave violation of Pakistans

territorial integrity. Where are the clamours regarding the sovereignty of
Pakistan?
The episode could mean increased suicide attacks in the country.
There is almost no actionable intelligence in place in Pakistan and the law
enforcement agencies are incapable. If the intelligent agencies had been
capable, they would not have provided an excuse for the help the
Americans provided in Abbottabad. The people of Pakistan will therefore
feel more vulnerable to terrorism after this episode.
The first response of the Foreign Offices to the incident was
shameful, to say the least. It declared this operation to be in accordance with
declared US policy. The government is supposed to watch and protect
Pakistans interests, not that of another country. But who has the audacity to
confront the big boss The Foreign Office should have either issued a
strong statement of protest or said that it was a joint operation by the two
countries. After the response by the Foreign Office, who would believe the
muted statement of Prime Minister Gilani that this operation was undertaken
after intelligence-sharing between the two countries. Everyone by now
knows that we were caught napping, as always. The people of Pakistan
should be prepared for more cover-ups from the Pakistan government and
the Foreign Office.
President Obamas statement that this operation was undertaken on
his directions goes on to show that when it comes to US national
interests no law, local or international, can stop America from their
protection. One does not need to go into the history of grave violations of
international law by the United States, which is the sole superpower of the
world after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since World War II, examples
abound of US violating international law to impose its own law. The most
glaring example of this is the attack on Iraq, notwithstanding the failure of
the United Nations Security Council to endorse it.
Why was Bin Ladens body buried at sea? Was there anything to
hide in this respect? If the US had nothing to hide it should have shown Bin
Ladens body to the media, firstly to prevent any conspiracy theories taking
hold, and secondly to show to the remnants of al-Qaeda and the Taliban and
other terrorist groups what lies ahead for them. Not long ago, Saddam
Hussein was hanged publicly and his body was displayed afterwards, which
made any conspiracy theories in this regard. Saddam Hussein could have
been hanged privately and buried at sea. The same happens when any high540

profile terrorist is caught alive or killed. Why is there a difference in the case
of Bin Laden?
This has led many to believe that this whole operation may have
been a farce, for Washington to achieve the United States ulterior motives
and to further malign the Pakistani military and intelligent agencies. One
should not be surprised if another video of Bin Laden surfaces after a couple
of months in which he threatens the West with dire consequences. There are
reports that Bin Laden may already have been killed earlier, but an
appropriate moment was being awaited when his death could be disclosed in
order for the US government to maximize the benefits for the US. Perhaps
that is why the body was buried at sea.
Air-Cdre (r) Mohammad Yaqoob Khan from Rawalpindi was of the
view that in the absence of a clear-cut response from our government,
the whole affair seems very shady. Can the US attack any part of our
country? Our government and those responsible for the security of the
country should answer this question.
Lt-Col (r) Muhammad Ali Ehsan from Karachi opined: It would
have been much better had Pakistan taken the credit of killing Osama
bin Laden. Instead it is the US president who addressed the world and gave
credit to his intelligence agencies and Special Forces for conducting a
successful operation. Let us admit that our leaders are too scared to even let
the people know the actual truth.
Talal Pirzada from Islamabad wrote: President Obama says the world
is now a safer place. The world would be a much safer place only if
America stopped interfering in the affairs of other countries and playing
the role of a global cop.
Tehmina Afridi from Abbottabad asked: Is Pakistan trying to distance
itself from this drama? If our government and intelligence agencies are
trying to prove that they had no knowledge of Osama living in Abbottabad
then I think all the intelligence gathering agencies should resign en masse.
And if they knew about it, why wasnt the operation carried out by them?
Didnt the Americans trust their allies enough to allow them to take up this
task? Whatever the truth, it is a very dangerous situation for the
country.
M S Hasan from Karachi wrote: Lo and behold, the Americans found
Bin Laden, comfortably living near the Kakul Military Academy. Now, we
should not be surprised if some day the Americas carry out a similar

541

operation in Balochistan to take out Mullah Omar and the members of

his so-called Quetta shura.
Shahid Ali Swati from Australia opined: Osama bin Laden was a
criminal and deserved the end he met, no doubt. But if the state cannot
protect our borders and the intelligence agencies do not know what is
happening in their backyard, what is the use of spending so much money
on them?
Muhammad Ishaq from Abbottabad asked the same question. Why
are we spending huge amounts of public money on organizations which
were unable to locate and captured a criminal like Osama in an area where a
high-profile passing out parade, attended by no less a person than the chief
of the army staff himself, was held on April 23.
Wg-Cdr (r) Sohail H Khan from Islamabad observed: While the
Americans tear to shreds our claims of sovereignty and self-respect on a
regular basis the government is busy making arrangements to ensure its stay
in power. The supreme commander of our forces and the heads of
intelligence agencies and must take the nation into confidence.
Anusha Omair Chaudry from Australia wrote: The people of Pakistan
would like to know how such an operation was carried out by American
helicopters on Pakistani soil. Nevertheless, it is not the end of al-Qaeda or
Taliban. It could be the beginning of another bloody war with Pakistan
being its main target. If those who conducted this operation can use Bin
Laden and his men during the Soviet war and then discard them, they can
certainly repeat the same with Pakistan.

REVIEW
Someone had said truth is the first casualty in war. Since the advent of
modern warfare truth is massacred throughout the war. To this end the man
has invented mechanical butcheries in the name of propaganda and
psychological warfare.
Since the ascendance of Americans and their getting into the shoes of
warring nations the lying in war has touched new heights, or lows. They do
it in the name of high American values and in doing that all the evil
intentions are portrayed as noble just as the Devil would do to entice a man
to commit a sin.

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In the ongoing evil war, which Bush has named as Crusades, the lying
has been par excellence. And, in this war Pakistani rulers opted to be
frontline soldiers; first led by Musharraf and then Zardari who was
contracted as his replacement. He is the man for whom lying is no big deal
he can justify acceptance of all kinds of evil in the name of reconciliation.
The US eliminated a human race and destroyed countries using
pretexts based on lies. They found a man of their liking in Zardari. The two
have made a deadly combination. It makes the task of those in search of
truth quite cumbersome; yet one has to make an attempt at reaching the
truth.
For framing various hypotheses or possibilities one needs to have
certain amount of facts available. More the facts more accurate the
hypotheses are likely to be. The facts so collected should leave minimum
space or need for assumptions.
The facts in the context of issue in hand can be sifted into three
categories in terms of period to which they related; pre-raid period, the night
of raid and post-raid period. Some facts related to pre-raid period are:
There has been influx of CIA spies in Pakistan that was facilitated by
Zardari regime. More than seven thousand visas were issued
irregularly to Americans working for CIA.
These spies have been searching for Osama in towns and cities unlike
the popular perception that he must be hiding in caves. He had to hide
in a town or city where medical care was readily available.
Previously, top al-Qaeda leaders were arrested from major cities of
Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Karachi.
ISI has been constantly targeted since the start of war on terror and
more vigorously since the start of democratic revenge.
Under constant pressure ISI lost vital ground to CIA and RAW, while
it was pressured to share intelligence.
Intelligence sharing traveled downward and many of its operatives
started working as double agents for better rewards.
Raymond Davis was released about two-and-a-half months before the
raid, airlifted to Kabul and reportedly stayed there from where the US
helicopter-borne raiding party flew to Abbottabad.

543

 Raid came in the wake of ISI-CIA relations became very tense

because of Davis episode.
Pasha paid long-distance shortest possible visit to the US to have a
meeting with Panetta.
Gilani led a heavyweight delegation to Kabul to hold a meeting with
Karzai.
It coincided with General Petraeus appointment as CIA chief, after
accomplishing his mission in Afghanistan and he has been quoted
saying that he would fight third war as CIA chief in Pakistan.
Four foreign diplomats, including a British and an American, were
caught hiking near Kahuta a day before killing of Osama.
No construction, even small one, can be carried out in cantonment
premises, what to talk of a house as big as Osama Compound.
Osama had been killed six times in the past by Americans; in two
cases Karzai and in one case each Bush and Mush had confirmed his
death. Most Pakistani believed he was dead.
No fugitive would stay at one place for to long; he has to be on the
move to avoid being caught up.
Some of the facts related to the night of fateful operation can be listed
as under:
It was conducted two months before the dateline for thinning out of
US troops from Afghanistan.
None of the early warning means worked and radars are just one
component of the early warning system.
There was no reaction from ever vigilant PAF from the time four large
helicopters entered Pakistan, flew to Abbottabad; hovered over target
in operation lasting 40 minutes and till they returned to Jalalabad.
The area traversed by the invading helicopters was not ordinary in
terms of high value civil and military assets of Pakistan. All of them
fell along the line of flight or slightly to its south starting from
Landikotal Garrison these machines flew close to Warsak Dam, PAF
Base Peshawar, Peshawar Cantonment, Punjab Centre Mardan, Army
Engineering College and Centre, PAF Academy Risalpur, School of
Artillery, School and Centre of Armour, ASC Centre, Ammunition
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Depot Nowshera, three strategic rail-road bridges over River Indus,

the largest Dam in the country at Tarbela, Divisional HQ of SSG,
Kamra Aeronautic Engineering, Artillery Center, ammunition factory
in Sajjawal, Kala Chitta range littered with strategic assets, POF
factories Wah, Taxila Heavy Complex, Explosives factory Haripur,
Telecom factories complex Haripur, Ammunition Depot Havelian and
at Abbottabad there were Pakistan Military Academy, Baloch
Regimental Centre, FF Regimental Centre and AMC Centre.
Pakistani troops were already cordoning the target site when police
arrived after hearing the firing and blasts.
Soon after the arrival of invading helicopters blackout was observed
in the town.
A compound claimed to be specially built as hideout for a most
wanted fugitive in the world had no tunnel, no escape route.
A hideout of chronic kidney patient had no medicines, instruments or
machines for his treatment that is required regularly.
Zardari and Gilani spent busy night with Chaudhry Cousins wheeling
and dealing for power sharing and Kayani had secret meeting with
Shahbaz Sharif and spent the following day resting and recuperating.
Post-operation facts are still unfolding and will continue to do so for
long time. Some of the facts revealed so far are:
A few hours after the raid the US declared that Osama was dead for
the seventh time.
Supreme Commander of Pakistans Armed Forces, Defence Minister,
Chief of Army Staff, and DG ISPR did not spare few minutes to a say
few words about the incident while entire world talked about this.
Pakistani leaderships indifference was quite meaningful; the eerie
silence was more emphatic in conveying the intended message.
All that was broadcast by media and heard by the people during first
24 hours was fed by the West. No Pakistani TV channel was allowed
to enter the premises of the compound.
Pakistans Foreign Office said the operation was exclusively carried
out by American troops.

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 Western media exploited it in many ways, especially, while it owned

the victory Pakistani military and intelligence were blamed for
concealing the whereabouts of Osama.
Pakistanis had no doubt that Osama, if alive, would be killed by
America whenever encountered, but the manner in which it happened
was awfully shocking for them.
It was claimed by the US that Osama has been staying in Abbottabad
for more than last five years.
Losing of ground by ISI to CIA and RAW was confirmed when US
claimed that they got clues through two ISI operatives.
It fits in Zardari regime and CIA game plan to weaken ISI and Army
for which at least to major attempts had been made in last three years.
Hurried disposal of his dead body without showing it to media or
releasing no photographs created more doubts than settling the issue
once for all.
Many more pieces of facts can be listed yet there will remain blind spots and
because of those one has to resort to assuming few things to reach plausible
possibilities. Some of the assumptions are:
It is not confirmed, but cannot be ruled out that Osama and Mulla
Omar considered obstacle in peace deal with Taliban, were included
in the agendas of the recent Panetta-Pasha and Karzai-Gilani meetings
held in Washington and Kabul respectively.
ISI operatives hijacked by CIA and volunteered to work for them,
gave clues about Osama Compound and once confronted with
evidence it would have been difficult for high ups of ISI to deny.
Or, the extension-obliged Kayani and Pasha could have trusted PPP
regime with existence of Osama Compound, who in turn whispered to
Americans; generals suffered for doing what their elders never did.
Zardari and Gilani, if not happy over letting down of ISI and Army,
are not perturbed at all as one went to France and the other to Kuwait.
Once existence of Osama Compound was confirmed, Obama
Administration decided to exploit it and by killing Osama for the
seventh time and thus pushed Pakistan to the wall.

546

 This operation could not have been carried out without intelligence
sharing and some sort of assistance for actual execution of the raid.
Pakistan denied for obvious reason; to escape public reaction to
killing of a person who was known for his anti-Americanism, and that
feeling is quite widespread in Pakistan.
This silence on the part of civil and military rulers of the frontline
state in war on terror was for the same reason; to avoid any slip of
tongue implicating them in the killing.
After confirmation of ISI operatives becoming double agents it can be
said that ISI is just a shadow of what it used to be. It has been
penetrated by US, India, and Afghan agencies when it turned passive
from pro-active mode under constant US pressure.
If early warning systems had failed the raiders would have been still
taken on. Cadets of Tariq Company alone, if ordered after the start of
raid, would have been there in twenty minutes and let the SEALS
have a feel of it. And what if those men in Khakis who were
cordoning the compound had been ordered to retaliate?
Based on above mentioned confirmed elements of information and a
few plausible assumptions one may venture upon drawing hypotheses about
possibilities. Possibility One: Some members of Osamas family were living
in the Compound since 2005. Osama was hiding elsewhere but visited the
family occasionally. The US got the exact and timely information of his visit
which, in addition to conniving of Government of Pakistan, ensured the
success of raid.
A variation of this possibility is that Osama stayed in the Compound
for most of the time or permanently as claimed by the US. If that be so then
Osama took risk unexpected even of an ordinary fugitive what to talk of a
man who led a global network of terror and being hunted round the clock.
Possibility Two: Osama was killed in one of the half a dozen claims
made previously or recently somewhere in Afghanistan. Abbottabad
operation was faked so that future operations in Pakistan could be justified
and Pakistan kept under constant pressure. Karzais immediate holding of
press conference and shifting blame on to Pakistan; dumping of the dead
body of devil in deep sea at unknown location; and no release of
photographs strengthen this inference.

547

All three of these are equally applicable in variation of Possibility

Two, in which Osama was dead because of his sickness long time ago but he
was kept alive to justify the perpetration of death and destruction in the
region. Now that time to thin out US troops in Afghanistan was nearing, it
was thought prudent to declare a major success. Thus, the drama was staged
in Abbottabad.
The US has decided not to take advantage of living Osama and instead
preferred to play with his ghost. Some of the other constants to all
possibilities are:
Pakistan knew about the residents (family members) of Osama
Compound in Abbottabad since long, if not right from the start.
The US got the clues couple of years ago through double agents,
intelligence sharing, or Zardari regime and decided to exploit it to
keep Pakistan Army and ISI under constant pressure.
Whatever the case may be, it was planned quite cunningly and
executed meticulously.
The US had exhausted the utility of living Osama to be used for
rallying support for the war on terror, but it was not confirmed that
Osama was taken as dead or alive.
The success of US hunt for Osama was made possible by multiple
factors from illness of the hunted, aggressive pursuit by the hunters to
betrayal by those who provided him the hiding or ignored him for so long.
Nevertheless, its impact wont be very telling for both the belligerent parties.
Osamas killing will have psychological impact for either adversary in
the ongoing war, because Osama had been practically out of action since the
invasion of Afghanistan. It will have negative impact on morale of al-Qaeda,
but its second layer commander would continue working as hither-to-fore.
For Americans the impact ought to be positive as was reflected in their
chanting; We can do it. We can do it.
The raid has pushed Pakistan into dire state. Army and ISI have opted
for the passive stance that they were not foretold by their strategic partner
about the raid. The denial, to avoid wrath of al-Qaeda and anger of own
people, has made it further vulnerable to exploitation by Americans.
This is just as a victim of sexual assault, with now signs of putting
up resistance, would wail afterwards that she was too weak to resist the
masculine might of the offender. It would be unfair that such weak,
548

pretending and wailing rulers to expect that they would resist American
ground forces operating inside Pakistan.
Oriya Maqbool Jan was right in saying in one of the TV discussions
that government and military establishment of Pakistan fell into the trap by
allowing US an operation for some smaller target but that was projected as
the top target (Osama) to the outside world. This has also allowed India to
flex its muscles: If the US can do it, why cant India do it for Daud Ibrahim
or other wanted men?
America has achieved a visible success, which will reassure it about
progress of war on terror in Af-Pak region. It would intensify hunt for Mulla
Omar and Zawahiri. It has put Pakistan under tremendous pressure to
demand do more in general and North Waziristan operation in particular.
Valiant soldiers of the Land of Pure, as in the Raymond Davis
episode, have faltered by shying away from wrath of the mighty partner and
instead tried to earn its goodwill by reducing the gap in mutual trust. CIA
used some piece of intelligence to blackmail them and the successors of
brave commando surrendered all that they had saved for the rainy days. This
was yet another clumsy effort to save Pak-US ties, which have given
Pakistan nothing but death and destruction.
America has also created an opportunity to put Pakistan on the mat. It
has come closer to accomplishing the final mission in the context of
Pakistans nuclear programme and redrawing its borders; but it has to race
against time. It has about two years to complete its mission during which
civil government is run by Zardari and Gilani and security matters are
handled by Kayani and Pasha. This is undoubtedly a golden opportunity for
the US.
The time has not yet unfolded all that is essential to draw concrete
conclusions about the American intrusion deep into Pakistan. Some of the
conclusions that have been arrived at with available evidence are:
In Raymonds case all the responsibility (blame) for his release was
shifted on to the court and in this case US is blamed for trespassing
into Pakistan and thus everyone in Pakistan, who is paid for stopping
the tress-passers, have been exonerated.
Top military leaderships thinking seems quite clear. It is convinced
that the crusading US may be having bullying attitude, but Islamic
militants are far more dangerous for a liberal, democratic Pakistan.

549

 What Pakistan did in eliminating Osama was considered necessary to

prove civil and military leaderships faithfulness to American masters.
US have been amply, perhaps more than amply, rewarded for pressing
Zardari regime to grant extensions to Kayani and Pasha.
ISI is just a shadow of what it used to be. After Osama episode no
argument can negate this fact.
Zardari, like his father-in-law, can go to any extent to remain at the
top politically. ZAB did it in 1971 and broke Pakistan. Zardari can do
the same even if he gets Nawabshah or Larkana to be in the lime light.
Once again Zardari, just a few weeks after the Raymond Davis
episode, has proved his cunningness in which he has let down the
Army and ISI in one stroke.
Osama bin Laden was a global terrorist; the proof, because the United
States says so. Americans came to Afghanistan to hunt him and then went to
Iraq to kill about million people. It was all done and continues to be done as
part of the war which is holy; the proof, because the US says so.
He was a terrorist leader; so was Omar Mukhtar, Mehdi Sudani,
Arafat, Che Guevara and many others. Those who condemned him today are
the ones who wet their trousers when they think of wrath of the so-called
lone superpower. But Osama was the one who made the superpower
tremble.
He stood up against the tyranny of a global terrorist and did not bend
backward or forward like most rulers in Islamic world. He had to be killed
whenever found and dumped into sea like Mehdi Sudani and Che Guevara.
It was verbatim manifestation of Ahmed Nadeem Qasmis verse: kon kehta
hey keh mout aye to marr jayeen gey; hum tou darya hien samandar mein
utar jaeen gey.
He left Pakistanis wondering. Would they have bitten more dust, more
humiliation or put to shame more if Pakistan was without the Army, without
ISI and without Air Force? If Osama had to be surrendered to America; why
after ten years of ruswai.
5th May 2011

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OBAMA KILLED OSAMA - II

What a country we live in. Even Osama bin Laden was not safe here,
wrote Shehzad Ahmed Mir from Islamabad. Shehzad wondered about
security environments prevalent in Pakistan. Others might not have been
surprised like him, because it ought to happened once one volunteers to be
frontline state and that too in somebody elses war.
A caller in Bolta Pakistan TV Programme, perhaps the first one,
demanded President and Defence Minister should and COAS, Air Chief and
DG ISI must resign. He proved to be the proverbial first drop of rain.

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Thereafter, Imran Khan, Nisar Chaudhry and even Shah Mahmood Qureshi
asked Zardari and Gilani to quit.
True to another proverb there was all quiet on the Western front; or
more precisely, on West-ward looking front. The media and opposition
insistently coaxed the regime to break the silence, but it did not happen. To
be fair, this time the regime was left with nothing to say.

NEWS
After having been slapped in the face, not once but twice, in less than
two months Pakistan responded with proverbial murmur of ib kay maar
(dare you hit me again). On 5th May, the COAS, after having two-day
consultations with senior Army commanders, repeated an old line of
threatening to review relations with the US. Can he do it when Zardari is
the President and the Supreme Commander?
Foreign Secretary also took about four days and decided to talk to the
listeners outside Pakistan; his own countrymen did not matter at all
otherwise he would have spoken in Urdu. He also hurled a threat in most
docile and compromising tone; unilateralism would have disastrous
consequences. He also begged the world to be mindful of brilliant past
record of ISI and that it was because of the leads provided by ISI that CIA
was able to kill Osama.
Senators called for in-camera session of Parliament and flayed
statements of Panetta and Indian army chief. Musharraf wanted probe into
intelligence failure, but Salman Bashir ruled out any inquiry and on the
contrary Hussain Haqqani had twice assured holding of a probe to find how
Osama remained undetected for five years in Abbottabad. Nisar said the
government has lost the right to rule after Osama episode.
Omar Cheema, who has been under focus on intelligence agencies
some time back reported that agencies were under sharp focus. He quoted
the experts demanding regulatory laws urgently as is the norm in wellfunctioning parliamentary democracies have all over the world. Meanwhile,
Ansar Abbasi observed President and PM going about normal business
despite Osama issue.
Three foreigners were hauled up in Abbottabad and then released; the
contractor who built the Osama compound was also released. The compound
attracted hundreds of visitors. The object that had crashed was not a
helicopter but a surveillance aircraft. Pakistans lobbyists in Washington
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were active to deny that Islamabad helped killing Osama. Stealth helicopters
were used in Osama attack.
Hillary Clinton said the US would stand by Pakistan despite strained
ties. US lawmakers talked of halting aid to Pakistan. Kerry warned US
against passing quick judgment on Pakistan. France and Pakistan signed
security and economic partnership deals. China urged world to back Pakistan
in terror fight. EU backed Pakistans effort against terror despite Osama
killing. Al-Qaeda in Yemen vowed to avenge Osama.
Next day, Air Chief said radars were inactive, not jammed, but radars
along Indian border remain active 24 hours. The fighters for intercepting
were in the air in 15 minutes but Americans had done their job and gone. He
accepted responsibility for failure and Hamir Mir accepted this rubbish to for
making headline of the leading English newspaper of Pakistan. Air Chief
once again said PAF can shoot down drones, if government orders. Defence
sources said let them come again (ib kay maar).
Ahmad Noorani quoted Armys generals saying 7,000 visas for US
secret agents was the main cause of Abbottabad raid. They said the civilians
were not interested in war on terror. Civilian officials blamed generals and
main architect of visa influx said the issue of visas was settled long time
back.
Jihadi website confirmed Osamas killing. Rallies were held in Quetta,
Lahore, Karachi and other cities to protest against American attack to kill
Osama. Osamas wife said we lived in Abbottabad for five years. ISPR
rejected pressure on ISI chief (or on his conscience) to quit.
Hussain Haqqani was reported indisposed and doctors advised him
not to work overtime to serve US interests. Gilani lamented violation of
Pakistans sovereignty and said Pak-UA ties would take time to normalize.
Nisar termed Abbottabad attack worse than fall of Dhaka. Imran Khan asked
President and Prime Minister to step down.
In Senate hearing a Senator referred to Zardaris article published in
Washington Post and asked was any article such article published in
Pakistani newspapers or was it only for the Americans? Another Senator said
Gilani congratulated Americans and then proceeded to France. Both leaders
did not say a word for their people who were crying to know about Osama
episode.
Bill submitted in the US Congress about release of aid to Pakistan
conditional to written certificate by Secretary of State like military aid. US
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said 9/11 couldnt be compared with Mumbai attacks and India couldnt be
allowed aping US to carry out Abbottabad-like action. Obama welcomed
SEAL Team in White House to congratulate over killing Osama. US
accepted existence of CIA base in Abbottabad. US has the right to strike
again, said State Department.
On 7th May, Nisar and Qureshi asked Zardari and Gilani to resign over
US raid. They urged the rulers to stop distributing ministries and publishing
articles and take nation into confidence. Firdous asked Nisar and Qureshi to
stop rubbing salt into the wounds of the nation. Zardari, Gilani and Kayani
met and decided to take the nation into confidence (as to be the shameproof). They reiterated ib kay maar line and vowed to make joint policy on
national security.
Security of Osama Compound was tightened and foreign media men
were told to leave Abbottabad. PAF kept harping; said radars were active on
May 2. SCBA demanded probe into US raid for fixing responsibility of
lapses. Lawyers demanded registration of FIR against Osama for extrajudicial killing of Osama and others.
According to a survey 66 percent Pakistanis believed that man killed
in US raid wasnt Osama. Imran accused government of hiding facts. Ansar
Abbasi said huge price has been paid to protect Americans yet Pakistan
remained a culprit. Presidency said Zardari would speak when he has
something to tell the people. Rehman Malik met Saudi King in Riyadh and
delivered message of Zardari, the King assured help.
Pentagon released five videos of Osama which the had retrieved from
Abbottabad to satisfy Americans that Osama was no more. The narrative of
release was that Osama was far from being a figurehead of al-Qaeda. Two
Muslims scholars dressed in traditional clothes were made go through
security scanning twice yet the pilot refused to carry them in his plane.
Chinese newspaper flayed western propaganda against Pakistan.
Next day, Imran Khan demanded resignation from Zardari and Gilani
and also blamed military and agencies for failure. He announced staging a
sit-in in Karachi on 21-22 May to protest against drone attacks. JI urged
masses to rise up against US slaves. Ansar Abbasi reported CIA has
increased pressure on Pasha to resign. It has blamed ISI for losing 438 spies
in FATA.
Members of Osamas family were still under custody of Pakistan and
being quizzed. Osamas neighbours were freed after 7 days. Foreign
journalists were told to leave Abbottabad in one hour. General Ziauddin
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enquired as to why Get-Osama SSG unit was disbanded. He wanted

Musharrafs role probed. PAF detected US planes near Jalalabad border
before Abbottabad operation; special committee checked record of radars
and questioned duty staff.
Security adviser of White House announced that involvement of
Pakistani government and army was not proved, but there was certainly a
support network that was involved and that must be traced out. The US
demanded access to things needed including wives of Osama. Obama also
urged action against the support network. Hussain Haqqani assured that
heads would roll after the inquiry.
Al-Qaeda has named no new chief so far and the US said Zarqawi
might not succeed Osama. The US expected split over nomination of new
chief. Chomsky termed Bush bigger criminal than Osama and then asked
Americans as to how would they feel if Iraqis captured, killed and dumped
his dead body in sea. Lugar warned alienating Pakistan.

VIEWS
On 5th May, The News commented: The Pakistan governments rather
desperate efforts to save face following the operation against Osama bin
Laden which we now know was carried out unilaterally by the US have not
really fooled anyone. Pakistan and its security apparatus have become
something of a laughing stock, with the media around the world highlighting
the discovery of the worlds most wanted man at walking distance from a
leading military academy. The ISI has bravely accepted failure, the military
and government say the hilly terrain around Abbottabad and the special
equipment used by the Americans prevented detection of intrusion, and, in
what appears to be an especially pathetic effort, the president in an
obviously ghost-written article, has emphasized past collaboration with
the US and stressed Pakistans sufferings as a victim of terror.
The embarrassment which hangs all around cannot be disguised
and after the initial stunned reaction as leaders were informed of what had
happened less than 100 miles away from the capital, there is finally a greater
willingness to face reality. There is no real choice but to do so given that
the facts have been highlighted everywhere with US officials making only a
passing reference to Pakistani assistance against terror. The most crucial
questions have perhaps risen after the Foreign Office statement. These
questions include how secure Pakistan and its nuclear weapons really
are, given that helicopters were able to fly undetected deep into our territory.
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We need some answers, especially since it is highly unlikely that the US

will, after the success of this mission, take serious note of Islamabads
warning that such operations must not be repeated.
Meanwhile, like the rest of the world, people at home ask what
Pakistans role in the whole business has been. Intelligence veterans like
General Hamid Gul have described the lack of information about Osamas
presence in Abbottabad as amazing. And CIA Director Leon Panetta is no
less surprised. He has said that Pakistan is either incompetent or
involved. In the UK, questions are being asked regarding the handing out of
aid to Pakistan given what is seen as its duplicity as far as terrorism goes.
The same concerns have been raised in other countries. None of this is good
news for Islamabad. The almost laughable claim of a great victory by the
prime minister may be turning into a significant defeat. The begging bowl he
holds out, citing militancy as one reason why we need aid, may not fill quite
so fast and there will inevitably be far more pressure on it to prove that it
is in fact committed to combating terrorism, rather than playing games that
threaten to land us in very deep trouble.
Ikram Sehgal observed: The isolated fortified villa was not
suspicious by itself. Many such high-walled entities exist all over the Punjab
and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces, for security reasons but also to keep
prying eyes of neighbours away from the womenfolk. Allegations of such
impropriety having often led to deadly fire fights, it is not surprising that
neighbours tend not to be as nosy as in other areas. Given the proximity to
possible Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) support further up in the
mountains, Abbottabad was well chosen. Conversely, one may ask, if there
was indeed Pakistani collusion, what moron would be so stupid as to hide
Bin Laden in a major garrison town, albeit one full of foreign NGOs in
the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake?
From Jalalabad in Afghanistan to the target location would have
taken the raiders over (or near) three bases of the Pakistani air force,
including the very active army helicopter base at Tarbela engaged in ongoing
operations in Swat. Having myself flown extensively in the area as a
helicopter pilot beyond Abbottabad along the Karakoram Highway (KKH),
it was most surprising that the PAF radar units, fixed and mobile, failed
to pick up all this aerial activity even slipping through radar blind spots,
particularly at that time of the night. Obviously the radars were jammed.
That does not bode well for our air defences the frequencies were
compromised.

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From Jalalabad to Abbottabad and back, with 45 minutes hovering

time at the target location, is quite an extended time for choppers to go
without refueling, even with a disposable fuel tank. Where was the forward
base located where fuel bowzers refueled the choppers? Somebody has to
take full responsibility for this atrocious operational failure in not
scrambling our fighter aircraft. Has anybody the conscience to fall on his
sword?
Grudgingly acknowledging Pakistani collaboration helping the US
close in eventually on Bin Ladens hideout, the extent of actionable
intelligence, if any, is unknown. Being kept out of the loop for security
reasons in the actual operations is embarrassing for us as a nation. That
we remained totally oblivious militarily of either Bin Laden or the operation,
both smack of gross incompetence as was suggested by outgoing CIA Chief
Leon Panetta
The calculated risk in the human element notwithstanding, a physical
operation was the pragmatic choice, rather than a missile attack. That
revenge was derived ultimately by US hands satisfied its ecstatic citizens,
even the most diehard Republicans weighed in to praise the Democrat
president, the one they had only just been labeling as weak and
indecisivethe fact that the American chose also to keep the military
hierarchy in the dark shows a lack of respect for our tremendous sacrifices.
By far, most Pakistani citizens (5,000-plus military and over 30,000 civilian
ones, making for roughly 10 times the number of American losses) have
died in this war. However, highlighting Pakistani involvement would have
force-multiplied terrorist retaliation in the heartland. It probably made
good political sense to let Americans take credit for dealing with this hot
potato.
One may not agree with what all the ISI does or with its motives and
methods, but it still happens to be one of the prime institutions protecting the
countrys core interests. We have to support firmly the soldiers dying every
day in counterinsurgency operations, notwithstanding the many times more
collateral civilian damage suffered by those killed in the streets and
mosques. There will be extraordinary pressure within the US to exit
Afghanistan now that Bin Laden is dead, a long struggle against terrorism
looms ahead of us and we need the US, and they do need us. Bin Laden,
alive or dead, does not matter. The fight is far from over!
Pakistans detractors are having a field day, converting conjuncture
into fact. Scurrilous speculations are being bandied about regarding our
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intelligence agencies. The data collected from Abbottabad by the raiding

party as well as the captives interrogation report assumes great importance.
For Pakistans future as a credible entity in the comity of nations, the real
truth, whatever it may be, must come out. Anybody cooperating with
terrorists needs a short shrift. On the other hand, the US has all the evidence
to either clear or indict Pakistani collaboration, official or unofficial. The
blunt message to our US allies must be unequivocal: put up or shut up!
Patrick Cockburn opined: Osamas demise will have some impact
on al-Qaeda itself, in so far as it exists as an organization but its main
impact will be on American self-confidence. Of course, there will be jihadi
groups who will want to restore the balance of terror by making new attacks,
but none are likely to have the same impact as 9/11.
The collapse of the old order in the Arab world may play against
al-Qaeda: it will no longer be the beneficiary to the extent it was in the past
of the hatred felt towards local dictators allied to or tolerated by the US. AlQaedas appeal will be diluted. But already its significance was mainly
confined to the world of perceptions rather than real threats. This is why it is
of such real importance that Bin Laden, the symbol of so many American
fears, is dead.
Muhammad Saqib Tanveer from Islamabad wrote: The US is in a
win-win situation. It has given its war on terror an impetus and has
successfully got a reason to leave Afghanistan, if it wants to. On the other
hand, Pakistan, as always, has been on the receiving end of all things
negative. The Indian media as well as the western media is criticizing
Pakistan for not doing enough and above all for refusing from time to time
that Osama was not in Pakistan. In the age of globalization, Pakistan is
getting more isolated. Our supposedly strategic partner United States doesnt
trust us. The message for us is clear: we are on our own. We have to realize
that we are out of time and the worlds perception about Pakistan is getting
worse by the day. It is time we streamlined our path.
Amjad Awan also from Islamabad opined: No doubt the success of
the Abbottabad Operation is a great achievement for America because
Osama had become a symbol of terrorism. However, a dispassionate analysis
of the whole episode will reveal many hard facts. Powerful nations can
occupy lands and exploit resources of weaker countries through the use of
power, but they cannot win the hearts and minds of people. Secondly, those
who are fighting for a cause will always look for leaders for guidance and
projection of their cause. Osama was a terrorist for the West, but at the same
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time he was a hero for many in the Islamic world. There is a dire need for
the West in general and the US in particular to revise their old policies
of use of force to rule over other nations and follow the principle of equality
to bring a lasting peace to the world.
Dr Najeeb A Khan yet again from Islamabad observed: Hamid Karzai
did not waste a moment in blaming Pakistan for harbouring terrorism as
soon as the news of Osamas death broke. He placed all the blame on
Pakistan and claimed that Pakistan was a safe haven for terrorists. Instead of
playing the blame game, both countries need to establish better coordination
and trust. The Afghan leadership needs to behave maturely rather than
trying to score political points by misleading the western countries by
distorting facts.
Moez Mobeen again from Islamabad wrote: It has long been argued
by western thinkers and strategists especially the policymakers that the West
is not at war with the Muslim world; that it does not believe in the clash of
civilizations and that the Muslim World generally does not have any
reservations about the foreign policies pursued by the western nations. This
was the point which Obama emphasized in his speech announcing the death
of Osama bin Laden. Whatever the American narrative be, it is certain
that the Muslim world does not believe in it.
It is all but obvious that Osama bin Ladens Al-Qaeda, Mullah
Omers Taliban, Tahir Yuldashevs Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Ahmad
Yasins Hamas, Abu Sayyafs Harkat ul Islamiyah, to name a few, are
reactionary movements formed to protest and fight against foreign policies
pursued by the West with regard to the Muslim world. Obama may try to
present these movements as the common enemies of humanity but the fact
remains that for the Muslim world these movements are resistance
movements fighting the imperial forces and their allies. If indeed it is the
slaughter of Muslims which worries Obama then how does he justify the
death of over one million Muslims in Iraq after the US imposed a brutal and
destructive war there? How does he account for the deaths of tens of
thousands of innocent civilians in Afghanistan at the hands of the US
forces?
The Muslim world does not view its relationship with the West
through the prism of the 9/11; it does not think that the wars in
Afghanistan or Iraq are legitimate. It sees its relationship with the West with
regards to the foreign policies of the western countries. Justice may have
been done and closure achieved for the families who suffered losses on 9/11,
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but the Muslim world stills mourns the death of millions of its sons and
daughters with no justice and no closure in sight.
Khalid Hassan from Rawalpindi opined: While the Obama
Administration has gained immense political mileage out of the incident,
the Government of Pakistan and its armed forces have been left to explain
their roles in the whole affair to their own people and the international
community as well. Our sovereignty has been compromised and I am afraid
we will continue to suffer even more in the future as the US forces might
undertake more such operations in Pakistan to hunt down other Al-Qaeda
leaders.
The political as well as military leadership need to do some soulsearching. Our intelligence agencies should make themselves capable
enough to carry out such operations without allowing US intervention on our
soil thus preserving the sovereignty of this country.
Next day, Dr Muzaffar Iqbal commented: Granted that in the unipolar
world we now live in, there is no room for anything but a monolithic
narrative, yet one would expect that those who craft this narrative would
at least have the decency to keep it consistent; this, sadly, is not the case.
The world was first told that Osama bin Laden had put up a fight and shot at
the Navy Seals Team Six that stormed his alleged hideout in Abbottabad;
that he used one of his wives as a human shield, that there was a firefight.
The White House changed the narrative within 36 hours and
confirmed that none of this was true. In fact, Bin Laden was unarmed, was
shot in the head and chest, and his wife had been wounded in the leg while
rushing towards the kill team. This means: he was assassinated in cold blood
by a kill team illegally sent into Pakistan. The lame excuse that the operation
took place under the US policy of finding and killing him wherever he was
found, would make no sense in any court of law. But a court of law is what
we do not have in the unipolar world; international law now stands
suspended.
We were told that Bin Laden lived in a million dollar mansion, but
anyone who knows what one million dollars can buy in Abbottabad,
Pakistan, would immediately know that there is no truth in this claim; only
one or two Western journalists have pointed out this flaw in the narrative.
What no one has so far (to my knowledge) pointed out a greater falsehood of
the whole narrative: we have been told that the operation lasted just 40
minutes!

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Putting bits and pieces of the official narrative together, one wonders
how this could have been practically possible. After all, they came in their
helicopters, landed, attacked the compound, killed the two courier brothers,
then went up to the second and third floors, searched for and found Osama in
a bedroom, fired at him and killed him. Then they dragged him down the
stairs (blood all over the stairs), searched through every room, every drawer,
took out hard drives from the computers. We are told, they emptied all the
papers they found into their bags, destroyed their own helicopter which had
crashed earlier in the operation and took the bodies of those they had killed
and loaded them onto their remaining helicopters. All of this, we are told,
was done in 40 minutes. Obviously someone was not wearing a watch.
So, the question is: why did they limit it to 40 minutes in the first
narrative? A larger question is: why did they cook up a narrative with so
many flaws? A still larger question is: how is it that we are now left with
only one narrative which burst into view on that fatal morning of September
11, 2001 when the world woke up in shock and went to sleep in awe?
Perhaps we should revisit the beginning of this narrative and go
back to its background barely visible to many, but still traceable
nevertheless to the summer of 1978, when Nur Muhammad Taraki toppled
the government and paved way for a full-scale invasion of Afghanistan by
the Soviets in 1979. By 2001, there was hardly a family left in this poorest
of all countries which had not seen death and destruction. A whole
generation had grown up knowing nothing but war.
To cut it short, let us just skip the part of the narrative detailing the
emergence of Osama bin Laden, as this part has been repeated ad nauseam.
Let us just go to the next question: When the Soviets left more true would
be to say when the Soviet army was defeated and driven out why no one in
the international community sought justice. Why did we not hear: let us set
up an international tribunal to try those who have committed heinous
crimes in remote villages of Afghanistan. Rather, the Soviets were allowed
to just leave, as if their coming and going had no legal consequences for the
so-called international community. Then the quick unraveling of the Soviet
Union itself pushed that phase of history into a barely visible background.
It has been different for the Americans. There was no counter balance
left in the world when bombs started to rain down from Afghan skies and
hence there was little possibility of anyone standing up to them and say:
before you push this wounded country further into the Stone Age, let us
have an international court of justice which can scrutinize your
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narrative, establish truth, and pass a judgment on what really happened on

that fatal September day when 3000 men, women and children were killed in
a manner that had never happened in the entire human history. This did not
happen. Instead, the world witnessed a brief spring of alternate media, where
one could see gruesome pictures of American crimes in Afghanistan, and
later in Iraq: rape, murder, torture, kidnapping, American soldiers smoking
cigarettes next to their victims, posing for photographs, water boarding,
electrical shocks, and the rest.
Yet, that brief spring of independent, alternate narrative was
simply stumped out by the brute force that now reigns: First came
embedded journalists, who had no eyes to see save those given to them.
Then, in the wake of death and destruction of over one million human beings
in Iraq, we saw an unprecedented accomplishment, perhaps as collateral
damage: the bleak silence of all voices other than his majestys.
This did not happen overnight, but took steady, cold and
calculated planning and manoeuvring. Not everyone was silenced but
what remained of the few world-class journalists was made dysfunctional,
obsolete. Most of them finally became tired of repeating a narrative that
produced no results, that moved no one, and that had no force left in it.
Alternative media outlets, which had sprung up in the wake of a global antiwar movement, simply disappeared from the scene. What was left of any
independent narrative was hunted down, systematically destroyed, or
silenced into submission.
In this gruesome monolithic age, only a dim light remains; what the
great Bard of Avon had said four centuries ago is still true: But it is no
matter. Let Hercules himself do what he may, the cat will mew, and dog will
have his day. Thus, the probe launched by the Spanish Judge Baltasar
Garzon may yet spin an alternative narrative, telling us about the systematic
torture at that American heart of darkness called the Guantanamo Bay, as he
investigates perpetrators, instigators, necessary collaborators and
accomplices to the torture of Guantanamo prisoners.
The News observed: Facing up to the truth is clearly not our
strength. While television surveys suggest many people in the country
refuse to believe Osama is dead, keeping alive our tradition of believing in
bizarre conspiracies as opposed to the truth, even our prime minister seems
eager to avoid accepting what has actually happened and instead appears to
be trying to shrug off embarrassment saying that, as intelligence is shared
with other agencies around the world, they too are to blame for the failure to
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discover Osamas presence in Pakistan. Intelligence-sharing may be a reality,

but the prime responsibility for events on our soil lies with us. There is no
getting away from this fact. We would do ourselves less damage by telling
the truth, openly confessing failure, and addressing the issue of avoiding
similar disasters in the future by conducting a detailed review of what went
wrong. The enquiry into the intelligence failure announced after a crucial
corps commanders meeting must not remain just talk and must become a
meaningful reality. The findings of such an enquiry need to be made public,
given that the incident in Abbottabad is the talk of the world.
The need to avoid a future debacle along the same lines is all the
more urgent now that the White House has made it quite clear that it will
not hesitate to carry out another operation of a similar nature in the country.
It has also said that there will be no apology for what took place. It is
apparent that in a triumphant Washington distrust for Pakistan runs deeper
than ever. Feeble excuses and attempts to deflect blame will not help
anyone, least of all us. Attempted cover-ups will lead us nowhere. This is all
the more true given that we cannot rule out the possibility of further US
action on our soil. A report in this newspaper suggests the next targets may
be Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaedas second most important leader after Bin
Laden, or former Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar.
Meanwhile Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has said that
more such raids will not be tolerated and will lead to a review of cooperation
with the United States. There is no doubt that further American action,
possibly in North Waziristan or Quetta, would tear the notion of our
sovereignty into even smaller pieces. And thats why those at the helm of
affairs should act wisely. The flurry of confused statements coming from our
leaders is helping no one, and is only making matters worse for us. Though
the military commanders have stated that no repeat of Abbottabad will be
tolerated, we need a far clearer line of thinking, and also action that proves
we are committed to combating militancy, thus dispelling growing doubts
that have been expressed in this regard in various capitals of the world.
Pressure on Pakistan will continue to grow unless we demonstrate the
ability and the will to take on militants, rather than merely going on about
how we have suffered at their hands.
Ayaz Amir opined: To say that our security czars and assorted knights
have been caught with their pants down would be the understatement of the
century. This is the mother of all embarrassments, showing us either to be
incompetent it cant get any worse than this, Osama living in a sprawling
compound a short walk from that nursery school of the army, the Pakistan
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Military Academy and, if we are to believe this, our ever-vigilant eyes and
ears knowing nothing about it or, heaven forbid, complicit. I would settle
for incompetence anytime because the implications of complicity are too
dreadful to contemplate.
And the Americans came, swooping over the mountains, right into
the heart of the compound, and after carrying out their operation flew away
into the moonless night without our formidable guardians of national
security knowing anything about it. This is to pour salt over our wounds.
The obvious question which even a child would raise is that if a cantonment
crawling with the army such as Abbottabad is not safe from stealthy assault
what does it say about the safety of our famous nuke capability, the mainstay
of national pride and defence?
Barely 24 hours before the Osama assault General Kayani, at a
ceremony in General Headquarters in remembrance of our soldiers killed in
our Taliban wars, was describing the army as the defender of the countrys
ideological and geographical frontiers. For the time being, I think, we should
concentrate on ideology and leave geography well alone, the Abbottabad
assault having made a mockery of our geographical frontiers.
Every other country in the world is happy if its armed forces can
defend geography. We are the only country in the world which waxes lyrical
about ideological frontiers. To us alone belongs the distinction of calling
ourselves a fortress of Islam.
In the wake of the Raymond Davis affair a certain sternness had
crept into our tone with the Americans, as we told them that they would
have to curtail their footprint in Pakistan. I wonder what we tell them now. It
is not difficult to imagine the smile on American lips when we now speak of
the absolute necessity of minimizing CIA activities.
With whom the gods would jest, they first make ridiculous. The
hardest thing to bear in this saga is not wounded pride or breached
sovereignty but our exposure to ridicule. Osama made us suffer in life and
has made us look ridiculous after his death. Around the tallest mountains
there is the echo of too much laughter at our expense.
Ayaz dwelled on recent CIA-ISI row and then added: In an ideal
world this should be a wakeup call for Pakistan, an opportunity for some
honest introspection and a hard look at some of the bizarre notions
underpinning our theories of national security. Must we spend so much on
defence? Is the world engaged in a conspiracy to undermine our
foundations? Arent our nuclear weapons enough to give us a sense of
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security? Hasnt the time come to curb some of our zest for nurturing and
sustaining jihadi militias? And isnt it time we stopped fretting so much
about Afghanistan and made internal order and prosperity the principal focus
of our endeavours?
But we do not live in an ideal world and our capacity for selfdeception should not be under-estimated. Shaken as we may be by the
Osama operation, we can safely assume that we wont take this as a wakeup
call. As the Foreign Office statement vividly shows, well hunt for lame
excuses and hide behind false explanations, convinced of our ability to fool
the world when the only thing fooled will be ourselves.
So we will keep talking about strategic assets and good and bad
Taliban, and about protecting our interests in Afghanistan, and well keep
subscribing to theories of Indian hostility and encirclement, because these
are the foundations on which stands the peculiar national security state we
have constructed, forever threatened and insecure Our ruling
establishment is too set in its ways and, sadly, the roots of national stupidity
run too deep. And perish the thought of anyone taking responsibility and
throwing in his papers. Thats just not the Pakistani way.
But there should be no escaping the fact that from now on we will
have to be more careful. All the signs suggest that this may prove to be a
milestone of sorts, a dangerous turning point, in that our friends, let alone
our enemies, become more sceptical of our pronouncements and
increasingly less willing to put up with our hidden and double games. We
will be asked some tough questions and the time for bluster or a show of
righteous indignation may have passed.
Shafqat Mahmood opined: The brazen American assault, with nary
an apology for the violation of another states sovereignty, also raises
many questions. Is Pakistan its ally or adversary? Why did the Americans
not trust Pakistan with the information? And, why was the intrusion not
detected? What kind of defence preparedness do we have if another country
can come in so easily and do what it likes? Does this mean that our nuclear
assets are also not safe?
At another level, the competence quotient in this government is also
being seriously questioned. The president wrote an article in The
Washington Post essentially endorsing the US raid. A day later, the
Foreign Office comes out with a statement which, among other things, raises
the sovereignty issue and sternly cautions the US not to test Pakistans
resolve again. The contradiction between the two positions is obvious. Who
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is right? The only possible conclusion is that this is a government in

complete disarray.
What is worse, the Pakistan case went by default when the Western
leaders and media were challenging its credentials regarding the fight
against al-Qaeda. In the first 24-hour news cycle when any press interaction
at a senior political level would have had a global audience, there was
complete silence. A huge opportunity to present our version was missed.
Shafqat went on to point out failings of CIA, ISIs contribution to
successes in war on terror and Indian factor and then added: While all these
explanations are valid and have gone by default because of a poor response
from the Pakistani government, the sad fact is that damage has been done.
Internationally now we are saddled with a serious credibility gap. This needs
to change. Our objective has to be that while we cannot control every event
happening here or abroad and, cannot rule out another terrorist popping up
within the country, the Pakistani state is committed to the fight against
militancy and international terrorism.
To make this commitment credible, mere words would not be
enough. It is important to understand that for Pakistan the world is not the
same after 1/5. A paradigm shift has come about and it needs to be
understood. To be in a state of denial is not just an irritant but positively
damaging for the country. There has to be a realization that explanations
having some resonance before would no longer hold validity. Our narrative
has to change, backed by performance.
In particular, any impression of softness on militant groups because
they are not a threat to the Pakistani state, or seen as assets for the future,
would have little acceptance. In the new reality, if they are a threat to
someone else, we have to play our part in ensuring that our soil is not used
for attacks outside. It is not easy, because every option has its drawbacks,
but a changed reality requires a serious rethink.
Our people need peace and prosperity, and that cannot come about by
making the world our adversary. We need a cold analysis of our strengths
and weaknesses and craft our policies accordingly. For too long we have
sought to punch above our weight. This may no longer be possible.
Dr Najeeb A Khan from Islamabad wrote: Prime Minister Gilani has
said that all international intelligence agencies are equally responsible for
this act of negligence and lapse. Sir, if we were unaware of Osamas
presence in a high-security area despite the suspicious behaviour of the

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residents of that conspicuously guarded house, how could we hold

responsible foreign agencies for this mind boggling security lapse?
To add insult to injury the Foreign Office has come up with a
strange statement. It has claimed that Pakistan had given information
about Osamas hideout to the Americans in 2009. If our agencies knew about
Osamas whereabouts, I wonder what stopped them from entering the
premises and arresting him.
On 7th May, Tariq Butt commented: Washington is playing a double
game with Islamabad as some top US leaders, including President Obama,
Secretary Clinton and Senator John Kerry, have offered guarded appreciation
for Pakistan for its cooperation in getting Osama bin Laden (OBL) while a
few top US officials including CIA chief Leon Panetta seem to want to keep
the ISI under pressure by popping the question of whether OBL was
protected by Pakistans premier agency.
However, one thing is clear: Panetta is unsure about the veracity of
the doubt that he has hurled in air to embarrass the ISI, which has not
been cooperating with the CIA as much as it would like. President Obama
and other top US leaders havent so far charged in their responses that
Pakistan was protecting, looking after and keeping OBL in a fortified
compound of Abbottabad to keep him away from the vigilant American
eyes.
Had these US leaders finally determined that Pakistan guarded and
put OBL out of sight for years to evade his arrest or killing by Americans,
not only they would have instantly directly hit Islamabad very hard and
a lethal campaign would have been unleashed against the Pakistan Army and
the ISI but there would have been a large-scale frontal attack from US allies
as well. Nothing of this nature happened as yet.
Shortly after the success of the get-OBL operation, a stream of phone
calls landed in Pakistan from across the Atlantic when the ordinary folks
were in deep sleep here. President Obama took no time to call his Pakistani
counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, who was woken up to hear the gratifying talk;
and Admiral Mike Mullen was on line with Chief of the Army Staff General
Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. These were thank you calls to acknowledge the
role Pakistan played in OBLs tracking and elimination, which has been
Americas dream for the last ten years. To the extent of what is disseminated
to public by both sides, no protests, no admonitions, and no complaints were
conveyed in these conversations contrary to the previous standard practice
followed by Washington.
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Panettas comment about OBLs whereabouts that Pakistan was

either an accomplice or incompetent was the first serious charge leveled
by Washington against Islamabad, although the US has categorically stated
that it was the ISI which provided to the CIA the initial lead that led to
OBLs final location. The Foreign Office statement clearly said that in 2009
the ISI had shared with CIA the possibility of the presence of a high profile
target in the targeted compound
Everyone knows here that the overall initial US reaction of top
American leaders that was not very aggressive doesnt mean at all that the
US pressure on Pakistan would be eased in future to catch hold of OBL
successor and other wanted members of al-Qaeda. The subsequent
declarations like the White Houses announcement that President Obama
reserves the right to act (on the pattern of the Abbottabad raid) again
against top terror suspects inside Pakistan are intended not only to keep the
pressure on but hype it in the weeks to come so that Islamabad doesnt
become lax in the campaign against the terrorist outfit. Given the US track
record, such tactics would increase that only the symbol is gone, causing
demoralization to the outfit, but its sprawling network remains.
Almost all the statements made by the top American government
leaders have one important common point, which, maybe for the time being,
saved Pakistan from the world (read US) rage and serious repercussions:
Pakistans cooperation particularly intelligence sharing to reach OBLs
hideout has been noteworthy, and without it, it was not possible to hit the
target. This reflects Pakistans intentions in the anti-terror fight including
truthfully sharing information regarding high value targets with the US.
The presumption that the ISI kept OBL in Abbottabad doesnt
sound convincing. As is clear by now, the ISI has the information that a
high value target might be inside the compound, but it was not certain that it
was OBL. Had it been hundred percent sure about his holing up there, it
would have directly stormed the complex and dealt with OBL.
However, the ISI passed the information to the CIA about its
suspicions for a decisive attack. It seems ridiculous to assert that the ISI
would keep OBL in high security military area of Abbottabad and that too
close to the Kakul academy. Why would and should it earn Pakistan
condemnation and shame by hiding in a leafy suburbia of the garrison town
of Abbottabad?
But indeed it was a serious lapse and failure on the part of the ISI not
to precisely know the inmates of the compound when the location was not
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situated in a far-flung dangerous region like the tribal areas. Not only the ISI
but Pakistan would also have been saved from deep embarrassment had the
agency raided the complex by taking the US into confidence. This
necessitates a dire need for serious introspection and self-analysis how and
why the premier agency failed to act at the proper time and know what was
happening under its very nose. But it is also a fact that there was a great risk
involved in an ISI sponsored raid: not only Washington but its allies might
have believed that the ISI obscured OBL in Abbottabad and caught him due
to the world pressure and to earn world kudos. There is a strong possibility
that the ISI chose not to act alone fearing a serious public backlash . So,
it avoided an independent act and allowed the CIA to take the full
responsibility for raiding and eliminating OBL. Thus, it tried to keep its
hands off OBLs killing.
In this connection, an apparently well briefed former ISI chief Asad
Durranis comment that he made to London Telegraph appears plausible and
paints a clear picture: It was inconceivable that Pakistan government was
unaware of the US raid on OBLs compound; Pakistan was forced to deny
any knowledge of the raid to avoid a domestic backlash; the denial was a
political manoeuvre by the intelligence services to avoid claims that they
were working too closely with the US; it is more likely that they did know
about the raid; it is not conceivable that it was done without the involvement
of Pakistani security forces at some stage; they were involved and they were
told they were in position. The army chief was in his office; the cordons had
been thrown around that particular place; the Pakistani helicopters were also
in the air so that indicates that it was involved; there are political
implications back home; and if you say that you are involved there is a large,
vocal faction of Pakistani society that will get very upset because we are
carrying out repeatedly these operations with the Americans.
However, if it was a failure of the ISI to exactly know the identity
of the inmates of the complex and grab OBL, it was also a grand failure of
the world agencies especially the CIA, which have large battalions of spies
including the local hired by them, in Pakistan since the nine-eleven
episode
Ansar Abbasi wrote: Within 24 hours of the countrys top military
brass expressing its resolve to defend the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Pakistan, US drones again hit Pakistan on Friday in Datta Khel
area of North Waziristan and killed at least 10 people. Surprisingly, the
attack went unnoticed.

569

Neither the FO nor the ISPR issued any formal response on behalf of
the civilian government and Pakistan military to this latest drone attack. The
Fridays attack by the US followed the May 2 Get-Osama shame and
the subsequent special meeting of the top military commanders in
Rawalpindi held on Thursday to resolve that the defence forces would
defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan.
Foreign Office spokesperson Ms Tehmina Janjua, when approached
at 8 pm on Friday, said that she was not sure that any statement would be
issued by the FO on the latest breach of Pakistans sovereignty by the US
drones. Janjua reiterated the governments stated policy that the drone
attacks are unacceptable and hinted that the FO was in contact with the ISPR
to decide whether to issue a formal response or not. Meanwhile, when
military sources were approached, they said that the ISPR does not usually
issue press releases on drone attacks.
In a press release issued following the corps commanders meeting on
Thursday, the Chief of Army Staff, with particular reference to the
Abbottabad US operation, was quoted as making it very clear that any
similar action, violating the sovereignty of Pakistan, would warrant a review
of military intelligence cooperation Instead of respecting Pakistans
sovereignty, the US had the cheeks to launch a new drone attack on the
very next day of the top commanders meeting in Rawalpindi and within
days of its Special Forces ground attack in Abbottabad that has earned
unparalleled shame for Pakistan and its defence and intelligence systems.
He also recalled drone attack after shameful departure of Raymond Davis.
Dr Irfan Zafar from Islamabad opined: The defence budget for the
ongoing fiscal year 2010-11 is Rs442.2 billion, an increase of 28.95 percent
from the previous years budget. It makes up 22.13 percent of the total
budget. Despite that our radars failed to track down the American
helicopters. Why should we spend our hard-earned money on buying
defence equipment which cannot protect our borders?
Iqbal Unus also from Islamabad wrote: Notwithstanding the sigh of
relief we have had upon Osamas elimination from our soil, some heads
must roll. It was criminal on the part of our agencies that they remained
oblivious to the presence of the worlds most wanted man who had been
living right under their nose for about five years. Also, it is hard to believe
that aircraft like slow-moving choppers intrude our airspace without
being detected for more than two hours. Radar evasion has become a
primitive thing especially in modern times.
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Anjum Niaz noted: General Kayani keeps a studied silence on

Osama. Lets then turn to the other K. Maybe Kissinger is Kayanis best
spokesman. As the proponent of Realpolitic: practicing diplomacy on the
lines of Machiavelli, the former secretary of state is a fox in this game. So
whats his take on Pakistans role in killing of Bin Laden? Its certainly
different from the mindless commentary babbling out of America now:
Its hard to believe that they (Pakistan) did not know that Bin Laden
was there its inconceivable but its also conceivable to me that
somebody in the Pakistani establishment cooperated with us to make this
raid possible and didnt want to admit it either. If they admit the first, then
they are admitting collusion with the terrorists; if they admit the second,
then they admit cooperation with the Americans. Either one of these will
hurt the better part of their public.
He told Fox News that Pakistan was thus in a bind. The father of
statecraft, Kissinger, 88, is the man who threatened Z A Bhutto if Pakistan
refused to tow Americas line. Bhutto was hanged and Kissinger, a winner of
the Nobel Peace Prize, went on to greater glory as Americas ace diplomat.
Does our military then fit the picture of a counterfeit traitor? Aiding
and abetting America but pretending ignorance to its people on
Osama?
If only Pakistan had diplomats like Kissinger, an intelligence agency
like CIA, and a president like Obama, Islamabad would not look the donkey
that it does like it or not today. Zardaris column in Washington Post,
probably ghostwritten by our ambassador in Washington, could have
portrayed Pakistans case better. But to be fair to Zardari, Kayani, Gilani and
Haqqani, no matter what these gents say, write, or claim at this moment in
time, their views has no takers. I watched Wolf Blitzer interview Hussein
Haqqani who was brave enough to face the press but came out the loser. Just
after 9/11 when Pakistan joined in the war against terror Blitzer
interviewed our then ambassador Maleeha Lodhi. He asked her what AlQaeda stood for. She looked blank. We could get away with anything then
because US considered us their buddy.
Bad idea to have Musharraf as Pakistan Armys spokesman today.
The man is a compulsive liar and is currently shown as a laughing stock on
the US media because he keeps changing his statement on Bin Laden. And
will someone ask Gen (r) Mahmud Durrani in Pindi to hold his tongue and
not run down the army before the US media as hes doing.

571

The blood hounds are baying to tear Pakistan to pieces. The US

media smells blood and nothing else: they dont know how to pronounce
Abbottabad. Can someone tell these ignoramuses that the town was named
after an Englishman called Abbott? Its an Anglo-Saxon word; even
Obama calls it A-bata-bad! Nor have they bothered to find out the actual
motoring distance between Islamabad and Abbottabad they keep insisting
that its 35 miles outside Pakistans capital. Further they dont know the
difference between an ordinary whitewashed three storied house and a
mansion! They keep calling it a million-dollar mansion. Wake up you
Americans and smell the coffee. Just spend half an hour practicing how to
pronounce Abbottabad and getting your facts right. Youre too busy beating
up Pakistan and blowing your own trumpet about the courage of their navy
seals!
But we deserve the truth General Kayani. Or shall we push
Kissingers logic as a face saver? To merely set up a broad-based military
inquiry is passing the buck as the Zardari government has been doing for
the last three years. Inquiries yield no concrete results. We, the Pakistani
press need to know today.
S Iftikhar Murshed observed: Osama bin Laden is dead but his
ghost continues to haunt Pakistan. The initial absence of any authoritative
and detailed statement from the government unleashed a tidal wave of
speculative assessments ranging from the plausible to the ridiculous. Several
hours after the al-Qaeda leader was killed, the foreign office issued a press
release, the only relevant portion of which was that the operation was
intelligence-driven and conducted by US forces in accordance with
declared US policy that Osama bin Laden will be eliminated in a direct
action by the US forces, wherever found in the world. It further states that
President Obama had telephoned his Pakistani counterpart after the event.
Instead of focusing on the issue, President Zardari informed the
world in a thoughtless article carried by The Washington Post on May 3 that
the al-Qaeda supremo had been closely involved in Pakistans internal
affairs for several years. In an effort to malign his political opponents he
volunteered the unsubstantiated information that in 1989 Osama bin
Laden had poured $50 million into a no-confidence vote to topple Benazir
Bhuttos first government.
He then went on to admit that bin Laden was not anywhere we had
anticipated he would be, but now he is gone. In effect, he conceded that
Pakistans fervent denials in the past that the al-Qaeda chief was not on its
572

soil were far removed from the truth. Such disclaimers were never taken
seriously by the international community and Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton did not mince words when she told the media during her visit to
Pakistan last year: Im not saying that theyre at the highest level, but I
believe somewhere in the government are people who know where
Osama bin Laden is, where Mullah Omar and the leadership of the Afghan
Taliban is, and we expect more cooperation to help us bring to justice,
capture or kill those who attacked us on 9/11.
The most relevant element in Zardaris Washington Post article from
Pakistans perspective was the assertion that it was on a tip-off from
Islamabad some months earlier that the Al-Qaeda courier had been identified
which ultimately resulted in the elimination of bin Laden. This was also
implied by President Barrack Obama when he triumphantly informed his
countrymen and the world that the operation had been a stunning success:
Our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to Bin Laden
and the compound where he was hiding.
Complacency is a luxury that no one, not even a superpower, can
afford in the global fight against terrorism. The enemy is not only difficult to
locate but is also ubiquitous and could be present in the most unlikely
places Iftikhar mentioned the statements issued by Gen Kayani PMA
Kakul and Foreign Ministry and then concluded: It is ironical that precisely
because of the impressive track record of Pakistans intelligence outfits,
particularly the ISI, there is skepticism that Islamabad was unaware of
the presence of the worlds most wanted man in one of its major towns.
This has put the country under grim international focus. US congressmen
have called for an investigation about exactly how much and when
Islamabad knew about Osama bin Ladens whereabouts. The head of the US
Senate Intelligence Committee has said that Congress may consider
drastically reducing, or even terminating, annual assistance of almost $1.3
billion to Pakistan if it transpired that the government was aware of the AlQaeda chiefs presence in Abbottabad. The chairman of the House
Subcommittee On Counterterrorism and Intelligence, Patrick Meehan, has
asked whether Pakistan was driven by divided loyalty, complicity or
incompetence, while Republican Senator Susan Collins has bluntly accused
Pakistan of playing a double game.
There is need for Pakistan to discard the shallow mask of
affected affliction on the manner in which the US handled the Bin Laden
operation. The danger of the country being isolated internationally is
emerging as a possibility. It is for the leadership to boldly grasp the nettle by
573

being more open about the recent events. Only then will Pakistans
credibility be restored.
An analyst has described Osama bin Laden as a middle-aged
nonentity, a political failure outstripped by history with millions of Arabs
demanding freedom and democracy in the Middle East rather than his
distorted interpretation of Islam. This is probably correct to an extent,
because there is evidence that al-Qaeda is not only tearing apart at the
seams but is also losing its grip on its affiliates. However, this does not
diminish the terrorist threat as extremist groups in Pakistan continue to
kill, destroy and maim because they have espoused the concept of takfir
propounded by Al-Qaeda. A consensus-based counterterrorism strategy has
still to articulated and implemented by the government.
The News wrote on Indian equation. For reasons that are easy enough
to understand, Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Foreign
Secretary Salman Bashir, in remarks made some days after the operation
against Osama bin Laden that left behind a stunned nation, have warned
against any further action along the same lines. Remarks made in India
have generated fears that New Delhi may at some point attempt to
replicate the US example. The precedent set is obviously a dangerous one
and our failure to detect the aerial incursion has raised pressing security
questions. General Kayani has said that key issues concerning the whole
affair are being looked at. Quite obviously, Pakistan needs to do everything
possible to prevent such an adventure again. No nation can afford such
embarrassment and loss of sovereignty. The COAS has warned that the
consequences could be devastating and it is true given Pakistans nuclear
arsenal.
But while the Indian threat looms naturally, this may also be a time to
think of the matter in a slightly different light. We cannot continue to live
with a sense of threat constantly haunting us. Under such circumstances, the
need to focus our energies on the numerous and immense tasks that should
be tackled at home to ensure the welfare of our people gets sidelined. We
must remember that in the broader scheme of things our citizens are our
biggest asset and are key to ensuring our safety and stability as a nation. And
an improvement in our relations with India is of importance in vanquishing
the kind of apprehensions we feel now as India takes full advantage of
Pakistans plight and loudly voices its warnings of what actions it could
choose to take.

574

India too should not forget that a future of greater stability and less
hostility is favourable to both nations and the region as a whole. We should,
in the aftermath of all that has happened, be considering tactics on various
fronts. Working to develop an alliance with India could bring us benefits
while also reducing perceptions of threats. In the presence of nuclear arms in
both countries, war-like rhetoric is always alarming. We need to do
everything we can to prevent this rhetoric becoming a reality. A solid
military defence is vital for us, and so is calm diplomacy which can tame the
tempers that tend to fly on both sides of the border each time there is an
incident of some kind that, in turn, serves to create new tensions and
augment old problems.
From across the eastern border Praful Bidwai asked: Did the United
States secure justice for the 9/11 victims, as President Barack Obama
claimed, by killing Osama bin Laden? The honest answer is no: the US
accomplished retribution or revenge, not full justice. This is not to trivialize
the importance of the elimination of the worlds most wanted criminal, or the
painstaking intelligence-gathering effort that tracked Osama in Abbottabad.
Least of all does this mean shedding tears for Osama.
However, full justice would mean punishing the 9/11 culprits after
conclusively establishing their guilt in a fair public trial. It would also
demand humane redressal of the genuine grievances that jihadi terrorists
exploit, which relate to the Wests project of hegemonic domination, its
demonization of Islam and Israels occupation of Palestine.
The present explosion of triumphalist nationalism in the US is a far
cry from this. The depiction of Liberty holding Osamas severed head in
one hand and the torch of freedom in the other is as revenge-driven as
al-Qaedas celebration of jihadi violence. Many Americans are reveling in an
aggressive reaffirmation of the USs military power and influence. Thats
why the Republicans are lavishing praise upon Obama, who now seems
certain to win his second term as president.
Yet, the USs post-9/11 anti-terror achievements are meagre. On
September 12, 2001, Washington launched an unlimited Global War on
Terror (GWoT). It began by invading Afghanistan. In 2003, it invaded Iraq
after citing al-Qaedas growing influence and the existence of weapons of
mass destruction a patent falsehood. GWoT then spread to the Horn of
Africa and Southeast Asia.
Praful mentioned some successes in the form of excesses and then
added: Osamas killing will weaken al-Qaeda, which is already
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marginalized in the Arab world. The Arab Spring doesnt derive its
inspiration from global jihad against a universal enemy, but from an urge to
depose domestic dictators. However, al-Qaeda and its supporters havent
been decisively defeated. They may still be capable of launching murderous
attacks in Pakistan, and Mumbai-type operations against India. This should
be a sobering thought.
Osamas killing has impelled some Indian hardliners to clamour for
taking out Pakistan-based jihadi extremists like Hafiz Mohammed Saeed
through covert operations. This is a counsel for adventurism and all-out
war. But New Delhi has wisely decided to continue the dialogue process
with Pakistan.
The Abbottabad episode highlights numerous truths about al-Qaeda
and Pakistan. Its inconceivable that Osama could have stayed for five to six
years next door to the Pakistan Military Academy without the army/ISIs
knowledge and tacit support. That suggests complicity and unwillingness to
conduct anti-terror operations sincerely.
If the army/ISI was unaware of Osamas hideout and the US
operation, that would reflect poorly on its intelligence-gathering ability. If it
was aware, that would suggest its acceptance of the US violation of
Pakistans sovereignty. At any rate, the Pakistan Armys duplicity in running
with the Al-Qaeda-Taliban hare and hunting with US hounds stands exposed.
This has damaged Pakistans global image and weakened its bargaining
power vis--vis the US.
For many Americans, the Osama manhunt was GWoTs principal
rationale. Osamas elimination will allow Obama to begin rapid troop
withdrawal from Afghanistan in July. Before it withdraws, the US will try
to cut a deal with the moderate Taliban so they can share power in
Afghanistan. Last year, the ISI showed its desperate determination to be part
of any negotiation with the Taliban. It tracked down moderate Taliban
leader Mullah Baradar with the USs technological support. But it kidnapped
Baradar and sabotaged US plans to talk to him.
A purely Taliban-based settlement involving the Pashtuns, only
one of Afghanistans ethnic groups, wont hold. Whats needed is a broadbased settlement, which also includes the Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras,
endorsed by the regional powers, including Pakistan, India, Russia and Iran.
This will require India to demand a regional approach, and
Pakistan to accept it because of Indias legitimate historical ties with
Afghanistan. Simultaneously, India must continue the dialogue process with
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Pakistan and strengthen its domestic pro-peace constituency which wants the
army to be placed under civilian control and the ISI reined in.
Next day, The News commented: It is possible that in death Osama
bin Laden will be even more iconic than he was in life, and that what the
Americans have done will guarantee the longevity of his legacy. Whilst the
event may bring a form of closure for the American people, closure is the
very last thing it has brought to the Muslim world. The Al-Qaeda franchise
is still viable and potent, and the death of Bin Laden is going to alter little
in terms of its operational effectiveness.
In Pakistan there is a growing realization that, despite years of denial,
Bin Laden really did live and die here. Before he was in Abbottabad, he
lived in a village close to Haripur according to a statement from one of his
wives in our custody. The American operation has exposed our
vulnerabilities like no other. All the radars to the west were switched off.
On rest according to Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman who has
accepted the responsibility for air surveillance failure but not yet tendered
his resignation.
The CIA was able to operate a base in Abbottabad as part of the
surveillance of the Bin Laden compound. Not only did we not know that
Bin Laden was there, we did not spot the Americans either. Just to add
insult to injury, the Americans have said that if they have actionable
intelligence on any other high profile target they will act unilaterally again,
no matter what we may say in defence of our sovereignty. Our leaders have
been reduced to bumbling equivocation in their public response to the attack,
attempting at the same time to lay the blame everywhere. The words
intelligence failure warrant more than one interpretation.
Across the Atlantic, the trust deficit is getting an outing, and
assorted American congressmen are looking at tinkering with the enabling
legislation that provides funding for our military and civilian machines.
There is robust and ongoing criticism of us of the they must have known
variety and there are now calls for the names of senior personnel in the
security services presumably so that they can be matched to whatever
names the Americans have found on the computers and memory sticks they
took with them. Yet, despite all the embarrassment, accusations and counteraccusations, pragmatic voices on both sides are likely to prevail.
Our relationship with the Americans is sufficiently durable to
withstand a blow such as the one we have just suffered and vice-versa.
Hillary Clinton has said that America will stand beside us even though there
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are difficulties in the relationship. Prime Minister Gilani has also talked of
the ongoing relationship, and there is little doubt that the CIA and the ISI
will be finding ways of keeping their backchannels open. For us, this has
been a public relations disaster at every level. The killing of Osama bin
Laden may be a game changer for some, but for our leaders, even this may
change little and especially not the way they play their own games.
Sana Bucha wrote: Our version. FO or ISPR? Same thing. Three
helicopters? No! Two. Check. Took off from Jalalabad? Vague. We are told
they didnt take off from Tarbela Ghazi. Pakistan was alerted after sounds
of the copters were heard. A series of phone calls and Pakistan scrambled
its jets but our radars were evaded. Is it possible that US helicopters really
did evade Pakistani radar? Choppers are slow, but these ones were of
stealth varieties and managed to remain fairly quiet. Could this operation
have been conducted in 40 minutes? No sir. Not even the Blackhawks could
have managed this at top speed. Truth be told: two choppers entered
Pakistan without prior information, fired mortar shells once, blew up one
chopper and only the neighbours heard. This is a city that houses three
regiments of the Pakistan Army and the Kakul Military Academy, yet the
operation remained undetected. Strange.
If that is true, how safe are we? Ask the military, and they will
admit there are inadequacies, but our nukes are safe they are well
guarded and an elaborate defence mechanism is in place. So now we can
breathe easy. No one will fly into our territory and take away our nukes.
Hallelujah! They will only fly in to take away most wanted terrorists. And
mind you, this misadventure is exclusive to the US. Any other country will
be dealt with severely.
Countries will be dealt with severely. Not terrorists. Osama was
living in this house along with his three wives and 13 children 11 sons and
two daughters for five years at least. We didnt know. CIA operatives were
lodging nearby for months (!) keeping a mindful eye at this house which we
the Pakistani Intelligence provided them information of, but didnt
investigate ourselves. Why? The CIA never came back with progressive
information, said a senior Pakistani military official. This is their reason for
not acting promptly.
How about all the times cars loaded with explosives manage to drive
in through Waziristan, Peshawar, other parts of Fata and ram themselves into
mosques, hotels, intelligence agencies offices? Did they also evade radar
to remain undetected? Or when bombs blew up in markets and on bustling
578

roads, or when police stations were attacked? How about when weapons are
brought in through Afghan borders or smuggled in through Quetta? Sadly,
our intelligence has failed us too often. A resignation from the fall guy will
not suffice for the insecurity we, as Pakistanis, feel today.
Perhaps the truth will help. Please tell me we knew. Tell me that this
was our golden egg laid at just the right time. Tell me that as always, we
were playing a double game. That we got something out of it. We got the
drones to stop, more choppers, military aid, a nuclear deal with the US?
More understanding for our strategic depth? Something? Anything?
Tell me lies. Sweet little lies. Ones you told me in 65. And 71. At
the time the Ojhri Camp incident happened. Or Kargil. I want to be lied to.
Again. Because the lies only infuriated me. This truth half-baked or
completely raw is scary. I dont know about Osama but I can think of
many other countries whose most wanted men are living here. In Karachi. In
Lahore. And elsewhere. If as former ISI chiefs are telling foreign media
they knew where Osama was since 2006 then all I can say to the most
wanted is this: you could be viewed as the golden egg too, but all eggs
have a shelf life. Osamas was May 2011. Do you know yours?
Aijaz Zaka Syed commented: So America has finally managed to kill
the monster it created. And in one of those classic ironies that fate throws up,
Osama bin Laden met his end at the hands of someone whose name has
often been confused with his own. In his death, Osama hasnt just saved
the struggling US president; he may even have gifted his nemesis a second
term in office.
But can you really kill men like OBL? He was not just another
human being, a man of flesh and blood like you and me. Rather, he
represented an idea. And you cant kill ideas even if you happen to be the
most powerful country on the planet and have the deadliest of arms man
invented at your disposal.
The long crippled man who spurned a life of obscene luxury to live
on the run forever like a hunted animal, had to go the way he did. Theres
hardly a surprise there. The real story and feat lies in the fact that the AlQaeda chief managed to evade the long and powerful arms of the empire for
11 long years.
While the coalition of the willing hunted the most wanted man on the
planet all across the wild frontier stretching from Pakistans northwest to the
Afghan border with Russia, he ostensibly lived right in the heart of the
Abbottabad cantonment, a stones throw from Pakistans elite Kakul Military
579

Academy. What an extraordinary, extraordinary story! And what

chutzpah a master stroke of the evil genius that he was!
And what embarrassment for Pakistans leaders! They havent
been just caught unawares; theyve been caught with their pants down.
The country has become the laughing stock of the whole world. Its damned
if it admits that this was a one-sided US operation and it had no clue
whatsoever until US choppers with their elite commandos barged right into
the heart of the cantonment and took out their man. Its damned if it suggests
otherwise.
Whoever is responsible for this mess, theyve put Pakistan in a rather
nice spot, perhaps like never before in its history. The ever voracious and
vicious television networks across the border havent stopped partying since.
Its the great Pakistan barbecue season all over again. All his life, Osama
had been an enigma and a perpetual source of concern to his
distinguished clan and the land of his birth. Now he has visited a calamity
on the folks who hosted and worked with him during the glorious decade of
the Afghan jihad.
Lest we forget the commander of the faithful in that holy war
against the so-called evil empire was none other than the leader of the free
world. Uncle Sam headed the Western coalition as he does now. Pakistan
was only their second lieutenant, a facilitator if you will.
Only, when the music stopped, Pakistan was left holding the
baby. Everyone went home and it had to live with the mess that was left
behind. Osama, Al- Qaeda, the Taliban and the rag-tag army of various other
groups are a blast from the past that the West doesnt want to have anything
to do with today. When the tide turned after 9/11 and Pakistan went with the
flow, the chickens came home to roost. Osama came home to where he
thought he belonged. His final suicide mission was to blow up his former
friends and the land that sheltered him.
However, the ultimate victim of the misguided missile that the Saudi
billionaire was turned out to be the very faith that he claimed to champion.
He brought nothing but disgrace and disaster to Muslim lands and
fellow believers. More Muslims than Westerners or Christians and Jews
have died as a direct consequence of Al-Qaeda attacks, or by attacks inspired
by his murderous ideology. A noble religion of 1.6 billion believers has
come to be regarded as a death cult and met with international
condemnation. Arabs and Muslims have been tarred terrorists. For all of this,
Osama will perhaps never be forgiven by his Maker and Muslims alike.
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Yet you cant help feeling a twinge of sadness at the tragic end
that the sheikh has met with far from the land of his birth that he so
loved. He was driven by the belief hopelessly distorted as it was that he
was fighting to free Muslim lands and for justice for the Palestinians,
Afghans and for the oppressed everywhere.
Muslims at large never identified with Osama bin Laden or
condoned his appalling crimes. They however understood what forced a
quiet young man to kick his billion dollar fortune and take up arms. He
struck a chord among, not just Arabs and Muslims but also among the
dispossessed everywhere by taking on the big bullies who have killed more
innocents and wreaked more destruction on our world than a million Osamas
could have managed in their lifetime.
Besides, the way this whole charade has been played out with Obama
and his aides coolly watching the action live in real time as if it were a
baseball game, and his body being dumped into the Arabian sea has only
added to their disgust and outrage. Using all that overwhelming force to
kill an unarmed, ailing man without a trial. So much for Americas
fabled justice system and due process!
Assuming it was indeed Bin Laden who was killed Monday night,
shouldnt he have been put on trial for the crimes he had been accused
of? What was the hurry to buy him at sea? What was it that America was
trying to cover? And hows Obamas justice different from the dead-oralive cowboy retribution of his predecessor?
Dead or alive, we havent heard the last of this yet. Osama may be
dead and gone; his cause is not. Others will take his place and may already
have. If the world is to prevent the rise of more Osamas, it must take its
scalpel to the festering cancer of injustice and oppression in the Middle East.
Now that the so-called architect of 9/11 is gone, the US has no business in
Afghanistan-Pakistan, Iraq and elsewhere. Bin Laden has taken with him to
his watery grave the Wests raison dtre for its imperial project in the
Muslim world.
Masood Hasan in his typical piercing style wrote: The Pakistani
people are used to egg on their face, but what they were slapped with the
other night from sleepy old Abbottabad was a large Pakistani omelette,
complete with green chillies, onions and tomatoes. It was piping hot. It was
large and it got us right on the kisser, as our good friends the Americans
would put it. Did it hurt? You bet it did. Did it sting? Bet your bottom dollar

581

it did. Of all the insults, and we have quite a collection, this one was a
special.
In the tense 38 minutes of live video streaming watched with great
intent, minus popcorn and Cokes, the American leadership saw the taking
of OBL. From their expressions, it was pretty obvious that they hadnt even
considered what we would be feeling at this latest insult. Why should they?
We were purchased long ago in a loot sale. Our loud protests are well staged
make noise and carry on doing what you were doing. On Sunday night,
everyone who is supposed to be anyone was in bed, cuddled into deep
slumber, thanks to Pooh the Bear without whom most of Pakistans
leadership cannot sleep. An attack surely scripted in Hollywood, our
shaheens paralyzed on the ground, our radars jammed (Strawberry?) is this
cuckoo land? Surely it must be.
Our government, a.k.a. the peas that strut about making noises of
absolutely no consequence, was frantically inking in the details of the
seasons latest Lota Loot Sale. The Chaudhry Bros were out in full strength,
with Chaudhry Shujaat dripping incoherently with pearls of his customary
brilliance. With the president grinning like a Cheshire cat, a new lota deal
was well on its way to be added to that junk pile of rubbish we insist on
calling politics. So bizarre are the comings and goings of the government
that no one at any given time can say with any surety who is with whom,
and why, or why not. Its like the Pakistani team. No one now can accurately
list down who precisely are the boyuz that wear the green blazer. Of course
I jest. The team is famous for losing a match, not winning it. Our great twist,
while the rest of the world can only click tongues and make guttural noises
of amazement.
The FO was not open. It never is, some say, but that is not true.
Others go as far as to say it does not exist, but that too is not true. It is very
much alive, although respirators and ventilators have been in abundant use at
Hotel Scheherazade. Once awake, they immediately issued a grim reminder
to all and sundry, threatening dire consequences if Pakistans virgin-like
sovereignty was even eyed with evil intentions. I am told this one is
Statement No 16B and is readily available to be disseminated at the drop
of a hat.
The FO has so many hats that it is thinking of going into a side
business. We can only rejoice at these favourable developments. Lotas on
sale in the Presidency and within a stones throw so far the public has
abstained hats galore or sovereignty in three sizes: 1.5 litre, 500ml and
582

250ml; the 1.5 litre is not so popular, since there isnt that much of it to go
around, but the others will sell. When the FO finally mustered pen and paper
together, it issued a statement that was 100 percent in the other direction to
its governments. Never mind. Neither are taken seriously, otherwise we all
would be long dead of shock.
The khaki command was rudely woken at 3 a.m. by US friends
who said the deed had been done, thanks be to Allah. Bonds of
everlasting friendship were exchanged, drone attacks were once more
brought up we cannot tolerate these, as our prime minister, president, army
chief and everyone else have reminded us daily. The US also said that they
had removed all they found of use the 100-odd hens in the compound who
somehow survived the brutal onslaught were obviously not fitted with
nuclear devices and were thus of no interest to the Americans. Also none of
them looked remotely like an OBL double.
Before signing off, our US friends asked us to take care of a chopper
they had blasted to kingdom come and requested that the remains be
respectfully covered up while their SEALS searched for an appropriate
ocean. Pledges of cooperation were exchanged and clearance was given for
us to protest about this flagrant violation of our hallowed airspace. Next
day, the khakis wasted little time in issuing warning number 2564 to the
USA to stop the drone attacks, respect our airspace and stop buying all the
real estate. These were taken by the US with such a huge pinch of salt that
reportedly salt has disappeared from all US stores. Even Wal-Mart is stocked
out.
The Pakistani public, for whom insults seem to have been invented
by a malevolent entity, are taking it in quietly. They are hardly in a position
to express any emotion and too tired to even burn another US effigy very
badly made, these are and need much improvement between ourselves.
Besides, it is miserably hot and, as and when some power is witnessed, the
citizens simply refuse to turn on their creaking fans. But even when there is
no real occasion, the amount of people they are the same, year in and year
out are holding forth on what is now the stuff of legends.
Theories are flying faster than Blackhawks, and are even more
deadly than the dreaded drones. Someone must stop the prime minister
from droning on and on about how the drones are a violation of our
sovereignty. Maybe his latest foray into the Parisian world of fashion might
distract him, as ordering suits and getting fit-outs done, can be very taxing
on the brain.
583

I, for one, would be very happy to hear him speak eloquently, I am

sure about his suits, shirts, ties and cuff link collections. This would be far
more fruitful than groaning about drones and how we wont tolerate it. To
him my advice is: sir, till such time as you are safely returned to your
mango trees in Multan, please stop this drone business and how
shocking it is. Most of your subjects cannot hear you without being
violently sick. Instead, announce as soon as you have unpacked your new
suits that Pakistan welcomes drones as they are ushering in a new era of
development and building social awareness.
OBL, UBL, CFL, EFL who really cares? Beggars cant be
choosers how I hated that idiom at school, but, gosh, it is true; so some
silence please. And stop driveling. It does not look nice, and all it does is
make us look pitiable.
The News on Sunday editorial read: Oversight or complicity? This
is the question that is going to be asked of Pakistan in the coming days
and months. The killing of Osama Bin Laden is going to have serious
implications and not just on grounds that the Americans came without prior
information and violated our sovereignty. The media, as always, remains
focused on how the Americans got in rather than on how and why was bin
Laden comfortably ensconced in one of the urban centres that also happens
to be a cantonment. President Zardaris opinion piece in The Washington
Post kind of offsets the medias concerns and shows the government is
happy that the deed is done.
But thats not the end of the matter. Clearly, there are questions that
Pakistan needs to ask itself. Why did Osama Bin Laden, the worlds
number one wanted man, choose to spend the rest of his life in Pakistan?
What is it so comfortable and comforting about our country that terrorists of
all hues stay in and sometimes get caught here?
But even before this, the first question to ask is who to turn to, to
ask these questions the civilian government, the foreign office, the
intelligence agencies or the military? In simple words, who runs the foreign
policy in this country? Therefore, everybody is trying to get a response from
each quarter separately and put them all together to arrive at a clear picture.
Expectedly, what they are getting instead are half-baked and contradictory
answers.
What no one is still not prepared to say is that this is the last chance
for Pakistan to reorient its strategic paradigm if it wants to exist as a
responsible member of the international community. Pakistans India-centric
584

foreign policy has put our own security at risk. We have over-estimated the
threat from the East, nurtured it, done nothing to neutralize it and today all
our strategic depth considerations stem from that threat alone. Afghanistan
is important because India the enemy must not get there. How to bleed the
enemy is important even if it means giving protection to terrorists at
home.
Today, if our media is asking the wrong questions, if the man on the
street seems convinced that the Americans are lying and the whole operation
is made up, if shady organizations are offering funeral prayers for Osama bin
Laden, it is because of the indoctrination designed under the national
security discourse that permeates the entire society. Finally, we have been
exposed. All state institutions are looking here and there for answers when
all they need to do is to look within.
Ayesha Siddiqa opined: No matter what the right-wing media claims
regarding the impossibility of the American operation, the fact is that the
US Pentagon undertook the operation on its own. The four helicopters,
which were used in the operation, allegedly flew from Jalalabad,
Afghanistan. The secrecy was necessary to ensure success. Now we know
they might have been right in such an assessment. Even if militarys top
bosses would not leak the information others down below could
Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of arguments coming out of
Pakistan. There is the military-friendly argument which suggests that the
military is indeed professional but was caught unawares. So, the anger
should be directed at the US which breached Pakistans security by flying in
without informing GHQ Rawalpindi. Such an argument represents the
friction between Pakistan and Washington which had started earlier this year
culminating in the Raymond Davis affair. The fact that the Kayani-Pasha
team did not have a good rapport with the Panetta-Patraeus team was most
obvious in the sordid affair in Lahore. The CIA operative, in hindsight, could
have been a part of the team, which was collecting information about the
whereabouts of Osama bin laden and his gang. There was definitely a shift
in American thinking regarding the extent to which they wanted to trust
Pakistan. The decision was to do it alone and find the al-Qaeda head and
other members of the terror network.
She referred to statement of Salman Bashir and then added: We
could get angry about what happened but a more important question we need
to ask ourselves pertains to the issue of the future of militancy in the country.
The bin Laden capture has brought international attention to the country and
585

the world will not be in a great mood to entertain Pakistans excuses

regarding other groups that operate here, including Lashkar e Taiba (LeT),
Sipha i Sahaba (SSP), Lashkar e Jhangavi (LeJ), Jaish e Mohammad (JeM),
Harkat-ul-Jihad-ul-Islami (HUJI), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) and others.
These groups might have been focused on India but the world had lesser
patience to hear the excuse.
Even if we argue that it is difficult to address the threat posed by
these militant outfits, the world would expect Pakistan to make some
positive move which indicates its intention to solve the militancy problem in
the long run. Changing curriculum and improving education, for instance,
are two clear moves to bring a long-term change. Moreover, we have to
empower the police to use the available information to constraint the jihadis
operating in Punjab, Sindh and other parts of the country. Its time we made
positive moves so that our security establishment is not caught with its
pants down in the future. Not to forget, such an embarrassment has a huge
price for the country.
Amir Mir recounted the events related to Crusaders hunt for
Osama. It was on November 10, 2001, almost a month after the 9/11 terror
attacks and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan by the US-led Allied
Forces, that Osama bin Laden made his last public appearance and delivered
his last public speech at the Jalalabad Islamic Studies Center, after the
northern cities of Afghanistan had begun to fall to the US-led Allied Forces.
Osama painted the battle lines black and white: The Americans had a
plan to invade, but if we are united and believe in Allah, we will teach them
a lesson, the same we taught to the Russian military forces. Your Arab
brothers will lead the way and we will win the war against the US, inshallah.
We have the weapons and the technology, what we need the most is your
moral support. And may God grant me the opportunity to see you again and
meet you again on the front lines.
He then stepped away from the podium, only to disappear into the
mountainous vastness of Tora Bora, never to be seen again till his May 2,
2011 death at his Kakul hideout in Abbottabad at the hands of the US
Special Forces in Operation Geronimo. But the billion-dollar question
remains: how did Osama manage to reach Abbottabad far from the lawless
and harsh Pak-Afghan frontier where he was assumed to be hiding out.
Having escaped from Tora Bora in the wake of a massive military assault by
the US-led Allied Forces a few weeks later, Osama eventually traveled to the
Kunar province of Afghanistan where he was welcomed by local elders,
586

chiefly because Kunar is one of the few Afghan provinces where most of the
militants follow the Ahl-e-Hadith school of thought which is close to the
Takfiri ideology which Osama used to advocate.
However, having come to know of his precise location, the US-led
Allied Forces launched a massive military action in Kunar in June 2005,
prompting Laden to move out from Kunar to the neighbouring Nuristan
province which has a 250-kilometre long border with Pakistans hilly Chitral
region. It was then that the Chitral district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa, which
is an attractive destination for foreign tourists, became infested with
Pakistani intelligence sleuths, looking for Osama bin Laden.
Having reached Chitral, Osama would have either traveled to
Abbottabad by passing through Gilgit, Kalam and Swat districts of KP or he
had proceeded to the Bajaur Agency in Fata, which is adjacent to the Chitral
district, to travel to the Abbottabad district. Whatever route Osama might
have adopted, he is believed to have reached his Kakul hideout in January
2006.
Going by the international media reports, the story behind the
Abbottabad raid actually began four years ago, when al-Qaeda prisoners
being interrogated at Guantanamo Bay betrayed the nom de guerre of a
courier, being used by Osama. He was said to be a protg of Khalid Sheikh
Mohammad, the 9/11 mastermind, al-Qaedas former chief operational
commander and one of the few men whom Osama genuinely trusted. Khalid
had been arrested from the garrison town of Rawalpindi way back in March
2003 and handed over to the US. Osama had dared not to use any type of
phone in seven years and his couriers were the only means of
communicating with the outside world.
Further information about Osamas couriers was gleaned by his
interrogators from another key lieutenant of Osama, Abu Faraj al-Libbi, who
was made the chief operational commander of al-Qaeda following the arrest
of Khalid Sheikh.
Captured from the Mardan district of the KP in May 2005 by the ISI
and handed over to the Americans instantly, Libbi reportedly gave his
interrogators the names of a series of couriers being used by Osama to pass
on messages to his al-Qaeda associates. Another Guantanamo Bay detainee
and a senior al-Qaeda operative, Abdul Hadi al-Iraqi, who had been arrested
in 2007 from Pakistan, also identified the man already named by Khalid
Sheikh and Abu Faraj as one of the few couriers trusted by Osama.

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The US intelligence community finally uncovered the crucial identity

of the courier four years ago by identifying him as the Kuwaiti-born Sheikh
Abu Ahmed, who had been known under the name Sheikh Abu Ahmed alKuwaiti, and who was killed in the May 2, 2011, Abbottabad raid along with
his other courier brother, and Osama bin Laden.
It was, in fact, in July 2010 that Osamas courier Sheikh Abu Ahmed
al-Kuwaiti had a telephone conversation with someone who was being
monitored by American intelligence sleuths with the help of their informers.
The courier was located somewhere away from bin Ladens hideout when he
had the discussion, but it was enough to help intelligence officials locate and
watch him. The spooks subsequently tracked down the location of the
courier with the help of his mobile phone and started monitoring him. Built
amidst a lush green agricultural field, spanning over more than six kanals,
the three-storey compound with eight huge bedrooms was located hardly
800 metres from the prestigious Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) of the
Pakistan Army in Kakul.
Though the spooks monitoring the compound were quite sure that
some high value target was hiding there, they were not definite if he was
Osama. They subsequently engaged members of the Spider Group, which
consists largely of retired Pakistani military and intelligence officers, some
of whom had even reached the ranks of brigadier and colonel. (Most of
them, who are hired by the American intelligence sleuths stationed in
Pakistan, have had a long experience dealing with Afghanistan, going back
to the Afghan jihad. Based in the border city of Peshawar, which is a
gateway to Afghanistan, the Spider Group members are paid handsome
money and charged with tracking the activities and movement of Taliban
and al-Qaeda that operate in a largely autonomous belt of tribal areas
nearby.)
On the basis of the information collected by the Spider Group
members, the Americans learned that apart from the courier and his brother,
a third family also lived in the compound which has never been seen by
anyone.
It was in August 2010 that the Americans formally approached their
Pakistani counterparts, seeking their help in collecting information about the
occupants of the Abbottabad compound. However, the Pakistani authorities
treated with contempt the American request, given the fact that the latter
were monitoring a highly sensitive zone of the garrison town of Kakul and
that too without the knowledge of the Pakistani agencies. The Americans felt
588

dejected and had to suspend their activities for the time being, although the
Spider Group members were still busy in their activities.
Nevertheless, the run of good luck for Osama actually began to end
on January 29, 2011, when the Pakistani agencies arrested an al-Qaedalinked Indonesian militant from Abbottabad, Umar Patek, identified as a
fugitive leader of Jemaah Islamiyah. He was arrested along with his wife
from the Abbottabad residence of a Pakistani national Abdul Hameed
following a bloody gun battle with Pakistani security forces on January 29,
2011. And, it is largely believed that Patek had been in touch with the
fugitive al-Qaeda chief through his couriers.
Osamas presence in the Kakul compound was roughly confirmed by
the Pakistani authorities on the basis of the information provided by Umar
Patek and two French nationals linked to him Sharaf Deen and Zohaib
Afzal who had been arrested from Lahore on January 23, 2011, along with
a Pakistani national, Tahir Shehzad. He was believed to be in touch with
Osamas couriers and had traveled from Abbottabad to Lahore to receive the
two white jihadis before being arrested.
On the basis of the information provided by Umar Patek and his
detained aides, coupled with the information that had already been provided
by the Americans, the Pakistani agencies started monitoring the suspicious
compound in Abbottabad near the Kakul Military Academy.
In the meantime, however, an ill-timed incident took place in Lahore
where a former US Army soldier and a CIA contractor, Raymond Davis
killed two youngsters on January 27, 2011. The Pak-US ties touched their
lowest ebb as Davis was jailed and criminally charged with double murder
and illegal possession of a firearm.
The ugly incident also prompted the Pakistani military leadership to
ask the CIA high command to withdraw all its undercover spooks from
Pakistan who had been working under the guise of American diplomats.
Therefore, there was no further development pertaining to the
suspicious Kakul compound. As Raymond Davis was finally released on
March 16, 2011, the Pakistani authorities finally shared with their American
counterparts some crucial information, based on the interrogation results of
Umar Patek and Tahir Shehzad, which gave clear hints that Osama might be
living in the compound along with his family members. The compound was
under strict vigilance since then by the Pakistan authorities, which came to
an end on the night of May 1 when the Americans finally carried out a
commando operation and killed the al-Qaeda chief.
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Rahimullahh Yusufzai talked of facts and fables about Osama.

Speculating about Osama bin Ladens fate and whereabouts was a favourite
pastime of many people, particularly those in the media, military and
politics. Small newspapers became known in the world and unknown
reporters and analysts earned recognition by reporting something unusual
about him.
There was an abiding interest in whatever the al-Qaeda leader said or
did because he was the worlds most wanted man. A book by an obscure
American author was once mentioned by him in one of his statements and it
became a bestseller. People were intrigued as to how he evaded capture and
death for so long. Many were not ready to believe that bin Laden could
remain free and survive the most intensive and costly manhunt in history.
Even now most people in Pakistan think he wasnt in the Abbottabad
compound where the US Special Forces shot him dead during the night on
May 2.
One has read and heard that bin Laden was long dead or in custody
since years. There were even people who considered bin Laden a fictional
character created by the US to justify its occupation of Islamic countries
such as Afghanistan and Iraq and control the energy resources in Muslim
lands in the Middle East and Central Asia.
The hunt for bin Laden was long and intense, though the US officials
including past and present defense secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert
Gates and the incumbent CIA chief Leon Panetta and his predecessor
Michael Hayden often said they had lost track of him. In fact, he was being
hunted down since 1996 when he started giving anti-US statement and then
declared jihad against both the US and Israel in 1998. The search for him
intensified after the 9/11 attacks on the US. The bin Laden trail had gone
cold until May 2 when the US commandoes in a dramatic raid flew
undetected in four helicopters from the Afghan border to Abbottabad and
returned safely to their base after a 40-minute operation in which bin Laden
was killed along with three others and his body and probably his son who
was alive were flown to Afghanistan.
Numerous places depending on ones imagination were mentioned as
the likely bin Laden hideouts. The two Waziristans were on everyones lips,
but so were Bajaur and to a lesser extent the Tirah valley in Khyber and
Orakzai tribal agencies, Dir, Chitral, Swat and even Gilgit-Baltistan. The
Pamirs were mentioned by an Israeli intelligence website and duly and
unimaginatively reported by sections of our media. There were even bizarre
590

suggestions that he could be hiding in China, Yemen, Somalia, Chechnya

and Iran. Those convinced that he was a CIA agent claimed bin Laden was
being kept in a US safe house while others thought he is living in comfort
under the protection of the ISI.
Like everyone else, General Pervez Musharraf during his rule often
speculated about bin Ladens fate. He once said that the al-Qaeda founder
could have died of kidney failure or got killed in the US aerial strikes in the
Tora Bora mountain range in eastern Afghanistan in December 2001. That
campaign was stated to be the most sustained and lethal bombing missions
since the Second World War.
Subsequently, Musharraf tried to play it safe by commenting that bin
Laden could be hiding in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The
border is almost 2,500 kilometres long and one couldnt be wrong by
claiming that someone is hiding there. It is another matter that pinning down
a wanted man to a particular place on this very long and porous border
inhabited by independent-minded tribes was well nigh impossible.
Later, Musharraf tried to be more specific while speculating about
bin Ladens possible hideout. In his controversial book, In the Line of Fire,
he mentioned Afghanistans eastern Kunar province as the most likely hiding
place for the elusive al-Qaeda leader. His line of argument was that many
Saudis were hiding there and it would be natural for him to stay with people
he could trust. In a subsequent interview, he supplemented his argument by
arguing that al-Qaeda had pockets of support in Pakistans Bajaur tribal
region bordering Kunar.
This wasnt the first time that Kunar was mentioned as a possible
hideout for bin Laden. The weekly, Newsweek, and a few other Western
media organizations had speculated that there could be no better place for
him to hide than the thickly forested Kunar mountain ranges. In fact, the
remote Kurungal valley was singled out as the ideal hiding place in Kunar
due to the reportedly considerable presence of Arab and Taliban fighters
there. Questions were asked in sections of the American media and at
official forums as to why didnt the US military launch operations in
Kurungal valley and other places in Kunar with strong presence of Taliban
and Gulbaddin Hekmatyar supporters to try and get bin Laden.
That may have prompted the subsequent US military interventions
into Kurungal and other valleys in Kunar and Nuristan provinces. Those
military campaigns didnt yield anything. Rather, the bombing runs by
American warplanes there contributed to the intensity of opposition to the
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presence of US forces because a number of Afghan civilians were killed and

many more were captured. After years of failed efforts to flush out foreign
and Taliban militants from Kurungal and other nearby valleys, the US troops
vacated their outposts there in late 2010 and early 2011. The Taliban
subsequently moved into some of these bases.
There had been no sighting of the Saudi-born bin Laden since the US
invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001. He did appear in several
videotapes and his voice was heard on audiotapes efficiently delivered
through couriers to mostly the al- Jazeera television channel. One doesnt
know if Sheikh Abu Ahmad, the courier who reportedly was tracked down to
reach the bin Laden hideout, was one of those couriers delivering his tapes
or other messages.
His images on television screens haunted the US and its allies but
nobody could be captured who had met him or knew his whereabouts. Each
new tape from him was a huge embarrassment for the Americans and others
trying to get him. The tapes provided few clues and were not very helpful in
tracking him down. Aware that videotapes could give away secrets and show
him in poor health, bin Laden stopped issuing new videotapes after the one
in October 2004 a few days before the US presidential elections. This was
the famous tape that is said to have facilitated George W Bushs victory in
the election for President.
His audiotapes continued to come out regularly but his fatigued voice
was the only clue for ascertaining his state of health. In absence of any real
leads, all one could do was to speculate about his fate and whereabouts. And
that is what everyone including presidents, intelligence agents, journalists
and commoners did all these years.
In the second write-up Rahimullah opined that after Osama would
have better chances to reconcile now with the removal of bin Laden, a
major stumbling block. The Saudi-born bin Laden harboured a death wish
that has been fulfilled. He generated controversy both in life and death.
Many people used to comfortable living cannot fathom the fact that a
millionaire like him was able to give up the luxuries of life to live and fight
in the mountains of Afghanistan due to his commitment to jihad. He was
disowned by his own family and stripped of the Saudi Arabian nationality.
His actions, in particular the al-Qaeda-sponsored 9/11 attacks against the
US, divided the Muslims and led to the American invasion and the fall of the
Taliban regime in Afghanistan. He had a point when he criticized the
unconditional US military and economic assistance to Israel to occupy
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Palestinian territories and objected to the presence of Western forces in his

homeland, Saudi Arabia, on account of patriotic and Islamic reasons. But the
violent tactics that he and his men employed to achieve these objectives and
al-Qaedas terrorist attacks that killed innocent people spoiled his cause. His
actions became indefensible and the number of his supporters dwindled. In
due course of time, bin Laden became a political non-entity and the recent
uprisings in the Arab countries made al-Qaedas violent philosophy
irrelevant as a change became possible through peaceful rather than military
means. It is possible that al-Qaeda would survive as a weakened armed
group under his likely Egyptian successor Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri, but its
appeal has faded because the Arab people and other Muslims the world over
have rediscovered that they could regain their self-respect, bring political
change and resist outside interference by the big powers such as the US
through peaceful political campaigning.
Already weak and struggling to survive, al-Qaeda could not have
suffered a bigger blow than Osama bin Ladens death in the dramatic US
Special Forces raid on his house in Abbottabad on May 2.
Its 54-year-old founder and the man who inspired young Muslims
around the world to take up arms in the name of Islam is no more. Such is
the disarray in its ranks that al-Qaeda is taking its time to recover from the
shock before issuing a statement whether to confirm or deny bin Ladens
death.
In the past, al-Qaeda has normally conceded the loss of its members
and eulogized every fallen comrade as a martyr. But conceding bin Ladens
death isnt something normal or ordinary because he was the rallying figure
for al-Qaeda. He was also its financier even though his own finances had
almost dried up due to the strict US-sponsored monetary restrictions on
transferring money through banks or the informal hundi system. Besides,
getting donations was also becoming difficult for a cause that was losing its
appeal due to its violent creed.
All eyes are now on the deputy al-Qaeda leader Dr Ayman alZawahiri, the Egyptian medical doctor who headed the Islamic Jihad
organization in his country and suffered imprisonment before heading to
Pakistan to work in the camps for Afghan refugees. It was in Pakistan that he
gradually drifted to join the Afghan jihad against the Soviet occupying
forces in Afghanistan, befriended bin Laden and rose in the ranks to become
the deputy leader of al-Qaeda and its ideologue. Militant circles have said
that a statement by Zawahiri, who had become the public face of al-Qaeda as
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bin Laden receded into the background due to security concerns, is

expected.
Though Zawahiri is alive as he wasnt with bin Laden at the time of
the operation by the US Navy Seals, a statement by him would clarify
doubts about his fate. It was generally believed that the two stayed together,
but the wiser thing to do was to stay apart so that one of them is able to
survive to run al-Qaeda in case of an attack. This is what seems to have
happened as there has been no report that Zawahiri was among the dead,
injured or captured at bin Laden compound in Abbottabad. Any statement by
Zawahiri regarding bin Ladens fate would also clear the situation as
members of al-Qaeda and its likeminded militant groups are waiting to hear
from him the official line whether he is dead or alive. Certain militants are
insisting that bin Laden died sometime back due to illness and was buried
somewhere secretly, but the US authorities are absolutely convinced that
they got the real bin Laden.
President Barack Obamas decision not to release pictures of bin
Ladens body because these were gruesome would contribute to doubts
among those seeking evidence that he was indeed dead. The US inability or
unwillingness to capture him alive has also generated controversy and so has
the decision to bury his body in the Arabian Sea. In fact, this kind of a
burial has been termed un-Islamic and inflammatory by Islamic scholars
and is sure to lead to further confrontation between the US and al-Qaeda and
its affiliates. In fact, many Muslims who dont subscribe to al-Qaedas
violent philosophy also found this decision objectionable.
It wont be easy for Zawahiri to survive following the seizure of
material including computer discs from bin Laden that could provide clues
about his hideout and that of other al-Qaeda members. If reports about the
capture of a son of bin Laden by the American during the raid are true, his
interrogation too could lead to the arrest of al-Qaeda operatives. Besides,
Pakistan under greater US pressure could now make renewed efforts to get
Zawahiri and other wanted men and make amends for its failure to capture
bin Laden. All this explains the difficulty for Zawahiri to safely consult
some of his lieutenants and issue a statement on the Abbottabad incident.
Though Zawahiri is widely expected to become the new al-Qaeda
leader, he would be taking an unenviable and risky job heading an
organization whose strength has been depleted due to the military operations
by the US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan and the Pakistani military in
the tribal areas. Most of its key operatives have been killed or captured and
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its public support has nosedived. The appeal of its ideology has faded and its
military capabilities are at its weakest. In fact, bin Laden was fast becoming
a political non-entity after having enjoyed strong public support in the past.
The priority for him and his lieutenants was to survive due to the sustained
manhunt undertaken by the US.
It was no longer possible for him to actively run al-Qaeda and plan
new attacks against the US and its allies. Afghanistan under the Taliban
provided him sanctuaries and headquarters for al-Qaeda, but in the post2001 period it was a question of survival for him and his aides in Pakistan.
In fact, al-Qaedas dependence on the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban
had increased over the years as both provided it protection and sanctuaries.
That relationship became stronger after fighting together against their
common enemies. However, the Afghan Taliban had no intention of
becoming a part of the global jihad preached by al-Qaeda even though Mulla
Omar and his regime sacrificed everything for Osama bin Laden, their friend
in distress.
The Afghan Taliban, too, are waiting for confirmation of his death by
al-Qaeda before issuing a formal statement. However, it is obvious that bin
Ladens death wont affect the Taliban resistance against the NATO forces in
Afghanistan. The al-Qaeda contribution to the Taliban fight against foreign
and Afghan government forces was inconsequential and the US knows that if
one remembers statements by the CIA chief Leon Panetta and other officials
in which they said that less than 50 al-Qaeda operatives remained in
Afghanistan. As Hillary Clinton pointed out after bin Ladens death, the US
would continue to push the Taliban towards a reconciliation process in the
hope that they would dissociate from al-Qaeda, renounce violence and
accept Afghanistans constitution. Taliban are unlikely to do all this as they
say until withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and the result could
be a continued stalemate.
In a way, Taliban and the US would have better chances to reconcile
now that the issue of bin Ladens fate as a major stumbling block has been
removed. However, the US is presently flushed with victory after bin Laden
assassination and it would want the Taliban to accept its terms.
The US-Pakistan relations are also tense and uneasy and it would
prevent the two distrustful allies from working together to find a solution for
ending the Afghan conflict. The militants would certainly undertake revenge
attacks once they seek confirmation of bin Laden and this would be a
destabilizing factor in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, they wont
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be able to harm the US much and instead inflict pain on Afghanistan and
Pakistan. In the end, though, the US would still need to find a way out of its
Afghan imbroglio by talking to the Taliban through Pakistan or making
further attempts to defeat them.

REVIEW
During the week following the US raid to kill Osama the
democratically elected government of Pakistan preferred to observe silence,
seemingly unending silence. They were justified doing that because matters
of security have been outsourced to military since the PPP government has
come to the power.
Silence was broken when General Kayani and Foreign Secretary
Salman Bashir cried in unison. Their anger and grief was understood. Both
respectfully complained to the US for hitting little too hard, but tried to glare
at India, which had been harping overtime about doing what America had
done.
If one remains mindful of the past record, it can be said with certainty
that if India aped America, these two gentlemen will turn their faces
westward and hurl the same threats at Karzai. Air Chief could not hold back
himself and joined in blurting out similar unconvincing justifications.
From what has transpired so far, it can be said that Panetta was right
on both counts; Pakistani leaders responsible for the security seemed to be
involved as well as incompetent. To expect that someone out of these would
feel moral compulsion to resign amounts to ask what has not happened in
history of Pakistan to date. May be if the nation keeps on insisting one day
DG ISI may tell his peon to resign, if not the detachment commander in
Abbottabad.
The first thing that these men, if they are not involved, should do is to
listen to what analysts have been harping since the invasion of Afghanistan
by the Crusaders. The two-front scenario has materialized. Pakistan has to
now pay attention to both sides; east and west.
Meanwhile, the US remained focused on blowing up the magnitude of
its success by projecting Osama Compound as command headquarters from
where he issued directives to al-Qaeda operative around the globe; whereas,
it was a clear case of extra-judicial killing of an unarmed man who as alQaeda chief had been rendered ineffective due to poor health and other

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reasons. The US also focused on ISI by saying that Osamas support

network existed within this spy agency.
Pentagon made a clumsy effort in this context by releasing five videos
of Osama which had been retrieved from Abbottabad. All the videos were
years old, most probably kept there by his family members to see those
occasionally. The old footages in no way strengthened the claim that Osama
was using this compound as his command and control headquarter.
American narrative, however, was fully supported by their puppets
ruling Pakistan to project Osama as an active head far from being a
figurehead of al-Qaeda. Zardari and Gilani termed it a brilliant success
against al-Qaeda; though some even in the United States have termed it as
crime wherein extra-judicial killing was carried out.
In last four days the commentators have devoted much attention to
recalling the past of Osama bin Laden. How a young man of an affluent
Arab family came to Afghanistan and waged jihad against the Soviets and
then became the most hunted terrorist in the history.
Many analysts argued in favour or against to seek judgment from the
history as to Osama was a holy warrior or terrorist. Some analysts rushed to
pass judgment that he was a blood-thirsty killer. There were others who
called him terrorist simply because the civilized world says so.
It is said that a verdict passed in hurry amounts to burying the justice.
Many of such judgments have been set aside by the supreme court of time.
There are numerous examples of terrorists of the past who are now
worshiped as heroes in many parts of the world. For the time being one must
remain confined to putting forward the arguments for and against and let the
history pass the final judgment.
A quick glance at his bio-data tells us that like all human beings he
was not a borne terrorist. Circumstances compelled him first to wage jihad
and then be dubbed as terrorist for the same actions which he did as
Mujahid. His journey from a mujahid to terrorist was long but motivation
was the same; his dislike for the presence of foreign troops on Muslim lands.
He in his early twenties came to Afghanistan to take part in jihad
waged to throw out the Soviet forces. Their occupation was internationally
declared unjust and illegal. Apart from Afghans, Pakistan and the United
States acknowledged his services as mujahid, especially in field engineering.
Once Soviet troops pulled out Osama had time to ponder and find that
presence of US troops on Arab soil was more harmful as compared to the
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Soviet troops presence in Afghanistan. Their presence was the root-cause of

most of the problems of Arab world. He raised the voice against this.
Their presence increased manifold during First Iraq War. He then
realized that his constructive know-how because of his familys professional
occupation, which worked wonders in Afghan War, was not likely to be
enough against the United States especially when it has the support of Arab
rulers.
He declared war on America. In Afghanistan, he had learnt a lot about
perpetration of death and destruction as he had watched to super terrorists
grappling in that arena. From then on he was labeled as terrorist; perpetrator
of bloodshed and killer of innocent people.
He became a terrorist overnight from a holy warrior, because he had
dared challenging hegemonic power bigger than the Soviets. So, he was a
holy warrior when he fought against the Soviets and became a terrorist when
he turned against the US. He became the most hunted man in history after he
had attacked US interests.
All wars of the past, present and future mean bloodshed. No one can
quote a single war in history wherein there was no bloodshed. Only the
degree of bloodshed varies. Some belligerent parties kill in hundreds and
thousands and others kill in millions and sometime in a single attack.
All those who participate in armed struggles have blood on their
hands; human blood. It can be said that by any definition of terrorism and
yardstick of terrorism Bush, Blair and Obama stand head and shoulder above
Osama and Mulla Omar is not even a pigmy.
The difference also lies in degree of guilt felt due to crimes, excesses,
atrocities and brutalities committed while indulging in bloodshed. Either
side seeks the escape from guilt by portraying the cause of the war nobler
than that of the adversary. Stronger the perception of correctness of own
cause, lesser the feeling of the guilt.
In this conflict, Osama wanted to force the US to get out of Arab lands
to protect what belongs to Arabs. Americans had the intention to stay in
Middle East and misappropriates what was not theirs. US presence is source
of all the bloodshed in the region, contrary to the stated intention of
maintaining peace. Unfortunately, most Arab rulers have supported, aided
and abetted the US evil designs to protect their respective oppressive rules.
The oppressed, the ruled, had sympathy withy Osamas cause. Like
Arabs, their Pakistani brothers were also divided. The oppressed with anti598

US sentiment had sympathies with Osama and the puppet rulers and the
privileged practically supported the US. It can be said that state of Muslims
in general and Arabs in particular, would never change for better as long as
Americans and their White European ancestors are present in their lands.
9th May, 2011

OBAMA KILLED OSAMA -III

When Musharraf decided to step to the side of the US it wasnt out of
his love for American values or hatred for al-Qaeda. His decision was based
on quick appreciation of which out of the two was a bigger bully and could
prove more troublesome than the other. He had no doubt that Bush (US) was
a much blood thirsty beast than Osama (al-Qaeda) and Mulla Omar (Taliban)
put together and the former could prove much more dangerous than the two
latter put together.
At that moment it did not occur to him that being on the side of a
beast is no guarantee of safety forever. It also did not occur to him that the

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Americans themselves say that it is better to be their enemy than friends;

they have an instinctive urge to betray. Whatever the compulsions and
considerations of the brave commando, people of Pakistan have been
humiliated and were now watching the canines of the carnivorous to whose
side they were pushed by their ruler of that time.
It is on record that it wasnt Osama and Mulla Omar who decided to
wage war on Pakistan, but its rulers had opted to be frontline soldiers of the
Crusades against them. Quite ironically, when the time came for earning
some laurels, the timid leadership backed out by denying having played any
role in killing the Number One enemy of the Crusaders.
The disgrace to which Pakistanis have been subjected as a
consequence was evident from a telephone call from Saudi Arabia during
Aaj TV programme of Bolta Pakistan. The caller said that he was waiting at
a traffic signal and someone knocked at his window glass. On lowering of
window glass the man asked: are you Pakistani? I nodded in affirmative.
The man spate on my face and went away. This is attributable to democratic
revenge from Pakistan which began as a result of a US sponsored deal.
The rulers and other civil and military leaders seemed to have learnt
no lesson. They are still sticking on to their respective positions and reject
others viewpoint as soon as it is uttered. When Nawaz demanded
constitution of judicial commission, MQM and PML-Q promptly countered
it with 17-point referendum and parliamentary commission respectively.

NEWS
On 9th May, Prime Minister took the nation into confidence when he
spoke to the elected representatives in English on the floor of National
Assembly. He was all praise for the state institutions that came under
criticism from public and media for their failings. He accused media for
attempting to create differences between the institutions of the state.
Before coming to the Parliament he visited Presidency to get blessings
of his boss. He termed Osama the biggest terrorist and his elimination a
great success towards defeating terrorism. He claimed that by killing him
justice has been done, yet he called the incident a failure of intelligence
agencies.
He told the Parliament that Army has volunteered to give in-camera
briefing to parliamentarians on 13th May. He admitted intelligence failure
and said Lt General Javed Iqbal has been nominated to head an inquiry. He
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assured his foreign masters that Pakistan would get to the bottom of Osamas
presence in Abbottabad.
Leader of Opposition said intelligence failure is government failure.
He said PM spoke in English for his foreign masters, which was against the
laid down norm of giving policy statements in Parliament in Urdu. Nisar
condemned PM for not mentioning China, the only country that has
expressed solidarity with Pakistan loud and clear. He demanded that at least
one hour of in-camera briefing be reserved for Question-answer in open
house to take the nation into confidence.
Khursheed Shah led the hooting during Nisars speech. Rehman Malik
hit back hard at Nisar and reiterated that no one would resign as none did so
after 9/11. Earlier Raza Rabbani termed Abbottabad attack and drone strikes
as violation of Pakistans sovereignty.
Ansar Abbasi in his comments on PMs speech remarked, see no
wrong, hear no wrong, say nothing right. He saw Gilani had disappointed
the nation. The regime was worried over leaking of information extracted
through interrogation of wives of Osama. The information is mostly leaked
to foreign media. So, possibility of presence of double agents in Pakistani
intelligence setups is almost confirmed.
COAS addressed troops in Rawalpindi, Kharian and Sialkot and
blamed insufficient response for increased despondency. He stressed upon
the need to take the nation into confidence through their political
representatives. He also said that he had suggested Parliaments joint
session.
Correspondent of The Guardian reported from Islamabad that
Musharraf and Bush had signed a deal soon after unsuccessful bombing of
Tora Bora that allowed US to hit Osama inside Pakistan. After the strike
Islamabad would vociferously protest. Musharraf denied the report.
Hamid Gul rejected probe by Army. The Supreme Court was moved
against US forces raid to kill Osama. Bars and some Senators separately
demanded constitution of a commission to probe the Osama raid. People of
Abbottabad refused to accept US and Zardari regimes version of Osama
Compound. Maulvi Nazeer-led group vowed to avenge Osama killing.
The US rejected Pakistani criticism on the raid. US security official
said many operations had been carried out jointly with Pakistan Army. White
House termed Pak-US relations complicated but important. Munter talked to
Kamran Khan and said Pakistan would decided whether we can take joint
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action in future. In Washington a US official reiterated that the US would

act unilaterally if so required.
EU said Pakistans stability was important for global peace. NATO
vowed to continue support of Pakistan in this difficult hour. Three incidents
of apprehended attempts for plane hijacking were reported in a single day in
the US. Iran said Osama died long before the raid.
Next day, Rehman Malik said Osama tried to kill Benazir twice. He
also told media that access to wives of Osama would be provided to the US.
Salman Bashir on the other hand said no decision has been taken as yet in
this context and asked US to talk direct and not to convey messages through
media.
The evidence collected from raid of Osama compound has led to led
to clues about Mulla Omar. His presence in Quetta area has been confirmed,
which has led to race between ISI and CIA to catch him. The Supreme Court
was moved to try President, Prime minister and the COAS for high treason.
MNA Asmatullah of JUI-F on a point of order hurried to offer Fateha
for Osama before the Speaker could four or five MNAs dared raising their
hand. PML-N meeting on Osama killing was extended for one day,
meanwhile, Nawaz asked for probe by an independent body.
The US released more details of the raid Police and army in
Abbottabad were being monitored via satellite and their radio
communication intercepted. Raiding party was instructed to avoid clash with
Pakistani security forces, but shoot first if it becomes unavoidable. Mullen
would have talked to Kayani in case any mishap to avoid any clash.
Cameron Munter visited Hyderabad and met PPP leaders at the house
of one of them to strengthen historic Pak-US ties. He also visited Jamshoro
University. He said Osama was a global terrorist and has been killed and
other terrorists would be hunted. Munter said we want to make Pakistan
safer and drone attacks would continue.
The US said Pakistan has agreed to give access to wives of Osama
held in its custody. House Speaker John Bochner said Pakistan and the US
has to decide whether they are real allies. Senators Kerry and Lugar said
time has come to pull out of Afghanistan. Hillarys visit to Pakistan was in
doldrums.
Afghan vice president warned Taliban to stop destroying the
homeland and come to the table of peace talks or be ready to meet the fate of
Osama. Iran warned the US against extending Afghan war into Pakistan.
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Hamid Mir reported that Mulla Omar was parting way with al-Qaeda after
the death of Osama.
After two-day deliberations with leaders of his party Nawaz Sharif
held a press conference on 11th May and demanded constitution of a
commission within three days to be headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan
and five chief justices of high courts as members to probe the incident of
Osama killing. He rejected army probe referred to by Gilani in his speech in
the National Assembly.
He wanted the commission to complete the probe in 21 working days
as per terms of reference which his party had already sent to the government
in writing. He had met Qazi Hussain before holding the press conference and
soon after the conference a rally was hastily organized in favour of ISI and
Army in Islamabad.
MQM sought referendum on 17 points related to Abbottabad raid.
PML-Q preferred parliamentary committee over judicial commission
suggested by PML-N. Former generals wanted an independent probe. Shah
Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan needed leadership whose qibla is not
Washington. Musharraf said rogue elements in ISI must have known
presence of Osama in Pakistan.
Finance committee of the parliament, mostly comprising of ladies,
asked defence ministry that all Americans present in Pakistan should be told
to get out. The committee while deliberating over demand of Rs1.6 billion
for training dogs enquired if the dogs would be used as substitutes of radars.
US commander in Bagram said Pak-US relations would be affected
due to killing of Osama. Washington wanted the culprits of Mumbai attacks
punished and reiterated that Haqqani group has been involved in terror
attacks. Think tanks opposed cutting aid to Pakistan. Observers accused
BBC of maligning Pakistan over Osama episode; the corporation insisted its
reporting was impartial. Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen vowed to wage new jihad
after bin Ladin. Fox News and others filed a request for release of photos of
Osamas dead body and his burial. Hekmatyar blasted the US over Osama
killing.
Next day, Geo TV reported more details about US heliborne operation
in Abbottabad. Three helicopters had landed in wheat crop on the bank of
River Indus near a village of Kala Dakka and stayed there for 40-50 minutes.
The distance between Kala Dakka and Abbottabad is about ten minutes of
flying. One villager by name of Abdul Munaf went to the fields to check and
he was detained by foreigners one of whom spoke Pashtu.
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In the morning villagers found wheat crop damaged because of the

landing of helicopters. Air was filled with smell of petrol and at places there
was petrol saturated soil, which meant refueling of helicopters. The villagers
told that there was FC post nearby and the local civil administration knew
about the incident.
It has been reported that the Americans allowed entry without visas by
Zardari-Haqqani-Malik nexus included commandos and pilots who took part
in this operation. They had visited Abbottabad to familiarize with the target
area and plan escape in case of any mishap.
A report said that ISI had intercepted at least 37 or 38 telephone calls
of Osamas courier who could converse in Pashtu and Arabic. The intercepts
were shared with CIA. This raised the question why were these not shared
with army and if t shared why Army did carry out operation on its on.
Gilani had 45-minute chat with correspondent of Time Magazine and
informed him that his government could go because of US raid in
Abbottabad. He repeatedly emphasized the need to restore the trust of 180
million Pakistanis. Trust deficit has become has become new cry for the
regime to beg for more dollars.
Foreign Office invited Munter over a cup of tea to formally convey
congratulations over a brilliant success in Abbottabad. He, however, was
told that US officials should refrain from giving unwarranted statements,
which could compromise the position taken by the puppet regime.
On 12th day after the US raid DCC was summoned to deliberate over
the post-Osama situation. It picked up the courage to condemn the US raid
which the man chairing the meeting had declared a great victory only a day
after the attack and having met Zardari and Kayani.
Asma Jahangir rejected proposal of PML-N for constitution of judicial
commission. She vowed not to allow politicizing of judiciary over Osama.
Rally was held on Constitutional Avenue in favour of Army and ISI.
Hashwani jumped in the arena and praised ISI and Army for doing a
wonderful job.
Gilani invited Nawaz Sharif to attend joint session of the Parliament
on 13 May, Nawaz regretted. PML-N prepared to ask tough questions from
Army brass and reportedly COAS planned to throw the ball in Parliaments
court. US media reported that CIA agents have interrogated wives of Osama
in the presences of Pakistani officials. Marian Baabar reported that Munter
th

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was not summoned to Foreign Office, but went there to discuss Pak-US ties
with Salman Bashir.
Information collected and compiled on the basis of recoveries made
from Osama Compound was sent to various countries. The report so
compiled claimed that Osama was in contact with various al-Qaeda groups.
US attorney, in response to allegation of deceaseds son of his fathers extrajudicial killing said Osama was not assassinated. Photographs of Osamas
dead body were shown to lawmakers.
Six out of ten Americans rejected celebrations over killing of Osama.
Iran said Osama deserved a fair trial, not execution. Manmohan Singh went
to Kabul to jointly plan for post-Osama situation. He, however, assured that
India would not take Abbottabad like action.

VIEWS
On 9th May, Tahir Khalil observed: While most Pakistanis are focused
on the violation of Pakistani sovereignty by the Americans, US officials say
the real issue is how and why Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan for so
long undetected. Pakistan was under an obligation according to UN
Security Council Resolution 1297, passed in September 2001, to help locate
Osama and take action to ensure he did not receive any protection in the
country.
Informed sources say that contrary to popular belief, the Americans
had warned Pakistan time and again that if US had intelligence information
concerning Osama bin Laden, they (the Americans) would act on it with or
without Pakistani cooperation. After the ISI warned CIA of relations
reaching a breaking point after the Raymond Davis affair, the CIA decided
that the ISI was no longer a reliable ally.
Tahir went on to mention instances wherein the US had warned of
unilateral action and the concluded: Like with the warnings given by NSA
Durrani post-Mumbai attacks, during the Raymond Davis controversy
Pakistans Ambassador Haqqani told Islamabad many times that Americans
were warning of unilateral strikes inside Pakistan unless Pakistan took action
against these groups themselves. Unfortunately, Husain Haqqanis
assessments were not given enough weight back in Pakistan mainly because
of the belief that Americans were only making empty threats.
What is striking to outside observers is that even after the American
strike in Abbottabad, the focus of Pakistan seems to be more on how the
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Americans entered Pakistani territory and not on the question of how the
worlds most wanted terrorist was hiding deep inside the Pakistani territory.
As an American official warned: Looks like your leaders need to learn a
thing or two about US military and intelligence capabilities. This is not the
last such action if they do not change.
Asif Ezdi wrote: Not many tears have been shed in Pakistan over
Osamas death. At one time, he was widely revered as a symbol of resistance
to US policies inimical to the Muslim world. But his popularity had been
waning with the increase in terrorist attacks targeting Pakistan.
While the old threats facing Pakistan remain, the US raid on
Abbottabad has thrown up new ones. Obama and Clinton have noted that
cooperation with Pakistan helped lead the US to Osama and to the
compound where he was hiding. But other US officials have caviled at
Pakistans alleged lack of cooperation stemming either from complicity or
incompetence
While no one in Pakistan has accused the ISI of complicity in
providing a sanctuary to Osama, the charge of incompetence have been aired
widely. Not only was the Pakistani intelligence unaware of Osamas
presence in Abbottabad, it also did not know that the Americans knew and
were closing in on him.
These questions will have to be answered. The inquiry ordered by the
army will not satisfy everyone because the military itself and the ISI are
squarely in the dock and nobody seriously expects them to come to the
conclusion that they were found wanting. Past precedents of such inquiries
hardly inspire confidence. An inquiry was ordered by the army chief last
October into reports of extrajudicial killings of Islamic militants in Swat by
army personnel. Seven months have passed, but there is still no word of the
findings of this investigation. To be credible, the inquiry into our intelligence
failure must be conducted by an independent body under civilian auspices
and those found to have been remiss must face consequences, whatever their
seniority.
The US has no doubt been playing a double game with Pakistan
on Osama. While it benefited from the intelligence provided by the ISI, it
withheld information gathered by CIA agents in Pakistan and obtained
through enhanced interrogation (torture in common parlance) of Khaled
Sheikh Mohammad and Faraj al-Libi at Guantanamo. But such doubledealing is standard operating procedure in the intelligence business and does
not absolve the ISI of its responsibility for a huge intelligence failure.
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Even more troubling is our inability to detect the intrusion into

our airspace by the helicopters which carried out the raid. According to
our official explanation, they made use of blind spots in the radar coverage
due to hilly terrain and were facilitated by the efficacious use of the latest
technology and sophisticated flying techniques. But that is exactly what you
would expect an intruder to do.
Asif talked of Americans of threats of doing the same again and then
added: After the US, no other country has rejoiced more at the death of
Osama than India. The gloating in India at Pakistans embarrassment is
understandable because India is still smarting at its humiliation by a ragtag
band of terrorists who held Mumbai hostage for three days in November
2008. But there are deeper reasons for concern. There are many in Delhi
who see in the Abbottabad raid a precedent for a similar lightning strike by
India inside Pakistan to avenge Mumbai. The possibility that India might
launch such a raid has increased significantly. The press release by the army
last week warning India against any such misadventure shows how
seriously Pakistan takes this threat.
Pakistan-US relations are sure to go through a very rough patch.
The famous trust deficit, already exacerbated by the Raymond Davis
episode and rising civilian casualties in drone attacks, has been deepened
further. Some US congressmen are demanding an end or cutback of military
and economic assistance for Pakistan. This is not likely to happen. US
assistance is not given as a favour but because it gives US leverage and
serves US interests in many other ways.
But there will be greater pressure in the military area. The US is keen
to show military success before the beginning of a token troop withdrawal
from Afghanistan in July. After the Abbottabad raid, the temptation to win
further glory through operations in North Waziristan and elsewhere in
Pakistan may be irresistible. An unnamed official was quoted by The
Washington Post last week as saying that the US at this point has a great
degree of leverage and wanted to use it effectively, because it wont last
long.
Undersecretary of Defence Michele Flournoy has demanded very
concrete and visible steps from Pakistan to persuade Congress to continue
providing military and economic assistance. The Washington Post reported
also that the White House has been discussing how long to wait before
delivering a sterner message to Pakistan, what it should be and who

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should deliver it. Clearly, Abbottabad marks just the beginning of a new
harsher line towards Pakistan.
Ahmed Quraishi opined: It is alarming to note that a dirty game is
playing out against Pakistan where some Pakistanis in powerful places are
colluding with outsiders to damage the country from the inside. The US
military operation on 2nd May near Islamabad was launched from
Afghanistan but could not have been possible without internal collusion on
several levels. What was supposed to be a joint Pakistani-American victory
was hijacked at the last minute and turned into a deionization campaign
against Pakistan and its military and intelligence. There is a fair amount of
legitimate suspicion that some pro-American elements in Pakistan conspired
with parts of the US government to exclude ISI and the military from the
final decision to target the Al-Qaeda terror chief. These are serious
accusations and could have a far-reaching impact domestically and on the
future of our relationship with a duplicitous ally in Washington.
The United States intelligence sleuths have created a fog of deliberate
confusion over what should have been a straight story: Crucial and critical
intelligence from Pakistan and the United States succeeding in pinpointing
the location of the al-Qaeda terror chief. ISI gave decisive leads on the
trusted courier of Bin Laden. The CIA and the US military put together a
plan to take him out. By virtue of the more advanced American surveillance
technology, Washington filled in the gaps and sealed Bin Ladens fate.
But what happened after that truly shows the dangerous levels of
anti-Pakistanism in some parts of the US establishment. It also shows how
willing some powerful Pakistanis are to cooperate with outsiders against
their own. In other words: the 2nd May operation was turned into a onesided American victory. The CIA simultaneously ratcheted up the antiPakistan pitch, using assets in US media and politics, to shatter the
reputation and image of Pakistani military among its own.
This by no means excludes our military from the blame. The
blame here lies both on those in government who issued visas to thousands
of CIA mercenaries into the country, which allowed CIA to bypass our
military, and also on the Pakistani military that has tolerated and at times
accepted dangerous and unprecedented foreign intrusion.
As people at different levels of government probe what
happened, some disturbing questions are coming up: How many knew in
advance about the 2nd May operation? Who facilitated it and at what levels?
Did some Pakistanis help the Americans in neutralizing Pakistans radar
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system without consulting the military hierarchy? Does the CIA spy network
inside Pakistan extend to elements within our military, in addition to our
civilian organs, and to what extent?
For example, it was disturbing to see Pakistans envoy to
Washington joining the anti-military campaign by adopting the US
propaganda line that our focus on the Indian threat, which is serious and
real, is the reason why we failed in discovering Bin Ladens whereabouts.
There is also the complete refusal of the Pakistani government to: One,
condemn why the CIA didnt take ISI along in the final victory and two,
intrude into Pakistan without taking us aboard and, three, disseminate
baseless propaganda about the trustworthiness of Pakistani military when the
lead to Bin Ladens courier came from Pakistani intelligence.
The US version of what happened contains parts that are meant
to mislead our military and our investigators. The radar jamming story
partially hides the existence of Pakistanis, some maybe in powerful places,
who covertly helped US Seals travel deep into Pakistan and execute a
mission so close to our federal capital and major nearby installations.
When the foreign secretary and army chief finally faced the
media, a series of unnecessary blunders continued. First there was the
unnecessary and exaggerated self-criticism for our alleged intelligence
failure. When we contributed major parts of the intelligence that finally led
to Bin Laden, how is it a failure? CIA failed to catch the 19 hijackers and let
Bin Laden escape from Tora Bora, but we dont see this level of hyper selfcriticism and guilt as our American friends are trying to whip up now.
We caught 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad in
Rawalpindi, the headquarters of the Pakistani military. Did that mean we
were sheltering him? It is fair to conclude that CIA and US administration
are using this twisted logic to target the ISI and the Pakistani military, which
has long been a US and Indian objective.
Instead of admitting failure, it was better for the army chief to
object to CIA hijacking a joint victory and turning it into a one-sided victory
and a one-sided attack on our military and ISI. And we could have certainly
done without our foreign secretary quoting US national security adviser to
confirm to our media that we did scramble some fighter jets in the end. The
weak media management capabilities of our civilian and military
bureaucracies are breathtaking.
What is emerging now is very nasty. The joint success was
hijacked by CIA and instead of congratulating Pakistan which is what
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President Obama and Secretary Clinton did initially the whole story is
being manipulated by CIA to target Pakistans military.
Next day, The News opined: Have we truly been taken into
confidence and learned anything new as a result of the prime ministers
address to parliament yesterday evening? No we have not. The PM spent
much of the time giving history a run around the track again reminding
us of our sacrifices again and telling us that the intelligence failure that
allowed the worlds most wanted man to live in peace and security in
Pakistan was a global failure and not ours - again. All this we already knew.
The new news was that there was to be a committee of enquiry but there
was no mention of a time frame or terms of reference. We were also told that
the joint houses of parliament were to get an in-camera briefing by the
security agencies and the armed forces on Friday May 13. We are thus to be
none the wiser, unless we are an MNA or a senator, as to what went wrong
or happened in Abbottabad on May 1. The policy of say nothing or
prevaricate or simply hide, once again won the day.
It was the culmination of three days of conflicting and confused
statements by our senior diplomats and politicians. Interior Minister Rehman
Malik made his latest excursion into edible foot territory in Jeddah last
weekend when he gave an interview to the Arab News. He ruled out the
possibility of anyone, be they part of the military, intelligence or civilian
apparatus stepping down as a result of the fallout from the Osama bin Laden
fiasco. He cited other intelligence failures as precedents in terms of
heads failing to roll (as did the PM) and comforted himself and us
with the thought that these things happen from time to time and we just have
to move on. In Washington Ambassador Husain Haqqani offered a different
perspective which included the rolling of heads if necessary and pointed
towards an urgent need for an enquiry to establish who did and did not know
what, how much of the what they knew, and to what extent they were
complicit or culpable. He was explicit in saying that there would be zero
tolerance for complicity but also referred very diplomatically to the
complexity of Pakistan and the difficulties that went alongside that
complexity.
It is this very complexity that makes the governments handling of
the Bin Laden affair look like an explosion in a paint factory, rather than an
exercise in coordinated crisis and information management. We are getting
contradictory statements from our ambassador to the US and the interior
minister, and on his single outing so far in the Bin Laden affair the foreign
secretary was floundering considerably out of his depth as well. The PM
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when it came to his turn, in effect, promised to tell us nothing. This quartet
of talent was each speaking to a different audience. Ambassador Haqqani
will have an eye to his hosts view of Pakistan as infested with dissemblers,
Interior Minister Malik would have wanted to ensure a smooth path with the
Saudis and the foreign secretary appeared bent on displaying little beyond
urbane mediocrity. Taken as a package and viewed from a distance all this
looks like a monumental cock-up, a classic failure to coordinate. It is a
picture of institutionalized incompetence that runs right to the top; and does
nothing to inspire confidence at home or abroad. Had our government and its
various organs and mouthpieces arranged to sing from the same song-sheet
from the outset, then we would not look as foolish or culpable as we do
now. We may not be culpable, but nothing we are saying is doing anything to
dispel the impression that we are.
Dr Maleeha Lodhi termed it systemic failure. It may be too early
to assess the security ramifications and political fallout in Pakistan of the
killing of Osama bin Laden by a clandestine American assault mission last
week. But what is widely seen as a failure of the entire system has already
shaken public confidence in the countrys security arrangements and
damaged the credibility of its managers. The governments inept handling of
the aftermath has left the nation adrift and in a state of bewilderment.
What happened on May 2 was not just a failure of intelligence. To
construe it in these narrow terms is to miss the bigger picture, draw the
wrong conclusion and be denuded of the means to fix the fundamental
problem.
This was a failure of state institutions, leadership, and imagination.
Not to have envisaged that such an intervention could occur if the United
States had the worlds most wanted man in its sights and about which its top
officials had long warned, points to an inability to recognize much less take
steps to avert a likely scenario.
The covert US raid marked a systemic breakdown in which the
national security apparatus was tested and found wanting. Two telling
vulnerabilities were exposed: incapacity to protect the country from external
intrusion and the inability to defend against the terrorist threat, which Bin
Ladens long and undetected presence in a garrison town signified.
Unless all the dimensions of this failure are identified and addressed
in a wide-ranging review of national security procedures and structures the
countrys defences will continue to be at risk of being breached. Nor will

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people have any credible assurance that Pakistans strategic capability is

secure from the possibility of penetration from outside.
The crisis of credibility at home can only be resolved by a full
disclosure of the facts leading up to the Abbottabad raid and assumption of
responsibility for the security fiasco.
I was in the US and then the UK as the story of the raid unfolded.
The hostile media coverage of Pakistan was unlike anything I had seen
before. Fanned by official briefings and expert commentaries, the medias
questioning of Pakistan, its government, military and security agencies,
assumed the tone of indicting, even demonizing the entire country.
Official Pakistani silence in the first twenty-four hours exacerbated
the situation and allowed the Western media to ramp up its accusations and
all but hold the state responsible for complicity in harbouring Bin Laden.
The lack of any serious or timely official attempt to reframe the issue meant
that Pakistans case went by default.
This provided open season to Pakistan-bashers. Accusations flew fast
and furious. Some op-ed writers rejoiced over President Obamas decision
not to take Islamabad into confidence until the assault team had successfully
concluded its mission. In so doing, a columnist suggested, Obama allowed
Pakistan to be exposed and humiliated in front of the world.
Much official comment abroad revolved around the support system
Bin Laden evidently had to be able to live for five years in plain sight in
Abbottabad. Among the more fanciful suggestions in the Western media was
this: How do we know that officers in the military or intelligence would not
help Al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups to gain access to sensitive nuclear
material?
More important than the criticism outside the country are the doubts
raised within. Public questioning of the competence of the authorities has
focused on the two dimensions of the May 2 incident mentioned earlier: how
did a US covert operation undertaken deep inside Pakistani territory go
undetected until it was over? And how did Bin Ladens presence in a place
like Abbottabad for five years escape the attention of the authorities?
In the days following the clandestine operation, the official response
that emerged was so incoherent that it heightened rather than assuaged
public anxiety on these counts. On an overseas trip at the time the prime
minister was in no rush to return home and took a week to make a
statement.
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The piecemeal release of information and shifting posture laid bare

the utter disarray in the government. The paralysis of the first twenty-four
hours was one thing but the inability to marshal out a credible explanation
intensified the national outrage. The scramble to control the damage
remained just that a scramble with no direction and little thought.
Then came the acknowledgement in a statement from the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) following a Corps Commanders
Conference, of shortcomings in developing intelligence on the presence of
Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and the Army leaderships promise of an
investigation. But no details are yet available about the scope of this inquiry
and who will conduct it.
The inquiry will obviously have to examine how and why leads that
the security agencies, by their own admission, provided to the US and that
ultimately led the CIA to Bin Ladens home were not vigorously
investigated by the Pakistani authorities themselves. Arguments that
America has technical capabilities that Pakistan lacks are spurious on this
count when all that our authorities needed was on-the-ground surveillance
and human intelligence in the very town that saw the arrest just a few
months ago of Umar Patek, one of the Bali bombers with close connections
to al-Qaeda.
The inquiry must also look into reports that the CIA maintained a
safe house in Abbottabad for a team of spies who conducted surveillance
over several months on the compound of the house where Bin Laden was
found and killed. How did such an active and prolonged intelligencegathering mission elude Pakistans many security agencies?
The question uppermost in the Pakistani public mind relates to the
bigger, security failure rather than just that of intelligence. How was it that
helicopters entered Pakistans airspace carrying an assault team, which
conducted a 40-minute operation in Abbottabad and not some remote
borderland which the concerned authorities were only alerted to when one
of the Black Hawk helicopters crashed into the compound wall?
The official explanation heard so far of superior stealth technology
trumping the countrys radar and early warning systems misses the point. If
our defences can be breached in this manner and we do not possess the
capability to overcome this vulnerability how can a repeat of such intrusions
be deterred in the future?
The ISPR statement in which a warning was issued that Pakistan
would not tolerate a repeat of any action that violated the sovereignty of
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Pakistan is not backed by any credible assurance that the country has the
ability to deter such transgressions. The only response the statement held out
was a review of intelligence and military cooperation with the US if there
was a replay of a covert operation. Can a review of cooperation serve as a
deterrent or the basis of a security policy to prevent another intrusion?
These questions urge a full and comprehensive review of the
countrys security policy and procedures. For the review to be meaningful it
must be undertaken in an independent and objective manner by credible
figures with knowledge and expertise of the issues at hand. Its aim should be
to address the obvious security weaknesses laid bare by the recent
developments. It should have a time-bound and result oriented mandate as
well as the competence to make recommendations. Its objective should be to
identify the necessary steps that need to be taken to insure that the gaps in
Pakistans security and intelligence are effectively and promptly
plugged.
Only by pursuing this course will the authorities also be able to
assure our people and the world that the country has the capability to
protect its strategic capabilities and assets.
Adnan Gill provided fast food for conspiracy lovers. As expected,
Osamas death has opened endless worldwide debates on who, when and
why? While the debate is hot, based on circumstantial evidence, one might
as well ponder over some questions and theories. Here is food for thought.
Xe/Blackwater conducted the Get-Osama operation and not Navy Seals.
Why use Xe? Plausible deniability, in case the operation goes south.
Wheres the proof of Blackwaters involvement? The American
government claimed that two Chinook/Sea Knight and two
Blackhawk/Seahawks (standard transport air-assets used by the Seals) took
part in the raid. It admitted losing one Seahawk during the operation.
However, on a close study of the pictures of the helicopter wreckage, the
claim falls flat on its face.
Why did the Americans go through the trouble of burning the
wreckage of the crashed helicopter? Obviously, they didnt want the world to
find out the kind of helicopters that took part in the raid. The pictures of the
tail section of the crashed helicopter clearly do not match with any model of
CH-46/Sea Knight or UH-60Seahawk. Neither helicopters come with split
and swept horizontal stabilizer nor do they come with tail-rotor disk.
However, the boom (a much smaller and lighter to be of a UH-60),
stabilizers and quad tail-rotor configurations match with the modified S-76
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helicopters that Blackwater frequently used in Iraq. Contrary to rumours of

supposed stealth helicopter (Comanchi or Silent Hawk), with a high degree
of confidence, the pictures suggest the wreckage to be of S-76, and certainly
not of Blackhawks.
The mystery deepens when one questions the need for the Pakistan
Army to transport the wreckage covered by tarps? Clearly, they had an
interest in covering up something more than the mere identity of the
wreckage. Like, Blackwater is running wild in Pakistan with the full
knowledge and probably tacit consent of the Pakistani military.
Things became even more interesting, when in less than 24 hours of
Osamas killing the American government announced a rather hasty burial of
his body in the Arabian Sea. Earlier, well within 24 hours, President Obama
confirmed Osamas identity, citing, among others, a DNA test. However, the
problem remains there is no scientific method that can positively confirm a
DNA test within 24 hours. A paternity DNA test takes at least 2-3 days and
an extended family testing takes five weeks to confirm a match.
Everyone seems to be focused on the question, why wouldnt the
American government publicize pictures of Ladens body and put the
mystery to rest? Answers could range from: disbelievers would never be
convinced; he isnt killed and is in custody for interrogation; the body is still
in custody for further tests.
Finally, why would Obama go through so much trouble? Simple
answer, to save the American economy from an imminent collapse. Three
wars are literally sucking the life out of the American economy. It is
estimated that in addition to secret funds, US is currently spending over $1
trillion on the military through appropriated and discretionary funds. As of
March 25, 2011, total American Public Debt Outstanding was $14.26
trillion. Cutting military spending to half alone could amount to 25 percent
reduction of yearly deficit.
Osamas death will hopefully serve as a closure to the American
public, which will allow Obama to wind up and begin American troops exit
from Afghanistan by 2012. Just in time for the next presidential elections!
Mosharraf Zaidi commented: The Osama bin Laden killing last week
has exposed Pakistans severe vulnerabilities to the three most clear and
present dangers that face the country. The first vulnerability is to Pakistans
own inadequacies and incompetence as a state. The second vulnerability is
to the cunning and evil of terrorists (and the concurrent stupidity and myopia
of those obscure elements of the state that may cling to terror as an
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instrument of national self-defence). The third vulnerability is to other

countries relentless pursuit of their own national interests in Pakistan this
is a long list that includes the United States, India, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran,
Afghanistan among others.
The Bin Laden killing should not become yet another opportunity for
Pakistanis to wallow in self-pity, to search furiously for excuses and
justifications, or to blame a clumsy and legally conflicted global superpower
for all of Pakistans problems. Instead, the Bin Laden killing offers an
unprecedented opportunity for Pakistan to press the rest button, and define,
openly and coherently, what Pakistans concept of national security is, and
how it will be pursued. Pakistans military and political leadership must now
realize that the need to dramatically alter the course of this country is urgent
and inevitable.
After dilating these points Zaidi concluded: It is now time for a
Pakistani commission on national security. Such a commission would be
tasked primarily with exploring these three failures and providing
short, medium and long-term solutions to the problems that it identifies. If
such a commission requires statutory powers, they must be given to it.
There is no shortage of qualified and credible names that could
serve on such a commission. Experience in politics, foreign policy and the
military would comprise the core set of qualifications. Some of the most
obvious names for such a commission are Aitzaz Ahsan, Maleeha Lodhi,
Jahangir Karamat, Aftab Sherpao, Wajahat Latif, Riaz Mohammed Khan,
Ilahi Bux Soomro, Najmuddin Shaikh, Ejaz Haider and Rana Bhagwandas.
This is not an exhaustive list of candidates, but represents the kind of wideranging, multifarious commission that would not only be competent to
undertake a commissions work, but also enjoy domestic and international
credibility.
The commission would be answerable to parliament, but would
operate without political bias. The Pakistani people must get answers from
their military and political leaders for the disastrous state of affairs that the
Bin Laden killing has exposed. Knee jerk resignations or firings will only
serve to sweep realities further under the carpet, if not accompanied by a
commission. The time for plain-speaking and truthful accountability has
arrived. The government must seize the moment.
Rahimullah Yusufzai opined: The worlds biggest, longest and
costliest manhunt spread over more than 15 years finally ended on May 2
when President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden has been
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killed in Pakistan. Though many all over the world have questioned the US
side of the story and will continue to do so until some convincing proof of
Bin Ladens presence and death in his Abbottabad house is made available,
far more important in the context of Pakistan are questions regarding
the failure to detect the al-Qaeda founders hideout located in plain sight
of the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, in an army garrison city and the
unchallenged intrusion of US Special Forces into Pakistani territory to
eliminate the most wanted man in the world.
The so-called red lines often mentioned by Pakistani authorities
were brazenly crossed and there were American boots on the ground, and
still Pakistans vaunted military didnt react. Though it wasnt the first time
that the red lines were breached, the earlier US intrusions were in the
godforsaken tribal regions of South Waziristan and North Waziristan, and
not deep inside Pakistan: Abbottabad is located only 71 kilometres north of
the federal capital, Islamabad.
One has serious doubts about this version of events. For two hours or
so, the US Blackhawk helicopters were in Pakistans airspace and American
boots were on the ground and yet we are told that the countrys land and air
forces and intelligence agencies were unaware of the presence of alien
aircraft and soldiers inside our territory. It sounds unbelievable, and for this
reason one is of the view that top Pakistani authorities were actually made
aware of the US move but were told at the same time that the Pakistanis
need not act or panic as the Americans were after a high-value target.
This should explain the first reaction by Pakistans foreign ministry
on May 3 and the statement by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani the same
day that justified the American military operation in Pakistan by pointing out
that this was conducted by the US forces in accordance with the declared
US policy that Osama bin Laden will be eliminated in a direct action by the
US forces wherever found in the world. In so many words, the people of
Pakistan were told that Pakistan had no choice in the matter as the mighty
US would have gone ahead and undertaken this unilateral military mission
anyway, overriding Islamabads objections. There was no stopping the US
after it had received the first real actionable intelligence about the man
who had caused so much pain to the Americans as a result of the 9/11
attacks
It is possible that the place where the US commando operation was to
be conducted was revealed to the Pakistani authorities at the last
moment to avoid complications, but the high-value target was never
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disclosed. That should explain CIA chief Leon Panettas insulting, but
perfectly understandable, remark that the US didnt trust the Pakistanis and
thus couldnt tell them that the target of their secret mission was Bin Laden.
The al-Qaeda leaders presence in Abbottabad, a place teeming with
soldiers, would certainly have aroused suspicion about Pakistani militarys
intentions and prompted the US to keep the Pakistanis outside the loop and
undertake the mission itself.
Another reason for Panetta, who is designated to replace Robert
Gates as US defence secretary, to distrust his counterparts in the InterServices Intelligence (ISI) was the continuing friction between the CIA and
ISI as a result of the Raymond Davis affair It should therefore surprise
none that there is serious lack of trust between the two countries and
their secret services. The US and Pakistan have clearly different agendas in
our part of the world. One is a superpower with an imperialistic agenda and
the aspiration to control the world, the other a struggling state confronted
with multiple challenges, and yet a proud nuclear power with regional
ambitions. If the Americans dont trust the Pakistanis, there are valid reasons
for them to do so. But Pakistanis also dont trust the Americans, and in their
case there are even more valid reasons for the distrust. The distrust is
reciprocal and yet the two countries continue to maintain their loveless
relationship due to the hard ground realities
According to the US narrative leaked in bits and pieces to the media
and corrected a few times, the mission was accomplished by 79 US navy
SEALS flying in four Blackhawk helicopters from Afghanistans Bagram
airbase and returning safely after a 40-minute ground raid on the Bin Laden
compound in Abbottabads Bilal Town. If the Pakistanis were on board as
one is suspecting, the operation was largely risk-free as no Pakistani jetfighter was scrambled or artillery gun was readied to attack the intruding US
helicopters. Another reason for suspecting that the Pakistani military had
been informed by the US beforehand was the arrival of our soldiers at the
Bin Laden compound soon after the Americans had flown away. The
policemen also arrived at the scene fairly quickly but were turned back
by the army officers guarding the place.
It was understandable for the Americans to celebrate They have
reasons to praise the bravery of their commandoes who raided the compound
and reportedly killed Bin Laden along with three others and took away his
body. But to describe the mission as heroic seems far-fetched because 79
heavily-armed commandoes in the end had a fairly easy job shooting dead
an unarmed Bin Laden and the three other men caught unawares in their
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sleep. The other inmates of the compound were women and children and
there were no heavy weapons or suicide jackets around, contrary to what the
Americans had come to believe. Killing one woman and causing injuries to
another also wasnt a manly and honourable thing to do. Questions are also
being asked as to why Bin Laden wasnt captured alive to bring him to
justice. Former President George W Bush, in line with his Texan concept of
frontier justice, wanted him dead or alive but it seems the Obama
administration had decided not to make him prisoner and to throw his body
into the sea to prevent the emergence of a grave turned into a shrine.
More importantly, the United States job was made easier as the
Pakistanis stood aside and let it accomplish the inappropriately named
Operation Geronimo after a Native American chief who fought for the
freedom of his people. The Pakistan government and military had little
choice but to feign ignorance about the raid in Abbottabad and helplessly
face criticism because any attempt to stop the American helicopters would
have led to open confrontation and even war with the US. For the same
reasons, Pakistan is unable to tackle the US drones launching missile attacks
unchallenged in its tribal areas.
Eschmall Sardar from Peshawar suggested: There is one way out.
Pakistan must cleanse the land of the al-Qaeda leaders wherever they may be
hiding. A full-fledged, well-planned operation must be launched in which all
law-enforcement agencies coordinate with each other. Osama was not very
much active and differences within al-Qaeda might have given Dr Ayman alZawahiri an opportunity to hijack leadership because the man is believed to
be the real architect of terrorism. If at all it is a myth, even the myth has to
be broken. The problem is that a large majority of our countrymen are not
ready to accept that these terror-icons, who have found shelter in Pakistan,
invite and direct the world communitys wrath against us. What good have
they done to Islam and the Muslims? Any kind of sympathy for them would
be suicidal for our own future. Let us fight them out, together, with full force
and will.
Shiza Nisar from Lancashire, UK wrote: US President Barack Obama
said in his speech that Bin Laden used his wife as a human shield before he
was shot dead. He also said that Bin Laden died in a fire fight which
suggests that Osama was armed at that time. However, as days are passing,
the account is becoming faulty. Jim Carney, White House spokesman,
announced at a press conference that Bin Laden was unarmed when he died.
The contradictory narrative also came into light when it was later
revealed that Bin Laden did not use his wife as a human shield.
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The US officials have decided not to reveal anymore details of the

encounter, which has left many questions unanswered. To date, the
account has been twisted, turned and pulled in so many different directions
that it fails to make any logical sense. It seems the Obama Administration is
still weaving the story that it will feed the public. This tale of Bin Laden has
become exceptionally complicated. So many confusions and different
narratives have led the people to question all that they hear.
On 11th May, The News commented on Munters interview to Kamran
Khan: Some ambassadorial posts are tougher than others, and the job of
American Ambassador to Pakistan is unlikely ever to be viewed as a
comfort posting. It was therefore inevitable that the current incumbent
Cameron Munter was going to be appearing in front of a camera having
pointed questions lobbed at him, especially as his country had just
committed a physical invasion of our airspace, landed troops and killed and
wounded several people and perhaps kidnapped one or more others. He was
speaking after a week in which the director of the CIA said that we were
either culpable or incompetent in our failure to detect and detain Osama
bin Laden and whether the threat of further American unilateral action
was on the table. The thrust was that we have to work together, that we
shared common values and that hunting down the numbers 2,3,4, or 5
figures in Al-Qaeda was in the interests of both of us. He seemed confident
that we could both work together; but then equivocated when asked if
America might make a similar strike against Ayman al-Zawahiri, the alQaeda number two who has also been rumoured to be in Pakistan.
Similar equivocation and tortuous platitudes peppered the rest of the
interview, and little of any specificity passed before us thus mirroring the
decidedly lackluster and content-free appearance of the prime minister
before parliament earlier the same evening. Cameron Munter is a man paid a
decent salary to say as little as possible in situations such as that he found
himself in on Monday, and the same could perhaps be said of any
ambassador or politician of national stature these are men and women who
do their business for the most part behind closed doors. We rarely hear
anything from them beyond a soothing blandness, and most especially we
never hear anything like the acceptance of responsibility for anything.
Despite this apparent lack of anything of substance, the Americans in
undertaking the Bin Laden raid have put down a marker. What Munter did
not say was that if other opportunities arose they would always work
with us; instead he talked of hoping to work with us a far cry from a
clear commitment. There were reports in a British newspaper on Tuesday
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that the hunt was on for Mullah Omar, with Quetta the likely hunting
ground. If this is true, will this be a joint operation or a race between us and
the Americans? Ambassador Munter would surely know but he will not be
telling us about it.
In another editorial the newspaper added: The past weekend leading
up to Prime Minister Gilanis address to the National Assembly was a
hopeful one for many Pakistanis come Monday, they thought, we will have
answers to our questions about the killing of Osama bin Laden by US
Special Forces and the breach of Pakistans sovereignty. Adrenaline rushed
and hopes surged when the PM said the truth could not for long be
submerged in falsehood. But ultimately, what transpired in parliament was
mere damp squib. For a prime minister who stressed that blame games
serve no purpose, Gilani was quick to blame others, not least the media.
The media had obscured reality, the PM said; media spin masters had tried to
portray a divide between state institutions. The same day, addressing officers
at the Rawalpindi, Kharian and Sialkot garrisons, COAS General Kayani too
was quick to point to misreporting. The question is: whose fault is it that the
media doesnt have complete information and technical details? And why
shouldnt the media hold close to the fire the feet of our leaders, civilian and
military, who say they have no clue how the US raid occurred and why
Osama was in Abbottabad?
What was required was a categorical policy statement on the question
of American incursions and a questioning of the US about the betrayals of
trust it keeps citing. A juxtaposition of Mr Gilanis ambiguity to
Ambassador Munters It can happen in a Geo interview when he was asked
if an Abbottabad-type operation could be repeated will show the poverty of
our governments reaction to what has happened. Just weeks ago, the PM
had reassured parliament that the ISI was working under the instructions and
guidance of the government. Why then is he unwilling to concede that the
intelligence failure on Osama is in essence a government failure? We also
know now that Musharraf struck a deal 10 years ago allowing the US to go
after Osama in Pakistan. Whats most interesting, however, are reports that
the deal was renewed during the transition to democracy the period after
February 2008 when the PPP government had come to power.
Shamshad Ahmad opined: Violation of Pakistans territorial
integrity by the US is not new. This has been an accepted norm particularly
since Gen Musharraf, the dictator who left a legacy of surrender and
servitude. People are already accustomed to frequent drone attacks in
Pakistans tribal areas but they now found it difficult to digest a full-scale
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commando operation by the US Special Forces, undetected and un-resisted,

deep inside their countrys mainland.
What shocked them even more was the revelation that Osama
had been hiding in their country totally unnoticed for almost five years.
They just could not believe that the worlds most wanted man for nearly a
decade could have found a convenient hideout in an urban residential area of
one of the larger cities of their country. They were watching all sorts of
details on how the US navy SEALS raided the compound and killed Osama
bin Laden on their soil but there was no word from their government.
The silence of their graceless, incompetent rulers raised painful
questions in their minds. Ironically, at the very time of the US commando
operation just across Margalla Hills, the rulers in Islamabad were frolicking
at the Presidency, over the formation of yet another unholy political alliance
driven by greed and power. And exactly while the countrys sovereign
independence and territorial integrity were being trampled with impunity,
our prime minister, the chief executive of the country, was busy finalizing
the list of his entourage for yet another purposeless foreign visit.
He did not even think for a moment that his visit to France at this
time of grave national crisis was totally uncalled-for Our people have
limitless patience digesting even national tragedies in the past, but in this
case they were anxious to know the facts underlying this whole sordid drama
that had brought a humiliating focus on Pakistan with worldwide
speculations on our complicity or failure in regard to Osamas presence
on our soil.
In response to growing public outcry, the Foreign Office and the
army came out with explanatory statements Our official position,
however, was somewhat self-contradictory, in that while claiming to have
had nothing to do with the US raid, we also sought to take credit for the
success of what we described an intelligence-driven operation. We said it
could not have been possible without the help that we have been rendering
over the years to the US through an extremely effective intelligence-sharing
arrangement.
Ironically, we also seemed to be lamenting the fact that taking
advantage of its much superior technological assets, the CIA had exploited
the intelligence leads given by us to identify and reach Osama bin Laden
while seeking to distance ourselves from the US operation in
Abbottabad, we were also keen to share the credit for its success, which
our government considers a major setback to terrorist organizations around
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the world. Against this backdrop, our apologetic statements for damagecontrol in Pakistan seem to make no sense.
The fact is that Pakistan has been unabashedly used by the US as
a fall guy, to be blamed for American failures in Afghanistan. We are the
only country in the world today waging a full-scale war on its own soil and
against its own people. As a battleground of this war, Pakistan is paying a
heavy price in terms of its aggravating socio-economic environment as a
result of the protracted violence, instability, displacement, trade and
production slowdown, export stagnation, investor hesitation, and
concomitant law and order situation Woefully, all our sacrifices seem to
have gone in vain.
And yet, Pakistan today is the focus of the most humiliating global
attention, with growing suspicion regarding our commitment to the war on
terror. Questions are being asked as to how the worlds most wanted man
was able to live for five years in a residential compound in a garrison town,
and so close to Pakistans Military Academy. Those familiar with our
Cantonment residential rules are surprised at the enormity of the intelligence
failure in Abbottabad.
An investigation has since been ordered by the army into the
circumstances that led to this intelligence breakdown. Hopefully, this will
take care of whatever shortcomings are found in our intelligence apparatus
to prevent their recurrence. But that is only one aspect of this whole fiasco.
The magnitude of our intelligence failure warrants accountability at all
levels, including the political leadership. Heads rolling after a fiasco is not
our tradition. But at least those with any conscience should have the courage
to resign gracefully.
We also need to address the larger issues redressing the imbalances in
our relationship with the US to be treated not as a hapless victim but as a
respected equal partner. In addition to the decision already taken by the army
to reduce the number of US military personnel in the country to the
minimum essential, it is time now also to revisit the full whole spectrum
of Gen Musharrafs formal and informal undertakings to the Bush
Administration in the aftermath of the 9/11 monstrosity.
US territorial transgressions into Pakistan must be brought to an
end. Any necessary operations on our soil must be carried out by our own
forces. Any security cooperation arrangement with the US must be covered
by a formal status of forces agreement laying down a mutually applicable
framework of cooperation modalities. All existing written or unwritten
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arrangements being with the US since the Musharraf era must be brought
into formal legal shape through parliamentary investigation and approval.
Ameer Bhutto observed: Pakistan is trapped in a pincer
movement: On the one hand we are under pressure from the US to fight its
war against religious extremism and suffer brazen violations of our national
sovereignty in the form of drone attacks and now even ground military
operations, while bearing intolerable loss of lives and material damage. On
the other hand we are under fierce attack from religious extremists for our
complicity with the Americans and have to suffer terrorist attacks by them in
which thousands of innocent citizens have died and the already beleaguered
economy has ground to a halt. We find ourselves hopelessly unable to
perform adequately on either front; there appears to be nothing our law
enforcement agencies can do to stop terrorist attacks and there is nothing our
government wants to do to stop drone attacks and breach of national
sovereignty by our foreign masters before whom they have prostrated
themselves for the sake of hanging on to power.
The origins of this fateful conundrum for Pakistan lie in former US
Secretary of State Colin Powells are you with us or against us? ultimatum
to Musharraf, in response to which he readily heaved Pakistan onto someone
elses funeral pyre But in time, Musharraf proved unable or unwilling to
comply with the US wish-list in toto and was unceremoniously dumped.
Our foreign overlords needed to find a replacement in whose
vocabulary the word no did not exist. Enter Zardari. Drone attacks?
Military operations against extremists? Resolving the Raymond Davis issue?
Killing Osama bin Laden? No problem... But the ride is about to get rougher.
Given the incompetence of our law enforcement agencies because of which
our towns and cities are easy targets for terrorists, the nation is already
bracing itself for reprisals in reaction to the killing of OBL. How many more
hundreds or thousands will die in the coming days in such attacks just
because our rulers lust for power propped up by foreign masters knows no
bounds?
The cakewalk this government has enjoyed for three years, during
which time it has represented the interests of its foreign benefactors more
than those of the people of Pakistan, might not last very long. Even before
the November 2010 US Congressional elections in which the Democrats lost
their majority in the House of Representatives and their majority in the
Senate was slashed, President Obama, and to a lesser extent Secretary of
State Hilary Clinton, were Pakistans only friends in Washington DC. But if
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a trust deficit existed between Pakistan and the Pentagon, CIA and Congress
before the US Navy SEALS raid in Abbottabad, it has now grown to full
blown hostility.
The Republicans are missing no opportunity to flex their muscle in
Congress to make the going heavy for the Obama administration. Obama
should be flying high after taking down Americas enemy No. 1, but the
Republicans already have him on the back foot, forcing him to answer
awkward questions about the advantages accruing to the US after pumping
tens of billions of dollars into Pakistan to fight extremists, only to find the
most wanted man in the world hiding in plain sight, living in peace and
comfort as a neighbour of the military establishment
Where are our leaders when the nation needs leadership and
direction? Why do they not step forward and use their much heralded
genius to pull us out of this mess? Another country invaded our air space
and carried out a military operation on our soil and our rulers are acting like
nothing has happened. Not only did the foreign secretary rule out any
inquiry or action, but our government actually congratulated the US
authorities on a successful military strike within our borders! As I write this,
more than a week after the event, our rulers have yet to directly address the
nation or give any explanation or reassurance to the people. The onslaught of
accusations and slurs Pakistan is facing goes virtually unanswered as the
prime minister continued his sojourn in a luxury hotel in France, as did
Zardari when the country was drowning in the worst floods in almost a
century last year.
They have left it to civil servants to provide the answers the
whole nation and the whole world crave. Military dictators use civil
servants to deal with prickly issues, but people expect better from their
elected government. But, having been caught with their pants down after an
intelligence and administrative failure of gargantuan magnitude and having
shamed the nation yet again, what can they possibly say to the people?
Hiding behind Benazir Bhuttos portrait will not help this time.
We have hit rock bottom and stand disgraced before the world.
But providence has brought us to a fork in the road and given us a choice for
the future; one path is that of least resistance and leads to further prostration
before foreign vested interests and their indigenous stooges to seek salvation
by trying to ingratiate ourselves with them, leading to even greater
oppression and servitude. If we choose to follow this path, we can say
goodbye to Pakistan as we know it. The other path leads to the restoration of
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national honour and pride and rebuilding of our country by cutting the fetters
of slavery that bind us to foreign overlords and their shameless agents and
wielding the reins of destiny in our own hands. This path leads to a brighter
tomorrow.
To be or not to be? Is it nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and
arrows of debasing servitude forever, or to take arms against a sea of
troubles and to break free through struggle and sacrifice? But freedom
comes at a price. Do we have the mettle to struggle and endure hardship
for it, or are we a slave nation by nature, destined to live and die in chains in
shameful silence? The hour has come for us to do some soul searching and
take action as our conscience dictates.
Saleem Safi wrote: The fact remains that Operation Geronimo
occurred with full knowledge, permission and glare of the Pakistani
state. But the operation was exclusively conducted by the US navy SEALS
without participation of Pakistani forces.
The conspiracy theorists question how Osama could live in hiding
for the last 10 years. This depicts their lack of knowledge of the reality
and organizational structure of al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda is an organization of
people who prefer to live in caves and hills. But the leadership is made up of
highly educated and experienced people. Osama was a highly educated and
wealthy man belonging to a very powerful Saudi family. Ayman AlZawahiri, though he lived most of his life in fighting in battlefields, is a
highly educated individual from a well known Egyptian family. People like
Ahmad Yahya Gaddan also make up the leadership of this organization.
In this region, al-Qaeda was among the first organizations to
possess the means and wherewithal of information technology. For
example, al-Qaeda men used the internet and email from the days when a
limited number of people in Pakistan and Afghanistan had only heard of this
technology. Al-Qaeda men had closely worked with ISI and CIA operatives
during the Afghan war and therefore understood their limitations, capacity
and tactics. Their knowledge of these spies is betrayed by Osama when he
was asked about the secret of his survival despite threats from very powerful
enemies: I never trust any intelligence agency. His knowledge and sense
of security is also manifested by revelations that the compound he lived in
had no mobile, internet or landline communication facilities. He knew that
such communication facilities make him vulnerable to exposure. I believe
that before 9/11, the Americans were hardly interested in taking out Osama.

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But after that incident, the US was making every effort to get Osama dead or
alive.
An element of surprise is an important tactic in al-Qaedas
strategy. Usually it adopts a way or uses a technique hardly thought about
by anybody. For example, al-Qaeda carried out the 9/11 attacks when such
attempts were expected on US interests in Asia and the Arab world. After the
NATO attack, the allies were searching for Osama in southern Afghanistan,
but he had slipped to Tora Bora from where he crossed over to Kunar
province to evade search in Waziristan and Kurram Agencies. When he
released the video shot in Kunar, he had already left for Pakistan. Similarly,
NATO fixed the spotlight on Bajaur and eastern Afghanistan while Osama
was secure in Waziristan. Osama was thought to be surrounded by
bodyguard in caves and hills, but he surprised everyone once it occurred that
he was living in Abbottabad.
Osama was al-Qaedas ideologue and founder. For the world he was
a symbol of terror, but he was dear to his followers and friends for his
sacrifices and tenderness. He was not a terror mastermind, but had attracted
followings because of his commitment to the cause. He was a member of the
richest family, but had left riches for a life in caves and hills. Such
characteristics commanded respect in al-Qaeda circles and affiliates
throughout the world. In the above-mentioned context it would be hard to
replace him as al-Qaeda leader. But it is naive to assume that al-Qaeda will
vanish after his death. There are many reasons for that. One, if Obamas
ratings skyrocketed after killing Americas enemy, Osamas popularity has
equally soared in the Muslim world.
Secondly, al-Qaeda is an international organization of highly
committed ideologues. It was formed by a merger of more than a dozen
jihadi organizations of the Muslim world. It has attracted dozens of other
affiliates in Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Arab world, East Asia and Europe
after the 9/11 incident. These organizations, their leaderships, and their
ability to inflict pain are still intact.
Third, al-Qaeda was basically a reaction to the US policies in the
Muslim world. Those policies are not only current, but have got impetus
after unprovoked attacks on Iraq and Libya. The Muslim youth have got
another instigating footage of Bin Laden as if Palestine, Kashmir, Abu
Ghraib and Libya were not enough.
Fourth, an important factor behind the al-Qaeda movement was
feelings of revenge. The al-Qaeda members and the Taliban and other
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affiliates feel that after their use against the USSR in Afghanistan, they have
been wronged in many instances and actually been belittled instead of their
contributions being recognized. So revenge was also at work behind alQaedas creation. This feeling will grow stronger after the killing of alQaeda. Lastly, those countries of the region that fear the US, or feel
threatened by the US intentions, would indirectly support al-Qaeda. For
many years, the US, through its wrong policies, has created many enemies in
the region and the Arab world. Those countries would continue to support
organizations like al-Qaeda against the US.
So if Obama and his allies want to make the world a safer place, they
should focus attention on finding durable solutions to factors behind alQaeda and other such organizations.
Zafar Hilaly urged: Its about time we realized that trying to lull
the people into a false sense of security does little to improve the
situation. Reminding them ad nauseam what the war has cost us in lives or
money merely elicits the response that we should have acted much earlier to
stem the rot that afflicts our society. At best, it evinces pity which, as we
know, is almost akin to contempt. An outsider would rather hear what steps
are being taken to end the suffering than to hear us repeatedly bleat about
our suffering.
Its far better to start telling the truth and being honest about the
problems we confront in all their complexities than to find momentary
comfort in understatements, lies and deceit. Saying therefore that we have
broken the back of terrorism when terrorists can be seen jumping, running
and going on a killing spree on a daily basis merely because that is what the
audience want to hear, is absurd. Moreover, in the absence of any real
substance or statistics to back them, such assurances just come across as
barefaced lies.
Similarly we should be forthright when an ally, partner or friend
makes unreasonable or impossible demands on us such as the American
insistence that we take the fight to the Afghan Taliban in North Waziristan.
We should tell them frankly why that is not possible. It may invite brick bats
but what it will not do is lead to misunderstanding or a depletion of trust that
follows when the weaker side in an inherently unequal relationship such as
ours with the US prevaricates or obfuscates, hoping that a patina of lies
will make up for the truth
My guess is that we knew about Bin Ladens hideaway If we
knew he was there and wished to trade him in for some concessions why did
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we inform the Americans in 2009-2010, as claimed by the Foreign Secretary,

that we suspected he may be present in the Abbottabad environs? That could
be because we did not know for certain in 2009-10 that Bin Laden was there
and only got to know about his precise location later. Or may be the idea of
trading him came later.
Did we know what was being passed on to his deputies since he was
busy communicating with them through the courier; and had we also
penetrated his deputies? Probably not because of the risk that they may
alert him. As it turned out, by earlier alerting the Americans to the presence
of his couriers they had managed to get a fix on them and thereafter they
were able to locate Bin Laden which we did not know.
Of course, once the Americans had managed to locate Bin Laden the
leverage with which we could have traded him at a later stage was lost.
But we could only have known that the Americans knew about Bin Ladens
location when the Blackhawks were closing in on Abbottabad. So, it could
be said that by the time we discovered that the Americans knew about Bin
Ladens precise location, it was too late to do anything about it
The episode raises a lot of unanswered questions but the notion that
we were stumped by US intelligence on Bin Ladens whereabouts is hard to
digest. But if true, it raises a different set of disturbing questions about our
intelligence agencies and frankly, suits our adversaries much better. They
can now, with a much greater degree of plausibility, challenge our claim that
our nuclear weapons are in safe hands which is presumably why a stern
message to warn them off was needed.
Be that as it may, America should be pleased that they got Bin Laden
with our cooperation, regardless of whether or not we have been playing
games with them because they too, have been playing games with us. The
fact is that the commando operation, however skillfully carried out, would
have been far too risky to undertake without some cooperation from our side
because failure would have been an utter disaster, especially for Obama who
gave the final go ahead.
Muhammad Azhar Khwaja from Lahore wrote: After a long wait of
about eight days on the part of the nation and after his luxury trip to France,
Prime Minister Gilani finally thought it fit to address parliament on the
Abbottabad operation issue. His speech simply absolved everyone in the
government and the forces of the responsibility for this security lapse.
He repeated the same old song about the past achievements of his

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government, the ISI and the army. He also mentioned the intelligence failure
of the CIA in the 9/11 incident etc.
But he never touched on the most important topic: the intrusion of
US helicopters on our territory. He was not able to answer many questions
which the nation wanted to know. It appeared as if he was just fulfilling the
formality of addressing parliament. The nation expected a better policy
statement from the prime minister.
Mohammad Malick opined: Osama Bin Laden wasnt exactly a
friend of Pakistan, but is no more. Thats a reality. Men like Bruce Reidel
and General Petraeus fall in the same league, but are very much around.
Thats a reality too. And one that should be causing us more
consternation than the last hours of Osama Bin Laden, or the demise of
the remaining vestiges of our already droned-out sovereignty.
What has been the greatest damage done by Operation Neptunes
Spear anyway? Is it the crippling sense of national indignation; a heightened
sense of insecurity? The looming fear of such intrusion being repeated on
some other trumped up ruse? A bit of all actually. But the real damage has
been the establishment of the precedent of unilateral and completely
illegitimate US doctrine of a proclaimed inherent right to go after its
declared national enemy 'anywhere and anyhow. To make matters worse
our foreign office, foolishly or who knows even deliberately, conferred its
tacit approval upon this illegal self-bestowed US authority of violating
national sovereignty of others by describing the operation as being in
accordance with the declared policy of US President Obama. Precedents
do not just happen, they are made to happen for a purpose and are the
consequence of policy decisions, whether openly declared or otherwise.
The United States draws its greatest strength from following well
thought out and duly laid down policies, and this operational habit is also its
greatest weakness. To emphasize the point, the Abbottabad operation was
also the execution of a pre-declared policy of the US administration. The
policy contours unfailingly betray the silhouette of possible future actions
and hence the imbedded element of predictability. An element, which if
studied and understood wisely, can be used to our own advantage. And
herein lies the need for us to understand and decipher the Da Vinci code of
the US-Pakistan relations: the Kerry-Lugar Bill.
Its akin to being an absolute socio-political-military contract
between the two countries, broadly defining the terms of relationship for the
next several years. Barring incidents like the Osama Bin Laden killing or the
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next possible swoop on Zawahiri in some part of Pakistan, KLB will remain
the primary term of reference for our future relationship. The next obvious
question: why look at KLB now, whats the relevance especially when we
have barely received a couple of hundred of millions of dollars in the last
two years as compared to the promised $1.5 billion every year?
The answer once again lies in understanding the true implications of
KLB. Forget the Osama catastrophe and let us begin with our first
infamy called Raymond Davis. Do the roots of Davis episode lie in the
policy document of KLB? Yes. KLB means that we have allowed the US
the usage of irregular forces (read: contractors a la Davis) in support of US
combat operations in Pakistan for terrorism as stated under Ronal Reagan
Act 2005, Duncan Hunter Act of 2009, which have been given a due waiver
under the discretion of the US Secretary of State. In his immensely revealing
book Blackwater, Jeremy Scahill points out that in Pentagons 2006
Quadrennial Review, the then US Secretary Defence Rumsfeld outlined
what he called a roadmap for change at the DoD, which he said had started
in 2001. It defined the Departments Total Force as its active and reserve
military components, its civil servants and its contractors. The point being
that before there was a Davis, there was a policy designed to create his kind.
When we accepted KLB in its existing form we therefore accepted the right
of US contractors to run riot in Pakistan. It is of no relevance whether it was
done knowingly or was just another consequence of our typical official
incompetence. So why are we surprised that Davis happened?
Then there is the declared US policy of eliminating terrorism from
the world and destroying terrorist sanctuaries. Interpretation of the term
Terrorist Sanctuary as defined by the Intelligence Reform & Terrorism
Prevention Act of 2004 puts US intentions in perspective. Under KLB we
have again given US the right to take out terrorist sanctuaries, which are
even identified in SEC 5(6) which states ....parts of NWFP. Quetta in
Balochistan, and Muridke in Punjab remain a sanctuary for al-Qaeda, the
Afghan Taliban, the Tehrik-e-Taliban and affiliated groups from which these
groups organize terrorist actions against Pakistan and other countries. By
the way, sanctuary in US legal parlance means a place where the states writ
no longer exists. The term sanctuary in KLB implies that Pakistan has
effectively accepted the terms of reference of a failing state as laid down in
the cited IRTP Act 2001. Get the picture? So once again, the policy is in
place and what remains to happen are subsequent corrective measures. So
should we be really surprised if another Neptunes Spear strikes right in the
heart of central Punjab?
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In a similar vein, a policy is already in place vis-a-vis the

nuclear issue. It is the declared policy of US to ensure, howsoever, a world
free of all risk of nukes falling into the wrong hands. And what better place
to start then an unreliable Islamic country like Pakistan sitting atop a nuclear
arsenal. Hence the earlier reference to men like Reidel and Petraeus, the
most vociferous exponents of such jaundiced policies. KLB even bars
Pakistan from re-allocating its own financial resources (even those which
have nothing to do with the funds coming under KLB) for its nuclear
weapons programme. This in real terms means our having accepted a freeze
on our Nuclear weapons programme making it virtually irrelevant in any
future conflict. The language of the Act shows an emphasis on US getting
access to acquisition rather than proliferation. Simply put, the policy on our
nuclear programme is in place so the natural logical sequence can only be
another execution of a dreaded precedent. So should we be shocked if in the
middle of another moonless night, Dr. A. Q. Khan finds himself taking a
forced ride on a stealth chopper? Or God forbid, a few US planes zoom in on
Kahuta and other select locations for the implementation of another
unilateralist policy, repeating an earlier precedent?
We have a fair idea of what US would like to do and what we need to
start doing, or stop doing for that matter. Its time for Pakistan to start
looking beyond the Osama event and to comprehend the larger picture
by making a serious analysis of the US policy maze. For doing so would
enable Pakistan to fine tune its own set of policies aimed at serving its
national interests. Enough of making plans on the basis of our transitory
threat based negativities. We need to formulate a pro-active approach to
further our interests and to simultaneously focus on the key stated policies of
the Obama Administration to block those of Washington that are detrimental
to Pakistan. At the end of the day, its really for us to decide whether its
apocalypse next.
On 12th May, Ikram Sehgal opined: When the Pakistani governments
response to security and PR disaster finally materialized, it was patently
awful. For the record, it was the Americans who flew Bin Laden into our
lives in the 80s, so it is fitting that they flew his dead body out a quarter
century later.
Stealth helicopters notwithstanding, gaping holes were exposed in
our air defence system. Modified Blackhawks and Chinooks with main
rotors increased from four to six to slow down rotor speed to reduce the
thumping noise, covering of the main rotor and tail motor hubs, use of
special paint, etc, or not, three hours in Pakistan airspace is almost forever
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for such a strike mission. The PAF must not fool itself behind PR rhetoric
and insist the radars were working. Even the Indian COAS got the occasion
to become bellicose. An enquiry to find out criminal negligence and/or
dereliction of duty should not be used as a cover-up. Lets fix the system
and procedures that failed us when it is meant to work to perfection. When
Musharraf allowed foreign combat aircraft and drones to not only operate
from our airfields but roam Pakistani airspace with impunity, with their own
traffic control, he set in motion the disintegration of our aviation security.
Abbottabad was simply a security compromise waiting to happen.
Ikram the talked of corruption, economic disaster, NRO and other
things before concluding: By the time the first day of May 2011 was barely
over, we can be excused for sending out the internationally recognized
distress signal mayday, mayday. Without drastic measures taken
immediately, the very existence of the country as a sovereign state
governed by the rule of law will come into a question. Even for an
incurable optimist like me, the loss of hope has been devastating, but the
successful US raid to get Bin Laden was shock therapy, a moment of truth
that can be used to turn challenge into opportunity. Terrorism not only gives
us a bad name but causes us considerable pain and grief. Removing its dregs
from our soil is a must. Do we slide further down into the abyss or have the
courage to use this defining moment to seize the opportunity to redefine our
values?
Taj M Khattak advised the doable option. It is not intended to suggest
inaction against such gross violations of our sovereignty but only to point to
age-old wisdom: on land, a lion can kill a crocodile, but in water, a crocodile
can kill a lion. The place where the battle takes place is important. This is
where the sit-in in Peshawar by a political party last month and another
planned in Karachi later this month will begin to make sense, just as
Mahatma Gandhis non-cooperation during the Quit India Movement eroded
the authority of the colonial British.
The ISI is too overstretched in less important pursuits and losing
focus on its primary functions. The investigations launched by the military
establishment will have to look exhaustively into the entire fiasco. The
ministry of defence must take firm action to avoid any recurrence since the
war against extremists is far from over. At the same time, it should make any
findings public.
While we may have our own gripes against the ISI, the case of
missing persons being just one of them, it would nevertheless be in our
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national interest at this crucial juncture to close ranks against external

snaring and allow the agency an opportunity for some genuine introspection
and course corrections. People are aware of the ISIs tremendous services to
the cause of Pakistans defence in times of crisis in the last decade and
would not like it to be weakened in any manner. The fact that its prowess in
operational matters cannot be discussed publicly makes the task of its
defence that much more difficult. In the prevailing situation the ISI cannot
be left to the hounds closing in from all directions.
President Zardari could have done better and spoken to the
people of Pakistan instead of getting an op-ed inserted in The
Washington Post under his name. Obviously he considers his readers in the
United States more important than his constituents here in his own country.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilanis taking parliament into confidence is a
joke when his government was not taken into confidence by the US
administration.
We must ride out this storm with steely determination and avoid
the brewing of a Kargil-like civil-military rift at all cost. Pakistani will
find it difficult to live down the charge of complicity. From the latest signals
emanating from the United States, the Americans seem to acknowledge that
Pakistan was not in the know about Osama bin Ladens presence on its soil.
But this would hardly help the Pakistan-US alliance which, after these
allegations, is without a soul or a moving spirit. Countries around the globe
cozying up to the US would do well to study this as a case study in foreign
relations.
On the diplomatic front, relations between Pakistan and the
United States are in free fall after this territorial transgression. It will take a
long time for the trust to be restored, if it is restored at all. The people of
Pakistan are very apprehensive of this brazen masquerading of an
established international order by the US, which is fast losing a distinction
between justice and revenge. It has rubbished our huge sacrifices in the last
decade and is further pushing the country against the wall. These are not
good signs for a region badly in need of some stability.
The motto of the Seal Team Six unit which killed Osama bin Laden
is: The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday. Sadly, it may also be true for
Pakistan, and May 2, 2011, may have been a relatively easy day for us. We
should brace ourselves for far more challenging days ahead as the US
tightens the screw on us and makes demands which will never be easy to
meet.
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Tailpiece: Commenting on why Osama bin Laden was not taken

alive, a senior US official told ABC News that Bin Laden was unarmed and
resisted capture, and that his wife rushed a Navy SEAL, and there was no
way the SEALs could have known in that split-second whether Bin Laden or
the room was booby-trapped in any way. Imagine, Osama bin Laden
living with many children under 12 years of age in a booby-trapped
room for five years. How incredible can it get, I ask of you?
Kamila Hyat suggested the solution through escalation of war on
terror to urban areas; a US desire. The manner in which Pakistan has been
left in the lurch Will the death of Osama have any impact on militancy in
the country? Will it make Pakistan a safer place and will it mean the training
camps where candidates arrived from around the world to master skills such
as how to hide bombs in their footwear or blow up buildings, will close
down? It is perhaps too early to say.
We can assume that a hunt is on for other key targets such as
Zawahiri or Mullah Omar. Pakistan would be wise to do all it can to detect
them itself now that it knows failing to do so could lead to more raids of
the kind that ended the life of Bin Laden. Despite the threats made of action
in case any further incursions of a similar nature take place, it is unclear
what exactly the strategy would be if more US aircraft were to arrive
especially in a situation where we are unable to detect them in the first place,
either due to the technology used by them or defects in our own radar
monitoring systems.
For some time though, it has been clear that perhaps the biggest
threat to Pakistan itself comes not from al-Qaeda but from other groups
that existed long before the Arabs began to arrive in the villages in the north.
Some of the most brutal bombings seen over the last year have been carried
out by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a group that developed in Punjab in the 1990s
as a splinter faction of the fiercely sectarian Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan. Its
links with the Taliban, and possibly with Al-Qaeda, give it new strength and
greater skill.
Other groups based in both Punjab and the tribal areas remain active.
Now is undoubtedly the time to go after them in the hope that Bin Ladens
death has created some degree of disarray and demoralization. There is as
yet no evidence of any such plan or in fact any real indication of how we
intend to act in the post-Osama scenario.
It is important to keep in mind, for all the US propaganda, that he
was not a fount of evil from which all wickedness stemmed. The questions
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we need to ask ourselves are: Why was Pakistan chosen as the base of alQaeda operations anyway? What were the factors that made its terrain seem
especially suitable and it would be foolish to focus of topography alone as
we look at these matters. The answers could play a crucial role in
determining our future as a nation and of militancy on our soil.
We have a Herculean task on our hands. The Great Victory that
our prime minister has spoken of in the aftermath of the Osama killing
has not come. It will come only when we tackle the issue of madressahs run
across the country, the bigotry that has invaded minds and warped souls, and
the factors which make it possible for militant groups to recruit thousands of
young men, even children, to their cause. It is only when we succeed in
tackling these issues that we can claim any kind of victory at all and secure
for ourselves a more dignified future as a nation able to defend itself from
threats that come both from within our borders and beyond them.
I Hussain suggested the same as Kamila Hyat with warning of the
dangers of confronting the US. One aspect of this whole event is quite clear.
President Obama intends to follow through on his campaign promise of a
muscular security policy vis-a-vis Pakistan. So if we continue with the
present good freedom fighter, bad terrorist policy which has brought
nothing but immense suffering and ignominy to the people of this country,
we are bound to invite incursions of the type witnessed in Abbottabad or
even worse.
On the other hand, we could decide that Pakistan will no longer
tolerate the presence of jihadis of any stripe on its soil and henceforward
round them up to be sent back to their countries of origin or for re-education
and/or trial here. The quandary is that we may be too late and the internal
dynamics of our armed forces and intelligence agencies may not allow any
rational policy to be implemented at the grassroots level. The worst
possible outcome would be that of an internal rupture in the armed
forces along ideological lines the most deadly of the scenarios depicted in
Andrew Krepinevichs Seven Deadly Scenarios, a must read for all who
engage in military planning.
So as we lurch along buffeted by both external and internal forces, let
us remind ourselves that those who would suffer most as a consequence of
defying international opinion are not the elite of this country who already
have their nest eggs feathered and their visas stamped for more hospitable
climes but the vast majority of Pakistanis. As it is, most of us are already in
dire economic straits with no lifeline in sight while our leaders strut around
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the world in their expensive designer suits as if to thumb their noses in a

show of contempt for those they rule over. (Incidentally, sartorial excess is
not without its own consequences as a recent Harvard Business School study
of business executives points to the existence of a strong link between
exposure to luxury goods and the extent of self-interested decision making at
the expense of others.)
The Pakistani media and particularly our shrill television anchors
should also keep in mind one facet of this whole affair before they start
pulling their hair out about the Pakistan armed forces inability to counter
the Americans. It behooves one to remember that we are talking here about a
military behemoth, a country whose annual military expenditure is greater
than the annual military expenditure of all the other countries in the world
combined. To keep things in perspective and in context, the political parties
and media hawks should recognize that our armed forces are geared not for
confrontation with a superpower that could only lead to an unmitigated
disaster for this country but for maintaining the regional balance of power.
However, the danger arising from this event is that our neighbour may draw
the wrong conclusions and do something foolish to upset the status quo
forgetting that what is possible for an imperial power is probably folly for
one not so well-positioned.
It appears that the Americans used stealth technology to evade radar
detection. The defence establishment may have to devise alternative
technologies to serve as a trip-wire and this would require thinking out of the
box. It would have been unlikely that someone in the armed forces was
monitoring social media networks but as it happened the entire event was
being live blogged from the get go by an Abbottabad resident on his Twitter
account. But there are other possibilities that could be examined to counter
low-flying helicopters such as positioning low-frequency microphones at
strategic locations that are rigged to high-wattage amplifiers. (This is the
kind of technology that those who watch Ghost Hunters on television
would recognize.) And since cell phones could easily be jammed, one may
have to rely on the use of flares that could provide help in both signaling and
illumination.
Nosheen Saeed wrote: Lets assume for a moment that the raid in
Abbottabad had been carried out by the Pakistani authorities and they
apprehended Osama. What a comforting prospect it would have been! The
critics would have been silenced forever, the blame game would have
clogged and the worlds opinion about Pakistan would have changed. It
would have been a win-win situation for Pakistans military and the ISI
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but not for Washington for they would have no one to hold accountable for
US-led failures in Afghanistan and their old maxim to do more would have
lost relevance.
If Pakistan is burning today courtesy supporting USA if it has
suffered immensely in terms of collateral damage, loss of lives, economic
collapse, political instability, social upheaval, frequent bomb blasts, lets get
one thing straight, they dont give a damn. Everyone looks out for their own
best interests. The assertion that Pakistan was in league with Osama
may just be a well-thought tactic to isolate Pakistan and expand the
theater of war into the country.
If the US forces have now captured Osama after failing to capture
him in December 2001 in the Tora Bora region of eastern Afghanistan,
kudos to the US they have prevailed, at last The US has always kept the
master key in its pocket but has expected the Pakistani military and the
ISI to perform miracles.
Even if the ISI missed out on the opportunity, that doesnt
mean it provided sanctuary to a man who declared war on Pakistan and
was instrumental in flooding Pakistani streets with blood and bodies. If the
US media and officials want to blow the bugle of capturing Osama to
smooth the progress of next years election, they should by all means do so,
but not at the cost of running Pakistan down. I hope Osama is dead and
buried and the bogeyman of the 21st century doesnt resurface. But in the
absence of news footage and photographs of the raid, Bin Ladens capture
and his burial at sea will continue to be viewed with a sceptical eye.
She had begun her article with preamble; its strongly felt that the
opportune moment has arrived when Islamabad should be asking
Washington: Are you with us, or against us? eyeball to eyeball. Herein she
added: Its time to ask our government the same question: Are you
with us, or against us? In a meeting with journalists, Pasha and Kayani
reportedly complained that Zardari and Gilani had not discussed the nations
counterterrorism operations even once during the last three years.
Our over enthusiastic PM stunned the nation by declaring that the
operation was in accordance with US policy which stated that the American
forces will take direct action to kill Bin Laden, if found anywhere in the
world. In other words, he gave Washington authoritative permission to
conduct unilateral raids inside Pakistan. Earlier according to Wiki Leaks
our PM allowed drone strikes in the tribal areas of Pakistan, saying they

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would protest the attacks in the National Assembly and otherwise ignore
them.
We are told by the foreign media that only after the commandos
slipped out of Pakistani airspace did President Obama call President Zardari
to inform him of the US military raid in the wee hours of April 2. President
Zardari had no time to address the nation but surprisingly found time
to write an article in the Washington Post which appeared on April 3,
reaching out to the international community, expressing satisfaction over
Osamas death, admitting that it was not a joint operation, endorsing the
words of President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and
uttering not a single word of annoyance over the violation of his countrys
air space.
Did the president give another green light to the CIA? The first was
revealed in Bob Woodwards book Obamas wars Kill the seniors,
Zardari had said. Collateral damage worries you Americans. It does not
worry me. Reporting the astonishing statement, Woodward said: Zardari
had just given the CIA an important green light.
Arshad Mahmood from Abbottabad opined: We may not have a
credible status in the comity of nations but we were quite confident about
the capabilities of our armed forces. The nations concern over our
security and survival is, hence, natural and merits instantaneous
remedy. Unfortunately our leadership havent played its due role. The
picture, however, is not as bad as is being presented. We have a number of
options to improve our image and restore confidence of all Pakistanis. In
order to ensure our survival an as an independent and sovereign nation, it is
time to take correct and long-term decisions both internally and externally.
On international front, we need to prove it to the whole world that we are a
peace-loving nation which itself is a victim of terrorism. We need to tell
them that the majority of Pakistanis wants to live peacefully; the remaining
few are either misled or foreigners who are taking revenge from us for
fighting the war on terror. How can we support and provide shelter to
terrorists when our mosques, schools, public places and play grounds are
targeted daily and our people are killed by these merchants of deaths? We do
not want conflict with anyone in the world including the US and instead
want its assistance in combating terrorism. But we need to be treated with
respect as a nation.
But before all this, there is a dire need to put our house in order.
We should not leave this war on terror to our armed forces only; each and
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every one of us has to fight this war and cleanse our country of terrorism.
The incident of May 2 must be investigated, and besides taking appropriate
actions against those found responsible for security failure, we should also
chalk out a comprehensive plan to ensure prevention of such lapses in the
future.
Ahmer Bilal Sufi, expert in international law, urged caution in
inquiring the Osama episode: Certainly it is up to the government,
opposition and military establishment to which any such inquiry should go
and the areas it should cover. However, given the precedents of the inquiries
and also keeping in view an extreme sensitivity of the impact of the eventual
inquiry report on improving legal basis for similar unilateral military strikes,
my advice is that the terms of reference must be framed with extreme
care and thorough deliberations.

REVIEW
The Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) took twelve days to
assemble and show courage to condemn violation of sovereignty of the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Not only that, the Foreign Office dared
summoning Cameron Munter to lodge a protest (read request) that US
officials be instructed not to give embarrassing statements which could spoil
bilateral relations.
As already said after General Kayani condemned killing of more than
forty tribal elders in a drone attack in reciprocation of the noble gesture of
releasing Raymond Davis in accordance with Islamic conjunctions holds
valid even now. The rather cumbersome task of condemnation would have
been better left for the old baby-sitter of the neighbourhood.
But then, rather than being critical of delayed reaction one must
appreciate that these tasks, apart from courage, require lot of planning and
coordination, at home and abroad, lest these might not be misunderstood in
diplomatic circles. Moreover, the reactions must come in a set sequence and
that was why Gilani had congratulated the US over brilliant victory in
Abbottabad the very next day.
The people, who are not familiar with intricate matters of statecraft
and diplomacy, unduly expected from such an august gathering to have done
something more concrete to reassure the shattered confidence of the people
of Pakistan. If they start behaving like MNA Asmatullah of JUI-F there is
little the government can do to help them.
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Those who do that ought to de disappointed. What Asmatullah did?

He had hurriedly offered Fateha for Osama in the National Assembly before
the Speaker gave him the clearance. He must have realized the futility of his
attempt as only four or five MNAs dared raising their hand.
The people must cut their demands that commensurate the resources
at the disposal of government and other leaders. They cannot resort to aping
the superpower which has plenty of resources not only to dump the dead
body of Osama in deep sea but also observe Islamic rites before doing that.
Remember, more the expectations, more disappointments.
The latest enlightened interpretation of Islam is that one must not offer
Fateha for a Muslim declared Number One enemy of the Crusaders.
Parliament cannot risk offending the American masters. The wisdom lies in
cutting clothes to the quantity of cloth available. If feeling of being naked or
half naked creeps in start feeling like a king who wore invisible clothes.
And, this is also a good enough reason not to annoy global teasers.
Strictly following this golden principle the regime has wisely cut the
size of Pakistans sovereignty according to the resources at its disposal. Its
coalition partners have understood this and follow the principle in letter and
spirit. People too should learn it; earlier the better.
MQM has set a million-dollar example; instead of asking a simple and
straight-forward question from America about violation of Pakistans
sovereignty, it thought better to ask 17 questions from the masses and named
it referendum; a magic solution of the problem. It was innovation at its best,
a referendum comprising 17 questions.
Astonishingly, one of the questions wanted the people to answer
whether the leaders should stay inside the country under such circumstances.
Unfortunately, there was no question wherein the people could express their
honest opinion saying that all party leaders should permanently stay outside
the country following the footsteps of MQMs Imam Khomenei.
The PML-Q led by the brilliant cousins from Gujrat, who have joined
hands with Zardari regime to save the future of this country which according
to them rests in Moonis Elahi, also wasted no time in objecting to the
suggestion of PML-N. They, however, couldnt frame 17 questions lacking
the brilliance of MQM and said parliamentary commission would be better.
And, regimes extra-constitutional coalition partner, Asma, vowed not
to allow politicizing of judiciary while in the same breath accepting
politicization of Presidency. These are the wise people who understand the
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needs of statecraft. They possess the ability to frame numerous proposals to

defy simple and obvious solution.
The people, who had started recovering from the shock of Abbottabad
raid by the US, heard some sanner voices and hoped for some good news.
They soon realized that from this corruption-plagued horde of mice it would
be too much to expect something prudent and good for the country. They
once more saw that their rulers prefer plundering, not pondering.
They were informed by The Guardian that Musharraf and Bush had
signed a deal soon after unsuccessful bombing of Tora Bora, which allowed
US to hit Osama inside Pakistan. After the strike Islamabad would
vociferously protest. This agreement was renewed in the wake of NRO deal
in 2008. it could be an attempt to shift blame on to Musharraf to release
public pressure from Zardari regime that has served the Crusaders
remarkably well.
Earlier, Gilani speaking from the floor of National Assembly had
defended his government and security institutions. He stopped just short of
claiming the success of Osama killing which clearly indicated that the
Government of Pakistan was fully in knowledge of the US operation and the
related issue of violation of sovereignty.
As regards assumptions made in Part-I, the reports about presence of
Mulla Omar in Quetta area and the resultant race between ISI and CIA to
catch him alive or dead confirmed that elimination of Osama and Omar
might have been discussed in meetings between Panetta and Pasha and
Gilani and Karzai. This was considered necessary to clear the hurdles in
striking a peace deal with Afghan Taliban.
It was also confirmed by Afghan vice president when he warned
Taliban to stop destroying the homeland and come to the table for peace
talks or be ready to meet the fate of Osama. The firmness in the statement of
vice president reflected the unusual determination to tackle Taliban,
including intent to eliminate Mulla Omar.
Rustam Shah Mahsud, however, cautioned Pakistan not to buy the
idea of going for Mulla Omar. He was right in listing the negative effects if
Pakistan rushed to capture or kill him. He was of the view that it would
result in animosity of Afghan Pakhtuns for Pakistan. Islamabad would be
unable to play any role in future settlement in Afghanistan. Above all, it
would support US accusation that Pakistan knew about the presence of
Osama and others on its soil.

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By hyping the issue of support network the US has also confirmed

its intent to expand the do more parameters beyond tribal areas. It would
press Pakistan to launch crackdown against non-state actors operating from
urban centres. In other words, against all those jihadi groups which have had
links with ISI in the past. This would mark launching of the final phase of
war on terror on Pakistani soil against the infrastructure about which India
has been complaining for years.
Another confirmation related to the influx of CIA agents allowed by
Zardari-Haqqani-Rehman Malik nexus by relaxing or altogether violating
the rules for issuing of visas. The Raymonds so allowed to enter Pakistan
and operate unchecked played important role in hunt for Osama. Reportedly,
pilots and commandos that took part in the operation had visited Abbottabad
to familiarize with the target area.
With a view to justifying Osamas cold-blooded murder the US
continued its endeavours. Information collected and compiled on the basis of
recoveries made from Osama Compound was sent to various countries. The
information claimed that Osama was in contact with various al-Qaeda
groups. The intent of US was to brush aside any guilt creeping in on account
of killing a man who had been inactive since long.
Rahimullah Yusufzai was of the view that the raid was
inappropriately named Operation Geronimo after a Native American chief
who fought for the freedom of his people. He perhaps observed it from a
different angle; otherwise it had been inadvertently named most
appropriately, because Osama too was fighting to liberate Arab lands from
American occupation.
To conclude, two points must be mentioned. One, murder of Osama
has a similarity with killings at Mozang Chungi. The nation was shocked at
the double murder committed by Raymond Davis, but it faced
embarrassment some weeks later when the Zardari regime let him scot-free.
Osamas cold-blooded murder has shocked and embarrassed the nation, but
real embarrassment may have yet to come.
Two, ruling coalition seemed determined to pre-empt an impartial
inquiry through a judicial commission. They are conscious that any such
probe will expose their failings which are far graver than those for which
military was being blamed. The rulers extracting democratic revenge, who
came to power through NRO, have been in league with the US all along.
13th May 2011

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MORE OF DO MORE
War on terror had become a monotonous ritual of aimless bloodshed
until Imran Khan staged a sit-in to protest against drone attacks. His
endeavour was ridiculed by the US puppets ruling Pakistan. Sharmila
Farouqi termed it ineffective and wanted a sit-in that should continue for at
least couple of months. Rehman Malik dubbed it as an act subversive of
national interests.
US mistrust in frontline state kept aggravating. It was revealed that ISI
was listed in US files among 36 terrorist groups. During last week of April,
Pakistans border post in Angoor Adda was subjected to mortar fire killing
three FC soldiers. But, hypocrisy also continued; Munter attended Youm-eShuhada in Rawalpindi.
Monotony, or stalemate, was broken on night 1-2 May when US
SEALS killed Osama in Abbottabad. The entire world looked towards
Pakistan with curiosity. Pakistani military and people were embarrassed, but
US puppets were overjoyed. Gilani termed it brilliant success and in London
Pakistans High Commissioner claimed snatching victory from the jaws of
defeat.
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The stalemate like situation prevailed in Afghanistan, though Gilani

and Karzai joined hands for negotiating peace with Taliban. Secretary level
commercial talks between India and Pakistan ended without reaching a
settlement on issues of concern. Talks on Wuller Barrage met the same fate.

NEWS
In Pakistan, before winding up two-day sit-in to block NATO
supplies in Peshawar on 24th April, Imran Khan set a one-month deadline
for the government to put an end to US drone attacks or else his party would
block the supply routes across the country. Javed Hashmi and Marvi Memon
also joined the sit-in and addressed the gathering; the former paid tributes to
Imran for organizing the sit-in. Meanwhile, NATO tanker was fired at in
Bolan Pass. IMF rejected Pakistans plea for $1.3 billion.
Next day, General Patreaus visited Rawalpindi to discuss security
issues with General Kayani. Eight people were injured in mysterious blasts
in a police station in Peshawar. DG ISPR, demanded end to drone attacks
and rejected Mullens charges against ISI. He said why single out ISI for
having contacts with Taliban when everyone including the US and NATO
countries have had intimate contacts with warlords since 1979.
Sharmila Farouqi (not Tagore) termed the Imran Khan-led sit-in as
ineffective. She said the NATO supplies kept moving while they sat in
Hayatabad. She remarked that the sit-in should have continued for two
months to make some impact on NATO supplies. Chaudhry Nisar termed
Imran test-tube politician that is patronized by ISI.
Wikileaks revealed that there have been 779 prisoners in Guantanamo
Bay out of which 175 were found absolutely innocent as they had been
picked up at random. These were later shifted to other places the particulars
of which remained a secret.
ISI has been listed in US files among 36 terrorist groups. The spy
agency has been ranked with al-Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah. The
documents revealed that ISI officials attended a meeting chaired by Mulla
Omar in 2005. US interrogators were told to treat any one linked to ISI like
al-Qaeda or Taliban operative.
On 26th April, Rehman Malik termed Imran Khan-led sit-in as an act
subversive of national interests. Two buses of Pakistan Navy were targeted
with bomb blasts in Defence and Baldia Town Karachi; four people were

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killed and 56 wounded. Four Pakistanis were charged in the US in Mumbai

attacks case.
Next day, Pakistans border post in Angoor Adda was subjected to
mortar fire; three FC soldiers were killed and 13 people were wounded.
Pakistan requested for a flag meeting. Seven Afghan civilians were wounded
in retaliatory shelling.
Two policemen were killed by gunmen in Peshawar. One soldier was
killed by militants in Mohmand Agency. One person was arrested with
weapons near Benazir Airport Rawalpindi; his interrogation led to arrest of
four more persons, including three policemen. Police scuffled with drivers of
NATO containers in Qila Abdullah over bhatha which led to clash with FC
and suspension of movement of containers.
On 28th April, gunship helicopters killed 27 militants in Kurram
Agency; two lashkar men were killed in a clash. Eight militants were killed
in Orakzai Agency. Air Chief said PAF was ready to meet all challenges;
including killing of women and children in Khyber Agency or any other part
of tribal areas. NAB feared that CIA was spying under USAID cover; US
spokesman denied the charge.
Next day, Parliamentary Committee on National Security called for
strict tone with US on drone attacks. Patreaus said drone attacks wont end.
Eight dead bodies of TTP fighters were found from a well near Landikotal.
Pentagon said Afghan insurgents have lifeline in Pakistan. After getting
lessons about dealing with Baloch Munter attended Pashtun Jirga convened
by Ayaz Jogezai in Quetta.
On 30th April, Army observed Youm-e-Shuhada to remember all those
who laid their lives for the country. Speaking at the occasion the COAS said
the country needed prosperity but not at the cost of honour. He saw Pakistan
passing through critical juncture of its history. Who he was addressing,
needed elaboration? Supreme commander of armed forces and defence
minister did not attend the function but representative of killer-in-chief was
present in the person of Munter.
Next day, three forest officials kidnapped in South Waziristan were
recovered. One policeman was shot dead on Ring Road, Peshawar. Dead
body of militants brother was found near Charsadda. One soldier and 21
militants were killed and five soldiers and two militants were wounded in
fighting in Mohmand Agency. Four policemen were killed in attack on
NATO containers in Pindigheb and 14 containers were burnt.

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On 2nd May, three children were among four people killed and 13
wounded in a bomb blast near a police station in Charsadda. Rehman Malik
submitted before the court hearing missing persons case that the
government was not considering any proposal to try the cases of missing
persons in military courts. He submitted written report about untraced
missing persons. Justice Javed Iqbal said the courts were trying to bring
intelligence agencies under law.
Next day, three NATO oil tankers were burnt in Khyber Agency.
Militants from across the border attacked a post in Chitral; killed one and
abducted four FC soldiers. Maulana Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid was acquitted
by IHC. Army helicopter and PAF Mirage jetfighter crashed in Ghazi and
Thal respectively.
On 4th May, ten militants were killed in factional fighting in Kurram
Agency. Two policemen were wounded in firing in Chamkani near
Peshawar. Three people were kidnapped and two killed by militants in
Khyber Agency. On 6th May, at least 10 people were killed in drone attack in
Datta Khel, North Waziristan. NATO oil tanker was blown up in Nowshera.
Six people were killed in firing and grenade throwing apparently for
sectarian enmity in Quetta.
Next day, one person was killed and 11 wounded in grenade attack in
Shabqadar. Five people were killed and six wounded when a shell landed at
a house in Khyber Agency. On 8th May, a commander was among five
militants killed in Hangu. Seven militants were killed in an operation in
Mohmand Agency; five militants and three soldiers were wounded.
On 10th May, five persons were killed and four wounded in drone
attack in Angoor Adda. Senior journalist was killed in bomb blast in
Peshawar. A lady constable was among two people killed in a blast in
Nowshera court; 12 people, including four policemen were wounded. Next
day, two NATO oil tankers were set on fire near Khuzdar. Two grenades
were hurled at Saudi Consulate in Karachi.
On 12th May, seven people were killed in drone attack in North
Waziristan. Four terrorists were held in Karachi. Zardari laid wreath at the
tomb of unknown soldiers in Moscow; a ritual he has not performed once in
Pakistan in last three years though the soldier are killed almost daily.
Next day, six people were killed in drone attack in North Waziristan.
NATO and Afghan forces once again fired at Pakistani border checkpoint I
Lowara Mandi area. Two suicide bombers struck leave party of FC recruits
in Shabqadar; ten civilians were among 80 killed, more than 120 were
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wounded and 12 vehicles were destroyed; Taliban accepted the

responsibility. Mahmood Shah linked it to killing of Osama and Rustam
Shah Mehsud termed it reaction to military operation in Mohmand Agency.
On 14th May, nineteen NATO oil tankers were torched near
Landikotal. Six people were killed and 14 wounded in bomb blast in a bus
near Kharian. US citizen DeHaven was deported. Three Pakistanis were
among six held in Florida and charged with funding Taliban.
In Afghanistan two NATO soldiers were killed in roadside bombing
on 24 April. Next day, about five hundred Taliban fighters escaped after a
jail-break in Kandahar. Taliban announced that they had started digging a
tunnel from a house five months ago that passed under several check-points
and a major highway. Authorities imposed curfew in the and around the city
and NATO forces took over the charge of the situation.
th

On 27th April, an Afghan airman shot dead eight American soldiers

and contractors and wounded three others at Kabul Airport; The officer was
also shot dead on the spot. Pakistan denied asking Karzai to dump US. Next
day, it was reported that Taliban had paid bribe worth Rs7 million for recent
jailbreak in Kandahar.
On 29th April, three Coalition soldiers were killed in separate
incidents. Obama named his new team for managing new phase of the long
war in Afghanistan; CIA chief Panetta was named defence secretary; Rayon
Crocker former US ambassador to Pakistan was appointed as ambassador in
Kabul; Lt Gen John Allen as the commander in Afghanistan and Gen
Patraeus was appointed as new chief of CIA, who has next war in Pakistan
in his mind.
On 1st May, 12 Afghan officials, including a top US collaborator, were
killed in suicide attack in Paktika just opposite Angoor Adda border
crossing. In another suicide attack carried out by a boy four people were
killed and 12 wounded. Two policemen were among seven killed in a clash
in Logar Province. Authorities arrested 15 linked to jailbreak.
On 3rd May, occupation forces killed ten Afghan guards near Ghazni
on mistaken identity. Afghan forces claimed killing and wounding 25 foreign
fighters in Nuristan. On 8th May, Cheney said it was no time to rush for exit
from Afghanistan. Next day, five persons were killed in suicide attack in
Jalalabad.
On 10th May, one NATO soldier was killed in a roadside blast in
Zabul. Next day, Afghan troops claimed killing ten militants and pushing
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back a Taliban attack in Khost. On 12th May, five people, including two
border guards were killed in a clash with tribesmen opposite Chaman border.
Sixty percent Americans wanted troops pullout from Afghanistan after
killing of Osama. On 13th May, an Afghan policeman killed two NATO
soldiers in Helmand. Manmohan Singh backed Taliban-led peace in
Afghanistan. On 14th May, US hailed Indias support in Afghanistan.
Asfandyar visited India and met Manmohan on 26th April to
improve bilateral ties. Next day, commerce secretaries of India and
Pakistan held meeting in Islamabad and both expressed optimism after the
talks. On 28th April, secretary level talks ended without reaching a settlement
on major issues of concern. Pakistan did not assure MFN status to India but
agreed to allow India to sell petroleum products.
Next day, Pakistan tested medium range cruise missile Hatf-VIII
successfully. On 4th May, India asked Pakistan to do more about Lashkar-eTaiba. Five days later, Indian Supreme Court set aside the verdict of High
Court and stopped division of Babri Mosque premises into three equal parts.
India began war games along Pakistani border.
On 10th May, Rehman Malik told an Indian TV channel that his
government has decided to grant access to Indian commission to the
suspects linked to Mumbai attacks and held in Pakistan. India asked Pakistan
to disclose whereabouts of Dawood Ibrahim. Meanwhile, a high-level
meeting was held and decided to probe to find Pakistani officials who gave
clearance to help India get UN carbon credits for controversial hydroprojects of Nimmo-Bazgo and Chuttak. What if the culprits found out point
finger towards Zardari? Next day, India handed over eight Pakistani
prisoners at Wahga border and it had also given a dossier containing list of
50 wanted terrorists, including five serving majors.
On 12th May, during Indo-Pak talks on the issue of river water
Pakistan told India that Indus Water Treaty did not allow construction of
Wullar Barrage. Indian secretary claimed the barrage wont harm Pakistans
agriculture and showed willingness to change design, if Pakistan insists.
Meanwhile, US attorneys sought immunity for Pasha and Nadeem Taj in
case filed by Jewish victims of Mumbai attack.
Next day, Burney exchanged hot words with Indian MP and accused
India of tactics that hampered the release of 22 Indian and Pakistani hostages
held by Somali pirates. Indo-Pak talks on Wuller Barrage ended
inconclusively, but both sides stressed amicable resolution of the issue.

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In Balochistan, Quetta-bound bus was torched by two motorcyclists

near Sibi on 25th April; 14 people, mostly women and children were burnt
alive. Next day, one person was killed and three wounded in landmine blast
near Dera Murad Jamali. Gas pipeline was blown up in Dera Bugti area.
On 27th April, BLF claimed responsibility for attacks on Navy buses in
Karachi. Next day, another bus of Pakistan Navy was attacked with
motorcycle bomb in Karachi, five people were killed and 15 wounded. Two
days later, at the end of his visit to Balochistan Munter said he was educated
on how to work with Baloch and Pakhtoons of the province and how best
they could work closely with people of Afghanistan. Two policemen were
among four killed in shootout in Naseerabad.
On 7th May, shutter down strike was observed in Quetta to protest
killings of men of Hazara community. Next day, a constable was wounded in
firing in Quetta and another was shot dead in Loralai. One person was killed
and two wounded by unknown gunmen in Usta Mohammad.
On 9th May, a Levyman was killed in Dera Bugti. Next day, one
person was killed by gunmen riding motorcycle in Quetta. On 11 th May, the
Supreme Court hearing the case of missing persons asked: Is there any
government in Balochistan? Who are these unknown gunmen? Meanwhile, a
bullet-ridden body was found in Khuzdar.
Next day, Chief Justice directed the federal government to
immediately appoint an inspector general police in Balochistan and submit
report detailing target killings in the province in the last three years and
actions taken by the government in response to these incidents. The direction
was passed during hearing of a petition filed by President Balochistan Bar.

VIEWS
On 25th April, The News wrote: US drone strikes in Pakistan have
been an unmitigated disaster. They have catalyzed public opinion like no
other set of events except perhaps the Raymond Davis Affair and
produced a profound antipathy towards America. The people of Pakistan
today feel deeply inimical towards the US. Every strike in which innocent
lives are lost such as the one last Friday, deepens the well of resentment. The
drone strikes play directly into the hands of the very extremists they are
supposed to be targeting, and are seen by a battered public as cruel
aggression.

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For a majority of people in Pakistan, this does not feel in any way
like their war, but rather the opposite. Reshaping those perceptions is a
mammoth task. Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir has been in Washington
debating the strategic partnership between us and the USA, and has pointed
once again to the unsought consequences of the drone strikes.
It may be coincidental but the news that the Americans have stopped
using the Shamsi airbase in Balochistan from which many of the drone
strikes are thought to have been launched has come at an interesting juncture
and presents an equally interesting conundrum. Nobody is saying when or
why they stopped using it after almost a decade, or whether they stopped of
their own volition or at our request. If drones were flown from there with our
compliance and they took off and landed in our territory, then we were
partners to a deal. However, if Shamsi is no longer being used then
where are the drones flying from? Is there another base that we rent to
Uncle Sam, or could it be that the drones are flying from outside our borders
in which case there would appear to be a de-facto violation of said borders.
Our relationship with Uncle Sam has been far too loose and
poorly defined. It needs to be tightened; we may need to work with the
Americans but not as the step-n-fetchits eternally tugging our forelocks in
deference. The US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
Marc Grossman is here later this week and Hillary Clinton is due in May.
Admiral Mullen has been and gone. Much talking that must translate into
action is going to have to be done. Perhaps the Davis affair has
paradoxically been the key to breaking the impasse, and allowed us to assert
ourselves like we have not previously and for the Americans to begin to
understand that we are not there to be pushed around as they please.
It is entirely possible that we can renegotiate the nature of our
partnership, and a change in the way drones are deployed and used is a part
of that. The status-quo is unacceptable and the civilian casualty figures even
more so. For the Americans to continue to use drones as they are currently,
they are doing no more than creating a giant storage battery of extremism
that will fester for a generation or more. Is an empty Shamsi a harbinger of
change or no more than a sharp bit of footwork? We suspect the latter but
eternally hope for the former.
Ahmed Quraishi wrote: It is if you believe the reasoning that Admiral
Mike Mullen offered as he barged into Pakistan with a daring move,
attacking our premier spy service on our home turf. This signifies two
problems. One is that our high tolerance level emboldens our antagonists.
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Adm Mullen feels he can raise the stakes and do something he never did
before because he knows there wont be any public consequence strong
enough to deter him. Someone in Islamabad or Rawalpindi should have told
him, If you feel this is the way to negotiate differences, by embarrassing us
in front of our own people, then thats the wrong way of doing it, followed
by a cancellation of his official engagements here until he retracts.
The second problem with his statement that the ISI maintains links
to Afghan Taliban factions is that he is putting the ISI at the centre of
the Pakistan-US dispute. Thats factually incorrect. But instead of
correcting Mr Mullen, the responses from the Pakistani side are defensive in
nature the Haqqani network are our adversaries too or were too busy
right now to take action against them or its just a matter of time before we
take action.
The fact is: It is not the ISI but the deliberate American damage
to vital Pakistani interests over a decade that is at the core of the
current Pak-US dispute. The drone issue or the Raymond Davis affair is
just an offshoot. Mr Mullens diagnosis is self-serving. The question is: why
is he getting away with it without being challenged?
To be fair, the Pakistani Army chief did decry the negative
propaganda that the United States is waging against Pakistan. Its the first
time any Pakistani official used these two words together to describe the
behaviour of our friends in Washington. But its not enough because our
duplicitous ally is still scoring points in the battle for perceptions.
It is time we wiggled out of the commitments made by two
presidents, Mr Musharraf and Mr Zardari, to Americas Afghan war.
President Zardari is likely to support this policy change. The United States
failed to live up to the post-2002 commitments to its Pakistani ally. The
Americans almost turned Afghanistan into an Indian outpost, created
conditions for insurgencies in Balochistan and FATA, and caused us up to
$80 billion in direct and indirect losses and millions of displaced, killed and
injured Pakistanis. The Pakistani military should commission a policy
review that concludes with a recommendation to the government to formally
exit Americas war. The notion that the United States would retaliate
militarily to a sovereign Pakistani policy decision is exaggerated.
Washington is in no position to do that.
Pakistans issues with domestic religious extremism can and will
be resolved domestically. Any future Pakistani assistance to the US war
effort in Afghanistan can be negotiated under new terms. The Americans are
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trying to create an impression that their interference in Pakistan is important

to help Pakistan defeat extremism. For example, Adm Mullen came here last
week emphasizing, the long-term US commitment to supporting Pakistan in
its fight against violent extremists. It is amazing how Washington has been
redefining the mission and moving the goal posts over the past decade with
no questions asked from our side of course. The strength and ability of terror
groups such as TTP and BLA to re-supply will end when CIA ends its grand
strategic project in Afghanistan.
We should tell Washington that we will maintain ties to legitimate
Afghan parties, including the Afghan government and Afghan Taliban.
American demands to cut off ties to any one of them are misplaced. If an
Afghan group that Pakistan maintains links with is killing US soldiers in
Afghanistan, this is not necessarily Pakistans design or responsibility. It is
the result of flawed US policies in Afghanistan over the last decade, and a
result of ignoring Pakistani advice.
It is also time to loudly question CIA assessments about the
number of al-Qaeda remnants in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. We
know the figure is insignificant to pose any threat to anyone. The US
military and CIA inflate these assessments to justify prolonging the Afghan
war and, more importantly, to justify meddling in Pakistan. The US is also
pandering to its Indian ally by telling another lie, that the pro-Kashmir
Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which is opposed to Indian military presence in
Kashmir, has somehow metamorphosed into a global threat. This is
political propaganda.
On 26th April, The News commented: The campaign to stop pilotless
US aircraft from bombing our areas is picking up pace. It has been taken one
step forward by the two day sit-in staged by several thousand Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers at Hayatabad in Peshawar to stop NATO
supply vehicles from carrying their cargo into Afghanistan. The success of
the action reflects just how badly people want the drone strikes to come to
an end. As PTI chairman Imran Khan pointed out, the drones are a
grotesque distortion of justice. He is quite correct when he says that the
aircraft do not always target terrorists but most often result in the deaths of
innocent persons who have no links with militancy. Khan has said that a
long march to Islamabad will be staged and the NATO supply routes will be
blocked if the government does not take action to bring an end to the strikes
by unmanned aircraft. It is worth noting that politicians other than PTI
leaders also joined the sit-in. A call was also made to the courts to act swiftly

653

against the drones, although it is somewhat unclear what the judiciary can do
in this matter.
There can be no doubt that public sentiment demands immediate
action. The dual game played by the powers that befools no one any
longer. Feelings are even stronger in the north where drones regularly drop
bombs and bring sudden death to so many innocent civilians. The efforts by
the PTI to take direct action to raise the immediacy with which this issue is
considered must be admired. We can only hope that they succeed and that
the menace of the planes flying over the conflict areas in the tribal belt
comes to an end.
Next day, the newspaper commented on Wikileaks revelations about
US equating ISI terrorist groups. The UK paper also suggested that even
now, with the Bush era over, the ISI remains on the threat matrix and
is believed by Washington to be supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Very
little of what is revealed is new news. The alleged presence of one or more
representatives in our intelligence agencies at a meeting chaired by Mullah
Omar and said to have been held in Quetta was reported over a year ago, and
denied.
What does seem to have substance, though even here we should not
allow the frequency of reporting to assume the status of a full-fledged fact, is
the assertion that there are rogue elements within our agencies that can and
do pursue their own agendas. All of the allegations relating to this are
historical, many of them dating back almost 10 years and there is little by
way of corroboration. Many premises on which the reports are based
seem badly flawed stemming from over-active imaginations rather
than facts. What appears to have happened is that the Americans developed
a mindset in respect of our agencies, and then applied that as a blanket
value-judgment to our entire intelligence network a considerable
generalization not conducive to a harmonious or trusting working
relationship.
The revelations will place a new obstacle in the way of restoring the
broken ties between the US and the ISI which have yet to be restored after
the unpleasant Raymond Davis affair. This degree of distrust for a key ally in
the war on terror can hardly help defeat the militants. To do so, Islamabad
and Washington need to work together. The hostile tone adopted in the files
revealed and the continuation of the same attitudes under Obama as
appears to be the case, are hardly likely to help matters along.

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Rahimullah Yusufzai was of the view that the government must take
clear stance on drone attacks. The ambiguity on US drone strikes is
understandable because top Pakistani Taliban commanders Baitullah
Mahsud, Nek Mohammad, Haji Omar and possibly Qari Hussain along with
certain al-Qaeda members fighting Pakistans security forces were killed by
missiles fired by the CIA spy planes. The military couldnt eliminate them
despite carrying out operations in their mountainous strongholds. Also, the
Pakistani government isnt really opposed to the use of drones, though it
would like the US to provide the technology for use by the Pakistani military
to reduce the intensity of the public reaction to drone strikes.
The time has come for Pakistan government to come clean on the
issue of the US drone attacks. Due to its low credibility, not many Pakistanis
believe the government when it voices opposition to the drone strikes. Imran
Khans aggressive campaign might force the government and also the
military to adopt a clearer and believable policy on this emotive issue.
Zafar Hilaly observed: In any case differences among allies are not
peculiar to the US-Pak relationship. Even during World War II, Churchill,
Roosevelt and Stalin had a hard time keeping the boat on an even keel, with
suspicions on all sides about the priorities of the other. But tactical
compromises especially between Roosevelt and Churchill, on the one hand,
and Stalin on the other hand, kept the alliance going, while getting rid of
Hitler kept them together.
In our case, the situation is more complicated. While the US wants
to get rid of the Afghan Taliban, we see them as a counterweight to the
Northern Alliance backed by India. We also do not want to rub them the
wrong way while we are waist deep in our own insurgency. The one thing
that could greatly reduce this friction is if the two sides, the US more in this
case, can gravitate towards a post-war vision of Afghanistan in which the
Taliban can be convinced that they have a future and that continued
insurgency will not greatly improve their situation.
It would be sensible to do that because internally Afghanistan is so
disorganized/dysfunctional that it will not be able to see stability if it is
imposed by one side or the other, while defeating the Afghan Taliban
military in any meaningful sense is not possible for the US (unless it can get
Pakistan to abandon its own internal and external interests and concerns).
So, the best use of military force would be to get the Taliban to
seriously consider going to the negotiating table as a better alternative. In
any case, time is running out on the US as its public gets increasingly
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disenchanted and the administration lacks the finances and manpower to

further escalate their presence in Afghanistan. NATO was already seeking to
bow out and the US risks becoming virtually alone in Afghanistan.
The fact is, as some of us have gone hoarse saying so, that victory is
out of the question for America; a stalemate lies ahead. And, as the US
draws down its combat role under its 2014 target, victory will become even
more distant.
The upshot is that the US should modify its approach and
subordinate the war effort to a serious and refurbished peace effort.
Alienating Pakistan will get the US nowhere; it would make matters worse
for all sides except the Afghan Taliban.
The time has come, therefore, for Obama to reassert the power
that he, and not the American military, was elected to exercise. The latter
has shot its bolt in Afghanistan; and is now blaming Pakistan for its failures
and lack of foresight.
On 28th April, Ameer Bhutto wrote: On the issue of sovereignty,
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, whose name and legacy the present motley bunch
pounce on like a political ATM cash machine to bail themselves out of the
mess they often make, confronted foreign hegemonic powers even though he
had to ultimately face the gallows. Even Musharraf, a humble servant of the
foreign overlords, found the will to deny his benefactors now and then, for
which they dumped him into the trash can of history. The incumbent lot has
learnt the lesson from the fate their predecessors suffered that if you want to
save your needs and your hold on to power, prostrate yourselves before
the foreign masters and deny them nothing. Compromise national
sovereignty. Compromise your principles, integrity and commitments to the
people. Compromise everything, but keep the gora sahibs happy. Thus they
have handed the country over to them on a silver platter. In return, the
foreign matters prop them up in power and give them free reign to run the
country into the ground with their corruption and incompetence.
Under international law, drone attacks on our soil are nothing
short of an open declaration of war against Pakistan. But our government
can only muster up lame verbal condemnations only for public consumption.
We fell to a new low when the CIA chief recently told the head of ISI in no
uncertain terms that they needed neither our permission nor our assistance in
the pursuit of their military objectives in Pakistan since their own
intelligence and operation network is now well established here. Where does
that leave Pakistani sovereignty? How can we still claim to be independent?
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All that remains is for Americans to declare Pakistan to be the fifty-first state
of the United States of America and issue all of us American passports.
As far as security is concerned, no one is safe even inside their
homesThis country cannot cope with the onslaught of vested interests
much longer. Few seem to appreciate the seriousness of the situation. All
justifications of statehood already stand eroded, if the state institutions and
structures are also hollowed out to the extent that they implode under their
own weight, Pakistan cannot and will not survive. Yet, for some reason, if
one talks about constructive change, even some seemingly reasonable
elements in society wail like banshees. If one talks about maladministration
and corruption, one is counted among the chattering classes. If one talks
about the compromising of national sovereignty, one is labeled as being
ultra-patriotic. They relish with unconcealed glee the fact that all
prophecies for the collapse of the current dispensation have proven
inaccurate thus far, even though it is amply self-evident that their sole
agenda is to derive personal and political benefits, even it destroy the
country.
Dishonest practices, lies, deception and unashamed breaking of
promises by these so-called leaders, instead of being condemned as criminal
conduct, is heralded by some as political acumen and savvy. Expertise at
looting the country is seen as political genius. This amounts to the
incineration of honesty, sincerity and commitment to the national and public
good on the funeral pyre of all that is good and holy. It amounts to surrender
of hope and a fateful resignation to remain mired forever in the filth and
sleaze in which Pakistan is drowning. We cannot let that happen.
Two days later, The News wrote: Investigators looking into the
successive attacks on Pakistan Navy buses in Karachi believe that they have
come as a result of an extremely dangerous link-up between the
Balochistan Liberation Front of Brahamdagh Bugti and the Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan. If this development has indeed taken place, it unveils all
kinds of new perils into which we could tumble as we attempt to combat
militancy. This coincided with Munters visit to Quetta where he claimed to
be taking lessons how to work with Balochs and Pashyuns.
The investigators seem to have based their theory on the fact that
road-side bombs were used to target the vehicles rather than the suicide
bombers most often used by the Taliban. There have also been claims from
both organizations of having carried out the attacks. It is thought that a
similar attempt to target a military officer in Karachi may have taken place
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as long ago as in 2004 by the BLF. The Taliban and the BLF are both lined
up against the state. The reasons for their hostility to it and those who
represent it are very different. In many ways, the Baloch nationalist
organizations and the Taliban are ideological enemies who stand on opposite
sides of the divide as far as their beliefs go. The nationalists have
traditionally been opposed to extreme religious views and to forces such as
the Taliban. Their views lean more towards the left and the liberal.
However, despite these realities it is not impossible for some kind of
alliance to have been forged for opportunistic reasons, especially against
those who wear military uniforms. Both groups have no sympathy for such
persons, even though those who died in Karachi and elsewhere are in no way
responsible for devising the policies that these groups oppose. It is also a
fact that Brahamdagh in particular, has broken away from mainstream
Baloch nationalists and formed unwise fronts of his own perhaps, even
combining his efforts with those of the Taliban? At present, these reports
cannot be considered wholly accurate. But this much is clear if unity is
growing between militant organizations of different kinds in the
country, it poses immense dangers and adds greatly to the threats we face
as an already troubled country.
Anjum Niaz commented on Gen Betray-us (Petraeus). Bad news for
our anchors and their guests back home So how will the new CIA chief
interact with Pakistan? Well, when Petraeus was commanding Iraq and
Afghanistan some years ago, he told a Senate panel that militants in
Pakistan could literally take down their state if left unchallenged. His
views may remain unchanged.
Our military strategists back at the GHQ, meanwhile, are not sitting
idle. They have tried pre-empting the CIA pressure by making PM Gilani
hand carry a top-secret dossier for Karzai in Kabul. The Afghans have
leaked the contents to America. Look East, not West is the message
Gilani supposedly conveyed: Look to China; not America.
Petraeus, whose Princeton doctoral thesis was on the Vietnam War
and the US use of superior technology and firepower, has perhaps
checkmated the Pakistani move by getting his man to be his eyes and
ears in Kabul. Ryan Crocker, the shrewdly suave diplomat who served in
Pakistan before joining Petraeus in Baghdad as the ambassador will keep a
close watch on the slippery Karzai government. Results, boy results, is
what Petraeus demands from his team. These are the words he heard from
his Dutch dad while growing up.
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On 2nd May, S Iftikhar Murshed commented: Two reasons are

advanced for the emerging national consensus against drone strikes. The
first is the unacceptable number of civilian casualties of around 2,200.
However, if the army is to be believed, these deaths are mostly of terrorists.
In contrast, according to The South Asian Intelligence Review, from 2003 to
February this year the total number of fatalities caused by terrorist attacks is
33,213. In its report for 2010, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
has claimed that there were 2,500 terrorist-related deaths in the country, and
of these 1,160 were from suicide attacks. The figure continues to mount by
the day in 2011, as is evident from last weeks three bomb attacks on buses
of the Pakistan Navy.
The second, and more important, argument advanced is that
drone attacks violate Pakistans sovereignty. This needs to be put in
perspective. It is widely known that drones have been assigned specific
airfields in Pakistan from where they take off and fly along pre-designated
routes to the target areas. These flights through Pakistans airspace would
not be possible without elaborate coordination with the local air-defence
authorities. In the words of a former Pakistani air vice marshal, it is in this
context that the ill-informed hype that is expropriated to whip (up) a
religious-nationalist frenzy on the violation of Pakistans sovereignty has to
be seen. In other words, the countrys sovereignty can hardly be said to have
been violated if the drone strikes have occurred with the consent and
cooperation of the Pakistani government.
Pakistans sovereignty has certainly been compromised, but this has
nothing to do with drone strikes. It is economic. The government is
incurably addicted to a policy of beg and spend. Till there is radical
reform, the country will remain in the shadow of servitude to foreign
donors. The anticipated budget deficit for 2011-2012 is Rs950 billion, or 5.3
percent of the GDP. This is the biggest ever in Pakistans economic history
and is likely to cross the trillion-rupee mark. The gap is being met by yet
more external and internal borrowing as well as by printing more currency
notes. In the process, the country would have forfeited whatever little
remains of its sovereignty.
On 9th May, Imran Khan urged the fellow countrymen for reclaiming
our Pakistan. Today the Pakistani state that is its government and
security structures stands exposed as never before in front of its own
people as well as the world. Never before, since 1971, has the Pakistani
nation felt so defenceless and so full of anger and shame.

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Yet the disastrous outcome for all of us to see today was the natural
outcome of self serving policies pursued by a dictator and subsequently by a
US manufactured and NRO sanctioned leadership. Policies based on lies
and propaganda was inevitably going to end up in humiliation and
disgrace not just for the leadership of the country but for every living
Pakistani. That is what finally happened when the US invaded Pakistani
airspace and carried out its operation against Osama bin Laden, unhindered
and undetected by the seventh most powerful nuclear armed military in the
world.
The US had always stated that in case they had actionable
intelligence on a high value target, they would take unilateral military action.
Why was this strategic US policy decision that directly impaired our
security and sovereignty not made a bone of contention in any strategic
dialogue? Similarly, the US has stated that in case of any terrorist attack on
US mainland, all options would be on the table. Why has our government
never sought the revision of this policy conditional to our cooperation to
protect Pakistan from a massive military retaliation in case of a terrorist
attack against the US mainland is linked to Pakistan?
By fighting a US led war and hypocritically telling the people of
Pakistan that it was their war, the state of Pakistan lied shamelessly.
After all, al-Qaeda was all in Afghanistan, until the US attacks on Tora Bora
left an exit route for them to escape. Even more critical, no Pakistani was
involved in the 9/11 attacks. But in the aftermath of 9/11 the Pakistani
leadership weaved a web of deceit for its people.
Certainly Pakistan should have helped the US get the 9/11 terrorists
and their organization but this did not require handing over the country to
the US, allowing the CIA to set up a parallel intelligence network across
Pakistan seriously undermining our internal security and indulging in the
renditions of Pakistanis to the US.
As Clive Smith of Reprieve has pointed out, 90% of those handed
over to the US turned out to be innocent; the case of Mullah Zaeef, the
Taliban ambassador to Pakistan and a serving diplomat, was just one such
case, where Pakistan also violated its commitments under the Geneva
Convention. To our everlasting shame, after three years at Guantanamo,
Mullah Zaeef was found innocent.
'Using fear as a weapon and having trapped the country into
deception and deceit on the US behest, the Pakistani state sent its forces
into Waziristan while the US pounded Fata with drone attacks, killing
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thousands of civilians. It was hardly surprising to find a full-blown tribal

rebellion and the Pakistani Taliban as a result of these erroneous militarycentric policies. Lies continued to be fed to the Pakistani people on the
casualties of the drone attacks. Much before the killing of the tribal jirga
earlier this year, in September 2004 a drone attack killed 70 people while
another 40 were killed the next day during the funerals being held for the
earlier victims. With no substantiation, Interior Minister Rehman Malik
declared that all those killed were militants when the MNA from South
Waziristan had declared that if even one of the victims was a foreign militant
he would resign! Who can forget the 2006 drone attack in Bajaur which
targeted a Madrassah and of the 80 killed, 60 were children? Three days
later, a relative of one of the victims committed a suicide attack on soldiers
in Malakand killing 50.
By far the biggest lie was that Pakistan army was fighting an
ideological Taliban rather than 90% of militants being our own tribal
people. There was another blatant lie emanating from a Pakistani general
that drone attacks always kill militants. There is no way of ascertaining who
has been killed. There is no DNA test conducted as people are just blown
into pieces. Drone strikes constitute not only a blatant breach of Pakistans
sovereignty, but it is also a grave violation of the international humanitarian
laws where the US acts as the judge, jury and the executioner all put into
one killing suspects wives and children.
The drone strikes have created more hatred against the
Americans than any other single incident. According to those who
attended the dharna the ratio was that one killed out of ten may be a
militant. The others are innocent citizens who have nothing to do with any
terrorist activity. The New American Foundation Survey that was conducted
about six months ago has reiterated that more than 80% tribal people oppose
the drone strikes as they believe that these attacks mostly kill innocent
people.
So why did the Pakistani state accept such a suicidal policy under US
pressure? Pakistans ruling elite civil and military since the sixties have
sought US crutches for prolonging their hold on power at the cost of
building state institutions and our economy. Instead of investing in education
and social reforms they have taken short cuts at the expense of the Pakistani
people, seeking US dollars whenever the opportunity presented itself to
sustain its corrupt and extravagant lifestyle as well as inept governance. The
same renter class obliged the US during the Gen. Zias period to resist the
Soviet occupation of Afghanistan with the help of the CIA by creating and
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funding several militant groups. The one time heroes of the West turned
villains after 9/11. Our leaders also changed their colours and with their
new found passion to be portrayed as liberals and bulwarks against Islamic
extremism. Their latest mantra of liberalism was music to Western powers
who were willing to ally with every scoundrel and thug as long as they
danced to their tunes. Most disgracefully, by seeking to make themselves
indispensable to the West, our rulers have played a major role in creating the
misperception abroad that Pakistan is a haven for radical Islam, despite the
reality that every election has shown the religious parties to be marginal in
the politics of the country.
Meanwhile, fear has been used as a weapon on the Pakistani
people: fear of US military action against them; fear of an economic
collapse; and most damaging, fear of the country being overrun by militants
and extremists. As a result, while the wealth of the rulers continues to
multiply, the country has faced $68 billion in losses over the last decade, as
well as 35,000 dead and a national debt that has doubled in three years from
Rs5 to $10 trillion. Add to this the displaced people from Fata where the
population of 6 million has seen its lives devastated and traumatized, and the
disaster visited upon Pakistan becomes clearer and, yet we are not trusted by
our so-called western allies who are pointing accusatory fingers at us as
harbourers of terrorists. Typically, President Zardari had declared at a FoDP
meeting in Japan (2009) that we are fighting to save the world and then
demanded dollars; but in reality it is Pakistan that needs to be saved from its
rulers and their lies and corruption.
There is only one way forward for Pakistan today. The NROsponsored leaders came to power through fraudulent elections as the
Election Commission has now made public that out of 80 million registered
votes, 37 million were bogus and 35 million unregistered in the last
elections. This government must resign or made to resign through public
pressure so that fair and free elections can be held under an independent
Election Commission and Nadra based electoral rolls.
Reforms must be instituted. An austerity drive must be in place to
stop the shameful extravagance of the rulers. A democratic government
needs to own its war on terror based on indigenously- formulated policies.
Most significantly, a democratic government must take responsibility for all
acts of terror in its country. The more our military and political leadership is
seen as a mercenary of the US, the more it increases the radicalization,
extremism and terrorism within Pakistan. Whenever al-Qaeda and the
Taliban announce Jihad against the US, they also announce it against US
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agents meaning the Pakistani state. This undermines the Pakistan militarys
ability to fight militancy effectively. The US should be told categorically that
no help or aid is required from it and that the Pakistani state cannot be
Americas hired gun anymore. The tribal people, who have never been
involved in terrorism, need to be co-opted into a national policy to fight and
isolate the real terrorists.
Rule of Law is critical and all militant groups, private armies and
other non-state actors carrying arms must be disarmed. There can be no
exceptions to this rule. Corruption can only be tackled through an
independent accountability process involving auditors and lawyers while tax
collection needs to be widened by withdrawing all exemptions so that the
rich can be taxed. A most important aberration that needs to be tackled is
illiteracy. An education emergency must be declared and one uniform
educational system needs to be put in place as a soon as feasible for the
whole country.
These problems and their solutions are totally doable but only by
a credible and democratic government that has the capacity to mobilize
the people and indigenous resources. Perhaps the crossroad that Pakistan has
been pushed to at present can be a blessing in disguise. At a time when the
whole Osama operation has exposed the Pakistan state and its duplicity
internally and externally, with Overseas Pakistanis suffering an extreme
reaction especially in the USA, Pakistanis can choose to rid themselves of
this complicit and disgraced leadership. This is the time for a national
revival through restoration of national dignity and sovereignty. Today
Pakistan has no other choice.
Ayaz Wazir opined: The fact of the matter is that this war is not
ours but was imposed upon us against our wishes and our erstwhile
dictator Musharraf warmly embraced it to curry favour with the West, which
as a quid pro quo, started supporting his usurpation of power. Tony Blair the
then British prime minister is on record publicly commenting on Gen
Musharraf that He is a useful alley in the war on terror. The British PM
was replying to criticism regarding the support of a democratic British
government for a military usurper of democracy.
Imrans initiative showed the way to others to follow, particularly
the people of the tribal areas who are victims of this brutal carnage. They
should join him in his future endeavours and arrange protest rallies all over
the tribal areas particularly in the two Waziristans. One knows it is not so
easy to take out processions or stage demonstrations in the tribal areas
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keeping in view the draconian laws of the Frontier Crimes Regulations. But
for how long are they going to tread safely to avoid a clash with the FCR,
particularly when their survival, and the survival of the country, is at stake?
They have to take action and take the FCR by the horns if it proves a hurdle
in demonstrations against this naked aggression.
Its high time people came out in large numbers to protest
against drone attacks and demanded that the government reconsider its
policies that lead to the killing of our own people without any justification.
All the political parties need to seriously consider protesting against
blighting the honour and dignity of our country which is tarnished with
every drone attack.
Hussain H Zaidi wrote: Regardless of its genesis, the war against
terrorism is very much our own, simply because it is our society thats
bearing the brunt-physically, emotionally and economically. Women are
being rendered widows, children turned orphans. Businesses have been
forced to pack up or dislocate, economic growth and investment have come
down and people laid off. The Economic Survey of Pakistan (2009-10) puts
the economic cost of the war on terror above $40 billion. But still we arent
willing to own this war! Rather, we stubbornly insist that its Americas war
and that the inferno that the country has been turned into is the gift of our
being a frontline ally of the US in the counter-extremism campaign that
kicked off in the wake of the infamous 9/11 incident.
The roots of terrorism undeniably go back to Pakistans alliance with
the US, not in the post-9/11 period but in the years when we agreed to fight
Washingtons proxy war in the wake of the 1979 Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan. The war was given religious meaning by the then Islamist
military regime of Pakistan, itself looking for legitimacy as well as
political and economic support, to justify its involvement in it, under the
pretext that Washington was fighting for Islam
Well also do ourselves and the generations to follow a big favour if
we cast aside the notion, which has gained wide currency, that our country
was meant to be a citadel of Islam and that its the responsibility of the
government and people of Pakistan to be at the beck and call of Muslim
resistance movements wherever they spring up. Yes, we do have become a
fortress but only of militancy. At any rate, it makes little sense for a
country, which is prey to the diabolical forces of religious extremism and
terrorism and addicted to foreign aid, to come out with such lofty claims.

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On 12th May, Kathy Kelly observed: On May 5, 2011, CNN World

News asked whether killing Osama bin Laden was legal under international
law. Other news commentary has questioned whether it would have been
both possible and advantageous to bring Osama bin Laden to trial rather than
kill him. World attention has been focused, however briefly, on questions
of legality regarding the killing of Osama bin Laden. But, with the
increasing use of Predator drones to kill suspected high value targets in
Pakistan and Afghanistan, extrajudicial killings by US military forces have
become the new norm.
Just three days after Osama bin Laden was killed, an attack
employing remote-control aerial drones killed 15 people in Pakistan and
wounded four Only a handful of US officials have broached the issue of
whether or not it is right for the US to use unmanned aerial vehicles to
function as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner in the decision to
assassinate anyone designated as a high value target in faraway Pakistan
or Afghanistan.
Would we want unmanned aerial vehicles piloted by another
country to fly over the US, targeting individuals deemed to be a threat to
the safety of their people? Worldwide, 49 companies make over 150
different drone aircraft Also worth noting is the observation that drones
will make it politically convenient for any country to order military actions
without risking their soldiers lives, thereby making it easier, and more
tempting, to start wars which may eventually escalate to result in massive
loss of life, both military and civilian.
On 26th April, The News commented on a jailbreak in Afghanistan.
A degree of caution has to be exercised in terms of the actual numbers of
the Taliban who escaped via a tunnel from their prison, but it is clear that a
significant number of very dangerous people are back in circulation. The
Taliban themselves are claiming over 500 of their men have escaped, whilst
the Afghan authorities, as might be expected, are a little more circumspect
saying only that some political prisoners have escaped. The director of the
jail, however, was very specific in saying 476 had escaped. What all are
agreed on is that the men escaped by tunnel, and we have to go back to
WW2 and the escape of British prisoners by tunnel from the prison camp
Stalag Luft III to find an escape of similar type and size. If confirmed, this
escape by tunnel will be the largest ever recorded and the Taliban can
notch up another dubious record. The details of the escape are yet to be
revealed but it appears that the tunnel was dug from outside in rather than

665

inside out, or possibly a combination of both. This again makes the escape
unusual as a majority of escapes by tunnel are via tunnels solely made by the
prisoners themselves.
Innumerable questions arise. A tunnel 360 metres long produces a lot
of spoil. Where did it all disappear to? It would have required lighting and
ventilation and a large team of people to do the digging. Nobody noticed?
What of the prisoners if there were over 500 escapees then they all had to
be in on the secret and in a culture where the life of a secret is often
measured in seconds, it is remarkable that so many mouths were kept shut.
So many that one might reasonably suspect that the prisoners were not the
only ones working on their escape and that some of those guarding them
may have been complicit. This opens up whole new possibilities in terms
of unconventional warfare as fought by the Taliban, and speaks volumes
for their adaptability, ingenuity and willingness to take considerable risks to
free their men.
Three days later, M Saeed Khalid briefly recalled American presence
in Afghanistan before commenting: The logical conclusion would therefore
be that while the US might scale down operations in Afghanistan and
Pakistan over time, their military presence in Afghanistan would
continue and we should not expect any let up in pressure on security forces
in both countries to pursue their operations against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Admiral Mullen, therefore, opted to lay his cards on the table by
emphasizing the 2014 is not a definite date for the withdrawal of US troops
from Afghanistan.
It is time foe a pause by all those who are busy forecasting a US rout
followed by their departure fr5om Afghanistan. Just like power sharing
formula between Karzai and Mullah Omar may not materialize any time
soon, the war in Afghanistan is not ending quickly either. We should start
looking at the US mission in Afghanistan as more in the nature of the last
rather than the new frontier. Thirty years of warfare have changed the
Afghan people unlike earlier wars in that country. The ongoing military
operations and training programmes by western forces, supported by
reconstruction and development activities by the US system and NGOs
could end up transforming the country as well as the Afghan society. Even
the analyst could not say that for sure.
On 30th April, Saleem Safi commented: Pakistanis and Afghans,
especially Pakhtuns on both sides of the border, have suffered tremendously
in this regional conflict. However, after so many years of blames and
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counter-blames, Karzai and Pakistanis have come to the point that the
US would never help them solve their mutual problems and therefore
should be expelled from the equation between their two countries. First
the US tried to hold Pakistan responsible for its failure in Afghanistan and
then did the same thing to Karzai. The previous Afghan presidential election
brought Karzai and Pakistan closer; Karzai was emboldened to stand up to
the US once he found Pakistan on his side. He waited for a few months to
observe Obamas Afghan policies which undoubtedly are as ambiguous as
Bushs. He convened a Loya Jirga to get mandate for reconciliation with the
Taliban. The US was not happy with this development, but found it
impossible to oppose the decision of the constitutionally most powerful
Loya Jirga. Intelligently, Karzai appointed a Tajik, Ustad Burhanuddin
Rabbani, as head of the Reconciliation Council. The Taliban and Hizb-eIslami have contacted each other many times over the past few months.
Karzai had been insisting that Pakistan and Afghanistan should constitute a
joint reconciliation commission, but initially Pakistanis did not respond
positively. However, Karzai continued with measures to reassure Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the US contempt for both countries crossed the limits
pushing them to establish the joint reconciliation commission on April
16. Both countries had agreed in principle a few months back to establish the
commission, but Karzai wanted that the Pakistani military leadership and the
ISI should also be taken onboard. After the ISI chiefs visits to the US and
Turkey, Pakistan accepted the establishment of the commission. When the
DG ISI, the COAS and the prime minister of Pakistan visited Kabul the
commission had already been established. However, it was still undecided
whether the foreign ministers would head the commission.
However, Kabul insisted that the chief executives of both
countries should head the commission. Pakistan accepted this demand
moments before the announcement of the commission. Keeping in view the
background, it is safe to state that this commission is the most important
development in the context of problems and a right step to solve the
conflict.
This time I did not find the opportunity to meet Karzai or his
ministers and officials because of the high profile guests from Pakistan.
Karzai, like most of us who supported the idea of a joint effort to find
solution of the problems, was very happy. However, I thought that
important hurdles are yet to be crossed; it is yet to be seen whether
Pakistan and Afghanistan become real friends are repeat the past
mistakes of playing with each other. Similarly, how much the US is going to
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support the process and how long the two hold against US wishes and
dictates. What would be response of the Taliban and how Al-Qaeda reacts
has yet to be known. Most importantly, whether India, Saudi Arabia, Iran,
Turkey Russia and the US support the initiative or scuttle it through
machinations. Also how the bad designs of some these countries are
defeated?
Four days later, Zafar Hilaly commented: What is it that Obamas
generals tell him? That the Afghan war can be won and must be fought till
it is won; that Pakistans tribal badlands must be droned free of the Taliban
and if the Pakistanis cannot do the job, to let the much vaunted US Special
Forces do it. And, if the Pakistani nation revolts? Well, to take them on too
from the air, of course, and selectively on the ground. And if the situation
gets too dangerous, to destroy their nuclear capability with the aid, if need
be, of its new strategic partner, India.
From the looks of it, Obama has signed on to such advice because
the recent reshuffle of the national security team with CIA chief Panetta and
ISAF head General Petraeus swapping jobs only makes sense in light of
such a plan. The CIA and the Pentagon are the two most involved
institutions in the American war effort in Afghanistan and the reshuffle holds
out the prospect of a high degree of coordination between them. In fact, it is
now difficult to distinguish between the CIA and the Pentagon. Their
relationship has never been as incestuous
Another ominous turn in US policies was the appointment of Lt
Gen John Allen replacing Petraeus in Afghanistan. With Allen in
Afghanistan and Petraeus calling the shots from Langley and conveniently
on hand to stifle any feeble resistance that Obama and others may put up to
the militarys plans of expanding the war to Pakistan, we will have two
heroes from the Iraq war directly involved in the Af-Pak theatre. One is a
hero for his success in the surge strategy and the other for his counter
insurgency role, especially in the emergence of the Sunni Awakening that
is turning the Sunnis against Al Qaeda. No doubt the surge worked in some
measure due to the Sunni Awakening. But who does John Allen expect to
bring under the anti-Taliban awakening among the Pashtuns? Local Pashtun
tribesmen will never support it at the risk of their lives and Pakistan will
resist it.
Besides, even if the July date for American withdrawal under
Petraeus influence is mothballed current American force levels are
insufficient to do the job. Nor can it be done with the support of the weak,
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thinly deployed and notoriously irresponsible Afghan police or the

preponderantly Tajik officered and manned Afghan army which is
considered as alien a force by the Pashtuns as any foreign force. Petraeus
plans for Afghanistan are as disastrous as were those of William
Westmoreland for Vietnam.
The crux of the problem lies in Washington and specifically in the
presidency. Obama is inherently a weak president. Although he is
personally popular, his administrative and management skills are woefully
poor. And, as Bob Woodward revealed in his account of Obamas handling
of the Afghan war, he shirks from confronting his generals. In any case,
Obama will soon be preoccupied by electioneering and dealing with what
ails Americas limping economy. Hence, for all practical purposes, control of
the war will pass to the cabal of generals led by Petraeus with a Panetta
nodding in agreement.
Zafar mentioned political ambitions of General Petraeus and then
concluded: Stormy conditions lie ahead for the US-Pakistan relationship
as Obamas Af-Pak policy gets more tightly tethered to his overbearing
generals and Obamas weaknesses as a president take a heavier toll on his
time and energy as he himself becomes increasingly tethered to his reelection bid. The pity is that at a time such as this, we have a government in
Pakistan wholly absorbed in a shameful game of political chess at home.
And, if truth be told, a military reeling from the psychological blows cast by
the circumstances of Osamas discovery and death and the insults being
heaped on it from all quarters.
On 30th April, The News wrote about secretary level talks between
India and Pakistan. After the bitter deadlock on the issue of terrorism, it is
not just natural but also in line with diplomatic norms that the two countries
tread slowly and carefully toward the goal of normalizing relations at the
start of a reengagement process. The foremost challenge is that of building
trust. This can only be done through a slow and delicate process that starts
with setting down rules of engagement, restating previously stated positions
and deciding upon a roadmap for removing obstacles, issues and irritants
bedeviling relations between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours.
If judged by this parameter, the two-day trade talks have not ended in
failure but have achieved more than we could previously have expected. The
first piece of good news is that the two sides have agreed in principle to
remove restrictions on cross-border trade and to achieve this, they have
decided to put in place an institutional framework. Thats what we can call
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setting the goal right. The second piece of good news is that Pakistan has
decided to move to the negative list from the existing positive list of
1,946 items which could be imported from India. This should be seen as a
first step toward granting MFN status to India, which has been a longstanding demand of, not just New Delhi, but also of a big section of the
Pakistani business community and economic experts. On the issue of nontariff barriers, which block an increase of Pakistani exports to India despite
the fact that the country enjoys MFN status by India, the Indian delegation
has assured Pakistan of corrective measures. The decisions, including
expansion of trade through the Wahgah-Attari land route, easing and
harmonizing customs operations, allowing investments, facilitating bank
operations and prospects of initiating trade of petroleum products and
electricity are all steps in the right direction.
Despite all the mistrust and a history of acrimony between the two
countries, trade and economic ties are one front where quick gains
remain possible. Public opinion as well as most interest groups both in
Pakistan and India support greater economic and trade cooperation which
offers a win-win situation for all. It is time for the leadership of the two
countries to seize the moment and aggressively push for building bridges of
trust and mutual self-interest through trade cooperation, which in turn may
work as a catalyst for peace and prosperity in the entire region. The small
steps taken in the trade talks appear to be a perfect new beginning to the
process of reengagement. They offer hope and promise bigger gains in the
future.
On 3rd May, Dr Maleeha Lodhi wrote: As a series of meetings of
Pakistans National Command Authority have signaled, the Wests nuclear
exceptionalism for India and the special treatment it has been accorded by
the Nuclear Supplies Group will further accentuate the asymmetry in
fissile material stockpiles to the detriment of Pakistans security
interests.
With India having been provided the means to escape the ban on
additions to fissile material stocks by the assured supply of civilian nuclear
fuel that frees up its domestic production to be diverted for weapons use
the treaty as currently configured would place Pakistan at an enduring
strategic disadvantage.
Unless Pakistans legitimate security concerns are addressed and a
level nuclear playing field created any expectation that Islamabad will yield
to pressure or efforts at diplomatic isolation will not materialize. Countries
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sign up to international agreements when their fundamental interests are

accommodated and treaties accord non-discriminatory treatment to its
signatories. This is the ineluctable principle that forms the basis of all arms
control or disarmament instruments and that guides the negotiating
behaviour of states, big or small, strong or vulnerable. Pakistan is likely to
agree only to a treaty predicated on the principle of equal and
undiminished security of all states.
On 9th May, The News commented on targeted killings of Hazaras in
Quetta. Balochistan is currently facing at least three kinds of violent
conflicts: a nationalist conflict, in which militant Baloch groups seeking
separation and autonomy have targeted Punjabis and other minorities; a
sectarian one, in which militant Sunni Muslim groups have attacked the Shia
community; and a third conflict involving armed Islamist groups attacking
those with opposing interpretations of Islam; examples include increasing
violence against the content and manner of local education, particularly of
women. Government higher-ups and the MQM have condemned earlier
attacks and the latest one in strong terms. But as the saying goes, actions
speak louder than words. Our leaders must prove by deeds that they are
capable of rooting out the menace of terrorism and sectarianism. As the
repeated attacks show, it has taken only a handful of dedicated extremists
against an entire state machinery and local population to turn a once
vibrant Quetta into a city in mourning.
On 14th May, The News commented Indo-Pak talks on Wuller
Barrage: Agriculture makes for a smaller percentage of GDP for India than
for Pakistan. As a lower riparian, Pakistan is sensitive to any hint that
something done upstream might cause it to lose its share of water. But there
is no indication that India realizes these sensitivities. Hawks on both sides
predict that India and Pakistan may fight a water war in the near future
such a doomsday scenario may be exaggerated at the moment but the
argument is increasingly gaining sway, especially in light of ostensibly
aggressive Indian moves. Water is increasingly being elevated to core
status, not quite rivaling Kashmir in intensity but likely to get there if current
trends persist. Water thus, more than ever before, requires joint management.
Pakistan and India need creative solutions to the political stalemate that
could move from water management to broader bilateral rapprochement. A
holistic approach to water resources one that recognizes the interaction and
economic linkages between water, land, the users, the environment and
infrastructure is necessary to evade an impending water crisis in the
subcontinent. Whether politics will follow water or water sharing precedes
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the complementing politics, a successful, long-term, comprehensive

resolution in the region, especially to the Kashmir conflict, will be
impossible without dealing with water. Water will indeed be the carrier of
concord between India and Pakistan.

REVIEW
It was just not possible to keep the most hunted man in the hiding for
ever. What happened on May 2 was destined to happen sooner or later.
Someone, in or out of government, was bound to sell him some day and with
his selling the season of more of do more seemed to have set-in for
Pakistan.
With the killing of Osama in Abbottabad the war on terror will no
more remain monotonous, or stalemated. Pakistan will be subjected to more
pressure by the Crusaders to expand its military operations in tribal and
urban areas and intensify hunt for Zawahiri and Mulla Omar. Doubts will
also be raised about the safety of its nuclear assets.
The Gilani-Karzai joint venture, which was launched during formers
visit to Kabul recently, could be frozen for the time being if not abandoned.
Seventy mortar shells that landed in Angoor Adda on 27 th April could be
taken as testimony in this context. It was no border skirmish, but a deliberate
attempt to sabotage the deal just as there have been drone attacks after every
peace deal in tribal areas. Pakistan could expect more such incidents in
future.
15th May, 2011

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LUTTO TEY PHUTTO

The heading is yet another instance of falling back to the mother
tongue, but this time it is not out of compulsion of running short of English
vocabulary and instead it is a matter of choice. This choice was made by
Mushahid Hussain, who has been editor of English daily newspaper, to
describe the preoccupation of Zardari regime in corruption.
The English translation of the heading would read plunder and
vanish or words to that effect. Mushahids party leaders from Gujarat
thought that there was no wisdom in standing on a side, or sitting like
sweetmeat shop owner, while PPP mob was plundering. Prudence demanded
joining the plunder; thus they joined the government as coalition partners
and Mushahid had no objection.
Of course, the PML-Q claimed it joined the coalition government in
the national interest. But, if fact this was a dual purpose move made by
Gujarati cousins; to take their share in the ongoing plunder and to conceal
what their brilliant son had done in the past. MQM saw the light and staged
a hasty comeback.
The above reconciliatory move by the regime was a major event on
political front. On judicial front the Supreme Court kept struggling to
dispense justice in cases of corruption, but LHC in dual office case stole the
show by stopping Zardari from taking part in party politics. This gave
Zardaris tout from Thana Chauntra to fan provincial prejudices.

NEWS

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The Supreme Court gave two days to the government on 25 th April to

extend service of judges of LHC and SHC. Justice Khwaja remarked that the
court knew how to implement its orders and clarified that now Parliamentary
Committee has nothing to do with the matter.
Another bench hearing a petition ordered completion of ECP. The
Chief Justice remarked that delay in completion of the Election Commission
for the last one year was a clear violation of the Constitution. He observed
that the government has failed to fulfill legal obligations and warned of
repercussions if Constitution not followed.
Sharjeel Memon appeared in contempt case and resorted to favourite
tactics his boss. He asked the court for time because he could not consult his
counsel, Hafeez Pirzada, who was out of country. Memon was told that
Hafeez could not be his counsel because his Chief Minister has asked him to
assist the court. He then asked for one month as he was busy in connection
with annual budget. The court asked him that was he finance minister? After
getting the reply in negative the court adjourned until 27 th April. The Chief
Justice reminded the accused that he was made minister after he picked up
fight with Judiciary.
Rehman Malik, Sherry and Sharmila telephoned Mukhtaran Mai to
sympathize with her over court verdict she did not like because all, but one,
accused were freed of the charge of gang rape. All three of them saw a
potential jiyali in Mai. However, Jamshaid Dasti, who belongs to the nearby
area, praised the Supreme Court verdict.
Chief Justice observed that court has to examine the State Bank of
Pakistan circular 29 whether it was constitutional and legal, regarding the
written-off loans and the court adjourned the hearing till May 12. Bank of
Punjab report failed to mention Pervaiz Elahis role. Bail plea of his son in
NICL case was rejected.
PML-N office and a PML-N restaurant were attacked in Karachi in
retaliation of Shahbazs statement about more provinces in Sindh. Nisar
alleged new NRO was in the offing as result of deal between Zardari and
Shujaat. Both leaders were close to forming broad-based government after
agreeing on carving out new provinces of Hazara, Bahawalpur and Seraiki.
The government failed to provide trade agreements and MOUs to
National Assembly that have been signed with USA, China and Saudi
Arabia. Fourteen textile bodies of Faisalabad announced complete shutdown
on May 1 to protest unscheduled load-shedding and warned of civil
disobedience.
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Mulla Bakhsh Chandio received multi-gun salute on his arrival in

Hyderabad first time after becoming Law Minister. SCBA denied reports
about no-trust move against Asma. Meanwhile, four more people were
perished in targeted-killings in Karachi.
Next day, the Scoundrel and the Saint at last extended services of four
judges of LHC by one year on the last day of the period given by the court.
The bold and not so beautiful Asma Jahangir, however, criticized Judicial
Commission for ignoring rules.
Justice Javed Iqbal observed that nepotism was rampant in Port Qasim
Authority and vowed not to tolerate attitude of Moghlia monarchs. He
passed this remark while hearing a suo moto case of 688 illegal
appointments in grade 2 to 21 by former minister and other government
authorities.
Another MD of Sui Northern was sacked by Gilani on instructions
from Dr Asim. People in Lahore, Gujranwala and Kasur agitated to protest
against power outages; in Lahore they burnt a Wapda office. The issue was
also raised in National Assembly. Meanwhile, four people were killed in
Karachi.
On 27th April, eleven member larger bench was composed to hear
ZAB reference with effect from 2nd May. JI filed a reference for reopening of
the case of Dr Nazir. Five notorious killers were held in Karachi in a major
breakthrough against the menace of targeted-killings. Six people were killed
in Karachi.
Shujaat met MQM delegation and denied any decision to join the
government. For a change, that wasnt ordinary, Gilani said whatever ISI did
that had his governments approval. Apparently, he seemed to be telling the
Americans, but it was meant for Chaudhry Nisar.
Next day, the Bench hearing the PSM scam remarked that FIA lacked
the courage to nab big guns; it only registered cases against small traders.
The court directed appointment of an efficient officer as Chairman of
Pakistan Steel Mills.
The record of ZAB trial, less audio cassettes, was handed over to Law
Ministry. In National Assembly, Khwaja Saad Rafique said if patronage of
Ziaul Haq was made so was to be foster child of Ayub Khan. He refused to
acknowledge ZAB as Shaheed.
Chaudhry brothers met Zardari at dinner to strike a deal to feast
together in next two year. The list of demands presented to Zardari included
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appointment of FIA officer of their choice to handle Moonis Elahis case and
that had already been done.
Commenting on the PPP-PML-Q alliance Muhammad Malick
observed that US was on board and now Nawaz Sharif has to either pull a
rabbit out of the hat or he would get pulled down himself. The rabbit
pulled out the PML-N was pointed out by Tariq Butt. He reported that the
party will enhance close working with disgruntled parliamentarians of
PML-Q.
The Supreme Court sought the details of the cases disposed by acting
NAB chief. LHC reserved verdict on Rehman Maliks pardon in NAB cases.
Appointment of Pemra Chairman was challenged in the Supreme Court.
The government decided to increase the price of electricity by Rs1 per unit.
Talks between Young Doctors and Punjab government failed. Munter
ordered the puppets to ensure safety of Mukhtaran Mai.
On 29th April, the bench hearing the Haj scam case warned FIA to
cancel transfer orders of those officers who were named by the court to
carryout investigations. It said judicial orders cannot be overruled by
administrative orders. Justice Fayyaz termed transfers a bid to render court
orders ineffective. The lately removed officer was also probing Gilanis son.
PPP and PML-Q agreed on Pervaiz Elahi as first deputy prime
minister. Shujaat and Faisal Saleh Hayat met Zardari and the latter offered a
ministry to Faisal Saleh. Asim Yasin saw Zardari and Faisal Saleh friends
again. Gilani and Mushahids staying away from the deal led to more
speculations. Gilani said legislation would be needed for creating deputy
PMs slot. Firdous said PML-Q was strengthening the state institutions.
Farooq Sattar met Shujaat in the evening to discuss political situation.
The Supreme Court stopped CDA from further balloting of plots and
sought presentation of relevant record. Protests against power outages
continued across Punjab. Asfanyar addressed World Pakhtoon Moot soon
after Bharat yatra and declared he was not opposed to demand for Hazara
Province. Senior MQM member was shot dead in Karachi.
Next day, reportedly, PML-Q has been offered 12 ministerial slots.
Faisal Sale Hayat said the PML-Q was expecting moon from the Zardari-led
PPP from lavish share in cabinet answerable only to Pervaiz Elahi, double
share in forth coming Senate election and favourable term for General
Elections. Shah Mahmood condemned nomination of assassin of Benazir
as deputy PM in PPP government.

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Mehtab Abbasi of PML-N termed Zardari Gorbachev of Pakistan.

Qaim Ali Shah responded by saying PML-N leaders are in shock and awe
because of Zardaris political moves, which PML-N leaders have failed to
understand. Meanwhile, prices of petroleum products were increased from
1.8 to 11.8 percent. MQM gave a call for observing a Day of Mourning over
latest killing of their activist.
On 1st May, PPP and PML-Q agreed to form a coalition government in
the Centre, but the document signed gave an impression that it was an
agreement more for electoral cooperation with a view to isolate the common
adversary, PML-N. Both parties also agreed to create Saraiki and Hazara
provinces for fulfillment of the same desire. Seventeen PML-Q leaders will
take oath as ministers, minister for states, advisers and special assistants.
Gilani talked to Altaf and MQM could follow PML-Q soon.
Saleem Saifullah criticized the unholy marriage of convenience of
PPP with PML-Q. He claimed that Zardaris master stroke has sabotaged any
plan for unification of Muslim Leagues and he has virtually isolated PML-N.
Pir Pagara observed that PML-Q was securing its interests. He also asked
that when PM has no powers what would his deputy have?
Shahbaz Sharif termed the alliance a new drama to loot whatever is
lift of national wealth. But, having said that he reportedly rushed to
Rawalpindi to hold secret meetings with military and ISI leaders, along with
Chaudhry Nisar, obviously to discuss the latest political developments
facilitated by ISI which are aimed at damaging PML-N. From London,
Nawaz told Shahbaz to include Unification Bloc in the cabinet.
Six more people perished in targeted killings in Karachi as the city
remained closed on the call on MQM. One policeman was killed in
Mirpurkhas and 16 buses were burnt during protests in Karachi. MQM held
top level meeting and decided to demand from the federal government an
end to the killings.
Chairman Pemra, Mushtaq Malik, was told by the government not to
turn up on duty on 2nd May. He was summoned to Presidency and told
threateningly to leave the city and not to talk to media. This recourse was
necessitated because his tenure has constitutional protection. Meanwhile, it
was reported that Pemra has 24 officials who had failed in written tests.
Next day, fourteen PML-Q MPs were sworn in as ministers and
ministers of state, according to Tariq Butt Zardari tricked PML-q on the
opening day as most of the ministries doled out were unimportant.

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Meanwhile, five people were killed, 39 vehicles were burnt and 98 people
were held in Karachi.
On 3rd May, Zardari met delegation led by Ishrat Ibad; MQM agreed
to re-join the cabinet accepting four ministerial slots. Basharat and Khokhar
were made advisors to PM. Amir Muqam walked out of PML-Q meeting
complaining the ministry he had been given did not exist.
The Supreme Court was told ZAB had faced custodial killing and
hearing was adjourned till 4th May; Babar Awan would continue his
argument. PM approved 2 percent surcharge on electricity bill. Raza
Rabbani resigned as minister to protest formation of coalition with PML-Q.
Next day, MQM formally announced the return of She to the cabinet.
Amir Muqam held a meeting of provincial office holders of PML-Q to
decide resigning a portfolio that did not exist. Bench hearing ZAB reference
asked IG Punjab Police you speak of judges bias, why dont you submit
evidence.
Muncipal authorities confiscated 55 buffalos of Raja Riaz, who
termed it as an act of victimization. Khosa talked of no-confidence move in
Punjab. After LPG price of CNG was also increased. An NICL accused
offered plea bargain for Rs480 million.
On 5th May, Babar Awan said in the court that drama of Bhutto killing
was performed in Lahore; Maulvi Mushtaq signed the death warrant whereas
ordinarily it should have been signed by a magistrate. He also claimed that
there was no MO in jail to certify Bhuttos death. The court asked him to
focus on points of law. And, 35 million fake voters were deleted from the
lists on court orders.
Q League began cracking afresh; its five Senators sat on opposition
benches and five likeminded rejoined. GA Bilour, Railway Minister told TV
anchorpersons to shut up. Mumtaz Bhutto alleged that Zardari was
harbouring killers of ZAB and Benazir. Two political activists were among
five killed in Karachi. One person was killed in violent protests in Gujar
Khan against power outages.
Next day, the court was told that probe into Haj scam was being
reassigned to transferred FIA officials. The Chief Justice said the purpose of
judicial inquiry is to recover plundered money. Hearing was adjourned until
13th May. Challan of Moonis Elahi was submitted in Banking Court. Three
persons were killed and 33 wounded in grenade attack on a gambling den in
Karachi; seven people were killed in other incidents.
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On 7th May, Rehman Malik was acquitted by the court in two cases of
corruption. FIA given two weeks to arrest Musharraf in murder case of
Benazir. Three people were killed in Karachi. Next day, Riaz Pirzada got his
portfolio changed from Minorities to Health, but Amir Muqam refused to
resume charge as minister. Nawaz Sharif returned from London.
On 9th May, favours to Moonis Elahi began with FIA not making the
new piece of evidence as part of the challan in NICL case. During hearing of
ZAB reference the Supreme Court observed that no evidence was found
against Bhutto in 1975. Mohammad Malick called house of democracy a
house of shame.
Next day, Babar Awan was directed by the court to wind up his
arguments in ZAB reference by 11th May after which court would adjourn
hearing for three weeks. The court was informed that Centre and Punjab
were to make Justice Shafi report public.
Two MQM ministers were administered oath. Sindh wrote to IRSA
that water to Punjab from River Sindh should be stopped. Punjab must get
water from River Jehlum only. In NICL case DG FIA was served contempt
of court notice for hindering the proceedings of the court by changing
inquiry officers. Chief Justice said Malik Iqbal did so in Haj case also.
On 11th May, the bench hearing ZAB reference was provided with the
video footage of Justice Nasim Shahs interview. The court directed Babar
Awan to refer it the authority from which it could derive powers to give
opinion on the presidential reference in accordance with Article 186 of the
Constitution. Babar said that the court shouldnt restrict meaning of the
Article.
Chief Justice said that all by-elections from 19 April 2010 to-date
were conducted in deviation of Article 6 of the Constitution and sought AGs
assistance to resolve this irregularity. This observation was made while
hearing a petition filed by Imran Khan while questioning if the government
wanted return of doctrine of necessity. Meanwhile, Zardari went to Moscow
to defreeze Pak-Russia ties, saying these couldnt be kept frozen forever.
May 12 carnage was remembered in Karachi.
Next day, LHC stopped Zardari from taking part in political activities
and turning Presidency into a place of party office and expected him to
resign from party co-chairmanship. Full court gave this verdict after hearing
the petition of Advocate Dogar challenging dual office of Zardari.

679

The observers apprehended that the court decision wont be

implemented by the regime as has been the case in many earlier verdicts.
Asma Jahangir saw no harm in politically active President; she was quite
vocal in saying qabool keia (acceptable). Babar Awan rejected the verdict
before even receiving a copy of that.
Ansar Abbasi noted that LHC has conveyed that Zardari did not enjoy
immunity for his political acts. Tariq Butt saw that options of Zardari have
shrunk after the verdict. Ahmad Noorani was of the view that the court did
not declare Zardaris activities as illegal.
Sohail Khan reported that Chief Justice during hearing of ZAB
reference told Babar Awan to get legislation passed empowering the
Supreme Court to revisit ZAB judgment, because under Article 186 of the
Constitution it cannot do so. Babar contended that there was no need for new
legislation. Meanwhile, lawyers observed Black Day over May 12 Karachi
killings
On 13th May, the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court
directed the Cabinet Division Secretary not to transfer, until a final decision
was taken on the matter, the assets of the Peoples Foundation Trust to the
legal heirs of ZAB. The court was hearing plea against Federal Shariat Court
and Ghinwa Bhutto had also filed a petition for her legal share. Another
bench insisted that it must be known as to who got how much in Haj
corruption case. Musharraf announced staging a comeback on March 23,
2012.
Next day, Gilani addressed an election-related public gathering in
Muzaffarabad and said his government wont topple Punjab government. He
urged the audience to vote for PPP. PPP leaders talked of challenging the
LHC verdict on dual office in the Supreme Court. Three people were killed
in Karachi.
On 15th May, Amir Moqam submitted his resignation as minister to
Shujaat; Zardari talked to him on telephone and assured that his grievances
would be addressed and portfolio changed. Meanwhile, ten persons were
killed and nine wounded in Karachi.

VEIWS
On 26th April, Mosharraf Zaidi commented: There are two lessons
that Imran Khan could have learnt from his cricketing and
philanthropic adventures. The first is that people matter, and therefore,
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change can only come about when the people stand up and make it happen.
The second is that no matter how good a leader, a winning team is made up
of multiple points of talent and skill. Only teams can win team sports.
On most days, it is obvious that Imran Khan learnt the first lesson
well, but did not learn the second, at all. The PTI is a collection of nice
young people, from mostly good families, who are almost exclusively from
the cities. That is a demographic that has had almost zero electoral success.
The reason is quite simple. They dont vote. But even if they were to start
voting, what are the chances that Imran Khans peripheral populism would
catch fire and become a national juggernaut? Pretty low.
Without first and second-tier political talent that serves as a
moderator and regulator of Imran Khans negative energy on the one hand,
and an amplifier and projector of his positive energy on the other hand, the
PTI has no hope of being a legitimate and meaningful political force. In
short, the short-term prospects of the PTI challenging the established
political order should be about slim to zero.
This is why it is stupefying to watch Pakistanis who call themselves
liberal (using a generously flexible definition of the term) to absolutely go
potty over any mention of Imran Khan. As he has taken a stranglehold in the
public space over the issue of drones, liberals have been falling over
themselves trying to do one of two things. Either they seek to rationalize
drone strikes, as necessary to fight terror, or they seek to de-legitimize any
agency that Imran Khan might have as a politician. On both counts, PPP
supporters, including the interior minister, seemed to be the most
distressed about Imran Khan leading a five-thousand-strong anti-drone
rally in Peshawar.
The gamesmanship and politics would be understandable if it was
directed towards a formidable political foe, but Imran Khan represents, by
the calculations of liberal voices themselves, nothing more than an irritant
in the public discourse. The most serious charge against Imran Khan,
that he is a Taliban apologist, deserves scrutiny, because if there is one
thing Pakistan cannot afford, it is equivocal stances on terrorism that claims
innocent lives in Pakistan, or anywhere else.
The misgivings that exist about Imran Khans position on extremism,
terrorism and how to fight these menaces are his own fault. Though Ive not
spoken to him at length one-on-one, Ive heard him speak multiple times on
the issue. He denies the charges vehemently, while seeking a dialogue out of
the conflict in FATA and KP. His emphatic denials of being a Taliban
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apologist however ring hollow and empty if they continue to fall on deaf
ears. If a message never gets delivered, doesnt the message deliverer bear at
least some responsibility?
Some, for sure. But not all. Imran Khans political failures are the
topic of many a cocktail party in Defence, F-6 and over drinks during
hunting trips in the deep south of Punjab, and the deeper rural neverland of
Sindh. But such criticism, while often on-the-mark, does stretch the
imagination. Imran Khan, after all, poses no threat whatsoever to the
established political order. Or does he?
One of Imran Khans consistent areas of success, and a topic of
bitter disappointment for both the rural-focused PPP and the so-called urban
Punjab PML-N juggernaut, is urban youth. The PPP is so desperate for
charisma that it is reopening the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case a case that his
own daughter miraculously never touched in two turns as prime minister.
The PML-N has been deluded into a complacent stupor by the armies of
DMG officers, serving and retired, who do nothing but nod their heads in
pathetic deference to the Sharif brothers. Neither party has any confidence
that it can excite young people in the cities the very young that electrified
Z A Bhuttos political career two generations ago, and the ones that briefly
took the Sharifs onto their shoulders on a fateful March night in 2009.
Imran Khan, on the other hand, does excite young people in
Pakistans cities. Part of this narrative is necessarily naive. It is based on a
starry-eyed hope that slogans, national pride and good vibrations can get the
job of saving Pakistan from itself, done. They cannot. But young people
dont really care for reasoned cynicism. They want something to believe
in. In a country that is urbanizing faster than you can say thaana-kutchehri,
and getting younger by the day, we can dismiss Imran Khan. But we cant
dismiss the energy he is tapping into. It doesnt matter today. But it could.
Sooner than we think.
Three days later, Shafqat Mahmood opined: If governance does not
start improving now, we may begin to sink into a state of anarchy. We
are quite close to this, but are not there yet. If immedi0ate attention is not
paid to improving and reinvigourating the state structure, the decay may
reach a point of no return.
On the economic front, the state finances face an existential crisis.
Again, we are looking for the Americans to bail us out Hafeez Sheikh says
one billion is coming before June but are not ready to take the tough
decisions that will allow us to stand on our feet. There seems to be no
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political consensus when it comes to improving the economy or tackling

the challenge of declining governance. This is certainly not the way forward.
Its opposite is. Is there any possibility of this happening.
The lesson to be drawn from global experience then is that the
nations that are ready to tough it out through difficult times and take hard
decisions are the ones that prosper. Those who do nothing wilt and die. We
have a choice to make.
PML-N leaders starting from the Leader of the Opposition in National
Assembly down to the likes of Senator Mushahid now-a-days are quite bitter
about media attention received by Imran Khan. Ayaz Amir is milder version
of those afflicted by Khan-allergy. He wrote about sit-in staged by Imran:
This is the fond hope. Imran Khan had only to call foe a dharna (sit-in)
against drone strikes and regardless of how large or small the gathering in
Peshawar was; the chattering classes have begun excitedly to talk of a
new knight on the horizon.
We should not under-estimate the Great Khans ability to lose himself
in the wilderness, or shoot himself in the foot. He has done it before. But one
thing has to be said for him. A lesser man would have lost heart long
agoso many disappointments and so little to show for them. He has to be
given credit for preserving. Anyhow, there is a vacuum out there waiting to
be filled. Either a brave adventurer seizes this opportunity or we can dine on
cynicism for another generation.
Kamila Hyat talked of electricity shortage. Chronic power outages
affect many. But these are not the only examples before us of state
dysfunction. And those in power seem to do nothing more than twiddle their
thumbs and make occasional statements promising rapid change It is time
to think deeply about the situation we face. Nothing can be resolved in one
stroke but the process of putting things right needs to begin
immediately. For now, there is no sign of this happening.
On 30th April, Babar Sattar wrote: Do they not realize that given the
ideology, manifesto and political program of the PPP, their party has nothing
in common with the PML-Q, except the shared desire of their respective
leaders to distribute the spoils of office amongst themselves and their
cronies?
Democracy is more than a process. Its pith and substance is a system
of governance that protects and serves the interests of ordinary citizens,
regardless of their political preferences. It is in upholding the substance of
democracy that ineffectual civilian governments falter and as a consequence
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cede political space to generals. While uninterrupted political process is

imperative to realize the dividends of democracy, public support for such
continuity cannot be fostered by a ruling political elite visibly unresponsive
to public needs.
The message of hope springing out of Pakistan: Beyond the Crisis
State is the inevitability of change being ushered in by a growing, informed
and assertive middle class together with a free and vocal media. Pakistan is
not ready to suffer another khaki saviour. But neither is it willing to put
up indefinitely with autocratic civilian regimes engaged in a transactional
relationship with ordinary people, reducing them to petty clients. Business,
as usual, is no longer sustainable. Political parties can either become
vehicles for change or get wiped away as agents of the status quo.
Next day, The News talked of FIA mess. The Supreme Court has
expressed displeasure over the transfer of the FIA officials investigating the
Haj scam and has directed that they be reassigned to their duties. Or orders
to this effect will be issued by the court. The main issue at hand involves the
transfer of Zafar Qureshi, the lead investigating officer looking into the Haj
scandal. The reasons put forward by government officials appearing
before the four-member SC bench to account for Qureshis exit seem
rather flimsy and have quite obviously left the judges unconvinced. There
have been reports of letters making untrue allegations against Qureshi and
statements to the effect that he had been removed after completing his
assignment.
The whole affair is quite obviously a very murky one. What is
becoming clear is that there is a desperate bid to cover up the truth. We
wonder which powerful officials are involved in these doings and who they
seek to protect. It is a true tragedy of our times that even though it is quite
obvious that there has been a great deal of foul play, with ministers and
others clearly implicated, there should be so committed an attempt to cover
up the facts. This clearly adds to the widespread impression that the
government and those who run it have no interest in tackling corruption,
even when it is exposed and media headlines spell out what has happened
for the public to see. Failure to react can only weaken trust in the
government and expose just how determined it is to cover up wrongdoing
using all kinds of crooked means.
In another editorial the newspaper commented: Rumours that the PPP
is linking up with the PML-Q have now materialized as fact The
agreement dramatically changes the political reality in the country. How
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things evolve will need to be observed closely over the coming months.
Another meeting between President Zardari and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain
has been scheduled. Signs of tension within both the PPP and the PML-Q
are also emerging, with the prime minister kept out of the talks with
Shujaat Hussain and the apparent presence of some misgivings within the
PML-Q, with regard to the deal.
The purpose of the odd alliance between ideological enemies just
like the talk of dividing Punjab into two or more provinces is obviously to
hurt the PML-N. Preparations for polls seem to be underway and, as they
begin, acrimony between the PML-N and the PPP also grows. This is not a
good omen. The PM has invited the PML-N to help devise economic
solutions, but this is hardly likely to happen in the present environment. We
live in surreal times. The PM, in a speech to the National Assembly,
astonishingly made little reference to the multiple crises that engulf us,
indicating that all is well and that there is no need to worry. Mr Gilani must
be a little out of touch with reality when he suggests that talks be reinitiated
on the ten-point agenda set out by the PML-N in a final bid to make amends
with its former ally. The PML-N is hardly likely to launch a new attempt to
patch up with the PPP, especially as the link with the PML-Q is sealed.
Other emerging developments also tell of the realities we face. It is
becoming clear that the PPP is planning to play the politics of legacy.
President Zardari has said that Bilawal Bhutto will take on some political
responsibilities later this year. The move seems to be a preparatory step
for polls, and also indicates that the PPP has little to bank on except the
Bhutto name. The party seems quite unable to move beyond the politics of
dynasty. It remains to be seen how far it succeeds, given the situation the
country finds itself in. The emergence of parties such as the PTI as stronger
entities may also play a role in what happens at the ballot, with many people
keen to see new leaders emerge.
Meanwhile, tensions with the judiciary linger on. Whether or not
Chaudhry Shujaat can help sort out matters is still uncertain. The
strained relations between the government and the courts impede the smooth
working of the system and add to the difficulties we face on so many fronts.
They also influence a political climate already fraught with various dangers.
Rapid changes in political line-ups continue to occur and the sense that we
are stuck in a perpetual state of crisis does not go away. Economic disarray,
the energy shortfall and poor governance combine to make the lives of
people harder than ever, with no sign of change despite the insistence by the
government that all is well.
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Malik Tariq Ali from Lahore wrote: When Musharraf suspended the
Constitution he claimed that he did so in national interest. During the next
eight years, the dictator handed over thousands of Pakistanis to the US.
Some other events which occurred during those eight years were the murder
of Nawab Bugti, the Lal Masjid massacre, the May 12 massacre in Karachi,
the NRO deal etc. All of this was done in the name of national interest. Now,
Chaudhry Shujaat wants us to believe that he has decided to extend his
support to the PPP-led coalition government in national interest and
that this has nothing to do with the Moonis Elahis case or his temptation
to be in power.
Samad Hasan also from Lahore opined: The PPP and the PML-Q are
now going to form a coalition government. I believe the only purpose of this
coalition is to defeat the PML-N in the next election. Politics could not get
uglier. No wonder politicians are considered opportunists and looked
down upon in our society.
Shujaullah Pasha from Sargodha observed: A news storyquoted
President Zardari as saying that he and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain were
establishing personal and family relations by keeping aside politics, which
would continue from generation to generation. Does that mean all the
allegations of corruption, crime and political disasters that the PPP has
been leveling at the PML-Q over the past eight years are false? Is
reconciliation the new name for dirty political games?
On 2nd May, Shaheen Sehbai observed: President Asif Zardari has
taken the ultimate plunge in his desperate fight for survival and believes
once he sees off the 2011-12 budget and buys a few months, he will deal
with the ever-demanding Choudhrys of Gujrat and give them lessons in real
politics, or realpolitik, like he did with the PML-N, MQM, JUI and even his
own stunned PPP.
Knowing his track record, the Choudhrys have also tried to build
safety valves and iron-clad guarantees, and the first thing that has been
agreed to is a Dispute Resolution Committee of elders, as each party
anticipates that disputes would come in bundles and hordes. A key real
estate tycoon, who was the main broker in 2008 between Zardari and
Nawaz Sharif, has again played that role.
This unnatural alliance is coming about because both sides are
desperate in their own ways, the one common thread being the looming
fear of corruption cases in which both are deeply entangled and
worried. Both fear the judiciary and want to hide behind executive powers
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for protection. Politics, as such, has been made hostage to personal vested
interests and survival.
But this marriage of convenience is fraught with serious dangers
for the PPP and Zardari himself. The Q leaders are not novices in politics
and power plays. Unlike the newbie MQM or brief case-loving Maulanas,
they know what to demand and how to get their pound, nay ton, of flesh at
the right time.
They know that Mr Zardari is in a tight spot and with the alliance,
suddenly from the gutter they have catapulted into the driving seat with all
the blackmailing powers before the budget. Thus the Choudhrys will
squeeze the last drop of blood and keep the sword hanging even later. It is
not a good thought that the much shrewder Choudhrys will dictate a shrewd
Zardari. A battle of power, pelf and self-protection has just begun. Some
indication has been given by Faisal Saleh Hayat on what the Q-League will
go after
Sehbai listed a long list of scenarios and then Added: There are other
aspects of this development as well. The Establishment probably is, and
should be, more than happy that the QL and the Choudhrys are getting into
the driving seat in a PPP government.
One interesting question Choudhry Shujaat Hussain recently asked a
senior journalist tells it all. The Gujrat leader was seriously worried and
wondering why so far there has been no signal from the usual
Establishment people on what he should do. He is thus not sure whether his
alliance would be liked in the circles which he normally consults before
making such decisions.
But since there has been no signal, it also means that no one has
tried to stop him from going ahead. Mr Zardari does not realize the
significance of this. Once Q-League is entrenched and assumes the decisionmaking role, as deputy PM and in key ministries, the signals may start
coming again and Zardari will be left at the mercy of these political
mercenaries.
The first priority of the Establishment has to be the passage of
the budget because no one wants a disruption in flow of funds. Politics
can wait. Before the budget QL will dictate the agenda. In July Zardari will
start re-asserting and tensions will start rising.
As a joint objective the two sides may go for new provinces in
Punjab and KP but it will be easier said than done as breaking up one
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province opens the Pandoras Box for all other provinces and that requires
an overall real national consensus. MQM may favour a Karachi province
while Pukhtoons in Balochistan may want their piece of the cake. Hazara is
already hot and Seraiki province may hit all the four provinces if language
becomes the compelling principle.
The role of PML-N and Nawaz Sharif in all this political
upheaval still remains ambiguous, as the party is confused, almost
leaderless and directionless. The buzz is that assurances have been given that
Punjab will not be touched but who takes such assurances from Zardari or
the Choudhrys seriously. The irony is that everything is being done to
damage the N League, which seems to be in a state of limbo. Others are
happy that if Punjab starts boiling, the system may be packed up sooner than
later.
If Zardari succeeds, he may hurt Nawaz Sharif but he will also
hurt his own party and will have to depend on the Choudhrys, who have
always been available to any wielder of real power, read the boots. The key
for a change will thus go back in the hands of the Establishment through the
QL. The most pathetic plight is of the PPP hard-core and staunch loyalists
who are numb and dumb, so far, but are desperately waiting to speak up.
They wish the present curse on their party may go away, but only wishing is
not enough.
Asif Ezdi commented: German philosopher Emmanuel Kant wrote in
1784 that from such crooked wood as that which man is made of, nothing
straight can be fashioned. He was making a philosophical proposition. But
what he said is quite literally true of our parliament. Its members have
been elected under a deeply flawed electoral process which places a
premium on corruption; most of them cheat in the payment of taxes; a large
number hold fake degrees; many steal public money; they care little for
national interest; they have been resisting the passage of a new
accountability law with teeth; they are mainly concerned with preserving the
power and privileges of a small ruling class; and they are not public
representatives in any real sense. They are a major part of the problem. From
them little good can be expected.
Ikram Sehgal wrote: Todays parliament has legislators with fake
degrees, and almost all of whom have been elected on bogus votes.
Where is the legitimacy of that parliament? What can be more absurd that
not one of Zulfikar Ali Bhuttos original PPP stalwarts (and almost no
loyalists of Benazir Bhutto) occupy PPP leadership positions in the countrys
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governance. Indeed, what is truly absurd is Dr Babar Awan (of Monticello

University fame), who publicly distributed sweets celebrating Bhuttos
unfortunate hanging, is now a born-again PPP loyalist and leading the PPP
charge to get the partys venerated leader exonerated by the Supreme Court.
Talk about poetic justice, a PPP stalwart contends that such is Bhuttos
power that even from the grave he has made Awan resign as federal minister
and take up the cudgels in his defence.
One can be forgiven for accepting Aristotles reasoning in describing
the state of governance in Pakistan. Once the irrational has been introduced
and an air of likelihood imparted to it, we must accept it in spite of the
absurdity. What indeed is the failsafe line between the Doctrine of
Necessity, and what we have currently in place in Pakistan, the Doctrine
of Absurdity?
The old man Roedad Khan has been disappointed by the generation he
belongs to, perhaps because of the fact that only a few are left of them. He
has also ignored the next generation and has now started looking for the
grandchildren to out for with a revolution. On 3rd May, he wrote: There is a
generation of young students coming of age in Pakistan that is educated,
hard working, innovative and imaginative. But too many of them are also
disillusioned, betrayed, defeated and disengaged. We have a responsibility to
help them believe in themselves and in their power to shape their future and
the future of their country. Can Khan alone inspire them? Does he have
that passion burning within him that will unleash youth power and set the
nation alight? He will lance the poisoned carbuncle and clean the country of
all the mess? That is for sure.
One thing is clear youth anger is on the rise in Pakistan. Young
people have slender prospects of finding jobs, or building a prosperous
future for themselves. Unemployment rates even among the educated are as
high as 80 percent in some areas. Few can travel. Emigration is a frustrating
dream. Things are made worse by cronyism and corruption. Frustration is
brimming over.
In these harsh and difficult political times, the question of
character is at the centre of our national concerns. Of late, in Pakistan,
the question of leadership has come to the fore and the quality of governance
has been held up to ridicule. What is the secret to long-term success? For a
person, party or nation, the element essential to success is character: Fame is
a vapour, popularity an accident, wrote Horace Greeley, riches take wing,
and only character endures.
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If a president or a prime minister has credibility and integrity

and if he is believable, nothing else matters. But, as is the case in our
country today, if he has no credibility and no integrity and there is a gap
between what he says and what he does, nothing else matters and he cannot
govern.
We live in a profoundly precarious country. The current course
of events is unacceptable. But the good news is, we are finally uniting and
beginning to channel this anxiety into action. If young people in particular,
take to the streets as they have in other countries and as they have in the
past in this country, in defence of our core institutions, things will change.
The status quo will shift, corrupt rulers will crumble, and people will once
again believe in the power of the powerless. The long nightmare will be
over. It will be morning once again in Pakistan.
The political momentum now rests entirely with the people. They
can smell the march of their own power. At last, people have found their life
mission, something to fight for, and something to die for: fighting
dictatorship, military or civilian. They have also found the tool to achieve
this mammoth task street demonstrations and dharnas. It is time now for
our men and women to assert themselves. Tomorrow will be too late.
The News commented on the latest political development; or
development of the century. Mr Yusuf Raza Gilanis displeasure over the
idea of a deputy prime minister and his pointing out of the fact that there is
no constitutional provision for such a post may have led to the decision that
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi will initially take oath as senior minister, though it
is possible he may later be elevated. Whether or not this happens, Elahi and
his party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain will obviously be delighted to
suddenly find themselves promoted from the back of the political line-up.
How people react to this development may be key to what the future
holds. Supporters of the PPP may not be delighted to see their party allied
with a force which they consider an arch-enemy and which some believe is
linked to the murder of Benazir Bhutto. It is ironic that a man she identified
as being linked to a plot against her is taking over as senior minister. How
the move pans out for President Zardari remains to be seen as political
events take another sharp turn, adding to a general uncertainty surrounding
the future.
On 4th May, Rahimullah Yusufzai observed: On a day when the
world was following the riveting story of Osama bin Ladens death in a
secret US Special Forces operation in Pakistan, a group of Pakistani
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politicians, oblivious of the momentous event that had taken place some
hours ago 71 kilometres away in Abbottabad, were making merry at the
Presidency in Islamabad. President Asif Ali Zardari, in yet another
political somersault in his career, was administering oaths to 14
ministers belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, a faction-ridden
party that he had not long ago condemned as Qatil League (Killer League)
for its alleged involvement in the assassination of his wife Benazir Bhutto.
This should explain the priorities of the set of politicians now
ruling the country. The oath-taking was an effort to maintain the majority
of the PPP-led coalition government in the parliament through the induction
of the PML-Q nominees in the federal cabinet. The priority was to save the
government and prolong its rule. Saving the country wasnt a concern, at
least not for the time-being and not until the task of securing a stable
majority in parliaments treasury benches was achieved.
Trust the politicians to justify anything and everything they do.
This is what the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Q
leaders did as they made a largely unconvincing explanation to make a case
for their new alliance, which is opportunistic without doubt.
Something unthinkable happened as the PPP and the PML-Q
(not the whole lot but the Q-Leagues mainstream faction led by the
Chaudhrys of Gujarat), joined hands to first ensure the passage of the
coming budget in parliament and then jointly rule the country for the next
two years before the next general election.
This unnatural alliance and the ones brokered before it by the
PPP with the PML-N, the MQM, the ANP and the JUI-F have been grandly
labeled as national reconciliation. The PPP politicians never tire of
arguing that the national reconciliation is being pursued in the national
interest. They dont admit that, but the common people are certain that
personal interest is the motivating factor for all these strange power-sharing
arrangements
Rahimullah dwelled what PML-Q had been saying and then added:
After pocketing the PML-Q, he is now in a better position to lure more
factions of the divided party to his side to strengthen the PPP-led federal
government and put an end to the blackmailing tactics of the other coalition
partners. The MQM, a demanding ally, is said to be considering a return to
the federal cabinet, and this shouldnt come as a surprise considering the
partys past record in making and breaking alliances.

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The PPP and the PML-Q could also attempt a political change in
Punjab, a province which has always been the big prize and is presently in
the hands of the PML-N. Punjab could become the battleground for the PPP
and the PML-N and their allies as the former would be keen to realize its
ambition of capturing the Takht-e-Lahore after having failed in an earlier
effort to oust the PML-N government in Punjab.
Once the PML-Q MNAs and Senators have been accommodated at
the federal level, their colleagues in the provincial legislatures would also
want to become part of the ruling coalitions. The lust for power appears to
be intense in Punjab and one should expect the beginning of horse-trading in
the province, sooner rather than later. In Balochistan, the PML-Q lawmakers
are already part of the 51-member cabinet in an assembly that has 65
MPAs. In fact, the PML-Q had the largest number of MPAs in Balochistan,
but splits in the party meant that the lawmakers made their own deals with
the PPP and enabled it to lead the provincial government. In Sindh, any
PML-Q lawmaker still not part of the government could be easily
accommodated.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the ANP will have to be persuaded to
make room in the provincial cabinet for the PML-Q nominees if a
decision is made to expand the coalition. Cabinet berths for PML-Q
lawmakers in the provincial cabinet would likely come from the PPP quota
as it has made the alliance with the PML-Q without involving the ANP in the
equation. The PML-Q legislators may not refuse cabinet berths in KhyberPakhtunkhwa, unlike PML-N MPAs who declined to join the provincial
government after the 2008 general elections when the relationship between
the PML-N and the PPP was warm and friendly. However, the issue of
creation of a Hazara province could become a hurdle in the induction of
PML-Q lawmakers into the cabinet of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The PML-Q has been spearheading the campaign for separation
of Hazara division from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and making it a province.
The ANP isnt opposed to the idea publicly, but it would still want to keep
the province intact and is keen to make administrative changes by creating
two new divisions in Hazara and Malakand to weaken the demand for a
separate Hazara province.
Keeping in view the ongoing and future political deal-making, it is
obvious that the biggest concern of the ruling parties is to stay in power and
not the critical security and economic issues confronting Pakistan. As things
stand, the remaining two-year life of the parliament would be used by the
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ruling parties to prolong their rule instead of finding solutions to problems

afflicting the country.
Moez Mobeen from Islamabad wrote: The PPP-PML-Q political
marriage is the new solution presented by the political establishment of
Pakistan. Such is the bankruptcy of the political elite when it comes to
providing solutions to the problems of the masses that all they can come up
with is a new permutation of the old faces. Isnt it the basic responsibility of
the government to manage peoples affairs in the most befitting manner?
There is a consensus from left to right that the PPP government has been an
abject failure.
Next day, Ameer Bhutto commented: Zardaris alliance with the
PML-Q to get the budget passed, failing which his government would have
been shown the door, will no doubt unleash a fresh round of applause from
the usual bunch of starry-eyes, awe-struck so-called experts and analysts as
yet another stroke of genius on his part. It matters not that political and
ethical principles as well as all important considerations of national and
public interest are nowhere in sight, but as long as it produces the effect of
rescuing the government from collapse, it is a stroke of genius for
some, even though the nation is already expressing revulsion at such a
brazen sellout on both sides.
All we heard in the run-up to this unholy alliance was how many
seats in cabinet will be awarded to the PML-Q, who will get the most
lucrative and powerful portfolios and who will be deputy prime minister or
senior minister. With the crown prince of the PML-Q sitting in prison
under charges of corruption, one could be forgiven for believing that
there is a whole other aspect of this accord between the PPP and the PMLQ that public eyes are not privy to. But what will the country and the people
get out of this alliance? If either side had even a trace of ideological
foundations and commitments or even an iota of concern for the people they
purport to represent, there would have been give and take on issues of public
interest rather than wrangling over cabinet posts and portfolios.
Ameer went on to briefly what the two new coalition partners had
been doing during the last three years. He then added: The scent of the
Bhuttos has disappeared from the Peoples Party. Truth be told, the
process of jettisoning all traces of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto from his own party
was initiated by Benazir Bhutto herself. She severed ties with the old guard,
who created the party along with her father and who were senior and
ideologically committed office bearers and workers on whose shoulders her
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father rose to power and acquired international fame, to make room for the
very elements that her father struggled against and some of whom even
celebrated and distributed sweets when he was hanged.
His vision and unbending principled stand was watered down and
diluted in the name of political expediency. After Benazir Bhuttos murder,
the new leadership not only completed the elimination of Zulfikar Ali
Bhuttos aura from the party but embarked upon replacing Benazirs
influence with those whom she and her father bore contempt for and made it
a point to keep at arms length.
Adherence to personality cults is an archaic concept and new leaders
must evolve a new outlook and vision for the future based on sound morals
and principles, but this lot has failed to do so simply because it has no
vision, no fresh message of hope. The only crutch they have to lean on to
survive in power is the Bhutto name and they cannot face the people without
literally hiding behind the portraits of Bhuttos to conceal ugly realities. But
now even that spell is wearing off. People demand results and solutions to
their mounting problems which hollow old slogans and appeals to drained
out emotions cannot provide.
In all this, the silence of the jiyalas is deafening. Is there no one left
in the whole party with a conscience, if not at the ministerial or
MNA/MPA/senator level, who have supped full at the banquet of power,
then at the grassroots level? No one who still retains some vestige of
commitment to the principles of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto and
feels genuine pain in seeing their new party leaders embrace their mortal
enemies? Where are all those who wailed and beat their chests hysterically
when Benazir was murdered? Where are all those who make it a point to be
photographed offering fateha and shedding crocodile tears at the tomb of the
Bhuttos in Garhi Khuda Buksh every so often?
How can they watch in criminal silence as their party is
mercilessly dismantled from within, something even military dictators
failed to do? This poignant silence is a crushing indictment of our society as
a whole; we have come to value personal gain more than principles and selfaggrandizement more than heeding our conscience.
But what will happen after all the using and being used is
done? The PML-N, MQM and JUI-F know only too well how things unfold
in alliances with this government. This new alliance is the most unnatural
one yet in the last three years. Troubled times lie ahead, not just for this illfated alliance but for the whole nation, for we have forsaken principles and
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values based on honesty, truth and justice to pursue expediency and a quick
buck. That is why, instead of opting for clean and capable leaders, we prefer
dishonest and corrupt ones who loot public funds and throw a few scraps our
way as well.
On 6th May, Abdullah Hussein from Lahore wrote: Some friends of
mine are planning to collectively write a book about the recent events on the
political stage of the country. They have asked me some questions, to which
I have no answers. So I am throwing them open to the readers. Will
Mushahid Hussain be an active member of the lutto and phutto
organization from now on? Will Faisal Saleh Hayat, hitherto Raja Rentals
nemesis, sit down with the good Raja to claim his share of the kick-backs
from the rental power producers in the name of friendly relations? Will the
good Mirza from Sindh finally give up hounding That Party? Will Maulana
Fazlur Rehman, in due course of time, tell Azam Swati, who is always
bragging about his wealth, to go back to America, and sit down to count
some newly granted PoL licences, including some diesel, and hold his peace
forever? Will President Zardari, whose nostrils start flaring at the whiff of
money, demand his cut from Moonis Elahis foreign account before he frees
the young chaudhry with a presidential pardon? If anybody can supply the
answers to the above, I am sure we will have a smashing thriller for the
perusal of the public, which is already starved of entertainment with the
closure of Geo Super, the only sports channel in Pakistan.
Mehreen Zahra-Malik said it all in first two paragraphs of her article.
Picture this: a magician, creating illusions and pulling a rabbit from a hat.
Now mix with this image a second image from the fable of the Emperors
New Clothes, which turn out to be invisible, leaving the emperor naked in
public. Two illusions in one: of an emperor wearing magnificent but illusory
robes and a conjurer producing a rabbit from a hat.
Now picture the PPP government shedding old rags stained by
terrorism, inflation, price hikes and power outages and putting on a sparkling
new patchwork ensemble of several-point agendas and enemy-turned-allies.
Picture President Zardari pulling out of a hat a national reconciliation
government that will extricate the country from its myriad messes and pave
the way for long-term reform. While the government parades around in its
amazing new duds, how many of us know its completely naked and the
rabbit its holding up is dead?
Next day, Dr Aslam Piracha from Islamabad wrote: Whenever
Moonis Elahi is presented before the court, a huge crowd of PML-Q
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supporters is present outside the court raising slogans in his favour and
showering rose petals on him. Do they really think that by doing so they
could get a judgment in his favour? Moonis should concentrate on hiring
good lawyers and fighting the case in a court of law. I also think that
Mushahid Hussain should come forward and guide his party members
on how to behave in public.
On 8th May, Adnan Adil opined: In Pakistan, pragmatism and rank
opportunism has proved muck stronger that any ideological rhetoric
and it will keep the two parties united and satisfied. For the time being, the
PPP-PML-Q united front has created political stability of sorts and enhances
the chances of the sitting assemblies completing their five-year tenure.
Aoun Sahi wrote: Political pundits have been rather prolific with
their comments on the former foreign minister. Majority of people think he
sided with the establishment at a time when the government needed his
support. He was given a signal that preparations are underway for a
technocrat government and he was promised a big role. But, the
establishment compromised on the issue of Raymond Davis and dumped the
politicians as was done in the past, says Sohail Warriach, a Lahore-based
senior political commentator. He is known as an honest person and is a
spiritual leader but does not have enough resources to make a new political
party. Perhaps he can join hands with Imran Khan. Otherwise, to me, his
future looks very murky. Qureshi himself is mum on the future plans I
will take the right decisions at the right time.
On 11th May, S Khalid Husain observed: A PPP-PML-Q deal has
happened. The deal is as worthwhile for democracy, good governance and
economic recovery in the country as a deal between Ali Babas forty
colleagues and the Pirates of the Caribbean would be. The PML-Q sticking
to the deal will hinge on the deal within the deal, to get Moonis Elahi off the
hook. Interior Minister Rehman Malik has already hit the road on this by
reportedly assigning FIA personnel of the Chaudhrys pick on the case.
For the Chaudhrys, getting Moonis Elahi out of his corruption mess
is more central than any political concern. If Moonis is convicted he could
be in for a long time. If the Chaudhrys get to keep him out of jail, for which
as last recourse a presidential pardon would do nicely, nothing could be a
more fruitful outcome for them.
The Chaudhrys of Gujrat are a matter-of-fact lot. They understood
that without Musharraf and the army to prop it, their party was headed
towards nothingness. The deal with the PPP offers the Chaudhrys party
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a lifeline. Many of its members who were readying to wing their way out,
and many who have gone over to the unification block favouring
unification with the PML-N, or to the PML (likeminded), are beginning to
drool at the prospect of power, even if shared, after the deal with the PPP. If
enough of them return to the PML-Q fold, the Sharifs goose in Punjab
would be about ready for the oven.
The PML-N and the PML-Q were in agonizingly tedious negotiations
to unify, or to have a power-sharing deal. The negotiations were
compounded by the PPPs bait laden enticements to the PML-Q, and further
compounded by Pervez Elahis son the much touted, by dad and uncle,
Pride of Lahore, Moonis Elahi, being in the clink. The Chaudhrys
probably concluded that the most feasible way of getting Moonis off the
hook would be in a deal with the PPP, which has a proven track record of
getting all kinds of people in all kinds of trouble off the hook, if it served its
purpose.
Hence the Chaudhrys opted to serve the PPP purpose. The PPP
purpose is to keep the PML-Q alive and kicking, to counter the PML-N in
Punjab, particularly after one of PPPs leading Punjab stalwarts, ex-foreign
minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi jumped ship, and is hoping to
pull a ZAB on President Asif Ali Zardari, like the one pulled by the real
ZAB, ex-foreign minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, on President Field Marshal
Mohammed Ayub Khan
The Makhdooms appear restless. At least two of them,
Makhdooms Shah Mahmood Qureshi of the PPP and Javed Hashmi of
the PML-N, have broken ranks with their parties. The third, Prime Minster
Makhdoom Raza Shah Gilani is said to be unhappy with the deal with the
PML-Q. The fourth, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Minister of Commerce, is
nowhere to be seen nor heard. Now, he will be required to share the senior
prefix to his ministerial rank with another and, as an added insult, with a
non-party another.
Makhdoom Javed Hashmi of the PML-N has clearly had enough
of the Sharifs style of leadership. He has not quite split, but he has clearly
displayed that there has to be reason for him not to do so. His comment one
needs a doctorate to understand the PPP co-chairmans moves is a
backhanded compliment, which can be interpreted to mean whatever is the
need of the time. It is more a snipe at the Sharifs political acumen.
The Makhdoom is unhappy playing second fiddle to the Leader
of the Opposition, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who in turn, is said to be
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unhappy at the top slots, both in Islamabad and Lahore, being blocked
permanently, for others in the party by the two Sharif brothers. Such a
situation in any progressive, professionally managed corporation would be
cause of acute disgruntlement among the corporations best managers.
The Makhdooms behavioural pattern in the last few weeks, the
disenchantment of many in the PPP with the deal with the Chaudhrys, the
number of wings seen being exercised for possible take off in both parties,
are signs that the PPP, and the PML-N, are both ripe for more breaking
of ranks by their loyalists. But the PPP co-chairman holds a trump card
beyond the PML-Q and the MQM deal in hand.
Enter Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He is the trump Bhutto card in the cochairmans hand. If the review of the Bhutto hanging case does not prove an
effectual attention-grabber, and if the deal with the PML-Q does not produce
the desired results, this card, when played, would end all arguments, or so
the diehard loyalists of co-chairman believe. There is, however, the question
of age and timing before the trump card can be played to best advantage.
Until then, time has to be bided with deals or whatever, with whoever.
Next day, The News wrote: With the swearing in of two new MQM
ministers and a minister of state from the party in addition to the PML-Q
men who entered cabinet ranks days ago, the federal cabinet has swollen to
45 threatening to reach the mammoth proportions of the decision-making
entity which was cut down in size amidst considerable rhetoric only months
ago Though with the latest developments the PPP may have secured a
firm hold on power, it must remember that the true test of success will be
based around the issue of how far it succeeds in resolving the multiple
issues we face and the increasingly complex foreign relations we must deal
with. We must hope that despite the differences of opinion on many issues,
the cabinet can move towards this goal and demonstrate that it is capable of
working together as a unit that puts the interests of the nation ahead of the
interests of any single political party or group.
On 13th May, The News commented on LHC decision on Zardaris
dual office. It will be fascinating to see how the president reacts. By
tradition, presidents have been expected to keep aloof from politics and treat
all parties as equal. However, among legal experts there appears to be some
ambiguity as to what the Constitution says specifically on the matter. Article
43 of the Constitution bars anyone holding the office of president from also
holding a post that brings monetary benefit, but is not absolutely clear as to
positions that do not bring remuneration. Just as important is the matter of
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how the verdict can be enforced. Much of what happens at the top echelons
of leadership is dependent on personal integrity and a willingness to follow
broad principles. When this will is missing, it becomes extremely hard to
implement rules against a man who sits in the place occupied today by Mr
Zardari. That is why so many people ask so often if he should indeed be
occupying the top office in the land at all.
The sense of uncertainty which may now follow is something we
could do without, especially at this time. Not many people can hope the
president will do the honourable thing and quit as head of the PPP. Past
record suggests he may also opt for underhand means to get around the
verdict, by appointing a figurehead co-chairperson, while covertly
continuing to handle party affairs. Much can be done without making
official announcements and it is not easy to monitor what happens at the
presidency. An appeal against the verdict may also be on the cards but
regardless of what happens we see a new scene open in our ongoing political
drama with all heads turned now towards Islamabad as a response from Mr
Zardari is awaited.
Next day, Dr Irfan Zafar from Islamabad wrote: Former law minister
Babar Awan has said that the verdict of the Lahore High Court ordering
President Asif Ali Zardari to stop his political activities is in violation of
fundamental human rights. I request the honourable former law minister
to save at least some sycophancy for the many other bosses he might
have to serve in the near future.
Salman Babar from Lahore did not agree with the notion that the
president indulges in politics as he holds a political office in addition to
being the president of this country. All he is doing is making the likes of the
Chaudhrys of Gujrat and the rulers of Karachi happy. This, definitely, is not
politics. This is cooperation. Also, kudos to the legal expert who says that
the Constitution allows the president to take part in politics.
On 15th May, S Iftikhar Murshed opined: Unless the system is
overhauled, Pakistan will continue to be run by the same set of political
leaders or their heirs. Without exception they have an insatiable thirst for
power but do not realize that authority is a sacred trust and should only be
accepted in humility and in accordance with the spirit of the Latin saying
Domine, non sum dignus (Lord, I am unworthy.) Such humility cannot be
expected from the morally bankrupt leadership of the country.
Next day, The News commented on the role of FIA in hampering the
administration of justice. The Haj scam is a national disgrace and one that
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we should rightly expect to be rigorously investigated and if found guilty the

perpetrators must be punished with the full might of the law. But what do we
see? Two of the investigators namely Jawed Bokhari and Hussain Asghar
who were investigating on the orders of the Supreme Court have found
themselves transferred; and the man who transferred them had the barefaced
cheek to tell the Supreme Court that they were transferred ...in good faith
and that he was unaware of the sensitivity of what they were investigating.
That the DG of the FIA should be unaware of the sensitivity is nothing
short of preposterous nonsense. He would have known perfectly well what
the two men were investigating and either on his own initiative or at the
behest of someone else he had them removed. The chief justice observed
that there had been no progress at all in the investigation since the removals.
There followed a smokescreen of submissions from the FIA regarding
postings, summaries and notifications that served to confuse as well as
obscure and the investigation is to all intents and purposes, stalled. The DG
FIA submitted a report on the transfers to the court which it
unceremoniously rejected followed by a prompt admission of guilt not to
mention incompetence by the DG FIA. Matters are now adjourned to May
27. Expect little progress between then and now.

REVIEW
Zardaris yet another reconciliatory move, which resulted in PML-Q
joining the coalition government, was widely criticized. The criticism from
PML-N and others like it was quite natural, but there were loud statements
of dissent within the ranks of PPP and PML-Q.
Some parliamentarians of PML-Q preferred to continue sitting on
opposition benches. Shah Mahmood Qureshi of PPP condemned nomination
of assassin of Benazir as deputy PM in PPP government. He was referring
to Parvez Elahi who would be Gilanis deputy in deliverance of good
governance.
Qureshi stopped short of saying that it was a classic coalition of killers
for sharing the spoils. If Zardari had termed PML-Q Qatal League in 2008,
there are also many who suspect his and his gangs role in the murder of
Benazir. Qureshi or someone else might say this after some time; till then
they must appreciate that Zardari has made a timely move to get annual
budget passed and save PPP government that too without facing any
nonsense from PML-N.

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PML-N rightly feared about the electoral aspect of this unholy

coalition and apprehended losing ground in next general elections. This was
evident from the irritated attitude of its leaders and partys contacts with
Sindhi nationalist parties. But, if Qatal and Maqtool did nothing more than
plundering, PML-N could gain a bit and that wont be attributable to its own
efforts. PML-N, however, is right in sticking to its principled stand
irrespective of the consequences.
That much about PPP-PML-Q reconciliation and before coming to
LHC verdict two other events are worth commenting upon. The Scoundrel
and the Saint at last extended services of four judges of LHC by one year
on the last day of the period given by the court. Both had no shame in giving
up their egoistic stance.
Hearing of ZAB reference was adjourned with direction to Babar
Awan to tell the law under which the court could give its opinion. Out of
court son of one of the victims of Bhutto Khwaja Saad Rafique, refused to
recognize ZAB as Shaheed. The one way to formalize his Shahdit, however,
is to notify through a Presidential ordinance that all those hanged by Tara
Masih were Shaheeds.
Before receiving a copy of LHC verdict Babar Awan rejected that.
His argument was that to take part in politics is the basic right of every
citizen and to stop Zardari from taking part in politics he first has to be
stripped off his citizenship. Babars crooked mind deliberately ignored the
fact that certain basic rights are not exercised in certain situations.
To quote, all soldiers are forbidden from taking part in politics at the
time of passing out and once a citizen is elected as President he
automatically becomes Supreme Commander of armed forces.
Unfortunately, Zardari happens to be the Supreme Commander of armed
forces of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Babar also made a deliberate attempt to fan provincial prejudices by
saying that there has never been good news from Takht-e-Lahore for smaller
provinces. He accused LHC of being biased against Sindh; whereas he
should have appreciated the five judges who dared calling Sindhi spade a
spade. But, any morally sound viewpoint couldnt be expected from men
like Babar Awan.
16th May, 2011

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OBAMA KILLED OSAMA -IV

About half a thousand governments top brass and parliamentarians,
who come to the parliament for breaking rather than making laws, gathered
in Parliament House in Islamabad on 13th day of May to get informed as to
what had happened on night 1-2 May. They then scratched their heads to
find as to what could be done to forestall repetition of such raids and drone
attacks. To this end they adopted a unanimous resolution well past the
midnight.
Next day, early in the morning militants struck in Shabqadar and
killed nearly one hundred young FC soldiers and wounded about hundred
fifty. The attack indicated that the militants had deliberated, decided,
planned and executed as to what they had to do with the frontline soldier of
the Crusaders.
Americans have also been mulling what they had to do with Pakistan.
As Pakhtunkhwa was left mourning over its sons Munter dashed to warn
Nawaz Sharif and stop him from raising hue and cry over Abbottabad raid. It
was considered important as parliamentarians of PML-N had insisted on
inclusion of drone attacks and stopping of NATO supplies.
It was not enough to deter Nawaz from boasting in a press conference
after meeting with Munter that his party had provided a denture to the
toothless resolution put up by the government. It earned the obvious reaction
from the US; Kerry said: I am coming to Pakistan. And, Hussain Haqqani
was also summoned.
Kerry arrived via Kabul to ask tough questions. He took on the
Troika simultaneously, in which Zardari came to the fore for the first time
since Raymond Davis incident. After the meeting Kerry briefed the media
alone; Zardari and Gilani, who normally cherish the company of American
visitors, remained in the hiding.
He talked tough during inter-action with the media. It was followed by
issue of joint statement, which appeared to have been prepared by Munter.
This statement virtually blew up the unanimous resolution passed by the
Parliament less than three days ago.

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The blowing up of the resolution was confirmed a few hours later with
two drone attacks in North Waziristan. Later, Americans conveyed sorry
over drone attacks saying these had been planned already and could not be
cancelled, yet the message had been conveyed loud and clear.

NEWS
On 13th May, Army, PAF and ISI accepted their failings during incamera briefing to the Parliament. DG ISI presented himself for
accountability. They categorically rejected the impression that security and
foreign policy was being run by military. They asked the Parliament to give
these policies which would be implemented in letter and spirit. Firdous
Ashiq Awan left the briefing midway to announce that Army and ISI have
surrendered before the Parliament.
In reply to questions regarding drone attacks Deputy Chief of Air
Staff, looked towards Prime Minister, and said drones could be shot down
any time if ordered by the government. When asked about Shamsi Airfield,
he again looked towards Prime Minister and said it wasnt under PAF
control. It is owned by UAE and used by US, but government could take it
back if it wanted.
After in-camera briefing and deliberations spread over nearly eleven
hours the Parliament adopted a unanimous resolution condemning the US
Abbottabad raid and called for review of Pak-US relations, constitution of
independent commission, end to drone attacks failing which stoppage of
NATO supplies would be considered. Soon after the passage of resolution
Nisar stressed upon its enforcement.
During the in-camera briefing strict security measures were taken in
areas around the parliament building; despite the tight security protesters
from Parachinar were able to reach the parliament building and shouted antigovernment slogans, despite that PM sanctioned Rs1 billion for the Agency.
Protesters of PTI also followed them shouting anti-US slogans and
demanding resignation of President and Zardari.
Ansar Abbasi reported that Zardari regime emerged as main suspect in
drone attacks. Wajid Shamsul Hasan. Pakistans High Commission in
London termed Osama killing a victory snatched out of jaws of defeat.
Prime Minister turned down resignation of DG ISI. Chairman Joint Chiefs of
Staff cancelled his visit to US.

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Nawaz prohibited Shahbaz from attending in-camera briefing. Anjum

Rasheed in his news analysis warned Pakistan that China might not veto US
move for action inside Pakistan. Pemra issued show cause notice to Geo
News TV for maligning government and Army; Permra Chairman,
however, had resigned. Funeral prayer for Osama was held in Lahore.
Pentagon confirmed that US officials have interviewed three widows
of Osama and found little new information. When Obama informed Bush
about death of Osama he said two words good call. The US started putting
pressure on Pakistan through India.
Wajid Ali Syed from Washington reported that according to an
informed official, the story that a courier helped track bin Laden is just a
cover. The CIA actually learned of bin Ladens whereabouts in August of
2010, when an informant associated with Pakistani intelligence walked into
a US Embassy and claimed that bin Laden was living in a house in
Abbottabad, the official, however, would not disclose whether the Embassy
was located in Pakistan or Afghanistan.
After confirming that the information was somewhat accurate, the
CIA set up a safe house in Abbottabad in September last year to monitor bin
Ladens compound Once it was clear that that the information from the
walk-in source was accurate, Panetta set up a reporting chain from the CIAs
Pakistan station direct to him, a highly unusual move that involved
bypassing the normal official channels.
Meanwhile, the intelligence operatives learned that key people from
an Islamic country friendly to Pakistan were sending Pakistan money to
keep Osama out of the sight and under virtual house arrest, claims the
official. By January of 2011 there was a high degree of certainty that bin
Laden was in the house. In early February, Panetta suggested that the US
should move on bin Laden. But Gates and Patraeus were determined to
avoid the boots on the ground strategy at all costs. CIA chief Panetta was in
favour of an invasion and he finally prevailed.
Next day, Munter met Nawaz to apprise him of the benefits of US
attacks like the one in which Osama was killed. Nawaz held a press
conference after meeting the visitor and urged the government to stop
obeying dictates of agencies and the US. He warned army and agencies
against running parallel governments and demanded presentation of army
and defence budgets in the Parliament. Firdous Ashiq Awan accused Nawaz
of speaking the language of India and the US.

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Tariq Butt and Umer Cheema reported that General Pasha told during
in-camera briefing that Zardari and Gilani had ordered release of Raymond
Davis. Hamid Mir noted that Nawaz remained constantly in touch with party
leaders that led to adoption of the resolution unanimously. Saleh Zaafir
reported that statement of air chief given during in-camera briefing about
PAF having capability to shoot down drones was opposite of what he had
said in DCC. Asim Yasin reported that by the time 12-point resolution was
finalized only one fifth of parliamentarians were present.
Sirajul Haq of JI said in-camera briefing was held to hide the facts.
JUI-F said Pashas attitude was provocative; it was said with reference to
Pashas hinting that JUI-F has been receiving funds from Saudi Arabia and
Libya. Pasha had claimed having shouting match with Panetta during his last
meeting in Washington over CIA activities.
The regime planned to send copies of resolution to the US and the
UN. Hussain Haqqani arrived in Islamabad after he was summoned for
meeting Zardari. PPP leaders kept rejoicing over army and ISI surrender
before the civilian government. A writ petition was filed in LHC for
declaring Munter persona non grata. A US national was arrested for
espionage; he was roaming near nuclear installations in Fatehjang area.
US House Intelligence Committee Chairman claimed Zawahiri is also
hiding in Pakistan. Senator Kerry said there were serious questions relating
Pak-US relations. He said all options were open if Mulla Omar found in
Pakistan and he claimed most terror attacks in Afghanistan were planned in
Pakistan. During his visit to Pakistan starting on 15 th May he planned to
insist on reduction of atomic assets.
A petition was filed in US Federal Court for release of Osama photos.
British newspaper claimed that ISI has endangered lives of people of
civilized world by stopping sharing of terror intelligence with the West. It
was reported that ISI officials used to visit Abbottabad frequently to meet
Osama.
Amrullah Saleh, former intelligence chief of Afghanistan, claimed that
he traced the al-Qaeda leader to a Mansehra, 12 miles away from
Abbottabad in 2007. He claimed that he had confronted Musharraf with this
information. In his interview to a US TV channel he also claimed tracing out
Taliban leaders to Quetta area.
On 15th May, Hussain Haqqani spent a busy day in meeting political
and military leaders and warning them that the US has almost exhausted its
patience over Pakistan. Troika discussed independent commission and also
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decided to take joint stance on ties with US. Kerry arrived in Islamabad after
having met Karzai; termed Pak-US ties in critical state; met General Kayani
to discuss post-Osama scenario; after the meeting telephoned Zardari.
Hillary also talked to Zardari on telephone.
More information about in-camera briefing was reported. Military
leadership dubbed the US unreliable friend and claimed CIA and RAW
were out to destabilize Pakistan. Anjum Rasheed reported that the
Parliament acted in haste as US and Europe could cut Pakistani exports and
use alternative route for NATO supplies.
Political and religious parties joined hands to hold protest rally in
Lahore and demanded review of relations with the US. Hafiz Saeed urged
cutting of US supplies. Munawwar Hassan termed in-camera briefing as
eyewash. Gilani claimed in-camera briefing a great success of his
government.
The US fell to the lows of its propaganda against its deceased enemy
and claimed SEALS had recovered pornographic material during raid. He
was also visited by Taliban and Arab fundraisers. Sunday Express claimed
that US troops would be deployed if Pakistans nuclear assets come under
threat from militants. Saleh Zaafir reported that Britain was playing
mediatory role in mending fences between US and Pakistan.
Next day, Kerry held meeting with Zardari, Gilani and Kayani
together and after the meeting he briefed the media. He said that he has not
come to Pakistan to apologize but to convey concerns of America about the
sanctuaries of our enemy on Pakistani soil. His intent was to rebuild the
trust and he had assured Kayani and Pasha that US was aware of the feelings
of Pakistanis.
He stressed that it was in the interest of both the countries to put the
things back on track; time to press reset button on Pak-US ties has come
He was pleased that he had reopened the dialogue and now the Government
of Pakistan has to find ways to increase cooperation. He also told that two
US officials would visit Islamabad next week to keep things moving.
He told emphatically that America wanted action not words. He
named Zardari, Gilani, Kayani and Pasha, who had assured him to do so and
all four of them were widely criticized by Pakistanis after Abbottabad raid.
The joint statement said both sides agreed to act jointly in future. He was
prepared to give in writing in his blood that the US had ill-intentions about
Pakistans nuclear assets.

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Kayani in his meeting last night had told Kerry about widespread
resentment in rank and file of Army over Abbottabad raid and before
meeting Kerry the civil and military leadership of Pakistan was on one page.
Reportedly, Kerry asked for tail of crashed helicopter and Pakistan agreed.
Ten persons were killed in two drone-launched missile attacks in North
Waziristan and late night news was planted that the US has regretted.
Nawaz Sharif said no one, even Army, was above the law or more
important than Pakistan. He said Pakistan should refuse taking aid before
America stops that. He declared that PML-N would seek resignation of
President and PM if probe found unsatisfactory. Shahbaz Sharif vowed to
give up foreign aid as it hampers national prosperity and promotes
unilateralism for foreign powers.
America pulled out all its 375 military personnel from Pakistan except
40 imparting training to FC troops in Warsak; some of them would also be
withdrawn soon. Jihadi outfits silence over Osama killing remained
intriguing for observers. Two persons were arrested for links with owners of
Osama Compound.
Geo TV polls on Osama killing and dangers to Pakistans atomic
assets revealed that most Pakistanis were unhappy over the killing and 50
percent believed nuclear assets were in danger. Most people didnt believe
his death and 77 percent considered US as enemy of Pakistan. Eight out of
ten were unhappy with Zardari and blamed him for the release of Raymond
Davis. Seven out of ten disliked Gilani.
US media voiced concerns about the safety of Pakistan nuclear
arsenal and Obama has reportedly signed orders to plan to secure these
weapons when threatened by militants. Hillary telephoned Gilani.
Manmohan Singh met services chiefs and discussed post-Osama situation in
the region. Javed Rashid reported that Saifal Adel was made acting chief of
al-Qaeda and Zawahiri continued as patron.
Ahmedinejad said in an interview that Iran has credible information
that Osama was in US custody before the raid in Abbottabad. Because of the
bad health of the captive the US administration decided to kill him in fake
attack to take some advantage politically and militarily.

VIEWS
On 13th May, The News observed: While the government apparently
wrings its hands in indecision over the Abbottabad raid by US forces, PML707

N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif, at a press conference in Islamabad, has

demanded that an inquiry into the affair be set up under a commission
headed by the chief justice Sharif has also asked why the government is
reluctant to set up such a probe. Certainly the questions raised by the
PML-N chief are highly relevant. The US action on our soil has had an
impact on all of us. As citizens, we all want to know what happened and find
out about the security lapses involved, and considering the nature of the
fiasco it may be difficult to expect an inquiry conducted only by the army to
have a satisfactory degree of credibility.
We must not attempt to push things under the rug and try to
eradicate troubling thoughts from our collective memory The
demonstration staged in Islamabad to coincide with the press conference
seems to be a part of this effort. At this crucial point in time, it is vital that
the government acts as a strong body capable of putting national interest
ahead of all other considerations. The suggestion from the top PML-N
leadership is a wise one. There have already been warnings, by former
foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi among others, that the US is
considering more such action within our borders. We must do all that we can
to ensure that we are in a position to defend our territory and sovereignty.
The government must act to ensure that this happens; closed door briefings
to the cabinet are insufficient under the circumstances.
Shafqat Mahmood commented: Beyond the public anger and
political point-scoring lies a wasteland of expectations. We did not expect
to find Osama in our heartland. We did not expect our agencies to be so
clueless about his presence, if he was here. And, we did not expect that the
Americans would be able to come in, carry out an operation, and leave
without our knowledge.
This noise about finding out who is responsible is a form of national
catharsis. We want to know who is responsible for shattering our makebelieve world, who has dashed our illusions. The problem is that even if we
do, it would end up in another bout of national self-flagellation.
Nations go through difficult times, survive, and later prosper
because they know where they are going. When there is confusion about
objectives or no clear appreciation of reality, the crisis is deep and coming
out of it, difficult.
Take the debate about what inquiry is the best means of finding out
what happened. The government has appointed a serving Lt General to do
the job but the PML-N is not happy. It wants a judicial commission. Nawaz
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Sharif is right that the inquiry should be independent and should look
into all aspects of what the nation considers a terrible tragedy. The difficult
parts are the method and the outcome of such an inquiry.
If it were a public inquiry, would it expose to the world our internal
shortcomings? Would this be in our national interest? And, if it is secret,
would we ever know what really happened? Again, what is the objective? Is
it to make some heads roll, as Haqqani has promised? Or is it to make our
institutions more effective, as Nawaz Sharif says?
All these issues need careful handling. There is little doubt that
events in Abbottabad must lead to soul-searching. But, we have to handle
the process with care. Even if the government accedes to the PML-N request
for a judicial commission which it is unlikely to the terms of reference,
the operational methodology and public exposure of the outcome need to be
thought through.
It would serve no purpose to throw the baby out with the bath
water. Yes, we need to change the way we operate. Any impression in the
wider world that our intelligence agencies or at least some underlings are in
cahoots with terrorists is terribly damaging. We may go blue in the face
arguing that this is not true but when evidence such as Osamas presence
near our premier military academy surfaces, it is awfully hard to plead
ignorance.
Also, the suspicion that our defence preparedness is not up to the
mark needs to be addressed. It is true that the US with a defence budget
greater than all the military budgets put together in the world, is a
formidable power. It is not easy; in fact, it would be suicidal, for a small
third world country to take on a superpower.
But, it is still difficult to believe that none of our systems, however
technically inferior they may be, were able to detect an alien presence for
over two hours on our soil. There is a growing suspicion among many
who are well informed that we knew about the operation but chose to
pretend otherwise because of fears of a domestic backlash.
If there is an iota of truth in this, we have committed a terrible
mistake. It would have been much better to face a public outcry at home,
or further targeting by al-Qaeda, then face international censure. If it is
not, than we need to look again at our preparedness. In any case, these
questions need to be resolved.

709

The particular analogy of baby and bathwater also applies to our

political leadership. Its shortcomings are obvious. When leadership was
required to handle the fallout of Abbottabad, our leadership carried on
as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The prime minister went
on tour of France, the president to Kuwait and when last heard of, was in
Russia.
Institutional mechanisms to handle such emergencies were
nowhere visible. There was no plausible media response and the Defence
Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) has only been called 10 days later. If it is
deliberate the purpose being to let the military face the public ire it is
unforgivable. If it is incompetence then our top office holders need a crash
course in leadership, otherwise we are doomed.
The important point is There is no choice but to struggle
through the failings of the current political leadership and hope that
another election will bring about a better dispensation. This dilemma is in
some ways similar to the one we face in handling the aftermath of
Abbottabad. We are short of options and the only viable possibility is to
learn from our mistakes and hope for better times to come.
Another issue that we have to work through in these difficult times
is the future of our relationship with the United States. Some voices are
beginning to be heard that we must review this relationship and seek out
new strategic partnerships, with China and Russia. One TV report has
claimed that this decision has already been made.
Again, like the other two issues discussed above, there is a need to
think through our options carefully. It would be foolhardy to imagine that
we can build a strategic partnership with Russia. People who say this have
no clue about the history of our relationship with this country for the last 50
years or more.
China is a very good friend and is perhaps the only country in
the world that gave a supporting statement after the Abbottabad incident.
However, it would be unwise to test this relationship too much. China is
focused on its economic development. Whether it would be willing to get
into a strategic partnership with us that has anti-US overtones, is difficult to
see.
It is not particularly wise to jump into an adversarial position
with the US from being in one of close partnership. Yes, there is a need to
re-configure this partnership and the best way to do so is to think more about
our economic dependence on it. If we can do without US aid, we must do so.
710

It is galling to hear American politicians and commentators repeat that we

take their money and then have the audacity to question them.
But, while doing this, we dont have to get into an adversarial
position with the US. There are many areas where our interests converge and
others where they do not. We have to develop a new relationship where our
interests are appreciated. Not seeking aid from the US would make this
easier. To stand on our proverbial feet, we will have to change. The
Abbottabad incident is both a challenge and an opportunity. If we learn
from it, nothing can stop us from going forward.
Harris Khalique opined: The sovereignty of Pakistan is
jeopardized. We must strike back if this happens again. It is an intelligence
failure. This amounts to sheer incompetence of the civilian and military
leadership. We have given into the wish and will of the Americans at the cost
of our dignity and interest. We are backstabbed by the so-called strategic
ally. As if the drone strikes on our territory were not enough to jolt our
national integrity and pride. The Abbottabad incursion of the US forces
without taking us into confidence or involving us in its execution crosses all
limits. Our tremendous sacrifices over the last decade confirm that we were
more committed to the war on terror than any other country.
Independent inquiry is needed. A high powered judicial
commission must be established. Heads must roll. Heads may roll. Heads
will roll. The president and the prime minister should resign. The army chief
and the director general of the prime intelligence agency must quit. The
interior minister should go. Our television screens, newspaper columns and
coffee table chats echo all these voices coming from different politicians,
members of the intelligentsia and a number of journalists.
What is needed at this stage is not for them who call the shots to
resign from offices they hold but resign from the ideas they espouse.
This surely is an arduous task but far easier when compared to seeing the
country collapse totally, state failing irrevocably and the already fragmenting
society break into smithereens.
It was neither operational incompetence nor an intelligence
failure. It was the failure of how we view ourselves, how we see the
world, the means we have employed to achieve what we wish, our
perception of what our real threats are and consequently the solutions we
seek to quash these perceived threats.
While the swearing in ceremony of PML-Q ministers into the PPPled federal government on the very next day of Osama Bin Ladens death on
711

our soil at the hands of Americans is being seen by some as an evidence of

sheer indifference and deplorable apathy on the part of the politicians, to me
it simply confirms the extrication of the civilian government and
parliament from the war on the western front that is also being waged
within our borders. It reflects on the all encompassing role of the military
when it comes to making decisions concerning both our foreign and defence
policies and then translating those decisions into action.
Remember, after taking charge of the political government, the prime
minister announced that he is happy with the military taking a lead role in
defining the course of action in the war being fought against terrorism. And
it goes without saying that the military leadership and the part of
bureaucratic machine hand in glove with them wouldnt have let the
political government assume the full decision making role anyway, even
if the prime minister had said something otherwise.
But Abbottabad brings him an opportunity. It is now incumbent
upon the political government to take charge of matters pertaining to our
internal and external security with parliamentary oversight rather than
bailing out the institutions responsible for disastrous policy choices in the
past.
It is time for the military establishment to humbly listen to the
alternative voices it has detested for so long. It is time to proactively
dismantle all terrorist outfits. It is time to work in the interest of Pakistan
rather than working against the interest of some other country. It is time to
submit to the role assigned in the constitution.
Ayaz Amir is a chronic critic of Armys strategic thinking. He wrote:
We should be grateful to the Sheikh, our benefactor in death. For the trail
leading to him has forced upon us, citizens of perhaps the most confused
republic on earth, the soul-searching we would never have succumbed to
on our own.
Masters of living in denial, champions of a creative fiction that could
have flourished in no other land or clime, only an earthquake of the
magnitude of Abbottabad could have opened our eyes and led us to
examine some of the tenets of our strange national security beliefs.
Yet the guardians of these beliefs are still trying to fight a
rearguard action, hoping to deflect the harsh winds of criticism blowing in
their direction. Addressing officers in various garrisons, the previously
lionized but now out-of-luck army chief, Gen Kayani, came up with this

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explanation: Incomplete information and lack of technical details have

resulted in speculations and misreporting.
So its all down to incomplete information. Whats incomplete
about Osama bin Laden being discovered in Abbottabad and an
American attack team, in the darkness of a moonless night, making it to
his compound and flying back to Afghanistan undetected?
Consider also this plaintive wail: Public dismay and despondency
has (sic) also been aggravated due to an insufficient formal response which
amounts to saying that better spin could have softened the impact of this
disaster. When the mountains quiver and shake still an attempt to clutch at
straws.
Why dont we try honesty for a change? Why dont we stop
howling about violated honour and breached sovereignty when we, with our
own virginal hands, mortgaged our sovereignty in the first Afghan jihad?
The Americans did not force themselves upon us? Gen Ziaul Haq invited
them
Ayaz mentioned Kashmir and Afghan jihads and then added: Without
getting into the discussion whether anyone in Pakistans security hierarchy
knew anything of Osamas whereabouts or not, the sobering point for us to
consider is that of all the countries in the world Osama could hide only
in Pakistan, not because anyone was complicit in his hiding but because of
the kind of society we have managed to create.
After 30 years of pro-jihadi policies, from one end of the country to
the other, from Peshawar to Karachi, we have created a support network
for jihadi sympathizers. And the entire thrust of our foreign policy, with
its emphasis on influence in Afghanistan and undying hostility towards
India, has lent philosophical support to this network. This is a physical
network and a network of the mind and both supplement each other
We should have intercepted their helicopter intrusion into
Abbottabad. But perhaps it was all for the best that the gods of the night
were kind and we were able to see and intercept nothing. What if, as those
shouting the loudest about sovereignty would have wanted, our Shaheens
had scrambled and shot down one or two helicopters? How would America
have reacted if, as daylight broke, it was revealed that Osama had been
discovered in Pakistan? It is mind-boggling to contemplate what then might
have happened.

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Let us condemn the US by all means but let us also look within
ourselves to see as to how with our bizarre ideological preoccupations we
have disfigured a once beautiful country, with so much promise in it, and
made it the butt of international slander and derision. Headquarters of global
jihad, home to so many of Al Qaedas leading figures, the footprints of so
many terrorist acts originating from or leading to Pakistan. Is this a legacy
and a reputation to be proud of? Which world are we living in?
If it be not too cruel to say so, we have been living a lie for too
long and, if at all we are interested in what we like to call national honour,
we must return to the paths of truth, concentrating on setting our house in
order, working to make Pakistan a civilized country, an example for the rest
of the Muslim world to follow, instead of becoming a bastion of everything
that can be classified as backward and reactionary.
The Abbottabad affair is thus less a tragedy over which we
should tear our hair and mourn endlessly and more an opportunity to
re-examine some of our more cherished concepts and turn a new leaf in our
life as a nation. But if we dont change even after this wakeup call, then
heaven alone help us. Our nukes, alas, would be of little use.
Mir Adnan Aziz opined: History is being written by victors, as Aesop
noted it is. Since Bin Ladens death is being presented as justification for the
United States wars across the globe, it could herald further atrocities, and
lead to the murder of hundreds of thousands more in Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere.
Bin Laden was presented as evil incarnate bent on bringing about
Armageddon. In reality, he was a mere symbol, a figurehead, and one
who was secluded and in hiding. The CIA set up a safe house at
Abbottabad with multimillion-dollar surveillance equipment to keep tabs on
Osama bin Laden. On the other hand, Bin Laden had an old television set
atop a rickety table. How was he able, without any communication devices,
to remote-control al-Qaeda and mastermind terrorist attacks worldwide? The
truth has been the greatest causality in the United States War on Terror.
Global peace now depends on how the US fills the void created by
Bin Ladens death. Now that he is gone, Americas occupation of
Afghanistan and drone attacks inside Pakistani territory ought to come to an
end. However, Hillary Clinton has announced that the fight continues, and
we will never waiver. And in his triumphal speech following Bin Ladens
death, President Obama declared: We are once again reminded that America
can do whatever we set our mind to.
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With the removal of the bogeyman after a 15-year, three trillion

dollar manhunt (counting the costs of related wars too), Mr Obama should
now set his mind to becoming a more deserving recipient of the 2009
Nobel Peace Prize, not taking out more of Qaddafis sons and
grandchildren
Prime Minister Gilanis all-smiles visit to Paris with a fifty-strong
delegation in tow signifies the all-is-well mindset in Islamabad despite
the embarrassing Abbottabad episode. President Zardari plans to grace
Kuwait and Russia with his presence now. At this crucial juncture, the
clueless National Assembly is meeting, but with Speaker Fehmida Mirza in
the United States. After the departure of Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the foreign
ministers slot remains vacant. Meanwhile, things are not helped by the
statements of our ambassador in Washington, Husain Haqqani, not to
mention the celebratory messages by President Zardari and Prime Minister
Gilani after the Abbottabad operation.
The best way forward would be an honest appraisal of the
situation, which is absolutely imperative. The key is accountability. If there
is no accountability there will be more debacles of this kind to come. We all
make mistakes, but the biggest mistake will be made if we refuse to
recognize and fix our errors at the earliest. It would be futile for us to harp
on about past successes, which do not justify present failures, and those too
of the magnitude of the Abbottabad episode.
In the days to come the treasure trove of information in the CDs and
other material said to have been found in Bin Ladens compound in
Abbottabad will spring far more surprises than any information Bin
Ladens captured family can provide us.
A principled and firm stand is needed to counter the US
propaganda salvoes, not reactions of panicked apologies and appeasement.
We may hear of Pakistans uranium cakes, the kind that Saddam Husseins
Iraq was accused of having imported from Niger. Who knows, even rumours
could be started and disseminated about meetings between Al-Qaeda and the
Taliban at some Ilyasi Masjid in Pakistan. We may also get to hear about
terrorist contacts within the armed forces and a supposed nexus between
Al-Qaeda and Hafiz Saeeds Jamaat-ud-Dawah, and goodness knows what
else all in preparation for a move against the Quetta Shura and
Jallaluddin Haqqani.
In the heat of the triumphant moment, the Americans have
forgotten Pakistans sacrifices in the War on Terror. Just two nights before
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the operation which killed Osama bin Laden, Gen Kayani was chief guest at
a sombre Yaum-e-Shuhada (Martyrs Day) ceremony at the GHQ. Not an
eye was dry. Even the sky above sent down a drizzle that night. The
Americans couldnt have been expected to share our sorrow anyway, but of
course, they were busy planning Operation Geronimo.
All said and done, the greatest intelligence failure may not have
occurred in the shadows of Thandiani. The ultimate failure was for
Pakistan not to have gauged the United States malice unlimited, which
led to our being dragged into an alien war.
Chris Cork observed: The life the family led inside their compound
was utterly unremarkable as well. They kept rabbits, had a few goats and
grew some of their own vegetables. They did not go in for ostentatious
furnishings and led a life more simple than luxurious. The children were
mostly home educated it is said because of fears for their and Bin Ladens
security but again it is not at all unusual for very conservative families to
home-educate like this and at least one of the wives seems capable of
providing the basics of an education.
In his very ordinariness Bin Laden was no different to his
terrorist contemporaries. Some of the men who bombed the London
underground had families. The man who unsuccessfully tried to bomb Times
Square was outwardly a model citizen complete with wife and child. Look to
history...Hitler loved his dog. Stalin doted on children but he was also the
man who said that one death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic. Ivan the
Terrible was famously good to his domestic staff but is also said to have
eaten one who displeased him. Chris cleverly equated Osama with Hitler
and Stalin, but British and US leaders of the past and today excelled far
ahead of them in Stalins statistics.
There sits within all of us the capacity to do good or ill. Most of us sit
on the good side of the scale for most of our lives, and regret our ills when
we reflect on them. Most of us are ordinary in the sense that we have not
risen above the common weal, living lives that are inconspicuous and a mix
of good deeds and bad. Osama bin Laden will have believed to the last
moment that he was leading a righteous life, and that his mission was
just. He believed he was right. He rose above the ordinary to become a
personification of evil for many, perhaps a majority, but certainly not for all.
There are ordinary men and women who pray today for him. It is for the rest
of us ordinary people to make sure that our minds are not led down dark

716

paths, paths where we find ordinariness in butchery carnage and destruction,

based on what we are sure are the rightness of our beliefs.
Dr Muzaffar Iqbal was of the view that many employees at the OBL
Industries, Inc would soon be looking for other jobs, but those who wrote
the main script still have a lot of work ahead of them and hence they can
take comfort in their secure jobs, even though they produced a botched
blueprint when they started out. The script was still-born on September 12,
2001, the day after the horrific events of 9/11
Still born it may have been, but the first grand opening did not
lack lustre, awe, and shock. The initial shocking power was built into the
script itself: the world was forced into knowing all about Osama bin Laden,
his terror network, his plot against Americans, his recruits, his financial
resources, the long trail of hijackers, and the training camps in Afghanistan
within an amazingly short period of 48 hours! That was the shock, more
subtle and certainly longer lasting than the shock of that terrible day on
which some 3000 Americans died and which gave birth to a mass-hatred
against Islam and Muslims in the western world that has remained to this
day a potent force across Europe and North America. Even after a decade it
ensures election victories for war mongers and, in some cases, for outright
racists who would outshine Nazis any day of the week.
It was the speed with which a co-opted media disseminated this
script, which increased its shocking impact. The result was astonishing;
even a million Noam Chomskys could not make a dent in the official
narrative. No one would even pay attention to the few officials who had the
moral courage to say in public what Robert Mueller, the head of the FBI,
said in April 2002: After the most intensive investigation in history, the FBI
could say no more than that it believed that the [9/11] plot was hatched in
Afghanistan, though implemented in the UAE and Germany. Chomsky
added: What they only believed in April 2002, they obviously didnt know
eight months earlier, when Washington dismissed tentative offers by the
Taliban (how serious, we do not know, because they were instantly
dismissed) to extradite bin Laden if they were presented with evidence
which, as we soon learned, Washington didnt have. Nothing serious has
been provided since. There is much talk of Bin Ladens confession, but
that is rather like my confession that I won the Boston Marathon. He boasted
of what he regarded as a great achievement.
For the script writers as well as their pay masters, these are mere
footnotes which, they knew, were not going to make a difference in a
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world where all channels were broadcasting His Excellencys script. They
knew it well and hence they were not bothered about taking Noam
Chomskys. In any case, it was not the job of the script writers; it was the
headache of their masters; the script writers were only required to keep
churning out text at a pace that would not allow any gap for any alternate
narrative to emerge and this is what they have done with great success for
ten long years.
There have been Osama bin Laden tapes and videos and alQaeda websites, but the amazing thing is that no one has ever asked:
since all websites need host servers, a traceable IP address, a physical
computer which can be easily located even by commercial software, how
has it been possible for a terrorist organization to operate stable websites for
so long?
Since this is a slightly technical question, let us investigate it more
closely. The latest story by one of the Osama script writers provides a
much easier way to understand the dilemma of the monochromatic
narrative. It is a fantastic script that throws mud on the face of Gabriel
Garcia Marquezs much touted magical realism. The first long sentence
reads: Three women, 12 children, cows, rabbits and chickens all hidden
behind the high wall where Osama bin Laden carved out a family life, set to
the gentle rhythm of changing seasonal crops outside his house gate at
Abbottabad Pakistan. This is immediately backed up by an eye-witness
account: On Tuesday [a] Pakistani soldier took mobile phone video footage
which offered a final glimpse into a rustic simple life. A dozen eggs sitting in
the kitchen sink, a few dishes on the side large wooden cupboards bare and
open.
Anyone who has ever lived on a farm or dealt with animals or
who has seen a chicken coop will immediately ask: who took care of these
animals? Cows cannot be left without milking, who milked these cows?
Chickens and cows produce a great deal of refuge, where did that go,
especially when not many people were ever seen going in and out of those
gates? Likewise, cows and chicken need to eat; who brought their fodder
when we are told that there were only two brothers who lived with Bin
Laden, who himself never left the compound? For this kind of farm, there
needs to be a lot of traffic in and out of that compound.
These and other similar operational details make the script a
mere figment of the imagination of a city person, who has never stepped
into a Pakistani village. But never mind, this, and similar narratives will
718

continue to appear in the western media and the faithful servants of the west
in the Muslim world will continue to reproduce them. No one has the
courage, moral honesty and even basic human decency to say: Enough; the
man is dead now, let us at least respect the dead, pack up this OBL industry
and find something else; after all, there is the living horror of Libya and
further afield, those of Syria and Yemen and the entire Middle East.
Farrukh Saleem opined: Obama can now declare victory, withdraw
from Afghanistan and try to win the next election. Some heads may roll
in Pakistan and history, as they say, is the short trudge from Adam to atom.
In all probability, the US and Pakistan, like all married couples, are
sharpening the art of battles as they sharpen the art of making love.
Next day, The News wrote: The US has remained largely unrepentant
in the wake of Operation Geronimo, even though some small conciliatory
gestures have been made. For the most part though, pressure has continued
to build with New Delhi also cashing in with a list of terrorists it alleges
are based in Pakistan. There are indications that Pakistan is making its own
plans as events unfold. President Zardaris visit to Russia at a crucial time is
clearly intended to build new allies as things continue to go wrong with
Washington and, ominously, relations between the military and civilian
leadership worsen. The main issue to consider is how this whole sequence of
events beginning early this month in Abbottabad has been handled by the
government. The delayed response, the sense of confusion within the
government, and the inability to come up with a cohesive stance, have all
added to the problems that now loom large, creating a growing sense of
crisis.
In another editorial the newspaper commented on suicide attack in
Shabqadar. The bombing demonstrates that the killing of the al-Qaeda
chief hasnt solved anything. Terrorism lives on, and could grow in the
country as anger against the US continues to mount. This is a problem
Pakistan has been left to deal with and it is a difficult one to manage. We
have seen for some time that, even after fierce military action in the north,
the Taliban remain capable of striking. There is reason to believe that Bin
Ladens death may bring the militant forces closer together to forge greater
unity among themselves and regroup around a common cause. The
consequences of this are distinctly frightening given the havoc terrorism can
create and the possibility that yet more attacks could follow the one in
Shabqadar.

719

Babar Sattar was of the view that the Bin Laden incident has placed
us at the crossroads yet again. We can respond with denial and jingoism
and consequently dig deeper the hole we find ourselves in. Or we can stop
lying to each other and ourselves, disclose all related facts leading up to the
May 2 incident with candour and responsibility, let individuals be held to
account for their failings, and use the opportunity to revisit our security
mind-set, overhaul our security policy and policy making mechanism
Let us get the nonsense about patriotism and sticking by our
institutions out of the way first. Is sticking by a corrupt government
patriotic? Should we have celebrated the Dogar court or Musharrafs rubberstamp parliament as our token of love for Pakistan? How would
unquestioning and unconditional support for everything the khaki leadership
does promote Pakistans national interest? Are these not mortal men capable
of making mistakes? Should they have a monopoly over the definition of
national interest and patriotism? And how does holding the khaki high
command to account for its acts, omissions and choices translate into lack of
gratitude for the soldiers who stake and lose their lives in the line of duty
and are the frontline victims of bad policy choices?
Was it not the self-serving use of the term patriotism that Samuel
Johnson described as the last refuge of the scoundrel? Does our
national security doctrine not affect the rest of us on an everyday basis and
impinge on the most fundamental of our constitutionally guaranteed rights?
Does it not impact everyone wearing a Pakistani identity for becoming an
object of suspicion around the globe? The definition of patriotism that
confers on our khaki high command the status of a holy cow is also a
product of the same mindset that led to the dismemberment of Pakistan,
contrived the jihadi project, manufactured the doctrine of strategic depth,
gave us Kargil and is still at ease with preserving militants as strategic
assets. Clemenceau was probably not being facetious when he declared that,
war was too important to be left to generals.
We need a new concept of national security that focuses on
maximizing the security of Pakistani citizens. This will not happen by
laying bare the facts of the Bin Laden incident alone. We will also need to
review Pakistans counter-terrorism policy, security and foreign policy
especially vis--vis Afghanistan and India, and Pakistans relationship with
the United States. Can we preach respect for sovereignty if we are unable to
account for who lives in Pakistan, control cross-border movement of men,
arms and money or ensure that our territory is not used as sanctuary to plot
attacks on other nations? After being in the throes of violence for over a
720

decade now, why do we still lack a comprehensive counter-terrorism policy?

Why is being a proscribed militant organization in Pakistan of no legal
consequence? Why is our criminal justice system failing to prosecute and
convict terrorists?
What is the nature of our interest in the future of Afghanistan?
We dont want hostile neighbours on the eastern and the western borders. We
dont want growing Indian influence within Afghanistan. We dont want the
US to have a permanent footprint in our neighbourhood. We dont want the
US war to succeed in a manner that results in a permanent anti-Pakistan
Northern Alliance dominated government in Afghanistan. We dont want to
betray the Afghan Taliban who have genuine following and might assume
control of Afghan provinces bordering Pakistan once the US withdraws, and
consequently face reprisals with them actively joining hands with Pakistans
TTP and fuelling anarchy in our country. These are legitimate interests and
concerns. Why can we not articulate them instead of resorting to hypocrisy?
Are we unaware of militant organizations flourishing in Pakistan, or
are we being coy? Will we view the Osama bin Laden incident as another
minor blow to the jihadi project or are we going to realize that the use of
jihadis as strategic assets is history and it is time to liquidate them? Has
anyone calculated the intangible cost of this misconceived project and the
damage inflicted on the country and its citizens through the spread of
intolerance, bigotry, arms and violence? Are we cognizant of the disastrous
consequences that another Mumbai could inflict on the interests of Pakistan
and its citizens? Will we have a stronger bargaining position in resolving our
disputes with India if we have a strong polity, a stable economy, credibility
and international support or if we possess surreptitious jihadis as strategic
weapons?
And what are all the secret military deals we have cut with the
US? Did Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chairman US Senate Intelligence
Committee, not wonder what was all the fuss about the drone attacks when
they were flying out of a Pakistani base? Did Lt General Shahid Aziz,
former chief of general staff, not reveal that General Musharraf handed
control of the Jacobabad base (and also Pasni) to the US? Do actions of our
civilian and military leaders not bear out accounts from Wikileaks and the
Guardian that they had agreed to privately allow and publicly condemn
drone strikes and the unilateral US military action against Bin Laden? Do
these secret deals serve Pakistans national security interests? Are they
justifiable under law?

721

Neither hypocrisy nor a facelift will redeem Pakistan after the

Osama fiasco. We need to come clean and use this as an opportunity to
overhaul our security policy and policy-making mechanism. We have
skeletons in our closet. It is time to drag them out, confront them and bury
them for good.
Anjum Niaz wrote: Back home in Islamabad, according to press
reports a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court names the heads that
should roll! They are Zardari, Gilani, Kayani, Pasha and the Air Chief
who should be tried under Article 6 for violating the Constitution,
conspiracy and criminal negligence to safeguard sovereignty as well as the
life and liberty of the citizen of Pakistan.
Will any of these heads roll? Youve got to be kidding! Why?
Because these worthies have already begun playing the blame game with
each other. Anchors, some 20 of them, were given a background briefing by
military sources claiming that the reason for the Bin Laden intelligence
failure were the 7000 visas that our ambassador in Washington dished out
(of course on Zardaris orders) to Americans without getting proper
clearance from the concerned agencies (read GHQ) in Islamabad. So, the
anchors were led to believe that most of these shadowy characters were CIA
operatives trying to cause mischief in the land of the pure.
Well, its so easy to pass the blame on the civilian government
but we all know who is the most powerful in the land. Its Kayani and not
Zardari. The latter may get away with corruption, nepotism, favouritism and
cronyism, even if the whole country is screaming blue murder, but he will
never be allowed to get away with the countrys security issues and its
sovereignty. The two areas fall in the No-Go zone and are tightly controlled
by our military.
General Kayani was our last hope. Many of us had put high stakes
on his integrity, patriotism and ability to save the nation should the need ever
arise. Today, he appears like the rest of our political leaders, who have
routinely let the nation down. Can Kayani account for $20.7 billion in
military and economic development aid that Pakistan got from America from
fiscal 2002 through fiscal 2011? Who are the individuals and institutions
who pocketed the money? And guess what? Had Kayani stood firmly behind
the Chief Justice of Pakistan when he reopened the NRO issue back on
December 16, 2009, today Pakistan would have been a different country. But
the army chief, who played a role in CJs restoration, was stone silent on the
NRO. Goodbye to hope.
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Saleem Safi observed: The Western mantra of Pakistan being the

epicentre of terror has been as old as the war on terror itself. But we have
always maintained that Pakistan is the frontline state in the war against
terrorism, has given matchless sacrifices, and arrested or killed the largest
number of al-Qaeda leaders. However, the killing of Osama bin Laden in a
compound in Abbottabad and the revelations that his family had been living
there for the last five years have given credence to the Western, Indian
and Afghan allegations against Pakistan. And our explanations, which
were already suspect in the wider world, no longer hold the ground.
India in particular has gone berserk and reminded the world that
look, you didnt take us serious when we repeatedly asserted that Pakistan
is the epicentre of world terror. The Western media is also awash with
anti-Pakistan news and analyses, which it considers its right to do in the
presence of material evidence and rationale. The anti-Pakistan people like
ex-Afghan Intelligence chief Amarullah Salih have also jumped on the
bandwagon by saying that he had clearly informed Musharraf in 2004 about
the whereabouts of Osama in Pakistan. According to him, the strongman
rejected the assertion out of hand.
Tragically, our leadership is playing a perfect ostrich in the face of
challenges. It has adopted a strange narrative after the killing of Osama. The
position is destined to earn further disgrace and bad name for the country.
Admittedly, the US can ill-afford to turn a completely antagonize Pakistan at
the moment. For the some time to come, relations will remain as they were
before the death of Osama. But Pakistan is facing unimaginable credibility
deficit in the world
We can fool our people but the Americans are not ill-informed.
They know that Abbottabad could not have happened without Pakistani
cooperation. The allegations by some senators or the CIA chief, or the
Western medias uttering, are altogether aimed at notching up pressure on
Pakistan to toe the US line on Afghanistan. We are up for difficult times
ahead.
Pakistan would be at the receiving end in this war from the socalled allies and enemies alike. The Western alliance and al-Qaeda will
train their guns on us. They will certainly adopt the Pakistan first strategy.
India too is going to emphasize its right to Abbottabad-like operations
against the LeT leadership. The US will increase footprints on Pakistani soil
to track down Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Mullah Umar and conduct operations
against them.
723

The al-Qaeda revenge reaction will be directed against

Pakistan Tragically, Pakistani is faced with so many challenges at a time
when our leadership in all spheres of life is proven incapables. Many days
have passed since the Abbottabad incident, but the Pakistani leadership,
including the president, the prime minister, the interior minister or the
foreign minister, is yet to come up with a plausible response. The chief
minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, of which Abbottabad is a division, is
neither interested in such issues nor feels the need to come up to say
anything on them. We thought that Pakistan has a defence minister, but he is
absent from the radar screen.
The world buzzes perception of a melting Pakistani state in the
face of mortal challenges. The day international attention was focused on
Islamabad, the PML-Q ministers were taking oaths of offices at the
Presidency. When the prime minister, the president, or their ministers are
approached for reaction they pathetically stress their non-relevance. They
call it jealously guarded military territory. When the military leadership is
asked about it, it throws the matter at the doors of parliament and the
government. The military swears that it follows the governments outlines on
such matters.
Amid apathy, the twin-cities seem like Baghdad of the past. Like
Tatars at the gates of Baghdad, foreign forces are knocking at our doors, but
our leadership has no interest in the hard subjects of foreign policy, terrorism
or national security. The two power centres seem at loggerhead like a scene
from the Cold War, or appear awash with lust for lucrative ministries.
Indeed, the situation is yet not out of control. The civilian and
military leaderships can steer the country to safe waters in this sea of
challenges if they rise above personal, partisan and institutional interests.
But only a miracle can convince them to forgo personal and institutional
interests in favour of the greater national good.
Zafar Hilaly was not optimistic of any remedy in the presence of this
leadership. No doubt squirming people who dwell in falsehoods fear
exposure whenever untruths are exposed which is why the thought of an
independent inquiry into the Abbottabad fiasco, as much as the public may
support the idea, will gain no traction with them. That said, there are better
reasons why we should think again before joining the chorus for a
judicial inquiry.
To begin with, as long as those who have the most to lose in an
impartial inquiry remain in office, they will be able to manipulate or
724

truncate the evidence. Hence, at best, what may emerge is not what is
necessarily true but what could almost be true. And that would be more
dangerous because being so close to the truth, it is more likely to mislead.
Furthermore, a robust inquiry risks exposure and nothing can be
worse for troops in battle than to see their fellow soldiers and commanders
pilloried or reviled and possibly drummed out. If we fasten ourselves to a
single aspect of truth namely, why we were unaware of Bin Ladens
presence on our soil the exaggerated fixation on a single topic will lead
to a loss of balance and the truth might become as distorted and
dangerous as the falsehood that it is trying to expose.
Besides, in the midst of a war such as the one being waged today, a
diligent search for the truth would require public disclosure of operational
military and intelligence procedures which under the rubric of
compromising national security would be impermissible. This, therefore,
is not the time for a public inquiry or the time to unravel a country that
is at its weakest and could spin out of control.
Nor has Mr Sharif made the recommendation with only that in mind.
His concerns are very different. He seems obsessed with getting his
premiership back after it was taken away by the military, unfairly as he
still believes, even though he did strange things when in office and behaved
more like a despot than a democrat. Nor does he enjoy any real standing
overseas. Even the Saudis with whom he had close ties and who bailed him
out of trouble may be wary of his politics of using the Bin Laden fiasco to
get even with the military.
Judging by what we know about him and having watched him in
office, Mr Sharif is no statesman but an unreformed self-serving
politician who senses that the Abbottabad fiasco is as good an
opportunity as any to tame the military and to grind his own axe. He may
also feel that he has little to lose.
If he spooks the military into some form of unconstitutional action,
he will have the other parties and the judiciary on his side. Anyway, the
outcome of a judicial inquiry will almost inevitably result in the military
ending up with a lot of egg on its face, which suits him no less Everyone
concedes there is no greater need than that at present but what we get from
Nawaz Sharif is the reaction of a shark that senses blood.
While this is not the time for politicking, Mr Zardari by leaving
matters entirely in the hands of the military (to earn their support) is
doing them and himself no good. His indifference to the manner and means
725

by which the war is fought, highlighted by the fact that he has not visited a
single battlefield since the war spiked, has few parallels among war-time
leaders. His appointments schedule does not in any way indicate that his
country is fighting a war for its survival. His statements ignore the fact that
US and Pakistani interests appear increasingly irreconcilable; nor do they
reflect any concern.
Mr Zardaris sole and constant effort appears to be the
preservation of his office. To this end sacrificing principles or casting adrift
the ideological moorings of his party present no obstacle. Todays friends
can just as easily become tomorrows enemies only to reconcile and then
part once again. What counts for him are votes regardless of the means with
which they are obtained.
Among Zardaris coterie, even men of average intelligence stand out.
A financier interested in economics is as rare as a labour leader interested in
the labour movement. They call themselves leaders and, yes, they are out in
front but they do not lead, they just follow. Mr Zardari, it is said, once
claimed that he had a PhD in life actually, survival if so, it is
clearly his own survival he was talking about, not that of the nation.
Given the kind of leaders we have, pouncing on the military in such a
fluid and tense situation will get us nowhere. It is worth recalling that its
only the military that stands between us and our antedeluvian adversaries.
Moreover, whether we like it or not, neither the US nor others will
behave cautiously anymore. After the Abbottabad fiasco, serious doubts
have arisen about our capability and also about whether we are able to tackle
the problem that is hurting us more than any other country and which has
brought us to a potentially grave situation. Economically, we are in tatters
and that matters a lot to most people. Of course, an economic collapse would
be much worse. We dont have oil and gas that has enabled Iran to cock a
snook at others and do what it likes.
The question is how do we tackle the tricky situation that has
emerged, leave Bin Laden behind, and find a new working relationship with
the US and the EU? There are at present, no alternative friends, not even
China, that are as well-endowed with lucre and weapons which we
desperately need. Moreover, the world is getting impatient with our split
personality. Somehow, we have not managed to convey the internal
problems we face discreetly or convincingly instead, we have been indulging
in bluster. The optimistic, albeit, hollow soliloquies of our former foreign
minister wont work anymore because now we have been found out.
726

It wont be business as usual anymore (with all the pranks that we

and the US played with each other). So, we had better wake up, dump petty
politics, and get serious and solemn, as the situation demands, rather than
emotional and suicidal. A national government reinforced by a repaired civilmilitary relationship may indeed be what is needed.
A friend wrote to say that many years ago, while at university abroad,
he read a story linked to the subcontinent. It was about a gardener
introducing an eager boy (the son of his employer) to the wonders of a
nearby forest. But one incident that he witnessed changed everything for
him. It was the sight of a hysterical monkey on a tree trying to get to the
physical root of his pain with his fingers but ripping apart his wounded belly
in the process. Its a thought that bears some relevance to our situation
today.
On 15th May, The News commented on in-camera briefing. It is
hoped that Mr Yusuf Raza Gilani and Chaudhry Nisar will be able to agree
on a set of names that comprise upright, neutral persons who are able and
willing to examine all aspects of the Abbottabad incident which has posed
new challenges to Pak-US relations. The call given by parliament, after
intense debate, for the nature of Pakistans ties with Washington to be
reexamined, says what is foremost in the minds of many Pakistanis.
At the dramatic session, which marks only the third time in the
countrys history The tone that echoed in parliament reflected the thinking
of people across the country; it is quite evident that most citizens believe
Islamabad must not ignore what has happened and must take action to
reassert Pakistans sovereignty and dignity. The setting up of a
commission to examine the sequence of events in Abbottabad and its
recommendations can play a key role in this. We must hope it can be set up
as quickly as possible and that other proposals that have come from the
highest body representing people in the land are implemented by a
government that has thus far made only clumsy, if any, attempts to tackle the
post-Osama situation.
In another editorial, the newspaper wrote on the PML-N position. In
a press conference during which he did not hesitate to use some tough
words, the PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif has demanded that Pakistan
reassert its own position with Washington, and abandon a relationship that
is based largely on obeying US orders The PML-N leaders talk to the
media in Lahore came soon after his meeting with US Ambassador to
Pakistan Cameron Munter at Raiwind. Sharif stressed that the discussion at
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this important session had been open and direct and words had not been
minced. He also pointed out that foreign policy needed to be determined by
elected representatives and not agencies and that the sacrifices made by
Pakistan and its security forces in the war on terror meant this country
should be determining key matters in this area. There can be no doubt that
Islamabads reluctance to take the lead in this has allowed the US to press
further and further forward, and act as it chooses, confident of Pakistans
helplessness and lack of readiness to take it on. This has led to a record
number of drone attacks in 2010. Sharif has called for an end to these
strikes.
At a time when Pakistans relations with the US, as well as ties
between the military and civilian leadership, stand on rather shaky ground,
much of what Sharif said reflects the views of ordinary people on the
street. Like Sharif, they are angered by the continuing drone attacks, the
apparent display of helplessness by the government, and the general sense of
confusion that hangs everywhere. As the PML-N has been stressing, it is
time to sit together and get things in order. We must hope that efforts to do
so begin immediately, with the establishment of a commission to look into
events in Abbottabad, and things can move on from there.
Tariq Butt reported as to how the PML-N averted adoption of a
gutless and lifeless resolution: The ruling coalitions concerted bid to get a
gutless resolution passed from the joint parliamentary session and pitch and
portray the PML-N as an adversary of the Pakistan Army was frustrated by
the major opposition party through tough negotiations.
The government worked hard to drag its feet on spelling out several
specifics in the resolution like the timeframe for constituting the agreed
independent commission to probe the May 2 Abbottabad raid on Osama bin
Ladens hideout, participants of the marathon parliamentary sitting told The
News.
They said the government insisted that no timeline should be
stipulated to form the commission. However, the PML-N, supported by the
Jamaat-e-Islami and nationalist parties was stubborn to set a specific time
within which the commission would be established. Ultimately, it was
agreed that it would be set up in seven days, but it was not put in black and
white. Additionally, the time required for preparation of the findings is yet to
be settled.
Another key element that remains to be decided is as to who would
be the members of the commission. They could be serving or retired judges,
728

lawyers, and prominent civil society leaders, who have an impeccable record
of honesty and on whose integrity and impartiality could raise even a finger,
said one source.
However, it is also still to be worked out how the commission would
conduct its proceedings and what would be its terms of reference. All this
will be worked out by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Leader of
the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, and the possibility of hiccups is
not ruled out. The nation would have showered shoes on us had we passed
the resolution that the government had prepared and wanted us to sign for its
unanimous passage in Parliament, a senior opposition leader told the
News.
Another source said that the government was keen to opt the same
resolution that the Defence Committee of the Cabinet had passed on May
12. Had it been sponsored, it would have earned tremendous embarrassment
because it was very weak, signaling no strong message from a forum
representing the will of the people.
During nerve-wrecking talks on the very wordings of the resolution
between senior representatives of the government and PML-N, the ruling
side was consistently opposed to inclusion in the resolution of these
provisions: It is strongly asserted that unilateral actions, such as those
conducted by the US forces in Abbottabad as well as the continued drone
attacks on the territory of Pakistan are not only unacceptable but also
constitute violation of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
international law and humanitarian norms and such drone attacks must be
stopped forthwith, failing which the government will be constrained to
consider taking necessary steps including withdrawal of transit facility
allowed to Nato/International Security Assistance Force (Isaf); called upon
the government to re-visit and review its terms of engagement with the US
with a view to ensuring that Pakistans national interests are fully respected
and accommodated in pursuit of policies for countering terrorism and
achieving reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan; and reaffirmed the
resolution passed by the joint sitting of Parliament on national security on
October 22, 2008, and the detailed recommendations made by the
Parliamentary Committee on National Security in April 2009.
Sources said it took a long time to convince the ruling side about the
threatened withdrawal of transit facility allowed to NATO/ISAF, to revisit
and review the terms of engagement with the US and halt to the drone
attacks. They said the recurring deadlock, which hit the talks for four times,
729

was broken only after the government agreed to include the PML-Ns
assertions in the resolution.
Mian Raza Rabbani, Rehman Malik, Naveed Qamar, Khurshid Shah,
Qamar Zaman Kaira and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir represented the
government while Chaudhry Nisar, Ishaq Dar, Zahid Hamid, Khawaja Asif
and Anusha Rehman spoke for the PML-N during the dialogue.
The PML-N leaders, this correspondent spoke to, said the
governments attempt to depict their party as an enemy of the Pakistan Army
stood foiled as they though asked harsh questions yet they remained
civilized and within limits. They all were appreciative of the ISI chiefs
briefing and handling of even hostile questions. He showed patience and
was positive to even unkind queries. His tackling of questions and the
passage of the unanimous resolution sent an unambiguous message to all
and sundry that the PML-N is always positive when it comes to national
issues and that Pakistans parliament sees the Abbottabad disaster with the
same eye, one of them said.
He said that having the powerful spymaster in the dock for the first
time in Pakistans history was indeed a good sight, good omen and good
beginning, which conveyed that every state institution regardless of its
power and clout submitted to peoples will. This established the supremacy
of Parliament
Amir Mir compiled a report about the possible successor of Osama
based on media reports from the West which wished a split in al-Qaeda
over this issue. Al-Qaeda may face a split over the likely successor of
Osama bin Laden: with the two key leaders of the international terrorist
organization Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri from Egypt and Abu Yahya al-Libbi
from Libya positioning themselves as the foremost contenders for the slot,
followed closely by Saif al-Adel and Anwar al-Awlaki.
Truthfully, filling bin Ladens shoes will not be an easy job. Being
the face of global terrorism, bin Laden, the Saudi billionaire, inspired
Islamic militants across the globe for almost two decades. He was a largerthan-life figure within al-Qaeda and his writ was unquestionable unlike the
surviving group leaders, Ayman al-Zawahiri or Yahya Libbi, who have
already gone underground fearing they might be the next targets of a US
commando assault.
Among the front runners for the position of the al-Qaeda amir
including Abu Yahya al-Libbi, Saif al-Din al Ansari al Adel and Anwar alAwlaki, Ayman al-Zawahiri is the most likely heir apparent. He served as the
730

al-Qaeda chiefs second in command for almost two decades and his
followers presently make up the backbone of the terrorist networks core
leadership
Meanwhile, there are reports in the international media about a
looming rift within al-Qaeda over bin Ladens successor saying that the US
troops were led to bin Laden by none other than Zawahiri. Al-Watan, an
influential Saudi daily, has claimed that the Egyptian faction in al-Qaeda
wanted to get rid of bin Laden to prevail. Hence, it tasked a courier, who
was working with Zawahiri to lead the US forces to Ladens Abbottabad
hideout in a way that does not raise suspicion among other factions within
al-Qaeda. Al-Qaedas Egyptian faction is de-facto running the group now.
The Egyptian faction of al-Qaeda led by Zawahiri took over reins of the
terror group in 2004 after illness made it difficult for Osama to lead the
organization. The plot to get rid of Osama was hatched by a key al-Qaeda
commander Saif Al-Adel, who is an Egyptian and who returned to Pakistan
after spending several years in Iran, reports Al-Watan
The second possible contender to take the al-Qaeda leadership is
Sheikh Abu Yahya al-Libbi, a Libyan-born Islamic cleric as well as a
spokesman for al-Qaeda whose real name is Muhammad Hasan Qaid. Born
in 1963 and originally a founding member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting
Group, Libbi was captured by the Nato forces in 2002 in Afghanistan but he
managed to escape in July 2005 from a US military prison in Afghanistan.
An obscure terrorist at the time of his prison-break, he has since enjoyed a
meteoric rise and represents a new kind of al-Qaeda leadership that is
technologically savvy, rational in arguments and charismatic in leadership.
All this combined with his strict religious interpretation makes him rather
appealing, especially to the younger generation of potential recruits
The third in line is al-Qaedas military chief Saif al-Adel, whose real
name is Saif al-Din al Ansari. Born in 1960, an Egyptian, and an active
commander, he is a member of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and has emerged
over the past decade as al-Qaedas top military planner and strategist. After
the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, al-Adel was among the hundreds of
al-Qaeda leaders and operatives who fled with their families to the safety of
Iran. While in Iran, he was placed in the protective custody of the Quds
Force, the special operations branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards
Corps. But protective custody did not interfere with his ability to plot
attacks.

731

Al-Adel, along with Osama bin Ladens elder son, Saad bin Laden,
planned and executed some major terrorist attacks against the Allied Forces
in Afghanistan. He reportedly established the al-Qaeda training facility at
Ras Kamboni in Somalia and trained Somalis who took part in the first
battle of Mogadishu against the US forces which saw two Black Hawk
helicopters shot down by rocket-propelled grenades. Al-Adel has been on the
FBIs most wanted list since 2001 and there is a $5 million reward for
information on his whereabouts. However, since al-Adel has largely
operated below the radar, it is unclear if he possesses the charisma required
to become the new al-Qaeda chief.
The fourth contender is Anwar al-Awlaki, who is a dual citizen of the
United States and Yemen. Born in 1971 in Yemen, Awlaki is an Islamic
cleric, spiritual leader and former prayer leader who has instigated Muslims
against the West. His sermons were attended by three of the 11 9/11
hijackers. The Americans believe that he is a senior talent recruiter and
motivator who has also become operational as a planner and trainer for alQaeda and all of its franchises. The US Under-Secretary of the Treasury for
Terrorism and Financial Intelligence warned recently that al-Awlaki is
extraordinarily dangerous and committed to carrying out deadly attacks on
Americans worldwide
Adnan Rehmat after a lengthy analysis of the incident concluded: In
a sign of a changing Pakistan, even the media, in general, does not seem to
be targeting the government or even the politicians directly, for once, on a
security lapse of monumental proportions. The media is vociferously and
virtually concurrently noting that not only was the military caught
napping when the Americans conducted their operation but, perhaps more
importantly, how for nearly a year the CIA was present in full force in
Abbottabad near Bin Ladens abode snooping on him without ISI finding out
they were there in the first place. The media, in short, seems to be weighing
in more on the tangible issue of accountability (Bin Ladens presence and
the sly American raid in defiance of supposedly invincible security) than on
the abstract notions of ghairat and sovereignty, otherwise their pet causes.
Pakistan needs a strong military but not for a weak country. And not
if the elected government is kept out of the loop, and not until it has secured
the permanent privilege of formulating and articulating all policies,
especially foreign and security policies. Only then will Pakistan become
sovereign. In any case, accountability must precede sovereignty.

732

Ahmad Warriach looked at the aspect of illegality of Osamas

murder. The international law experts are divided into two groups -- those
who think such an action is justified and those who think it is not, and that
the US government may have violated both international and human rights
law. The US has given similar legal justifications for the May 2 action, as it
had been giving for the drone attacks; that is of self-defence and of acting in
accordance with the laws of war...
International law aims at regulation of use of force by states.
Aggressive war against a state is outlawed, while only self-defence is
permitted under Article 51. This perhaps explains why the US has used this
argument both for drones and Osama as well as for Iraq and Afghanistan. AlQaeda and the Taliban are non-state actors spread over the globe. The US,
therefore, made a very broad interpretation of this right, and claimed that as
this is a borderless enemy, therefore the right to self-defence is also
borderless. However, the problem arises when the action is taken on the soil
of a third country. Can they take action within another state against these
non-state actors without its approval?
Many international law experts have questioned the American stance.
Gert-Jan Knoops, a Dutch international law expert, has said that in a formal
sense, the arguments of the Americans that they are at war and can,
therefore, take out their enemies on the battlefield does not hold. Helmut
Schmidt, the former West German Chancellor, has declared the action as a
violation of international law.
Another complexity is the blurring of borders between the military
and spy actions. If the actions, as claimed by the US administration, are
permissible under the laws of war, then the fact that CIA is involved in these
actions, dilutes the legality of this argument as the laws of war cover
military action, and not action by spy agencies. Imagine what would happen
if the rights that the US has claimed for itself are claimed by all states.
The incident has raised another issue as well. International Human
Rights Law demands that every suspect should be provided due process
rights, no matter how serious the charge. In this regard some quarters have
shown concern that the Americans acted as police, jury, judge and
executioner.
Geoffery Robertson, a well-known Australian Human Rights Lawyer
based in London, said, Justice means taking someone to court, finding them
guilty upon evidence and sentencing them. In favour of his contention, he
says that even the Nazis were made to stand trial at Nuremberg, so why not
733

Osama. Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch Asia director, has echoed the
same thoughts: Justice is when you arrest someone and put them on trial.
The tactics of al-Qaeda and Taliban are such that the governments
fighting them find it difficult to always follow law. This may, in the eyes of
some, justify such actions, but does it legalize them? Law is only that which
is made through recognized sources, and as per the current law, it seems that
Pakistans sovereignty has been violated.
Ghazi Salahuddin observed: A disturbing report has appeared in The
New York Times which, quoting people who have met Gen Ashfaq Parvez
Kayani in the last ten days, says that he seems unlikely to respond to US
demands to root out other militant leaders. Yes, he does not want to
abandon the alliance completely. The report, quoting a senior American
official, argues that the US will now push harder than ever for General
Kayani to break relations with other militant leaders who US officials
believe are hiding in Pakistan, with the support of military and intelligence
service.
Considering the price that Pakistan and its military services have paid
in the continuing war against terror, these charges tend to make no sense. At
the same time, it is also difficult to believe that with all resources at its
command, including the ones that come from the US, the military has not
been able to wipe out the militants. And this ambivalence or complexity is
what we need to properly sort out in a comprehensive investigation of
what happened on May 2 in the context of what had happened before and
what is going on now.
We need truth, rooted in facts. We cannot continue to
doublethink to believe in contradictory things simultaneously. We
cannot remain in denial. This may have become a clich but there is a
greater realization of Pakistans survival being at stake in the present
situation. It was the military mind that defined Pakistan as a security state.
That formulation is now dead
One leading politician has said that the Abbottabad incident was the
greatest national debacle after the fall of Dhaka. This means that our
survival would depend on our ability to come to terms with it as a
responsible and civilized nation. Hence the urgency to probe into the entire
circumstances that led to this fateful denouement. This is necessary to
promote the concept of accountability and transparency in the conduct of
national affairs.

734

It is good that the media, including the talk shows on our news
channels, has made a reference to some well-known commissions of
inquiries held in democratic countries. The proceedings and reports of
almost all such commissions were made public and their recommendations
were duly enforced by the executive authorities.
However, one observation is that commissions of inquiry have not
always been able to get to the bottom of specific issues and the veil was
not lifted from a number of conspiracies. There is bound to be some
apprehension in the minds of our citizens because of how the Hamoodur
Rahman Commission report was suppressed. Could this happen again?
Masood Hasan wrote: The army and the air force in the past two
weeks have made such a mess of the Bin Laden operation that even children
of Kindergarten are holding their sides. What quality of men are these? One
day one statement, the next day another with a 360 degree curve thrown in.
The air chief says one thing, his organization another! The GHQ, the ISI,
the FO and all those brilliant minds seem unable to walk without
tripping over. Give the lot the Rubik Cube and ask them a century later if
they have solved it. The answer would be a confused, Duh.
However the good thing is that no one has considered resigning. It
is out of the question. It was the Sage of Rawalpindi Sh Rasheed who as
minister for railways after a horror accident refused to resign saying that
since he was not driving the train, why should he. Brilliant man. So here,
whether Bin Laden was indeed Bin Laden, whether he was killed or heaved
over the Indian Ocean these are not the real issues. What has come to rest
like the albatross over the Ancient Mariners cursed neck is the sheer
embarrassment that leaves not even a crack for us to bury our heads in. We
have already run out of fig leaves. We are sold and were it not for the US
would be rioting for a piece of bread, so we should stop attacking them and
calling them names.
We should also ban the word sovereignty for the next fifty years.
It does not exist and even if it did, no one can pronounce it. We should stop
puffing out our chest like vain roosters and understand that with a begging
bucket in one hand and honour in another, we look like stooges. In the
interest of public sanity, we should also stop moaning about drone attacks
and understand that they will continue. The US will stop them if it so
chooses, not us. As for the latest thundering from our army chief that a
stealth operation like the one that took out Bin Laden will not be tolerated

735

ever again, the US response within 24 hours was another omelette in our
egg-laced face
M Saeed Khalid opined: The greatest inherent flaw of any policy is
to become irretrievably hooked to one line of action. God has gifted this
land with many able men but they somehow fail to show flexibility at
critical junctures. It hurts us to hear the Americans point out that Osama
must have a support network in Pakistan enabling him to take refuge and
then remain undetected in a cantonment.
As a nation, we have become accustomed to sacrificing principles for
the sake of some reward in the hereafter. The proof being that we are doing
our best to avoid the impression that we had any role in the killing of alQaedas leader. Does that mean that to a varying degree, many of us
actually sympathize with jihadis? A scary prospect, indeed.
The furious debate over details tends to mask some basic issues about
the genesis of militant Islam. A British scholar specializing in Arab and
Islamic affairs made a poignant reference last month to the revival of the
clash between the West and Islam by linking it to the collapse of the Soviet
bloc. He recalled that when there were huge celebrations over dismantling
the Berlin wall, some like him were wondering who would be designated
as the free worlds next enemy and Islam appeared on top of the list of
probable candidates.
Looking back, we can recall how a vague notion of Islam vs the West
metamorphosed into Samuel Huntingtons The Clash of Civilizations and
how al-Qaedas birth in Peshawar confirmed the defiant call of militant
Islam to a triumphant West in the 1990s. If the West was looking for a new
target, so were the jihadis after bringing the Soviet Union to its knees in
Afghanistan If al-Qaedas aim was to provoke America into war, it
succeeded beyond its calculations as the neo-cons delivered not one but two
wars on Islamic lands.
Dr Farrukh Saleem talked about truth that neither have been
mentioned nor would ever be. Media, Pakistani as well as American, does
not know the truth about the Abbottabad incident. Politicians, Pakistani as
well American, also do not know the truth. Neither do our military
commanders. Remember; Operation Neptunes Spear was one of the most
secretive operations in human history. The only people who know the truth
are the people who planned it some six to seven dozen and the people
who executed it, an additional six dozen or so. And, the people who planned

736

it along with the people who executed it will never ever let their secrets out.
They will never let the truth out.
The Americans tell us that the operation was planned by the Joint
Special Operations Command and the Central Intelligence Agency. The
Americans tell us that the operation was executed by the United States Naval
Special Warfare Development Groups Red Squadron. The Americans tell us
that a replica of the Waziristani Haveli was built at Camp Alpha at the
Bagram Airfield. The Americans tell us that 24 Navy SEALs practiced the
entire operation on April 7 and April 13. They also tell us that their Sikorsky
UH-60 Black Hawk stealth helicopters reached the haveli using nap-of-theearth techniques.
In effect, we only know what the CIA has leaked to the media that
is, 90 percent propaganda and five percent disinformation. The media is
making a lot of noise. In Pakistan, media is a Rs30 billion business. In the
US, media is a $300 billion business. And, the media makes money by
making a lot of noise. Media is all about cognitive psychology, hyperbole,
tall talk, metaphors, mountains and molehills.
Pakistani politicians are saying a lot but whatever they are saying,
they are saying to keep their vote-bank intact; they really dont know the
truth. Our military commanders are saying a lot but whatever they are
saying, they are saying to keep their troops firmly under their command;
they really dont know the truth. Obama is saying a lot and whatever he is
saying, he is saying in order to win the next election (the Iowa Caucuses are
scheduled to take place on February 6, 2012). Obama is dying to get rid of
his soft on terrorism label and is dying to remain in the White House.
The closest we can get to the truth is that 192 member states of the
United Nations collectively spend some $1.5 trillion on defence of which
$750 billion is the military budget of the United States. Pakistan, with a
defence budget of five billion dollars or 0.66 percent of the American
defence spending, has neither the resources nor the technology to stop the
US from entering or exiting its airspace.
The closest we can get to the truth is that we are severely short on air
defence systems. Our most effective man-portable air defence systems
include FIM-92 Stinger and FIM-43 Redeye, both from the US. Our
medium-altitude air defence systems are Swedish. Our high-altitude air
defence systems include Russian HQ-2B SAM which first went into service
in 1957. Our Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannons were developed in the late 50s.

737

Our Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft auto-cannons first went into service in

1934.
The closest we can get to the truth is that PAF got 49 F-16s in 1983,
14 in 2009, and 18 the following year. The other truth is that USS Carl
Vinson, US Navys Nimitz class super carrier, with 2 A4W nuclear reactors,
parked off the coast of Karachi, has at least 90 fixed wing aircraft including
F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. And, these Super Hornets carry a nose mounted
Gatling gun, air-to-air Sidewinder missiles, air-to-surface Maverick missiles,
anti-ship Harpoon missiles, laser guided bombs and precision-guided
munitions. Truth, in this land of the pure, is more of a stranger than
fiction.
Salman Babar from Lahore wrote: I salute the DG ISI but also feel
sorry for him as he tendered his resignation to the house of the so-called
elected representatives, a majority of whom were selected on bogus votes
and have bogus degrees. I also salute the prime minister for not accepting
his resignation. He has done something sensible for a change.
Raja Inayat also from Lahore urged: The army should stop being
upset at the medias criticism. It is not a holy cow. Military actions are
discussed, praised and criticized everywhere in the world. Criticism of
the Pakistani military will not weaken it; it will make it accountable to
parliament and, thus, more responsible.
Next day, Hussain H Zaidi commented on Zardaris reaction as
reflected in his article. Excerpts are: Did you see the presidents article that
appeared in a prestigious American daily on May 2? Im of the humble view
that the president is, above all, answerable to his own people and
therefore he should have first taken them into confidence on the
questions which the death of the al-Qaeda supremo has given rise to. I
wouldnt hold this view if a despotic regime were in place. But a democratic
dispensation ought to make a clean breast of it rather than deceiving them
regarding the situation.
His thesis was that Pakistan, like the US, had paid an enormous
price for standing up to extremists and that the Americans could count on
our continuing commitment to the stamping out of militancy. In fact, Mr
Obama was kind enough to acknowledge, in the statement he made to the
press in the wake of Osamas death, our contribution to silencing the source
of the gravest menace of the new millennium. The president also made it a
point to state in so many words that his own government, including the
security establishment, had been in the dark regarding Osamas hideout. And
738

last, but not least, the president had a personal reason to dislike the worlds
most wanted terrorist for he was behind the assassination of his wife, an icon
of democracy, moderation and pluralism in our part of the world, and had
also earlier conspired to bring her government down.
To me, the militants role in our former prime ministers murder
seems to be a cock-and-bull story. But that we can conveniently skip for
the time being. The president, I guess, mentioned his deceased wife to bring
home to the Americans yet again that if Pakistan is to fight terrorism with
might and main, he and his associates should remain in the saddle. It seems
he, following his predecessor Gen Musharraf, is interested more in selling
his own liberal credentials than the image of the country. But Im at one with
the president when he says that Pakistan has suffered and sacrificed
tremendously in the campaign against militancy. But these efforts havent
been enough for it to win American confidence, as the Yankees suspect us of
playing a double game. I guess somewhere something is wrong in our
counter-terrorism strategy.
Aijaz Zaka Syed opined: Now that Osama is dead and Obamas
re-election is in the bag, could we please move on? I hate to rain on the
presidents victory parade and dampen the endless celebrations in America.
But the departure of one long isolated and ailing figure changes nothing.
In the words of Brendan ONeill of Spiked Online: all that really
happened in Pakistan is that a small group of American soldiers shot and
killed an ageing, sickly man in a mansion, who was the nominal head of
a small and increasingly fractured terrorist organization.
And, I must add, without putting him through useless irritants like a
trial or even consulting the so-called sovereign government of the so-called
ally Pakistan. Of course, Bin Laden was no saint and may very well have
been guilty of the crimes he has been accused of, including the 9/11 outrage.
But even OBL, much reviled and hated as he was, deserved a day in the
court to explain himself, didnt he? How do we know for sure hes the one
who ordered the 9/11 attack? Even the FBI admits theres no proof linking
him to 9/11. Wheres the body of evidence?
Besides, even Nazi mass-murderers like Hermann Goring, Rudolf
Hess and Martin Bormann, responsible for sending millions to their death
during World War II, were penalized only after elaborate, and
transparent, trials by a UN war crimes tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany.
Adolf Otto Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the Jewish Holocaust,

739

who was captured much later in 1960 by Israels Mossad in Argentina,

received a fair trial before being hanged in 1962.
I really hate to bat for someone who in his zeal to avenge the Western
crimes against the Arabs and Muslims may have ended up targeting
hundreds of innocent people, most of them his fellow believers. But theres
something called due process. Every criminal and accused even the
terrorists is innocent until proven guilty.
This is the principle that is at the heart of the international justice
system and no one is an exception, not even the superpower But lawabiding nations do not go to war over flimsy excuses or send armed
commandos to invade a foreign country and blow up the brains of an
unarmed man in front of his 12-year-old daughter and dump his body into
the ocean.
In doing so, Uncle Sam has once again acted as the prosecutor,
jury, judge and executioner, all rolled into one. Not very different from
the Texan-style justice celebrated in numerous Hollywood westerns. Might
is right. The old jungle law still holds good and the powerful can do
whatever they want. Would the Americans try something like this if Pakistan
were an equal rival like the old Soviet Union?
Nearly 2,800 people died in the Sept 11 attacks in New York and
Washington. Doubtless a heinous atrocity and crime against humanity, for
which the perpetrators deserve nothing but severest punishment. What about
all those innocents, though, who were killed and continue to be killed as
a direct consequence of the US wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan?
More than a million people have perished in Iraq alone and hundreds of
thousands in Afghanistan and Pakistan over the past 10 years. Who will
account and pay for them?
The so-called Operation Geronimo is a very good example of the
way this war on terror has been conducted. While it has wreaked much
havoc across an already ravaged Afghanistan, it is Pakistan that has been the
real victim of Americas decade-long disastrous campaign. Its once healthy
economy is bankrupt; its institutions are falling apart and its complex
religious and ethnic mosaic of society is unraveling fast.
The country has been in a free fall since it was forced to join the
US war. It has lost nearly 40,000 people, including 7,000 military personnel,
to this conflict. In fact, as early as 2009, Pakistans toll 12,000 deaths
had exceeded that of Afghanistan. Last year, nearly 10,000 people were
killed as a result of US drone strikes and reprisal attacks by militants
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Pakistan is teetering on the brink as it bends over backwards to

meet the increasing US demands to do more. In the process, its forcing
more and more young people into the welcoming arms of the extremists. I
sometimes wonder if the Americans, who burst out on the streets to celebrate
the killing of Bin Laden last week, really know what their government has
been doing in their name around the world? If yes, do they care? How would
they react if some unmanned planes sent by another country were to come
raining death and destruction over their cities and towns?
In his speech after the Abbottabad adventure, which eerily reminded
me of the Mission Accomplished bluster of his predecessor, Obama
declared that Bin Ladens killing has made the world safer: It is a better
place because of the death of Osama bin Laden. If Osamas exit has made
our world a safer place, why it is not safe for the people of Afghanistan
and Pakistan? Why do they still get swatted like flies? A day after
Pakistans spineless politicians warned the Americans against more
misadventures, yet another drone strike killed scores in the northwest as if to
rub Islamabads nose in.
It doesnt have to be like this, though. Obama has a momentous
opportunity to turn the page on Americas disastrous decade and make
a fresh start with the Muslim world. He has repeatedly talked about
seeking a new way forward with the Islamic world. Its time to show he
means it. The so-called Islamic extremism as represented by the likes of Bin
Laden is merely a symptom of a far serious disease. And the source of the
disease lies elsewhere in the Middle East. Obama would drive home this
message when he hosts Israels Netanyahu later this month, if he really
believes in what he says.
Asif Ezdi wrote: The briefing given to parliament last Friday by the
countrys military leadership on the US raid on Osamas hideout in
Abbottabad has clarified some of the questions about our failure to detect
such a heavy incursion in a military garrison town deep inside Pakistani
territory. Essentially, the answer lies in the fact that the Pakistani armed
forces are only equipped to counter Indian threat on our eastern borders. US,
however, is not India. It is the most powerful and technologically advanced
military power in the world.
Besides, we have given the US some of our airports and other
facilities, and allowed it to set up a vast intelligence network which not only
tracked down Osama but also keeps an eye on Pakistans nuclear
programme; its military capabilities and deployments; and the activities of
741

militant extremists in the country as well as the sources of their support. We

cannot do anything about the military superiority of the US but we are not
powerless to stop its hostile activities on and from our soil.
Even though the parallel drawn by some of our commentators with
the military defeat of 1971 in Bangladesh is misplaced, the fact remains that
the nations confidence in the viability of our defences has been badly
shaken. Clearly, there is a need to carry out a comprehensive reassessment
of these threats and to prepare ourselves for all eventualities. The most
troubling question is whether our nuclear deterrent is safe from a similar US
assault.
The public has been confounded by the fact that many of the
important facts about the Abbottabad attack remain shrouded in
mystery. According to the first statement of our air chief, the high-level
radars on our western border were inactive at the time, as the country was
not expecting any aerial threat from Afghanistan. A day later, the PAF
spokesman refuted this and said the air surveillance system had neither been
jammed nor had it been inactive. But he stopped short of admitting that the
PAF had failed to pick up the US incursion. At the parliamentary briefing,
the deputy air chief explained that the PAF is incapable of detecting aircraft
equipped with radar-evading stealth technology that the US used in its raid.
Even murkier are the facts about our response to this intrusion.
The foreign ministrys press release on May 3 said that the PAF scrambled
its jets within minutes on receipt of information regarding the incident. It
did not say how and when this information was received. In particular, the
government has not disclosed whether this information came, albeit
belatedly, from our air defence system, or from personnel on the ground
after the invading party blew up one of their helicopters. According to the
briefing given by the White House, the Pakistanis were reacting to an
incident that they knew was taking place in Abbottabad in other words to
the ground attack, not the air intrusion.
Besides the failure of our air defences, more information is now
coming in indicating that the ISI has been completely outwitted by the
CIA and is unaware of the full extent of the intelligence network set up
by the US agency inside Pakistan. Without the knowledge of our agencies,
the CIA rented a house last year overlooking Osamas compound in
Abbottabad and from behind its mirrored windows monitored movements to
and from the compound. It is amazing that the ISI was either unaware of the
existence of this CIA safe house in a sensitive military area or, being in the
742

know, failed to put two and two together. Perhaps the only positive thing that
can be said about this blunder on the part of ISI is that it refutes all
allegations of the agencys complicity in providing a sanctuary to Osama.
In the background briefing given to some journalists on May 6,
Kayani and Pasha said that US agents had been able to penetrate
everywhere in Pakistan because visas were being issued by our embassy
in Washington to American spies, soldiers and other such characters without
consulting the intelligence agencies. This is not of course the first time that
the countrys security establishment has expressed these fears. These worries
were also voiced generally across the country by the public at large during
the Raymond Davis affair.
But Zardari and his cronies who run the countrys government are not
concerned Zardari has not made any public appearance in the country
since the Abbottabad raid Gilani has the same attitude Like Zardari,
Gilani too omitted to use language even mildly critical of the violation of
Pakistani sovereignty by American forces. Even the foreign ministry has
not been allowed to lodge a formal protest. It only issued a press release to
express its deep concerns and reservations on the manner in which the US
carried out the operation without prior information or authorization from
Pakistan.
Our rulers clearly lack the character and the mettle to stand up
to the US. They want to return as quickly as possible to the business of
enjoying the fruits of power. But they should know that after Abbottabad,
Washington is going to mount further pressure to push their demands
through. It has already demanded that ISI identify some of its top
intelligence operatives, in particular those of its S Directorate, to investigate
if they were involved in protecting Osama.
Pakistan will have to stand firm in rejecting all such demands.
We should also be demanding a comprehensive review of bilateral relations
in which not only Pakistans cooperation in the Afghanistan war but also
Pakistans demand for access to nuclear technology at par with India is
placed on the agenda. We must also take firm measures to expel the US
agents who make up the CIA spy network in Pakistan. If we do not, an even
bigger catastrophe than Abbottabad awaits us.
The independent commission being set up to investigate the
intelligence and other failures that led to this disaster and to recommend
corrective measures should not consist of judges alone. It should have a
more broad-based composition comprising experts from the military as well
743

as other relevant fields and its remit should include an investigation of the
extent to which the issuance of visas by Haqqani, our ambassador at
Washington, to American secret agents contributed to the building up of a
vast US intelligence network in Pakistan which now threatens our national
security.
Haqqani is right though about one thing. Heads should roll
including his own if it is found that he was instrumental in facilitating the
entry into Pakistan of an army of US spies who now roam around in the
country unchecked.

REVIEW
From the foregoing it is quite evident that the frontline state in the
Crusades waged against Islamic fascist was humiliated, insulted and
disgraced as badly as could possibly be done in short period of less than
hundred hours. It began with lengthy in-camera briefing and ended up in
launching two drone-launched missile strikes in North Waziristan.
Apart from the DG ISI, General Kayani and Air Chief Rao faced
many embarrassing questions from bloody civilians to which they have not
been accustomed. These questions must have been far more embarrassing
than those asked by young army officers from the COAS when he went
around few garrisons to talk to them.
In one of the interactions, reportedly, a young Lieutenant suggested
General Kayani to resign. A young subaltern has very little to do with
geopolitics or higher strategy, he only knows one thing that primary task of
men in uniform is to keep the intruders at bay and protect territorial integrity
and sovereignty of Pakistan even at the peril of their lives.
No sermon on the higher strategy can justify that the national self
respect and pride can be sold out for any reason whatsoever. Men in uniform
either lay down their lives protecting it or quit. That must have been in the
mind of that young officer when he asked a simple and straight forward
question.
General Pasha offered himself to the Parliament for his accountability.
This gesture of show of moral courage was taken by the regime as surrender.
PPP leaders did not conceal their joy; Firdous Ashiq Awan wasted no time in
coming out of in-camera briefing to break news of surrender by DG ISI.

744

DG ISI was main target of the questions from parliamentarians,

especially those belonging to PML-N. Quite ironically, they helped fulfilling
the long outstanding desire of the US and its puppets now ruling Pakistan.
But, they had reasons to be hostile; the ISI was now perceived to be in
league with the PPP.
Zardari-led PPP finally achieved the goal of humiliating and humbling
Army and ISI. This was part of the democratic revenge. PPP leaders kept
rejoicing over their golden victory a brilliant success as Prime Minister
would like to call it.
The regime, however, continued firing from the shoulders of Army
and telling their American masters that there was lot of resentment in the
rank and file of Army. The cunning Scoundrel however wont accept
resignations of any of the top military brass. He would like to have these
humbled men in uniform around him as it would be easy to keep them under
control.
After in-camera briefing the parliamentarians deliberated over the
contents of the resolution they were obliged to adopt to justify their
existence. The regime successfully resisted constitution of judicial
commission demanded by PML-N and agreed to independent commission
and cleverly averted the mention of timeframe for its constitution and terms
reference.
Having stalled it for the time being the government waited for the
Scoundrel to return from Moscow and educate it about how to avoid any
impartial inquiry by resorting to delaying tactics. PPP leaders and their
coalition partners devoted maximum time and energies while interacting
with media. The aim was to pre-empt implementation of resolution as a
whole.
They have been portraying constitution of independent commission as
an act against armed forces. The fact is that any independent probe would
most likely blame the democratic regime more than the military. Therefore,
safety lied in avoiding any enquiry altogether.
Gilani proceeded to China on four-day visit and by the time he would
return the laid down period of one week for forming the commission would
have lapsed. This meant the independent commission wont be constituted
within seven days as was agreed upon at the time of adoption of resolution,
but cleverly not reflected in black and white. The turnip brothers seemed to
have been fooled once again.

745

It can be inferred with certainty that the resolution might meet the
same fate which was met by the one passed about three years ago. Zardari
regime wont risk implementing it lest the regime is implicated and his
masters get angry on any finding of the commission. He cannot afford losing
the wonderful place where he is because of them.
The very next morning it was clear as to what extent the resolution
would guarantee safety of ordinary Pakistanis. About one hundred people
were killed in Shabqadar attack by two suicide bombers. Intelligence
officials suspected that the attack was carried out by US agents to put more
pressure on Pakistan. Two attacks on Saudi Arabian Consulate and diplomat
in Karachi were certainly aimed at isolating Pakistan internationally.
Hussain Haqqani and John Kerry came to Pakistan with the mission
to scare and coerce Pakistani rulers. Kerry had come to Pakistan after
Raymond Davis sharp shooting in Mozang Chungi to tell the puppets what
to do and they complied a few weeks later. He has once again come on a
similar mission after killing of Osama. He has given a list of Dos and Donts
which would be implemented irrespective of the 12-point unanimously
passed resolution.
This time, however, Hussain Haqqani was launched as vanguard of
John Kerry. The regime summoned him to Islamabad to prepare grounds for
Kerrys visit. He came and tried to scare civil and military circles in
Islamabad that the US has almost exhausted its patience over Pakistan.
After dictating the Troika Kerry, apart from other things, said time to
press reset button on Pak-US ties has come. A man from Pakhtunkhwa
would have said it slightly differently. It was perhaps for this reason that
Zardari and Gilani did not come before the media; even they need to avoid
blushing in public.
The joint statement issued after Kerrys visit, in which Pakistani rulers
renewed their commitment to Americas war, might not be the final
embarrassment as was mentioned earlier while comparing Osama killing
with Raymond Davis Episode. This was yet another similarity and the
ultimate embarrassment has still to come. Thus, the resolution was treated
like a tissue paper, used and thrown on to the face the Parliament
representing 180 million Pakistanis.
With two drone attacks within few hours after Kerry announced that
two sides have agreed to bring things back on track and act jointly in future
manifested the US resolve that it wanted action not words. These attacks
occurred after Hillarys sweet-talk with Gilani and Kerry still present in
746

Pakistan and carried a clear message for Zardari and Kayani that they should
forget about the unanimously passed resolution of the Parliament.
The drone attacks in North Waziristan also had a message for those
Pakistanis who continued harping about sovereignty. All that had been said
in 12-point resolution was words; worthless words of corrupt
parliamentarians representing an oppressed nation.
The regime blushed and tried to defuse the effect by planting news
that the US has apologized. The manner in which it was done was clumsy. It
said that these attacks had been planned before the visit and could not be
canceled in time; as if couple of drone attacks is part of standing operating
procedure for an American dignitarys visit to Pakistan. What a shameful
explanation?
To conclude it must be said that slaves, even if they are freed, tend to
lurk back to place where they have been getting free meal though wrongly
presumed to be free. They find it hard to adjust to the ways of a free man.
Prolonged period of slavery is like domestication of wild animals and beasts.
The domesticated wolves become dogs over an extended period of
time. They get used to easy life. Once freed, they tend to come back to the
master for free meal instead of going in the wild and hunt for their own
meal. That is why these are called faithful. That is the case with Pakistani
rulers, who owe their being to America.
Zafar Hilaly hurried to say that parting of ways with the US has begun
therefore; differences will keep growing especially because goals and
strategy of the US are quite different from those of Pakistan. He ignored the
reality that dogs cannot become wolves overnight and the fact that after
exacting revenge from Army and ISI Zardari could extend the scope of
democratic revenge to Pakistan.
Had Pakistan refused to step on to the side of US about ten years ago,
it would have averted the present precarious situation though it would have
been mauled badly. But, it would have fought a war with genuine and just
cause. Now, the US was deliberating over use of the UN against Pakistan
and if it succeeded, Pakistan would be subjected to a war as guilty party and
it would have no cause to mobilize people for putting up resistance.
17th May, 2011

747

OBAMA KILLED OSAMA -V

As was visualized Gilani left for four-day visit to China on 17 th May
leaving behind Chaudhry to keep crying for constitution of independent
commission and drone attacks. He will return late on 20 th May when the laid
down timeframe would have lapsed.
The same day, an al-Qaeda leader was held in Karachi, five Chechens
were killed in Quetta, 56 Uzbeks were arrested at Chaman border and a
crackdown was launched in Abbottabad. These events indicated that the
regime was endeavouring hard to prove to their masters that it was
implementing the directive of action not words conveyed through Kerry.
Simultaneously with the delaying tactics, the government and the
establishment made moves to thwart the will of parliament by planting news
in the media. Two stories were worth mention which related to a formal
apology tendered by Washington over Mondays drone strike and about the
return of 375 US officials including Washingtons covert operatives.
In addition to disinformation the regime started giving advice to
media with a view to intimidating the nation about the consequences of
confrontation with the superpower. The theme was that emotional people
did not realize that hostility towards the US could lead the country to a
possible warpath and force it to pay high price.
Grossman and deputy chief of CIA visited Islamabad to put the PakUS ties back on track. During their meetings with the visitors the rulers
reportedly agreed to continue their relationship as hither-to-fore with only
one request; the early payment of dues.

NEWS
Security forces arrested a senior al-Qaeda leader, al-Makki of Yemen,
in Karachi on 17th May. Five Chechens, including three girls, were killed in
fake encounter near Quetta. Forty-five Uzbeks were detained at Chaman
border while trying to enter Pakistan and 11 more were held little later. At
least two foreigners were among 12 suspects held in Abbottabad in a
crackdown launched by security forces. Amina Bibi, daughter of man

748

charged in Florida, and her son were held by police in Swat and shifted to
unknown place. Kerrys threat of action, not words seemed to be showing
speedy results.
Two FC soldiers were wounded when NATO gunship helicopters
attacked a border post in Datta Khel to further strengthen the argument put
forward in the form of drone attacks. Payment of coalition support fund
worth $1.5 billion was blocked by the US. Nawaz asked the government to
implement parliaments resolution. Tariq Butt reported that Nawaz has
refused to meet COAS and get briefing on defence budget.
Nisar asked the government to reveal secret deal it has struck with
Kerry. He said the recent drone attacks were against Parliaments resolution
and demanded blocking of NATO supplies in protest. He regretted the lack
of action for constitution of independent commission and vowed to start the
process unilaterally.
Kerry said Pakistan was boosting cooperation with US and added
Washington expected more from Islamabad. The US rejected 40 percent of
war expenses bill sent by Pakistan. Saudi Arabia closed its consulates in big
cities because of the security situation in Pakistan. On the eve of Gilanis
visit, China reminded the world of Pakistans sacrifices in war on terror.
Next day, Ansar Abbasi reported on feeding distorted information to
the media. Within a few days of the adoption of a unanimous resolution by
parliament seeking complete review of Pak-US relations to safeguard the
sovereignty of Pakistan, some elements in the government and the military
establishment have moved to thwart the will of parliament by feeding the
media with distorted information to score points with Washington.
On Monday when Senator John Kerry was holding a series of
meetings with the top Pakistani authorities the media was fed with two
stories none of which could be confirmed. One of these stories talked about
a formal apology tendered by Washington over Mondays drone strike in
North Waziristan in breach of Pakistans sovereignty. The other story talks
about the return of 375 US officials including Washingtons covert
operatives after the May 2 incident.
None of these stories could be confirmed but they served the interest
of Washington instead of Pakistan and its Parliament. Foreign Office
spokesman Ms Tehmina Janjua said she has no knowledge of any apology
tendered by Washington to Pakistan. While talking to The News she agreed
that in case of a formal apology the most relevant institution is the Foreign

749

Office, which did not receive any such apology or regrets from the United
States.
The ISPR when approached referred the question to the Foreign
Office. The ISPR said that such apologies are exchanged between the
governments for which the FO would be in a position to say anything The
US embassy spokesman Alberto Rodriguez when approached to ascertain if
the United States has formally tendered an apology to Pakistan over
Mondays drone strikes in North Waziristan, instead of confirming or
denying it said in a written reply: We have seen reports that quote an
unnamed source in Islamabad. We have no additional information on this.
Asked if such drone attacks would not be carried out in future unless
permitted by the government of Pakistan, Alberto again responded vaguely:
We cannot comment on particular tactics, technology, or operations in the
fight against violent extremist groups. No nation has suffered from terrorism
as much as Pakistan. We are committed to working with and supporting the
people and government of Pakistan as they defend their democracy from
violent extremism.
He offered the same answer to another question whether the US
drones policy (of striking inside Pakistani territory) has changed following
the unanimous resolution adopted by Parliament There is no official word
available on these reports, however, officials sources do not confirm that
such a huge number of US officials have been sent back since May 2. It is
said that many US officials might have returned on their own because of the
post-May 2 tensions but the figure of 375 is too high to believe.
According to a senior journalist, after the unanimous resolution
adopted by Parliament, some authorities have started giving background
briefings to journalists to underline the importance of Pak-US relations for
Islamabad. It is ironic that despite a clear No by the countrys Parliament
to US influence in setting the contours of Pakistans foreign policy and in
spite of Parliaments unanimous voice to protect the sovereignty of the
country, overt efforts are being made to pre-empt the much required review
of the Pak-US post-9/11 counter-terrorism cooperation.
Joint action declaration during Kerrys visit was viewed by Anjum
Rasheed as declaration that henceforth all US actions would mean Pakistans
actions. Kerry said Pakistan has confessed its failings. Pakistani media now
reported that Zarar Amjad, the young boy who had inside Osama
Compound, was actually first contacted and reported by US media.

750

Democrats wrote a letter to Hillary Clinton urging her to reconsider

aid to Pakistan and make it performance related. Robert Gates wanted the
aid to Pakistan continue as the country was important for endgame in
Afghanistan. Two lawmakers and two dozen American NGOs urged Hillary
to get Pakistan designated as country of particular concern under the
International Religious Freedom Act. Grossman and deputy chief of CIA
arrived in Islamabad.
US media reported that Osama Compound had been under
surveillance since 2009 using all means, including satellites and stealth
drones which could not be detected by Pakistani radars. Why the footages
taken from space have not been released? Barkhan Yasr, a former CIA agent
now residing in Turkey, said Osama had died of sickness in 2006. He
claimed to have had links with three of his close aides who were present
along his bedside.
Asian Society in its report issued in New York wanted reduction in
army influence in Pakistan; cut in powers of Supreme Court; stressed need
for democracy in military academies; and dismantling of armed groups.
Republican Ron Paul warned that Pak-US relations are so perilous that the
US could be sucked into the quagmire of occupying Pakistan. Chinese Prime
Minister told America to respect sovereignty of China. He said attack on
Pakistan would be considered attack on China.
On 19th May, Ansar Abbasi reported: Top military commanders
believe that the Pakistan Army can easily live without the US military aid
but is not yet ready to go on the warpath with America, it has been learnt.
Whether or not it follows the will of the people, as has been unanimously
reflected through a resolution by parliament, is not yet clear but the civil and
military leadership has assured John Kerry that Pakistan would continue
cooperating with the US in its controversial war on terror if the latter
accedes to its request: Tell us or do it jointly.
John Kerry has returned to Washington after his successful tour to
Pakistan following the post-May 2 debacle and now a concerted effort is
being made by the civilian and military leadership to bring down the
temperature. A clear signal is being given to media men to help cool down
the USA vs Pakistan escalation They believe that the people are emotional
and thus not realizing the consequences and that such a hostile environment
against the US would lead the country to a possible warpath with the US.
What would be the price of such a hostile relationship between
Pakistan and the US, is frightening for our leadership, which believes that if
751

the people got the hint of such consequences, they would not push the
country to such a situation A major concern of the military commanders is
that the media should not try to divide and expose further divisions in the
country and institutions but they dont ponder if extremism and terrorism
could be controlled through the barrel of the gun.
Interestingly, our leadership, both civilian and military, appear to
trust Kerry when he says that he can give in writing with his own blood that
the US is not after the Pakistani nuclear assets. Hillary Clinton is said to be
also giving the same assurances but there was no one to tell Kerry as to why
then the Pakistans nuclear programme has always been the target of the US
administration and American media.
Grossman met Hina Rabbani, General Kayani, Pasha and Zardari;
after the meetings he said the time has not yet come for transfer of drone
technology and carrying out joint operations. He also said that no Pakistani
leader has suggested putting bilateral understandings into black and white.
Pakistani rulers, however, urged early payment of CSF and agreed to put ties
back on track.
Speaking to a public gathering in Sialkot, Nawaz said nations selfrespect has been sold for dollars. Governor Balochistan declared that no one
can stop the US if it wants to attack any target in Pakistan. Rehman Malik
issued orders to regulate movement of foreigners and action against
diplomats without legal documents. One can only hope that Americans have
been included in tem foreigners.
No FIR has been registered to date about the murder of three men and
a woman in Osama Compound. A lawyer approached the court for
registration of the case and to allow police and media to enter the premises.
Speaking at Third World Forum in London Maleeha Lodhi wanted
implementation of parliamentary resolution. UAE denied reports about
Shamsi airfield and US said it has its personnel at the airfield but declined to
tell what they were doing there.
Next day, Ansar Abbasi reported: The government had expected from
the in-camera joint parliamentary session to pronounce Osama bin Laden as
the top enemy of Pakistan besides stating that al-Qaeda had declared a war
against the country, but it was not done by parliament. The top
representative body of the country did not agree.
Wikileaks revealed that in January 2008 General Kayani had sought
US help in the form of drone attacks; ISPR denied the report. Postmortem of
Chechens killed in Quetta revealed that they were killed of bullet wounds;
752

however, blast signs were also there on one of the dead bodies. Nawaz
insisted on accountability over Abbottabad attack. Punjab canceled six
agreements on USAID.
Obama claimed capturing mountain of information from Osama
Compound which would be used to chase al-Qaeda operatives wherever they
might be. Hillary linked her visit to Pakistan with progress on talks.
Miliband met Hina and Zardari, discussed post-Abbottabad situation and
lauded Pakistans role in terror war. China backed Pakistans moves to
safeguard its security and lauded its role in war against terror.

VIEWS
On 17th May, The News commented: Anybody looking at some of the
images of Prime Minister Gilani and his meeting with the American
delegation led by Senator John Kerry would have immediately been struck
by the look of profound discomfort on his face and the awkwardness of his
body language. We can only guess at the reasons for his discomfiture, but
Kerry had dropped some broad hints whilst still in Kabul on Sunday that
hard questions would be asked about the circumstances which surrounded
the presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. And then there was the stick
of aid rumblings of discontent with Pakistan by American senators and
congressmen who felt that they were not getting as many bangs for their
bucks out of Pakistan as they would wish. But at the end there was the
statement that cooperation between the US and Pakistan was going to
continue, albeit under difficult circumstances, and any further unilateral
action by America would further damage the relationship so said the PM
and COAS General Kayani.
The press briefing that Kerry made in the evening was largely
placatory and told us little of substance in terms of what has passed
between his team and our government. He said that he understood Pakistans
feelings of wounded pride and violated sovereignty, but took the position
that Bin Laden had done as much to violate it. He spoke of the secrecy
around the Bin Laden mission, glossing over it by saying that this was not a
matter of trust but operational security. We learned that two senior American
officials are to visit late this week to put flesh on the bones of whatever has
been agreed in the last 24 hours; and that a series of steps had been put in
place with immediate effect which would get the relationship between the
two countries back on track. He spoke of the need for realistic expectations
and of mutual needs, and that the bonds that tie us together were strong
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enough to weather this storm. Kerry said he was not going to make any
apologies, and he did not say that America would not act unilaterally again.
Pakistan may have drawn its own lines in the sand as well, and the
tension is being managed rather than mitigated. Meanwhile in Lahore,
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said Pakistan should reject aid from
the US, as a means of asserting its sovereignty and breaking free of the
shackles that tie it to Washington. He said that the Punjab cabinet had
decided to set the precedent by rejecting foreign funding. More than the
exchanges with leaders in Islamabad, the stand taken by Mian Shahbaz
Sharif should help drive home to Mr Kerry and the US how sentiment is
shaping up in Pakistan. The views of Mr Sharif are shared by many. The fact
that the federal government apparently made only a lacklustre attempt
to make Mr Kerry realize this during detailed meetings with him will be
noted by people who continue to ask precisely how Pakistan intends to deal
with the situation that has arisen after the Abbottabad operation.
Rahimullah Yusufzai observed: The recent suicide bombings at the
training centre of the Frontier Constabulary at Shabqadar in Charsadda
district is the kind of revenge that the Pakistani Taliban and their allies are
capable of taking to avenge Osama bin Ladens assassination in Abbottabad.
They are unlikely to cause any real harm to the Americans who killed
the Al-Qaeda leader, but will continue to cause bloodshed in Pakistan
and kill and maim fellow-Pakistanis and fellow-Muslims.
The death toll in the Shabqadar bombings rose as the injured
men succumbed to their injuries and at the last count it was 98. Initially
the wounded were 140 and some are still fighting for lives. Eighteen of the
dead were civilians and the rest were all Frontier Constabulary men,
including 73 recruits and seven other personnel of the force who were in
Shabqadar to do some courses.
The outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for
the bombings. It was carried out by the TTPs Mohmand Agency chapter and
its spokesman said the attack was a revenge for Bin Ladens killing. There
was no reason to doubt the claim because this unit of the TTP, led by the
young militant Abdul Wali, also known as Omar Khalid, has in the past
carried out suicide bombings killing dozens of people, including government
officials and pro-government tribesmen, in Ekkaghund and Ghallanai in
Mohmand Agency. The TTP Mohmand Agency chapter has been ruthless
in tracking down and eliminating its opponents even in places like
Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Karachi. It is unforgiving in killing militants who
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abandon the TTP and also members of the peace committees and lashkars
formed at the behest of the government to fight the Taliban. As Shabqadar is
located close to Mohmand Agency and is inhabited by a large number of
Mohmand tribes people, it is an easy target for Omar Khalids men.
The victims of the senseless suicide bombings were made to pay the
price for someone elses sins All those slain and injured in the Shabqadar
bombings had no role in the assassination of the Saudi-born Bin Laden by
the US Special Forces. Those who decided to join Americas war on
terror or used militants as strategic assets live in secure places and
employ state resources to stay safe. The common people bear the brunt of
the military operations and the suicide bombings.
Rahimullah elaborated the ironies of this war and then concluded:
Avenging Bin Ladens assassination would make sense if the US were
attacked or its interests damaged elsewhere in the world. However, this
appears to be beyond the capacity of al-Qaeda and its affiliates as no attack
could be launched in the US since 9/11. It is obvious that al-Qaeda and
likeminded groups have the ambition to attack the US, but lack the
capability to do so. Instead they would attack targets in Pakistan and
possibly Afghanistan, because the two countries are accessible and
vulnerable. In fact, the Afghan Taliban gave a measured response to Bin
Ladens killing and have yet to claim any attack against the US and NATO
forces in Afghanistan as revenge for the al-Qaeda founders death. Bin
Laden was their guest and ally and for his sake the Afghan Taliban sacrificed
everything, including their rule, in refusing to deliver him to the US. But
they have shown pragmatism, unlike the Pakistani Taliban who mistakenly
believe they can avenge Bin Ladens death by killing innocent
Pakistanis.
Mosharraf Zaidi wrote: There is, on one hand, a very real sense of
loss, grief, indignity and sacrifice among Pakistanis, and on the other, a
very real sense of outrage in the US and other parts of the world, that
Pakistan is not doing enough, either because it cannot, or because it does not
want to. This disparity is so stark, and the distance between the two realities,
so deep and wide, that ignoring it is no longer an option. Any national
commission that is put together in the aftermath of what happened in
Abbottabad, must necessarily address this disparity. It must answer the
simplest of all questions: Why has the Pakistani state failed both its own
people, and the international community, so spectacularly?

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Asking this question is not a license for dishonouring the sacrifices of

Pakistans indomitably brave men and women in uniform. Instead, it lies at
the heart of ensuring the integrity of the Pakistani state and its vital organs
its parliament, its judiciary, its executive, and its military. More than any
other, the honour of the Pakistani soldier is a symbol of the state of the
nation. Without addressing the desperate internal bleeding Pakistan is
suffering, and the white-hot anger of the international community, Pakistan
cannot honour its soldiers in a manner that is in keeping with their
sacrifices.
The bottom-line therefore, is that an honest and forthright
appraisal of Pakistans intelligence and military performance is a
necessary bitter pill, required to sustain and enhance the dignity and pride
with which Pakistanis see their uniformed men and women.
A simple, two-pronged framework for making this assessment is
helpful in considering what the Terms of Reference (ToR) for an
independent Pakistan Commission on National Security would be. Failure,
in the context of Abbottabad, is either a product of a lack of competence, or
a product of deliberate dereliction of duty or some combination of both. In
plain English, Pakistans intelligence, military, and civilian law and
order structures either dont know how to do their jobs, or know how to
do them, but choose not to or both.
Any commission that is formed to examine the state of national
security needs to have three distinct areas of focus. The first is the
counterterrorism failure the presence and vitality of the terrorist
enterprise in Pakistan this includes the fact that people like Bin Laden are
in Pakistan, and the fact that their comrades in the TTP can conduct
operations like the Charsadda massacre of Friday, May 13.
The second is the national security failure the ability of other
countries to conduct operations in Pakistani airspace and on Pakistani
territory. The question may begin with the Abbottabad incident, in which
another country raided or invaded Pakistan with virtually no military
response. But the issue goes much further. For example, for years we have
been told that India is stoking an insurgency in Balochistan (even though
India had nothing to do with the assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti). The
question has to be asked: What is Pakistan doing to protect Balochistan and
its people from the insidious international conspiracies that the Pakistani
security establishment claims are afoot?

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The third area of focus has to be the diplomatic failure or how

Pakistan responds to international crises. The collective response of the
foreign office, the ministry of information, the prime minister, the ISPR, and
everyone else involved following the Abbottabad incident, leaves a lot to be
desired.
The two lenses through which these questions need to be
answered are capacity and will. The commission will need to distinguish
between how much of the collective failure of the Pakistani state
intelligence, military and civilian administration can be attributed to a lack
of capacity, and how much of it can be attributed to a lack of will. Whatever
the findings of the commission, it will need to exercise a radical departure
from customary hand-wringing and intellectual takalluf.
The instances in which counterterrorism failures, national security
failures, or diplomatic failures are a product of capacity will need to be
addressed with aggressive and immediate measures to fill the gaps. This will
invariably mean a structural set of changes to the way in which talent is
recruited, employed, and retained by the ISI, the Pakistan armed forces,
and the civil service.
It will also mean that fiscal priorities will need to be revisited to
ensure that money spent is being spent on the things that matter. In the
current environment, it seems rather ridiculous for Pakistan to spend
millions of dollars on hardware dedicated to wars of the 1960s and 1970s.
This country needs to suit up for the wars of the 2010s, the 2020s and the
2030s.
Of course, these ideas are far from revolutionary. We know that there
are capacity gaps, and we know, generically, what is required to fix them.
Politics is slower to reach the destinations that technocratic problem solvers
get to relatively quickly. But without political backing, technocratic
solutions will simply never transpire. The Abbottabad incident may
perhaps have served to add to the quantum of political backing for the
kinds of reforms desperately required. But what we can say with much
more certainty is that the problem of capacity is far more tangible than the
other problem the problem of a lack of will.
More than any other single aspect of the challenges faced by
Pakistan, an independent Pakistan Commission on National Security must
tackle this problem of will head-on and without equivocation. The
commission will fail the people of Pakistan and this glorious opportunity

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to shape the future of this country, if it fails to frontally challenge the

terrible reality of extremism in the state and society of Pakistan.
Ameer Bhutto opined: The resolution passed unanimously by the
joint session of parliament on May 14, 2011 produces some ray of hope in
view of the united front adopted by all political stakeholders But one
recalls a similar resolution passed in the same House on the same issue in
October 2008 and the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on
National Security in April 2009, which were never implemented, and ones
optimism is tempered with doubt and scepticism. The latest resolution even
begs for the implementation of the prior resolution, exposing how
ineffective and powerless parliament has been rendered, even though the 18th
Amendment was supposed to have restored it to its intended majesty.
One further recalls revelations by not just WikiLeaks but a number of
US senators, including Senators Diane Feinstein and Carl Levine, that
privately the Zardari administration gives free rein to US authorities to do as
they please in Pakistan, but makes noise for public consumption, and one
begins to wonder whether this latest parliamentary resolution too could
be another whitewash, a dilatory tactic to buy time and deflect pressure
till the dust settles, as has been this governments modus operandi since its
first day in office.
If the government was serious about a meaningful change of
direction from prostration before their foreign overlords to an independent
and honourable line of action, then why present this issue in a the form of
a parliamentary resolution which carries no legal force and is neither
binding on the government nor a declaration of government policy, but
rather a mere recommendation to the government from parliament?
The prime minister could have made a policy statement and
implemented it through cabinet, or if the government wished to give the
parliamentarians a sense of doing something, why not present it in the
form of a bill or act of parliament, which could later be adopted by cabinet
as government policy? This would carry more weight and would be binding
on the government.
Since this latest parliamentary resolution recognizes that the May 2,
US Navy Seals raid in Abbottabad was a violation of our national
sovereignty, then how can mere verbal condemnation of such an act of
aggression suffice? And if the government sees it fit to now condemn the
SEALs action, then why did they congratulate the US authorities initially
and call it a great victory?
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The resolution goes on to demand that drone attacks must stop or else
the transit facility for NATO supplies will be discontinued. This government
has done nothing so far in its three year tenure to give us any reason to
believe that it possesses the resolve or nerve to block NATO supply lines.
But even if it does block NATO supplies and the drone attacks continue
nevertheless, how much further is this government prepared to go to
defend national sovereignty and the lives of innocent citizens? Will they
authorize the Pakistan Air Force to shoot down the drones?
The explanation provided for not doing so is that if the PAF were to
shoot down a few drones, then there is likelihood that subsequent drones
would be escorted by US or NATO fighter jets, which would bring the PAF
into direct engagement with them and lead to outright war. What this
effectively means is that we are unable to defend our frontiers and innocent
citizens from Nato aggression, in which case the whole raison detre of the
parliamentary resolution is lost. Then, instead of swallowing the violation of
national sovereignty and murder of innocent citizens in humiliating silence,
we should at least raise the issue of military aggression against us by US or
NATO forces in the United Nations or other appropriate international
forums. Does our government have the strength to do so? Can they bite
the hand that sustains them in power?
Parliament, or the government to be more specific, balked at the idea
of constituting a judicial commission as recommended by the PML-N and
instead chose to form an independent inquiry commission. But there are
many loose ends in this, in keeping with the governments three year old
strategy of procrastinating and prolonging matters. No clear perimeters or
powers of the proposed commission have been demarcated nor has its frame
of reference been outlined. If it lacks the powers to conduct the requisite
deep-rooted inquiry and summon anyone it pleases for questioning, or if the
frame of reference is as vague and meaningless as that of the UN Inquiry
Commission into the Benazir Bhutto murder, then no tangible results can be
expected.
Also, no time frame has been specified for the commission to
submit its report, meaning it could go on deliberating for years.
Furthermore, there is no mention of any form of accountability in the
resolution. The Director General of ISI was man enough to present himself
for scrutiny and offered his resignation. If only those in positions of high
authority in government would exhibit the same modicum of honour.

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If the commission finds evidence of culpability or negligence, such

facts can not be swept under the rug. There can be no rectification without
the required and warranted blood-letting. A precedent must be set to let
freelance cowboys and adventurers know that they are not above the law and
will be held accountable. But alas, there are far too many holy cows
roaming our land that feel they are beyond reproach. This must change if
meaningful change is to be instituted.
It is now emerging that the Shamsi Airbase was leased out to the
UAE and is being used by the US and that drone flights, reportedly, are
originating from this airbase, even though successive governments have
repeatedly denied for years that drone flights originate from Pakistani soil.
Did it not prick anyones curiosity why a country like the UAE would need
an airbase in Pakistan and what they would use it for? Does the UAE have
authority to lease land from the Government of Pakistan and then pass
it on to another country to use as they will? Why did Pakistani authorities
not take notice of this handover? And the take-off and landing of all drone
flights from Shamsi Airbase in the last decade have gone totally undetected?
Not only are we unable to detect incoming flights from across our frontiers
but cannot even account for flights within our territory? The high and
mighty in Islamabad must think that the rest of the 180 million Pakistanis
must be very stupid if they expect us to believe any of this.
It seems rather strange for the parliamentary resolution to call
for a review of government policy and our relations with the United
States of America. By doing so, the government has unwittingly admitted
that it has been its policy to allow a breach of national sovereignty and that
our relations with the United States have thus far been based on
subservience to their whims and desires, which now needs reviewing after
our noses have been rubbed in dirt.
Pakistan stands at the crossroads of destiny. We have but a
fleeting moment to decide whether we will bow even further in obeisance to
our foreign overlords or stand tall as an independent, sovereign and
progressive nation. The decision we take today in this regard will define the
future for several generations.
Next day, The News commented: We are told the US has made an
apology of sorts for its unilateral actions in the country and given some
assurance that these will not be repeated. But while the low-key US words
of conciliation have been played up by our leaders, the fact is they mean
nothing given that drone strikes are continuing in the north and may even
760

have intensified over the past few days. Perhaps unsurprisingly North
Waziristan is the key area of focus, with the US having emphasized that it
believes key militant figures may be based there There are rumours that a
prominent militant commander Gul Bahadur Haleem may have been among
them, but this is being denied in the area of action itself.
There have also been reports of two NATO helicopters intruding into
Pakistan on Tuesday across the Afghan border and injuring two soldiers.
There is more than one dimension to the continuing drone attacks and
the governments apparent inability to do anything to stop them even as
demands from the political opposition that this happen become more and
more vociferous. In the first place, the attacks add to the feelings of
resentment towards the US that spur on militancy while also undermining
our sovereignty. It is also clear that drones have claimed the lives of
hundreds of innocent people and only a few militants. They have also
brought terror to the lives of the people of the tribal areas who, like most
citizens of the country, seek peace and an end to the reign of death.
Right now, Pakistan faces several challenges. It must prove to the
world and to its own people that it is a country capable of keeping its
territory safe and that it possesses the capacity to do so. It must also
demonstrate that it has dignity and self-respect. Repeated drone strikes make
this impossible. They need to stop. The question that should occupy
Pakistans leaders is how to achieve this. There is clearly a lack of readiness
on the part of Washington to end the strikes. Secret agreements made outside
the public realm add to the complications. It is hardly democratic to lie and
fool people. But to break away from the past, an alternate strategy is
needed and a consensus has to be built as to how best Pakistan can deal
with a problem that has plagued it for years and has claimed a hefty death
toll.
Brian Cloughley observed: In an admirable display of solidarity the
politicians Strongly asserted that unilateral actions, such as those conducted
by the US forces in Abbottabad, as well as the continued drone attacks on
the territory of Pakistan, are not only unacceptable but also Now this is
the parliament and people of Pakistan speaking to the most powerful country
in the world in no uncertain terms. These democratically elected
politicians are telling the United States of America that enough is
enough. They declared that as from 14 May 2011 there must be no more
illegal killings in their country by foreigners. The Constitution of the United
States is precise about condemning such action.

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But then, predictably enough, there came the slap in the face. The US
delivered the ultimate insult to Pakistans democracy The message is
clear, in that the Parliament of Pakistan can pass what resolutions it
likes, but the United States of America will ignore them. Not only was
Pakistan humiliated over the Davis affair, when that CIA thug killed two
citizens of Pakistan and got away with murder and was spirited out of the
country instead of facing criminal charges, but the US is intent on grinding
Pakistans dignity even further into the gutter. The 16 May drone strike was
followed the next day by an attack on two Pakistan army checkpoints near
Miranshah by foreign helicopters. Two soldiers were injured. No apologies,
of course.
The United States cares not a fig for Pakistans democracy, or for
any other democracy, come to that. The Obama administration has shown
that it is ludicrously hypocritical by attacking Libya, which is ruled by a
whacky dictator who persecutes his citizens, while maintaining the US Gulf
Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain, which is ruled by a whacky dictator who
persecutes his citizens. The only difference between these two places is that
the western media concentrate on Libya and are not permitted to say
anything bad about Bahrains savage king. Mercenaries from other Arab
states have been brought into Bahrain to subjugate its citizens, while in
Libya NATO swooping jet jockeys have fun while trying to assassinate
Qaddafi.
Parliament in Islamabad is powerless against the arrogant might
of the United States. It can pass resolutions until the drones come home,
and nobody in Washington will pay the slightest heed. It seems that for
Pakistan legislators to declare such drone attacks must be stopped
forthwith is practically an invitation to increase the carnage. Pakistan cant
do a damn thing about this blatant provocation. The indignity inflicted on
Pakistan is not only insolent and illegal, it is lip-smackingly, sneeringly
triumphal.
Pakistans democracy is shaky. It needs all the help it can get both
domestically and internationally if it is to prove that Pakistan can govern
itself properly and for the long term. But on the international scene
Pakistans democracy is being torn to bits. Its not just being ignored its
being held up to the world and ripped to shreds by drone-fired missiles and
the rockets and bombs from foreign aircraft sweeping illegally over its
borders.

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Economically it would be disastrous for Pakistan to cut ties with

its savage paymaster. But these kill-crazy video-game desperadoes who
gaily bombard the world without fear of retaliation just might take pause if
Pakistan did one thing: stop, instantly, the entire flow of war material
passing through Pakistan to Afghanistan, and forbid all flights through
Pakistans airspace by any aircraft destined for Kabul. Another course could
be to issue orders to the Pakistan Air Force to shoot down the drones. This it
is quite entitled to do under international custom. (Imagine what the US
would do if an armed Venezuelan drone were to zoom over Arizona.)
These might seem extreme retaliatory measures. But a country cant
just sit back and be treated with the derision, disrespect, and insolent
contempt that Pakistan is suffering at the moment. Enough is enough. If
democracy is to survive in Pakistan and heaven forbid there be a rerun of
past years then democracy must be seen to be supported and defended.
Tanvir Ahmad Khan opined: Pakistan is a land of many fateful
contests; it is also the playground of several games played rather roughly by
natives and foreigners alike. On May 13, parliament assembled for an 11hour long in-camera session, the main highlight of which was an
unprecedented interaction between the law makers and the top echelon of the
military. On the same day, the insurgents killed more than eighty newly
trained FC men. There, in the course of a single day, we witnessed
dramatization of overt and covert tussles that leave our people wondering
who is winning and who is losing.
The media reciprocated the secrecy game being played inside the
sacred precinct of parliament with a game of real time exposure of the
proceedings. Getting no more than disjointed bits of information, the TV
channels repeated and amplified them speculatively. Echoing the
information ministers regrettable faux pas that General Ahmad Shuja Pasha
had surrendered to parliament, the media kept him under the spotlight with
dark hints that it was the day of decision in the presumed civil-military
contest. There were, indeed, some probing questions but the military
had no intention of polarizing the civil and military perspectives. The
generals were there to rally the representatives of the people behind them.
Additionally, they were reminding parliamentarians that very often
they have to fill the vacant space because the present government does not
take clear positions in the domain of foreign policy and national
security. If there was a winner, it was Ahmad Shuja Pasha who moved

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dexterously between utter humility and judicious assertion to identify

responsibilities of the government and its own military.
Parliament was rightly told that relations with the United States have
become problematic. Consider the New York Times editorial (Pakistan
after Bin Laden) of May 13. It accused Pakistans leaders military and
civil of stoking more anti-Americanism and then observed wryly that
we see no signs that Pakistan is ready to stop playing all sides. It advised
President Obama to leverage the moment and hoped that the trove of
computer files seized by the Americans may provide some welcome
bargaining power.
Pakistan is not about to be written off. In fact, we should visualize
two successive phases in bilateral relations: one lasting till the bulk of US
and Nato forces are withdrawn with some claim of victory and the other
beyond such an acceptable outcome.
We should expect Washingtons Pakistan diplomacy to become
more coercive to secure greater compliance from a government that is
now on the defensive. The partnership has always remained transactional
with Pakistan having to carry an ever increasing burden of economic and
human losses to keep it going. There will be many new pressure points.
Apart from Afghanistan, the United States also has an independent set of
objectives related to Pakistans growing nuclear capability, its role in the
American South Asian strategy and above all, the transformation of the
Pakistani society and its national security state. As Pakistan seeks more
freedom to manoeuvre, Washington will doubtless constrain it with demands
that Pakistan would occasionally find inconsistent to its national interest.
As events unfold, regression into the old cycle of sanctions will no
longer be ruled out. Its time for the government to produce a political and
economic plan to cope with the consequences of revisiting and reviewing the
terms of engagement with the United States. The hard question posed by the
latest resolution of parliament was not the resignation of the ISI chief but
about the will and capacity of the government to craft a strategy that makes
its implementation viable.
Mohammad Malick urged: For starters, we need to look beyond the
contemporary rhetoric of leadership in both countries and concentrate on the
substantive US policy objectives, both declared and not so declared. This
objective oriented analysis of developments could be our first step towards
thinking-American. Isnt it interesting how suddenly the unrelated issue
of the safety of Pakistans nuclear assets has come up tops on US
764

security menu and only because one man, along with his three wives, had
managed to hide amongst a nation of 180 million people? The latest visit of
Senator John Kerry, arguably one of the closest things resembling a
sympathizer of Pakistan within the US power corridors, was aptly summed
in his own one liner when he declared that the future Pak-US relationship
shall be defined by actions and not words. Here too without saying it he
made it abundantly clear that his reference was exclusively to Pakistans
actions. This statement was not a spur of the moment uttering by Kerry the
individual, but a calibrated message based on formal US policy.
Then Kerry also talked about Pakistans nuclear assets. It is
irrelevant that he thought they were in safe hands (for now), because
what is relevant is his flagging the nuclear issue in the first instance as did
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in her dramatically timed phone call to
Prime Minister Gillani. Is this latest flagging of nuclear issue contemporary
political verbosity or the implementation of the next stage of the long held
US policy vis-a-vis our nuclear programme?
Did we ever ponder why Senator Lugar, and not any other, had
stepped in after Joe Biden to co-author the Kerry-Lugar bill? The original
draft of the legislation had overwhelmingly focused on socio-economic
development but after Lugar its orientation swung the nuclear way, of
course under the garb of this security concern or another. Is it a sheer
coincidence that Senator Lugar also happened to have teamed with Senator
Nunn to create policy legislation that ultimately saw the demise of the
Soviet nuclear programme? Our own KLB replicates certain provisions
including bestowing the right to sell Pakistans national resources to pay for
expenses associated with CTR (Cooperative Threat Reduction). The Soviets
were actually billed for over 350 sting operations carried out against them by
US in the name of CTR. And this is only one small part of the big policy
picture.
Pakistan must wake up and smell the coffee, the American
brewed to be precise. Time has come for us to recognize the drastically
changed global political and security landscape and to readjust our actions,
emotions, and internal power equations accordingly. It cannot be business
as usual. The new worldview being shaped by a belligerent over $3.2 trillion
a year US war industry is wrong but it is the prevalent reality nevertheless
and one that must be factored into our policy making. And it gets even
worse. The proposed National Defence Authorization Act expands the notion
of Americas enemy to include forces associated with identified
antagonists like Al-Qaeda and Taliban, and whoever is put next on the list
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once a delusional general like David Petraeus takes over CIA. Add this to
our already having agreed to the inclusion of terrorist sanctuaries in our
beloved Kerry-Lugar bill and the policy framework for legitimate US
military unilateralism in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world stands
completed. America has started behaving like a swaggering empire and we
need to plan accordingly.
And our doing so should not in any way be confused with us
giving up our national honour (as the deliberately misleading ghairat
brigade will claim) but only tampering it with timely pragmatism. Our holy
Prophet (PBUH) laid down examples of tactical easing off with his hijrat
and Pact Hudabiya. Clear examples that short-term unpleasant tactical back
stepping was ok, as long as one did not abandon legitimate desired strategic
objectives. Whether it was a US induced intelligence failure or outright
incompetence of our own sleuths is immaterial. What matters is that the
Osama episode has put us in a hole and we first need to claw our way out of
this pit and only then get on with doing things the right way. And we must
begin in earnest by taking a worldview of our local priorities and concerns.
We need to eschew conflict and buy time to build our economic might and
positive relevance in the comity of nations. The world needs to be convinced
that it would be a better place with us, and not without us. And if doing so
means taking a step back without jeopardizing our security then be it. There
will always be another day.
Iftekhar A Khan wrote: Were told Muslim prayer was recited while
performing Osamas last rites before his remains were either cascaded from
the ship deck or dumped from an aircraft into the sea. We should
appreciate the reverence the US administration showed for the religious
faith of the Muslims, while the same administration demonstrated complete
lack of sensitivity when some members of the interrogation teams in
Guantanamo who desecrated the Quran as the tortured and helpless prisoners
looked on
Lets remember that al-Qaeda itself is a figment of the West. Its
members, according to US officials, were not more than a few hundreds in
Afghanistan. Its a mythical outfit whose adherents are supposedly so
vibrant and mobile that within days they move from the caves and hills of
Afghanistan to the deserts of Iraq and Yemen. What nonsense! Thats why
the winner of the Bookers award, the fiery Arundhati Roy, calls al-Qaeda
in fact al-Faida for the West. Doesnt the logic manifest itself amply that in
whichever region the US-led NATO forces have pursued al-Qaeda, they
have reaped huge faida (profits). Not only the US and its allies, even their
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puppets in various Muslim countries too are rolling in great faida. The
sufferers, however, are the miserable unwashed who watch the drama played
out to them with their mouths agape.
Already the credibility of the American governments since 9/11
has immeasurably suffered for failing to conduct a credible inquiry of the
Twin Towers catastrophe. Renowned defence analyst and author of two
books, Eric Margolis, thinks one third of Americans suspect that it was an
inside job In the Muslim world the percentage of disbelievers rises to over
80 percent. Margolis, himself a New Yorker, whose integrity is aboveboard,
and who in his long career as a journalistwould think hard before
declaring that one third of Americans thought the 9/11 was a false flag
operation and that Osama had no truck with it.
If Osama was indeed the architect of 9/11, US administration has
frittered away the chance of a lifetime to prove his involvement to it by
not capturing him alive. It was never actually meant to be so. What was
meant to be was to give Pakistan, an ally that has suffered hugely, a bad
name in the world and to provide badly needed fillip to Obamas sagging
popularity, which has already jumped up by 11 percent.
On 19th May, commented on killing of Chechens near Quetta which
appeared action to impress Kerry. The deaths of five foreigners, said to
be Chechens, at a check post close to Quetta raise a host of questions.
The incident has been widely reported and, despite the breadth of coverage,
there appear to be inconsistencies in the various accounts. What is agreed is
that there were five people, three of them women, who were killed and that
in the incident Lance Naik Muhammad Sajjad was wounded and later died
of injuries. Photographs of the incident show a woman with a raised arm
lying beside a sandbagged check post. It may be assumed that if her arm was
raised she was still alive at the time. The police say that two of the five dead
were wearing suicide vests; other eyewitnesses say they were not and no
suicide jacket was recovered from the bodies. Four grenades were shown to
the media but no suicide jackets. There is consistency in the reports that
two kilograms of explosives and 56 detonators were found in the vehicle in
which they were traveling. From most reports, it is clear that the police and
paramilitaries were on the alert for a possible attack.
Another question relates to why a wounded woman was finished
off at close range. Even larger questions need to be answered about how
these individuals with Russian passports, who are said to be Chechen,
carrying explosives and grenades, came to be here in the first place. Pakistan
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is not natural territory for Chechens, terrorist or otherwise. Their purpose

here was clearly not tourism and sightseeing, they had come to attack
something or somebody and no matter the ambiguities about the way in
which they met their ends, we should be thankful that they were prevented
from carrying out whatever their mission was. Somebody equipped and
funded them, gave them their target, and sent them on their way. They were
a very long way from home Chechnya lies between the Black and Caspian
seas and, apart from having a population that is predominantly Sunni
Muslim, has little or nothing in common with Pakistan. In a country where
the strange is commonplace this incident stands out and we need to know a
lot more about these mysterious Chechens.
Ikram Sehgal in his column disapproved putting all the blame on army
for not knowing the presence of Osama in Abbottabad. Where did they get
the National Identification Cards (NIC) for obtaining and maintaining water,
gas and electricity connections, including even acquiring mobile phones?
Contrary to media reports about his luxurious mansion, the Bin Laden
home was not in mint condition. What about periodical repairs and
maintenance? The huge failure across-the-board has been conveniently
dumped upon the army. Why are a whole range of members of the civilian
bureaucracy not being held accountable and/or accepting responsibility? And
what about the politicians of the area? How come they never sought votes
from the inhabitants of the nearly secluded villa?
There was a reverse swing to the parliamentary inquisition,
contrary to the well-planned humiliation of the uniform, the elected
members, albeit with 44 percent bogus votes, found soon after the joint
session that they were not in sync with those (the 56 percent genuine voters)
they represented. The Pakistani populace may have been demoralized and
disappointed because of May 2, but they still believe in their soldiers.
The frustration displayed by Mian Nawaz Sharif was more
pathetic. He declared India was not an enemy. To me it is shocking that he
allowed his anger against Musharraf and his cronies to overcome his
patriotism. In trying to fan animosity against the army, he has stooped to a
new political low. Mian Sahib probably thinks that the 80 percent of the
Indian armed forces (four times our strength), located and/or deployed near
our borders, are there for sightseeing! This popular leader is increasingly out
of sync with reality, and his hatred has warped his rational thinking. Any
sane, peace-loving citizen of South Asia would certainly like to have India as
a friend. However, it will take some doing to cold start our sworn enemy
somehow into a friend. The observation is valid but there was no mention
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who harbours much greater malice about army; Zardari all out to extract
democratic revenge.
Let us give credit to the Americans. Violating the sovereignty of an
allied country, their elite commandos risked a fire fight in a violent raid
deep in our heartland, not counting the possibility of a skirmish with combat
aircraft positioned overhead in Pakistani airspace to interdict the scrambling
of PAF interceptors. Single-mindedly they did what they had to in order to
accomplish their stated objective. That is the exact model Pakistan must
emulate. To achieve ones national interest there must be a no-holds-barred
attitude, taking calculated risk, including even violating international laws at
will to ensure (and justify) that the intent and objectives of the nation are
always paramount, no matter what the consequences.
The Pakistani army and the ISI are crucial to the nations
existence. Those who want to harm us must first target them
successfully. The post-May 2 humiliation of our defence establishment led to
mass anger and depression, and this was jumped upon by Pakistans
enemies. Unfortunately, they were joined by a section of our elite who
should know better. Instead of defending the nation, the military was forced
into the most unusual position of having to defend itself from the nation.
Thankfully, vilification of our soldiers remains unacceptable to the broad
mass of the populace, who well know that if we are to survive as an
independent entity, the uniform remains the only real guarantors of our
freedom.
Reema Omer observed: Surprisingly, international lawyers and
journalists in the country are continuing to defend the legality of the
attack, some relying on UN Security Council resolutions and others basing
their analysis on the doctrine of self-defence and pre-emptive selfdefence. While it would be foolish to analyze the Bin Laden incident
through the myopic lens of international law alone, it needs to be understood
that legally, at least, there is no justification for the American invasion of
Pakistans territory. In fact, a strong case can also be made for Bin Ladens
assassination being a violation of international human rights law as well.
Let us examine the self-defence justification of the attack first.
Those who say the US was acting in self-defence accept the US claim that
the war on terror is an actual war, in which case the law of war and the
lower standards of international humanitarian law are applicable. According
to this theory, 9/11 attacks were an armed attack which gave the US the
rights to act in self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
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The blatant flaws in this theory are multi-fold, most of which have
been exposed by renowned international lawyers during the war on
Afghanistan, and to a limited extent, Iraq. Firstly, the right to self-defence is
temporary an attacked state may only exercise it until the UN Security
Council has the matter. It is important to note that revenge is not an accepted
exception to the absolute prohibition against the use of force; a state may
only act in self-defence to protect itself against an imminent threat and not in
retaliation to an attack that has already happened. To accept the self-defence
argument a decade after the 9/11 attacks is therefore absurd.
Secondly, 9/11 attacks do not fit within traditional definitions of
armed attack. Even if it is accepted that the attack on the twin towers
was an armed attack, the entire world does not become an open
battleground. The authorization of, or at least complicity in the attack by
another state must be proven before that states territory is invaded. The US
may have questioned Pakistans intentions and capacity to capture Bin
Laden, but so far they have not argued that the Pakistani state authorized or
was complicit in the 9/11 attacks.
Thirdly, pre-emptive self-defence has been considered a legal
farce by eminent international lawyers the US attack on the Sudanese
Al-Shifa pharmaceutical plant and Israels bombing of Iraqs nuclear reactor
in pre-emption of possible attacks were out-rightly rejected and
condemned. The UN Charter has not been reinterpreted or amended to allow
for another pre-emption exception to the prohibition against the use of
force and to let the US rhetoric on how 9/11 has fundamentally altered our
understanding of armed conflict should not be accepted lightly.
Another justification given for the attacks is that the UN Security
Council resolutions allowed for unilateral assassination of Osama Bin
Laden. The Security Council, acting under chapter 7 of the UN Charter, has
in recent years called upon states to impose arms embargos on al-Qaeda, to
freeze financial assets of al-Qaeda and its supporters, and prohibit entry of
the concerned individuals and organizations. In other resolutions the
Security Council has condemned al-Qaeda and emphasized the importance
to curtail terrorist activities. However, never has the Security Council
unequivocally given blanket authority to the US to invade a sovereign
state if it has reason to believe Osama bin Laden is in hiding in its territory.
Given that the UN Charter prohibits use of force and that Security Council
authorization is only an exception to the absolute prohibition, SC resolutions
must be construed narrowly one must be careful not to read vague

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resolutions condemning terrorism as a blanket approval of unilateral strikes

to kill terrorists.
Another aspect of the Bin Laden assassination that is being
ignored, at least in Pakistan, is that of international human rights. If we
accept that the attack was not in self-defence and the war on terror is an
ideological, not a real war, we must accept that international human rights
standards were applicable during Operation Geronimo.
According to international human rights law, every person even
if he is the leader of a terrorist group has to be proven guilty in a court
of law and has the right to a fair trial (Article 10, UNDHR). The US has
accepted that Bin Laden was unarmed at the time he was killed and as the
champion of human rights, should have arrested him and given him a fair
trial if Slobodan Milosevic could have been arrested and put on trial for
crimes against humanity, so could Bin Laden. The burial of Bin Ladens
body at sea is also deeply problematic, and has even made the UN
Commissioner for Human Rights call for greater transparency and
accountability for his killing.
Pakistans silence in the aftermath of the US attack may have
made us believe that Pakistan was involved in the operation, in which
case the question of violation of Pakistans sovereignty obviously does not
arise. However, now that the attack has been condemned by our parliament
as well as our army and intelligence services, let there be no doubt that the
operation that killed Bin Laden was a violation of Pakistans sovereignty,
illegal under the UN Charter and may also be violative of international
human rights law.
Dr Qaisar Rashid noted: The Abbottabad operation was a display of
sophisticated technology not available to Pakistani forces. It was technology
that made the difference between US and Pakistanis forces. Buying custombuilt weapons and surveillance systems is one thing but inventing the same
kind of equipment is altogether different. Countries that are advanced in
science and technology have the potential to dominate others.
Pakistan should now consider the present situation as its moment of
truth. It should seriously think of increasing its intellectual potential.
There is more need now than ever before for an increase in expenditure on
the provision of education to the coming generations.
Pakistan should come out of its self-imposed security lock-up.
Importing costly radars, helicopters, tanks, and weapons cannot make
Pakistan invincible. Technology is a product of human intelligence. Without
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tapping the intellectual potential of its citizens, Pakistan cannot escape

humiliating experiences such as the Abbottabad operation. Pakistan does
not require rifles and bullets, Pakistan needs researchers and scholars.
Kamila Hyat wrote: The agency and the others that operate in the
country, apparently do not know where al-Qaedas key leader Dr Ayman alZawahiri or former Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar are either. This is
most peculiar given that the fears that they were likely to be hiding in North
Waziristan and Quetta respectively have been expressed in media reports for
years.
It is possible these are inaccurate, but the question arises then as to
whether the actual locations of these men have been figured out. This raises
a far more ominous question. If premier agencies were unable to catch even
a whiff of the goings on in that now familiar house a kilometre or so away
from Kakul, how are they going to detect other militants who lurk in
unexpected places?
In some ways these persons pose a bigger threat than even the
Taliban forces and their supporters gathered in the north, insidiously
spreading the message of hate among peers, and creating the mindset that
allows extremism to flourish.
The capture last week of young Maaz Ali, a student of the Applied
Physics department at the University of Karachi, along with three other men
in possession of heavy arms and plans to attack government installations in
the city, has shocked many on campus.
But it is really no surprise that not every member of the Taliban is an
exploited, impoverished youth brain-washed into believing in a violent
crusade. A significant number are well-educated, relatively privileged
individuals, often with a background in science. This was true of the 9/11
bombers, of individuals such as Aafia Siddiqui and, according to the
European Journal of Sociology in a study last year, it is also true of at least
one-fifth of 404 members of violent Islamist groups included in the
research.
We wonder how many such individuals are based in our
campuses; it seems unlikely that our agencies know very much about them
given the track record of these outfits. The fact that, in the past, doctors,
computer analysts and others have been found working in liaison with
extremists indicates the presence of a sturdy support base for groups like the
Taliban in the country. We really have no way of knowing how broad this is
but the existence of Taliban sympathizers within the media, among school
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and college teachers and within the mainstream clergy means that the
influence of such thinking continues to grow, seeping deeper and deeper into
the conscience.
The cocktail created by blending these ideas with the distrust of the
United States that exists in so many parts of our society makes it easier for
many to digest and accept these radical ideas. In the aftermath of the Osama
bin Laden killing, it is natural that we should have heated debate and
discussion of the kind we have seen over the last few weeks. The sense of
confusion and the growing friction between the civilian and military
leadership as well as between political parties adds to the strains we face
as new demands come in for the relationship with the US to be redefined.
What we should be focusing on is the issue of militancy in our
country and how it is to be defeated. The government and the armed forces,
as well as all the political entities which claim to oppose extremism, need to
work together for this.
Bitter wrangling will not solve very much. What we need is a
plan. The militants in the north have to be pursued; they have to be chased
after with full force and vigour. The nexus between security agencies and the
militants needs to be dismantled. This task is tied in with many other factors
which involve regional realities. These too will need to be tackled on an
urgent basis. Without doing this, nothing can be solved.
But at home we should also be looking beyond the north. The wider
spectrum of views that work in favour of militancy need also to be dealt
with. Both long-term and short-term measures are required in this regard.
Both in our country and elsewhere, it has been possible to persuade or
bribe mosque imams into taking up campaigns favouring giving polio
drops to children, championing family planning, or other such controversial
issues.
It should be possible to do the same in the case of militancy with
many Islamic scholars having already spoken out against suicide bombing.
We also need to address broader issues of intolerance, including the kind
of narratives taught in our schools.
The issue right now is not just about sovereignty, though this plays
some part in the crisis we face. The question of how we are to take on
militancy needs to be taken on most urgently; we need intelligent
discussion in parliament on all the facets involved.

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Other forums must also be used to build public opinion so we have

harmony and a consensus on rooting out the terrorist threat which, right now,
threatens to create still more chaos in cities and towns everywhere, with the
killing of Osama bin Laden apparently allowing groups to unite behind
a common cause, rather than become scattered and demoralized as many
had hoped would happen.
Ismail Ahmed from Karachi wrote: I fully endorse Nawaz Sharifs
demand to try former judges and generals who supported Musharraf. It
seems Nawaz Sharif has finally learned his lesson and is now trying to lead
the country on to the right path. Without accountability there can be no
progress and stability.
On 20th May, The News commented: The signals coming out of both
Beijing and Islamabad indicate a shift in the relationship between Pakistan
and China. We share a border, common interests and are developing a
relationship based on mutuality rather than transaction. It is almost the
diametric opposite of that which we have with our principal financial
benefactors the Americans. The Chinese are never going to throw cash at
us in the way the Americans do. Instead, they want to engage in a
relationship that has trade and mutual interest as the engine that drives profit
and development because if there is one thing both partners want to do it is
make money. Besides trade there is a strategic element to our partnership,
and the importance of Beijings statement that an attack on Pakistan is
an attack on China will not be lost on the planners in the White House
and the Pentagon.
The Abbottabad incident has almost certainly accelerated a process
that was already in train The Chinese are not offering a free lunch; we
have to pay for what we get from them whether it is fighter jets or nuclear
power plants. They are looking to get the best deal for themselves as well as
advance their own position as a regional power. In its transactional
relationship with America, Pakistan does not have many choices, but
with China it has a range of choices, as do the Chinese with it. And
Pakistan is right to push forwards with broadening a relationship which in
the long-term will be of greater benefit.
Zafar Hilaly also supported look-east option. It is good that Zardari
visited Moscow and ties with Russia have indeed been growing under his
watch. It is even better that Gilani is now in China, hopefully to let them
know that we wish to refashion ties with the US and look to friends like
China to step up to the plate as we get ready to jettison the American
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alliance. The Chinese are likely to be receptive, as they recall how much and
for how long they had to endure American hostility till Nixon did his volte
face in 1971. In fact they will remember that we helped to make that happen
for them. Besides, both Russia and China have a deep and abiding concern
about extremism and terrorism. Indeed, while the SCO did not start off as a
bulwark against extremism and terrorism it was meant to deal with issues
of border security on a cooperative basis these issues have become
increasingly of major concern in response to regional and international
developments.
The SCO framework might also be a better one for tackling
India-Pakistan issues as well, though we must not expect much on
Kashmir. That would have to be kept bilateral. But the regional context for
tackling our concerns about India vis-a-vis Afghanistan and with
Afghanistan via-a-vis the Taliban would be a lot better than it is currently.
No one has the wherewithal or the desire to settle the issue by war, except
the American generals. Finally the SCO would also be a good antidote to the
virulent anti-US sentiment in Pakistan.
But it would require us to shift to Russia and China our sources of
primary military equipment from the US high-tech stuff (which in any case
would not be forthcoming as long as our growing differences with them
remain irreconcilable). In time, if the situation around our country improves,
Europe too could become an option. Concerns about high-tech military
equipment would diminish dramatically, of course, if we can achieve a
breakthrough in Afghanistan, which would reduce our India-related concerns
on the western border and may also lead to a reduction of thereat perceptions
on our eastern border. In any case, our options, thanks to our disastrous
ties with the US, are limited and we have to optimize from available
options. Among them, the SCO stands out.
MAK Lodhi was of the view that one reason for Pakistani intelligence
agents not finding out Osama could be loss of their interest. He mentioned
few arrests of some important al-Qaeda operatives in 2004 and their head
money was paid to the government instead of those who risked their lives.
After narrating these he added: None of the officials ever received a
cash prize, they said. The officials of the agencies learnt this disappointing
news. Had we got the award we would have arrested Osama bin Laden as
well, they said confidently. Since 2004, officials working in Pakistani
outfits lost the heart to take their personal initiative and only went by

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the book, obeying the orders as they came. The spirit to push their way
through had died.
The active role of Pakistani agencies and their officials further
waned in the wake of Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal on July 18, 2005. The
deal had a very disappointing impact over Pakistan and its agencies lost the
will to fight the war on terror. The dismayed establishment in Pakistan learnt
to its chagrin that India, not Pakistan, was the USs strategic partner in the
region. It was a turning point in relations of the two nations, the writer
forewarned in the pages on July 2, 2005, pointing out that it will tilt the
balance of power in South Asia. It was the second big folly committed by
the freak administration of former US President George W Bush after its
forces invasion of Iraq.
On May 2, 2011, the unilateral US action to take out the biggest
trophy, Osama bin Laden and decorate it on its temple for Democrats to win
the next election is the third US folly. Pakistan has been caught in the wrong
foot. Its a paradoxical situation for the staunchest US ally. It
appreciated OBLs takeout but it cant have the heart to appreciate the
way the US did it. The US action has injured the feelings of its partner,
rubbed salt into the wounds and trampled over Pakistans sacrifices, the
officials said. Dont forget that you ran away from Viet Nam with your tail
in your legs. You will be doing the same from the craggy mountains of
Afghanistan without Pakistan, the officials forewarn.
Background interviews conducted by The News also show that few
buy the idea that US could not trust Pakistan. It was a planned insult for
Pakistan, an excuse to put Pakistan in the tight spot and use it as ruse to stop
aid to Pakistan, the educated elite believe. The US left Pakistan and
Afghanistan in same way after using us for Soviet Unions defeat, they
believe. Pakistan is fast heading for the third divorce from the US. This
time it will not come from the US but from the weaker partner.
Shafqat Mahmood observed: The undercurrent of resentment in
the country against the United States, already strong has gone up
exponentially. Even those who understand the necessity of friendly relations
with the US are finding it hard to contain their anger at the way it has of late
treated a supposed ally. These feelings are not helped by statements floating
out like poisonous barbs from Washington. Painting Pakistan as unworthy of
US aid, many in the Senate want it to be cut. The tone is that our services
have been paid for and how dare we not do what we are told.

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It does not stop there. We are not even allowed to have bilateral
relations with other countries. Admonishing us as if a pet poodle has
misbehaved, some US politicians have questioned Prime Minister
Gilanis visit to China. Besides an overbearing imposition on our autonomy
to pursue foreign relations, the US is not at war with China. It is its largest
trading partner and but for Chinese trillions invested in US bonds, its
economy would have gone belly up.
This growing resentment of the US in the country has given wind
to the flames of conspiracy theories regarding its real intentions towards
Pakistan. When someone as clued up as Anatol Lieven, author of a well
regarded recent book, Pakistan: A Hard Country, also talks in a similar vein,
it adds to the paranoia.
In a recent interview, asked whether Pakistan is a failing state, he
says it is not, unless the US chooses to destroy it. Now, why would Mr
Lieven say something like this? He is not some ignoramus sulking in the
hills but a well-known British professor in a prestigious university. The only
explanation is that he calculates, like many of us, that if the US cannot get
what it wants in the Af-Pak region, it would consider taking on Pakistan.
Whether things reach such a sorry pass or not, it would be foolhardy
not to plan for all contingencies. One thing is clear, and let us not get
carried away by emotions to think otherwise. Despite our nuclear weapons,
Pakistans defensive capability is not designed to take on a hyper-military
power such as the United States
We have to begin by setting our house in order. Let us carry out
whatever investigation we need to figure out the flaws in our intelligence
and defensive capabilities. But let us do it judiciously and keeping in mind
that we dont expose ourselves to further international ridicule. The purpose
has to be constructive, rather than witch-hunting.
Secondly, let us seriously debate the question of US aid. Whatever
we receive, which is not much on the civilian side, has left us open to
condescending, indeed nasty comments, from US lawmakers. We must
seriously consider whether we can do without it. Again, one is not
advocating an adversarial position against the US. Let us assure it that we
remain partners in the war against militancy; but as far as aid is concerned,
thanks, but no thanks. This should not preclude us from charging for the use
of our ports or degradation of our infrastructure because of the traffic
intensity of US supply line to Afghanistan. Other than that, we should
consider doing without cash handouts.
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The symbolic gesture made by Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif

in this context is praiseworthy. I am sure it was not an easy decision to make,
considering precarious Punjab finances. But by saying no to US aid, the
Punjab cabinet has demonstrated its unhappiness with the breach of
our sovereignty and repeated drone strikes. This is an example others need
to emulate.
It is also a good move to reaffirm our ties with China. The
Chinese are not prone to giving budgetary support, and perhaps in the long
run it is a good thing because it forces us to stand on our own feet. But it is
helpful to know that in these difficult times we have a strategic partner who
is willing to stand up for us.
Considering the precariousness of our situation, we need to
rethink the paradigm of our relations with India. Indeed, friendship
cannot be one-sided, but we must demonstrate our willingness to forge
ahead in making the composite dialogue a success. While not giving up our
position on issues that divide us, we need to move fast towards developing
economic, cultural, sporting and people to people ties.
It is a self-evident truth that unless we are strong within we can
never deal with strength outside. We must make it a state policy that we
will not tolerate armed groups at home and will certainly not allow anyone
to use our space to launch attacks outside. This is a tough battle, but unless
we fight it, we can neither move forward domestically, nor will our
international standing improve.
Nothing has undermined us more than the perception that there
is state complicity in supporting terror groups that commit crimes
outside. Whatever needs to be done to change this, must be done. This is not
giving in to foreign bidding. It is in our national interest.
Lastly, it all boils down to the twin challenges of economy and
governance. Both are in a shambles. A minimum target for the next few
years has to be raising enough resources to stand on our own feet. This is
politically tough, but without it we will remain a client state, used and
abused at will.
Ayaz Amir opined: The unanimous resolution passed at the end is a
monument to the sense of unreality to which Pakistans ruling classes
surrender in moments of distress and panic. All anger and denunciation, it
talks about revisiting (everyones favourite word nowadays) Pakistans
relationship with the US and not putting up with unilateral military strikes
any more. It even talks of cutting NATO supply lines to Afghanistan should
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the US not respect Pakistans sovereignty. All in all, a vociferous declaration

of independence directed at the US.
This was on the morning of May 13-14. Hardly had the ink on it
dried before Senator John Kerry arrived in Islamabad on May 16 and then
the fever which had the military establishment in its grip subsided and
reality took over. Before someone with no official position in the US
administration the entire national leadership of Pakistan thought it not
unseemly to line up: President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani and army
chief Gen Kayani looking less like angry guardians of injured sovereignty
and more like students taking in a tutorial. There was even a statement from
the prime ministers office after the discussions with Senator Kerry, which
must be some kind of a first because usually senators and congressmen dont
qualify for prime ministerial statements.
The question is what was real? The play-acting in parliament or the
status of the talks with Senator Kerry? The latter was engaging the entire
Pakistani leadership and the leadership was paying close attention to his
words. This was one end of the spectrum. At the other end, the Pakistani
public was going all berserk about national honour and sovereignty and
the army and ISI were exploiting this outrage to cover their exposed
flanks. In other words, one dish for the great Pakistani public and another
for the demands of the real world.
We are adept at playing these games. But do they fool anyone? More
to the point, after the fallout from the Bin Laden affair, when Pakistans
image and credibility have taken a further beating, does it make any sense
to continue to live in a world of make-believe?
Ayaz dwelled on this point and then added: Consider just one item of
national sovereignty. Although the parliamentary resolution clearly states
that if drone strikes continued, Pakistan would consider cutting NATO
supply lines, the uncomfortable truth is that drones have struck even
after the passage of the resolution but goods meant for NATO forces
continue to move across Pakistan.
The US will listen to Pakistani concerns but we too will have to
pay greater heed to American sensibilities. This is the one overwhelming
consequence of Bin Laden being discovered on our soil. Whether we like it
or not, the war against Al-Qaeda takes on a fresh urgency. And there will be
less patience all round to listen to our theories and excuses.
This then points to a conclusion somewhat different from that being
fed to the Pakistani public. Far from paving the way for any kind of a
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declaration of independence, Pakistans harvest of embarrassment postOsama would appear to reduce its options. Why then are the guardians of
national security trying to sell a different story to the Pakistani people? Why
is the nation being pushed further down the paths of confusion?
Sovereignty needs redefining in Pakistan. More than anything
physical, with fixed boundaries that can be traced on a map, it is a mental
concept. And the most basic pre-requisite for asserting it is not to give
hostages to fortune. Policies and postures which stretch national
capacities, go beyond national capabilities, do not strengthen
sovereignty.
Our misplaced obsession with Afghanistan compromises national
sovereignty. Our blind hostility towards India does the same. Standing up
for ones interests is not the same as the blind pursuit of folly. Our India
policy makes no sense and is a drag on all our efforts to make something of
Pakistan.
The in-camera session of parliament was a benign charade. The
military establishment did not submit themselves to political tutelage. They
made a show of stooping only to conquer. But to what larger purpose
remains as much unclear as the other items of dogma that make up our bible
of national security.
Dr Muzaffar Iqbal commented: Pakistans current political
establishment consists of a dysfunctional parliament beholden to the
dictates of about a dozen failed, incompetent, and in most cases corrupt
individuals; an equally dysfunctional senate that has no independence
whatsoever; a presidency that is actually the hotbed of party politics; a prime
minister who he is not answerable to the parliament in any real sense like
prime ministers usually are; and a disempowered electorate. Its military
establishment has not only failed the nation time and again, but it is actually
a system that is now beholden to the United States for its very survival. Its
re-activated judiciary has been unable to make its writs go beyond a limited
facile implementation. Thus, all three pillars of a modern state are
dysfunctional in the Islamic Republic. An impotent official opposition and a
powerless unofficial opposition complete the scene.
Given this state of affairs, the United States of America has been
able to establish its writ over the entire system. In fact, Pakistan has
been a cheap buy: Egypt has been receiving 2 billion dollars per year since
1979; Israels portion for 2010 was 2.775 billion dollars. Both numbers are
official; both consist of military aid and exclude other money. Pakistan, in
780

comparison, has been an orphaned beggar throughout its history of

dependence on US aid. Only in recent years, there has been a significant
increase, but that most of this new money is hypothetical aid, not real, as it
mostly is by way of payments for services rendered for the US occupation of
Afghanistan and its interminable war of terror. And most of this money has
been for military, which has made the Pakistani military a client of the
United States. Its politicians were already US clients and thus the fate of the
country has now been sealed.
If Pakistan did actually receive some $2.7 billion in aid and
reimbursements from Washington in fiscal year 2010, as is being claimed,
then that money must have been either fake or those who received it
must have dug a very deep hole in some inaccessible realm, for all of
Pakistans social indicators show a sharp decline in countrys development
for a period during which this money came into the country. From education
to health systems and from roads to power, there is a sharp deterioration
visible everywhere. Hence, if that money has gone to the military
establishment, then Pakistanis must wake up from their slumber and have a
system in place to control their military.
But regardless of that money or rather because of that money
Pakistans defence has reached its lowest depths since independence:
Pakistan cannot even have one single plane flying without some part of that
plane remaining hostage to a functional dependency on the United States,
may it be short term or long term; may it be in terms of the radar system it
uses or its actual engine which makes it fly. And like the cat which taught all
its tricks to the tiger except climbing a tree, the US holds the magic key to
the very functionality of Pakistans entire military operation. One turn of that
magic key and it can render Pakistans military completely dysfunctional
and lands its helicopters in the heart of Pakistans military establishment and
then shout so loudly that no one in the client state would have the courage to
stand up and say: wait a minute, before we tell you how and why Osama was
resting in that house in Abbottabad, can you explain how did you violate
international law and enter our airspace?
All the so-called friend of Pakistan had to do before landing in
Pakistan was to make a statement in Kabul, alleging that disturbing
evidence has been found which reveal Pakistans involvement with the
Taliban and Islamabad and Rawalpindi started to shake. Senator John
Kerrys brief stay in Islamabad must have been one of the most rewarding of
his entire career: the entire Pakistani military and political establishment was

781

lined up before hand to receive him and listen to the minimum set of new
operative instructions and say: we believe and we obey.
Mr Kerry returned home to a chorus of cut the aid, which was wellorchestrated with everyone knowing already that there was no aid to cut;
these are payments for services extracted at gunpoint and paid in cheap:
there is no other army in the world which can devote its existence, its setup
exclusively to fight another countrys illegal, immoral and criminal war.
Those who are being assassinated by drones in the remote regions of
Pakistan have nowhere to go: the army is actually part of the operation;
the government shares the vision and operational tactics of those
pressing the buttons, while the opposition is utterly impotent. It can only
make loud claims: We will not tolerate the next attack. Note: it is always
the next attack.
Poor Imran Khan, he can never muster enough support to march
to Islamabad. He can only give long due dates to the predators. The last
one was actually one whole month! Perhaps there is no other indicator of his
ineffectiveness than the latest stunt of sit-ins he organized in Peshawar. But
perhaps it is not Imran Khan; perhaps it is Pakistans beaten civil society, its
teaming but hopeless millions, who are the real cause of the rule of
Pakistans US client over the entire setup. These teaming millions have been
thrust into a race for the survival and all potency has been extracted from
their blood. They can hardly be counted for any change. Thus, darkness
descends from all side, making it possible for a few hundred US clients to do
what they will to this nation.

REVIEW
Countering the demands for preservation of national pride, guarding
of national sovereignty and review of foreign policy to reduce dependence
on the US has been the primary concern of puppet regime and the
enlightened brigade. These demands had increased after Raymond Davis
case, which after Abbottabad raid, have been raised quite vociferously.
This has been their major concern because they strongly believe that
such demands mean seeking confrontation with the United States. They do
not want any thing that would upset their lifestyle of comfort and luxury.
This is not acceptable to them for reasons whatsoever.
They have launched two-pronged strategy to counter the spate of such
demands. One prong comprises ridicule of demands and demonization of
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those who put these forward. Innovation of the phrase of ghairat brigade is
the outcome of this strategy. Counter-offensive against that has been in place
since long.
It is a battle between gairat and bighairat brigades. The latter brigade
comprises pro-American puppets and enlightened segment of the civil
society. They argue that sovereignty is relative, not absolute and resultantly,
so is the national pride and self-respect. The term dependence has also been
rendered obsolete by the globalization; those who seek to abandon it want to
live in isolation.
Second prong on psychological front has been launched quite
vigorously after Abbottabad Episode. This prong aims at scaring ghairat
brigade and Pakistani masses about the consequences of annoying the
mighty superpower. It counseled the media to warn the people about the
death and destruction the United States is capable of perpetrating.
The enlightened brigade (the opposite of ghairat brigade) has been
acting as vanguard of the regime in this context. The propaganda has been
partially worked as they have succeeded in scaring certain parts of the
Pakistani society. Their adversary, however, see that they themselves were
shitting green on the very thought of US getting angry.
Can the regime and enlightened brigade enumerate differences that a
confrontation will make for a person living in a killi, pind, chak or goth? The
first and foremost difference the war will make is that it will drastically
affect elite, whether civilian or military. They will be targeted of the people
as well as the US and chased to the hell, if they fail to make their escape
good from the country and seek refuge outside.
Further, the sermon about dangers of consequences seemed to be
given in vacuum as no Pakistani has sought war against the US. The rulers
assume that any demand for self-respect, honour and national pride amounts
to inciting the wrath of Yanki masters. The talk of these things would
amount to insolence, a rebellion on their part and warrant corrective action
by the master which could be quite consequential for them. Hence: stop
talking of gairat, self respect and pride.
They also accuse ghairat brigade of undermining the national unity at
this critical juncture of countrys existence. But, they seemed to have
exonerated themselves from all that they preach regarding national unity.
They refuse to end the blamegame, whenever they appear on TV talk shows
and indulge in mud slinging in full public view.

783

While all this was happening the US remained focused on pushing

Pakistan to the Stone Age. It has only allowed the puppets choosing either to
crawl back to that designated destination or be kicked for a speedy backward
slide. Pakistani rulers, like their immediate predecessor, seemed to have
chosen the former option; a slow death.
While fighting back the ghairat brigade quite resolutely, bighairat
brigade also followed the command of John Kerry in letter and spirit. The
very next day of his departure the happenings in Karachi, Quetta, Chaman
and Abbottabad in which an al-Qaeda leader, five Chechens, 56 Uzbeks and
a mix of suspects were held or killed, showed that they were listening to
their masters.
The most intriguing out of these actions was killing of five Chechens
in Quetta. It was certainly a record worth including in Guiness Book wherein
five suicide bombers decided to simultaneously attack FC post manned by
not more than two soldiers. Even more intriguing was that none of them
detonated his or her suicide belt. These actions were proof of unquestioned
obedience to the commands of American Masters.
On other side of the globe Kerry was pleased and said Pakistan was
boosting cooperation with the US. In Pakistan, the people wondered over the
gory killings in manifestation of the command action not words. The postmortem examination revealed that all of them had died of bullet wounds and
one of the girls was pregnant and she had received 12 bullet injuries. There
was no regret, no remorse; no doubt bighairati is bliss.
Grossman accompanied by the deputy chief of CIA arrived on the
heels of John Kerry. He had separate counseling sessions with Pakistani civil
and military leaders starting from Hina Rabbani Khar to Zardari, unlike
Kerry who had lined up Zardari, Gilani and Kayani together.
Grossman met them one-by-one and passed the directives from
Washington. At the end of the day he announced that two countries had
agreed to put their relationship back on track. Pakistani leaders had asked for
nothing except early payment of Coalition Support Fund bills. In other
words, they begged the master for early payment of the dues; no need to say
sorry if you dont feel like uttering this word.
21st May, 2011

784

OBAMA KILLED OSAMA VI

The great Urdu poet, Mirza Ghalib had said moshkalein itni parein
keh asaan ho geyein (the hardships came in such abundance that they made
things easy by neutralizing the effects of each other). Zardari regime, the
Scoundrel-Saint duo, seemed to be staunch believer of what the poet had
said about the virtue of getting along despite hardships.
During the current year the regime had difficult time over Raymond
Davis and wasnt very sure of getting over it even after paying Rs200
million as dyat on his behalf. Osamas order for execution of Osama and
resultant Abbottabad raid came to its rescue and everyone forgot about
Raymond.
The upheaval over Osamas extra-judicial killing created a bigger
problem for the regime. It was still busy finding ways to wriggle out of the
difficult situation created by the valiant act of American masters when about
half a dozen star wars characters landed on PNS Mehran from the heavens
leaving the critics and criticized stunned.
Civil and military leaders remained in denial mode. No one came out
to face the media except Rehman Malik who is considered expert in talking
nonsense that too irrelevant and other was Qaim Ali Shah who looks like a
character of comedy pictures in which characters remained silent.
Gilani spared some time to visit PNS Mehran on 24 th May while on
his way to Nawab Shah where he had to go to attend burial of Hakim Ali
Zardari. He would have not come out so soon if President Zardaris father
had not passed away; thanks to the departed should.

NEWS
PTI sit-in against drone attacks in Karachi began on 21 st May;
religious and nationalist parties joined. Imran Khan reiterated that he would
785

eliminate terrorism within 90 days of Pakistan ending US war on terror.

Pakistan ordered 20 percent reduction in US military trainers. Rumsfeld
opposed aid cut to Pakistan. New al-Qaeda leader vowed attacks on London
to avenge Osama killing.
Next day, while speaking to the people who turned out to take part in
sit-in against drone attacks Imran Khan once again reiterated that Pakistan
must get out of Americas war. He said the country was facing severe crises
and announced Pakistan Bachao, Hakoomat Hatao Tehreek.
Some of the findings of Khrotabad killings in which five Chechens
were killed were quite shameful horrifying. Police had given wrong
information after it had tried to molest the girls unsuccessfully. Hundreds of
bullets were fired even after the victims had apparently fallen. In all five
dead bodies had 56 wounds of bullets fired from distance of 15 to 20 yards.
A policeman had stolen golden chain from the dead body of a girl.
At night PNS Mehran Naval Airbase located adjacent to Faisal
Airbase Karachi was attacked by about a dozen militants. The attackers
targeted two PC3 Orion aircraft and set them ablaze. The fighting continued
till late into the night with media giving conflicting reports about the
happening. Observers termed it a security failure. Gilani telephoned the
three chiefs which was an unusual move.
Firdous said no member of Osama family would be handed over to
any country. Qazi asked the government to quit war on terror. Obama
declared that the US would again carry out Abbottabad-like raid if some
target found, irrespective of the issue of Pakistans sovereignty; Pakistans
Foreign Office and ISPR declined to comment on Obamas threat. Wikileaks
revealed that the US has no plans to seize Pakistans nuclear weapons.
On 23rd May, Rehman Malik arrived in Karachi as directed by the
Scoundrel to counter media inquisitiveness after terror attack on PNS
Mehran. As so0on as he landed at the airport and before any media man
asked him any question he said he knew the reason why this attack was
launched. It was because of the people who offer Fateha on the demise of
Osama and those who stage sit-ins against drone attacks.
He spent busy day gathering information to blunt the media offensive
while hundreds of commandos, Marines, Rangers and policemen kept
clearing the Naval Base of unknown number of terrorist that had intruded
into it. More than 16 hours of the fighting the base was formally declared
clear of the intruders.

786

Rehman Malik again met the media men and said two P-3C Orion
aircraft were badly damaged. There were 4 to 6 attackers out of which four
were killed and two had probably escaped. Eight personnel of Navy,
including an officer, and two Rangers were killed; 15 security personnel
were wounded. Eleven Chinese and six Americans inside the base were
shifted to safe place immediately after the attack.
He told that the attackers had entered the base by scaling the security
wall using ladders and wire-cutters. TTP accepted the responsibility and
urged the nation to unite against them. He praised the Navy personnel for
their commendable performance and begged to the international
community to support the regime against terrorism.
After Rehman Malik the Naval Chief also talked to the media men.
He too ruled out any security lapse in terror attack that had caused unparallel
loss of lives and military equipment and caused unprecedented humiliation.
Contrary to the Rehman Malik, he claimed arresting several attackers.
DCC was summoned to meet on 25th May. The Supreme Court was
moved for forming commission on PNS attack. Asfandyar was happy over
Osama killing but wanted Pakistan should have been informed. The
Supreme Court sought the report on killing of five Chechens in Quetta.
Afghan TV claimed that Mulla Omar was killed in NATO air strike two days
ago when he was on his way from Quetta to North Waziristan; Taliban
denied the report and said he was alive somewhere in Afghanistan.
Next day, FIR was registered against 12 terrorists, whereas on six had
attacked according to Rehman Malik. PAF and Navy decided to relocate
their airplanes from Karachi to other places. Altaf Hussain said attack on
PNS Mehran and escape of two attackers amounted to defeat of defence
forces. Shakeel Anjum and Amir Mir saw Indian and al-Qaeda footprints in
PNS Mehran attack respectively. Taliban thanked the local friends for their
help in making the attack on naval airbase a success.
Nawaz Sharif said terrorists and US both were attacking Pakistan. He
demanded formation of a commission to probe PNS Mehran attack. DCC
will meet tomorrow without foreign and defence ministers; the latter has
gone to Washington. Meanwhile, tail of US helicopter that crashed in
Abbottabad arrived in the United States.
NATO chief during his visit to Kabul said although Pakistan was
guarding its nuclear assets, yet attack on PNS Mehran has led to few
apprehensions in this context. Salman Bashir said US unilateralism was
negating spirit of partnership. Kerry told the House committee that Pakistan
787

has been repeatedly told that it does not face threat from India or western
countries, but from militancy within. Saudi Arabia thinned out its embassy
staff in Pakistan.

VIEWS
On 21st May, Shamshad Ahmad wrote: Now that Obama has got rid
of Osama, Americans and people the world over expect him to end the
decade-old Afghan war. It is time Obama the miracle man did something
to deserve the honour that the Nobel Committee bestowed upon him for
doing nothing. In any case, Osama bin Laden was why the United States
went to war in Afghanistan, and now that Osama is officially declared dead,
Obama is left with no excuse or rationale to continue this war.
There is already growing public and congressional pressure in the
United States for Obama to speed up US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Osama bin Ladens death comes at a time when Obama was already
considering the size and speed of his promised troop drawdown in the
increasingly unpopular and costly conflict. It remains to be seen whether Bin
Ladens killing will bring any drastic change in Obamas calculations for an
exit strategy.
With his eyes on next years presidential election for a second term,
Obama has been in a fix over the pullout issue and Bin Ladens killing now
seems to have given him greater strength and more space for political
manoeuvring. It may have provided increased momentum for the war in
Afghanistan, but Obama should capitalize on the event to reduce the US
footprint in Afghanistan and the expense involved in the war.
Political thinking in Washington right now is focused on the need for
turning the page over from Afghanistan. Senior officials of the
administration are already engaged in discussions and strategy sessions
about how to leverage Bin Ladens death into a spark that ignites peace
talks. They consider Bin Ladens death as the beginning of the endgame in
Afghanistan. To them, it changes everything and presents an opportunity for
reconciliation that didnt exist before.
Shamshad mentioned the arguments being forwarded for and against
on the issue and then added: No wonder people in the US and allied
European countries are sick of this conflict and want their troops to be
out of the Afghan war theatre. Even before Bin Ladens killing, Americas
cumulative problems at home, with growing economic costs of the Afghan
788

war, the continuing national debt crisis, the upcoming 2012 presidential
election, and realities on the ground had bolstered arguments that the plans
to remake Afghanistans government and economy went too far beyond the
goal of safeguarding US security.
Influential senators like John Kerry and Richard Lugar, both ranking
leaders of their parties in the Senate are looking for a political solution in
Afghanistan. Kerry looks at Osama bin Ladens killing as potentially a
game-changing opportunity to build momentum for a political solution
in Afghanistan that could also bring greater stability to the region, as well
as ultimately enable the allies to bring their troops home.
After weeks of debate among civilian and military leaders, the US
National Security Council recently endorsed key elements of the State
Departments reconciliation strategy. Starting peace talks has now become
the top priority for Marc Grossman, the US governments special
representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. He was in Pakistan earlier this
month for the first meeting of a core group that Afghanistan, Pakistan and
the US have constituted to promote and facilitate the process of
reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan.
It is important that the transition process does not ignore
Afghanistans demographic realities and is not weighted in favour or against
any particular ethnic group. Durable peace in Afghanistan will come only
through reconciliation between Afghan factions, with no selectivity or
exclusivity. The US already recognizes the Taliban as part of the Afghan
political fabric and has said that it would be ready to negotiate with them.
In a speech in February that elicited little attention because of events
in the Middle East, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton articulated a new
stance for negotiations with the Taliban. The benchmarks for the Taliban
to renounce violence, break with al-Qaeda or embrace the Afghan
constitution are no longer preconditions for talks; now those terms only have
to be necessary outcomes of any negotiation.
On its part, despite the Abbottabad fiasco, Pakistan remains a direct
stakeholder in the Afghan peace as it is in its interest to have peace and
stability in an independent and united Afghanistan that is friendly towards
Pakistan. It would therefore be a source of strength in any Afghan-led
reconciliation process, and could also facilitate the whole negotiating
process.
Talat Farooq opined: Post-Abbottabad we are not only isolated but
also humiliated as never before. Since 1947 we have been able to take
789

advantage of the inherent ambiguity of given situations. Today however, we

stand fully exposed. Not only the emperor but his entire court and loyal
subjects are without clothes.
The only way forward is to re-enter the comity of nations as a
responsible state. Post-Abbottabad, however, this is no longer possible
without massive foreign policy renovation and truly incisive soul-searching
by our policymakers. In international politics, the tools selected to cope with
a powerful challenger ultimately decide the future of the weak.
Our decision-makers therefore must show the courage to accept
our vulnerability and the astuteness to do the right thing without
subverting national aspirations. This will require the audacity to remember
that fortune favours the brave. It will also require the prudence to know the
difference between bravery and bravado.
If past experience is anything to go by, our decision-making elite may
lack the skill and the motivation to do the right thing. If past experience is
anything to go by, the silence of the Pakistani people will ensure their
move in the wrong direction. This time round it may prove fatal.
Next day, Sana Bucha commented with reference to indiscriminate
killing, especially the recent termination of five Chechens. Remember, life
is cheap. An inquiry is being conducted to investigate the killings in
Kharotabad. Security forces killed five Chechens including three women on
grounds that they were suicide bombers. Media were in place when the
incident took place to record the chivalry shown by the FC and the local
police. Chivalry, however, got lost amid shots the media was not
supposed to record a heart wrenching shot of a woman waving her hand
in the air just before she died raised more questions than the local CCPO had
prepared himself for. So he settled for twisting the truth. The Chechens, he
said, died in an explosion and not by gunfire. The post-mortem report proves
otherwise. It also proves that one of the women killed by our chivalrous
forces was seven months pregnant. What inquiry will take these cowardly
men to task? They killed innocent people. Big deal. It happens everyday in
Pakistan. After all, life is cheap.
When innocent people are dying right, left and centre, no one is on
moral high ground. The Americans are cruel, yes, but what about the
terrorists who keep innocent civilians with them at all times to avoid being
targeted. What would you call them? We have got to stop living in denial.
Thunder jets and F16s are not the cure for our disregarded sovereignty
or compensation for our dead sons and missing brothers. They cant
790

protect us from suicide bombers either. And they certainly cant buy us more
electricity. Or pay our doctors to keep them working. Perhaps one plane
less? Can we barter?
It will be business as usual in Pakistan. An inquiry (read
eyewash) will be conducted on the Abbottabad operation which will
disclose same of the old. Our civilians will ensure that the new budget
announces a larger share to the military and the US will continue to fit our
bill in the name of Coalition Support Fund. Our foreign policy will not be
any different than before and our morals will still be questionable.
But beneath the boots and imported Bally shoes, my people will be
trampled upon my people who go without food and electricity for days,
will die without reason and go missing when they cry out for their rights.
Sovereignty comes at a price but in my country, taking a life costs
nothing.
S Iftikhar Murshed observed: Analysts and television talk show hosts
have been all too hasty to conclude that a rare opportunity has at last
presented itself to confine the militarys role to defending the country from
external and internal threats and permanently end its involvement in politics
and critical areas of foreign policy. A more cynical appraisal is that nothing
has changed and the military, finding itself in an impossible situation of
its own making, has merely decided to pass the buck to the incompetent
political leadership and adopt a low key approach till the storm dies down.
The marathon parliamentary joint session was nevertheless
momentous inasmuch as for the first time ever in the 63 years of the
countrys crisis-drenched history, the military stepped down from its high
pedestal of infallibility, admitted spectacular security and intelligence
lapses and agreed to subordinate itself to an independent commission of
enquiry.
If this was merely a tactical move to deflect criticism and refurbish
its severely tarnished image after the Abbottabad fiasco, then it has been
partially successful Iftikhar went on to refer to unanimous resolution;
double suicide bombing in Shabqadar; use of Shamsi Airbase; visit of Kerry
and the issue of joint statement.
He then concluded: The Kerry visit has, to an extent, defused
Pakistan-US tensions and after his return to Washington influential
congressmen have supported the continuation of American assistance.
However, this could unravel and Islamabad has to be prepared for the
storms of the future and not merely react to events as they occur. One
791

such potential storm could be the hasty conclusions that may be drawn from
the hundreds of computer flash drives and documents taken by the US
during the raid on Bin Ladens compound.
Donilon compared this trove of computer data to a small college
library. Churchill once said that true genius resides in the capacity for
evaluation of uncertain, hazardous and conflicting information and this
is the challenge that Pakistan is likely to face in the coming weeks.
Formulations such as the resolution adopted at the joint
parliamentary session are unhelpful and have achieved nothing. Drone
strikes have continued and Pakistan has agreed to take undisclosed steps
within a timeframe. There is desperate need for Islamabad to re-brand its
image. Sympathetic analysts such as Pankaj Mishra are convinced that
Pakistan is more sinned against than sinning but it seems to have lost control
of its international narrative.
I. A. Rehman proposed terms of reference for the commission to be
constituted as per parliamentary resolution. As important as the
composition of the proposed commission will be its terms of reference. It
will not be enough to inquire into the circumstances that enabled bin Laden
to find safety at a stones throw from the Kakul Military Academy and a US
surveillance team to ensconce itself close to it, both supposedly unknown to
the custodians of Pakistan security, and their inability to learn of the
operation (even after the crash of a helicopter had been noticed by several
media reporters).
The need to probe these matters cannot be gainsaid but it is far more
essential to critically assess the entire anti-terror operation, the working
of the chain of command, the existence or otherwise of any built-in
mechanisms for tactical or intelligence lapses, and the consequences of
repudiating democratic management of security matters.
The stark reality that the state of Pakistan must face is the need
to devise a democratic mechanism for determining security policies and
strategies. Whether the military leaders, past or present, have been (or have
not been) equal to the task of managing security issues, from perception of
threat to strategic planning and implementation, is not the issue. Any such
debate will degenerate into acrimonious exchanges. What is involved here is
the dictum distilled after ages of intellectual exercise that no state, especially
if it has any truck with democracy, can leave everything related to security in
the hands of servicemen whose job should solely be to carry out the orders
of the constitutional authority. The parliament in particular and all political
792

parties in general have a duty to design a new security cover for the state
which should not be based on a myopic reading of the geopolitical situation
nor on the strength armed forced alone, but which should draw its strength
from the peoples sanction and solidarity and which should answer the needs
of the people and not of their rulers only.
A little lower in priority are matters related to Pakistans
dependence on external dole and Pak-US relations. The debate on these
questions has been rendered meaningless by a tendency to adopt maximal
positions. One side says Pakistan cannot survive without foreign aid and
another urges instant and complete rejection of aid.
Likewise, one side argues Pakistan must retain a master-servant
relationship with the United States while another side claims it is time to put
Washington in its place. These postures amply reveal Pakistani elites
inability to see the shades of gray between black and white. It should be
possible for Pakistan to have mutually beneficial relations with the US
without becoming its bonded slave and to accept aid without compromising
its economic interest.
That, however, cannot be possible if the parliament does not
realize that its primary task is to ensure people-friendly governance, if
political parties remain crowds of generals without any foot soldiers and if
the people do not start acting as a sovereign body instead of a herd of sheep.
Amir Mir analyzed the impact of Osamas death on Afghan Taliban.
The killing of Osama bin Laden, for whose sake Mulla Omar had sacrificed
his rule in Afghanistan way back in 2011, has seemingly revived a debate
within the Quetta Shura the supreme decision-making body of the Afghan
Taliban about their ties to al-Qaeda, amid a persistent American demand
that the alliance must be put to an end if Mulla Omar wants to talk peace.
Already, there is a growing realization among the Afghan Taliban that
their association with al-Qaeda is a threat to their long-term survival
and hampers the groups efforts to change its image as moderate Afghan
Taliban.
Osama was killed a few days after Mulla Omar had announced
the launch of spring offensive in Afghanistan against the US-led allied
forces. The Afghan Talibans goal remains undermining the Afghan
government, discrediting its security forces and driving the nearly 100,000
US troops and other foreign forces out of the country.
In fact, the long-time alliance between al-Qaeda and the Afghan
Taliban was rooted in Osamas personal friendship with Omar, who now
793

finds it more appropriate to break with al-Qaeda and negotiate a settlement

with the western powers in Afghanistan. Some senior American officials,
including General David Petraeus, the commander of NATO forces in
Afghanistan, have claimed recently that Osamas death may impact the
Afghan Talibans ability to continue the fight and may lead to
reconciliation
The May 8, 2011 official statement issued on Osamas killing by the
Quetta Shura or the leadership council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
showed that the Afghan Taliban now wanted to distance themselves from alQaeda. Although the statement had described Osamas killing as a great
tragedy, it neither condemned the death nor announced retribution, as
had been its usual policy in the past while commenting on such deaths in
official statements. The statement was apparently drafted quite carefully by
the Quetta Shura elders to convey a subtle message from Mulla Omar to the
international power brokers that he was ready to distance the Afghan Taliban
from al-Qaeda
Analysts believe the ties between al-Qaeda and the Afghan
Taliban had weakened to a great extent since the invasion of
Afghanistan in 2001, primarily because of the fact that the goals of the two
organizations were not closely aligned. While al-Qaeda is focused on
worldwide jehad against the West and establishment of a religious super
state in the Muslim world, the Afghan Taliban have focused on Afghanistan
and shown zero interest in attacking targets outside their country.
After a decade of fighting an endless war both the western allies and
Afghan Taliban seem to have realized that it should come to an end. While
gradually del-linking themselves from al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban have
already stopped operations by foreign fighters, especially the Arabs and
the Central Asian nationals, in their areas of influence in Afghanistan. As
things stand, most of the Arab jehadis have now joined hands with the
Haqqani network which is active in south-eastern Afghanistan in contrast to
the south of Afghanistan where the Taliban-led revolt against the allied
forces is led by the Quetta Shura under the leadership of Mulla Omar.
However, there are those in jehadi circles who attribute Mulla
Omars apparent change of heart to the fact that American and Pakistani
intelligence agencies as well as the Spider Group consisting of retired
military and intelligence officials have already launched a three-way
intense hunt to track him down, especially in Quetta and Karachi.
Following Osamas killing, the Obama Administration has made it clear to
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Pakistan that the American forces wont hesitate in conducting another

Abbottabad-like raid to capture or kill Mulla Omar if he is found on the
Pakistani soil.
Aoun Sahi quoted Wusatullah Khan, political commentator of BBC
Urdu: The issue at hand is not whether the PPP has become proestablishment or the PML-N has become anti-establishment, The real issue
is the failure of the military to know the whereabouts of Osama and the
American operation. The PML-N is raising very objective issues. So, if
they want the military budget to be discussed by the parliament or the
foreign policy to be designed by the civilian government, how come its
stance is anti-establishment? As soon as somebody tries to challenge the
monopoly of the establishment in our country, they try to completely change
the issue. He exhorts the people to look at the bright side
On 23rd May, Asif Ezdi commented: A parliament is not the best
forum for a thoughtful debate on complex issues of foreign and security
policy, especially not shortly after a major national disaster has dramatically
exposed the vulnerability of the country s defences. That is particularly true
of a country in which lying to the parliament as exemplified by Gilani s
advice to the US ambassador in 2008 to ignore the government s protests in
the National Assembly on drone attacks is considered the highest form of
statecraft.
It is no wonder therefore that the interrogation of the military by our
elected representatives on the Abbottabad raid turned into an orgy of chestthumping, finger-pointing, point-scoring, grandstanding and posturing in
short everything but the dispassionate deliberation that the occasion
demanded. Riding on a wave of public anger against the military after the
Abbottabad fiasco, our parliamentarians reveled in taking pots shots at
the still mighty armed forces of the country. Our information minister
probably carried the day when she declared triumphantly before TV cameras
outside the House that Pasha had surrendered to the parliament. Much of the
criticism of the military was richly deserved. But what was conspicuously
lacking in the fiery speeches was any discussion of the role of the equally
culpable civilian government or of the self-seeking political elite that our
elected lawmakers represent.
Most of the members of parliament found the briefing too taxing,
too boring or too incomprehensible to endure for long. While the session
was on, many chose to vote with their feet by quietly retiring to their lodges

795

or night-time haunts, so that when the grueling nine-hour meeting ended, not
more than a fifth were present to adopt a resolution.
Nisar has complained that since the military divulged little that was
of a sensitive nature, the exclusion of the media was not justified. But the
way some of our parliamentarians kept relaying the contents of the
supposedly confidential briefing to news reporters while the session was in
progress has again raised the question whether our members of
parliament are worthy of being trusted with sensitive information which
has a bearing on national security. Some of them obviously have no concept
of their duty as guardians of official secrets. Maybe the government should
organize a crash course for them on this subject.
The parliamentarians are not the only ones who could benefit
from such a course. When the military last gave a closed-door briefing to
the parliament on national security in October 2008, it was none other than
Mahmud Durrani, a retired general and former ambassador who was then
serving as the prime minister s national security adviser, who reportedly
gave the American Embassy a copy of the classified presentation. When this
was revealed through a leaked WikiLeaks cable, Durrani denied having done
so and said that he would request the government to hold an inquiry to
enable him to clear his name. Half a year later, we are still waiting for the
promised inquiry.
The appearance before the parliament of the countrys top military
leadership to answer charges of incompetence is being touted as a victory
of civilian supremacy over the powerful security establishment. It could
still turn out that way, if there is effective follow-up action to identify those
responsible and hold them accountable. But that is far from assured, and any
celebrations at this stage would be premature.
It bears recalling that it was the army that made the original
request for a briefing of the parliament and not the other way around. The
proposal was made in a press release issued by the ISPR on 9 May
complaining of insufficient formal response by the civilian government. The
parliamentary session was in fact a continuation of the background briefing
given by Kayani and Pasha on 6 May to deflect some of the public criticism
directed at the military and draw attention to the failings of the civilian
government. At the parliamentary briefing itself, Kayani left it to Pasha to
face the music and take all the flak, while the air chief similarly left the job
to his deputy. Kayani reportedly left the House while the proceedings were
still continuing, hardly a sign of contrition.
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A lot will now depend on the way the independent commission to be

set up under the parliamentary resolution carries out its task As important
as the composition, if not more so, is the remit of the commission In
carrying out the task of fixing responsibility, the commissions prime task
will naturally be to determine if there was a lapse or dereliction on the
part of the ISI director general for the intelligence failure and of the top
command of the PAF for the failure of the country s air defences. But that
will not be enough. Public interest requires that the commission must also
delve into the role played by Zardari and the civilian government. The
ultimate responsibility for the country s defence and security rests with the
political leadership. If found culpable, they too must answer for their failings
and should not be allowed to shift all blame to the military. The commission
cannot of course remove the civilian leadership from office. But it can, and
should, dig up facts that enable the public to form an informed opinion and
the parliament to take the appropriate consequential decisions.
To fulfill its responsibility, the commission must be equipped with
very wide powers to obtain information from anyone in a position to help in
the inquiry, in particular those holding the topmost posts, both civilian and
military, including Zardari and the prime minister. Zardari would be a star
witness and should be called to testify before the commission. He would no
doubt be loath to do so. But since the presidential immunity under Article
248 of the Constitution only applies to court proceedings, he will not be able
to invoke it to claim exemption from appearing before the commission. The
commission must also have access to all relevant official documents,
classified and unclassified. The records of Zardari s one-on-one meetings
and telephone conversations with American leaders would be of great value
in determining responsibility.
Clearly, the commission has a unique historical opportunity to
establish accountability of the countrys political and military leaders.
Whether it succeeds depends not only on the character and integrity of the
commission s members but also on giving them the necessary powers. Our
current rulers are likely to be a hindrance rather than a help, unless the
public, the media and the civil society can generate enough pressure to force
the government s hand.
Hussain H Zaidi also talked of the so-called unanimous resolution.
The instant parliamentary resolution clearly mentions that NATO supply
line to Afghanistan may be cut off if the Americans persist in carrying out
predatory actions. Dont you think if the government didnt mean

797

business, the ultimatum wouldnt be couched in such unequivocal

language?
If you want to rest your arguments on the wording of the resolution,
so be it. Now the text of the resolution says that the government will
consider taking steps including severance of NATO supply line; it doesnt
bind the government to adopt such measures. I mean in the event of another
drone attack the people in power can say that they pondered all the options
but concluded that registering protest through diplomatic channels was the
wisest course. Lets pass over to revisiting the terms of engagement with
Washington. Parliament or any other body can do so only if it is in the loop
on the existing terms. Is it so? Are the sovereign lawmakers aware of any
agreement, written or verbal, between the two governments authorizing the
Americans to strike at will at their targets inside our borders? Do they know
of our authorities capability as well as willingness to hit the Predators? You
cant review a policy if in the first place you don t know what it is. I
guess in the joint session, the parliamentarians were briefed on the terms of
engagement with the Americans. Obviously they cant be discussed in
public. Thats why parliament met in camera.
Ive guesses of my own but lets move on. The creation and
working of the inquiry commission is subject to several ifs and buts.
Will it be a judicial commission as demanded by former Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif? Or will it be made up of politicians or civil society? Or will it
have a mixed composition? When will the commission start working?
Whatll be its terms of reference and how long will it take to complete its
probe. Yes, the composition and modalities of the commission will be
thrashed out by the prime minister and the leader of the opposition. But if
the past is any guide, their consultation may lead us nowhere. I trust you
remember the botched Bhurban Accord and subsequent other agreements
between the two parties for the reinstatement of the judges, where
everything was agreed save for the modalities. As they say, the devil lies in
the details. So I fear that the modalities of the proposed commission may
become an apple of discord between the government and the opposition.
Even if this doesnt turn out to be the case and the commission sees the light
of the day, its findings may either be turned down or set aside.
Dr A Q Khan opined: One should realize that the presence of an
individual and a few family members going undetected in a population
of 180 million is not a cause for shame for the government or the
intelligence agencies. If Osama bin Laden confined himself to the house,
nobody would even know he was there. Moreover, only those ignorant of
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local custom could show surprise at the design of the house. Such houses are
quite common in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. To say nothing of
one man, hundreds of people could easily go anywhere in cars, busses, etc.,
in the darkness of night and disappear into such houses. But hold on! Are
there not thousands of illegal, untraceable immigrants roaming around in the
US, Europe and other countries? As long as they don t run into law enforcing
agencies or become careless and conspicuous, nobody knows about them.
Hence, to blame our agencies is totally out of place.
Our air force and army failed to detect the intruding helicopters. The
army has its own Air Defence Command and should be able to deal with
such emergencies. The US helicopters hovered in the air for about 40
minutes while the commandos went on a shooting spree, and yet there was
no reaction from our guards or forces in the PMA or around it. We all
know how much noise a helicopter makes and we certainly wake up at night
if one passes overhead. Here there were many helicopters hovering. Then
they landed in the compound, removed dead bodies and flew away
(undetected) over hundreds of kilometres. If the air force learnt of the raid a
bit late, its planes should have rushed in and shot down the invading
helicopters. After all, how could we know what the origin and mission was?
We were neither informed nor taken into confidence. (Or were we?)
The president, the prime minister and the defence minister are
totally ignorant of defence matters and rush to give statements based
purely on whim and speculation. The army s own radar is supposed to detect
intruders and take prompt and appropriate action. Gen K M Arif and Gen
Mirza Aslam Beg had put in place a defence system at Kahuta which no
enemy could penetrate. Despite all their sabre-rattling, neither Israel nor
India ever dared to make the attempt. The air force is partly to blame for this
incident. More to blame is the army, which has almost one hundred thousand
personnel in Abbottabad and the incident occurred in the backyard of the
Pakistan Military Academy.
Even worse than this disgraceful incident itself is the behaviour
of our rulers and opposition parties. Altaf Hussain organized a referendum
(what a joke!) in Karachi with more than a dozen questions to be answered
about the incident and there was a street show of MQM members casting
their votes into a box. For his part, Nawaz Sharif came up with a totally
illogical and impractical suggestion for the formation of a judicial
commission under the chief justice. He should have realized that the
honourable judges are not warfare experts and could thus easily be misled by
wise people. It would have been more appropriate to have appointed a
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commission consisting of a former army chief (Gen Beg or Gen Abdul

Waheed Kakar), Air Chief Marshal Farooq Feroz Khan or Air Chief Marshal
Jamal Ahmad Khan and Admiral Fasih Bokhari or Admiral Saeed
Mohammad Khan, together with a retired Supreme Court judge. This
commission could have asked for assistance from former intelligence chiefs.
Such professional people could definitely have done a good job.
The statements made by the prime minister and his colleagues
are not worth commenting upon. The accusation that Nawaz Sharif was a
supporter of Osama bin Laden is rubbish. Starting from Gen Ziaul Haq right
until 2001, the Taliban were supported by the rulers. They were treated as
VIPs. Bin Laden and his followers were also the blue-eyed boys of the West.
When the Russians left Afghanistan, the Taliban took over and after 9/11
they were, rightly or wrongly, blamed for this cruel act and the Americans
declared war on them. Then the killing of innocent Muslims started.
The statements made by Prime Minister Gilani were useless, and the
joint session of the National Assembly and Senate was no more than
eyewash. The purpose of all in-camera briefings is always to fool the public
and hide the facts. It will be just the same old story: we can t talk about it; it
is all secret. Fool the 180 million people by charming the few ignorant
representatives. We will be seeing nothing more than a fuzzy, ambiguous
statement and we will again be stuck with the Americans drinking, laughing
and making pleasure trips.
My point here is to bluntly state the fact that I miss the decisive
actions of Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Gen Ziaul Haq, Mr Ghulam Ishaq Khan
and, above all, Gen Mirza Aslam Beg and Gen Abdul Waheed Kakar at this
critical and disgraceful moment in our history. There is no doubt in my mind
that, had something like this happened during their tenures and had our
sovereignty been violated, every single undesirable American would
have left Pakistan within three days of its happening. They would have
been simply thrown out. We survived for more than two decades without aid
(1969-1980 and 1990-2002) and we were neither starving nor dying. As a
matter of fact, those times were 100 times better than now and we had our
self-respect and dignity in tact. The current corrupt, selfish rulers have sold
our sovereignty and turned us into a starving, bankrupt nation.
Aijaz Zaka Syed commented on Indian medias reaction to killing of
Osama in which he focused on Times Now and its Arnab Goswamy. The
morning the world woke up to the big news from Abbottabad, our hero was
up in the air within a couple of hours of Obama s we-have-done-it moment.
800

Aided by his battery of familiar talking heads, Goswamy began what was
to be an endless orgy of thrashing and trashing Pakistan. He was on
familiar turf, doing what he does best: whipping up a collective hysteria
against the neighbour.
Indeed, this time around he went a step further. Even as Pakistans
befuddled politicians and men in khaki tried to make sense of the
Abbottabad affront, the guardian of our national interest was calling for
burning Pakistan at the stake. If Americans could fly into Abbottabad
cantonment and take out the man responsible for 9/11, what prevents us
from doing the same and taking out those responsible for 26/11, he
repeatedly demanded referring to the 2008 terror strikes in Mumbai.
It was an invitation to his guests many of them former diplomats and
at least two of them being former envoys to Pakistan to move in for the kill
as they implored India to hit at its separated-at-birth twin. This is payback
time as Pakistan is at its most vulnerable right now, they seemed to suggest,
openly debating the options of surgical strikes or US-style assassination
to take out characters like Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar and of course
Dawood Ibrahim.
I found it hard to believe my ears and eyes. Do they really mean
that? Do the pundits realize the calamitous ramifications of their call?
And they were supposed to be former diplomats! If this is how our
diplomats think and speak what about our men in khaki? We got the answer
the day after when Army Chief Gen V K Singh, obviously playing to media
gallery, declared that India was capable of Abbottabad-style operations.
Predictably, it provoked a swift reaction from the other side with
General Ashfaq Kayani promising a catastrophe if India tried such
misadventures Alarmingly, Times Now isnt the only one playing dirty
and exploiting what Samuel Johnson termed the last refuge of the scoundrel.
(Ironically, it belongs to the Times of India group, which last year joined
hands with Pakistan s Jang group to promote peace in an initiative titled,
Aman Ki Asha!) There are many out there who play this dangerous game
day after day, constantly stoking fears about Pakistan, and by extension, the
spectre of Islamic terrorism and dozens of sleeper cells of terrorists allegedly
operating across India. If they were to be believed, the entire Indian Muslim
community is in the pay of Pakistans ISI.

No wonder hundreds of innocent Muslims have been languishing behind the

801

bars for years. This hasnt changed even after the stunning revelations
linking Hindu groups like Abhinav Bharat and the all-powerful RSS to terror
attacks targeting Samjhauta Express, Hyderabad s Mecca Masjid and Ajmer
shrine.
The accused are condemned even before their sentencing,
radicalizing many more around them. And the media, playing on the
insecurities of ordinary people, must share the blame for this state of affairs.
I am not playing the devils advocate here. I am not suggesting Indian
concerns about extremists operating out of Pakistan and launching 26/11like attacks are without basis But you can t deal with such elements by
running a vicious campaign against Pakistan as a whole or by egging on
the Indian Army to teach the neighbours a lesson. This is not journalism. It s
sheer madness.
Indeed, given the troubled past of the subcontinent three devastating
wars since Partition, not to mention the 1999 Kargil disaster such an
approach could culminate in collective hara-kiri. Both sides are sitting on
a neat pile of nukes, enough to wreak havoc across this vast region of a
billion plus people. Bill Clinton was hardly exaggerating when he described
this part of the world after Kargil as the most dangerous place on earth.
A healthy and objective media is essential for a healthy and
progressive society. Journalists should therefore be fighting ignorance and
intolerance. They should be building bridges between nations and people,
not dividing them further. The media needs to promote love and peace, not
generate hatred and war, especially between two countries that had not long
ago been one.
India and Pakistan, instead of squandering their precious resources
and energy on fighting each other, need to fight their common demons and
enemies together. And there are plenty of them out there: poverty, disease,
illiteracy, ignorance, injustice and, above all, intolerance and extremism.
Next day, The News commented: PNS Mehran is not a remote
outpost in a tribal area but one of our biggest bases. That half-a-dozen wellarmed, well-trained and determined men were able to penetrate one of our
supposedly most heavily guarded airbases and inflict crippling damage
indicates disconnect between the security forces level of preparedness
against attacks of this type and the level of threat they face. What this
attack demonstrates is that the level of preparedness in every sense is
outweighed by the threat. The attackers are said to have exploited a blind
spot in perimeter camera surveillance and used two ladders to scale the
802

walls. The perimeter itself is in parts overgrown by scrub. Those tasked with
the security should have ensured a vegetation-free perimeter allowing better
surveillance.
Many questions arise. The militants seem to have known just where
to get in from and where to find the Orion. This raid would have required
weeks of planning, detailed reconnaissance and probably a practice run.
Were they acting totally alone or did they have inside information of
some kind? The abilities of our intelligence agencies too need to be
reviewed. One of their key roles is to provide information that can help preempt such attacks. This is obviously not happening and many dangers arise
from this. It seems even the most basic of security in terms of perimeter
management at one of our most sensitive bases was lacking. Political
rhetoric and a Cabinet Defence Committee meeting are not going to solve
this one. This is an epic failure exposing an existential threat that will need
epic leadership to countervail.
In another editorial the newspaper added: The circumstances
surrounding the deaths of five Chechens who were shot to death by security
forces last week are disturbing Very little of the account tendered by the
police and security services appears to be true. Some local residents at a
press conference in Quetta Press Club have said this was an encounter
engineered after some demands were made of one of the women by the
security forces. None of the dead was wearing a suicide vest and no
explosives were found in their vehicle. At no time did those killed open fire
on anybody. Perhaps the most chilling aspect of the matter is phone-camera
footage of what appears to be a police official removing a chain from one of
the bodies and putting it in his pocket. Quetta CCPO, Dawood Junejo. has
been placed on special duty, pending an enquiry into the killings.
At the very least this incident needs to be the subject of a searching
enquiry, and a judicial tribunal headed by a Balochistan High Court judge,
Justice Mohammad Hashim Kakar, has been constituted to investigate the
matter. In the worst-case scenario, a group of innocent people have been
gunned down, one of them a seven-months-pregnant woman. In the days
before the mobile phone and rolling news channels, there would have been
nothing to counter the official version of events, but with any citizen in
possession of a mobile device being a potential news-gatherer, the security
services have lost their immunity to scrutiny and are today open to challenge
as never before. We need to know the truth behind how these people
died, and soon.

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Ahmed Quraishi opined: Pakistans military seems to have made a

strategic decision not to confront its ally, the United States military. No
one wants a war declared on the US. But our military leadership can and
should consider a range of options to defend Pakistans image and interests.
Take the right to speak up public ally, for example. Washington has the right
to pursue its Al-Qaeda enemies, as Secretary Clinton said over the weekend.
But it does not have the right to use our intelligence and then deliberately
sidestep Pakistan and question its sincerity and use the alarmingly large
American intelligence network inside Pakistan to stab the army and the air
force in the back and demonize Pakistan worldwide.
The irony is that a foreign country, China, was faster and bolder in
defending the Pakistani position and rejecting the deliberate American
deionization of Pakistan than Pakistans political and military leaders
who went unnecessarily on the defensive. By all standards, the US military
breach inside Pakistan, by more than one hundred kilometres, was not
possible without internal collusion at individual and multiple levels, and yet
signs abound this episode will be buried under the carpet without accounting
for the tremendous inroads CIA appears to have made in and around
Islamabad.
More shameful is the fact that a long due parliament resolution to
review the lopsided Pakistani-American cooperation on Afghanistan seems
to have been set aside after Senator John Kerrys visit... The decision not to
confront the United States militarily, by for example not shooting down a
CIA drone, is the right decision considering the circumstances. But
Pakistans civilian and military leadership should not expect Pakistanis to
gloss over some glaring facts. One of them is that Pakistans ally the
United States has humiliated Pakistans military and its commanders
like no one has done before. American military and intelligence punished
their Pakistani counterparts when we released a jailed CIA mercenary in
March, and have repeatedly attacked Pakistani soldiers on the Afghan
border. When it was time to take out Al-Qaeda terror chief, the CIA and the
US military could have minimized the costs by jointly capturing Osama bin
Laden. Instead, not only did they decide to go it alone, they decided to
compromise Pakistani sovereignty in the ugliest way possible and make
Pakistani military the butt of domestic and international jokes.
And now we have US diplomatic cables suggesting our army chief
tacitly approved CIA drone operations inside Pakistan in addition to the
known green signals from the president and the prime minister. The issue is
not the drones themselves but the fact that we have allowed something
804

that is now totally out of our control. It is also in violation of the UN

mandate for the war in Afghanistan after 9/11. The Americans are right in
being angry now if there are people from our side who granted them such
concessions and were paid for that but are now trying to wiggle their way
out of the commitment to save their skins.
No one is responsible for this reckless management of our relations
with a foreign power than our own people. And in the absence of
accountability and transparency, they should know they have caused
one of the biggest divisions among Pakistanis in a long time.
Ayaz Amir observed: After the May 2 incident of Abbottabad the
nation stood united on a one point agenda which was to ask the
government to change its ill-conceived policies of war on terror through
the 12-point resolution passed by the joint session of parliament on 13-14
May 2011. The Abbottabad debacle, we thought, had forced the government
to give up the status quo position that it had adopted on policies inherited by
it years back. The government seemed cornered with no choice but to
implement the resolution or face the wrath of the nation in the next general
election.
The nations hopes were, however, shattered just two days after the
passing of the resolution when Senator John Kerry arrived in Islamabad only
to repeat what President Bush had said to Gen Musharraf. The president, the
prime minister and the army chief are reported to have assured the senator of
taking all necessary measures to remove US apprehensions about safe
havens for militants in the country. The senator reminded us of President
Obamas pledge of doing all that was possible to chase al-Qaeda wherever it
was found and that is exactly what they did in Abbottabad irrespective of the
fact that our sovereignty was at stake. Guarding our sovereignty was not
their responsibility. It was the duty of our government in which it failed
miserably.
President Obama has said it again on May 22 that while his
government respected Pakistans sovereignty it would conduct similar
attacks if Mullah Omar or other senior leaders of Taliban were found there.
So now brazenly the net has been extended to Taliban also. Does that mean
that now we should expect attacks again on the pretext of hitting Mullah
Omar or the so-called Quetta Shura on the basis of airy fairy reports?
Ayaz talked of history of militarys domination in Pakistan and how
Americans used our resources and without deploying a single soldier of
their own achieved the objective of becoming the only super power in the
805

world. He then added: The Abbottabad operation no doubt is a big success

for the Americans ensuring re-election of Obama in the next election, but the
real feather in their cap would be Pakistans decision to take action in North
Waziristan. Time is running out fast and the US is in a hurry to find face
saving excuses for withdrawal from Afghanistan. Bin Ladens elimination
and operations in the drone hit area of North Waziristan will, to a great
extent; convince the US public of having achieved the objective thereby
paving the way for withdrawal of troops from that country in accordance
with the declared time table of July this year.
Now that the end game is obvious what do we need to do at this
stage? Do we still need to keep telling lies or do we stand up? Too many
lies have been told and far too many killings have taken place in the name of
this war on terror but peace and stability is still a far cry. Let us put a stop to
all this nonsense. Let us look at the situation afresh and see how best it can
be improved. Are our own people (tribesmen) responsible for this mess or is
it the creation of someone else?
FATA was never so bad before the whole thing started. It was
extremely peaceful till the arrival of the army. What went so drastically
wrong that the area became difficult for us to govern needs to be looked into.
Who is responsible for this and how can it be corrected is not so difficult to
understand but to do so the military leadership needs to treat the
tribesmen as loyal citizens and listen to them rather than consider them
an enemy to fight with. They are the people who know the problem and can
guide the government to a permanent peaceful solution. One hopes that the
culture of consultation will begin instead of depending on advice of crony
subordinates who, for obvious reasons, lack the courage to confront their
bosses with hard facts, in both civil and military establishments.
Let us not kill our people in this war on terror any more nor
humiliate the nation by following policies framed by others for us. Let us
follow what is best for the nation and not for a few individuals. The political
leaders should have the courage to rise to the occasion now or else they will
miss this golden opportunity. The political leadership needs to wake up from
its slumber and take charge of events. It needs to prove that it is capable of
running the government in accordance with the wishes of the people and in
the best interests of the country. It needs to revisit its policy on terror and
also set relations with our neighbours on the right track. Failure is not an
option. There is just too much at stake. Its either now or never.

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Maleeha Lodhi opined: In more ways than one, Osama bin Ladens
death has changed the dynamic in the region and offered a new
opportunity to pursue a political settlement to end the almost decade
long war in Afghanistan But in opening up possibilities to accelerate
efforts for a diplomatic solution it also provides the two countries a chance
to align their objectives in Afghanistan and recalibrate their frayed ties.
Pakistan has long insisted that the Afghan war can only be brought to
a close by political not military means. The Obama Administrations pledge
to move towards a diplomatic surge and consultations launched in this
regard by US special envoy, Marc Grossman, may help narrow the gulf with
Pakistan but formidable hurdles will need to be overcome along the
way
As the Administration mulls over the decision about the pace and
level of the July withdrawal, al-Qaedas decapitation has given President
Obama, whose public approval ratings have soared, much greater room to
manoeuvre in charting a way forward. He is now positioned to sell the
idea of talks with the Taliban without being accused by his opponents of
being weak on national security. Also helpful is the growing international
consensus that an end to an increasingly unpopular war should be hastened
by a peaceful political settlement involving negotiations among parties to the
conflict. Most NATO countries want to see serious efforts to forge a peace
deal.
Even before Bin Ladens death, President Obama had begun to
change track even if civilians in his Administration and the military were not
on the same page on talks with senior Taliban leaders. There were three key
indications of a transition towards a diplomatic strategy. One, the
February 2011 speech by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which spelt out
three redlines for reconciliation with the Taliban renunciation of
violence, abandoning Al Qaeda and accepting the Afghan Constitution and
clarifying, in a significant policy shift, that these were outcomes not preconditions of any negotiation.
The second indication of a recalibration of Washingtons Afghan
strategy was last months shake up of President Obamas national
security team and the decision to replace General David Petraeus as
commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan. Naming him to head the CIA
was a way to get him out of a position to determine Afghan policy, as he,
along with others at the Pentagon, remained intent on achieving a military

807

outcome to the war. His successor Lt General John R Allen helped to secure
a peace agreement with Sunni insurgents in Iraq.
The third indication of the Administrations move towards a
political strategy is the mandate given to Grossman to explore a
reconciliation plan and his extensive tripartite discussions in Kabul and
Islamabad aimed at evolving a framework for peace talks.
In the wake of the al-Qaeda leaders killing, top American
officials have also publicly mused whether this will make it easier for the
Taliban to enter negotiations. Clinton, Defence Secretary Robert M Gates
and General Petraeus have all said Bin Ladens demise could weaken alQaedas influence on the Taliban because the alliance was more personal
than organizational. Senator John Kerry went further, describing this as a
potentially game-changing opportunity to build momentum for a political
solution in Afghanistan.
The question this now raises is whether President Obama will use
his July speech to go beyond announcing a troop pullout and also
publicly commit to an Afghan peace process. In a BBC interview last week
he edged towards this by saying that talks will eventually have to be held
with the Taliban as there was no military solution to the conflict.
Several members of his administration want him to iterate US
willingness to enter formal talks with the Taliban to generate the
political momentum for a solution, which will need to be in place before
2014, the deadline set by NATO for an end to their combat mission in
Afghanistan. They also view the period between July and December, when
the next international conference on Afghanistan is to be convened in Bonn,
as decisive in which progress in talks must be made so that Taliban
representatives can be invited as partners in the peace process.
Pakistans role is seen by both the US and Afghanistan as pivotal
in helping to attain these objectives. Washington has already conveyed that
the core group that will be engaged in finding a solution in the
reconciliation process will consist of four parties: the Afghan government,
the Taliban, Washington and Islamabad.
But tough challenges lie ahead in the quest to find a peaceful solution
especially as the fighting season approaches in Afghanistan. Among the
immediate challenges is how to reconcile the US approach of fight-andtalk with Pakistans advocacy of de-escalation in violence involving a
stand down or pause in fighting to open diplomatic space for negotiations.

808

Mounting US pressure on Pakistan to take military action against

Afghan Taliban leaders has left Islamabad wondering whether
Washington wants to target or talk to Taliban leaders. Army Chief General
Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has urged an inclusive Afghan peace process that
does not exclude anyone willing to talk. He has also told his US
interlocutors that Pakistan should not be pushed in a direction that the
Americans will not eventually take themselves. But this circle has yet to be
squared.
Another significant impediment to peace talks could be the
proposed Strategic Partnership Agreement being discussed between
the Karzai government and Washington. This would reportedly allow the
Americans to retain several bases in Afghanistan six according to one
account beyond 2014 in order to maintain training personnel to assist the
Afghan National Army and a scaled down counterterrorism force, as an
insurance policy to make any political deal stick.
Although American officials portray this military presence as a nonthreatening force structure, if such an agreement is announced this July it
could prove to be a deal-breaker even before serious talks have begun
with the Taliban, whose main demand indeed reason for fighting is to
ensure the exit of all foreign forces from their country.
An agreement providing for an indefinite US military presence in
Afghanistan will be just as unacceptable to the countrys neighbours. It
will be seen in Pakistan as holding out a clear and present danger of
unilateral strikes into its territory. Iran will deem it as a threat while Russia
and China will view this as a way of maintaining US sway over the region.
The path towards a negotiated peace is strewn with many difficulties
that are likely to make the process a complicated and protracted one. But the
opportunity to end Americas longest war must be seized sooner rather
than later especially as it has so gravely destabilized Pakistan whose ability
to find its balance and re-establish domestic peace depends so critically on
stability on its western border and an end to the western military presence in
the region.
Salman Babar from Lahore wrote: The recent security lapses in the
country clearly show our weaknesses and shortcomings. The attack on
PNS Mehran in Karachi in which 12 people were killed and three Orion
aircraft were destroyed besides other damages, has shocked everyone. We
talk about lofty ideals like upholding and protecting our sovereignty and
ideological frontiers but we are clearly incapable of defending even our
809

defence installations. We will continue to face such losses unless we opt for
a major surgical operation and remove all those responsible.
Masood Aslam from Islamabad observed: The whole nation is
flabbergasted at this incident and the question, How could these people
enter a secure base is on everyones mind. Whatever the outcome, let us see
if the persons responsible for this major security lapse accept their
responsibility and resign from their posts.

REVIEW
Tendering of an apology by DG ISI and his offer to resign was a well
thought out move. This enabled covering up lot of muck under the rug of
intelligence failure, but denied the nation its right to know. Vital
information, which could have led to initiation of appropriate measures for
putting things right to avoid future embarrassment, was denied.
The rug, under which all the muck was swept, however, seemed to be
equally filthy. It could not keep the stink suppressed for too long. Just three
weeks after Osama Episode the nation was subjected to another sickening
draught of familiar stink. Its faith in security forces, or whatever was left of
it, was further shattered.
The entire nation suffered the agony of spending a night watching the
vital component of its maritime security in flames. The Chief of Naval Staff
avoided the hazards of night flying and the Defence Minister did not stick
his neck out of his bunker. The chief executive could do no more than
having telephone chat with services chiefs.
The Don, who happened to be the Supreme Commander of armed
forces, stuck to the customary practice of never leaving the den. He directed
his trouble shooter to immediately proceed to Karachi, not for blunting the
terror attack but to pre-empt the criticism to which his regime would be
subjected.
This has been a routine wherein Rehman Malik is dispatched to
Karachi after every spate of targeted killings. After attack on PNS Mehran
he was again ordered to rush to Karachi, inadvertently assessing this attack
as yet another incident of targeted killing. He arrived at Karachi Airport at
about 0330am and during the journey he had solved the riddle of this attack.
In reply to a question by media he rejected the allegation that attack
was result of intelligence failure. It was argued that intelligence agencies

810

cannot look after every nock and corner of a country as vast as Pakistan. He
was not counter-questioned by asking that a base, on which two P-3C Orion
were parked, couldnt be termed as a nock or a corner of Pakistan.
About out right denial of intelligence failure, both by Interior Minister
and the Naval Chief, the observers were taken aback. Some like Irfan
Siddiqui searched for the definition of intelligence failure. Kamran Khan
sarcastically remarked that it could not be termed as failure because the
attackers used stealth technology.
In his second session with the media Rehman Malik preached national
unity. Irfan Siddiqui who was participating in a panel of discussion at that
time felt that Malik should have been asked that if this nation got united
during previous wars, during earthquake, floods and even cricket match,
why it was not uniting in case of war on terror?
Irfan was of the view that it was because the people were not
convinced about righteousness of the cause of war. They were not even clear
as to whose war it is. They were convinced that this war has been quite
cleverly deflected on to Pakistan in the spirit of killing two birds with one
stone. Therefore, on the issue of fighting this war as an ally of the US
Pakistani nation will never be united no matter what arguments are put
forward.
During his journey from Islamabad to the port city Malik had found
out the real culprits; they were Taliban the Zaliman. He also identified the
co-accused; the people who offered Fateha for the al-Qaeda chief and staged
sit-in in Karachi diverting security resources away from important security
tasks. He ruled out any involvement of RAW and obviously influx of CIA
agents facilitated by the regime had nothing to do with it.
The regime has been pointing finger towards TTP and al-Qaeda
immediately after every incident of violence; an act of terror or sabotage; so
did Malik after this attack as well. This suits the US as it strengthens its hype
about existence of militancy in Pakistan. The TTP also accepts the
responsibility just to have yet another feather in its cap.
He sarcastically referred to Ziaul Haqs period during which Afghan
jihad was waged. He believed that we have set our own house on fire. This
is a favourite argument of the regime and the enlightened brigade; they put
all the blame at Ziaul Haqs grave. They complete their argument by saying
that these are the same people who are perpetrating terror today.

811

They make it convenient to forget that those who waged jihad at that
time did so to resist Soviet occupation of their motherland and resultant
excesses committed against Afghans. They fought side by side with
Pakistanis because they had supported their armed struggle against the
Soviets.
Those who are fighting today are not the same people. Most of them
were not even born at that time. They are the creation of American
brutalities. They target Pakistanis because its rulers are fighting as frontline
soldiers of American Crusades.
Any believer of the concept of Islamic jihad, irrespective of what
interpretation he chooses, wont stand alongside the Crusaders; whereas
Pakistani rulers boast of fighting as frontline soldiers. Waging war against
allies of the Crusaders is jihad according to their interpretation of the
concept.
Maria Sultan was asked by Hamid Mir as to who could be behind this
attack. She said in the absence of credible information from the government
agencies one way to judge is the evaluation of the benefits that could be
drawn from attacking a particular target. In this attack the main target were
two P-3C Orion aircraft.
These aircraft had nothing to do with war against terrorists. India is
the obvious beneficiary of their destruction. It is also worth mention that one
of the P-3C Orion had crashed few years ago under mysterious
circumstances east of Thatta. It was apprehended at that time that the aircraft
was shot down by India.
She also pointed out that the weapons and equipment carried by the
attackers indicated that these were provided by some state agency. She did
not mince her words in saying that they were rigorously trained in
Afghanistan by Americans or Indians.
The regime has been creating hype that this attack was to avenge
killing of Osama. This is not supported with any credible evidence; whereas
the pointers have been to the contrary. Navy has been a target for motives
different from those linked to war on terror. It is not in reaction to Osamas
extra-judicial killing.
After Pakistan has been tricked into the war, the US was now heading
towards achieving its final objective as has been evident from the media
focus on security of Pakistans nuclear assets. In words of AVM (Retd)
Shehzad Chaudhry Pakistan kay saath haath ho gia hey (Pakistan has been
812

entangled) as case about vulnerability of its nuclear assets has been

strengthened.
The result was that world has started repeating the line once uttered by
Musharraf for entirely different motive. The line sab sey pehly Pakistan in
the context of this war means that Pakistan is the source of militancy and
warrants action against it. The experts apprehend that the worst has yet to
come not only from the militants and the United States but, consequently,
also from the puppet regime in the form of humiliation to which Pakistan
would be subjected.
Pakistans nuclear assets are now in the line of fire. Next tragedy
could be a fake attack on Pakistans nuclear assets as apprehended by Ansar
Abbasi in his report. This would be part of the strategy to declare these
assets insecure and then move the UN to take them under international
custody.
In the end it is pertinent to say a few words about the statement of
Taliban in which they thanked the local friends, in making the raid a
success. This statement may have been planted by the forces behind the
attackers with the intention to cast doubts on sincerity of armed forces, yet
one must ponder over it.
The resentment against the ongoing war is widespread, despite the
claims of the puppets and the enlightened brigade. These elite frequently talk
of ground reality and the mindset. The biggest ground reality is that antiUS sentiment in Pakistan is strong and widespread. Anti-war feeling is
directly proportional to anti-US sentiment.
It is quite natural that the prevalent public sentiment has affected the
rank and file of the armed forces. This was reflected in some incidents of
violence like attempts to assassinate Musharraf, blast in SSG unit at Tarbela
and some others. Fortunately, so far this sentiment has been expressed only
by small groups.
The incidents since January this year Raymond Davis sharp
shooting in Lahore, Abbottabad raid and now terror attack at Naval Airbase
in Karachi have fanned the flames of hatred for the US to new heights.
Therefore, the sentiment against Americas war on terror has certainly
grown.
The rat smells in the discrepancy of number of persons that attacked
the naval airbase given by various sources. It could be possible that some

813

insider(s) has been held during the counter operation or there have been
clues in this regard.
The worry of those who are concerned about the well being of
Pakistan should now be that God forbid this sentiment is not expressed
violent resentment in terms of so-called terror attacks. If that happens,
Naval Chief Noaman Bashir and people of his class wont be able to make
use of their worth million Mercedes cars for running away.
The US and its Crusading allies seemed to be absolutely clear that
they were racing against the time for accomplishment of Pakistan-related
mission. They have less than two years to do it as the NRO regime may be
ousted in next elections.
Zardari regime seems not perturbed at all about the threats posed to
Pakistan or embarrassment caused to its armed force. In fact, the regime
perceives the situation quite favourable to secure American support and
keeping the Army entangled and incapable of causing any problems to the
democracy engrossed in extracting revenge.
The interest of the regime in the war could be judged from the fact
that in last three years the cabinet has met 70 times and not once the war on
terror was on its agenda. The war had been completely outsourced to the
COAS with designs which had nothing to do with sincerity.
Under the circumstances the responsibility of intelligence agencies
has increased manifold. The US, India, Afghanistan and others have either
penetrated or established contacts with both the brands of Taliban; Afghan or
Pakistani. The government and its premier intelligence agency have lost
contact with them almost completely. As they have retreated from that front,
they must focus on finding facts in rank and file of the armed forces.
The fact finding may reveal that resentment against fighting a war as
an ally of the Crusaders is so widespread that it could be beyond any
measures to cure this obscurantist ailment, because bulk of the men in
armed forces are not enlightened. The problem of this magnitude cannot be
resolved through administrative or disciplinary actions. This ground reality
alone may spell out the need for review of Pak-US ties.
25th May, 2011

814

OBAMA KILLED OSAMA VII

Defence Committee of the Cabinet met to discuss four-man assault on
PNS Mehran while political and defence authorities remained in state of
denial on the issue of security lapse. Two very important members of the
committee, foreign and defence ministers were marked absent; chair of
foreign minister was filled by Hina Rabbani and defence minister had
proceeded on leave ex-Pakistan a day earlier.
The august gathering, the top civil and military brains, produced a
magic solution of the dire security problem faced by the country. The
committee vowed to crush the militants before they could strike targets in
Pakistan. In addition, the committee thought it wise to assure the West that
Pakistans nuclear weapons were secure.
In London, Obama and Cameron met and the host advised the guest
not to press the strategic ally Pakistan to the breaking point. In a joint press
conference he declared Pakistans enemies as our enemies. Next day,
Munter and Mullen met Rehman Malik and General Kayani respectively for
coordinating Hillarys visit commencing few hours later.
On 27th May, Hillary accompanied by Mullen and Munter lined up the
entire civil and military ruling elite to have a talk with them. They sat
before her like students who had not done their homework. After the talk she
met the media and from all that Miss Hillary said it appeared that she had
given one more chance to her students to show definite progress.

NEWS
DCC met on 25th May and authorized law enforcement agencies to use
all means against terrorists and declared nuclear assets safe. Prime Minister
recounted the attackers and declared no discrepancy in their numbers.
Commander of PNS Mehran was suspended. Asma Jahangir asked Prime
Minister to sack navy chief. Nisar demanded open session of the parliament
on attack on PNS Mehran.

815

US Envoy confirmed that Pakistan suffered heavy loss in Mehran base

attack and said media perception of Pak-US ties was far from ground
realities. Reports revealed more about Khrotabad. Chechens were fleeced of
cash and when they failed to meet the demands of Police they were arrested.
At the time of shooting them dead from close range their hands and legs still
tied with ropes.
Addressing a joint conference in London, Cameron said it wasnt time
to turn away from Pakistan and declared Pakistans enemy is our enemy.
Obama said Pakistan is crucial for peace in Afghanistan. Pakistanis in
England, less PPP, held a protest rally against drone attacks; Lord Nazir led
the rally.
Some US lawmakers wrote to Obama urging him ending Afghan war
as it wasnt needed for US security after the death of Osama. Pentagon said
presence of US soldiers on Pakistani soil was being reduced on the request
of Pakistan. Indian Defence Minister expressed concern over security of
Pakistans nuclear weapons.
Next day, Shahbaz Sharif said military has committed mistakes which
should be rectified, but no one would be allowed to use Abbottabad and
Mehran attacks for weakening the armed forces. Nawaz wanted independent
probe on Mehran attack. Gilani asked world to cooperate rather than
criticizes. All personnel deployed at the base were being probed for inside
link. Attackers were in contact with handler during assault. Naval authorities
finally settled on four terrorists which attacked PNS Mehran and FIR was
being amended.
Cameron Munter visited residence of Rehman Malik and discussed
the latest situation. Cameron has been visiting Rehman Malik frequently
since Abbottabad raid. Hillary will be arriving in Islamabad to press Pakistan
to meet set of expectations of the US. Mullen arrived in Islamabad on his
22nd visit. Pakistan allowed CIA to visit Osama Compound.
Media reports revealed more about Kharotabad incident. While
entering Quetta, the Chechens were asked to pay dollars at the police check
post. They said they had already paid that at previous police post and when
police demanded body search Chechens drove away, hoping to escape. ASI
Raza informed the FC post that some terrorists were heading towards them.
Once the Chechens arrived at post they were targeted by FC men. After first
shooting spree a police constable reported that some of the Chechens were
still alive. On this Col Nadeem of FC ordered to shoot them to death.

816

After holding talks with Pakistani rulers on 27th May Hillary Clinton
spoke to media in the company of Mullen. She was quite stern in telling that
Osama was dead but al-Qaeda safe heavens were still intact inside Pakistan
from where the terrorists target people all over the world. This terror
infrastructure must be dismantled. She repeatedly reminded the dollars paid
and kept asking more action against terrorists.
She assured support for democracy in Pakistan and in this context she
endorsed that Pakistani authorities did not know Osamas presence in
Abbottabad, but someone must have known. She added the US wasnt
interested in destabilizing Pakistan.
Pakistan has to solve its problems on its own. She acknowledged that
Pakistan has to be part of Afghan peace process, but it wont be allowed to
dictate anything in this context. She also commanded that Pakistani rulers
must correct anti-American public perceptions.
After meeting Hillary Gilani told the cabinet that Pak-US ties would
suffer if drone attacks were not stopped and his information minister said the
recently adopted parliamentary resolution wont be wasted. She also said
that the report of probe into Mehran raid would be finalized in 48 hours, but
the briefing given by Rehman Malik was termed meaningless by many
members of the cabinet.
Altaf Hussain demanded removal of weaknesses Army and ISI.
Asma Jahangir, who once expressed her affection for Indian soldiers by
feeding them sweets, spat venom for Pakistan Army. Speaking on a TV
channel harshly criticized army and dubbed its officers as duffers.
Munawwar Hassan said private sector would promote Jihad if army
disappointed the masses.
CIA team inspected Osama Compound for four hours. Pakistan closed
three intelligence fusion cells which were established to coordinate
intelligence sharing with the US. Qari Qaisar, linked to PNS Mehran attack,
was arrested from a village near Faisalabad. Seven al-Qaeda suspects were
held in Karachi.
Next day, Foreign Office admitted existence of support network for
Osama and said Hillarys visit has helped in clearing many
misunderstandings and two sides have agreed to carry out joint operations in
future. Nawaz Sharif threatened to launch campaign if commission on
Abbottabad incident not formed. He said rulers were bent upon destroying
Pakistan and warned them of public mutiny.

817

The arms and ammunition recovered from the attackers of PNS

Mehran were made in Russian in years 2003 and 2008; in other words after
the US occupation of Afghanistan, so these reached the terrorists either
through Afghan or Indian agencies. The inquiry committee has decided to
include six American engineers in the probe; they were working in Mehran
base at the time of raid.
Ansar Abbasi observed that Pakistan has once acceded to do more
mantra; however US demand for reactivating CIA centres was rejected.
Imran warned division in Army over war on terror. As the nation remained
worried about Abbottabad attack Prime Minister availed the opportunity to
reward his jailer. The US media reported that Pakistan has been asked to
provide information about five most wanted terrorist; al-Zawahiri, Mullla
Omar, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdul Rehman.

VIEWS
On 25th May, The News commented: Just as we thought things
couldnt get any worse, they have. The emerging facts about what
happened at PNS Mehran are not reassuring. It now appears that no more
than six terrorists were able to strike terror on a base manned by some 1,500
military personnel. Some accounts suggest there were no more than four
militants inside the compound. All this should force us to think hard about
the training of forces to guard against militancy and their ability to
overpower militants when attacks occur
We must hope that in the aftermath of the biggest attack on our
security establishment, we can obtain information shedding light on
what exactly happened and how it was all planned. Much of this is also
tied in with the broader security picture across the country. The Supreme
Court has noted once again that it is far from satisfactory. While the military
leaders seem determined to beef up security, only a wider improvement in
the law and order situation can really make us safe. The interior minister
needs to give us a full briefing on what is being done to achieve this. What
we really need is to be able to prevent such attacks from happening and
cracking down on the groups behind them. Reacting after the event can serve
only a very limited purpose and expose Pakistan to still greater dangers. The
primary duty of the government is to ensure our nation is safe. It cannot
afford to neglect this duty.

818

In another editorial the newspaper added: In a BBC interview ahead

of this weeks state visit to London, President Obama has indicated he
would authorize a fresh American raid in Pakistan if another leading
terrorist was discovered here. While insisting that he wanted a more cooperative relationship, he also said: Ive always been clear to the
Pakistanis...that our job is to secure the United States...We cannot allow
someone planning to kill our people or our allies people we cant allow
those kind of active plans to come to fruition without us taking some action.
There was a tremendous air of expectation following Obamas election as
president, especially in the foreign policy domain. The new administration
was expected to ditch the go-it-alone legacy of Bush, his marked disdain for
international agreements, and sometimes for diplomacy itself. In the Bush
years, unilateralism had become almost an addiction; a constant in an
otherwise inconsistent presidency. With Obama, it was hoped things would
change.
But this Mays military strike deep inside Pakistan has revealed the
naivety of this hope. In fact, the Osama raid is already being used by US
officials as a negotiating tool for future unilateralism; a veiled threat of
dont make us do that again. About two weeks ago, US Ambassador
Cameron Munter had also cast the join us or not mantra. For an
administration that entered office boasting it would repair the damage
done by cowboy unilateralism, these statements should be nothing less
than embarrassing.
Obama has already isolated himself at home where a huge chunk of
even his most ardent followers are now questioning the Obama dream and
where it is heading not exactly the change they had hoped for. Pakistan is
important both for US security and for its larger interests in the region. It is a
well-armed, nuclear-weapons state of almost 200 million people. It has also
suffered disproportionately from terrorism and lost thousands of soldiers and
civilians in the fight against this menace. Elements in the Pakistani power
structure sympathetic to the Taliban and al-Qaeda if they do exist do not
represent the entirety of Pakistan. While there may be elements that seek
war and destruction, a massive majority of Pakistanis just wants to live
with dignity and in peace. The US must remember these Pakistanis before
carrying out actions that are tantamount to declaring Pakistan an enemy
state.
Rahimullah Yusufzai observed: That the TTP, the umbrella
organization for militants of every denomination, has set its sights now
on attacking bigger targets and crippling Pakistans defence capabilities is
819

evident from the brazen assault on the PNS Mehran base In past attacks,
the TTP killed scores of security officials including officers and caused
significant material damage but this is the first time that expensive aircraft
were destroyed and damaged as if an enemy country had attacked a
Pakistani airbase.
There cannot be a bigger challenge to the countrys defences by an
internal enemy that may or may not be linked to external enemies. There
also cannot be a more embarrassing security breach at a place that ought to
have been tightly secured. For such an audacious assault to happen at a naval
airbase following recent intelligence reports that defence installations were
the primary target of terrorists is all the more embarrassing and depressing.
Such incidents not only lower the publics confidence in the armed
forces, but also contribute to the general hopelessness prevailing in the
country.
There should be no doubt about the commitment and capabilities
of the militants. They are battle-hardened, well-trained and, more
importantly, armed with a cause, howsoever illogical. One remembers a sole
Afghanistan-trained Pakistani militant named Munaf who fought for hours
despite being cornered by scores of policemen and militiamen in a sugarcane
field in Mardan several years ago. Alone and injured, he kept the police at
bay for a night and a day and died fighting instead of surrendering after
killing and injuring some policemen.
In another incident from the past at the Jallozai camp in the
Nowshera district, meant earlier for Afghan refugees and now for unlucky
displaced Pakistanis, police and militiamen armed with heavy weapons and
armoured personnel carriers (APCs) faced stiff resistance from besieged
militants for long hours before achieving some dubious success.
In recent incidents, militants and suicide bombers have gone after
difficult targets and attacked defence and intelligence institutions that once
seemed formidable and caused fear. In fact, Pakistan suffers a new
terrorist strike before it is able to recover from the previous one. The
embarrassment caused by the presence and killing of Bin Laden in the
garrison city, Abbottabad, in the unilateral operation by the American Navy
SEALs was still fresh when two terrorist attacks on the FC Training Centre
in Shabqadar and the PNS Mehran in Karachi happened on account of
security lapses and shook the government and the armed forces.
If the past is any guide, more such strikes and embarrassing
moments are coming our way. Sadly, there isnt much hope that these
820

attacks could be prevented. It seems that the PPP-led coalition governments

sole priority is to complete its five-year term by cutting unsavoury deals
with slippery allies. The armed forces too have lost credibility due to their
inability to protect their own men and installations. And this is happening
under the watch of Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and ISI head
Lt-Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha, who were given extensions for keeping
Pakistan safe and defeating militancy. Perhaps it is time to give others a
chance to lift the nation from its state of despondency.
Mosharraf Zaidi opined: Corrupt, visionless, amoral and inept
civilian politicians are certainly contributors to the insecurity of ordinary life
in Pakistan, and the insecurity that Pakistan inspires around the world. But
they are passengers on this train. They can only be assigned tertiary
responsibility for the environment that has allowed for events like the PNS
Mehran attack to occur. The primary (and secondary) responsibility for
Pakistans utter failure to counter and defeat the threats to its national
security lies with the national security infrastructure of Pakistan
specifically, the Pakistan Army, the Pakistan Air Force, the Pakistan Navy
and all associated and subservient organizations, including the Directorate
for Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
This national security infrastructure or the Pakistan military has
enjoyed overwhelming dominance in the three most important aspects
of the nations affairs for the duration of Pakistans 63 year existence. First,
it has enjoyed the uncontested ability to officially define right and wrong,
good and bad, of what constitutes the national interest. Second, it has
enjoyed the nearly uncontested right to determine Pakistans closest friends,
and Pakistans staunchest enemies. Finally, and most importantly, it has
enjoyed the largest share of Pakistans wealth both financial flows and
claims to land, with almost no accountability to anyone (save the recent
rigour with which US authorities determine which of the armys claims it
deems worthy of payment, and which it does not). Each of these three
aspects represent the most dire crises in the project to create and sustain a
Pakistan consistent with the vision of its founders, with the values of its
citizens (Muslim and non Muslim) and with the stature of the worlds sixth
most populous nation.
Zaidi explained the implications of three aspects and then added:
While Pakistan burns, it also begs for hand outs in Moscow, Beijing,
Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and once again, most cynically, in Washington DC.
Meanwhile, India competes with China for global influence, gives grants to
Afghanistan and loans to Bangladesh (and blocks EU trade concessions to
821

Pakistan at will). The economic vice that Pakistan finds itself in is both a
product of ineffective national security policy, but also a source of national
insecurity. The military has been the pilot that has guided us to this
deserted fiscal island. No matter how many depraved Dominique StraussKahns this country convinces to give it loans, there are no rescue missions
on the way. Pakistan is going to have to swim back to safety and civilization
by itself.
How does that process begin? The Pakistani military has a poor
track record in strategic thinking, relationship management and in
long-term resource planning. The military not only needs to begin to alter
the balance of power on major decision-making, it must also urgently begin
to induct civilian expertise on issues where it clearly has no real comparative
advantage.
Even more immediate however is the need for the military to
divorce itself from all kinds of politics. There can be no apologia for the
kinds of speeches made by leaders of groups like the LeT or JuD, much less
the actions they advocate. Whether religious zealots do the bidding of the
military or mainstream politicians, it is wrong. It skews discourse and
introduces unpredictable schisms into state and society. We may not know
enough about PNS Mehran to say it was an inside job, but we know more
than enough about Pakistan. The damage being done to this country is,
without question, an inside job. It can only be fixed from within; of
Pakistanis, by Pakistanis, and for Pakistanis.
Tariq Osman Hyder Listed some preventive measures in is review of
the situation. The American intrusion to kill Osama bin Laden created
the need for Pakistan to put its house in order, make internal security
more effective and improve its management of relations with America, India
and Afghanistan to avoid confrontation.
The attack on the naval airbase in Karachi three weeks later does
not change these imperatives. It highlights the fact that the security
construct needs drastic improvement. The American occupation of
Afghanistan, the United States refrain that Pakistan do more, the increased
drone strikes and US avowals to repeat intrusions for suspected high-value
targets in Pakistan, all erode support for the government and the armed
forces. The government and the armed forces are projected by extremists
and terrorists as American surrogates to justify their attacks and attract
sympathizers. In turn, the civilian population, bearing the brunt of terrorist

822

attacks, accuses both the government and the military of sacrificing it to its
pro-American policy.
India exacerbates the situation by demanding that Pakistan
tackle terrorism more effectively while denying it the space to do so. Its
military projects aggressive doctrines, claiming an ability to mount
incursions into Pakistan and using Afghanistan as a platform for this
countrys destabilization.
One hoped that America and India would have realized the counterproductive effects of their attitudes and actions which clearly contradict their
proclaimed objective of a stable Pakistan. However, Pakistan has to deal
with the situation as it is, not as it should be.
On the security front a number of steps should be taken.
Escalating terrorist attacks on armed and security forces personnel and
facilities aim to demoralize, discredit and destabilize. No doubt, foreign
funding plays an important part. However, this does not absolve the
government and its military and security institutions of the need to take
radical actions.
The management, control and data collection of the movement of
people and money entering Pakistan and within Pakistan must be
undertaken, utilizing the existing infrastructure of the National Database
and Registration Authority (Nadra), which would impact on arms,
ammunition and explosives.
American and Afghan demands that infiltration from Pakistan be
curtailed, which in fact has become a two-way process, need to be
responded to by the fencing the Pakistani-Afghan border. Terrorists and
criminals and kidnappers using the border areas should be dealt with by
strictly controlling the limited road routes further into Pakistan.
Intelligence agencies everywhere tend not to share information. But
the time has come for the Pakistani intelligence agencies and police,
which have the largest footprint, to work effectively together. The
Abbottabad and Karachi episodes reflect a major failure not just of military
intelligence agencies but also of the civilian intelligence establishment and
the police. All of them have to be equally built up as counterweights for
better results in the future
The physical perimeter of all important facilities should be
increased wherever possible, and actual/electronic surveillance improved, as
was expected after the 2009 attack on the army headquarters in Rawalpindi.
823

Vulnerable facilities should be moved away from population centres, as is

done elsewhere in the world.
Apart from the need to revisit the entire security structure, there is
the challenge for the government and the armed forces to take the
people of Pakistan along. This requires a revision of governance and
foreign policy and a new look at economic assistance from abroad. Without
improving the economy through broadening the tax base, infrastructural
development, better and widespread education and creating more jobs,
growing popular discontent which feeds extremism and terrorism, will not
be reversed.
As regards foreign policy, leverage is not all in American hands
as long as they are in Afghanistan. While this factor should not be
overestimated, the American, NATO and ISAF logistics supply chain goes
largely overland through Pakistan and, what is forgotten, almost all air
supplies use Pakistans airspace. It is time that the air transit facility was
changed from block sanction to a case by case, flight by flight permission
procedure as done internationally.
Despite Pakistans partial dependence on American military and
economic assistance, as in the case of post-Mubarak Egypt, a more
independent position can be taken without confrontation. If the economy
is improved, along with rising workers remittances and higher wheat, rice
and cotton harvests, Pakistan could wean itself away from American aid
flows, which are likely to decline in any case due to the recession and
renewed Congressional opposition; and from an IMF programme with
restrictive conditionalities. The government and the military should work in
this direction, beyond institutional and party concerns. This is what the
people of Pakistan both expect and deserve.
Umer Sohail from Rawalpindi wrote: All the pillars of the state
should mould themselves into one cohesive unit and prepare for the
challenges that lie ahead. We have to wake up to the reality that our
enemies are more determined than ever to weaken our country. Any
sane person would testify that the TTP alone could not have launched such
an organized and deadly attack and foreign hands may be involved.
Masood Aslam from Islamabad observed: Interior Minister Rehman
Malik declared the outcome of the PNS Mehran episode as a success. But
the terrorists got what they wanted: they destroyed our assets, killed our
soldiers and did this inside one of the most guarded and crucial naval base. It
is not success. It is a matter of shame and my advice to the interior
824

minister is that silence is better than unclear, confused and irrational

statements.
Next day, The News commented: After the assault on PNS Mehran,
one of the most successful militant strikes in over four years, the milliondollar question on everyones mind is: if bases and high-value assets arent
secure, is there a guarantee Pakistans nuclear assets cant be attacked,
and successfully? During a news conference on Tuesday in Kabul, even
NATO Secretary General Rasmussen acknowledged being concerned about
the safety of Pakistans nukes. New WikiLeaks cables also reveal intense US
monitoring of Pakistans nuclear programme. Is this alarmism justified? First
the technical answer: not really. The weapons are under the control of the
armys Strategic Plans Division, which ensures their protection following
international standards of command and control. Security at the nuclear
bases is much tighter than at the Mehran base and the weapons are kept in
bunkers guarded by over 10,000 soldiers and monitored by the SPDs
independent intelligence section. Staff at the facilities goes through
extensive political, moral and financial checks as well as psychological
testing and the 2,000 scientists working in ultra-sensitive areas are closely
watched round-the-clock with security monitors. Also, warhead cores are
physically separated from their detonation components and the warheads
electronically locked to ensure they cannot be detonated even if they fall into
the wrong hands. Finally, while the Mehran facility is on the premises of a
large air base that borders residential and commercial areas, the nuclear
facilities are isolated and access to them infinitely more difficult.
On the political front, alarmism about the safety of Pak nukes can be
read as a way for the world, particularly the US, to add pressure on the
Pakistan government. This is counterproductive and will add fuel to
suspicions about US designs and increase antipathy toward America in
Pakistan. However, what is important is that even if our installations are
hundred percent safe and the worlds concerns completely unjustified,
attacks like the one in Karachi do legitimately shape fears and create
the perception that the Pakistani state is weakening and collapsing. This
encourages not just more unilateral operations but also serves the militants
set to exploit tensions between Pakistan and the United States in the wake of
the Abbottabad raid. In order to control alarmism around our nukes in
particular and our commitment to countering terrorism in general, we need
to put our own house in order. Targeting militant elements selectively is too
dangerous a game to play for a nuclear-armed state. Also, the debate, both in
Pakistan and around the world, should be less about the safety of Pak nukes
825

and more about the intentions and future of the custodians of these nukes,
the Pakistan army.
Munawar Ali Malik from Peshawar wrote: A big game seems to be
afoot. The Abbottabad affair brought our intelligence outfit to its knees for
the whole world to see. The PNS disaster is a direct hit on our defence
mechanism. The message intended was to show the world that our security
forces are vulnerable to Taliban onslaughts. A few more instances of this
type and the cat will come out of the bag. The Western media will start
thundering that when our defence mechanism is not safe from Taliban
attacks our nuclear assets cannot be in safe hands?
Ismail Khan observed: The policy positions in Pakistan prepared
after the raid on Bin Laden in Abbottabad tried to address the countrys
civil-military imbalance. This is a problem that often deepens over
security-related issues. It took the top decision-makers several days to come
forward and own up a statement that condemned the intelligence failure
behind our inability to trace Bin Laden and to be alerted to the US choppers
that entered Pakistani territory. The joint session of the two houses of
parliament was briefed by the relevant military hierarchy, including the
director general of the ISI. Misgivings of the political leadership were meant
to be removed at the session.
The civilian government and the military leadership tried to appear
on the same page regarding the Abbottabad operation, but the political
opposition did not. Interestingly, the oppositions wrath, or the wrath of the
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), is directed more against the military
than against the government in power. Not only did former Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif refuse to attend the joint session, but he set aside the
idea of formation of a military commission, on the grounds of the military
being a party to the dispute. (As of now, two commissions including one led
by parliament, is going to probe the matter.) The unwillingness of the Nawaz
League to support the ISI during the so-called testing times is the result of
the tense relationship between the politicians and the intelligence apparatus.
While intelligence agencies around the world have to eat dirt in the
external environment, it needs no reminder that the criticism of Pakistans
intelligence agencies, not least its primary external agency, the ISI, isnt
heard of in the international galleries only. The agency has generated more
heat than light when it comes to political leaders who take exception to
its interference in political wheeling and dealings. The not-so-secret joint
session is reported to have been an occasion for sharp, critical and probing
826

questions about the ISI. These questions compared the agencys efficiency at
political manipulations at home with its ineffectiveness in its operations on
foreign soil.
However, calculation of any political loss attributed to the
intelligence agencies can be based on the power equation between the
political class and the military echelons. In a country with a history of
mistrust between civilians and military, the operational subservience of an
intelligence agency to one of two players goes to the political advantage of
one of the players. It applies as much to the Intelligence Bureau as to the
Inter-Services Intelligence. To present an argument that is not so
hypothetical, if it were not the ISI, it would have been another agency
that the politicians targeted to denigrate and malign.
The above reasoning may lead many people to say that the civilians
are contesting the space of the agencies purely for political reasons. True,
but the same scale is enough to measure the distance of all players, including
civilians, from the real work of the external agency: information gathering in
the external domain, or, to put it simply, foreign policy.
In their political point-scoring, both sides, the intelligence
apparatus and its domestic critics, deprive a key foreign policy
instrument of input. What needs to be absorbed is that the national policy
framework will remain questionable if an instrument extending foreign
policy doesnt enjoy open support of the civilians, should Pakistan want to
be a parliamentary democracy. It is therefore imperative for us to work out
the rationale for reforms, and the way they are to be carried out.
It has never been as critical as now for Pakistan and its society to
bridge institutional gaps, because this is a time when terrorism has truly
become a threat to the countrys very survival. The division of agencies
along administrative and geographical lines, originally meant to increase
efficiency, can further increase the already crushing bureaucratic workload.
Pakistan is already under the burden of the civil-military divide. These
go to the advantage of the terrorists, who are also known as non-state
actors. The most dangerous thing about the terrorists is that they can cross
boundaries between states and provinces at will.
Zirgham Nabi Afridi opined: Undoubtedly, like the rest of the nation
our soldiers too must be suffering from an all time low in morale. Two huge
embarrassments within a short span of time with the fingers of the media,
politicians and hazardously for the military the civil society pointing
towards them, they are facing pressure like never before. However, both the
827

media and the civil society would be making a huge mistake in joining
with the politicians and criticizing the military. As a nation we backed our
army into a position it should never have been in the first place. Expecting
no good to ever come out of our politicians we relied a lot on the military to
provide some semblance of sanity and competence in the governance of our
country.
This has now led to a point where the military is being exposed to the
type of public criticism it should not be faced with. In any strong democracy,
mishaps by the military are handled by effective civilian oversight keeping
into account the sensitivity of the nature of any inquiry and its relation to the
overall security of the country. Instead of blaming the military, all of our
criticism, like never before, should be directed towards the politicians
and their handling of the entire situation, which includes their role in
keeping an effective civilian check on the military.
Our criticism must be on the manner in which the politicians are
going to guarantee that the military conduct the right type of investigations
and internal inquiries to ensure that such lapses do not occur again. What
mechanisms do the politicians intend on placing to check that the military
structure is erected upon sound and fair principles that incorporate the spirit
of self-analysis and self-criticism along with innovation and promotions
based on merit? How are the politicians going to check if the perks and
privileges of the military personnel are in line with acceptable international
standards which guarantee comfort and prosperity for the families of the
soldiers while at the same time remain far from the excesses that lead critics
to blame the military for institutionalized corruption. It is their the
politicians failure of doing their job with even minimal competence
that has today left the defence forces in a position where they find
themselves cornered while being pointed at by a wide array of fingers both
from within the country and, menacingly, from beyond.
There is a lot of frustration building up in the public even amongst
the most indifferent and apolitical citizens of this country. If an outlet is not
provided soon, this massive bubble of annoyance, disappointment,
resentment and dissatisfaction is going to burst in a huge explosion that
may result in an unwelcomed upheaval. If we agree that democracy is the
best way forward for Pakistan then let there be a democratic manner to allow
the venting of the fumes out of the bubble. Let there be mid-term elections.
Regardless of the outcome the entire process of electioneering will
help the nation unite its energies to focus on one mega event happening
828

in the country. The spotlight will once again be where it should always
belong, on the political class. Not the army, not the navy or the air force. All
the major political parties and their main players will have their deeds once
again laid out in the spotlight. The selfish politics of power will for, but a
brief time, once again revert to the politics for the masses bringing popular
issues into the forefront. New parties and players like Imran Khan will be
given the chance to convert his political gains on the streets into some seats
in the parliament.
With what may be the largest turn out in the election history of
Pakistan, the electorate would look to the major issues effecting it: party
strategies and standing on the war on terror; the plan on dealing with drone
attacks; on dealing with America; on regaining our sovereignty. Corruption
and load-shedding might just creep in the agenda. The people of Pakistan
will want to take this opportunity to send out a message to the world
especially to the United States on its collective opinion on the war on
terror. And any party that comes into power and any government that is
finally elected would know that it has the backing of the people to go on
with any hard decisions needed to put the country back on track.
On the other hand the servile begging hand there is also that
possibility that the elections can equally serve as a show of support to the
continuing incompetence at display by the politicians. In that case, I for one
would find a reason to stop complaining and to go about my business
quietly. Maybe it is somehow acceptable to live in a country where another
country with the capability of doing so, can bomb a citizen at any time and
launch operations on its soil without any sanction of internal and
international law; without any kind of redress whatsoever in any kind of
court in Pakistan. Maybe it is normal to spend a life of servility and
cowardice. And maybe I live in Zardaristan instead of Pakistan.
Roedad Khan wrote: Today our country is dysfunctional and
sleepwalking toward disaster. A pall has descended on the nation and we
are fast approaching Arthur Koestlers Darkness at Noon. The tragedy is that
each man feels what is wrong, and knows what is required to be done, but,
with the exception of Imran, none has the will or the courage or the energy
needed to speak up and say enough is enough. No more drone attacks. No
more American interference in our internal affairs.
The country has been humiliated but it is business as usual in the
corridors of power. If we absolve these people who put us here, we cut off
any chance to learn from the Abbottabad debacle. We need to place the
829

blame where it belongs. Otherwise, they will do even more damage in the
days to come.
Once we were the envy of the developing world. That is now the
stuff of nostalgia. We seem exhausted, rudderless, disoriented. Our great
dreams have given way to a corrosive apprehension, fear, uncertainty
and frustration. Today most youngsters graduate directly from college into
joblessness.
It is like a nightmare in which you foresee all the horrible things
which are going to happen and cant stretch out your hand to prevent
them. Such is the feeling conjured up by corrupt, inept rulers of Pakistan as
it enters a period of great uncertainty and sinks deeper and deeper into the
quagmire.
It is torture to live in an un-republican republic. Today Pakistan, a
camouflaged, thinly disguised civilian dictatorship, is a land of
opportunities, heaven for a handful and hell for countless millions of poor
people.
The American footprint in our country is growing larger and
heavier by the day. Nuclear Pakistan is now an American colony and is
used as a doormat on which the US can wipe its bloodstained boots.
American military personnel criss-cross our border without let or hindrance.
Their drones violate our air space with the agreement of our government and
kill innocent men, women and children. No questions asked. No public
outrage. No country-wide protest demonstrations. No self-respecting
country, big or small, would tolerate such intrusions.
Were politics in our country burdened with such notions as
shame, integrity, accountability, rule of law, and last but not least,
inviolability and supremacy of the constitution, all of them including
Musharraf, would be in jail today.
All the pillars of state, with the exception of the Supreme Court
and the media, are dysfunctional. The president, the symbol of the unity of
the federation, is mired in corruption, totally indifferent to public welfare
and is interested only in protecting himself and his ill-gotten wealth.
Parliament, the so-called embodiment of the will of the people, is fake like a
Potemkin village. Its stunning performance fascinates only a few
enlightened souls; whereas nine out of ten Pakistanis are totally indifferent
and unaware of its existence. Quite a few members of this august body are
fake degree-holders.

830

The old man repeated his favourite line of revolution but this time he
sounded quite pessimistic. Today all the symptoms which one had ever met
within history prior to great changes exist in Pakistan. The country appears
to be adrift. Nobody knows where it is headed without wise and mature
leadership to guide or direct it. We are on the verge of a political collapse.
The social contract between the government and the people has collapsed.
The dialogue between the rulers and the ruled has broken down.
How will this crisis pan out? Either this is a cyclical crisis in the
system and it will soon resolve itself, or it is a crisis of the system and we
will soon witness the passage of one epoch to another. Whether the
distortions, conflicts and resentments that exist in our society today are
peacefully resolved or explode in revolution will be largely determined
by two factors: The existence or absence of dynamic democratic institutions
able to redress grievances through legislation and the ability of intellectuals
to transform a local fire into a nation-wide conflagration and fan the flames
of social discontent and transmute specific grievances into a wholesale
rejection of the existing order. One thing is certain. For anything to change
in this country, everything has to change.
Where are the voices of public outrage? Where is the leadership
willing to stand up. We have sullied ourselves enough. Why are we so
passively mute? How can we be so comatose as a nation when all our
political institutions are crumbling before our own eyes?
Today the survival of the country, its hard-won democracy, its
independent judiciary, its liberties all are on the line. No one is safe, and
perhaps no place on earth more closely resembles Hobbess description of
state of nature in which life is nasty, brutish and short.
At a time like this, people detest those who remain passive and
love only those who fight. In this transcendent struggle, neutrality is not an
option. Youre either with the people or against them. It is as simple as that.
One thing is clear. The day is not far off when status quo will shift, corrupt,
inept rulers will get their just dessert, and people will once again believe in
the power of the powerless.
On 27th May, The News commented: It may come as a surprise to
many but Pakistan has a National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) that
was set up in late 2009 and part of whose brief was to chalk out a national
counterterrorism plan after consultation with all stakeholders. Nacta had the
support of the president and the prime minister and a funding commitment
from the European Union. Sadly, Nacta has yet to become functional
831

because of a dispute over who it should be accountable to. This is

particularly galling in light of recent events as Nacta should have been
the point agency to formulate a national strategy to counter the terror that
strikes us almost daily. Had it been functional it would have had a place at
the table in the meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet on
Wednesday. This was the seventh meeting of the DCC to be triggered by a
terrorist attack and the government has so far failed to come up with even a
sketch map of what a national anti-terrorism strategy might look like, and
Wednesdays moot did not advance the cause of national security by very
much either.
While it is possible that we are not being told the whole story,
statements emanating from the meeting are a cold collation of hollow
rhetoric designed more to soothe and smooth than actually tackle the
problem head-on. We are told that coordinated efforts would be made to
prevent and preempt acts of terrorism. Is that so? And if it is, why were such
efforts not being made before? We are told that defence and lawenforcement agencies will be authorized to use all means necessary to
eliminate terrorists and militants. Is that so again? Is that not what they
were supposed to be doing anyway with so much being spent annually on
defence and security agencies? A small group of determined men just
punched a huge hole in our maritime defences. Perhaps those at the helm of
affairs could try and understand why people expect something much more
meaningful than empty rhetoric about fighting terrorism. Investigations have
been ordered, reports commissioned, enquiries made and the nation is no
closer to a unified counterterrorism strategy that it was before the DCC
meeting started. We drift up to our ankles in our own blood. And the
terrorists? They get on with their planning.
Shafqat Mahmood wrote: The trophy for the most ridiculous
statement of the year goes to Admiral Noman Bashir. If the attack on the
naval base was a security success, then please tell us Admiral, what
failure looks like.
Words are not enough to describe the courage of those who died
fighting in the line of duty. These young men and women give hope that
there is a future for the country. With tears streaming down, one heard the
brave words of the late Lt Yasir Abbas mother. These sacrifices by the youth
of the country in the armed forces, the police, and the paramilitary outfits,
shine like shooting stars in the night skies of our despair.

832

It is the graying old men, clinging like leeches to their positions

of power, that add to the ferocity of our anguish. Will no one ever take
responsibility? Is there no honour left to admit failure and leave? And, in
doing so, reassure us that there is still some nobility left in this country
despite its troubles! This dithering civil leadership, burdened by its
corruption and incompetence, has no stomach to seek any accountability.
There are so many skeletons rattling in its cupboard that its fears far
outweigh its responsibilities.
In these terrible times, the country is ruled by a tainted cabal.
The saddest part is that the glue holding them together is not some higher
national interest, but greed and avarice. This poor benighted country has
given them so much, far beyond its means, but it is not enough. They want
more.
The democratic shield, behind which the ruling class hides, is
beginning to wear thin. If a consensus resolution of a joint sitting of
parliament, calling for an independent commission of inquiry into the
Abbottabad incident remains unimplemented, then what kind of a
democracy is this?
We have grown tired hearing again and again the mantra of
parliaments supremacy. Not because there is no desire for it, the people
want their representatives to be the ultimate arbiters of their fate. But,
because it always appears to be a farce a form of deception to cover the
plunder of the state. The attitude of the rulers towards parliamentary diktats
is a testimony to this. Why has an independent commission still not been
formed? Again, I repeat, the purpose of it should not be to malign the armed
forces but to look into lapses and failures.
There is no need to make the report entirely public either, but an
independent inquiry would at least ensure that the lapses are not
repeated. And if there is a command failure, at whatever level, the person
concerned can discreetly bow out so that others following know that lack of
vigilance will not be tolerated.
If we gloss over failures, we will never be able to self correct. A
vast, indeed overwhelming, majority of officers and other ranks in the armed
forces are dedicated to their duty. They are ready to sacrifice everything,
including their lives, to protect this nation. But those who falter and then
refuse to take responsibility have no business remaining in positions of
authority.

833

It is also important, indeed an imperative, that the armed forces

dedicate themselves totally to operational preparedness. All other
activities should be minimized, if not finished altogether. It was sad to hear
that the air forces Faisal base, which has a common perimeter with the
navys Mehran base, was freely accessible because of a marriage hall. This
sort of thing has to end. It is not the primary business of the armed forces to
run commercial outlets, business enterprises or housing colonies. Welfare
activities are important but they should be separated from the fighting arms.
It does no good to our defence ability if senior commanders spend a
fair amount of time looking after house affairs or other such activities. If
some of these are necessary for soldier welfare then let a separate
organization take care of them, and the military has many of them. Those
assigned by the nation to protect it, should dedicate themselves entirely to
that job.
It is true that with the world looking questioningly at us, we must
stand by our armed forces and our intelligence agencies. They represent the
only defence capability we have and it does no good to jump on them
brandishing spears. But supporting the armed forces is one thing and
asking those who failed in their duty to take responsibility is quite
another. Without accountability, there would be a general decline in overall
performance. If people start to feel that come hell or high water, no one can
touch them; it leads to complacency and lethargy.
Recent events also indicate serious flaws in our counterterrorism
response. By default, this has become the domain of Inter Services
Intelligence, which has enough on its plate already. While it should continue
to play a supporting role, just as every other intelligence agency and indeed
all other government organizations, there is a need to bring all our efforts
into focus through a dedicated counterterrorism agency.
The government had created something called the National
Counter Terrorism Agency but it never got off the ground. Neither the
government nor the armed forces gave it much importance, with the result
that it has withered away. Its first director, Tariq Pervaiz, a highly qualified
police officer, resigned in disgust and left.
This has to be revived. It is, as should be, a civilian agency that must
have the authority and the support to coordinate and receive all possible
information on terrorists. It does not help the military to keep all eggs in
its own basket. It only adds to public disaffection with it when things go
wrong.
834

Also, the entire talent of the nation be it in civil government, the

private sector or the military, needs to be harnessed to fight this serious
counterterrorism war that we are in. Such an agency would make this
possible. There are many brilliant officers with extensive experience in
police work, who should be part of it besides specialists from the military
and the private sector.
This outfit, if supported, could emerge as a smaller version of the
homeland security department in the United States that has brought
many state agencies under its wing to defeat terrorism. It is no coincidence
that since 9/11 there has been no significant terror attack in the US. We
would do well to take a leaf out of their experience and improve our
performance.
This has been a very painful time for those who have lived long
enough to remember better days in this country. Every morning we now
wake up to one horror story after another. Things that one could never have
imagined are happening here. There is no other remedy than to take a
searching look at everything we are doing and put together a national
strategy for survival. Is there anyone in this great land who will stand up and
take responsibility?
Ayaz Amir opined: Mercifully, there is a growing feeling that we
made mistakes in the past. But this recognition should not mean swinging to
the other extreme and seeking solace in anti-Americanism...and pinning the
blame for all our failures on American shoulders. Between toadying up to a
superpower and fanning the flames of hostility against it, there should
be some middle ground.
The myth being promoted by the religious parties and Imran
Khan that the terrorism stalking Pakistan is a product of American
policies could do with a reality check. The American presence in
Afghanistan has fuelled the fires of holy war. This I think would be granted
on all sides. But al-Qaedas presence in Pakistan, FATA as a haven for
foreign fighters allied to al-Qaeda, and the growth of religious extremism in
Pakistan helped by the explosive growth of religious madressahs across
the length and breadth of the country predate Americas Afghan
adventure.
Even if the Americans hadnt come into this region our problem
with religious extremism would have remained. And it is wishful to think
our military establishment would have easily discarded the notion of jihad
as an instrument of strategy and foreign policy. While those theories still
835

survive fallacies such as those cultivated over the years by our military
minds not easily uprooted the freedom to pursue them was severely
curtailed by our US alliance post-2001. We could no longer do as we
pleased. The situation had changed.
But since old habits die hard, we continued to play our favourite
double games, being one with the Americans and at the same time not
wholly cutting our various jihadi connections. After Osama bin Ladens
discovery and death this has become a difficult act to keep up. Beyond the
embarrassment he has caused us, the Sheikh at least has done us this small
favour.
So maybe, just maybe, the US invasion of Afghanistan saved us
from the destiny towards which we seemed bent on hurtling: the
Somalization of Pakistan, Pakistan becoming another Somalia. Our tragedy
was not that we were helpless before the forces of extremism. We were quite
capable of crushing them. It was that the most powerful elements of the
Pakistani state and you get my meaning were themselves getting imbued
with the flavour and ideology of extremism. This link between extremism
and the state has been sundered, or at least it has come under pressure,
because of the American presence in and around us. This is the larger
picture, I think. The rest are details.
We keep saying the Pakistani state should change. Our wish-list
is long but on its own it wont come true. Left to its own devices our state
and its military machine are incapable of changing, incapable of discarding
their most cherished beliefs. The military cannot give up its India-centrism
or its expectations of Afghan glory. It will not easily relax its stranglehold on
national resources. Moving decisively against the forces of internal religious
extremism may be a challenge our governing class may have little stomach
to undertake. So let us thank the furies for Pakistan no longer being wholly
its own master. This may be the best thing to have happened to it in recent
years, for it opens up a new range of possibilities.
Just as Germany on its own was incapable of de-Nazification, we on
our own may be incapable of detoxification. Let us not forget that the
subversion of Jinnahs Pakistan has been our most successful endeavour
over the last 63 years. To reclaim that idea, to salvage something from the
wreckage of our dreams, we could do with all the help from the stars that we
can get. So much for national sovereignty.
Rana Jawad commented: Aside from discernibly deep mistrust in US
and the West about Pakistans position regarding Afghanistan, the ISI and
836

CIA had always been hand in glove and maintained close cooperation to
contain, weaken and decimate al-Qaeda, billed a common enemy of Pakistan
and US. What motivated the CIA to launch a raid in Abbottabad without the
knowledge and cooperation of ISI is not hard to understand. Pakistans
powerful military is convinced that the Americans were obviously
hankering after exclusive credit.
This lust blinded them to a decade of intelligence sharing
between the two organizations and to the major successes achieved
together in catching high-profile al-Qaeda figures from their urban hideouts
in the country as a result of ISI spadework. The al-Qaeda operatives arrested
by Pakistan is more than 300, including alleged 9/11 co-planner Khalid
Sheikh Mohammad from the garrison city of Rawalpindi in March 2003.
A high-ranking security official summed up the bitterness and anger
in the military setup by saying, what they (Americans) did was brazen
betrayal and treachery on their part. In their attempt to gain political
credit for eliminating bin Laden, the United States has hugely
discredited Pakistan and its military establishment, he said.
After the discredit Pakistan finds little or no buyer for its
mantra that its security establishment had acted honestly and
transparently about al-Qaeda, with the CIA and United States. After the
9/11 kamakazi attacks on the United States, military dictator General Pervez
Musharraf offered unstinted cooperation and deployed troops in the tribal
areas bordering Afghanistan to capture and kill al-Qaeda operatives fleeing
American onslaught in Afghanistan. The then leadership took a strategic
decision that while eliminating al-Qaeda is in the global and the countrys
own national interest, Afghan Taliban, accused of sheltering bin Laden, can
be given space here while they are dislodged from power in Kabul, and once
al-Qaeda is removed things can be smooth for them.
There was never a question about our commitment to go after alQaeda, and we proved it time and again without failure or falter. The CIA
was never in doubt about this commitment, said another senior security
official. The most recent catch was Omar Pathek in January this year. The
Bali bomb carnage mastermind was seized from Abbottabad and all the
intelligence was shared with CIA, and he was handed over to them.
We always provided Americans any access they needed to
interrogate detained al-Qaeda affiliates in Pakistan; always shared
intelligence intercepts with them, even those that eventually led them to bin
Laden, the official pointed out. There was only one instance in North
837

Waziristan somewhere in 2008 when Americans thought al-Qaeda deputy

leader Aymen Al-Zawahiri missed out because of lapse on Pakistans part. A
ground check, however, revealed that the information about his presence
there was 15-day old and that removed the suspicion.
Understandably, the so-called great betrayal by the United States
has pushed the army to the edge and posed grave questions as to the
contours of our national policy outlook. The pervasive depression among the
Pakistani nation, when it woke up to screaming headlines of bin Laden death
in a compound in the bosom of a military town, could have been short-lived
if the leadership had come out in the open with the acceptance of an
intelligence failure but also joined the world in celebrating the death of a
man who brought unprecedented sufferings on the Muslims worldwide
because of his violent political strategy.
It is understandable, given the conspiracy-ridden mindset of the
nation, that theories abound in Pakistan, including one anticipating now
greater danger of US military strikes on our nuclear arsenal. But the US was
quick to point out that it had no such intentions, and it genuinely wants
Pakistan to answer why bin Laden was not tracked down by the countrys
premier, world-renowned intelligence agency, the ISI.
There was certainly no element of national pride in that bin
Laden had been living in Pakistan for the last five years. Instead of
launching a probe to fix responsibility for the colossal failure, surprisingly, a
deliberate campaign was orchestrated about violation of national
sovereignty.
There is no such thing as absolute sovereignty in the post 1945
world because every state is signatory to the various United Nations
resolutions determining the conduct of a state in dealing with issues
concerning peace and security of the world. And United Nations had
declared bin Laden a threat to the peace of the world. Apparently there was
breach of sovereignty or territorial integrity in the US raid, but it is
noteworthy that not a singly Pakistani was killed or hurt. And what should
be given more weight and importance is that internal investigation should,
above everything else, determine first the failure of those responsible for
safeguarding the countrys airspace.
Interestingly, the whole national debate, including that in
Parliament, focused on the sovereignty issue and not on why bin Laden
remained undetected in Pakistan; who supported him, and what was his
network. After all, he had been hurling threats to the world from the same
838

compound in the past five years. In hindsight, one would understand and
hope it to be the case that the bin Laden hideout in Abbottabad was not in
the knowledge of our security agencies.
It is astonishingly significant that while al-Qaeda backed violence
has killed Pakistanis in almost every city, there was not a single incident of
terrorism in Abbottabad, which houses the countrys elitist military training
school. Terrorists have struck and killed officers and soldiers and their
children with impunity in Rawalpindi in attacks on the GHQ, Parade Lane
mosque and Hamza Camp. But there was not a single attack in
Abbottabad, and it may be cited as a reason the city remained out of
intelligence focus, allowing bin Laden to live and survive there.
No doubt a country has to jealously guard its sovereignty and use
diplomatic and other means for the noble cause. But it is also equally, if not
more, important to put our own house in order. And for that we have to
dig deep, find answers to questions that remain unanswered and take
corrective measures to plug the loopholes and make our defence and
intelligence systems more effective to protect vital national interests.
The military leadership continues to see public reaction and anger
over the May 2 events as a marketing failure rather than as a logical outcome
of an institutional failure, according to experts who interact with them. It is
imperative for our military to improve its working in order to deliver
according to expectations in times like that fateful night, said an expert.
In the aftermath of the May 2 attacks, it appeared if the two critical
allies in the global fight against terrorism were falling apart. However,
US Senator John Kerrys just-concluded mission to defuse post-Osama
tensions has inspired hopes for a meaningful engagement to rebuild mutual
trust and cooperation.
There is, as in any worst scenario, a silver lining hopes that
disappearance of bin Laden, thrown into the sea by the US forces to prevent
a shrine that would have emerged if he were given a normal burial, could
prove a game-changer in Afghanistan. US officials have hinted at
possibility of indirect or direct contacts with Afghan Taliban, making
headway in the altered situation.
The emerging prospects, risks and challenges in Afghanistan are
obviously engaging the minds of political and military leaders in
Pakistan, which has been the worst victim of the unrelenting conflict in its
neighborhood, having lost so far more than 30,000 people and over 5,000
troops in the fight against terrorism. Peace and stability in Afghanistan and
839

Pakistan are seen to be inseparably inter-linked. It is rightly said that the two
are conjoined twins. The desired goal of a stable and peaceful Afghanistan
will be achievable, not without but with intimate involvement of Pakistan in
the quest for national reconciliation in the war-torn country. The US
leadership and strategists need to bear in mind legitimate security interests
of Pakistan and work in tandem with it and Kabul to evoke a doable and just
settlement of the seemingly insurmountable impasse in the landlocked
country.
Tariq Butt observed: President Asif Ali Zardari, who, despite being a
constitutional figurehead, virtually enjoys all powers having Prime Minister
Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani under his thumb, has spared no time at all to
perform his duty, even symbolically, as the supreme commander of the
armed forces, to buoy up the morale of the under pressure services and
people at large at this time of extreme stress.
Before the personal tragedy (death of his father) struck the president,
forcing him to be confined to Nawabshah for the past three days, Zardari
has been unconcerned and unworried, at least publicly, about the
backbreaking state Pakistan is in and has extended no gesture that shows
him as representing the unity of the republic. While the month of May has
proved to be too heavy and luckless for Pakistan because of recurrent
disheartening terrorist attacks in terms of loss of human lives and property
besides the violation of Pakistans sovereignty by the US, the president has
restricted himself to the four walls of his palatial residence... The president
has not been seen expressing solidarity with those deserving it
desperately
Zardari is yet to visit a defence installation or facility, hit by
terrorists, and their victims, in khakis or civvies. Leave aside such
personal visits, he has not even issued independent statements on such
gruesome incidents, which have severely pummeled the spirits and
confidence of the armed forces as well as people. While he has publicly kept
himself away from speaking on the terrorist attacks, he has been chairing
closed door consultations and meetings including a session with high profile
US Senator John Kerry. Although Zardari has faced sweeping public flak for
writing a by-lined article in an American newspaper on the second day of
OBLs killing even when full facts of the US Navy SEALs raid were yet to
unfold, the presidency has consciously maintained a complete mum over the
severe criticism.

840

When it comes to publicly speaking on frightening terrorist hits and

handling of the situation arising out of them, Zardari leaves it to Gilani on
the premise that it is the job of the prime minister in his capacity as the chief
executive of Pakistan. Nothing could be more hypocritical and nobody is
befooled by such antics. But when it is making policies in key fields,
domestic or foreign, the president always has a great say and sway, at times
offstage, and at others overt like persuading the PML-Q into becoming his
ally and accepting the federal cabinet slots in exchange.
It is publicly known that Zardari was never present at the sites of
missile tests although nearly a dozen have been conducted since he became
the supreme commander of the armed forces. Standard press statements,
almost similar, had been issued congratulating the scientists and technicians,
every time a test is carried out. In fact, he has never been chief guest at any
function of the armed forces.
Barring the exception of Rafiq Tarar, the presidents of Pakistan
(Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf) had always been
most important guardian and supervisor of Pakistans nuclear and
missile programmes Even a relatively weak Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz
had got the opportunity to visit the nuclear facility but President Zardari is
still to have this kind of honour. It is not known whether he himself doesnt
want to be at such installation or he has not been invited by concerned
authorities.
Zardaris absolute public silence over prevalent universal
demoralization caused by frequent terrorist attacks and his utter inability to
perform his functions as the supreme commander continues to raise
eyebrows. Being the head of state, he is required to do a lot, maybe even
symbolically, to pull the armed forces and the nation out of the present state
of hopelessness and frustration.
The prime minister is too unimpressive and unappealing to lift
the morale of all and sundry. But at least he is seen to be moving around,
doing something. Zardari too is not a credible leader, evoking confidence.
However, by virtue of his position especially the supreme commander, he is
not even noticed doing anything that can be counted as a morale booster and
instilling buoyancy and self-assurance. Indeed, Pakistan is faced with a
tough time and its enemies are bustling with joy. Those having the
opportunity, right or wrong, of deciding the destiny of the Pakistani nation
have to rise above petty politics, biases and prejudices and choose between
remaining relevant and becoming history.
841

M S Hasan from Karachi wrote: This refers to the meeting of the

Defence Committee of Cabinet and some of the decisions taken during this
meeting. I am simply baffled that the defence and law-enforcement agencies
have been allowed to use all means necessary to eliminate terrorists and
militants.
Does it mean that until now these agencies did not have the
authority to eliminate terrorists and militants? Was it the absence of this
authority which prevented the defence and law-enforcement agencies from
taking on terrorists? Also, all this time, have they been twiddling their
thumbs, waiting for the governments authorization to use all means to act
and eliminate terrorists while the latter wreak havoc throughout the
country?
Salman Babar from Lahore observed: The much-hyped DCC meeting
chaired by the prime minister ended with the usual hollow claims. Every
participant agreed that our strategic assets including nukes are wellprotected. Does it mean that the two Orion aircraft destroyed on May 22
were not our strategic assets? Probably, by strategic assets they meant
that the present rulers the president, the prime minister, the interior
minister and the heads of defence institutions are well-protected. After
all, their protection is supreme.
Iftikhar Shaheen Mirza from Islamabad wrote: This is apropos your
editorial Kharotabad (May 24). As the story unfolds, shocking realities are
coming to light. It has been reported that the hands of the five Chechens who
were killed in a fake encounter in Kharotabad were tied. This encounter
shows the level of cruelty of those who are supposed to protect us. As a
judicial inquiry is underway, it is hoped that this time those responsible will
be given exemplary punishment so that no one dares to commit such heinous
crimes.
Next day, The News commented: Short but not necessarily sweet
would perhaps sum up the brief visit by the US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton yesterday. She was on the ground for less than a day and saw all the
right people from the president to the heads of the armed forces and the
intelligence agencies and civilian leaders. Her words at the press
conference before she left were also brief, and unusually strong. She was
careful not to sound like an admonitory schoolmistress, but at the same time
left no room for misunderstanding
The Clinton message was given heft by her use of the words
turning point. The Americans are seeing events of the last month as
842

pivotal, and that there is a significant shift in direction for both parties. From
the Pakistani side, there are two events which are indicators of the reality of
this. Firstly, the reported (but not yet confirmed by our government) winding
up of three fusion centre in Peshawar and Quetta where intelligence was
shared between Pakistan and the US. Secondly, our acceding to the
American request to forensically examine the compound where Osama bin
Laden was killed as well as the material we found there. One speaks of our
putting our foot down, the other of a collaborative relationship that Clinton
will have been keen to service.
The Americans need Pakistan to help them fight the war in
Afghanistan. Even though the may be reducing their troops on the ground in
the coming months Pakistan still has a major role to play in terms of
logistical support. Clinton said that she had heard us commit some very
specific action and that I return to Washington ever more committed to the
relationship. But it was the words of an unnamed American official that will
hang in the air for our government They are now having to look at some
very tough questions that they either tried to avoid or which they gave
inadequate answers to before. Mrs Clinton and her team have their own
questions, but we have questions for them and our own government. For
example, both could start telling us the precise nature of the protocols under
which drones operate over Pakistani territory, killing its citizens. We await
an answer with interest.
Dr Qaisar Rashid wrote: Pre-emption is a word earning notoriety
in Pakistan. On May 17, for the supposed pre-emption of a terrorist suicide
attack, the Frontier Constabulary (FC) killed five Chechens at Kharotabad,
Quetta. Three of the five were women including one who was seven
months pregnant. Later on, it was revealed that an assistant sub-inspector
(ASI) of airport police station had tipped off the FC about the alleged
Chechen terrorists because they had not greased his palm on their way to
Quetta. The FCs pre-emptive strike killed all the victims on the spot. FC
officials swaggered as victors around the dead bodies, but the media
revealed the truth before they could receive medals for valour. The head of
every Pakistani hung in shame.
Such traumatic incidents produce a feeling of insecurity among
people and fill their hearts with scorn for the security forces and hatred
for the state machinery. Already, rumours are rife in Balochistan of the
intelligence agencies kidnapping Baloch dissidents and carrying out their
extra-judicial killings.

843

What is the difference between the FCs shooting of five unarmed

Chechens at Kharotabad and the four terrorists killing of Pakistani soldiers
at the PNS Mehran base in Karachi? In both cases, people were killed
mercilessly, though in the latter case the victims, just doing the job they had
been assigned, were armed. In Quetta a Chechen woman motioned with her
arms to plead for mercy, without causing pity in the determined pre-emptors;
perhaps they did not want to squander the opportunity for a display of
machismo by pumping bullets into the victims. On the contrary, at the
Mehran base, when two of the terrorists were encircled by naval
commandos, they were asked, and appropriately so, to lay down their
weapons and surrender. Again, isnt it a shame that innocent people were
butchered in a few minutes in the Quetta incident but it took 16-odd hours
for four terrorists to be killed at PNS Mehran?
Sadly, the security forces display a warped sense of judgment
even as the security situation is rapidly deteriorating. Against this
backdrop, the decision of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet to allow the
security forces to undertake pre-emptive strikes makes you shudder at the
havoc they are capable of playing with the lives of innocent people. The
susceptibility of any person can be exploited and virtually anyone can be
declared a suspect. The situation is especially alarming for those who have
no socio-political clout in this country.
These are signs that it is beyond Pakistans means to fight the war on
terror on its own soil. It is one thing for Pakistan to help the Afghans
defeat a superpower, but for it to let its own territory be used as a
battleground is altogether a different story. Pakistan is in a tight spot.
While the US is coercing Pakistan into launching a military operation in
North Waziristan and on the Quetta Shura, the terrorists are forestalling any
advance by the military, while they exact revenge for those killed in drone
strikes.
The PNS Mehran incident alone shows that Pakistan is in a
critical moment of its history. The assault was impossible without the help
of an insider having leaked out vital information. But is this something new?
The attack on the GHQ in Rawalpindi was led by an insider, a paramedic. A
cable leaked by Wikileaks revealed that, in March 2006, Air Vice Marshal
Khalid Chaudhry confided to US officials that the ground technical staff
tampered with the F-16s to sabotage their pilots mission to bomb Taliban
hideouts in FATA along Afghanistans border.

844

It seems that the ideological leanings of the lower staff in the

security forces are different from those of the officials. The murder of
Governor Salmaan Taseer by Mumraz Qadri was a particularly significant
proof of this. If the ranks of the Pakistani security forces are infested with
Taliban sympathizers, even if not with Taliban agents, what rationale would
be left to fight against the Taliban? The question is: is Pakistan able to
cleanse the ranks of its security forces, or is it not? The reality is that the
government will first have to purge the security forces of Taliban supporters
before it applies the pre-emption mantra on unarmed civilian suspects.
The Abbotabbad incident on May 2 attacked the outer defences of
Pakistan, while the PNS Mehran episode on May 22 attacked the countrys
inner defences. Will the world now believe Pakistans claims that its
nuclear assets are in safe hands? Will the world wait for a grim event to
determine if this claim is true? NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh
Rasmussen has expressed his concern about the safety of Pakistans nuclear
weapons. More terrorist acts like that on PNS Mehran could bring the
breaking point for Pakistan that much closer. The increasing pressure could
make Pakistan vulnerable to mistakes and blunders which were otherwise
avoidable. The blunders could include overreaction to some incident or
event as happened when the FC shot the five Chechens. The consequences
of such overreaction on a higher level would be truly grim for Pakistan.

REVIEW
After swirling the stick for some time Obama and Cameron got
together and dangled a carrot by commending Pakistans role in the war and
promising that they wont leave their ally alone at this difficult juncture.
They did not mention how they have guided Pakistan into the quagmire
which they now preferred to call critical juncture.
They were in fact urging Pakistan to do more and resultantly sink
deeper into the trouble by escalating military action and risking a civil war.
The puppet, civil and military, got together the same day on the table of
DCC and the press release issued after the meeting almost obliged the
masters speaking from London.
DCC resolved to ensure coordination for timely sharing of
intelligence amongst various agencies; security forces to carry out joint
operations and seize initiative back from militants by striking first. This in
other words sounded like another aping attempt of Bushs doctrine of preemptive strikes.
845

The question is: Do Pakistans security forces have permission, means

and resolve to strike militants training and planning across Durand Line?
The answer is quite clear. In reality, the assertion of DCC is to oblige the
masters by promising escalation of military action in tribal and even urban
areas in the interior.
Pakistani rulers, in words of old man Roedad Khan, are suffering from
the mental ailment of sleepwalking. Or, in other words, they continue
following the pied-piper. They have not bothered to ponder over the designs
of the Crusaders for whom they have been fighting as frontline soldiers and
still being treated as an adversary.
In their blind faith in the words of their American masters they have
not bothered to feel the pulse of the people of Pakistan. They were
completely unaware of anti-American public sentiment and simmering
resentment, perhaps far more than simmering, in rank and file of the security
forces.
Some western analysts seemed better conscious of this ground reality
than Pakistani rulers. They have warned the West about Pakistan imploding
under relentless pressure from outside. They advised for addressing popular
concerns of Pakistan, including resolution of Kashmir issue.
They say more western pressure would mean more resentment in
public as well as in lower echelons of the military. This resentment has been
manifested in violent reaction in the past, but in smaller groups or
individually. In the wake of Abbottabad raid there could be mutiny of much
larger scale.
The analysts believe that this could lead to civil war in Pakistan which
would not be good for stability of the region. Destabilization would be
against the interest of western powers. This reality which is almost staring
Pakistan in the face has not occurred to its rulers.
Pakistan has been trapped in a very difficult tangle. It is too weak to
confront two-pronged threat from within and outside simultaneously. This
weakness is the accumulated effect of the self-inflicted injuries received
over the last few years.
Pakistans main strength has been its Islamic identity and its main
weapon of defence has been the concept of jihad. Contrary to the general
impression that the size of its armed forces and nuclear weapons are the
main components of its defence capability, it is the resolve of the people

846

which matters the most. Nothing strengthens the resolve more than the belief
in Islamic concept of Jihad.
Unfortunately that concept has been dubbed as terrorism by the ruling
and enlightened elite on the behest of America. In the absence of that belief
for defending the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, neither the armed forces nor
the people would be able to resist the Crusaders. They would rather fall apart
and seek refuge in far inferior identities like Punjabis, Sindhis, Pakhtuns,
Balochs and many more. In such a weak position the bulk of armed forces
and nuclear weapons wont provide any protection.
As is evident from the ongoing discussion there have been more
concerns about protecting these assets rather than they providing protection
to the people of Pakistan. Under such circumstances, it wont be a big
surprise if Pakistani rulers quietly tell their masters to take away the
weapons and keep these in a nuclear bank. Transaction of a few million
dollars into foreign private accounts would be a favour and much
appreciated.
The recent Wikileaks strengthen inference regarding the possibility of
this happening. Before his election as President of Pakistan, Zardari had told
the US Envoy that if it was in his power he would have handed over Dr AQ
Khan to the US. The man, who was willing to hand over the hen that laid the
eggs, could also hand over the eggs.
The rulers of Pakistan belong to the class that would shun any idea of
putting up resistance to the might of America declaring that any attempt in
this context would be futile. To them the wisdom lies in surviving even with
disgrace and humiliation. There is no prudence in fighting for honour and
dignity and end up as dead.
There has been debate over the question as to whose war is it. Some
say it is Americas war and others assert that it is Pakistans. The debate can
be resolved by looking at it after shunning the respective mindsets. The
ground reality is that this is the war of both; America has waged it against
Pakistan.
This war, theirs as well as ours, has done no good to Pakistan
whatsoever. It has meant never ending saga of perpetration of death and
destruction. Resultantly, Pakistans state institutions have degenerated in
many ways. One aspect of degeneration was observed in Khrotabad, Quetta.
The gory incident of cold-blooded murder of five Chechens in
Khrotabad, was just one example of state terrorism that has been recorded by
847

camera in decade long ongoing holy war waged by Bush and joined by
Musharraf as frontline soldier. What is there to feel proud for those who
claim that this is exclusively our war?
There must have been many incidents that went unnoticed. This was
shameful like the one in which American soldiers had cut body parts of
Afghans to keep those as war trophies. In a way it was perhaps far more
inhumane and shameful.
Slaves tend aping their masters. Pakistani state organs have learnt the
ways of their American masters. Another way that has been picked up by the
slaves is that while perpetrating the ugliest form of state terrorism, the
regime demonizes the militants of perpetrating crimes against humanity.
Such inhumane acts ought to happen when everything is settled at
gunpoint. The Americans are doing it all around the globe and when slaves
watch the successful manifestation of the principle of might is right they
tend to ape the masters. It is for this reason Bashir Bilour and Rehman
Malik, who miss no opportunity to condemn Taliban, the Zalimaan
preferred to remain silent over this incident presuming it was committed for
the love of humanity.
The people of Pakistan in the state of sullenness have been wishing
for an end to this process of moral degeneration. But, their rulers downward
slide continued as was evident from their interaction with Hillary. Whether
or not the rulers felt humiliated the ruled pitied over their plight.
Principle Hillary after having admonished her Pakistani civil and
military pupils spoke to media in the company of Mullen, the class teacher.
There was no representative of the class accompanying her whom she had
assigned extra homework and instructed them to get down to completing it
expeditiously.
In any case they perhaps had nothing to tell the outside world about
what had happened inside the class room. They had nothing to tell more than
what the video footage had conveyed; their hanging faces revealed they, who
act as bullies of their own people, had been spanked by a medium sized
Miss.
Pakistani rulers lacked the moral courage to face the media fearing
some harsh questions. They did not have anything to tell of which they or
the people could feel proud of; therefore they had to hide their faces in
shame. They also thought it wise to get down to doing the homework
assigned by Hillary.
848

In the extra homework they have been asked to write down notes
providing information about five most wanted terrorist; al-Zawahiri, Mulla
Omar, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdul Rehman. The Foreign
Office briefing next day confirmed that the NRO regime has agreed to do its
best for joint operations against these common enemies.
If any of the above Afghan leaders is killed there would be immense
negative impact on Pakistans relations with Afghan Pakhtuns. Pakistan
should forget about ever having cordial ties with them. Perhaps, even if ISI
provides no information Pakistani involvement in elimination of these
leaders Pakistan will always be suspected; hence the doors of friendly
Afghanistan are being shut in Pakistans face.
29th May, 2011

849

OBAMA KILLED OSAMA VIII

The regime resorted to same tactics regarding implementation of
parliamentary resolution which it had been using to blunt judicial process in
several cases. It began with avoiding mention of timeframe in the resolution
and after two weeks of its adoption when the Opposition requisitioned NA
session Zardari convened budgetary session.
When further delay became untenable the government constituted an
independent commission to be headed by senior serving judge of the
Supreme Court, Justice Javed Iqbal. Asma Jahangir immediately declared
appointment of Justice Javed Iqbal illegal because the Chief Justice was not
consulted. Opposition leader also said he was not consulted. One of the
members was admitted in AFIC. All these suited the regimes plan to further
delay the probe.
As regards attack on PNS Mehran, four more FIRs were registered
and some suspects were arrested. Sindh government also ordered a probe
into the incident. The blame game between Navy and PAF about security of
the base continued. Meanwhile, journalist Saleem Shehzad who had written
some investigative reports about Navy was kidnapped from Islamabad and
murdered.

NEWS
One militant linked to PNS Mehran attack was arrested from
Faisalabad on 29th May. Sindh government formed a team to probe into
Mehran attack. Saleh Zaafir reported that operation in North Waziristan was
in the offing; PAF was placed on high alert. Hussain Haqqani said visas were
issued on recommendations of military.
Rehman Malik announced amnesty for young Taliban; Rs2 million for
information about PNS Mehran attack; plan to train 25,000 in civil defence
and urged Nawaz Sharif from point scoring. Babar Awan accused Nawaz of
misleading the nation to revolt.

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Fazlur Rehman condemned attack on PNS Mehran and claimed plots

were being hatched to isolate Pakistan Army. He also blamed US presence in
the region for rise in militancy. Interior Ministry issued security warning to
Fazl and advised him to avoid public meetings.
Shahbaz asked Centre and other provinces to reject foreign aid.
General Ziauddin said Musharraf provided shelter to Osama to mint money.
Imran Khan asked the government to stop army chief from talks with the
US. Hafiz Saeed of JuD saw US and Indian involvement in terror attacks.
The US now shifted from phone call to Mulla Braather; it was he who
gave the first clue about Osama after he was assured that the US would pull
out troops from Afghanistan after Osama was killed. US media reported that
Hillary visited Pakistan only after certain demands, including inspection of
Osama Compound by CIA were met. Indian Home Secretary was shocked
over Hillarys clean chit given to Pakistan.
Next day, opposition parties met to discuss the course of action over
non-implementation of parliamentary resolution over Abbottabad raid.
Ghafoor Haidri of JUI-F criticized politics of PML-N and said things would
not have gone so bad had the resolution of 2008 been implemented. The
parties gave the government time until 3rd June to form commission.
Four more FIRs were registered regarding Mehran attack. Navy said
PAF was responsible for security of the base. Media reported that a former
commando of navy, Kamran, was arrested by agencies from Lahore along
with his brother and three companions. Seven marriage halls were closed in
the vicinity of Mehran base for security reasons.
Agencies working for humanitarian aid were told to be prepared to
receive 360 thousand IDPs from North Waziristan. A petition was filed in
LHC begging for stopping USAID staff from working; the court asked
ministries on interior and foreign affairs to submit their replies. Senator
McCain said tension in Pak-US ties was affecting public support for Afghan
War. Gilani claimed the killing of Osama has brought the US and the world
closer to Pakistan.
On 31st May, the government constituted the commission for
Abbottabad incident after 13 days, which indicated the urgency on its part.
The commission will be headed by Justice Javed Iqbal of the Supreme Court
with Lt Gen (Retd) Nadeem Ahmed, Fakharuddin G Ibrahim, former IG
Police Abbas Khan, and Javed Ashraf Qazi as its members.

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The commission was mandated to ascertain full facts regarding the

presence of Osama in Pakistan and facts regarding US operation; also
establish causes of lapses and make consequential recommendations. Asma
Jahangir termed appointment of Justice Javed Iqbal as illegal because Chief
Justice was not consulted. General Nadeem Ahmad was hospitalized in for
heart ailment.
Dead body of journalist Saleem Shehzad was found near Rasool
Headworks; he was kidnapped from Islamabad on 29 th May. Saleem had
written an investigative report on attack on PNS Mehran for Asia Times. In
his report he had revealed that before the attack Navy was holding talks with
the militant groups. Post mortem report revealed that he had died due to
torture. Human right group has blamed agencies for the murder. Rehman
Malik suspected personal enmity as the motive of the murder.
The commission started recording statements of the witnesses in
Kharotabad incident. Russian diplomats visited Quetta and identified the
deceased as Russian citizens, not the Chechens as had been reported to date.
They deferred the official reaction to the incident till after the finalization of
the probe.
Next day, Fakharuddin G Ibrahim declined to be member of the
commission telling the Prime Minister in writing that legal obligations for its
constitution were not met. Justice Javed Iqbal said everything about the
commission was legal, but permission to him has to be granted by the Chief
Justice. General Nadeem denied reports about his illness.
Opposition leader said he was not consulted about constitution of
independent commission to probe Abbottabad raid. He summoned meeting
of opposition parties. Nawaz Sharif said the commission was formed
without consulting opposition leader which amounted to ridiculing the will
of Parliament. He demanded truly independent commission.
ISI termed the killing of Saleem Shehzad as matter of concern for
entire nation and regretted it was being exploited to give it bad name.
Rehman Malik when asked about security of journalists said the solution
lied in journalists possessing weapon for their protection. The US
condemned killing of Saleem Shehzad.
Bashir Bilour said if we shoot down a drone they wont let us live in
peace thereafter. KPK Police claimed foiling 317 terror bids in the province
between May 2 and 31, but 141 targets were hit. Gilani and Army denied
dictation on North Waziristan operation. Republicans demanded attachment
of more strings to military aid to Pakistan.
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VIEWS
On 29th May, Masood Hasan observed: The new mantra in Pakistan
is, By all that I hold holy, i.e., my properties, my bank accounts, my assets
and all my worldly goods, I swear to tell lies, only lies and nothing but lies,
so help me God. Lying is now the official language of the countrys
leadership, civil or military. For the people of Pakistan lying is easy to
accept. Leaders have always lied. Its the sheer quantity of it thats floored
them and the brazen, shameless manner its been thrown in their faces. The
last person who spoke the truth cannot be located for love or money. Some
say he could be in Abbottabad.
One hears that the dreaded pollen virus that lays Islamabad flat every
year has more or less given it a miss. What has been unleashed instead is a
virulent virus thats traveled faster than a Blackhawk, Tarbela to Abbottabad.
This virus has downed the army, the air force and the navy in the twinkling
of an eye. The civil leadership about which nothing is civil has been lying
for so long that even if it was provided the truth and bribed to speak it, the
result would be more lying. The SOP is to lie and deny all the bad news.
In some cases twist it and make it complimentary. (Rehman Malik
congratulating nation on beating off the TTP in Karachi).
However whats worrying is that after years of practice no two
officials can manufacture a good lie. All that they do is keep mumbling and
bumbling and issue contradictory stories. These are instantly denied within
hours, the media is blamed and fresh lies are cooked up which too are
denied. By this time, the average Joe Bloke is holding his head, if he still has
one left after all the battering it has received from no power, no law, no order
and only inflation. He cannot think and he cannot tell which is what or as is
often the case here, what is which. The rulers, past and present those
whom God in his infinite wisdom has chosen to preside over our puny lives,
cannot understand that it is not the shameless lying the Pakistanis find
offensive. It is the accompanying implication that is. Simply that you are
brain dead morons and so stupid that we can spin any thing and you will
buy it. Although Pakistanis have lost all self respect, this last insult is a bit
too much to stomach but then who is asking them any way? If this is a rule
of the peoples functional democracy, I was abducted thrice by Martians.
Only the armed forces and its attendant side kicks could BS their way
over the highly embarrassing and still extremely controversial Bin Laden
caper. To say they were caught with their pants down would be highly
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unfair. Our defenders were in their pajamas or boxer shorts, the action
having started rather late in the night.
Once things started to unravel, the lying factory went on an
emergency non stop shift. Anyone who was anyone started issuing
statements, one after another, often vying for print and air space. Did any
two people agree on one lie? Sorry no. The joke was that the chief would
say one thing and his entire establishment, quite another. To add more
comedy and buffoonery to the proceedings, Lionel Richie (or Hello Mr
Rehman Malik, of the shiny polyester suits, matching florid neckties, pseudo
silk handkerchiefs and an Afro that would gain him instant citizenship in any
African tribe) joined in the tribal stew party giving the heady broth a good
stir. That was all that we needed unless you wish to mention the FO (no it is
not what you think the initials mean), which was on its own kick and loving
their carefully worded painstaking handouts which had the same credibility
as Jabba the Huts Diet Plan for Weight Watchers.
In the ensuing mess the opinion on the street was that either we were
incompetent or guilty as hell, everyone hoped it would be the former. We
werent the only ones who had lost their marbles. The US churned out such a
cock-and-bull story with zero credibility that it self detonated within 48
hours. And this from a country that gave us Mission Impossible! The plot
sold to the public complete with the dump-in-the-sea sequence had the world
in stitches. Even the carefully framed, now-famous picture of Obama and his
tense cabinet watching the Osama operation, went down the other way. The
controversies remain because of excessive lying. Our radars for example:
Were they on? Were they off? Bit of both? Annual Maintenance? In rest
mode? Come on guys; give us a break for once! Even the Three Stooges
could have done better.
Hardly had the Blackhawks been hosed down, Bagram or Tarbela
take your pick than the PNS Mehran embarrassment began. Another classic
botch up, another full-scale lying epidemic. The gory details we all know.
The least the chief could do was quit for the honour of the navy but he
instead donned fatigues (which battle are you fighting Admiral?), hissed
over to PNS Mehran in his sparkling, dazzling pristine white BMW with its
four gleaming stars. Hallelujah! The base in the meantime is blown to
smithereens, including the pricey two Orions. That loss a cool US$ 72m
(replacements have already been asked for). Instead of coming clean, the
navy goes into denial mode. In an embarrassing long time that it takes our
Seals, SSG Commandos and all the others to neutralize the attackers, we
have lost some innocent men who were merely reacting to the explosions
854

and didnt have a clue what was going on. So much for naval Intel. I am sure
that the place has already been hosed down the navy likes to keep
everything sparkling white, the debris of the attack hauled out of sight but all
that does not absolve the naval high command of gross failure or the deaths
in vain of that young lieutenant and other men, not to mention the two dozen
or so injured.
There are no resignations in sight. The base commander is
unceremoniously transferred, but wait. It was a routine matter; was in the
pipeline for months. Tie me to an anchor and sink me guys. In fact we
know too well there wont be any resignations. God forbid if there were,
think of the terrible consequences. No, no, we cannot have them. But you
want some lies manufactured? Sure can do. The chief looks the nation in the
eye and with a straight face categorically states that there was no security
lapse. Its the funniest thing since comedian Rangeela slipped on a banana
peel. Wreaths are sent to the families of the dead and Mr Malik, who has the
same sensitivity as a bull in a china shop, actually announces a medal for the
slain young naval officer. What a crass touch!
And so it goes on; the farce that is Pakistan. We are shamed before
the world, the laughing stock, the butt of all jokes. In all this, as if afflicted
by a stroke, the president is so silent that the sphinx sounds like a chatterbox.
Strange are the ways of the Republic!
S Iftikhar Murshed commented: The attack at PNS Mehran in
Karachi on May 22-23 was no less of a colossal security and intelligence
failure than the Abbottabad incident twenty days earlier, which resulted in
the killing of Osama bin Laden in his compound where he had been living
undetected for several years. The four terrorists of the Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) who carried out the assault on the naval airbase knew
exactly where the blind spot in the perimeter security camera was,
where the P-3C Orions were parked and where the security personnel were
located. This was the fourth incident in less than a month in which the
Pakistani navy was targeted.
Despite this, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir
unabashedly insisted after the PNS Mehran attack that there had been no
security lapse and that the terrorists wanted to cause damage to the assets of
the navy. He needs to descend from the rarefied atmosphere of high
office and come to terms with the reality that two P-3C Orions, each
costing more than 36 million dollars, were destroyed and ten security

855

personnel lost their lives in the attack which lasted for 16 hours, despite the
presence of an estimated 1,500 men at the base.
The gravity of the incident seems to have been lost on the
leadership of the country. Not only did the naval chief refuse to
acknowledge that there had been an unpardonable security lapse but was
also imprecise about when the attack occurred or how many terrorists were
involved. He told the media that the terrorists had entered the compound
between 10.45 and 11 p.m. He does not seem to realize that 15 minutes in a
situation as serious as the one at Mehran naval base is an eternity
Interior Minister Rehman Malik is a master of narrative. His ability
to spin a yarn matches that of poet Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The
Canterbury Tales. Malik has a story for every incident, but he makes
more noise than sheds light. He prefaced his press briefing on the PNS
Mehran disaster with the remark that there is nothing that the interior
ministry does not know and then asserted categorically that four terrorists
were involved and two had escaped. His story-telling abilities were again in
evidence when he said that the attackers resembled characters from Star
Wars. Agatha Christies Hercules Poirot was put to shame when the interior
minister of Pakistan told reporters that a footprint of one of the terrorists had
been discovered.
The Abbottabad incident, the twin suicide bomb attacks at the
Frontier Constabulary training centre in Shabqadar, Charsadda, causing
more than ninety deaths and 140 injuries, the killing of the Saudi consulate
official in Karachi a week after hand grenades were lobbed into the
consulate premises, the attack on a US consulate convoy in Peshawar, the
assault on PNS Mehran and Wednesdays suicide blast at the CID station in
Peshawar were among the nine terrorist incidents that have occurred in
the first 25 days of this month. These have reinforced international opinion
that Pakistan is the epicentre of terrorism.
Such comments provoke resentment and anger. This hatred of the
truth is like the rage of Caliban on seeing his image in the mirror. There
is also a reluctance to accept that the greatest threat Pakistan faces is from
terrorism perpetrated by its own nationals as confirmed by the interior
minister in the autumn of 2008. Most of these outrages have been carried out
by the TTP which is an appendage of al-Qaeda. Doubts about this should
have been dispelled by the TTPs response to a recent statement of Osama
bin Ladens successor, Saif al-Adel, that al-Qaeda intended to attack
London. Almost immediately afterwards, TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan
856

acknowledged: Our new leader has asked for a big plan for London. He
believes that the UK is the backbone of Europe and must be crushed.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was sworn in on March 25, 2008,
and in his maiden speech to parliament he proclaimed: The war on terror
has become our war, because it has posed serious threats to our own
country. The roadmap envisaged by him to deal with extremist violence
included a comprehensive economic and social package for the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas, the scrapping of the Frontier Crimes Regulations
and Madressah reforms. These promises were never redeemed.
The governments response to terrorism, which is sapping the
lifeblood of the country, has been like T S Ellitots patient etherized
upon a table. It has been a passive bystander and has done nothing to craft
and implement a counterterrorism strategy. Through the Nizam-e-Adl
Regulations Swat was virtually handed over on a silver platter to the
extremists, ostensibly to the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi of
Maulana Sufi Muhammad but actually to his firebrand son-in-law, Mullah
Fazlullah of the TTP. Appeasement never pays and is a self-defeating
proposition. After the TTP consolidating its grip on Swat, its commander,
Mulla Nazeer Ahmad, boasted: The day is not far when Islamabad will be in
the hands of the Mujahideen.
The writ of the government was eventually re-established by the
army, which then moved on to successfully carry out military operations
against militant groups in South Waziristan. The elected government took
the backseat in the fight against terror and indulged instead in the game of
political snakes and ladders, with disastrous consequences for the economy
which went into a nosedive. Ordinary people are as asphyxiated by
deprivation and want as the previous generation was at the time of
Partition
Amir Zia wrote: Many of Pakistans leading analysts, politicians and
opinion-makers remain convinced that an unholy nexus of Indian, Israeli
and US intelligence agencies masterminded and sponsored this brazen attack
to undermine the countrys armed forces and raise questions about the
security of its coveted nuclear arsenal. They deny that any Islamic radical
group linked to the Taliban, al-Qaeda or its local or foreign allies could have
carried out this assault. The closest few of them could get to blame these
forces is when they, as a matter of faith, say that some foreign intelligence
agency penetrated and used Islamic militants against Pakistan.

857

As the atmosphere remains thick with weird conspiracy theories,

aired primarily through television news channels, Pakistan appears to be
living in this state of denial The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has
already claimed responsibility of the Mehran base attack, but a vast number
of conspiracy theorists, in their anti-US and anti-West zeal, conveniently
ignore this fact as they always do in such cases and are trying to find a
foreign hand in this incident too.
However, closing ones eyes does not change the ground reality
and the fact that the biggest threat to Pakistan security is from within
rather than without. With the May 2 killing of terror mastermind Osama bin
Laden by the US forces in Abbottabad, the terrorists have one more reason
to intensify their war on Pakistan.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led government struggles to
keep its direction and focus toward the elusive enemy on the ideological
plane, but besieged by scandals and political opposition, it has failed to
galvanize and effectively lead the public opinion against extremists, who
have loads of direct and indirect defenders among the legal, religious and
political parties. It is ironic that many of these politicians see Islamabads
cooperation with the international community against the global terror
network as a problem rather than terrorism and extremism, which finds a
perfect breeding ground on our soil.
The sharp ideological chasm, indeed, affects the countrys resolve
and capabilities in taking on terrorists, who appear to be going for hard and
strategic military targets now. The assault on Mehran base appears as a
watershed as it is for the first time that operational assets P-3C Orion and
not the men remained the real target. In a way, this attack holds bigger
symbolic value than the October 2009 assault on the army headquarters
because Mehran base serves in the frontline of the countrys conventional
defense system.
Pakistani armed forces, which scored huge successes against
militants, in their operations in parts of tribal areas and Swat, for the first
time appears at the receiving end. Yes, never before, Pakistans mighty
security apparatus appeared so ill-prepared, directionless and lethargic in
confronting the internal security challenges as it has appeared in the recent
months. It is the terrorists, who have the initiative rather than Pakistani
armed forces.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik and other officials have been
underlining the point that terrorists, who attacked the naval base, were
858

trained and motivated. But this raises the question how prepared and trained
are we in combating them? The terrorists, indeed, have a huge advantage of
not just element of surprise but also of selecting their turf for an action. Like
any guerrilla group, they hide when hunted and strike when least expected.
They also have the advantage of melting away in the civilian population.
This is a nightmare situation for any army, especially if it is operating
on the home front and remains unable to take those excessive measures,
which stand justified during full-blown conflicts in the enemy territory.
Although Pakistani armed forces have been locked in this war on
terror for a decade now, their grooming and training has been largely done
for conventional warfare and that too mainly for the eastern front. The
problem compounds given the fact that within the armed forces there
are elements which once used the Islamic militants as proxies. The
mindset that these shadowy groups could again prove an asset has not
entirely changed.
One big challenge for the military leaders of today is how to
readjust and reorient the training of their men that they get prepared to
deal with home-grown ideological foes that includes the Taliban and other
banned terrorist organizations. The military needs not just special counter
terror units, but also to indoctrinate their ranks on the importance of taking
on these extremists, who exploit the sacred name of Islam because of their
distorted worldview.
But the military alone cannot deliver in this kind of fight in which the
civilian government, political parties and the police should remain most
crucial players. It is the civilian authorities which have the prime
responsibility of spearheading this war on ideological plane and isolating
militants. For this, Pakistan needs a comprehensive counter-insurgency
policy, addressing both the symptoms and causes of extremism and
terrorism.
The Mehran airbase attack, while calls for the accountability of
officials responsible for lax security, also underlines the risk of operating
defense installations amidst the densely populated neighbourhoods
especially in an urban jungle like Karachi. The military leadership should
think of moving cantonment areas and defense assets out of the civilian
areas on a fast track basis and ensure that housing schemes and
commercial areas do not spring up again around them.
There is also a need to closely scrutinize the internal security
mechanism within the armed forces and make them foolproof against the
859

penetration of extremist Islamic groups. There is ample evidence of inside

help in many high-profile terror attacks in the past. The Mehran
airbase assault also need to be reviewed from this point-of-view because
the band of terrorists not just managed to sneak inside the base, but also
remain undetected until they themselves fired the first shots.
Authorities face an uphill task in confronting the massive terror
network, which remains loosely knit and is without a centralized
command. Besides known major terror organizations, which themselves are
more than two dozen, the terrorists have multiplied in countless of small
shadowy cells. This includes not just the hardcore ones, but also who are in
the making. Many of them remain undetected until they commit their first
and last act of terror the suicide bombing.
While security officials appear convinced that incidents of terrorism
and extremism are likely to hit a new peak as the al-Qaeda and its local
sympathizers are out to avenge the killing of bin Laden, the Mehran
airbase attack should be used to galvanize the street and barracks
against this monster. This happened during the Swat operation, which
remains a resounding success story in this conflict. The civil and military
leadership must grab the initiative from extremists. If our leadership
seriously wants to stop the countrys slide into anarchy, guard its
sovereignty, prevent unilateral Abbottabad like operations as done by the US
Marines, it has to act and succeed against the monster of militancy and
extremism itself. We have no other choice.
Next day, Asif Ezdi commented: The joint session of parliament held
on May 13-14 condemned the US commando operation in Abbottabad;
declared that such unilateral actions as well as continuing US drone attacks
on Pakistan territory were unacceptable; and demanded that drone strikes
must be stopped forthwith. If anyone ever imagined that the
parliamentary resolution would prompt a review of US policy, he should
have been disabused by now. In the two weeks since the resolution was
passed, Washington has made it abundantly clear by deeds and words that it
has no such intention. This message was also conveyed by Hillary Clinton
on her visit to Pakistan last week. This should not surprise anyone.
According to Firdous Awan, Gilani told Clinton categorically that
the government intended to implement the parliamentary resolution
through a review of the rules of engagement with the US in the war on
terror. One Pakistani newspaper had reported earlier that Pasha asked the
visiting CIA Deputy Director Morell on May 21 to come up with a strategy
860

that stops the drone strikes. Otherwise, Pakistan would be forced to

respond.
The Pakistani public is unlikely to be impressed. The popular belief
that the Pakistan military, like the political government, tacitly approves
drone attacks, while occasionally condemning them in public, was
strengthened by the recent revelation in a WikiLeaks cable that in 2008
Kayani asked the then commander of US Central Command for increased
surveillance and round-the-clock Predator coverage over Taliban strongholds
in North and South Waziristan.
The public has also been mystified by the statement made by the
deputy chief of air staff (operations) in parliament that Pakistan has no
control over the Shamsi air base. Adding to the confusion is the assertion by
an American military official that there are presently no US military
personnel at Shamsi but he could not speak for the CIA or contractors used
by any other US agencies. The drone attacks, as is well-known, are carried
out not by the US military but by the CIA.
This same ambivalence is evident also in the governments
position on the Abbottabad raid. When Obama telephoned Zardari to tell
him about the US commando operation, Zardari extended his
congratulations. Kayani also reportedly congratulated Mullen on the good
news when the latter called the army chief to inform him about the raid.
A criticism of the unilateral US operation was conspicuously absent
from the first statement of the foreign ministry on the commando raid It
took nearly 36 hours after the killing of Osama before the government
for the first time voiced its unhappiness over the raid. A statement issued
by the foreign ministry expressed deep concerns and reservations on the
manner in which US had carried out the operation without prior information
or authorization from Pakistan and affirmed that it shall not serve as a
future precedent for any state, including the US. Such actions undermined
cooperation and might also sometimes constitute a threat to international
peace and security hardly a ringing denunciation of the raid.
It was fully ten days after the attack that the government for the
first time condemned the US unilateral action in Abbottabad in
violation of Pakistans sovereignty. This was done through a press release
issued by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet. The resolution passed at
the joint parliamentary session also condemned the attack in similar terms as
a violation of Pakistans sovereignty.

861

Nevertheless, the government has refrained so far from declaring

explicitly that the raid was a breach of international law. It has not even
lodged a formal protest with the US. In his press conference on May 5, the
foreign secretary raised the question of the legality of the US raid but did not
give an answer. It was, he said, for the jurists and the historians to judge and
decide this question.
While Pakistan has been dilly-dallying, US officials have
repeatedly made it clear that a repeat of the commando operation was
not ruled out against other high-value targets. In the joint statement issued
on May 16 after Kerrys meetings with Pakistani leaders, the two sides
pledged to work together in any future actions against high-value targets in
Pakistan. But in the US view, this does not restrict its freedom to act
unilaterally again.
Ezdi mentioned the statement of Obama declaring US intentions to
carry out such raids. He also discussed legal aspect of such raids and then
concluded: It is very important, given the position taken by US that
Pakistan should explicitly reject Obamas assertion that US would be
justified in carrying out further unilateral raids against high-value targets
in Pakistan. Otherwise, our silence will be interpreted as acquiescence.
If the government is serious about implementing the parliamentary
resolution, it should as a first step reject the Obama doctrine in a formal
statement or, better still, in a letter from Gilani to the US president; and
then circulate the document among members of the UN Security Council.
There is no assurance that it will stop the US, but if we fail to do so, further
US raids are all but guaranteed.
Mir Adnan Aziz wrote: The American brass has come visiting again.
In a strange coincidence Ustad Ahmed Farooq has surfaced as al-Qaedas
official for Pakistan and a Mohmand faction of the TTP has claimed it will
continue fighting even if the Americans leave Afghanistan. The props are in
place, the gory drama continues. The known duplicity of the political elite
too stands confirmed by the barrage of leaked US cables.
These trying times call for the leadership to form a unified national
policy to counter the relentless onslaught. Those who thrive on the statusquo propagate the need for fighting a perpetual war to merit an almfunded alliance. Sanity cautions otherwise. No equation could be more
convoluted, no logic more perverted, where 35,000 innocent lives are lost,
not to mention $68 billion blown away to beseech an enslaving $17 million

862

in aid. In the recent past we managed to survive years of sanctions, without

receiving a single penny as aid in the wake of the Pressler Amendment.
Our governors ignore unanimous parliamentary resolutions and
continue to work towards deterring a stand which calls for making and
finding indigenous solutions to our problems. A Bishop Tutu quote readily
comes to mind White man came to my country with the Bible in his hand.
He said to me, son, kneel down, close your eyes and pray. I did and when I
opened my eyes, I had the Bible and he had my land. We were given dollars
and a gun in our hand, told to close our eyes and kneel down. Still on our
knees, how long before we open our eyes, only to find a smoking gun in our
hand and nothing left to see?
On 31st May, The News commented: The visit by US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton last week may well have been the turning point that it
was described as. A number of things appear to be happening in quick
succession. The CIA has had a sniff around the Osama bin Laden compound
in Abbottabad, a large piece of very bent and very secret helicopter has been
returned to the Americans, and now there is talk of an operation in North
Waziristan. There has never been any shortage of talk about such an
operation but it has hitherto been accompanied, on Pakistans side at least,
by minimal activity. It must be noted that the Pakistani authorities have
never directly refused to conduct such an operation, and have consistently
said that, if they ever did, it would be on their terms and according to their
own agenda. It could now be that there is a convergence of interests
Pakistans and those of the US that would make an NWA operation to
our advantage.
Reports speak of a careful and meticulous operation in the NWA,
with the air force going in first to soften up targets which will already have
been identified, followed by a boots-on-the-ground operation. Intriguingly,
the reports speak of the possibility of a joint operation with allies as having
been discussed during the Clinton-Mullen visit. Such an eventuality would
be fraught with a range of complexities. If these were joint operations with
the Americans (the only likely ally with whom such an operation would be
conducted) they could ignite a political and social explosion. With the
collateral damage inflicted by the International Security Assistance Force
(Isaf) in Afghanistan regularly outraging public opinion, imagine the effect
of Americans on Pakistani soil mistakenly killing a group of civilians
including women and children. Quite apart from what might blow up on the
civil front, issues of command and control and intelligence-sharing may
make this a step too far and too soon considering the fractured state of
863

relations between Pakistan and the US. From its own perspective, Pakistans
forces have good reason to go after Hakimullah Mehsud who is believed to
have headquartered himself in the NWA after he was driven out of his
previous base in South Waziristan. He has spread death and destruction
across the country, not just in his homeland of the tribal areas. He has
terrorized large parts of the population and those acting on his behalf have
killed many hundreds of innocent civilians. It remains to be seen if the talk
turns to reality and the mountains of the NWA are cleansed.
F Z Khan from Islamabad wrote: The Pakistan governments
decision to launch a full-fledged operation in North Waziristan raises
alarm bells as well as various questions. Is the situation in North
Waziristan any different from what it used to be before May 2? Have the
fears which had been hindering the leadership to opt for an all-out operation
been removed? What is the surety that the al-Qaeda leadership is definitely
hiding in NWA and is not present in some Abbottabad-like compound in
urban areas? And finally, has the government taken the nation into
confidence?
It seems Pakistan is left with no other option but to go all-out against
terrorists in order to restore its image. It is also forced to do it to comply
with the US demand to do more. The allied forces withdrawal from
Afghanistan under the announced schedule depends upon Pakistans
performance in this decisive phase of the war against terror particularly its
crucial operation in North Waziristan. This situation has left Pakistan with
no option and it stands isolated amongst the international community.
The security establishment has to tread very carefully. The breach of
agreements made with the Haqqanis, Gul Bahadur and Mullah Nazir may
lead to grave repercussions if the situation is not handled carefully. Our
forces should concentrate on asymmetrical operation to get Al-Zawahiri,
Saif al-Adel and Hakimullah Mehsud and eliminate al-Qaedas leadership
first and then force its followers to surrender.
Ameer Bhutto observed: The present situation in Pakistan has
gone beyond tolerance. There is only decay and decomposition all
around us and the sinews and tendons that bind states and nations together
are being consumed by the rot from within. This country is sliding down a
slippery slope to a comprehensive collapse. A free-for-all prevails and
government objectives seem confined exclusively to somehow getting
through the day while milking the state out of as much personal benefits as
possible under the sponsorship of their foreign masters, who have their own

864

agenda in return for the pursuit of which they have given this government
free hand to run the country into the ground.
The incumbent set up is based entirely on lies, deception,
procrastinating to buy time and deflect pressure rather than confronting
and fixing problems, corruption for self-gratification as well as keeping
partners sated under the veil of mufahimat and an unabashed sell out of
national sovereignty and public interests for the sake of retaining hold on
power. In their probe into the Kharotabad incident, even the Supreme Court
has been constrained to observe that the government appears to have failed.
The painstaking and arduous process of reconstruction cannot even
begin until the reins of our national destiny are placed in the hands of those
who are sincere to the national and public cause and untainted by the stigma
of corruption. The truth has to be allowed to surface and failures have to
be admitted. Flaws and weaknesses have to be identified and rectified.
Terrorist attacks on our armed forces, intelligence and law-enforcement
installations, such as the attack on the GHQ in Rawalpindi in October 2009,
the attack on the police training academy in Lahore in March 2009 and most
recently the attack on the Mehran naval base in Karachi have exposed
woeful shortcomings that need to be fixed.
Ameer went on to mention Abbottabad and Mehran Base attacks and
then asked few questions. There can be no question about the respect and
place of honour the nation reserves for its armed forces. These are men who
have volunteered to lay down their lives for the defence of the country and
we all owe them a debt of gratitude. But this does not exempt them from
accountability and the truth. It is claimed by some that the independent
inquiry commission proposed by the unanimous resolution passed by the
joint session of parliament on May 14 is aimed at humiliating the armed
forces. Did the 9-11 Commission in America humiliate the US armed forces?
Did the inquiry conducted in the UK in the wake of the 7-7 attacks disgrace
the British armed forces? Did the Indian inquiry after the Mumbai attacks
dishonour the Indian armed forces? What these inquiries did was identify
flaws in the system and fix them, as a consequence of which there have been
no recurrences of similar tragedies there. Why would an inquiry in Pakistan
sully those who are ready to die for us? Such an inquiry is essential to
determine the truth and identify the fault lines which must be filled in and
cemented shut. Will such an inquiry ever see light of day? I for one am not
going to hold my breath. This is not America, Britain or even India. This is
Pakistan, where sovereignty is sold and vested interests prevail over national
interests
865

The parliamentary resolution of May 14 was a complete waste of

time, as was the one passed before it in October 2008, because
parliamentary resolutions are mere recommendations that are not binding on
government and are unlikely to produce the desired consequences or actions.
If the government is serious about blocking NATO supplies in the event of
another drone attack and all else mentioned in the resolution, they should
adopt the resolution in cabinet as government policy. To the contrary, after
all the chest beating and false bravado in parliament on May 14, the
government reverted to its usual business of paying obeisance on bended
knees to foreign masters the next day when Senator John Kerry landed in
Islamabad.
What a poignantly sharp contrast we as a nation present to our
counterparts in Tunisia, Egypt and other Arab nations where the spirit of
freedom burns so bright. We have given a free run to those who are
destroying the country and chase after them for personal favours instead of
holding them accountable. Though there is no dearth of moaning and
gnashing of teeth from roadside truck stops to plush drawing rooms, the
government finds itself unimpeded in serving their foreign masters and
surviving in power with their support. The people are Pakistans last and
most formidable line of defence against the rot from within. If they too
sell out for a quick buck or remain silent, this country is doomed.
Munir Ahmed Baloch opined: The United States unilateral action in
Abbottabad was a classic example of a stronger ally violating the
sovereignty of the weaker one. Worse, the incident is being effectively
exploited by Washington to demonize Pakistan particularly its armed
forces and its intelligence agencies. The US actions, together with the
continuing Pakistan-bashing by the American media, look like a prelude to
the United States making still more demands of Pakistan, some of which
will definitely go against the countrys national interests including
expansion of the Pakistani armys anti-terror combat role into North
Waziristan. Others could relate to the crisis in the Persian Gulf, especially
the Saudi and Iranian elements to the new situation.
With the treasure trove of information contained in the computers
said to have been seized at bin Ladens compound in Abbottabad, the
coming days and weeks are likely to see intensified pressure on
Pakistan It is not only that, amid Pakistans long-existing deep grievances
about US policy towards it, the American incursion in Abbottabad has
sharpened bilateral differences. The attack has rendered the Pakistan-US
alliance irrelevant.
866

It is yet another betrayal of whatever had remained of Pakistanis

trust in the Americans. Pakistanis feel cheated and humiliated after having
sacrificed so much in lives, money and material, in a war that was never ours
but in which we were dragged nevertheless. Despite all this, and regardless
of its meagre resources, Pakistan continues to fight terror and extremism
actively and effectively.
Munir referred to in-camera briefing, parliamentary resolution,
Kerrys visit and drone attack when he was still in Pakistan he then added:
The American raid on Osama bin Ladens compound in Abbottabad
has rattled Pakistans defence infrastructure and pointed out its
shortcomings. A thorough analysis of the incursion will identify the
loopholes in the existing defence system and Pakistan will have to work
overtime to make sure there is no repeat of such incidents.
On the one hand, the United States is gearing up for an exit from
Afghanistan in accordance with their declared timetable. On the other, there
has been a surge its military campaign against the Taliban in the south. At
the same time, there has been an increased interaction with the Taliban as a
prelude to the US exit. Reports say the Americans have recently had
interactions in Qatar and Germany with the Afghan Taliban, including close
friends of Mullah Omar. The surge in US military and political activities
indicates that the exit from Afghanistan was an option it should have
taken a long time ago.
But the Americans are yet to take Pakistan into confidence
regarding their dialogue with the Taliban, a failure which is unlikely to
increase Pakistans faith in its relationship with the United States.
Notwithstanding their importance, Pakistans relations with the United
States will remain complicated in the absence of mutual trust
Once the dust settles over after the slaying of Osama bin Ladens, we
Pakistanis expect to see a different American approach, one that would be
more cooperative rather than adversarial, especially since the United States
Afghan venture is hopefully winding up. How long will the United States
continue to exploit Pakistan on the basis of its aid which is
increasingly seen as a curse by Pakistanis?
Next day, The News commented: From the moment the dramatic and
dangerous events at PNS Mehran began to unfold before a stunned nation,
suspicions had surfaced of an inside hand. Senior naval officers also
alluded to this possibility. Without detailed information about the precise
location of key assets, the lay-out of the base or the presence of foreigners
867

there, the possibility of a handful of militants taking over a base manned by

thousands would appear very remote to many. Evidence may now be
emerging that inside help was the case. A security team in Lahore has
picked up five men in the city, including Kamran Ahmed, a former
commando with the Special Services Group-Navy, his brother Zaman
Ahmed and three other unidentified men. It is suspected that Kamran Ahmed
dismissed from the navy in 2003 after a court martial which followed a
clash with a senior had supplied maps of the facility where he served in the
past, to militants.
The matter needs to be investigated thoroughly. It is not clear what
links Kamran may have retained within the navy. The unfortunate security
lapses must also be investigated. It is noteworthy that Kamran was picked
up, interrogated, but then released after the 2008 attack on the Naval War
College in Lahore. It is therefore plausible to assume that there was some
reason to suspect his involvement in that act of terrorism too. Perhaps a
more thorough investigation would have led to more being uncovered about
Kamrans alleged links with terrorists, and the law could have been used to
bring him to justice thereby avoiding the PNS Mehran incident altogether.
Brigadier (r) Imran Malik from Lahore opined: The news that
Pakistan has agreed to carry out military operations against terrorists
holed up in North Waziristan Agency can be termed an obvious outcome
of the recent Hillary-Mullen visit. The body language of all the
participants of these mission-oriented parleys said it all. The US has finally
got Pakistan right where it wanted the country to be on the defensive. The
attack on the GHQ, the Abbottabad incident and the PNS Mehran debacle
among other terrorist attacks on law-enforcement agencies eventually
created the conditions which put the government, the armed forces and the
agencies in a very difficult position in the domestic and international arenas.
These events directly questioned their professional acumen and expertise.
The situation further worsened due to the inordinate delay in taking the
much-required self-corrective measures. The reduced stature affected the
governments bargaining and negotiating position with the US. The realities
of the impending budget must have weighed heavily too and the
government, in the end, decided to accede to the US demand to carry out a
military operation in NWA.
If this operation has to take place then it must be planned,
manned, led and conducted by Pakistan. A Pak-US joint operation should
be avoided at all costs as its consequences could be catastrophic and it could
result in further alienating the people of Fata from the country. A joint
868

operation must never be allowed or even considered. I hope we are venturing

into NWA keeping in view our national interests. Some questions remain
though. Has the final phase in the Afghan endgame begun? What will be the
situation in Afghanistan once the US withdraws its forces from there? Will
our strategic interests vis--vis the growing Indian influence in Afghanistan
be secured? Why cant we refuse such an operation if we think it is not
entirely in our national interest? Are we trying to assist the US in getting out
of this region at the earliest? Or have we made a definite paradigm shift in
our policy towards Afghanistan? These questions must be answered publicly
by the government before the operation in NWA starts. Whatever the case
one hopes that it would be a well-considered decision.
Dr Maleeha Lodhi wrote: In recent weeks the nation has been jolted
by the realization that the depth of the malaise also encompasses the
countrys security apparatus. This has compounded the sense of national
demoralization and deepened the mood of public despair. Starting with
the Abbottabad episode the events of the past month have shaken public
faith in the ability of the security forces to deal with the enduring and
emerging dangers to the country. The May 2 raid laid bare telling gaps in
Pakistans defences and also how rudderless the country is. The series of
unconvincing and often contradictory official explanations that were
marshalled out further eroded public confidence.
The gap between challenge and response came into even sharper
focus with the spate of bloody revenge attacks across the country in the
wake of Osama bin Ladens killing. Considering these were widely
anticipated, the lack of preparedness by the law enforcement authorities was
both shocking and inexcusable. There have been at least ten terrorist attacks
in the past two weeks, almost half of which were major ones.
The ongoing reprisal attacks may well continue or intensify. A
similar backlash was witnessed in the wake of the military operations that
were undertaken against militants in Swat and South Waziristan. And if, as
news reports suggest, a new offensive of some kind is being contemplated in
North Waziristan, the blowback that can be expected is certain to be even
bloodier.
But the crucial difference in the national environment when the
previous operations were launched and now is that the country was then
more united against fighting terrorist violence than it is at present. The
public consensus that had evolved at that time has not since been sustained
by any official strategy, much less consistent attention or effort.
869

Confronting terrorism in a situation of disarray when both the

civilian and military authorities seem to be rattled and overwhelmed (and
obsessively consumed by foreign policy) does not offer a way forward.
Surely the first order of business is to put our house in order and ensure that
the means to restore law and order are put firmly in place. This requires as
much an improved and effective framework of governance as a
comprehensive anti-terrorism strategy that has widespread support and
sustained public cooperation. The ability to formulate and implement a
strategy rests on getting governance right and the priorities of our governors
in order.
Corrective action in security structures and procedures is also not
possible without instituting accountability. Shattered public confidence in
the countrys security apparatus cannot be restored by platitudinous
rhetoric, cosmetic steps or efforts at public relationing. It can only be
revived by an honest appraisal of the facts and identification of the lessons
learnt by the security failures from Abbottabad to Mehran. This needs a
wide-ranging security review.
The aim of a broad review of security policies, plans and
practices is not to demoralize the very institutions and agencies that are
needed to confront the terrorist threat and defend the country, but to evaluate
and institute the changes that are necessary to deter or defeat the dangers to
Pakistans security
Pakistans challenges especially the overriding and interconnected
problems of security and solvency are complex and imposing. But they
can be addressed by short and longer-term measures. This requires that the
authorities first give primacy to domestic priorities, overcome their aversion
to reform and rectification, set a clear direction and mobilize public support
for policy actions, once they are comprehensively and professionally
framed. External relations can be fixed by addressing the internal situation
and not the other way around. And this needs statesmanship rather than
stagecraft.
Mohammad Malick opined: When it comes to this bloody war the
war on terror, one thing is certain: it cant be business as usual anymore
between Pakistan and the United States. Both need to reinvent
themselves, both need to stop taking the other for a sucker. If the US has the
might of a superpower, then Pakistan too has the resilience of a desperate
survivor. Needless acrimony is unlikely to throw up any single winner but
may surely create two very sorry losers.
870

At a glance, the situation looks impossibly bad. Hundreds of

billions of dollars have been ploughed in (overwhelmingly on the Afghan
side and not necessarily wisely either) but the Taliban and other terrorist are
still galloping around in their Toyota 4x4s. Innocent civilians continue dying
in droves in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The US and its NATO allies appear as bewildered and clueless as
they were ten years and billions of dollars earlier. The good thing about
man-made problems however is that they can always be solved. The solution
lies in an honest resolve backed by effective measures.
Our conundrum is no different. For starters, we need to stop lying
and the US must start telling the truth. We have to admit our past unholy
alliances no matter how holy the cause, abandon some of our old habits and
views and chart a new course. For its part, the US too should eschew its past
dirty tricks and start coming clean on its present and future plans for the
region.
Lets face it, both have been lying to one another. For every
freedom fighter Hafiz Saeed of ours, the US too has a diplomat Raymond
Davis. If we had undeclared illegal combatants to help out with otherwise
legitimate conflicts, then the US too has its brigade of illegal combatants
fighting outright illegitimate wars.
Have our strategic thinkers been frugal with truth in the past?
Yes. But the Americans werent misers with fibbing either. To cite the
Raymond Davis episode alone, everyone lied, including President Obama.
As for Hillary Clinton, well her pre-secretary of state views on defence
contractors a la Blackwater are well known.
She happened to be one of the two senators to have thrown their
weight behind the ill-fated Stop Outsourcing Security (SOS) Act, 2007,
which sought to throw out contractors from combat-oriented and security
operations. As for her views, heres what she had to say: These private
security contractors have been reckless and have compromised our mission
in Iraq. She continued: The time to show these contractors the door is long
past due.
But after taking over as secretary of state, one of Hillarys earliest
actions was to award a $120 million to Blackwater; the very same people
she thought should have been shown the door a long time back. She also
personally flew into Pakistan, all huffing and puffing, to rescue her
contractor-diplomat. And then Pakistan alone is accused of duplicity.

871

In the latest Osama incident, the Americans were in bed with the
Afghan intelligence and effectively treating Pakistan, its declared ally, as an
undeclared enemy. Simply put, they lied to us for years. And who knows
what explosive revelations may come out of the Mehran Base attack
investigations where reportedly some extremely interesting and shocking
linkages are starting to emerge. There is talk of some big lies going to be
exposed in the coming weeks.
The two sides can continue lying to one another, of course, but
only to their mutual peril. Typical turf battles between intelligence outfits
must be avoided. The crisis is way bigger than the ISIs and CIAs of the
world put together. And with a loose cannon like Gen Petraeus taking over
the CIA, much greater caution and supervision needs to be exercised by the
top US leadership. A nuclear-armed Pakistan with a functioning polity and
military apparatus is nothing like Iraq and Petraeus must be made to realize
that.
It is diplomatic rehab time for both countries. Detox is needed to
flush out old biases and grievances, both genuine and imaginary. The US
has to stop swaggering like a drunken empire and be more appreciative
of all that Pakistan is doing and suffering. The tendency of unilateral
actions will ultimately create a bigger mess than anyone in Washington can
ever imagine.
Washington must allow Islamabad to take a lead in deciding how
to deal with the Pakistan Taliban issue in particular. On second though,
forget about what the Pakistanis have to say. US policymakers would be
wiser to pay heed to the observations made by their own venerable
diplomatic doyen, Henry Kissinger, who recently warned against ignoring
Pakistans legitimate apprehensions of being encircled by Indian and other
unduly exaggerated interests in the region. Shrugging shoulders and
accusing Pakistan of suffering from India-phobia without doing anything to
help mitigate Pakistans legitimate concerns may be a convenient strategy
but not the right one. A tense eastern border curtails Pakistans ability to
bring calm on the western one. Its as simple as that.
Pakistan may have made mistakes or policy errors over the years
but it has been dealing with the Afghan question for over three decades
now. Nobody else has had its ears to the ground and for so long. None other
has a similar degree of understanding and vested interest.
The US must place greater faith in our understanding of the issue
and realize that contrary to what the cowboys back home may say, Pakistan
872

is part of the solution; and not the problem. Sen Kerry already said that,
Hillary said it too, as did President Obama. But unless they mean it, things
wont move in the right direction.
Right now Pakistan is caught in a tight judo arm-lock. Its
economy is in a mess. Its top leadership stands compromised because of
corruption and incompetence. Its army stands embarrassed. Islamabad will
probably do everything that Washington wants because our visionless
leaders see no other option. So what does the US want now? Short-term
transitory gains or a long-term mutually beneficial relationship as a popular
and reliable ally? The choice will be made-in-America but the consequences
will be purely made-in-Pakistan.
M Saeed Khalid observed: The Pakistani nation is understandably
nervous about the evolving situation not merely about what has happened
but equally because of the lack of any signs of reassurance. What we are
witnessing instead is a blame game on a massive scale, characterized by
finger-pointing, one-upmanship and turf warfare involving politicians,
military brass, civil-society, talk-show hosts and analysts. The result so far
being that we know more than we care about who is at fault but precious
little about what can be done to pull us back from the precipice.
Statesmen or military leaders need not tell the public how badly
off the country is because the people, more than anyone else, already
know that. Those who are entrusted with the sacred duty of leading should
be able to infuse confidence with their words and deeds. They call upon the
citizens to give blood and sweat, but set no examples of self-sacrifice so that
they can be considered worthy of the high offices they hold.
There is a widespread sentiment in the country that the May 2
episode should have acted as a wake-up call for the establishment. But it
looks as if those who guide the destiny of this nation, civil or military,
ruling or opposition, did wake up, but from the wrong side. Instead of
informing the domestic and international public about cracking down on
terrorists with greater vigour, they came out beating chests over why Uncle
Sam took the liberty of disturbing the peace of Abbottabad. Instead of
looking for a tactful way out of a highly embarrassing situation, almost
everybody especially the mass media rushed to whip up public anger against
the US. The result of this clumsiness is obvious: we have been formally
handed a list of five more grandees of international terrorism to prove our
good intentions. In common language, that would be termed as a repeat

873

wake-up call. But as head of US diplomacy, Hillary Clinton used another

simile, simply stating that Pak-US relations were at a turning point.
The most dreaded words in the English language, as far as we are
concerned: do more, have returned with a bang with the ClintonMullen visit to Islamabad. I have opposed this frequent advice to Pakistan
on the basis that the West, Afghanistan and India want us to do more to curb
terrorism so that they can get away with doing less. After all Pakistan has
suffered more in fighting terror than all these countries put together. But
with the discovery of inside help in the attack on PNS Mehran, we do need
to do more in going after known terrorists wherever they may be. Let us
not ignore the low intensity turf wars that have sapped our capacity to
confront the external or internal enemies.
Turf wars between civilians and military, executive and judiciary,
politicians and bureaucracy, army, air force and the navy, should no longer
be allowed to impede the emergence of a sorely needed new comprehensive
mechanism to identify, apprehend and speedily prosecute those who are
sworn enemies of the Pakistani state.

REVIEW
The Foreign Office of Pakistan said Hillarys visit has been useful in
clearing some misunderstandings. This revelation was quite contrary to the
general public perception created by the footage showing Hillary taking
class of civil and military leaders in the Presidency.
What were those misunderstandings? The spokesman of Foreign
Office has left it to the imagination of observers. One misunderstanding, of
course related to undetected presence of Osama in Pakistan. Hillary
reiterated that Zardari regime was not aware of this, but she qualified that
someone in Pakistan definitely knew or even linked to his presence.
The repeated issue of clearance certificates to the puppet regime was
aimed at protecting it from any negative fallout of the impression that it
could have happened with its connivance. The scope of the clean chit was
also extended ISI through testimony of Headley which he gave in a US court
hearing Mumbai attacks case. However, exoneration was qualified by
asserting that someone definitely knew, which meant the US has not let the
ISI off the hook. The puppets tend to support the masters in this context.
On the contrary, these reiterations strengthened apprehensions that the
regime was involved in the conduct of US raid. It might have even
874

facilitated by prompting to the US that Osamas wives and children were

provided asylum in Abbottabad. The US decided to make the best use of this
information to further blackmail Pakistan by killing Osama on its soil.
This clean chit is no free lunch; Americans dont believe in that. The
regime, civil and military, has been made to pay by doing certain things over
and above all that it has been doing as a routine. It has delivered to the US
the tail of helicopter that crashed during the raid with full protocol.
CIA agents have interrogated wives of Osama. They have also been
allowed to inspect Osama Compound. However, it is difficult to answer
couple of questions in this context. Why is the US so interested about a
compound which is no different from an ordinary farm house? What is there
that the CIA is looking for in addition to the mountain of information it
claims to have captured during the raid?
The civil and military leaders seemed to have been brought to their
knees on the issue of military operation in North Waziristan, which the Army
had been resisting since after the Swat Operation. If these reports are correct
the operation would mean disaster of greater magnitude.
The US by pressing for this operation wanted to pay back Pakistan in
the same coin in which the latter had tried to play double game with the
former. The US was now holding talks with Taliban while asking Pakistan to
launch military operation against them.
The departmental investigations into PNS Mehran attack seemed to
have failed in making any headway. This was evident from filing of four
more FIRs and arrest of some former naval personnel who had been
dismissed from service years ago.
The blame game between Navy and PAF over the responsibility of
security of the base is reflective of the same thing. The regime seemed aware
of this to the extent that it has asked Sindh government to order a separate
joint inquiry only to pre-empt any demand of constitution of an Abbottabadlike independent commission.
To conclude it must be said that the actions by the security forces in
the wake of Abbottabad and Mehran incidents reflected their desperation.
This desperation is akin to the behaviour of a losing side. Those at the helm
must take cognizance of the situation and take measures to reverse the
situation. This could be done only by revisiting the aim, goals and strategy
of the ongoing adopted war. There is no wisdom in insisting upon a thing
which has been wrong right from the start.
875

The war should be viewed from national perspective rather than

revenge-driven objectives as was reflected in jubilation of Osama killing just
because he had allegedly paid some funds to Nawaz Sharif for
electioneering. It should also not be waged to eliminate political opponents
as ANP has been doing in KPK.
It should also not be out of fear of the superpower as indicated in the
statement of Bashir Bilour in which he summed up the logic behind
continuation of drone-launched missile strikes. He argued that if we shoot
down a drone they wont let us live in peace thereafter; hence all the
killings for the peace and tranquility of certain segments of the Pakistani
society. They prefer a Pakistan battered by the US over losing ground to
their political adversaries.
2nd June, 2011

876

SAHARAN STORM IV
It was said in one of the previous articles of the series that the US has
reportedly acquired the ability to bring about drastic climatic changes. The
people, who have acquired the technology and expertise in its use to fiddle
with Nature and produce desired results, can perform better in spheres of
human activity.
The storm in terms of public uprising, which started in Tunisia, was
guided to spread in Arab world using information technology. Its spread was
suppressed in certain parts by design and fanned in others with focus on how
best the Arab Spring serves interests of the civilized world.
The western media fully cooperated and helped achieving this goal of
the civilized world. It devoted its time and resources to blow up the events in
certain countries whereas ignored similar happenings elsewhere. The media
in Islamic world has only been relaying what the West reported.

NEWS
In Africa, Libya remained in the eye of storm and the situation in
Egypt had stabilized causing no worries to the West. Very little was reported
from elsewhere. On 4th May, 20 people were killed in a clash with rebels in
southern Sudan. Dozens of prisoners escaped in jailbreak in Tunisia on 5 th
May. Ten days later, forces claimed arresting two al-Qaeda suspects. In
Nigeria, ten soldiers were killed in bomb blast in army barracks on 30th May.
In Libya, on 30th April, Gaddafi said rebels battling his forces were
not Libyans but terrorists from Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia and Afghanistan;
yet he expressed willingness for ceasefire, which was rejected by rebels.
Next day, NATO achieved a major success in saving humanity when it killed
Seif, 29-year old son and three grandchildren of Gaddafi. Some of his
friends and relatives were also killed and wounded but Gaddafi escaped
unhurt. The humanity that has been saved celebrated the killings by chanting
victory slogans in Benghazi.

877

True to the Whitemans tradition NATO denied targeting Gaddafi or

his family. Venezuela criticized the strike and in Tripoli embassies of Britain
and Italy were attacked and burnt. Britain reacted by ordering Libyan
diplomats to leave immediately. On 2 nd May, Turkey closed its embassy in
Tripoli. Next day, Turkey asked Gaddafi to resign. Libyan forces shelled
rebels supply route.
On 5th May, Hillary urged the world to isolate Gaddafi regime. The
US planned to set up a fund with Gaddafi billions to help rebels. Next day,
France expelled 14 Libyan diplomats. Libyan government hit out at funding
of rebels by the Crusaders. On 7th May, Gaddafi forces shelled Misrata fuel
depots and dropped mines. Next day, heavy fighting was reported from
besieged Misrata.
On 9th May, it was reported that rebels were fully in oil business with
the Crusaders and were receiving payments via Qatar Fund. Next day,
NATO bombed communication network and a hospital in Tripoli. Rebels
claimed gains in Misrata. On 11th May, rebels captured Misrata Airport. Next
day, NATO forces bombed Gaddafi compound in Tripoli and killed six
people. Top rebel leader was scheduled to visit White House today. On 13th
May, Libya said 11 clerics were killed in NATO strike at night in Brega.
On 15th May, Crusading worlds Libyan campaign entered 4th month
as NATO was asked to widen its military action. Next day, Gaddafi
compound and other targets were attacked by NATO. ICCs prosecution
applied for a warrant for Gaddafis arrest for crimes against humanity. The
Crusaders in Libya were fighting alongside al-Qaeda.
On 20th May, NATO forces struck eight Libyan ships, while vowing
that the Crusades would continue till ouster of Gaddafi. BBC correspondent
reported from Libya that the rebels were treating prisoners of war properly.
Two days later, NATO pounded various targets in Tripoli.
On 23rd May, the US repeated its imperial command ordering Gaddafi
to get out of Libya. Next day, NATO warplanes struck Gaddafi compound in
Tripoli. The US invited the rebels to open an office in Washington. On 25 th
May, the US said it sold bombs to NATO for attack on Libya. Next day,
African Union demanded end to NATO strikes on Libya. Libya offered truce
but no exit of Gaddafi.
On 27th May, G-8 countries asked Gaddafi to quit. Three days later,
NATO claimed success in Libya and killed eleven people in air strike in
Tripoli. President of South Africa arrived in the capital for talks with
Gaddafi. By 31st May, 718 Libyans were killed and more than four thousand
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wounded in NATO attacks. On 1st June, the NATO vowed to force Gaddafi
out of Libya in three months and also planned to deploy helicopter fleet in
eastern Libya. On 3rd June, 150 people died when a boat carrying the
migrants from Libya capsized.
Egypt remained busy in post-uprising settling down. On 30th April,
Akhwanul Muslimoon announced its plan to form a new political party. On
Labour Day the workers assembled in Tahrir Square to demand social
justice. On 8th May, 12 people were killed in clashes with military in Cairo.
Wife of Hosni Mobarak was interrogated for corruption on 17 th May. Her
husband was willing to apologize from Egyptians and return his assets.
On 24th May, Mobaraks two sons will face trial in a criminal court
over killings of anti-regime protesters. Egyptians demanded faster and
deeper reforms. On 28th May, Egypt opened border crossing to Gaza after
four years. Next day, Egypt freed Iranian diplomat detained for spying.
In Middle East, Syria and Yemen remained in the focus of western
media; whereas backlog of Iraq, Israel and Iran could not be got rid off.
From countries other than these one British soldier was killed and four
wounded in bomb attack on their vehicle in Lebanon on 27th May.
In Turkey, a policeman was killed on 4 th May in grenade attack on a
rally of Prime Minister. On 26th May, several people were wounded in bomb
blast; involvement of Kurd rebels was suspected. Saudi Arabia set up anticorruption body on 7th May. Kuwait black listed five Islamic countries for
visa purposes; citizens of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq
were declared security risk. Bahrain lifted state of emergency on 1 st June.
Blackwater hired mercenaries for UAE.
In Iraq, a suicide car bomber attacked a police compound in Hilla,
south of Baghdad on 5th May; 21 policemen were killed and 75 wounded.
Three days later, 17 people, including five policemen were killed in a
jailbreak attempt by al-Qaeda prisoners Baghdad. On 15th May, five people
were killed in incidents of violence in Baghdad and north of it. Next day, six
people were killed in various incidents of violence.
On 19th May, 29 people were killed in a spate of bomb attacks
targeting police in Kirkuk. Three days later, 18 people were killed in bomb
blasts in and around Baghdad. Pullout of British forces from Iraq was
completed. On 1st June, two people were killed in roadside bombing in
Kirkuk. Next day, ten people were killed and 15 wounded in a bomb blast in

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western Iraq. On 3rd June, 21 p1ople were killed and 50 wounded in a bomb
blast outside a mosque in Tikrit.
Israel stopped cash transfers of Palestinian tax to PA on 1 st May; it
was in retaliation to unity deal between Hamas and Fatah. Two days later,
Fatah and Hamas signed unity deal. On 4 th May, Palestinians hailed end to
four year rift between Hamas and Fatah; Israel termed it illegal.
On 14th May, one Palestinian youth was killed in a clash near Al-Aqsa
Mosque. Next day, Israeli opened fire at Palestinians observing Naqba Day;
12 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 wounded. On 16 th May, Fatah
and Hamas began talks for formation of new government.
On 19th May, Obama said Palestinian state be based on 1967 borders;
Israel rejected. Next day, Netanyahu once again told Palestinians to choose
between peace and Hamas. On 22nd May, Obama repeated the lines uttered
by Netanyahu; he too refused to accept Hamas-Fatah deal for forming
coalition government. He urged that Hamas must recognize Israel.
On 21st May, Iran arrested 30 suspects of spying for the US. Three
days later, US imposed sanctions on Venezuelas state oil giant for trading
with Iran. Iran had another setback when there was an explosion in oil
refinery at Abadan. The commissioning of refinery was expedited to meet
the challenge of sanctions imposed on gasoline supply. On 26 th May, Iran
black listed 26 US officials.
In Syria, six protesters were killed and 138 members of Assads ruling
party resigned in protest on 30th April. Next day, two Kurd opposition
leaders were held. On 3rd May, EU clamped sanctions on Syria. Three days
later, 26 people were killed when security forces opened fire at protesters.
On 11th May, at least 19 people were killed as Syrian tanks shelled two
towns. Three days later, three people were killed and several wounded when
forces opened fire in the town of Tall Kalakh. On 15th May, death toll in the
town reached seven.
On 16th May, Israeli forces killed four and wounded 200 when they
opened fire in Golan Heights. Two days later, 27 people were shot dead
during protests; US imposed sanctions on Assad. On 20th May, at least 34
people were killed when Syrian forces opened fire at protesters.
On 21st May, five protesters were killed in the town of Hama. Two
days later, EU imposed sanctions on Assad. On 27th May, eight protesters
were killed in Syria in two separate incidents. Three days later, 11 protesters
were killed in Damascus. On 1st June, Syria freed hundreds of political
880

prisoners. On 3rd June, at least 63 people were killed and hundreds wounded
when security forces opened fire at protesters in the town of Hama.
In Yemen, Saleh refused on 2nd May to sign the Peace Accord
prepared by Gulf States. Three days later, US drone targeted al-Qaeda chief
in the country but missed and instead killed two persons. Again, on 7 th May,
al-Qaeda cleric Awlaqi escaped drone attack.
By 10th May, at least 300 protesters had been killed and more than six
thousand wounded in recent civil disturbances. Next day, four people were
killed when security forces fired at protesters in Sanaa. On 12 th May, ten
protesters were killed and 226 wounded in the capital.
On 18th May, Saleh and opposition leaders reached an agreement in
principle on reforms and change in Yemen. Four days later, mediators of
Gulf States returned as Saleh refused to sign the peace deal; he insisted that
opposition should also forego the plans to come into power.
On 23rd May, three protesters were killed and 24 wounded in Sanaa.
Next day, 38 people were killed in a clash between security forces and
tribesmen in Yemen. On 25th May, three soldiers were killed in a clash. Three
days later, at least 28 people were killed in clash with a rebel tribe.
On 29th May, al-Qaeda led rebels took control of Zanjibar town; 16
people were killed. Next day, twenty people were killed in the town of Taez
and rebels killed six soldiers in the south. On 1 st June, 39 protesters were
killed in street clashes in Sanaa. In Taez, the death toll in clashes between
forces and rebels reached fifty.
Next day, 15 people were killed in clashes in Taez. On 3 rd June,
opposition claimed Saleh was killed in rocket attack in Sanaa; mayor of the
city said Saleh was safe. Independent sources said president, prime minister,
deputy prime minister and speaker were wounded and three guards were
killed.
Nothing was reported from Fareast and Mainland Asia. In civilized
world, Pakistani was held in Czech Republic on terror charges on 8 th May.
Two weeks later, an Indian Muslim was held in Paris for al-Qaeda link. On
26th May, French authorities acting on leads provided by Pakistan smashed a
terrorist network headed by an Indian national. Mohammad Niaz was
arrested when he returned from a recruiting trip to Algeria and six others
were apprehended from various places in France. On 1 st June, Khalid Sheikh
and four others were charged in a court in Guantanamo prison for planning
9/11 attacks
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VIEWS
On 4th May, Tanvir Ahmad Khan wrote: The powerful Western media
christened the recent political upsurge in the Arab world the Arab Spring.
It served the reductionist purpose of portraying it as the long-awaited quest
for democracy and freedom, the raison dtre of Western interventionism. In
reality, as often happens in revolutionary turmoil, its dynamics are already
being re-shaped either by the entrenched power of Arab rulers or by
external actors determined to control the process of change. I propose to
address this interplay in two separate articles in this valued space.
A younger generation has provided the vanguard of movements that
seek a new social, political and economic compact. Then, there is the
unprecedented participation of Arab women in the protests reflecting a
subliminal desire for greater womens rights. The roots of Arab rage also
go beyond this essential agenda and stretch to a deep sense of
humiliation at the hands of Israel, the Arab failure to get justice for the
Palestinians, and dissatisfaction with narrow local nationalisms with which
the elite tried to wean away the Arab street from Nasserite pan-Arabism.
By now the primal innocence of this upsurge has given way to
great complexity. The counter-revolution has struck back making the
outcome uncertain. Arab rulers, especially with abundant oil money, have
switched to a dual policy of limited reforms and big dole-outs while
tightening the coercive apparatus of the state.
In the sensitive Gulf area where Iran is also a powerful actor, the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) has shifted to a strategic role to influence
events in Bahrain and Yemen. The acceptance of the GCC plan, under
which President Abdullah Ali Saleh may step down after 30 days, is a case
in point.
Consider Bahrain. The opposition rejected reforms offered by the
King as insufficient. Continued demonstrations sharpened focus on the
sectarian divide and on the rivalry between Iran and the GCC states.
The small Saudi-led GCC reinforcements for Bahrain were a message to the
opposition to set its sights lower. When that did not happen, the government
in Manama resorted to harsher measures. As Iran demanded withdrawal of
the GCC contingent, its relations with the GCC states worsened.
When Western educated Bashar al-Asad succeeded his father 10
years ago, nobody imputed any dictatorial tendency to him. But the
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persistent American threat, especially in the wake of the invasion of Iraq,

worked against liberal reforms. Confronted first by it and now by the
gathering protests, the Syrian Baathist national security state has
reasserted itself leading to unexpected suppression of the protest
movement.
Dialectic tensions apart, the Arab world would never be the same
again. Much depends on the answers that post-Mubarak Egypt finds to
internal and external issues. The armed forces face the democratization
versus security and stability dilemma. Egypt has to come to terms with the
Muslim Brotherhood which may seek to become more acceptable by looking
at the peaceful model of Erdogans party in Turkey.
Already, Egypt is showing a greater capacity for diplomatic
manoeuvre as evidenced in its crucial role in bringing the tragic rift
between Fatah and Hamas to an end. A great deal of water will flow down
the Nile before the final shape of things appropriate to this great country
crystallizes.
The vital interests of Western powers in the Arab world are no
longer a secondary factor. From the extreme case of Libya where NATO is
fighting a war that exceeds the mandate given by the UN Security Council
Resolution 1973 to a new focus on Syria, the West is proactively engaged.
Next day, Aijaz Zaka Syed observed: When a minuscule minority,
responding to the winds of change sweeping the region, took to the streets in
Syria about a month ago, constantly looking over their shoulder, Assad had
thundered: The Arab spring stops here! And he has, ably assisted by the
trusted, crooked comrades of his late father, tried every tested trick in the
book to rein it in from shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic that is this
regime to offering to lift the hated emergency laws. When little seemed to
work, he did what his kind in this part of the world do best: Send in the
tanks and boots to crush the protesters.
Yet the harder the regime tries to suppress the raging inferno of
protests and the anger of a long repressed and persecuted people, the angrier
it becomes. Hundreds have been killed in the ferocious crackdown raging
across Syria and by the time this wave of Arab spring breaks over this
mystical land, it may have left behind mountains and mountains of bodies.
The casual, breathtaking brutality of these so-called Arab leaders
against their people would shame the famously cold-blooded Israelis.
Its the same story next door in Muammar Qaddafis Libya. The
industrial scale of the massacre in Libya has killed thousands and would
883

have inevitably killed thousands more if the UN hadnt woken up and

intervened. And the more violent and vile the mad Colonel gets in his
desperate attempts to hold on to power, the greater defiance and
determination he appears to inspire in his victims.
Its amazing how most of these men refuse to learn from the regions
most recent history to march on, drunk on power and eyes wide shut, into
the minefield that has already claimed many of their fellow travelers. Both
Qaddafi and Assad steadily ignore the fate that has befallen Ben Ali and
Mubarak.
And its all the more amazing how a people long caricatured as docile
and indifferent imbeciles who suffer in silence and allow themselves to be
enslaved by their corrupt, ruthless despots have turned on their tormentors
with a determination and quiet courage that would have made Gandhi and
Mandela proud. This is an epic battle of wits and wills, if there ever was
one. And if the recent history is any indication, this is a war the Assads and
Qaddafis of this world are destined to lose to the other side. Eventually.
Sooner or later.
Having long been held hostage to history and conspiracy of
circumstances first by colonial masters and then by their own, they have
suffered enough. The ground shifting changes in the neighbourhood have set
them free. Forever. They have sighted what lies beyond the high walls that
imprison them. They have seen the future in a flash and it has captivated
them. And nothing will persuade them to go back and withdraw
themselves into the shell they have lived in all these years. This is a battle
that Assad has already lost. He lost it when he sent those tanks into towns
and cities across Syria to crush his people...
Men like Assad, Qaddafi and Yemens Ali Abdullah Saleh may
delude themselves, and the world, for some time that alls well and that they
are here to stay and rule till kingdom come. Eventually though they will
have to face the writing on the wall. They are on the wrong side of history
and they know it. Only they cannot muster the courage to admit it.
This obscene, appalling display of brute force against unarmed,
peaceful protesters may buy them momentary modicum of calm and respite.
However, they know in their hearts that this flimsy veneer of order can be
ripped apart any time by a single voice of protest. Didnt they see what just
happened on the streets of Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and elsewhere? Violence
and heavy handed tactics by security forces that have sustained all these
regimes all these years have only provoked greater popular fury and
884

have hardened the resolve of the Arab street to cast off their tormentors,
sending them where they belong in the dustbin of history.
The facade of fear that the powers that be had carefully constructed
around themselves was torn apart when the Tunisian fruit vendor
Mohammad Bouazizi had set himself on fire in protest in the dying moments
of last year. The genie is out of the bottle and no power on earth can
force it back. Change is a reality and is destined to transform the Middle
East, the birthplace of all civilization, whether anyone likes it or not. Arab
elites would ignore this stark reality at their peril.
The Arab League seemed to come to terms with it when it
unequivocally condemned the use of force against peaceful protesters,
saying they deserve support, not bulletsbetter late than never. Clearly,
we are living in interesting times, as the Chinese say it. Arab elites have
been presented with a rare opportunity to be on the right side of history.
They face a stark choice: Go with the hopes and aspirations of their people
and redeem themselves and the region stuck in a time warp for centuries
despite its rich human and natural resources.
The alternative is total chaos and bloodshed everywhere, inviting
the vultures waiting in the wings for an endless feast. However, for all their
awesome power and nuisance value, our western and Zionist friends cannot
ground this juggernaut of change. If anyone could imprison the Arab spring,
it will be the Arabs themselves.
Iftekhar A Khan commented: The US corporate media and members
of US Congress and Senate have brazenly advised Obama Administration to
assassinate Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi and members of his extended
family. Senator Lindsey Graham, member of the Senate Armed Services
committee, said on CNN: My recommendation to NATO and
administration is to cut the head of the snake off. Go to Tripoli, start
bombing Qaddafis inner circle, their compounds, their military
headquarters.
Had such dreadful advice not been given by US policymakers to
NATO, without any qualms of conscience, a suitable euphemism in place of
murder in the title of this piece could have been used to make Qaddafis
proposed murder look less gruesome. Had Senator Graham read George
Orwell on how grisly acts of war were euphemized to make them palatable,
he could have asked to silence Qaddafi instead of demanding the cutting
off of his head. But the Senator must have chosen his words carefully for
his warning to sound as stark, spiteful, and ghastly as it did.
885

When the CNN host pointed out that attacks on civilian areas of
Tripoli were not covered by the UN resolution 1973, the Senator retorted,
The goal is to get rid of Qaddafi. The people around Qaddafi need to wake
up every day wondering will this be my last? So I wouldnt let the UN
mandate stop what is the right thing to do. Hubris apart, what did Qaddafi
do to earn the wrath of the imperialist powers is what bewilders large
populations of Muslim countries, save many of their governments. Arab
leaders who are aiding and abetting Libyas destruction will do well to
remember that they might soon face the predicament Qaddafi now
faces.
Desert sands are proverbially treacherous. When they shift, one feels
them slipping under the feet while one wistfully looks towards the Muslim
brethren for help. But the brethren in cloaks choose to remain mute; theyre
grateful to live a few more years in opulence. Had atrocities of the
magnitude perpetrated against Libya been committed against any tiny
Christian country, the Christian world would have crowed to high
heavens. The Muslim world is in a deep slumber.
Without doubt, the wars of the last 10 plus years are predatory by
any definition and corporate media have played a leading role in
promoting them. For instance, the editorial desks and columnists of the
New York Times and the Washington Post have actually been guiding the
US administration in what to do and how to proceed in Libya. The Times has
advised using A-130 Hercules turbo prop armed with 105mm cannon that
fires 10 high explosive shells a minute, and three 25mm cannons that fire
7500 rounds a minute on their targets. The aircraft has been described as the
Angel of Death because shrapnel from its cannon fire spread across about
1500 metres. Further, this aircraft has been used with devastating impact in
Iraq and Afghanistan. Human beings caught in the orbit of fire are blown to
smithereens
Wouldnt most of us like to read balanced news and articles and
not distorted facts, slanted news, and carefully crafted untruth in the guise
of gospel truth? Nevertheless, the rhetoric going around paints a great
humanitarian effort to save the Libyans, Qaddafis own people. The world is
told that his forces are mercilessly killing people, and that the three imperial
powers, the UK, France, and the US are now planning to land their troops to
save them. Even though the mission is humanitarian, these powers are
committed to the idea of regime change. Luckily, both missions are blending
beautifully in Libya.

886

On 6th May, The News wrote: As the world digests the implications
of the death of Osama bin Laden, a set of events of arguably far greater
importance than the death of a semi-retired terrorist, continue. These events
had their genesis in Tunisia in December 2010 and now sail under the
generic flag of the Arab Spring but spring is not advancing at the same
rate everywhere in the Arab world, and not all the countries under the
Arab Spring flag are Arab. In Tunisia, democracy is still a work in
progress, and the turmoil in both eastern states, Libya and Egypt, makes life
difficult for a country that has seen its tourism industry collapse and whose
natural reserves make it a pygmy beside giants. In Libya a civil war has
ground to a stalemate with Qaddafi not just clinging to power but holding on
to it despite sustained aerial bombardment by a coalition of European
nations that are beginning to wonder what they have got themselves into.
Bahrain has dropped off the headlines but the government there is
planning to prosecute the doctors who bravely treated those wounded in the
riots in February and March. A transition of power is supposed to be under
way in Yemen but looks increasingly doubtful as the days pass. A brutal
crackdown against protesters in Syria indicates that Bashar al-Assad is no
more likely to listen to his people than his father was.
It is Egypt that has begun to emerge into the light after decades of
repression. Within the last few days, one of the great logjams of Middle
Eastern politics, the stand-off between Fatah and Hamas in the Palestinian
territories and Gaza, has edged a little closer to resolution, courtesy of the
Egyptians. They have brokered a rapprochement that is as yet far from being
a peace agreement between the feuding factions, but at least provides a
starting point for talks about talks. Israel views this with scepticism and the
Americans are in a bind as they have not been a part of the process. None of
this would have been possible under the Mubarak regime and may be an
indicator of the future ownership and resolution of local problems by nations
local to the Middle East a real change in the way the world does business.
It is also of note that in none of the countries where revolt has happened or is
in process has there been anything other than a symbolic presence of
Islamists or extremists in the actions that have challenged regimes. These
are secular revolutions, not the Islamist revolutions predicted for a
decade by al-Qaeda and its affiliates. This in itself is an indicator of how
marginalized and unrepresentative al-Qaeda is, and how out of touch with
popular sentiment. The Arab springs will continue, and there will be no
going back to whatever was in place six months ago. Finally, after more than

887

60 years, the Arab states may have begun to move into a truly post-colonial
era.
On 11th May, Tanvir Ahmad Khan commented: Failure to pursue
self-determination without outside interference has been a tragic aspect
of Arab political struggle. The Arabs put their faith in the solemn promises
made by the major European powers and revolted against the Ottomans.
They ended up with British and French mandates and eventually with naqba
the catastrophic expulsion of nearly a million Palestinians from the land
they had lived in for millennia and the creation of an expansionist Israel
which has yet to determine its final borders. Arab efforts to exercise full
sovereignty in sensitive strategic regions with vital western interests and
establish complete control over their vast resources, especially oil and gas,
have invariably invited aggression by Israel and diverse forms of western
interventionism.
The West is now working overtime in the Middle East and North
Africa to control the process of change. France offered assistance to
Tunisia to help put down the unrest and then made a dramatic volte face to
express solidarity with the masses demanding the overthrow of the regime.
Washington dithered when it came to its old and trusted ally, Hosni
Mubarak, and then readjusted its policy without the French histrionics but
with no less opportunism to influence events in Egypt. It made a skilful
transition from the white heat of the Tahrir Square to the cooler environment
in which the Egyptian establishment, led by the armed forces, is trying to
chart a middle path. It has a special focus on its own behalf and on behalf of
Israel on the fortunes of Muslim Brotherhood. Aware of how the West
destroyed the democratic triumph of Hamas in a free Palestinian election,
the Muslim Brotherhood is positioning itself to participate in a cautious and
calibrated manner in a future Egyptian democracy as a party that may
borrow much from Turkeys A K (Justice and Development) party.
A former Pakistani diplomat, Ashraf Jahangir Qazi, has observed
(The News, April 21) that the Arab Spring essentially represents the
potential triumph of the Arab street over the Arab elite. I find the street vs
elite frame particularly inadequate in Libyas case. The rapid transition to an
armed insurrection, the instant support for it from France and the United
Kingdom, the massive use of American air power in the initial phase of
outside intervention under Security Council Resolution 1973, the air support
to the rebels now upgraded to Predators to tilt the balance in the Libyan civil
war, the establishment of a central bank in Ben Ghazi, and diversion of
Libyan funds abroad to the rebels have shattered the street vs elite paradigm
888

and revealed the true agenda as regime change, oil resources, and strategic
control over Libya in the Mediterranean and African context. The
assassination of Col Qaddafis son, Saif al Arab and Qaddafis three grand
children should leave us in no doubt that the US and NATO will exceed
Resolution 1973; the name of the game is not democracy but
replacement of collapsing autocratic regimes by a new pro-west ruling
elite that does not stray too far trying to escape the orbit laid down for the
Arab states.
On 19th May, Tayyab Siddiqui talked of endgame in Libya. The Arab
Awakening so passionately projected by the Western media, together with
euphoric forecasts of a dawn of democracy and birth of a new Middle East,
has to date failed to find any direction or destination, despite the lapse of
four months. Chaos, confusion and uncertainty continue to prevail in
Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen, which have gone through this
tumultuous transition.
Libya is a case in itself. In the flush of excitement, the violent
protests in eastern Libya in mid-February were seized upon by the West
to get rid of Qaddafi. President Mubarak was forced by popular uprising to
step down on February 11 at the intervention of the Egyptian army but
without external interference, after three weeks of massive demonstrations
which resulted in the loss of 846 lives.
The uprising against Col Qaddafi erupted on February 17 and, within
a week, France and Britain began to talk of; horrific crimes by the
Qaddafi forces against the rebels. The media reported 400 dead and 2,000
wounded by March 2. The Western powers decided that it was time for
Qaddafi to go. French president Sarkozy extended recognition to the rebels
National Council and the UK, Italy and France moved unilaterally to
establish a no-fly zone in Libya in support of the rebels.
The UN was manipulated and the Security Council passed Resolution
1973 on February 27 imposing sanctions and authorizing all necessary
measures to protect civilians. Thus, in the name of a humanitarian
mission, the Western powers began pounding Libyan air defences and Col
Qaddafis command headquarters, leading to many civilian casualties.
Russia, China, India and other countries that had abstained on the Security
Council resolution protested against the indiscriminate bombing, stating that
air strikes exceeded the mandate of the UN resolution. They asked for an
immediate ceasefire.

889

The Arab League, which had earlier favoured the no-fly zone,
endorsed the call: What we want is the protection of civilians, and not
bombardment of more civilians. Despite growing international criticism,
the air strikes, which are patently beyond the UN resolution, have
continued unabated.
All this brings out the reality that behind the facade of a
humanitarian mission, the Western powers real objectives are regimechange, division of Libya and control of its oil resources. The situation in
Libya is, by any definition, a civil war situation. The Qaddafi government is
engaged in putting down an armed insurrection. There are no lofty goals of
democracy, human rights, or human freedom that the Western media credits
the opposition with. Neither is there any evidence of violence on a horrific
scale that President Obama mentioned in his speeches, invoking US moral
responsibility.
In a grotesque distortion of facts, Obama held the high moral ground,
declaring that some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in
other countries. The US is different, and as president, I refuse to wait for the
images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action. These words
have a familiar ring and are reminiscent of Bushs statement about
WMDs in Iraq and the imperative need to destroy Saddam in the interest of
global peace and security.
We all know how deception and deliberate lies were employed in
aggression against Iraq. The present war against Col Qaddafi is also
justified on vastly inflated claims of his barbaric and brutal action
against the rebels. The mask of humanitarian mission has been blown over.
The removal of Qaddafi is the official objective. Qaddafi and his regime
have completely lost legitimacy and will be held for their action, declared
the final statement of the London Conference on Libya on March 29.
Moreover, NATOs military intervention has to date failed to halt the
fighting or force Qaddafis forces into submission. The rejection by the West
of the cease fire by Qaddafi on March 22 and of the peace plan by the
African Union exposes the mala fide intentions of the West. The African
Union rightly accused Western nations of undermining efforts to find a
home-grown solution to the Libyan conflict, specifically the timely
implementation of the AU roadmap in a way that is fully consistent with and
complementary to the UNSC resolution.
It has been six week since NATO launched air strikes in Libya, and
despite heavy bombardment and open support to the rebels, the coalition has
890

failed to make any significant gain. The stalemate may continue much
longer than anticipated and may bring more destruction.
From the beginning of the Libyan crisis, it has been obvious that
Western intervention has been inspired and driven by a pathological
hatred of Qaddafi. Now the scope has been further extended beyond
regime-change. The target now is Qaddafi himself, as is evident from the
attacks on his residence that killed his 29-year-old son Saif-al-Arab and
three grandchildren. In 1986, US jets had attacked Tripoli and killed
Qaddafis little daughter.
The conflict is likely to turn into a prolonged and bloody stalemate.
There is no evidence that Qaddafis grip on the situation has been weakened.
The situation in Libya never presented any threat to the national
interests of the NATO powers or the US. It has been a naked
demonstration of gunboat diplomacy, aimed at securing the oil resources of
Libya.
The Western adventure in Libya has dangerous manifestations. It is
unfortunate that the Arab World has quietly watched the aggression
and allowed itself to become complicit. Crown Prince Hassan of Jordans
assertion that the invasion of Libya is justified under the resolution of the
2005 UN General Assembly that acknowledges a responsibility to protect
population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic-cleansing and crimes against
humanity, is totally disingenuous. None of the above mentioned threats
exist in the Libyan situation.
Pakistans official reaction calling for a peaceful political solution to
be evolved by the Libyan people themselves in the spirit of mutual
accommodation and national reconciliation represents the most appropriate
solution. Regrettably, however, none of the Muslim nations or
organizations such as the OIC and the Arab League have taken the
initiative seeking a negotiated political settlement. To their eternal shame,
these nations have watched the events as indifferent bystanders, not realizing
that the NATO invasion constitutes a most dangerous precedent and
invoking the responsibility to protect could pose serious threats to their
integrity and sovereignty in the not-too-distant future. Syria may perhaps be
the next victim.
One final thought for serious reflection: A North Korean statement
held that Libyas dismantling of its nuclear weapons programme made it
vulnerable to Western military intervention. Libya was duped in 2003 when
it abandoned its major weapons programme in exchange for promises of aid
891

and lifting of sanctions. North Korea believes that the Wests offer was an
invasion tactic to disarm the country. The Libyan crisis is teaching the
international community a grave lesson. Is it not?
On 21st May, I Hussain wrote about outsourcing of the war. Since
9/11, the private security contractor business which is really a fancy term
for mercenaries has boomed. The war in Iraq proved to be a veritable boon
for outsourcing to US-based private security contractors. Figures for
monetary values of US government spending on companies like Blackwater
are unavailable but according to data cited by Naomi Klein in her book The
Shock Doctrine, it is quite clear that the numbers are large and have grown
considerably. She points out that during the first Gulf war waged by the
United States against Saddam Husseins Iraq, the ratio of contractors to
regular US troops was one contractor for every hundred soldiers. At the start
of the Iraq invasion under George W Bush in 2003 this figure had jumped to
one contractor for ten soldiers and by 2007 had surged to almost one for one
i.e. for every member of the regular American army there was one
private contractor providing logistical support, security etc.
Now comes the news reported in the New York Times that Erik
Prince formerly the head of Blackwater (now renamed Xe) has been charged
by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi to establish a crack unit comprising
mercenaries (many from Latin America) who would serve more or less
as a personal bodyguard-cum-special operations unit at the behest of the
royal family. The functions of this elite unit are not entirely clear but would
probably involve carrying out covert and overt operations against hostile
forces in the region (read Iran) and to protect the ruling family against
internal revolts. The inference is that Emiratis in the security forces are
either not skilled enough or cannot be trusted to enforce order should there
be political unrest in the country or if the UAE were to face an external
threat. In either event this is hardly a ringing endorsement of their
professionalism.
The type of special forces unit being established brings to mind the
role of mercenaries in Africa who have been implicated in violent regime
changes and assassinations of heads of government. This reliance on
foreign mercenaries is not without its own complications as those who
have studied the role of mercenary armies through history would recall. The
original model of a force loyal only to the ruler rather than the state is the
Praetorian Guard of ancient Rome that was established by the emperor
Augustus in 27 BC. The Guard, a mix of Roman citizens and foreigners,
swore an oath of allegiance to the emperor and served as his personal
892

bodyguard. However after Augustus death they soon became notorious for
palace intrigues and any would-be emperor had to bribe them first if he
hoped to attain power. Despite being charged with protecting the person of
the emperor, they were directly involved in the murder of 10 Roman
emperors till the time of their disbandment by Constantine in 312 AD.
The idea that a personal army comprising soldiers-of-fortune will
stay loyal in extremis may well be wishful thinking. Their continuing
presence may also fuel nationalist sentiment among locals who may perceive
the foreign presence as an affront to the countrys sovereignty and as they
will be paid more than local troops (some of the Abu Dhabi contracts cited
by the New York Times indicate annual payments per person of $200,000)
will generate calls for better pay for the locals. In other words the political
and financial cost may end up being much higher than the Abu Dhabi
government anticipates.
There is also the question of who these mercenaries are in terms of
their past background. Ms Klein notes in her book that Blackwater had
previously recruited Chileans for operations in Iraq amongst whom
some had been directly involved with the brutalities of the Pinochet
government. Similarly, one notable Blackwater recruit was a certain James
Steele who had served as chief US adviser to Salvadoran army units known
as death squads.
The news of the normally reclusive Erik Princes involvement in the
UAE project is highly disturbing as his extreme conservative views seem
to indicate that he is on a crusade to rid the world of evil-doers while
profiting from doing so. A secretly taped recording of a speech he gave at
the University of Michigan in January 2010 and reproduced in a blog article
by Jeremy Scahill in the Nation magazines website in May 2010 reveals a
belligerent mindset. Mr Prince proposed in that speech that the US deploy
armed private contractors to fight terrorists in Nigeria, Yemen, Somalia and
Saudi Arabia. He also believes that Iran is at the absolute dead centre ... of
badness. He therefore recommends that private armed contractors from
companies like Blackwater be used in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia to
counter Iranian influence as their presence would be less politically sensitive
then the presence of US government and NATO troops. Apart from using
some uncomplimentary words to describe the Afghan forces being trained by
Blackwater, he also revealed in this speech that Blackwater was active in
Pakistan despite the vociferous denials made by the US and Pakistani
governments at the time about its alleged presence here.

893

Next day, The News commented on Obamas latest speech. An

arrogant reiteration of Americas obvious opposition to dictators and
brutality against peaceful protesters, devoid of history, doesnt equal a new
chapter in foreign policy. Americas completely biased position on Israel was
clear; as was its continuing support for dictatorships and its failure to
address the essential rights of the Palestinian people, as endorsed by the UN,
especially the refugees right of return. It was clear that the Obama
Administration was going to get tougher on Iran and Syria, but would
do little against Bahrains violent crackdown on protesters; while it wants
an Israel-Palestine settlement, it refuses to change its policy on the issue.
Considering all the rhetoric about universal values, it was interesting to note
that some US allies in the region, not exactly known for their respect for
human rights and universal values were not mentioned even once in the
speech.
The most newsworthy part of Obamas otherwise uninspiring
speech was about the Israel-Palestine issue: his idea of a peaceful twostate solution reached by adhering to the border lines pre-1967 when Israel
took control of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. Obama proposed
that Israelis and Palestinians agree to swap land to account for Israeli
settlements and other current conditions. In a blunt display of differences,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already rejected this idea
during a meeting at the Oval Office. This has come just months after an
Israeli rejection of the US and Palestinian demands for a settlement freeze
spurred the collapse of US-backed peace talks. Given that all these
disagreements may further deteriorate ties between Israel and the US, it is
almost certain that the US will shy away from pushing for a solution
favourable to the Palestinians and resort to its usual policy of dictating
outcomes rather than investing in creativity to help shape the Arab world.
But it would probably serve it well to remember that its dealing with a
different Arab street now whose people have faced live ammunition in
their fight for a dignity they have long been denied and who arent going to
take double standards lying down.
On 24th Rizwan Asghar commented: Last week US President Barack
Obama delivered a significant foreign policy speech. He outlined an overall
US approach the Arab Spring. The speech has met with scepticism in
various sections of the Arab world. Some analysts view it as a paradigm shift
in US policy towards the Middle East. But many political observers are of
the view that President Obama may not be able to follow his words with
practical action. They think it such statements carry no weight as their
894

execution conflicts with US imperial interests. A new Pew poll released

recently conducted in six predominantly Muslim countries and the
Palestinian territories showed widely-held negative views of the US and a
lack of confidence in Obama.
An analysis of Obamas speech must be guided by three concrete
realities: one, the US image in the Muslim world took a steep descent
during the era of the Bush regime; two, Obama has so far failed to resurrect
US soft power and restore confidence in US values of democracy, justice
and human rights; three, it will require practical initiatives to translate
Obamas vision into reality.
In a complete departure from his predecessors stance on the
Palestinian issue, President Obama has called for a negotiated Israeli
pullback to pre-1967 war borders with mutually agreed land swaps and the
establishment of a Palestinian state. President Bush had stated in 2004 that
the return to 1967 borders is no more practicable in the face of facts on the
ground. But President Obama has failed to present a formal peace plan
to the dismay of many in the Arab world and has failed to make progress
on the Israeli-Palestinian front since taking office in 2009.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected President Obamas
stance of a Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967 borders. This shows that
Netanyahu is not going to be squeezed under US pressure because he
enjoys the active support of the right-wing coalition in his efforts to continue
Israeli colonialism of Palestinian lands. Therefore Obama will have to put
his foot down and refuse to knuckle under the pressure of the lobbies in
Washington.
In fact, the tide of history has made it imperative that the US
mend its relations with Muslim countries. Shrinking public support for the
US in the Arab world has resulted in limited maneuvering space for the
former to pursue its interests in the region. In extending unconditional
support to Israel, maintaining a largely apathetic attitude towards the
Palestine conflict, and invading two Muslim countries under the garb of the
war on terror, the US has evoked hatred among many in Muslim
countries.
However, President Obama will face tough resistance from the
Israeli lobby in the form of strong prodding and intimidation tactics.
Obama has hailed popular unrest sweeping the Middle East as a historic
opportunity and ratcheted up pressure on Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad,
urging him to lead the democratic transition or get out of the way. For the
895

first time he has asked Bahrains rulers to stop mass arrests and the use of
brute force against Bahrains citizens. Obama has to make hard choices or
the credibility gap between the US and the Muslim world will widen further
and already widespread feelings of mutual mistrust and antagonism will be
reinforced.
Next day, Tanvir Ahmad Khan commented: The month of May is
marked by the two people for remembrance of their past suffering. Israels
calendar has Yom Hashoa for the memory of the Holocaust, and Yom
Hazikaron to remember those lost in its wars since 1948. For the Arabs, it is
Naqba, the great catastrophe of dispossession and exile from their ancient
homes as Israel tried to become a pure Jewish state. While the Jewish
suffering is mostly in the past, the Naqba is a living reality. A two-state
solution that has been the Holy Grail of the US-led peace process seems
to be virtually dead. Belatedly, however, Obama has now signaled a
revived interest in it. He did so on the eve of a belligerent visit to
Washington by Prime Minister Nethanyahu and just before he goes to
Europe. Amongst his reasons is a desire to weaken the Palestinian resolve to
go to the United Nations in September for recognition and thus preserve the
exclusive American control of the quest for settlement.
The Obama proposal of May 19 has already run into two
difficulties: one, Nethanyahu has reacted violently to the reference to the
1967 border which he calls indefensible, and, two, Arabs find nothing new
in his speech that would lure them back to negotiations.
The heightened public commemoration of Naqba this year comes
straight from the Arab Awakening sweeping the Arab world. And yet, Israel
demonstrated its insensitivity by gunning down the demonstrators. The
same insensitivity defines Israels reaction to the unification of Hamas and
Fatah brokered by Egypt engaged in the delicate task of reaching
equilibrium between the revolutionary aspirations of its people and concerns
for security and stability in its military establishment.
The Arabs have noted that Obamas reference to 1967 borders,
while a welcome change, was couched in a language fraught with
dangerous possibilities. We believe, Obama said, the borders of Israel
and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps,
so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. The
Fatah leadership has not been averse to land swaps but Israels relentless
building of new settlements raises the spectre of the Arabs losing the entire
Jordan River valley.
896

Obama has strongly dissuaded the Palestinians from following

the UN route saying that for Palestinians, efforts to delegitimize Israel will
end in failure. In the context of a two-state solution, he spoke of Israel as a
Jewish State, thus implicitly supporting increasing discrimination against
1.4 million Arab citizens of Israel. It also pits the US against the Palestinian
right of return. The president also said, rather regrettably, that the agreement
between Hamas and Fatah raises profound and legitimate questions for
Israel. Nethanyahu tells Mahmoud Abbas bluntly that he should choose
between peace with Israel and Hamas. In Obamas vision, Palestinians
should have a viable, if defenceless state, and Israelis a secure state. In
accommodating Israels uncompromising demands, he has delivered a
speech which may not simply get enough traction to launch an effective new
peace process.
On 27th May, I Hussain commented on Obama talking about 1967
borders. President Obama recognizes the changed political scenario in the
Middle East and wants to be the transformative president who brought about
a genuine peace in that troubled region. In essence, he is underlining that
security comes from a durable peace between the parties that is just and
mutually acceptable rather than one which is one-sided and imposed. Like
many previous American presidents, he will in all likelihood fail at this
formidable task because of the odds stacked against him; he may even
fail to get re-elected because of his position on this issue. On the other
hand, if he were miraculously to succeed he would thoroughly deserve the
Nobel Peace Prize which he was awarded, even by his own reckoning,
prematurely.
Impartial observers recognize that the resolution of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict will reduce terrorism significantly since a major
recruiting tool for Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations is the inhumane
treatment by Israel of the Palestinian people and the denial of their
fundamental human rights. Indeed former US President Bill Clinton recently
speculated that up to 50 percent of the incidents of international terrorism
could be attributed to the long festering Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many
countries are undoubtedly sympathetic to the claims of establishing an
independent Palestinian state so we may well witness, in the forthcoming
UN General Assembly session in September, an overwhelming vote in
favour of an independent Palestinian state despite opposition from the US
and Israel.
On 2nd June, Nauman Asghar opined: The Hamas-Fatah
reconciliation deal concluded on April 27 was a good omen for the
897

stalled Palestine peace process. Both factions reached an agreement on

forming an interim government for holding legislative and presidential
elections. But the resignation of George Mitchell as US envoy in the Middle
East dashed the hopes of any progress being made.
Mitchell, a tireless advocate of peace, failed in the face of Israeli
obduracy despite his extraordinary skills. A few days ago, President Obama
called for a peace plan for Palestine based on a return to the 1967 borders.
This speech annoyed Netanyahu who, in no ambiguous terms, rejected the
suggestion.
The Palestine problem remains as intractable today as it was six
decades ago. In many respects, it has become more complex. Understanding
the protracted conflict will require answers to two questions: What are the
fundamental issues bedeviling the relations of the disputants? And why have
all peace initiatives undertaken come to naught?
Core contentious issues include the status of East Jerusalem, Israeli
settlements, the right to return of refugees, and the appropriation of natural
resources. Both Israelis and Palestinians lay claim to Jerusalem as their
capital which under Israeli occupation in 1967. Israel is also concerned
about religious places in East Jerusalem. Moreover, Israel has apprehensions
about the security of its residents in the neighbourhood. The Palestinians
have legitimate grievances regarding the welfare of sacred sites under Israeli
control
All these Israeli settlements are illegal under international law
Above all, the International Court of Justice in its ruling delivered in 2004
has declared that Israeli settlements in the Palestine Occupied Territory,
including those of Jerusalem, are illegal and an obstruction to peace and
socio-economic development.
The settlements are also the cause of great inequalities in access
to natural resources between Israelis and Palestinians. Many settlements
are built on fertile agricultural lands confiscated from Palestinians or on
water resources like the Western Aquifer Basin.
In the absence of trust, peace remains elusive and the contracting
parties succumb to imaginary fears. Israel views an independent
Palestinian state as a vital threat to its existence while the Arabs are
threatened by al-Naqba (the catastrophe). The unconditional support
extended to Israel by the West has encouraged the former to adhere to an
inflexible, rigid stance. Thus there is need to free the peace process from
being held hostage by the militants extremist agenda.
898

In order to work towards an amicable solution, the leaders of both

parties must get ready for out-of-the-box thinking. The UN resolutions
coupled with the Arab peace plan propounded by the Saudi King in 2002
could provide guidelines. Israel must face the reality of the Palestinians
right to self-determination. It must do away with the condition of
recognition of Israel as a Jewish state as a pre-requisite for peace. The
Palestinians should end all internal dissensions. Meanwhile, the Obama
administration should pressure the Netanyahu government to relax its hardline stance and push Israel towards a two-state solution.
Next day, Dr Muzaffar Iqbal wrote a letter to Obama on behalf of an
anonymous person reminding him his failures in fulfilling the promises
he had made. Now that you have launched your campaign for a second
term, I expect you will soon come to the same location in Chicago where we
first met in that summer of hope, in the rush of a hype that promised to
change the course of history. My own life did change that year, as I entered
Harvard and voted for the first time in my life. That act of voting, like all
things one does for the first time, was a precious experience for me. As an
adult citizen of the United States of American who was born to an immigrant
family, I dreamed big dreams, following your rise to a position that no black
man could have dreamt even a generation ago. I am hoping to meet you
again, but know that both of us are changed men. You have become, by now,
a symbol of power and authority of the most powerful nation of this world
and I have matured into a young Harvard student whose future looks
exceedingly bleak. I harbour no hope in my heart, just like millions of other
young Americans whose imagination your electrifying campaign of two
years ago had ignited and who now carry the amber of that bitter experience
in their dead souls. We have been betrayed, dear President Obama; you have
not only killed our hopes, but you have also filled our lives with a darkness
that we do not know how to dispel.
I know it is of no consequence to you, riding a wave of big successes
as you are in the wake of an assassination carried out by your orders of a
man who has been pitched to Americans as evil incarnate. I also note that
you have already made the fatal speech which every US president has made
since 1948 at the altar of AIPAC and you have said what every US president
has said since then: Israels security is sacrosanct and non-negotiable. So,
I must admit that you are doing pretty well, despite the inconsequential
media hype about the chastisement you recently received from Benjamin
Netanyahu.

899

The only reason for this letter is that I know that even at the height of
your glory and power, you are still going to return to that Chicago riding
where we first met and you are still going to ask me for my vote, or at least
you will pretend that you need my vote. You will tell me, and millions of
other young Americans who saw a glimmer of hope in that summer two
years ago, that we still count.
Torture, Mr Obama, is something we all abhor and torture is what
you have sanctioned. People whom no court of justice has yet declared
criminals have been tortured. You have officially sanctioned it by your
orders; this has doomed America on moral grounds. You promised to close
down that American heart of darkness during your election campaign, but on
March 7, 2011, you signed an executive order, reversing your own policy.
The order to resume military trials for Gitmo detainees will be one of the
darkest deeds written in your record forever. But this is not enough.
What particularly bothers me, and millions of other young men and
women of this country, is the daily dose of darkness that oozes out of the
White House and fills our lives. Around the world, America remains the
most hated country and you have become a symbol of sophisticated
hypocrisy for billions mark my words for billions of human beings who
saw or read your Cairo speech and harboured a sense of hope in their hearts,
you have become a symbol of despair despite your golden words which we
all know now to be false. You ignored the popular uprising against Ben Ali,
only joined in the international farcical chorus of contempt for Mubarak
when he was on his way out, and you are still to produce a meaningful
murmur against the Syrian regime which has killed more of its people than
any other autocratic regime since this strange Arab spring began.
Of course you are going after that mad man called Qaddafi, but make
no mistake, we all know this game plan: you go and destroy the entire infrastructure of the country, somehow take that man out, install your own men in
power, then send in American companies to rebuilt the country, sell arms
worth billions of dollars and be happy ever after. Of course, you will have to
share this pie with the Europeans, but Libyan oil is enough to cover both
sides.
I understand all of this, and so do millions of other young men and
women of my generation from around the world. We also know that our
understanding is inconsequential to the actual state of the world: we can
make no difference whatsoever. There are no rules left for anything, the socalled international law stands null and void.
900

My heart cries for the Afghan children you have killed recently. I say
you, because as the commander-in-chief of our armed forces, you are
directly responsible for these crimes of war and while I know there is no
court of justice that is going to have the gut to try you here on earth, but I
carry a faith stronger than the mountains which tells me that justice will
catch up with you, either here or in the Hereafter.
Yes, you have guessed right: I am a Muslim, born in a Chicago
suburb to a family which came to the United States of America in hope of a
brighter life. They, instead, found darkness that now engulfs them from all
sides, even though one of their sons has entered Harvard and the other is a
successful physician. I do not think I will come to hear you when you come
to Chicago on your election campaign but want you to remember: there is a
verdict of history that awaits all men who rise to power and that verdict has
already been passed against you.

REVIEW
The civilized world has tamed the Saharan Storm quite successfully
and converted it into Arab Spring; not for the benefit of natives but to
promote their own interests. Presently, everything is in control of the western
powers; there is no immediate threat to their interests.
This spring has brought no change for the Arab masses barring few
promises made by various regimes which remained faithful to their foreign
masters. Only those Arab rulers have been threatened which were in bad
books of the West or had outlived their useful lives.
Gaddafi has been the main target in this phase of the Crusades, which
is an exclusive European enterprise. During the period NATO forces
achieved a major success in saving humanity by killing Seif and three
grandchildren of Gaddafi. The humanity that has been saved celebrated the
killings by chanting victory slogans in Benghazi.
Across Mediterranean Pope Benedict too must have been pleased in
bring light to Tripoli; he did not even bother to issue a statement to
preserve the softer image of the White Christians. Gaddafi, however, defied
all calls to quit Libya.
The Crusaders seemed in no hurry after virtually tearing apart oil-rich
eastern half of the country from Gaddafis domain. They have started direct
oil trading with rebels and the cash transactions are made through Qatar and

901

it would now try to prove that the people of eastern Libya want selfdetermination like those of East Timur and southern Sudan.
NATO has announced its plan to resolve the issue of Libya by
September this year. They intend toppling Gaddafi in next three months,
failing which the grounds have been prepared for division of Libya for
which the West would go to the UN after September seeking autonomy for
eastern Libya.
The military at the political helm in Egypt remained busy in cooling
down the public temper. It has been fairly successful in this context
primarily for two reasons. It initiated a process which is perceived to be
aimed at accountability of Mobarak and his family. Secondly, it has opened
Rafah border crossing to create in impression that it was no more serving the
interests of the US and Israel.
Assad is the next in the line of fire. Enough blood has been spilled to
frame charges against him and he by dealing with the protesters with heavy
hand has helped the cause of his adversaries. The West, however, has so far
confined its reaction to clamping of sanctions, but it didnt mean that he
would escape severer punishment.
The political reconciliation between two major Palestinians parties,
Fatah and Hamas, rang some kind of alarm bells amid those who thrive on
the policy of divide and rule. Both Israel and the US asked Palestinians to
choose between Hamas and peace. Obama also dangled a carrot of 1967
borders, but Israel pulled that back.
Sunni rule in Shia majority Bahrain was saved by US-Saudi-Gulf
States nexus. Situation was stabilized to the extent that emergency rule has
been lifted with effect from June 1. Pakistan has played its role in
stabilization by rendering mercenary services, which it has been offering all
over the globe.
Pakistan spared a battalion for the Gulf region despite the challenges
it faced domestically. In addition, recruitment of ex-servicemen was
allowed. The habit of serving as mercenary in the garb of UN peacekeepers
from E Timor to south Sudan seemed to have seeped deep. So deep that the
son-in-law of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto wont mind sending troops to Libya once
friend of his father-in-law is ousted.
As regards Yemen, the in-fighting guaranteed security of Gulf of Aden
as none of the warring sides could pose any serious threat to the maritime
activities of the civilized world therein. Yemen caused no worry to the
902

Crusaders; it had no oil, they had no substitute for the incumbent ruler, so
Saleh was no problem.
Where there is no oil the matters are left for the Arabs to resolve. The
issue of Saleh was, therefore, left as such and when Gulf States failed, it
seemed to have been settled in Arab-style. Saleh was reported to have been
wounded in rocket attack.
4th June, 2011

903

OBAMA KILLED OSAMA IX

The controversy over constitution of independent commission did not
occur due to some oversight or neglect. It was deliberately created by the
regime to delay the start of probe into Abbottabad attack. This reflected the
expertise the regime has acquired in finding ways to stall any attempt of
accountability.
Budget and murder of Saleem Shehzad helped the regime in diverting
attention away from Abbottabad and Mehran attacks. Babar Awan made the
intentions known that the commission would start working after the budget
session which meant some times in July. What will happen after that can be
visualized from the probe into Mehran attack; so far the number of attackers
has not been determined.
Inquiry into Kharotabad incident was being recorded amid efforts
from the powerful guilty party to conceal the facts. The witnesses were
being pressured not to give incriminating evidence. The families of
witnesses were receiving threats from unknown persons.
The regime had good news about the killing of Ilyas Kashmiri in
drone-launched missile attack in South Waziristan. He was one of the five
most wanted terrorists by the US after Osama. This must have strengthened
regimes faith in utility of drone attacks, but JI staged two-day sit-in in
Karachi against these attacks.

NEWS
On 2nd June, Nawaz Sharif said all options were open for his party to
if Abbottabad and PNS Mehran attacks not probed impartially. The
government mulled forming a two-member judicial commission to probe
attack on PNS Mehran. Pakistan and US agreed to carry out joint counterterror operations.
The US said Pakistan has until July to capture Mulla Omar and Ilyas
Kashmiri and warned of operation in North Waziristan if the two not
captured. Mullen said abandoning Pakistan would be dangerous. He ruled
out US military presence in Pakistan to be cut to zero. Kerry termed killing
of Saleem Shehzad a setback to democracy.
Next day, seven people were killed in drone attack in South
Waziristan. The US urged Pakistan to launch operation in North Waziristan.
On 4th June, it was reported that Ilyas Kashmiri was among thirteen people
904

killed in last nights drone attack in South Waziristan. HUJI vowed to take
revenge from US and Pakistan. Rehman Malik announced formation of
commission to probe killing of Saleem Shehzad in two days.
Shakeel Anjum reported that security agencies foiled a plot to kill
Zardari on 13th May during his visit to PIMS to see his ailing father. Four
terrorists were arrested out of a squad of 52 militants of TTP which included
ten suicide bombers. Qari Shakeel of Mohmand Agency was responsible for
leading the attack. The agency got the clue and had stopped Zardari from
visiting the hospital.
Next day, Police report said 10 to 12 terrorist were involved in attack
on PNS Mehran. Rehman Malik was 98 percent sure about death of Ilyas
Kashmiri; the US was not sure. He rejected reports about Quetta Shura.
Hillary discussed bilateral relations with Gilani on telephone. Two-day sit-in
organized by JI in Karachi ended with warning that NATO supplies would
be blocked by masses if drone strikes continue.
On 6th June, Gilani announced that the US has confirmed the death of
Ilyas Kashmiri; US officials denied. Amir Mir reported that picture of Ilyas
Kashmiri as dead posted on internet by HUJI was fake. Twenty-one people
were killed in three drone-launched missile attacks in South Waziristan.
The preliminary investigation report revealed that 10 to 12 terrorists
took part in attack on PNS Mehran out of which 6 to 8 had escaped. CCPO
changed his stance before the commission probing Kharotabad incident. He
said he had not ordered police to fire and had even stopped FC from doing
so.

VIEWS
On 2nd June, Rahimullah Yusufzai commented: There have been
speculations and plain rumours on how the United States obtained
intelligence to find Osama bin Ladens compound in Abbottabad. As no
authentic information about this secret operation is available, people in
the media and elsewhere are having a field day adding their own
theories to those already available on how the worlds most wanted man
was tracked down.
Earlier, the al-Qaeda deputy leader Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri was
mentioned in certain unsubstantiated media reports as the source of
information that led the Americans to Bin Ladens house. It was even
suggested that Zawahiri had developed differences with Bin Laden and
905

had, therefore, manipulated to have him removed from the scene. These
kind of media stories appeared to have been planted by spy agencies seeking
to create divisions in al-Qaeda, already weakened due to the death and
capture of some of its top operatives and having suffered the biggest blow to
date following the assassination of Bin Laden in the US Special Forces
operation on May 2.
Another widely believed story was that Bin Laden was hunted
down when the US sleuths intercepted a phone call made by his courier
Abu Ahmad al-Kuwaiti, who was also killed in the covert raid in Abbottabad
and was reportedly to be one of the two Pakistani brothers protecting the alQaeda leader. This story obviously has more credibility than the one
regarding Mullah Baradar tipping off the Americans on the Bin Laden
hideout as part of some deal.
The latest speculation in a media report is that Mullah Abdul
Ghani Baradar, the detained deputy leader of the Afghan Taliban
movement, leaked the whereabouts of the al-Qaeda leader to American
investigators under a deal in which the US promised to withdraw its troops
from the Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan. The idea of such a deal taking
place is far-fetched, though neither the US nor Mullah Baradar are presently
in a position to clarify or deny it. The situation on the ground in the former
Taliban strongholds also doesnt provide any indication that such a deal was
in the works. The US has no intention of pulling its troops out from these
areas in the southwestern provinces and other parts of Afghanistan where the
Taliban have traditionally been strong. Besides, the Taliban have yet to show
any inclination to settle for a deal with the US by giving up their ambition of
returning to power in the whole of Afghanistan and instead settling for
control of some provinces only.
Those who know something about the secretive Taliban movement
are aware that an individual, even if it happened to be Mullah Baradar,
cannot make a deal on his own. Decision-making is done by the Taliban
shura rather than by individuals. It is unimaginable that a Taliban leader in
custody would make such a significant deal by giving away information
about Bin Ladens whereabouts in return for withdrawal of US soldiers from
certain Taliban strongholds. It would be unacceptable to the Taliban shura
and rank and file and could never be implemented. Moreover, the Taliban
have proved to be resilient and they arent known to easily divulge
information about their leaders and allies.

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It can be argued that the US may have obtained information about

Bin Ladens hideout from Mullah Baradar by tempting him with the offer of
withdrawing its troops from Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan without
meaning to implement it. This is also unlikely because the Pakistani
intelligence authorities holding Mullah Baradar ensured that their own
agents were present when the American spies were given access to
interrogate the Taliban deputy leader. The Pakistani sleuths present in
these few meetings between Mullah Baradar and the Americans would
also have obtained any such information regarding Bin Ladens
whereabouts and immediately acted upon it. In that case, the Americans
through the CIA would not have beaten the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)
to the Abbottabad compound of the al-Qaeda founder and Pakistans military
command would not have faced the embarrassment of being unaware of his
presence in the Pakistani garrison city.
In any case, Mullah Baradar would have known more about Taliban
leader Mullah Mohammad Omars whereabouts than that of Bin Laden. In
fact, it is unlikely that he would have known about Bin Ladens hideout
because in Pakistan al-Qaeda members mostly interacted and depended
upon Pakistani militants instead of the Afghan Taliban for protection. The
Pakistani Taliban and jihadis could protect the Al-Qaeda figures better and
provide them sanctuaries in Pakistan than the Afghan Taliban, who
themselves are alien in Pakistan and need the protection of the local people
and authorities. If the American CIA agents couldnt obtain information
from Mullah Baradar about Mullah Omars whereabouts, then it is
unbelievable that they managed to get any clues from him regarding Bin
Ladens hideout.
Certain other things mentioned in this media story about Mullah
Baradar making a deal with the Americans are wrong. It states that
Baradar is in his early 40s, which is wrong because the Mullah Baradar that
this writer knew during the Taliban rule should now be in his late 50s. The
story describes Mullah Baradar as the co-founder of the Taliban movement
in Afghanistan. This isnt really true because Mullah Omar was the founder
and Mullah Baradar was one of the 30 odd Taliban who gathered at Singesar
village in Kandahar province in the autumn of 1994 to launch the movement.
One could say he was among the 30 or so founding members of the Taliban
movement instead of describing him as the co-founder. The story also refers
to Mullah Baradar as the father of the IED; for pioneering the use of the
roadside improvised explosive devices that have been the biggest threat to
the US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan. This again is debatable because
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the names of many Taliban military commanders and even foot-soldiers are
mentioned for inventing and perfecting the IEDs.
Referring to him as the leader of the Quetta Shura of the Afghan
Taliban is also wrong because there cannot be any head of the movements
top decision-making shura, or council, except Mullah Omar, who is still
referred to as the amirul momineen (commander of the faithful) by his
Taliban followers. According to this strange media story, Mullah Baradar
was one of Bin Ladens most trusted allies. This again seems far-fetched
because Bin Laden interacted mostly with Mullah Omar, Mullah Jalil and
Mullah Kabir during the Taliban rule and was close to them compared to
other Taliban leaders. Referring to Mullah Baradar and others as moles
within al-Qaeda feeding crucial information to the US intelligence is also
far-fetched. It could possibly be an attempt to create confusion and suspicion
in Taliban and al-Qaeda ranks about each other. Mullah Baradar was a
Taliban rather an al-Qaeda leader and it is the first time that he is being
mentioned as someone belonging to al-Qaeda and working for the US
intelligence. Nothing could be farther from the truth, but this is how sections
of the media carry stories without verifying anything and do sensational
reporting in a bid to look different.
Though this media reports says that Mullah Baradar after his arrest in
a joint operation by Pakistani and American intelligence agents in Karachi
last year was released in October 2010, there is no evidence that he has been
freed. In fact, Afghan Taliban sources have denied his release. It is unlikely
that such an important Taliban leader, and someone also linked to al-Qaeda,
if this particular media story is to be believed, would be released just like
that. He should still be in some special detention cell or safe-house of
Pakistans premier intelligence agency, just like Mullah Obaidullah, the
former Taliban defence minister, and a few other Afghan Taliban leaders.
So much about Bin Laden is secret and unknown that such stories
will continue to appear in the media. As in life, Bin Laden generated
controversies even after his death. The rather bizarre story about Mullah
Baradar making a deal with the Americans and leaking the whereabouts of
Bin Laden is neither the first of its kind nor will it be the last.
Ikram Sehgal observed: Abbottabad embarrassed and humiliated
Pakistan. Voices were raised across the world for Pakistan to be punished
for harbouring Osama bin Laden for a decade. How come no one raises
questions about how Serb General Ratko Mladic, responsible for the
genocide of over 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica, evaded the
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dragnet of all Western governments and their intelligence agencies for

over 15 years in his cousins house in a village in Serbia? And what about
his boss Karadzic doing the same for 12 years, even running a medical clinic
in the centre of Belgrade? The US should reveal the contents of the
computer discs and hard discs the Seals unit removed from the Bin Laden
compound that clearly is the smoking gun about the purported official or
unofficial support for Bin Laden in Pakistan. Accessories to the murder of
over 40,000 Pakistanis, we need the names of these despicable characters.
Kamila Hyat opined: As our state tumbles into greater and greater
chaos, and episodes such as the discovery of Osama in the middle of a
garrison town spawn a series of cartoons that mock Pakistan, the possibility
of a Taliban victory looms larger. In some ways they have already won.
The force appears to have infiltrated our security set-up. The
unfortunate Mehran incident could not have happened without inside help,
nor could Osama have remained hidden for so long in a conspicuous
bungalow without anyone knowing. The fact that over 75 percent of our
people believe according to a survey conducted by the Washington-based
Pew Research Centre that laws should be based on religion also marks a
Taliban victory.
We have lost the ability to look at ourselves dispassionately and
instead, much like an unhappy child, inhabit a world of make-believe to
persuade ourselves that all is well. This makes it more likely that the Taliban
and other extremist forces will capture ever-increasing space in our
strangled society.
While it is true that many, indeed most, people dislike the violence of
the Taliban especially in the tribal areas where they have established
control over the lives of people it is also a fact that opposition to them is
somewhat ambiguous. The feelings of hatred for the US and its control
over the country, fuel this ambiguity.
It is clear that the degree of intervention we see from the outside
needs to be cut down drastically and more control needs to be established
over the country by our own leaders who must also work to reduce the
degree of animosity that exists for the West. They must also help people
break free of the conspiracies promoted by the media, by word of mouth,
and by carefully designed propaganda.
We must accept that the Taliban and the mindset that allows them to
thrive are largely our creation. We must also turn away from rhetoric and
hypocrisy and accept the fact that they could be winning. The consequences
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of this would be terrifying but such an outcome can be avoided only if

we learn to look at the truth however hard it may be to accept and
acknowledge that growing distrust of Pakistan in the world is the result of
actual events within the country as well as the acts of Pakistanis outside it,
and not just bias directed towards a country where terrorist groups have
somehow been able to thrive for many years.
Umar Fayaz Wazir from Miranshah wrote: Through your newspaper I
want to express the concerns of the people of North Waziristan about the
possible military operation in the region. I dont say that the Taliban or
foreigners are not present in NWA but they are very few in number.
Conducting a military operation against them is not a wise decision.
What about the 98 percent people of the area who are peaceful citizens of
this country and who have nothing to do with terrorism? Wont they get
affected by it? Actually, it is these people who will suffer a lot.
Khawaja Umer Farooq from Jeddah observed: Sentiments are already
running high in North Waziristan against the government due to drone
attacks and killings of innocent people. Now, if a military operation is
carried out in North Waziristan, it will result in more deaths, more
destruction and therefore more revenge attacks. Our government should
realize that a military operation is not going to solve the problem of
militancy.
When military operation started in South Waziristan, militants fled to
Afghanistans border areas. Despite several requests made by Pakistani
authorities, the highly-equipped NATO forces and the Afghan forces
couldnt track militants movement from Pakistan to Afghanistan. We first
need to seal our borders.
Next day, The News commented: Only a day after it was formed by
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the commission meant to probe the
May 2 Abbottabad raid and Osama bin Ladens presence in that city, has
more or less fallen apart. In an angry attack PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz
Sharif has rejected the body, pointing out that as per the parliamentary
resolution which with consensus had advocated the setting up of the
commission there had been at least a tacit agreement that it would be
formed after consultation. The governments unilateral decision has
infuriated an already unimpressed opposition. Sharif has also pointed out
that there was only one name among the list of commission members that
of Justice (r) Fakharuddin G Ebrahim from amongst the names proposed
by Chaudhry Nisar Ali in a letter to the PM. The other six names proposed
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were those of Justice (r) Shafiur Rehman, Justice (r) Nasir Aslam Zahid,
Majeed Nizami, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Asma Jehangir and Justice (r)
Rana Bhagwan Das. Not one of them was included in the commission
whereas Ebrahim has written to Mr Gilani stating that he will not be able to
participate.
Obviously, in a matter as sensitive as this, across the board
agreement is needed if the commission is to win the trust of the people
and thus serve any useful purpose. It is hard to understand why there was
so much reluctance to talk to Chaudhry Nisar, and other leaders of key
parties about the composition of the commission. Failure to do so has turned
the whole exercise into a complete farce. To add to this, even those asked to
serve as part of the body were not asked in advance. We see evidence of this
in Ebrahims immediate decision not to participate. Meanwhile Justice Javed
Iqbal has agreed to participate but stated that he will need the chief justices
formal permission. What we have now is a situation that only adds to
existing tensions between the government and the opposition. We are
nowhere near beginning an unbiased enquiry into an event fraught with
implications for our country. This is not an encouraging development. It
exhibits once more, both the incompetence of our government and suggests
that we are further than ever before from discovering the truth about what
happened early last month at Abbottabad and the events that preceded it.
Shafqat Mahmood wrote in defence of ISI. Even if one looks at the
narrow interest of a particular institution, how would it help the Pakistani
army, for instance, if the country is destroyed in a war? Or, what great
advantage would it give the ISI, an institution already under fire for not
knowing of Osamas presence in Abbottabad, to commit the foul murder of
a journalist?
I mention this because many on the internet blogs have convinced
themselves that no one other than the ISI could have been involved in
Saleems killing. A rare anguished denial by the ISI cuts no ice with them.
Their minds would not change. They would refuse to countenance the
possibility that those al-Qaeda affiliated groups so brilliantly exposed by
Saleem Shahzad could also have a motive.
For saying this, I would of course be labeled an ISI agent. But since
there is no evidence to go by, one can only try and analyze who gains from
this awful murder. In other words, make an attempt to try and apply logic to
a murky situation. Would the ISI, under more pressure than it has ever been,
with its chief surrendering himself to being grilled in parliament, have a
911

rational reason to add to its woes by going on a murder spree? And a murder
on which fingers would, without a doubt, be pointed at the agency? Unless
everyone in the ISI has gone mad, it gains nothing from doing this.
Let us look at the other suspect. How pleasant it would be for a terror
group to be so exposed as Saleem Shahzad had repeatedly done? He
obviously had cultivated sources within it, which was a huge breach in the
groups security shield. Would it not suit it to kill him brutally, safe in the
knowledge that blame will fall on the ISI?
The entire world out there is trying to demonize our security
institutions. One can easily forget that they are our last wall of defence.
Imagine, if their discipline erodes, or they suffer, where we would be. Let
us not sully the memory of the brave Saleem Shahzad by playing this selfdestructive game. The military and its intelligence arms need to change and
open themselves to civilian scrutiny. Democratic institutions must prevail in
the end. But, in the midst of war, undermining them only gives strength to
the forces trying to destroy us.
On 4th June, Babar Sattar commented: The pall of gloom, anger and
despondency in Pakistan has deepened with Saleem Shahzads
gruesome murder. If the past is any guide, we will neither discover
verifiable facts about his murder, nor will his killers be brought to justice.
But let us revisit what we do know. Saleem Shahzad was called in by the ISI
in October last year to discuss a story that he had filed for Asia Times Online
and felt that he had received a muffled threat. He shared the details with his
family, employers and some friends, including Human Rights Watch.
Shahzad had written the first part of a story this past week suggesting that
Al-Qaeda/Taliban had infiltrated the navy and the attack on PNS Mehran
was a consequence of efforts to weed them out. Shahzad was abducted from
a high-security zone in Islamabad while he was on his way to participation
in a TV talk show. He was tortured to death and his body dumped in the
canal close to Rasool Barrage a couple of days later.
Who could have abducted a journalist from one of the most
fortified areas of Islamabad? If all this was the handiwork of alQaeda/Taliban, why did they not make demands in return for his release, as
they often do? If they didnt abduct him for ransom or barter, why did they
not claim credit for his assassination? Why did they not hold him out as an
example for others they see as enemies or double agents, rather than silently
dumping his tortured body, followed by an anonymous burial in Mandi
Bahhauddin? Was the local representative of Human Rights Watch
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conspiring with al-Qaeda and their foreign patrons when (according to

reported conversations with interlocutors) he disclosed that Shahzad was
being held by the ISI and would be released soon? Shahzad feared for his
life and had pointed fingers. Should we simply disregard his account now
that he is dead?
No terror group has claimed responsibility for Shahzads murder. But
the ISI has denied involvement in his torture and killing, and resolved to
leave no stone unturned in helping bring the perpetrators of this heinous
crime to justice. Let us assume that the ISI is being truthful here. How did
we come to this pass where our leading intelligence agency is the prime
suspect in the brutal murder of a journalist and, conscious of such a
perception, feels obliged to issue a contradiction? Was Umar Cheema of The
News really tortured by spooks or did he just imagine security personnel
shaving his head? Was Kamran Shafis house never attacked? Is there some
bright line rule that people will be roughed up but not killed? Or are the
countless reported episodes of intelligence personnel intimidating journalists
all lies? Has the US-Indian-Israeli nexus successfully manipulated the minds
of our media and intelligentsia? Is this the best explanation for the suspicion
that segments of our national security apparatus arouse?
Babar described his personnel experience wherein he was summoned
for getting some advice from ISI and then add: The ISI statement on Saleem
Shahzads murder acknowledges his meeting with officials of the ISIs
Information Management Wing and asserts that it is part of the Wings
mandate to remain in touch with the journalist community...the main
objective behind all such interactions is provision of accurate information on
matters of national security. From where does the ISI derive this
entitlement to summon journalists, seek details of their sources or
question their views? Is viewpoint censorship a part of our national security
doctrine that the ISI is mandated to enforce? Does Article 19A of our
Constitution not declare that access to information is a fundamental human
right? Does Article 19 not endow citizens with freedom of speech and
expression? And does Article 9 not guarantee the right to life and liberty?
Should access to information and the right to hold and express an opinion be
curtailed through intimidation? What kind of Animal Farm have we reduced
this country to where exercising ones right to free speech and information
extinguishes the right to life?
Notwithstanding the legality or desirability of censorship, a
shrinking world and superior technology have made it extremely hard
to kill information or ideas, if not people. You cannot sell a terrible product
913

on the back of a vigorous marketing campaign that relies largely on tyranny.

More and more citizens are questioning Pakistans national security policy
because they worry about the direction in which it is pushing this country. It
is not allegiance to an enemy but the love for their homeland and concern for
their future, and that of their kids that motivates them to demand course
correction.
There is one mother who spoils her kids rotten. And there is another
who disciplines them, grooms them, and nurtures their character by teaching
them to distinguish right from wrong. Both these mothers are acting out of
love. But only the second is being constructive. This is time for all
Pakistanis, and especially the more thoughtful ones within the security
establishment, to engage in introspection instead of snapping at anyone
holding the mirror to them.
Adnan Sattar opined: The duties address all organs of the state,
including the judiciary which now bears the onus of proving its
credentials as a custodian of human rights by looking into the entire
range of acts of omission and commission by the executive and the
countrys security apparatus, which may have allowed Shahzad to have been
tortured to death with such impunity.
Similarly, its high time the legislature woke up to the serious
shortcomings in our legal framework and enacted a comprehensive
legislation to criminalize torture in line with Pakistans international
obligations before it becomes even more widespread and systematic.
As ordinary citizens, the least we can do to honour Saleem Shahzads
memory is not succumb to silence and remember Milan Kunderas great
invocation to all those who value freedom and human dignity: The struggle
of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.
Aasim Sajjad Akhtar observed: The abduction and brutal murder of
journalist Saleem Shahzad is yet another indicator of the acute sense of
desperation that has permeated our shadowy corridors of power. The
game is up, yet our king-makers insist on raising the stakes. How long the
charade can go on is a matter of conjecture; what matters is that too many
innocent people have been, and will continue to be, used as pawns by forces
much bigger than them.
Having said this, I do not believe in propagating doomsday scenarios,
as too many progressives do these days. In the final analysis, the latest
series of events proves conclusively that the contradictions within the
existing structure of power have become untenable. There is no
914

guarantee, of course, that there will be resolution of these contradictions, and

if so, that the equilibrium subsequently established will be any less
oppressive and exclusive than the incumbent structure.
In any case, there can be no doubt that there is a unique
opportunity to reconfigure the structure of power in this country. One
can only hope that this opportunity is not allowed to go to waste. It would be
remiss of me not to note that a vast majority of Pakistanis remain relatively
unconcerned with the antics of the ruling class, its external patrons, its
(increasingly out of control) ex-protgs, and the other players that make up
the power nexus. Most ordinary people are bred on a worldview in which
questions about the way of the world are seldom asked, and the daily
business of making ends meet within the confines of existing political,
economic and cultural structures takes precedence over all else.
Yet today there is a sense amongst more people than has ever been
the case till now that this static worldview has been shaken and that a
new one can be fashioned. There is still confusion aplenty due largely to
the unending manipulations of spymasters and spin doctors. Yet there is
space that is waiting to be captured by those articulate and brave enough to
do so.
It is only logical to look first and foremost towards the peoples
elected representatives to take up the challenge. Aasim expected the
journey to begin during the budget session and then concluded: We are an
American satellite and the worlds superpower is prosecuting a so-called
war on terror in and around our country. American and Pakistani generals
and spymasters may not see eye to eye at present, but this does not mean that
war has ceased to be a lucrative and politically necessary need for both. In
such an environment, those who play power politics which includes our
politicians are not inclined to rock the boat on any front.
And so we are in danger of frittering away the space that generations
of progressives have sacrificed much to create. It has not dissipated yet,
however. If parliament does not do itself a favour by setting a muchneed historical precedent, all will not be lost. If it does take up the
gauntlet, much, much more will be gained.
Zafar Hilaly wrote: The Mehran attack, now widely believed to
have been carried out with the help of those within, shows the degree of
penetration that the extremists have achieved within the armed forces.
This followed the attack on the GHQ which was also partly an inside job. It

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seems that there are undetected elements within the military working
feverishly against our national security interests.
Kayani clearly has his work cut out. To begin with he must find
those responsible who, due to intelligence failure or by design, helped
Osama evade discovery and made it possible for terrorists to wreak havoc at
the Karachi naval base. Merely court martialling some and sacking a few
others wont do. He must now begin purging the armed forces of those who
share a radical mindset that will, unless checked, bring down Pakistan. The
cleanup should be conducted at all levels. Moreover, a one-time purge will
solve nothing and serve no purpose other than to make those devising the
overthrow of the state more secretive and cautious when planning their
moves. That is all that Musharrafs wishy-washy doctrine of enlightened
moderation achieved. His bogus liberalism only spurred on extremists to
attempt to murder him.
If we are to truly expunge the extremists within the armed forces,
the investigations must lead to eliminating them root and branch. It
should be an ongoing exercise till not even a tinge of suspicion remains. We
have too much to lose if such doubts persist. We cannot afford to misjudge
the motivation of our enemy or, for that matter, allow the enemy to
underestimate our determination.
The extremists are not in this fight merely to score a point; or vent
their frustration or sense of hurt just because we are perceived as pandering
to the Americans. Nor are they simply trying to show that they can strike at
the military with impunity and retaliate vengefully against the drone strikes.
Their goal, as their leaders proclaim, is to impose their ideology on us.
Pakistan is the big strategic prize they are after regardless of the blood
and gore it may entail.
Ideally, of course, the task of defeating the enemy should be
undertaken jointly by the civil government and the military. However,
there is no point in beating around the bush. Their relationship has
traditionally been dysfunctional. Besides, this government has neither the
knowledge nor the ability to act wisely and effectively. It just doesnt have
the capacity, including the intellectual ability, to cope with the challenge.
Time and again it has proved wanting and wayward. Whether it is in the
context of managing the economy or rousing the populace to make the
necessary sacrifices, its attempts have fallen flat
Hence the job must fall on the military. In any case, the threat
extremists pose is directed as much, if not more, at the armed forces than
916

it is to civil society. They have made no bones about their aim which is to
subvert the loyalty of the armed forces, kill as many soldiers as they can in
order to weaken morale, and demonstrate that the army is no longer an
effective fighting force. Indeed, apart from the future of the country, the
armys standing as a professional institution and its national stature are at
stake.
The crisis we face today is fundamentally an internal one; even
our external security challenges are inextricably linked to it. The rot that
has set in has been a long time in the making. It has nothing to do with the
Americans, who came later, but rather with the propensities of our military
rulers and their civilian creations. True they enjoyed American support but
thats only to be expected considering how obliging they are to American
blandishments. Moreover, the economic hole into which they have dug
themselves has made them dependant on American dole.
One way of telling how the battle against terrorism is faring will be
to see where blame is placed once investigations which are hopefully
under way are completed. If it is laid at the doorstep of foreign hands,
then we can be confident that the real reason lies elsewhere. If you cannot
tell the truth about yourself who will believe you when you claim you
are telling the truth about other people? The ultimate test of what is true
lies in the conduct it inspires. We shall soon see what that is.
Next day, Ghazi Salahuddin commented: There is no doubt about the
power that is wielded by the military and its security agencies. Though there
have been reports in the media that allege possible links to security agencies
in the killing of Saleem Shahzad, a lot self-censorship is generally involved
in the coverage of a few areas, including the military. This impression that
the Pakistani media is very free and fearless is quite deceptive.
In this context, again, we have to be mindful of the power and
influence exercised by the military establishment with reference to
investigative reportage. There surely is an element of caution in this
relationship but the establishment should be pleased to have in place a
number of very enthusiastic collaborators in the media.
Still, the events of May, particularly the killing of an intrepid
newsman, have generated a surge of insecurity and fear. It is becoming
obvious that one of the largest standing armies is not winning its battles
against the enemy within. The budget, a momentary distraction, has further
underlined the heartbreaking reality of how our resources are disbursed. But

917

what do we get in return, except a devastating debacle in the lives of our

people?
Adnan Rehmat observed: The way TV channels were provided the
photo of Saleems mutilated face and the way it was repeatedly aired is also
telling. His family and friends may not have deserved this last image seared
in their memories of him, but many in the media community believe this
picture was released to the media for two purposes: (i) to confirm that he
has been punished for crossing a limit that he was warned not to, and (ii) to
let the 17,000 journalists of Pakistan know what happens when you dont
pay heed. Prepare for a dramatic rise in self-censorship.
Saleem was killed to silence him but this enforced censorship
only reflects the Pakistani states lack of confidence in itself. The test of
democracy is freedom of criticism and it seems democracy is withering
away once again in Pakistan.
Amir Mir wrote: Pakistan is undergoing a radical metamorphosis,
moving from the phase of Talibanization of its society to the
Pakistanization of al-Qaeda, with almost all the major anti-US and antistate jehadi organizations of the country having already joined hands with alQaeda to let loose a reign of terror across Pakistan.
Preliminary investigations into the May 22 attack on the Mehran
Naval Base in Karachi suggest it was a coordinated operation involving
al-Qaedas interim chief Commander Saif Al Adal, who is based in North
Waziristan, Commander Ilyas Kashmiri, a Pakistani who is also operating
from the same area and now counted among al-Qaedas top military
strategists, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Punjabi Taliban, a term
used to describe the Punjab-based jehadi groups who are opposed to, and
fighting, the Pakistani state as well as the United States.
Terrorism experts believe that al-Qaeda and the Tehrik-e-Taliban
Pakistan have teamed up with the Punjabi Taliban in recent years to
form a triangular syndicate of militancy, with an aim to destabilize
Pakistan, whose political and military leadership has been siding with the
forces of the infidel in the war on terror. Therefore, the al-Qaeda-Taliban
alliance has gained an edge in Pakistan because of the support the local
jehadi groups provide.
Ideological ties bind the al-Qaeda, the TTP, and the Punjabi
Taliban to throw out international forces from Afghanistan. These three
share intelligence, human resources and training facilities, and empathize
with each other as the US-Pak forces however strained the relationship
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between the two countries may be hunt and target them. These three
initially came together at the time the United States invaded Afghanistan
post-9\11, prompting the al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban to rely on local
partners such as Pakistani pro-Taliban tribes, anti-US and anti-Shia
organizations like the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and jehadi mercenaries in
Pakistani seminaries and militant groups for shelter and assistance.
The ties between local groups and al-Qaeda were cemented
further as the Afghan Talibans astonishing successes against the US-led
allied forces prompted the US to increase drone attacks in the tribal areas
and turn the heat on Pakistan to crack down on the TTP and others
However, what gave the alliance a fillip was the migration of battlehardened Pakistani jehadi commanders from the battlefront in Indianadministered Jammu Kashmir to North Waziristan.
As things stand now, security experts say, the trouble-stricken
Waziristan region has become the new battlefield for the Kashmiri
militants, who have already joined hands with the anti-US al-Qaeda
elements there. Information collected by Pakistani authorities indicates the
presence of fighters belonging to several pro-Kashmir jehadi groups, many
of which have apparently fallen out of favour with Pakistani military and
intelligence establishment. These groups include Harkatul Jehad-al-Islami
(HuJI), Harkatul Mujahideen (HuM), Al Badar and Jamaatul Furqaan as well
as the renegade elements of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-eToiba (LeT).
Veteran jehadi commanders like Ilyas Kashmiri and Badr
Mansoor were the first ones to have adopted al-Qaedas ideology that
the weakening of the worlds only superpower, the United States of America,
is essential for the Muslim world. Commanders like Kashmiri brought with
them contacts in the lower echelons of the Pakistan establishment, intricate
knowledge of the Pakistan terrain, and their skills in fighting, which helped
create a new army for al-Qaeda in South Asia. These developments have
given al-Qaeda a commanding position in South Asia, especially in Pakistan,
where the international terrorist outfit can effectively manipulate local
militants to promote its cause especially following the inclusion of Pakistani
jehadi commanders like Ilyas Kashmiri, who is believed to be the second-incommand of al-Qaedas interim chief, Saif Al Adal.
Kashmiri is considered brutal and goal-oriented just like his Egyptian
partner Saif Al Adal who has substantial experience cooperating with other
anti-US militant groups Brigade 313 is al-Qaedas military
919

organization in Pakistan, and is made up of Taliban and allied jehadi

groups. Jehadis belonging to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Harkatul Jehadul Islami,
Jamaatul Furqaan, Jundullah, and renegade elements of Jaish-e-Mohammad
and Lashkar-e-Toiba are known to have merged with al-Qaeda in Pakistan,
and the group operates under the name of Brigade 313, led by Ilyas
Kashmiri who is a walking lesson for the Pakistani military establishment on
how not to create non-state actors because he has killed more Pakistanis than
anyone else and more khakis than civilians.
The Brigade 313 has been behind many high-profile terror
attacks inside Pakistan, reportedly including the October 2009 commando
assault on the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The GHQ attack
was carried out after an American drone targeted Kashmiri and reportedly
killed him in North Waziristan on September 14, 2009. Yet, hardly a month
after his reported death, Kashmiri re-surfaced and promised retribution
against the United States and its proxies, saying the Americans were right to
pursue him. They know their enemy quite well. They know what I am
really up to, Ilyas Kashmiri had observed in an interview. Kashmiri is on
the record as swearing allegiance to Afghan Taliban leader Mulla Omar as
far back as 1999.
On 6th June, The News commente4d: The governments performance
in willfully failing to match its words with meaningful action was not bad to
begin with. Over the years, however, it has raised this practice to an art form.
The Gilani government was never exactly eager to set up a high-level
judicial commission for an independent probe into the May 2
Abbottabad debacle, and it took it nearly three weeks to set up such a
commission even after parliament had passed a unanimous resolution on
May 14 demanding such an enquiry, following consultations between Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar
Ali Khan. And when it did so at last, it was not merely an exercise in
creating a false appearance but a clever attempt to complicate the issue in
such a manner as to ensure that an independent probe into the Abbottabad
incident remained a very weak probability.
The government appointed Justice Javed Iqbal as chairman of the
commission with four other personages as members. Chief justice of
Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was not taken into confidence while
appointing a judge of the Supreme Court as head of the commission, nor was
the leader of the opposition consulted as was required by the parliamentary
resolution. The government did not even seek the consent of the nominated
chairman and members of the commission before issuing the notification.
920

This methodical madness delivered the intended mess, infuriating the

opposition and leaving many in the legal profession wondering. At least one
of the nominated members of the commission, Justice (r) Fakhruddin G
Ebrahim, refused to become a part of a body whose very manner of
constitution lacked mandatory consultation. This is how the government
achieved its objective of avoiding an independent enquiry into an
incident that shook the entire nation.
Even in the face of utmost tragedies, we can count on this
government not to rise above opportunism and to make petty attempts
to settle scores with those whose presence poses a check on its lust for
more power and its craving for more corruption. This is the common thread
that binds all the shenanigans it has indulged in against the judiciary ever
since it assumed power, and this is what lies at the heart of the matter of the
prime minister so conveniently bypassing the chief justice of Pakistan in
appointing Justice Javed Iqbal as head of the Abbottabad commission. This
disregard for the well-established norm of consulting chief justices of the
courts before nominating serving judges to enquiries and commissions can
only be seen as a clear move against the judiciarys independence. If the
government is allowed to unilaterally pick judges for enquiries and
commissions, and if judges let themselves be picked by the executive
without the permission and approval of the chief justice, it will not only
affect the working of the courts but also compromise the independence and
impartiality of judges, and may even cause rifts within the judiciary.
Such rifts and divisions may be the aim, and game, of someone in
power; but for the people of this crisis-ridden country they will be a most
unfortunate development. As things fall apart unceasingly, putting big
question marks on the character and performance of almost every institution
here, the glorious refusal of the present judiciary to become pawns and
puppets in the hands of power remains a source of immense pride for people,
and a ray of hope. We hope that the moves to kill this pride and extinguish
this hope will end how they should up in smoke.
Asif Ezdi wrote: While taking Pakistan to task for its alleged doubledealing, the Western media has been silent about US duplicity towards
Pakistan. One exception is a special report by Reuters last month. It said:
The reality is that Washington long ago learned to play its own double game.
It works with Islamabad when it can and uses Pakistani assets when its
useful, but is ever more careful about revealing what its up to.

921

There are at least four ways in which Pakistan has been duped by
the US intelligence. First, with its vast technological and financial
resources, the CIA has set up a spy network in Pakistan that rivals the
countrys own agencies. The US has been helped by the liberal issuance of
visas to US agents by our ambassador in Washington Husain Haqqani, the
setting up of hundreds of safe houses in the country and the freedom given
to the US spies to move around in vehicles loaded with advanced technical
hardware.
Second, the government has allowed the CIA to set up the
capacity to intercept not only wireless messages like mobile telephones
but also landline and internet communications. David Ignatius, a wellinformed columnist of The Washington Post, has written that if the ISI had
transmitted information about sheltering Bin Laden, US intelligence would
almost certainly have picked it up through surveillance. As the US media has
reported, the US agency also monitored telephone calls between Pakistans
political and military leadership immediately after the Abbottabad raid.
Third, the US has been spying on Pakistan through stealth drones
flying in Pakistani airspace without the knowledge of the Pakistani
authorities and in violation of Pakistans sovereignty. These drones are also
equipped to eavesdrop on electronic transmissions in Pakistan.
Fourth, the US has used its intelligence-gathering capability not
only to track al-Qaeda but also keep an eye on the countrys nuclear
weapons, possible links and contacts between the ISI and Islamic militants
and imports and exports of nuclear-related equipment and material.
Our civilian government, like the Musharraf dictatorship before it,
bears much of the responsibility for having allowed the CIA to make
inroads into Pakistan that threaten our national security. Zardari is so keen
to ingratiate himself with Washington in the hope of retaining US favour
and saving his vast overseas wealth that he is unable to say no to any US
demand.
US duplicity towards Pakistan does not stop at their intelligencegathering activities. It is also evident in their policies towards the Afghan
Taliban and the Haqqani group. While ratcheting up pressure on Pakistan
to force it to take stronger action against them, the Americans have
themselves been pursuing a dialogue with both, as part of a policy of
reconciliation and reintegration of the Afghan insurgency.
Talks with representatives of the Quetta Shura, which were started
by the US several months ago, have recently been accelerated. Three
922

meeting have been held in Qatar and Germany. Pakistan is not being
kept in the picture. Instead, Mullah Omar was included in the list of five
high-value targets given by Clinton to Pakistan on her visit last month,
which Pakistan must capture either itself or jointly with the US. Also on the
list is Sirajuddin Haqqani, son of Jalaluddin Haqqani. At the same time, the
US is reportedly trying to approach Ibrahim Haqqani, a brother of Jalaluddin
Haqqani, as well as representatives of Gulbadin Hekmatyar, either directly
or indirectly, to test if they are prepared for peace talks.
The message conveyed to Pakistan by Clintons visit was clear. If
Pakistan did not get the five most-wanted on the American list, the US
would act unilaterally. We should be under no illusion that if the US
succeeds in locating the targets, it is not going to ask for Pakistani
cooperation before hitting them.
Pakistan would hardly be in a position to counter such an attack
militarily. What we need to do now is to build political and diplomatic
barriers against that eventuality. We should start by publicly and formally
rejecting the US claim, asserted also by Obama, that the United States would
be within its rights to take unilateral action against high-value targets in
Pakistan. Pakistans stand, based on international law and the UN Charter,
should also be placed on the record of the UN Security Council by
circulating it among the members of the Council. In addition, Pakistan
should make clear its rejection of unilateral US action in other appropriate
international forums such as the annual general debate in the UN General
Assembly.
Pakistan needs also to seriously rethink its policies towards its
own Taliban. The terms offered by the Kabul government to the Afghan
Taliban for reconciliation and reintegration acceptance of the countrys
Constitution and severance of links with al-Qaeda could be replicated by
us in our country. If the TTP and its affiliates are prepared to accept similar
terms, they should be given a general amnesty and allowed to function as
political parties. A beginning should be made with the Swat Taliban, both
those who are in the custody of our authorities and those who are still
committed to fighting the government.
Ahmed Quraishi talked about anti-military mindset. What is the right
balance between healthy scepticism of Pakistani military and the ISI and
between antagonism toward both? Asking this question now is important
because the ambiguity is feeding unnecessary divisions in Pakistan. These
divisions serve to weaken a vital line of defence for the Pakistani state. They
923

also provide a domestic platform to what clearly is a get-ISI campaign that

has been on for many years now in the political and intelligence circles of
more than one country.
The brutal assassination of noted journalist and my friend Syed
Saleem Shahzad has laid bare this decades-old feature of Pakistani politics.
There exists a deep-seated antagonism in parts of our politics and media
toward Pakistani military and especially toward the ISI. The agency is
our principal tool for counterintelligence and information gathering. It is the
eyes and ears of our strategic community as we navigate our way through a
difficult neighbourhood. This antagonism is not natural to the system but is
manufactured and is sustained through a combination of lack of information,
real mistakes, rumours, half-truths, and in some cases outright propaganda.
Some of this antagonism is rooted in scepticism toward state power.
Thats healthy for any vibrant society. But in Pakistan, the lines between
scepticism and animosity have blurred over the years. Expressions of this
animosity in some corners of our politics and media surpass anything
seen in stable and mature democracies. After all, a democratic system
needs a functioning state, including aware voters, independent media,
judiciary, military and intelligence. A state could collapse without educated
voters, or a working military and intelligence. You cant discount any one of
them.
Shahzads brutal assassination brought the unhealthy antimilitary antagonism within our system to the surface. It was stunning to
watch some leading pundits in our media accuse the ISI of killing Shahzad
without evidence and ignore strong circumstantial evidence on the
involvement of elements close to Al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban.
Shahzad maintained close contacts with sources in the two terror groups, as
his scoops on numerous occasions indicate. You cant blame the foreign
media, especially media based in the United States, for giving a spin to any
story where the ISI is mentioned, since this Pakistani agency has become too
independent for American taste. But at least at home we should question all
angles and not simply ride the wave.
For example, western media saw in Shahzads article that
purportedly led to his brutal death an embarrassment for Pakistani
military and thus a motive for the ISI to eliminate him. Many people in
our media picked up this theory. Thats an angle worth probing, but so is the
fact that the same article exposes al-Qaeda links to the attack on the naval

924

base in Karachi, especially when the terror group has kept low and refrained
so far from claiming responsibility for the attack.
The anti-military antagonism has probably blinded many of us to
exploring other important angles. For example, the ISI itself was badly
burned when two of its ex-operatives were killed by Pakistani Taliban earlier
this year while trying to create inroads within the terror group. Likewise, US
journalist Daniel Pearl paid with his life for getting too close to
unscrupulous elements.
A meeting between Shahzad and officers from the media
management wing of the ISI last year is cited as evidence that the spy
agency was harassing him. The agencys version is very straightforward:
they met Shahzad at a registered government office about a story he did and
asked him either to confirm his sources or retract the story because it
damaged Pakistani interests. Shahzad declined both demands and that was it.
One friend and acquaintance of Shahzad, Mr Najam Sethi, said the meeting
constituted a threat. Another friend of Shahzad, Mr Ejaz Haider, wrote that
his friend mentioned the meeting with the ISI but didnt characterize it as a
threat.
It is fair to say that the ISI, by virtue of the said meeting, should
be included in Shahzads murder investigation. But that is quite different
from saying the ISI is the killer and ignore all evidence that points to other
possibilities. That said; we do have a history in Pakistan of secret
government agents kidnapping journalists, beating them up and then
releasing them, alive. But most of us forget that this culture is not part of
what our security agencies want to do. It was thrust on them by
governments, often including democratic ones.
Security agents from various agencies of the government have at
different times kidnapped and sorted out journalists under orders from
several democratic and non-democratic governments in Islamabad. In most
of such cases journalists were harassed because powerful figures in
government wanted to harass them and used state power for the purpose.
There is also the legacy of how state institutions were used to settle political
differences. This burden of history should not be overblown and used to
create a wedge between state institutions such as the ISI and ordinary
Pakistanis.

925

REVIEW
Since devastating attack on PNS Mehran there has been lot of talk
about the help attackers might have received from the rank and file of Navy.
The aspect of inroads made by militant groups into security forces was
briefly mentioned in last article, which after the murder of Saleem Shehzad
need to be pondered about in some detail.
It would be wrong to say that the problem within has been revealed
by Mehran Episode. It existed from Day One of the ongoing war on terror.
Its nature and extent has been corresponding to the prevalent public
sentiment about the war. The men in uniform come from the masses that are
not enlightened, liberal and secular like the analysts who own this war.
Right from the beginning there has been criticism, reservations,
disagreements, resentment and opposition to Musharrafs decision to step on
to the side of the US. These were expressed quite clearly all along. The
resentment and opposition from within the rank and file to the war was
expressed loud and clear in attempts to assassinate Musharraf, GHQ attack
and suicide attack in Tarbela.
This expression was seen and heard quite clearly in the above
mentioned incidents, but it could have been felt by keener observers in many
more acts of terror. The cries of rulers after every attack claiming that this
is our war indicate that the war has not been accepted as such by a vast
majority of the people of Pakistan.
Existence of the ailment can be diagonzed even by the apprentices,
but nature and extent of its gravity wont be easy to be determined. This
determination is essential for prescribing the remedial measures; it cannot be
cured by random surgical solution as recommended by Zafar Hilaly. He
wanted the roots and branches pruned not realizing that after that there
would be nothing left except a stump.
The nature of the problem directly relates to its causes, out of which
three need to be mentioned. Out of these the misconceptions of Islamic
concept of Jihad is the most widely pointed out by Pakistani allies of the
Crusaders. Musharraf was the originator of this debate and to this end he
divided the society into enlightened moderates and obscurantist.
Most of what is said against Jihad is meant to please the US, which
had vehemently supported this concept for evicting Soviet troops from
Afghanistan. They disregard the fact that if Jihad was justified against Soviet
forces why is it not so against occupation forces of the US and NATO? If it
926

is justified against these Crusaders, why is it not so against their frontline

soldiers?
Rehman Malik and Bashir Bilour can cry hoarse after every incident
to declare the perpetrators non-Muslims, but majority of the people, in
civvies and uniform, were never impressed by their proclamations. The
reason behind their obscured vision is that they have not seen greenbacks
like Malik and dont see religious forces as enemies like Bilour. Hence;
these obscurantist wont abandon their beliefs; right or wrong.
The second cause is widespread anti-US sentiment that has prevailed
in Pakistan even during best of the times and since the start of Bushs holy
war against Islamic fascists it has fierce as never before. Americans have
nourished it with frequent expression of their values that ridicule Islam and
its followers and watered it by spilling blood of innocent men, women and
children in Islamic world.
The third cause is ever flaring up fire of the revenge. Every act of
terror has been to avenge some brutality of the Crusaders and their allies
and owned as such quite vocally. This war, in fact, has only one driving
force behind it; exacting the revenge.
Apart from identifying the nature of the inside factor determination
of its extent is equally important for deciding the dosage of medication. As
all the three causes behind nature of the ailment; Jihad, anti-US sentiment
and revenge; relate to the mindset, it is quite difficult to draw certain lines
the line from where it has to be treated as sickness and the line between the
treatment through medicine and surgery.
The badly affected parts can be removed through surgery, which
means summary disposals through administrative or disciplinary actions.
This option is practical when there is limited number of affected parts; when
odd fingers or toes are affected; imputation of the limbs, legs and arms, is no
cure.
The treatment other than surgery is restricted to psychological therapy,
or motivational discourses. That wont be easy as killing own people and
getting payments from the Crusaders cannot be justified, because majority of
the men in rank and file of armed forces are not much enlightened, secular or
liberals. Therefore, the only option left would be revisiting the policy of war.
6th June, 2011

927

OBAMA KILLED OSAMA X

The regime revealed another dark aspect of its democratic revenge by
filing a petition in IHC accusing Dr Abdul Qadir Khan of violating the
norms of security protocol provided to him on court orders. The narrative of
the petition virtually equated Dr Khan with Osama and apprehended repeat
of Abbottabad operation to terminate him.
Zawahiri in the video tape released during the period vowed to avenge
killing of Osama. The US also demonstrated its determination to press on it
aggressive military operation in the region. The aggressive designs of both
the belligerent parties meant more death and destruction in Pakistan.
Corps commander met and deliberated over the prevalent security
situation. They focused more on warning about the consequences of
tarnishing the image of Army than presenting a plan to end this war. They
also clarified that most of the military aid received from the US was spent on
making up budgetary deficits.
Panetta visited Pakistan, met civil and military leaders and pressed for
military operation in North Waziristan; Pakistan as usual told him that
operation would be carried out at appropriate time. Meanwhile, the US
National Security Council decided to continue with strategy of drone attacks
in tribal areas.

NEWS
On 7th June, Ministry of Interior filed a petition in the IHC in which it
submitted that Dr AQ Khan was not following the security protocol given on
February 6. The case against Khan was built on intriguing arguments. The
petition said movement of suspicious persons was observed around the
residence of Dr Khan and foreigners have hired houses in the area.
Recently, the US killed Osama in a raid under a UN resolution and similar
resolution exists about Dr AQ Khan.
The petition also said Dr Khan insists on going to walk and refuses to
use bullet-proof car. He has been meeting politicians and other undesirable
persons and he has also been writing in newspapers on sensitive issues
(read criticism of the regime). The court issued notice to Dr Khan.
Dr Qadir rejected all allegations specially the existence of UN
resolution about him. He alleged that Rehman Malik has acquired expertise
in telling lies and lies have become a norm of state policy. In Iran,
928

Ahmadinejad noted that the US planned to sabotage nuclear facilities of

Pakistan after triggering civil war. Gilani, however, told the visiting US
Congressmen that US presence should help bring peace and prosperity.
Next day, Zawahiri warned Americans not to gloat; Osama will
continue to haunt America. He pledged his support to Taliban and urged
Pakistanis to rise. At least 24 people were killed and eight wounded in
drone-launched missile attack in North Waziristan.
On 9th June, General Kayani chaired Corps Commanders Conference
Pakistan and unusually lengthy press release was issued after the conference.
The commanders vowed to continue supporting the democracy rather than
any particular political party. They, however, observed with concern that
certain parties were damaging the image of Army in the wake of May 2 US
attack in which Osama was killed.
Press release clarified that Pakistan military was given $8.5 billion by
US in all as against generally reported $13.5 billion. Out of this Army got
$1.4 billion and Navy and PAF got even less. The remaining $6 billion or
more were utilized to make up budgetary deficits over the years. Army also
recommended to the government to spend future aid on people.
Coordinated effort by all security forces against terrorists will
continue, but Pak-US relations will be reviewed in the light of Parliamentary
Resolution and sentiments of the people of Pakistan. Presence of US troops
has already been reduced. Intelligence will be shared on mutual basis and
CIA wont be allowed to operate independently like pre-May 2 period.
The Army rejected reports that there was US pressure for carrying out
military operation In North Waziristan. The tribesmen of the Agency were
advised to push the foreign fighters out of their area. It was reiterated that
any future operation would be timed to suit Pakistans interests. The press
release, however, like the past, remained silent as to the Army planned to
end this ongoing perpetration of death and destruction.
Next day, Nanas Shari vowed not to allow any institution become a
sacred cow and foil move to subvert constitution, judiciary and media. He
urged Army to make itself worthy of respect. Tehmina Daultana objected to
press release after Corps commanders conference which contained lessons
on democracy and called the critics as traitors. She demanded resignation of
DG ISI.
Panetta during his Islamabad visit said in the supreme interests of the
US ISI must continue cooperating with the CIA, in spite of the
929

complications arising in the wake of May 2 operation in Abbottabad. Panetta

met DG ISI and COAS and discussed new plans for intelligence sharing
and insisted on military operation in North Waziristan. US National Security
Council decided to continue drone strikes as is for now.
On 11th June, Tajik mother of one of the victims of Kharotabad
carnage arrived in Quetta and recognized her son and his wife. She begged
her son to rise but he could hear her no more. The Washington Post claimed
that intelligence provided to Pakistan about militants was compromised; ISI
was blamed for that.

VIEWS
On 7th June, The News commented: Another key militant leader, the
widely feared Ilyas Kashmiri, has been confirmed by his organization, the
Harkatul Jehadul Islami (HUJI), as having been killed along with some 13
other militants in a US drone strike at a village near Wana in South
Waziristan There have been numerous attacks on military and
paramilitary forces since the Abbottabad raid, and the killing of
Kashmiri could lead to still more strikes. Certainly, the militants who also
struck on Sunday at a bazaar in Matani, where a bomb blast led to seven
deaths, have demonstrated that they retain the capacity to wreak revenge.
There are also indications that the militants may be gunning for
higher-profile targets. Police in Islamabad say they were able to foil a
Taliban plot to assassinate President Zardari. We can only wonder what other
schemes are being thought up by the TTP and groups allied to its violent
cause. It is quite possible that they will aim for VVIPs, as they strive to
make their presence felt with greater force than ever before. Their
determination to avenge the death of key leaders has already been written in
stone as we face a new bombing or a new attack almost every day. But it is
hard to say what the long-term repercussions of the killing of key militants
will be. The US media has carried reports stating that al-Qaeda and the
Taliban have been weakened. Only time will tell if this is true and if we
are moving towards a situation where the violence we see now will finally
end. For now it is clear that it is the people of Pakistan who suffer most.
Rahimullah Yusufzai opined: The renewed wave of violence
triggered by the May 2 assassination of the al-Qaeda leader shows no
signs of abating in June and beyond. There were further terrorist strikes by
the TTP and its affiliates in both old and new target areas. The security
forces also appear busy fighting the militants in Orakzai and Mohmand
930

tribal agencies if one were to believe the claims being made every day about
the losses inflicted on the Taliban insurgents. The case of Orakzai Agency is
intriguing because the number of militants that the military is claiming to
have killed far exceeds their estimated strength.
Then there are the CIA-operated drones sent in ever greater numbers
to the two Waziristans to kill militants. Once in a while, someone known and
wanted is eliminated as happened in the case of Ilyas Kashmiri on June 3
near Wana in South Waziristan. That is considered enough by the pro-US
lobby to reinforce the efficacy of the drones and neutralize the negative
effects resulting from civilian deaths in the strikes using the appropriately
named Hellfire missiles. How could Pakistans civil and military
establishment object to the US drone strikes killing some of the most wanted
Pakistanis such as Baitullah Mahsud, Nek Mohammad, Qari Hussain, Haji
Omar and Ilyas Kashmiri? After every drone strike that kills a known alQaeda or Taliban militant, the Americans get a new license to kill. The
issue of sovereignty in such cases is pushed into the background,
notwithstanding the faint protests that our rulers publicly make to assuage
the feelings and pride of the Pakistani people.
Unfortunately, there are no clear goalposts in the never-ending
war on terror that would signal the end of the sufferings Pakistani
people and, by extension, of the Afghan people. Take, for example, the
reported US demand that Pakistan extend its helping hand in the elimination
of the five most wanted militants hiding within its borders. If the name of
Ilyas Kashmiri, a man with a larger-than-life reputation, was indeed in that
list, his death means it is one down with four more to go! But the search for
the remaining four al-Qaeda figures Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri and Atiya
Abdur Rahman and Afghan Taliban leaders Mulla Mohammad Omar and
Sirajuddin Haqqani could take long or never bear fruit.
Besides, what is the guarantee that the US would not produce
another list of wanted militants in case the five listed above are taken out?
There have already been suggestions that Saif al-Adel, Abu Yahya al-Libi,
Adam Gadahn (Azam the American) and certain other Al-Qaeda figures are
also hiding in Pakistan and the US would be keen to capture or kill them
with or without Pakistani cooperation
The other US demand isnt new and it concerns a robust
Pakistani military operation in North Waziristan. For the US the
foremost target is the Haqqani network and Al-Qaeda remnants aligned to it.
For Pakistan the real target is the Hakimullah Mahsud-led TTP and its
931

affiliates that found refuge in North Waziristan after being evicted from
South Waziristan and other militants strongholds following military
operations. In its own interest, Pakistan needs to act against militants using
North Waziristan to launch attacks in the cities and targeting the military and
the police. It could do so by undertaking a limited, intelligence-based
military action. As the Haqqani Network in all likelihood wont be harmed
and its operatives who may be hiding in North Waziristan would have
relocated, the US objectives would remain unfulfilled and its demands wont
end.
Another point worth remembering is that the TTP is no longer a
disciplined organization that controls all the militants. The two largescale recent attacks on Pakistans border security posts in Upper Dir and
Lower Dir districts were carried out by militants belonging to Malakand
division and the Bajaur operating from Afghan territory. The bombings in
and around Peshawar are sponsored by the militants based in Darra
Adamkhel, Khyber and Orakzai agencies. And the terrorist attacks in
Charsadda, Mardan and even Peshawar are ordered by the militants
entrenched in Mohmand Agency. The TTP has decentralized. It wasnt
destroyed by the October 2009 action against it in South Waziristan and it
would likely survive any military operation in North Waziristan. Sustained
pressure instead of one big military operation would be needed to diminish
its strength.
Hamid Mir wrote about Ilyas Kashmiri: The Pakistani and US
authorities are reluctantly claiming the death of militant leader Ilyas
Kashmiri for the third time in the last three years but they still lack
knowledge about the network, aims and capabilities of his 313 brigade
despite the fact that he was actually a genie created by the Pakistani
establishment.
He served American interests in Afghanistan in the 80s and
Pakistani interests in Kashmir in the 90s but today both the American
and Pakistani security establishment want to celebrate his death if they have
some confirmation of it. Pakistani security agencies have arrested a number
of people from different areas who were once close to Ilyas Kashmiri.
However, they are not ready to admit that actually the violation of article
256 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan by the Pakistani
state created many people like Ilyas Kashmiri.
Ilyas Kashmiri was mishandled by the Pakistani establishment
after 9/11 and this mishandling made him one of the most dangerous threats
932

for the security of not only Pakistan but the whole of South Asia. He trained
hundreds of young boys in the last few years for a war between India and
Pakistan. He was running the most lethal militant network with the support
of many low- level retired Army officers.
Ilyas Kashmiri was not the product of religious schools. He was
the man who believed in modern education and who used modern war
tactics against his enemies. This scribe first met him in the mid 90s when
he escaped from an Indian jail and came back to Pakistan. He was very
popular in Kashmiri militant circles as well as military circles. He became
the darling of the military leadership when he attacked an Indian check post
on the LoC in Naushehra sector on February 27, 2000 and killed seven
soldiers of the Indian Army.
This attack was organized as a response to the Indian Army raid on a
village in the Nakial area of Pakistani Kashmir in which many civilians were
killed. Ilyas Kashmiri again killed some senior Indian Army officers in the
Tanda area of Jammu sector in 2003 but within a few months of this attack
he was arrested by the Pakistan Army in connection with and
assassination attempt on the life of General Pervez Musharraf.
He was declared innocent during the investigations and was
released in February 2004. He was again arrested in 2005 but was released
on the pressure of Kashmiri militant outfits. Torture and humiliation in a
Pakistani jail forced him to say to a senior leader of Hizbul Mujahedeen that
there is no difference between Pakistani and Indian jails; they dont trust us
because we are Kashmiris.
He moved to North Waziristan after the Lal Masjid operation in
Islamabad in 2007 but interestingly some militant groups always
suspected him because of his past connections with the Pakistan Army. He
was trusted more by the Punjabi Taliban rather than the Pashtuns but with
the passage of time he developed good relations with the Hakeemullah
Mehsud group.
On the other side he never had good relations with militants
groups having unannounced peace accords with the Pakistani
authorities in the tribal areas and who are fighting only against US troops in
Afghanistan. It was reported last Friday that Ilyas Kashmiri was killed in an
apple orchard close to Wana area of South Waziristan in a US drone attack.
This area is in the control of Maulvi Nazir who is considered a
Pakistan friendly good Talib. It is yet not clear that why Ilyas Kashmiri
decided to visit an area where another Taliban leader Hakeemullah
933

Mehsud does not feel safe and even his fighters were attacked by the
Maulvi Nazir group sometime back. Hakeemullah is hiding somewhere in
North Waziristan. Some sources are claiming that may be Pakistani
authorities helped the US to find his location but his presence in a nonfriendly area is still a mystery.
Ilyas Kashmiri was very careful in his relations with all those who
have direct or indirect contacts with the Pakistani establishment. He focused
more on the recruitment of boys from the English medium schools for
his future plans in the last four years. Ilyas Kashmiri planned to provoke a
war between India and Pakistan by organizing some attacks in big cities like
Delhi and Mumbai.
He was more interested in the independence of Kashmir and
wanted to take some advantage out of an India-Pakistan war. He
discussed this plan with some other militant groups associated with the
Taliban but consensus was not created on this plan because other groups
were more interested in fighting against the Pakistani state.
According to reports Kashmiri managed to infiltrate dozens of his
fighters inside India in the last few years. Some of them came from Indian
Gujarat via Dubai or directly from Delhi. These boys came to
Afghanistan under the cover of laborers and technicians but slipped to
eastern Afghanistan and entered to North Waziristan for training with 313
Brigade.
Ilyas Kashmiri recruited a large number of young boys not only from
Rawalpindi and Islamabad but also from AJK. Most of the boys had no past
record of militancy. He abandoned all those seniors who were having
good relations with Pakistani state. His mixture of young and fresh
Pakistani boys with angry Muslim boys from India made him the biggest
threat for peace in South Asia. Once I interviewed him in his big training
camp near the mountains of Kotli where he showed me the anti-air craft
guns.
I asked him that what was the use of anti-air craft guns in guerilla
warfare. He responded that may be one day he will be attacked by the Indian
air force and he will retaliate with anti-air craft guns. On another occasion
when I asked him that formation of a private Army is the violation of article
256 of Pakistani constitution which says no private organization capable of
functioning as a military organization shall be formed and any such
organization will be illegal he said: I am fighting for the liberation of
Kashmir while sitting in Kashmir, its not Pakistan its Kotli.
934

He developed differences with the Pakistani establishment when he

was asked to join Jaish-e-Muhammad of Maulana Masood Azhar. I met him
many times after his differences with the Pakistani establishment in
Islamabad. He had more than two offices in Islamabad and many known
religious clerics of the capital were his frequent visitors but he
disappeared one day. He decided to take revenge on Pakistani state but
today Pakistani establishment is trying to arrest all those who were close to
him.
The fate of Ilyas Kashmiri is a lesson for many good Taliban as
well as a lesson for the establishment itself. First lesson is that Pakistani
establishment used thousands of youngsters in the name of Jihad and
liberation of Kashmir but it can change its policy anytime under foreign
pressure. They are not dependable. Secondly the Pakistani establishment
must realize that creating private armies is the violation of Constitution.
They must not create private armies and if you have created these private
Armies in the past dont mishandle them. They can become genies like Ilyas
Kashmiri.
Next day, Ismail Khan observed: Both failing to detect Osamas
presence in the country and failing to detect US helicopters in Pakistani
airspace raised considerable doubts about the efficacy of military alarms.
These in turn have led to a popular demand that the government look into
and correct grave errors such as these.
Notwithstanding the need for consensus, controversies surrounding
the appointment of commission members should not be accepted as an
excuse for the commissions natal burial. In the absence of a synchronized
timeline, half-baked stories and multiple narratives about the state and its
institutions abound. Pakistan is already at the vortex of such a rumour
pool with even officials often drawing wrong comparisons. Before the US
drone attacks had killed Baitullah Mehsud, some officials reportedly
expressed the belief that the US was backing the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP).
While the agenda of the commission is to be charted out after an
agreement on the formation of the commission is solidified, commentators
want to know the causes of the inability to detect US helicopters and the
intelligence failure that allowed Osama to remain tucked away in
Abbottabad.
In the eyes of some, the two areas of failure are intertwined. After all,
despite the blame game, Pakistan and the United States have jointly
935

pursued and nabbed many a militant from the urban areas of Pakistan.
That is, contrary to what is being speculated about the states dilly-dallying
on the subject of the commission, there are reasons to believe that even the
military would want the commission to get a green signal to cast off the
embarrassment that Bin Laden left behind.
While the military has come under scrutiny for not severing links
with several groups enjoying a foreseeable significance in the region, its
punitive actions against the foreign fighters have been equally
noteworthy. Former military ruler General Pervez Musharrafs memoir In
the Line of Fire still attracts buyers by telling them that his (Musharrafs)
forces caught six hundred and seventy members of al-Qaeda in the
mountains and cities. Even Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, during her
recent press conference, discarded the involvement of top officials in
concealing Osamas presence in the country although she didnt rule out
collaboration at lower levels.
This brings up the issue of the time stretch within the mandate of the
commission. Notwithstanding the importance of the day, exploring too
much in that single day will result in a different kettle of fish with only
the water at the top being tested. The result will lean too much on defence
unpreparedness.
Instead, should the commission be able to dig its hand in the
tunnel of Bin Laden, it will earn some much-needed international
credibility for Pakistan. Of course, that depends on the ability to play it
cool instead of challenging the world. The fact that the worlds most wanted
terrorist was ensconced in an urban area of Pakistan is an important puzzle
that needs to be solved not only for the benefit of international
stakeholders but for the sake of Pakistan itself.
The focus of the commission should be to seriously revisit the
policy through which OBL was able to get inside the country and weave
a network here. The hope is to expose flaws in order to reset the
reformation of institutes this much is accepted by Rehman Malik and
General Pasha alike; both, however, may differ over whom to blame
ultimately. This single potential of exploring flaws within the instruments
and institutes makes a strong case for its existence.
On 9th June, The News commented on the statements of Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Prime Minister Gilani about nuclear
assets of Pakistan. What is the state of Pakistans relationship with Iran
and why is Ahmadinejad making these alarmist statements now?
936

Pakistan is the only Muslim country with nuclear weapons and has close
relations with Iran. A Shia country in a Sunni sea, Iran has always needed a
bridge like Pakistan. Pakistan and Iran have just concluded the 7th PakistanIran Joint Commission on Road Transportation which recommended
opening many additional international crossing points for the promotion of
trade, commerce, and people-to-people contact.
Importantly, Ahmadinejads statement comes a day after the
International Atomic Energy Agency said it had new evidence of a possible
military dimension to Irans nuclear work. In response, Ahmadinejad
accused the UN atomic watchdog of doing Washingtons bidding and in the
same breath also talked about US plans to sabotage Pakistans nukes. It
seems the Iranian presidents statement was less an accurate description
of the safety of Pakistans nuclear facilities and more a part of an
attempt to make a larger point he has been making for some time now:
that the US wants to undermine the sovereign rights of Muslim countries.
Flagging that sanctions would not force Iran to give up what it considers its
sovereign rights, the Iranian president cited the example of Pakistan to make
his standard case about US unilateralism and arrogance, and to warn
Pakistan against bending to US pressures. But Iran must remember that
raising alarm about Pakistans nukes will not serve Pakistan at this critical
moment when the worlds gaze is fixed on it. On its part, Pakistan must let
the US and Iran figure out their problems between themselves and focus
instead on its independent relationships with the two countries. However, it
should be able to tell the US why it needs Iran to tackle an energy crisis that
threatens to undermine the fight against militancy.
Lt Col (R) Muhammad Ali Khan from Karachi wrote: Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that Washington plans to
sabotage Pakistans nuclear facilities. Now this could have been shocking
news for many Pakistanis if they hadnt suspected this already. The question
is: why would the US want to sabotage Pakistans nuclear facilities? Exactly
for the same reason Israel destroyed Iraqs nuclear facility on June 7, 1981.
Israel could not afford to coexist with a nuclear-capable Iraq that could have
the ability to strike Israel. That was the beginning of the endgame of a
country which, at that time, was the richest nation in the Persian Gulf with a
GNP of $18 billion. When compared to Iraq we are a softer and easier
target for a world community that is not ready to trust us. When Iraqs
nuclear reactor was destroyed it had not gone hot. In our case, weapon-grade
uranium is being produced and hence a sabotage raid could result in huge
fallout and large-scale civilian causalities. So, most likely that would not be
937

the mode of operation under serious consideration. Yes, securing our

nuclear reactors and nuclear assets spread all over the country must be one
of the top contingency plans of the US. Our ego should not hurt if the US,
together with other leading countries of the world, has made such a plan.
After all, if things turn from bad to worse what would one expect the US to
do? Now, the only way things can go from bad to worse is when the symbol
of unity of this country its armed forces no longer remain united.
We have witnessed security lapses in recent days. Both military and
intelligence leaderships have failed and let this nation down. And
worryingly no heads have rolled. The possibility that many shoulders in the
armed forces carry heads (especially in the junior cadres) that do not
consider America an ally cannot be ruled out. These heads find it difficult to
perceive the war on terror as their own. Add to this the notion of fighting
against our own people and the continuous innocent belief of many men
that somehow if US forces pull out of this region there will be no war left to
fight. I hope there are no more such elements both at the levels of leadership
and followers in our forces. For, if there are, bigger fiascos might happen
that could have dangerous consequences. Let us fear that day and mend our
ways.
Next day, The News commented: In the small hours of Thursday
morning there was a third incursion in as many weeks across our northwestern borders. Eight soldiers died and 20 were injured defending the
Makeen check post in North Waziristan; and between 12 and 20 accounts
differ on the militant side. As on previous occasions, the militants came in
a large number, perhaps as many as 150, and were heavily armed. The
attack followed a series of drone strikes on Wednesday which targeted
what was said to be a training camp in the Shawal Valley, about 75
kilometres northwest of Miramshah. The drones reportedly killed 24 people
including militants and wounded many more. Who else besides the
militants got wounded and killed, we do not know. Although impossible to
verify, reports say that some of the dead militants were Punjabis, some
Afghans, and others were local tribal.
It is noteworthy that the militants were able to mount what may be
assumed to be a response to the Shawal Valley drone strike in such a short
time under 24 hours. The attack appears to have been mounted, as were the
other two which happened recently, from within Afghanistan and is
tantamount to a serial invasion of Pakistani territory. Raids such as this
do not materialize out of nowhere and we may assume that there were
forces ready and able to conduct the strike against the check post on
938

standby in Afghanistan. They would have been provisioned and equipped

and ready to move at very short notice. In each of the three raids that took
place recently, the invaders have suffered significant casualties but this has
not lessened their capacity; which suggests that they have plenty in reserve.
For Pakistan, the difficulty lies in their point of origin Afghanistan.
It is impossible to believe that nobody on the Afghan side knew about
where the raiders were quartered or how they were supplied. This
suggests that wherever they may come from is either beyond the control of
Kabul or Afghan provincial authorities, or directly in the control of the
Afghan Taliban augmented by fellow-travelers from Pakistan. Most likely it
is a combination of both. Were the Pakistani forces to undertake hot pursuit
there would doubtless be cries of outrage from the Karzai government; and
similarly an intelligence-driven raid across the border as a pre-emptive strike
would be condemned by all sides. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister
Ameer Haider Hoti has said that the Afghan government is equally
involved in the cross-border incident. He may well be right and the threat
from the west is of the utmost concern. Be that as it may, it is the drone
strikes which have made the threat into a clear and present danger.
On 11th June, Brigadier Asad Munir wrote: Parliament, certain
political parties and the media are raising the issue of the countrys
sovereignty being violated by the drones. It is a fact that the US drones are
violating our sovereignty, but what about the peoples sovereignty? The
people of Pakistan were deprived of their choice to elect their representatives
for decades. Their sovereignty is as important as that of the state. In 1980,
Zia opened our borders to Muslim jihadis, from all over the world, to
participate in the so-called jihad. None of them required any visa or travel
documents.
That was a severe blow to our sovereignty against which the print
media never raised its voice. A reasonably liberal country was converted into
a battlefield. Even now, there are more than one thousand foreign
militants using our soil for terrorists activities. These terrorists, besides
violating our sovereignty, are involved in the killing of thousand of innocent
Pakistanis.
The drone is an unmanned machine, with no US pilot violating
our border. But the terrorists are roaming our cities, towns and villages,
killing Pakistanis and destroying our defence installations. We must raise our
voice against these foreign terrorists since we organize dharnas against
drones.
939

The political parties, as institutions, are required to educate their

supporters. They should not formulate policies keeping in view the
opinion of their voters, which may be flawed and based on
misinformation, emotional and irrational rhetoric. The PPP, instead of
supporting Salmaan Taseers bold and just stance, went on the defensive
once he was assassinated. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto would
certainly have reacted in a different way to the death of a great PPP leader,
who lost his life promoting the cause of the party.
The rightist parties have an agenda. They have to appease their
conservative voters. Nevertheless, the so-called liberal parties, the PPP,
the ANP, the MQM and the nationalist parties should apprise their
followers about the effects of the drone attacks. The coalition government
should release data on these strikes. It should take the people into confidence
and make it clear that the drones are operating in our areas with our consent.
The number of civilian casualties is much less compared to those resulting
from bombing by the air force and artillery and mortar fires.
The violation of our sovereignty by foreign militants is more
dangerous than the action of the drones. The strikes by drones are
indirectly supporting our operations against those terrorists who are killing
innocent Pakistanis and attacking defence installations.
The debate on various aspects of the ongoing war was revived with
renewed vigour by US raid at Osama Compound in Abbottabad. Those, who
have adopted it as our war, got yet another opportunity to criticize and
condemn Islamic fundamentalists and extremists against whom Bush had
waged this holy war. These liberal and enlightened intellectuals came down
heavily on obscurantist infrastructure comprising Mulla, Mosque and
Madressa.
Some of them, like Kamila Hyat, even prompted closure of madressas
to end darkness across the country, just as Pope Benedict had expressed
some time ago a similar wish for entire Islamic world. Others who want to
plug the sources of darkness, like Ayaz Amir and Babar Sattar criticized the
Chief Justice for taking suo moto notice of the lady who had brought couple
of bottles of enlightenment spirit from abroad.
These secular and liberal forces want the Islamic world where Islam
exists without its fundamentals. Glimpse of such a world were recoded by
Dr Muzaffar Iqbal after a visit to Kazakhstan. One of the goals of the
ongoing Crusades is also de-Islamization of Muslim countries. What
would that mean; it can be gleaned through the write up of Dr Muzaffar.
940

Ma as-salam, she said as she handed me my room key after

completing the check in. She was efficient, well-dressed and polite. Is the
meat halal, I asked. Yes, she said, with a smile, it is all halal. I was
relieved. This was my first visit to Kazakhstan and having experienced the
destruction of even the most basic Islamic norms in Uzbekistan three years
ago, I needed to be cautious. In, Uzbekistan, I had seen pig farms all the way
from Samarqand to Bukhara, both being the mysterious and romantic cities
of my childhood, both being associated with personalities noble in my
memory: Bukhara with Imam Bukhari and Samarqand with Abu al-Layth
Samarqandi, the renowned exegete of the Quran.
Despite what the lady at the front desk said, the first time I walked
into the hotel restaurant I found out that there was no distinction between
beef and pork on the buffet table; everything was next to each other. There
was a terrible smell in food; even cheese and vegetables had the same smell.
When I asked the cook about how they separate halal from non-halal meat,
the young man stared at me; he did not know what I was talking about. I had
already asked him if he was a Muslim and he had very proudly said, yes.
When I came downstairs without eating anything, there was the same lady at
the counter. I asked her again about halal and non-halal, she repeated the
same answer which she had given me yesterday; after a few more questions,
I realized that what she meant that their hotel had halal pork!
After a few more minutes of conversation, I realized that she has no
idea of halal and haram. This was, however, only the beginning of the
shock. Within the next four days, I was to find out the true extent of
destruction of Islam in this ninth largest country in the world - the worlds
largest landlocked country with an area greater than entire Western Europe.
This destruction happened during the Russians occupation which began in
the 18th century, and by the mid-19th century, all of Kazakhstan was part of
the Russian Empire.
Most of the terrible crimes against Kazakh people were committed
following the 1917 Russian Revolution and the entire religious infrastructure
and educational institutes were destroyed between 1917 and 1991.
Kazakhstan declared itself an independent country on December 16, 1991,
becoming the last Soviet republic to do so. But just like the other Republics
of the former USSR, the communist-era leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev,
became the countrys new president and the euphoria of Islamic resurgence
in Central Asia died out. Officially, more than half of 16.2 million people are
Muslim, but there are only a few remains of Islam in reality.

941

This destruction is fundamental; that is, it was systematic, organized,

and brutal. It plucked out hundreds of years of history of these people from
their consciousness by removing the basic building blocks of an Islamic
polity. Russians were thorough in their ruthlessness; they destroyed
mosques, madrasas, slaughtered religious scholars, and killed everyone who
publicly professed Islam. Compared to the Russian colonization of Central
Asia, the British seem benign. In India, Egypt, and all other lands of Islam
where British occupiers ruled during the 19th and 20th centuries, there
remains a strong fundamental presence of Islam in the lives of people.
The difference in the benign nature of the colonizers notwithstanding,
behind this fundamental reconfiguration of Muslim lands stands a one-man
institution, that of the maulvi, which is ultimately responsible for the
survival of the basic knowledge of Islam during the last three centuries
which have been the most devastating for Muslims in their entire history. It
is the maulvi who has kept the low flame of Islam flickering in the darkness
of the colonial era and even now. He was degraded, devalued, kept in
contempt, in a state of perpetual poverty, but nothing severed his ties to the
religion he was hoping to keep alive in a polity going the other way; his was
a lonely calling. Even in lands where one would not expect this destruction,
it is the maulvi who has been instrumental in keeping this flame alive.
A few years ago, I was in a small hillside town of Morocco, where
the sound of adhan was an enchanting experience. But when I went to the
mosque, I found that the maulvi and myself constituted the entire
congregation. The maulvi had dutifully called out the adhan, but no one
came. Then he called out the iqama and no one came; then he led the prayer
and before we departed, he said, this is what he experiences every day, but
that does not deter him from his calling.
The maulvis of the Indian subcontinent are far more than mere keepers of
faith; they have also kept Islamic scholarship in a few places across the
subcontinent alive. While it is true that most mosque-maulvi have little
knowledge of religion, they are at least able to lead congregational prayers
and perform the rites of birth, marriage, and death in a polity where most
educated people have no idea what to do in these situations. Imagine the
state of a society from where even these fundamental rites of ones passage
through life have disappeared! Can our educated men and women, who even
call adhan in the ears of their newly born babies, show some more dignity
and self-respect by respecting the maulvi of their masjid?

942

REVIEW
This is the last of the ten reviews under this heading. These were
meant to deal exclusively with extra-judicial killing of Osama bin Laden and
related events. Much has been said about this great victory of the holy
warriors in last 42 days; yet many facts have not been fully established,
including that Osama was killed in the compound attacked in Abbottabad or
elsewhere.
A lot more will be said and written in future and even then doubts
could persist about certain aspects of this victory. Lingering ambiguity suited
the Crusaders to press puppets rulers in Pakistan to do more for
achievement their goals some of which have not been stated by design.
Osama Episode, however, has helped crystallizing certain things.
John Kerry equated the US with al-Qaeda during his visit to
Islamabad after Osamas killing while talking about Pakistans concerns
about sovereignty. He said if Abbottabad raid was violation of Pakistans
sovereignty, so was the presence of Osama in that town.
What he conveyed, inadvertently or deliberately, was that both alQaeda and the US has the right to violate Pakistans sovereignty, but
Pakistan must wage war against al-Qaeda and dare not doing the same
against the US; the US happens to be an ally after all. The puppet rulers in
Pakistan have been complying diligently.
The second point relates to Pakistani generals. They have acquired the
expertise of war-gaming any given military situation in quick-time and
produce accurate results. Musharraf did it at midnight when he received a
long distance call after 9/11 attacks and saved Pakistan.
His successor has come to the conclusion that any kind of defiance of
the US, even verbal, could be ruinous for Pakistan; hence it has to be
avoided at all costs. Following the advice of Sun Tzu he has never allowed
any egoistic ethos to agitate him and thus remaining committed to the
subservience to the US commands as safety lied therein.
Another point proved by the events since Osamas murder has been
that baighairiti has certain positive points. It provides absolute protection
against many psychological ills or complications. Baighairiti saves from
shame, regret, remorse, tension, anger, rigidity and obscurity. It is nothing
but all enlightenment, which provides the capacity to take and absorb any
amount of insult and humiliation.

943

Correct assessment of the psychology of Pakistani rulers by the US

helped in establishing another point. This relates to how to deal with them
effectively. In rural Punjab the dacoits applied a technique to neutralize the
watchdogs. They used to bring meat stuffed into a piece of bamboo and
throw it to dogs making them busy in fiddling with that. The same technique
has been used by Americans to keep Pakistani rulers busy; the meat in their
case is US aid and the Kerry-Lugar Law is the bamboo stick.
Killing of Ilays Kashmiri in drone attack on Pakistani soil after he had
been declared one of the most wanted terrorist leader and the reaction of the
regime proved yet another point. Pakistans civil and military rulers have
formally accepted that freedom fighters of Kashmir are terrorists for all
practical purposes. They have consented to hunt them just as the US and
India had been demanding.
The last point worth mention relates the petition filed by Ministry of
Interior in IHC accusing Dr AQ Khan of not abiding by the security
protocol. It confirmed what Wikileaks had revealed about Zardari telling US
ambassador that if he had powers he would have handed over Dr Khan to the
US. The regime seemed to be nourishing much nefarious designs than mere
intimidation to stop him from criticizing the government in his columns.
The arguments that suspicious persons were seen around his
residence; foreigners have hired houses in the area; the US killed Osama in
a raid under a UN resolution; and a similar resolution existed about him have
equated him with Osama bin Laden. It could also be said that the regime
apprehended some US action against him and by filing a petition it has tried
to exonerate itself from the responsibility.
12th June, 2011

944

TERROR SANS OSAMA

On night between 1st and 2nd May Obamas international terminators
had terminated Osama in Abbottabad. In view of the significance of this
extra-judicial killing in the cause of values cherished by the civilized world,
the events related to it were discussed separately for better comprehension.
The segregation as such left the discussion on other events of war on
terror fairly dull, especially after taking out all the post-Osama terrorist
attacks. Even the events related to Afghanistan and India could not break the
monotony. The dullness was, however, ended by the exuberance of the law
enforcers, first displayed in Khrotabad, Quetta and then outside Benazir Park
in Karachi.
Now that six weeks have passed which is long enough a period even
for an event like the death of Osama it is time to revert back to old format.
Nevertheless, Osamas murder in Abbottabad will continue echoing for quite
long and that will be paid due attention in future articles.

NEWS
In Pakistan, two persons were killed in North Waziristan on 15 th
May for spying for the US. Lord Nazir urged end to drone strikes. An antimilitants tribal elder was killed in bomb blast in Hangu district and three
others were wounded. Two militant commanders were killed in bomb blast
in Akakhel, Khyber Agency. Tribal elder, member of peace committee in
Mohmand Agency, and his son were shot dead.
The man who was arrested and charge sheeted in Florida had
established a madrassa in Swat for which he has been sending money. His
daughter and grandson, who live in Swat and are named as suspects, denied
the charge of funding Taliban.
Next day, at least 15 people were killed in two drone attacks in North
Waziristan. Five militants were killed in a factional clash in Khyber Agency.
A NATO oil tanker was blown up in Peshawar. House of Amina, daughter of
Sher Ali charged in Florida, was besieged. Two kids were killed in landmine
blast in Mohmand Agency. A diplomat of Saudi Consulate in Karachi was
shot dead by unknown gunmen while going to his office.
Family of Fahim, one of the two killed by Raymond Davis, has
purchased two houses in Toba Tek Singh and Pir Mahal with diyat money.

945

Father of the deceased was right in saying that Raymond would have been
freed even if he had not accepted the blood money.
On 17th May, Two soldiers were killed in roadside bombing in Orakzai
Agency and in retaliatory shelling eight militants were killed. If the were
militants for sure why couldnt be killed before the roadside bombing? Two
FC soldiers were wounded when NATO gunship helicopters attacked a
border post in Datta Khel area on North Waziristan; Pakistan requested for
flag meeting. Amina Bibi and her son were held by police and shifted to
unknown place.
Next day, a policeman, FC soldier and 15 militants were killed when a
post was attacked in suburbs of Peshawar. A court in Peshawar issued his
arrest warrants of DeHaven for not appearing in the court; warrants were
issued after having deported him earlier.
On 19th May, security forces impounded truck carrying 20,000kg
explosives and 20,000 detonators to Gilgit; eight people were held. Two
foreigners were among five arrested in a crackdown in Taxilla. Raisani
ordered inquiry into killing of five Chechens. Police now said they had
killed themselves. JI moved a motion in the Senate. The government
submitted report in missing persons case with recommendation of Rs60
thousand per annum per family; the court approved but termed the
compensation too meager.
Next day, six people were killed in drone attack in North Waziristan;
PTI flayed government silence over attacks. National Assembly demanded
military operation in Parachinar. Six militants and five civilians were killed
in Orakzai Agency. Sixteen people were killed in blast in a NATO oil tanker
in Khyber Pass. Sixteen oil tankers were destroyed at Torkham terminal. US
Consulate vehicles were targeted by car bombing in University Town,
Peshawar; two persons were killed and 13 wounded. Three Taliban were
held in Karachi.
On 21st May, Wikileaks revealed the already known; US troops took
part in joint operations with Pakistan Army on Pakistani soil. One person
was killed in militants attack on a village in Kurram Agency. Nine militants
were killed in gunship attack in Orakzai Agency. The report of bomb
disposal squad said no explosives were found from Chechens killed in
Quetta. Nisar termed the killing a criminal act. CCPO was sacked and a
judicial commission was formed to probe the incident.
Next day, two militants were killed in roadside blast in Waziristan.
Eight people were killed and 17 wounded in clash between Turi and
946

Bangash tribes in Kurram Agency. Three militants were held in Nowshera. A

boy was killed in a bomb blast in Swat. Gunship helicopters pounded
militants in Mohmand Agency. Missing persons remained untraced despite
efforts of PHC; non-cooperation by government agencies has been the main
hurdle.
On 23rd May, seven people were killed in drone attack in North
Waziristan. Four people were killed and 14 wounded in a tribal clash in
Kurram Agency. Three people were killed in factional fighting in Khyber
Agency. Motorway Bridge was blown up near Nowshera; one person was
injured. Eight militants were killed and 11 wounded by security forces in
Mohmand Agency.
Next day, warring tribes in Kurram Agency announced ceasefire. DG
ASF resigned; he had differences over security arrangements at Islamabad,
Lahore and Karachi airports. Richard Headley told the jury that ISI had
helped LeT in carrying out Mumbai attacks. US official said Mumbai attacks
would be discussed in Congress and ISI involvement could not be ruled out.
Bail plea of Hafiz Sher Ali was rejected by the US court.
On 25th May, four people were killed and 18 wounded in a tribal clash
in Kurram Agency. A soldier was wounded in a bomb blast in Orakzai
Agency. A suicide bomber rammed his mini truck into CID Police Station in
Peshawar; seven policemen and a soldier were killed and 12 soldiers were
among 46 wounded. Four LI militants were killed in a clash in Tirah Valley.
Headley told the jury that he got instructions from ISI regarding Mumbai
attacks through Major Iqbal.
Next day, thirty people, including ten policemen, were killed and 50
wounded in a bomb blast in Hangu. Bashir Bilour couldnt make it to Hangu
to declare that it was our war. On 27th May, a soldier was wounded in
mortar attack in North Waziristan. Eight militants were killed by security
forces in Kurram Agency. In Orakzai Agency, 18 militants were killed and
12 wounded in gunship attacks. Death toll in Hangu attack rose to 36.
Ahmad Shahzad, linked to Dr Usman the mastermind of attack on
GHQ, was arrested from Karachi Airport while trying to proceed abroad.
TTP vowed to continue jihad even after withdrawal of US troops from
Afghanistan till promulgation of Islamic Shariah in Pakistan.
On 28th May, ANP leader along with two companions were killed in
Swat. Suicide bomber targeted peace committee in Salarzai area of Bajaur
Agency; five people, including PPP leader Tehsil Khan, were killed and 12

947

wounded. Six TTP militants were held in Karachi. Next day, one soldier was
wounded in roadside bombing near Miranshah.
On 30th May, NATO heliborne troops intruded into North Waziristan
and kidnapped four people of Haqqani group. A girl was killed and eight
people were wounded in bomb blast in a hotel in the Agency. Fourteen
soldiers received burn injuries when their post was struck by lightening.
Next day, Imran Khan warned against and PTI-led jirga vowed to
resist operation in North Waziristan. Jetfighters killed 17 and wounded 6
militants in Orakzai Agency. JUI-F leader was among two shot dead in
Karak by unknown gunmen. Four NATO oil tankers were blown up at
Torkham and three near Khuzdar. Coleman Headley while testifying in the
court gave clean chit to senior officials of ISI regarding their involvement in
Mumbai attacks.
On 1st June, militants blew up three houses in FR Kohat area. Two
militants and a member of peace committee were killed in Bara area. Two
hundred militants entered from Afghanistan and attacked a border post in
Upper Dir; 27 FC soldiers feared killed. Seven people were killed and four
wounded in tribal clash. FC claimed clearing 80 percent area of Mohmand
Agency.
Next day, Pakistani gunship helicopters retaliated to attack on three
border posts in Upper Dir; 45 intruders were reported killed. Some of the
attackers were speaking Urdu and Punjabi. Death toll of Pakistanis was
reported 28 soldiers and 6 civilians. Islamabad lodged protests with Kabul
and Washington.
Nine militants were killed in shelling in Orakzai Agency and a
Lashkar man was killed separately. Maulana Faqir Muhammad re-emerged
and vowed to hit government and military targets in Pakistan. He rejected
reports about accepting funds from India. Girl was killed when a shell hit a
house in Mohmand Agency.
On 3rd June, three women were wounded in rocket attack in Kurram
Agency. A child was killed when a shell landed at his house in Bara. Four
people were wounded in bomb blast in Jamrud. Next day, four US nationals
were stopped at University check point in Peshawar late at night. They
refused to come out of the vehicle and were allowed to go after it was
established that were Jijas of the regime. Thirty militants were killed in
Upper Dir. Twenty-five people were wounded in bomb blast in a hotel in
Karachi.

948

On 5th June, ANP denied presence of Blackwater in the province.

Seven people were killed and ten wounded in car bomb blast in Mattani near
Peshawar. Militants killed a tribal elder in Bara. Nineteen people were killed
and 27 wounded in suicide attack in a bakery in Nowshera. A soldier was
wounded in bomb blast in Mohmand Agency. Next day, Sufi Mohammad
was charged in two cases. He refused to defend himself showing no trust in
the courts. An official accused NATO forces of abetting militants attack in
Upper Dir.
On 7th June, two soldiers were killed in attack on a post in Kurram
Agency and five militants were killed in retaliatory action. One person was
killed in Khyber Agency for spying for the US. Four militants linked to Ilyas
Kashmiri were held in Faisalabad.
Next day, Troika met and resolved to protect Pakistans sovereignty
and declared countrys nuclear assets safe. Chief Minister Hoti said the US
and Afghan forces were as much responsible as militants for carnage in
Upper Dir. He did not ask Mama Karzai to rein in these forces. Militants
from across the border attacked FC post in Zhob Sector. Sindh Rangers were
caught on camera murdering an unarmed youth in Kharotabad style
encounter in Karachi. The Rangers had claimed that the deceased was
robbing people. Five Rangers were arrested.
On 9th June, eight soldiers and 12 militants were killed and 11 soldiers
wounded in attack on a post in Makin area of South Waziristan. Seven
militants were held at a security post in North Waziristan. Four people were
killed when a vehicle carrying members of a lashkar hit a roadside bomb in
Mattani.
Extra judicial killing of an unarmed youth by Rangers echoed in the
Parliament. Rangers were termed terrorists in uniform. All and sundry
condemned the killing but there were few odd exceptions. Rehman Malik
said the deceased was involved in crime and he tried to snatch rifle from a
Ranger. Chief Justice took suo moto notice and summoned DG Rangers, IGP
and Chief Secretary Sindh.
Next day, rockets were fired at Razmak camp. Five people were held
for stealing fuel from a NATO container in Landikotal. Two minors were
wounded in grenade explosion in Mingora and security forces held a militant
in Kabal. Karzai met Zardari and the two puppets of the US agreed to
enhance cooperation for peace.
The Supreme Court disposed of the suo moto case of Sarfraz Shah
ordering removal of DG Rangers and IG Police Sindh within three days;
949

submission of challan in one week and decision by the court within 30 days.
Meanwhile, two Rangers named in FIR were handed over to police and
policeman, who had caught Sarfraz and handed over to Rangers, was also
arrested.
The Executive has reportedly taken the court order as interference in
its domain. Sindh government said the matter would be decided on receipt of
court orders. Umar Cheema apprehended that the government could flout
Supreme Court order yet again.
On 11th June, thirty-four people were killed and about one hundred
wounded in twin bomb blasts in a market in Peshawar. Imran Khan called
for talks with Taliban. Four remaining Rangers were also handed over to
police. The regime decided to file petition for review of court verdict on case
of Sarfraz. Sindh government availed the opportunity to pounced upon funds
of the Rangers and took control of those, while it has been crying that the
entire institution should not be condemned for the fault of odd individuals;
collective monetary punishment is, however permissible.
In Afghanistan, one NATO soldier was killed in roadside bombing
in Helmand on 15th May. Next day, four Coalition soldiers were killed in
bomb blast in Helmand. On 17th May, two NATO soldiers were killed and
seven Afghan soldiers wounded in roadside bombing in area opposite
Chaman. US media reported that US has sped up dialogue with Taliban, who
have given a list of their demands to the US.
Next day, 12 persons were killed and 80 wounded when fire was
opened on participants of protests against an attack by NATO forces in
which four people were killed. Thirteen people were killed in attack on a bus
near Jalalabad. On 19th May, 36 people were killed in attack on a camp of a
construction company in Khost. The government claimed killing 60
militants in three-day operation in Faryab Province.
On 21st May, six medical students were killed in suicide attack in
military hospital in Kabul. Next day, nine policemen were killed in suicide
attack in Khost. On 23rd May, four NATO soldiers were killed in roadside
bombing in eastern Afghanistan. Germany was reported mediating between
Taliban and the US.
Next day, ten road construction workers were killed and 30 wounded
when a truck carrying them hit a roadside bomb in Kandahar Province.
Deputy Chief of Afghan spy agency and Helmand governor escaped

950

ambushes. Four children were killed in landmine blast in Mazar-e-Sharif.

Trilateral talks began in Kabul.
On 25th May, 28 rebels were killed as Coalition and Afghan troops
retook a district of Nuristan Province. Next day, NATO soldier was killed in
helicopter crash in Paktika and seven US soldiers perished in bomb blast in
southern Afghanistan. Reportedly, the US held three rounds of talks with
Tayyab Agha, a close aide of Mulla Omar in recent past.
On 27th May, NATO claimed arresting a top commander of Haqqani
group. Next day, General Daud Daud, another police chief and three NATO
soldiers were among seven people killed in an attack on governors
compound in District Takhar; German army commander was wounded. A
NATO soldier was killed in Taliban attack in the south. Hamid Mir reported
that Mulla Omar and Taliban were not interested in talks with the US.
On 29th May, Taliban attacked security forces in Nuristan Province
and US jetfighters retaliated; 20 policemen and 18 civilians were killed in
friendly fire. In Helmand, 12 children and two women were killed in an air
strike. Karzai warned his masters that any more killing of civilians wont be
tolerated. Next day, four policemen were killed in bomb blast in Helmand;
elsewhere four foreign soldiers were among nine killed in other incidents of
violence.
On 31st May, three US soldiers were killed in bomb blast in eastern
Afghanistan. British commander advised NATO not to rush out of
Afghanistan. Next day, one French soldier was killed and three wounded in
attack by Taliban. On 2nd June, policeman and two guards were killed in
attack on a post in Uruzgan Province. A German soldier was killed in an
ambush in northern Afghanistan.
On 4th June, four Coalition soldiers were killed in roadside bombing in
eastern Afghanistan and a British soldier was killed in Helmand. Two
students were killed in a bomb blast in Kandahar. Robert Gates vowed not to
leave Afghan mission incomplete. He said the US would maintain forcelevel in Asia. He later met Karzai and said sorry over civilian deaths and
assured him that the US was in no hurry to pull out troops from Afghanistan.
Next day, two Coalition soldiers were killed in helicopter crash in
Khost and a British soldier was killed in Helmand. Two guards were killed
in bomb blast in Wardak. Robert Gates said troops pull out would be
gradual. On 6th June, two policemen were killed in attack on a post in
Kandahar area. Obama convened his national security team to evaluate
Afghan situation for pulling out surge troops.
951

On 7th June, Obama was briefed on Af-Pak situation and US said up to

15 thousand troops could be pulled out of Afghanistan by end of the year.
Robert Gates said US and NATO were at the verge of delivering decisive
blow at Taliban. Next day, Obama also said sorry to Karzai for civilian
deaths.
On 9th June, US urged NATO not to rush out of Afghanistan. Next day,
four people were killed in suicide attack on funeral of police chief in
Kunduz. Robert Gates asked NATO allies to do more failing which he
warned of dismal future.
On 11th June, 15 people were killed in southern Afghanistan when
their vehicle hit a landmine. Afghan police commander was killed in suicide
attack in Khost. Five more were killed in three bomb blasts across the
country. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to share intelligence in a meeting
of joint commission.
In reply to a question about attack in Dir Karzai bluntly said both
sides should stop attacks from their soils. In joint declaration signed after his
visit Pakistan made certain pledges. It will allow Afghan citizens medical
treatment in its hospitals; open 50 health-care units in Afghanistan and grant
scholarships in medicine and engineering. Both sides agreed to work for
durable peace and enhance economic ties.
One villager was killed and three Rangers were among 13 wounded
on 15 May, when border security forces of India opened unprovoked
firing and mortar shelling in Sialkot Sector. Next day, an Indian general
expressed concern over presence of Chinese in Azad Kashmir.
th

On 18th May, Qari Ziaullah was arrested in Gujranwala and case was
registered against for committing an offence of imparting jihadi training.
Wajihul Qamar, whose name was included in the list of wanted terrorists
given to Pakistan, was arrested from a court in Mumbai. He had been
appearing in the court regularly. India admitted flaw in most-wanted list
given to Pakistan.
On 19th May, Firoz Rashid, another person named in most-wanted list
given to Pakistan was found in an Indian jail. Next day, India and Pakistan
held talks on Sir Creek in Islamabad and agreed to resolve the issue. India
withdrew the list of most wanted persons after two of those included in it
have been found in India. New Delhi, however, reiterated that safe heavens
for terrorists in Pakistan were hurdle to normal ties. Families of Indian

952

hostages held by Somali pirates sought help from Burney for their release
and Indian MP also contacted and assured full cooperation.
On 21st May, two-day talks on Sir Creek ended inconclusively; both
sides agreed to discuss the issue some other day. On 26 th May, two
Kashmiris were killed in IHK by Indian troops. Next day, the US placed LeT
in the same category as al-Qaeda and it stepped up security cooperation with
India. Indian occupation forces killed four Kashmiris in IHK.
On 28th May, Pakistani team arrived in New Delhi for talks on Siachen
Glacier. Next day, Singh urged Pakistani leadership to wake up to terror
threat. On 31st May, talks on Siachen Glacier ended in New Delhi were held
in friendly atmosphere and two sides agreed to have another session like
this in Islamabad.
Three Kashmiris were killed in IHK on 3 rd June. Five days later, a US
court said ISI wasnt involved in Mumbai attacks. On 9th June, Indian
foreign secretary said there wont be any breakthrough in Indo-Pak dialogue
until Pakistan takes action against those involved in Mumbai attacks. India
has demanded justice; not moon. India tested Pirthvi missile.
Next day, India criticized the deal cut by the US prosecutor with
Headley, who was involved in Mumbai attacks. The prosecutor defended the
deal as it provided key intelligence about Pakistani terrorist groups.
Tehwwar Rana of Pakistani origin was found guilty of aiding militants by a
US jury, but cleared him of involvement in Mumbai attacks.
In Balochistan, two persons were killed in firing in Quetta on 15 th
May. Next day, five persons were killed in various incidents of violence
firing at Lak Pass and Quetta; convoy of a minister was also attacked.
Shutter-down strike was observed in Panjgor after three dead bodies were
found from the nearby area.
Chief Secretary Balochistan submitted his report to the Supreme
Court as had been directed. The report showed that 260 people were killed
and 511 wounded; 181 dead bodies were found after these were thrown
away by the killers. He complained that families of the victims took away
the dead bodies but did not cooperate in investigations. The court expressed
dissatisfaction on the report.
On 17th May, a major was among four soldiers killed by unknown
gunmen in Dasht area of Mastung. Next day, seven people of Hazara
community and four wounded in firing by unknown gunmen in Quetta. Gas
pipeline was blown up near Jacobabad. On 21st May, a security man was
953

among two killed in separate incidents. Defence minister said China would
take over operation of Gwadar Port and build a Naval base; chief minister
opposed.
On 22nd May, at least ten people, including three security personnel,
were killed across the province and gas pipeline was blown up. Next day,
eight people were killed and 11 wounded in various incidents of violence in
the province. The Chief Justice remarked that the government has failed to
control law and order situation. The court rejected the report on targetedkillings and kidnappings in Balochistan. The court also sought the report on
killing of five Chechens. BHC asked the government to start probe into
murder of Akbar Bugti.
On 24th May, two dead bodies were found in Panjgur and two persons
were killed in Naseerabad. The Supreme Court observed that exploration
contract for Reko Diq has expired and new licence can be issued by
provincial government. Next day, the Supreme Court vacated stay on Reko
Diq and directed that future lease by provincial government.
On 29th May, unknown gunmen killed two policemen in Quetta and
wounded four civilians. Gas pipeline was blown up in Sui. Next day,
gunmen killed three people in Panjgur. On 31 st May, two soldiers were killed
in roadside bombing near Quetta. Next day, a professor of Balochistan
University was shot dead in Quetta. Six persons were wounded in landmine
blast near Jaffarabad.
On 4th June, OGDCL tanker was attacked in Quetta. Next day, Gilani
visited Quetta and invited estranged Baloch leaders for dialogue. On 6 th
June, Asma Jahangir demanded probe into killings in Balochistan. Next day,
one person was shot dead and the other died in a bomb blast in Quetta. On
9th June, two Levymen were killed and three wounded in two bomb blasts
near Mastung.

VIEWS
The News talked of unknown boots on 3 rd June on the soil of
Pakistan. Relatively little attention has been paid to the significant
incursions from Afghanistan in the last two months, the most recent of
which is ongoing at the time of writing. These are not tip-and-run raids,
mere pinpricks, they are large military actions mounted in difficult terrain
involving foreign fighters and they are inflicting significant damage. In April
there was a raid into Lower Dir at the border village of Kharkai in which 14
954

security personnel were killed and several injured. On Wednesday this week
there was a large night-time incursion said to number in the several hundreds
which targeted the check post at Shiltalao in Upper Dir. The death toll has
reportedly risen to 27 of our own personnel and up to 40 militants are dead.
A bridge and at least two schools four, say local people have been
destroyed.
Detailed information is hard to come by but this weeks raid appears
to be larger than that in April and has inflicted far greater damage and
casualties. It is said that the attackers wore military uniforms but the
uniforms of whose military? It is not difficult to buy military uniforms, in
virtually any bazaar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa or FATA. Some of the attackers
are said to be Pakistani Taliban and others Afghan Taliban. If any of the
dead attackers are found to be wearing Afghan military uniform then a
whole host of questions need answering. Mounting a raid such as this
requires considerable planning. Given the numbers involved, it is possible to
see that there is the capacity not just to raid but to take and hold on the part
of the attackers, even if only for a few days. These are not American boots
on our land so who do they belong to and why are they here? We
expect no early answer.
On 5th June, Sana Bucha observed: Our beliefs have an owner and
our provinces are owned but there is no ownership of the people dying in
terrorism-related incidents everyday. How many more lives need to be
lost for Imran Khan to dedicate his sit-ins to? Who will come forward and
participate in the silent protests of families of missing persons? When will
humanity take over provincial selfishness? Why are we so blatantly divided
that those raising their voices against Dr Afia Siddiquis illegal detention in
the US do not stand to defend Asiya Bibi, or vice versa? Why cant both be
considered victims of persecution?
Why cant those who take a stand against America, defy the
Taliban? After all, neither of them means us well. Why cant the
champions of conservatism find place for a moderate thinker to co-exist
among them? These are valid questions and need to be raised. The media can
help narrow this divide. But, how can the media be the harbinger of change
when there is no tolerance for truth. If a journalist knows too much, he will
meet a fate similar to Moosa Khans, Wali Babars or more recently, Saleem
Shahzads. How many more have to die for our state for its custodians to
realize that our loss is their loss. Too much ownership will kill us, just as
sure as none at all.

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Raza Rumi wrote: The US needs to consider the following: First,

Pakistans security establishment will not be satisfied unless the Kashmir
question is addressed by the architects of US foreign policy. President
Obama during his election campaign highlighted Kashmir but nothing has
been done. Most Pakistanis expected Obama to mediate on this issue.
However, India has precluded any such external intervention thereby,
making the task of the Obama administration even more problematic.
Second, US support to the civilian government suffers from a
policy hiatus as well as inefficient disbursement of aid meant to promote
democracy, governance and development. Two years since the approval of
the Kerry-Lugar legislation, only a fraction ($300 million) of promised
assistance ($3 billion) has been delivered. Distribution has gone through
USAID channels, which have bureaucratized the essential need for
flexibility and political ownership of aid in Pakistan. Without broad-based
ownership and efficient delivery modalities of US assistance, its results at
best would remain tentative.
Similarly, the obsession of working with the Pakistan Army
continues and the various rounds of strategic dialogues conducted with
army leadership indicate that the civilian government has been recognized as
secondary in the power reality of Pakistan. The US must support and
strengthen Pakistans civilian government and resist making direct deals
with the Army.
Third, the continuation of drone strikes, resulting in many civilian
casualties, helps nobody. It may achieve the short-term target of
eliminating a group of terrorists, but leaves profound after-effects that will
stymie the future trajectory of US engagement in the region. Drone strikes
need to be reviewed and their efficacy should be re-examined as to how the
collateral damage is creating more recruits for the anti-US terror networks.
Instead, the US must find a way to reassure Pakistan that India would not
emerge as a hegemonic power in the region; and this may act as an incentive
for Pakistan to take care of extremists in its fold.
On the Pakistani side, the dangerous game played by the security
establishment in whipping up passions against the US is detrimental to
Pakistans future interests. Anti-American rhetoric needs to be abandoned
in favour of a more realistic articulation of Pakistans long-term national
interests such as economy, trade and social development in marginalized
regions of the country.

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On 6th June, Zafar Hilaly commented: A lot of conjecture surrounds

discussion of what some consider an impending North Waziristan operation.
A policy-based analysis of the situation, bearing in mind our national
interests, may prove instrumental in both separating fact from fiction, and
in helping to clarify a reasonable course of action:
1. Although the military has denied that an operation is imminent,
by the looks of it we are being dragged willy-nilly into waging war on
those using sanctuaries in North Waziristan, including the Haqqani
Taliban. Initial resistance against such an operation has been overcome
although no one is willing to admit it as yet. Of course, the exact dimensions
and timings are not clear but there is little doubt that an operation is now
inevitable.
2. Ironically, it was OBL who made sure of that by holing out in
Abbottabad right under our noses. His undetected presence in Abbottabad
was exploited by Hillary and Mullen to pile on the pressure. Hillary
reportedly demanded action or else the US would act unilaterally. Once
again when confronted with the do it or else ultimatum, we have keeled
over despite the plethora of denials.
3. When the operation is eventually launched all sorts of
explanations will be offered. Some are already being trotted out to prepare
the country for the impending war. We are told, for instance, that we had
always allowed for such an eventuality at a time of our choosing and hence
it is hardly unexpected. Another is that our target is Hakimullah Mehsud and
therefore by implication, not the Haqqani Taliban. One khaki confided that it
will be a limited operation. Mr Gilani added his mite saying there is no
such thing as a good Taliban or a bad Taliban implying that as we are
already fighting the Pakistani version we may as well fight the original
Afghan brand too since they couldnt be any different. A sentiment probably
prompted by the tongue lashing he must have received from Hillary. None of
the above sounds compelling. Hence, even at this late hour before rushing in
where even angels fear to tread, our leaders should pause to reflect.
4. The Haqqani Taliban are waging war against an American-led
occupation force from what is technically Pakistani soil but is for all
practical purposes their traditional homeland; and to which they have had
unimpeded access since time immemorial. Neither they nor their Afghan
countrymen, nor even the tribes on our side, have ever recognized the
Durand Line as the territorial divide between Pakistan and Afghanistan; nor
has Islamabad taken more than cosmetic steps to ensure that they do. Hence
957

for them, as well as the local inhabitants, an attack on North Waziristan

by Pakistan is akin to that by a foreign invader which they are honourbound to resist.
5. Such a war would mean that yet more tribes, and a larger segment
of our Pashtuns, would end up fighting against the army. In due course, as
the fighting spreads, lives are lost, people displaced and properties ruined, an
ever increasing number will become disenchanted and this could have lethal
consequences for the unity of the country. Of course, eventually, the
Americans will recognize their folly and leave Afghanistan, much as they
did in the case of Vietnam but by then it may be too late for us. A
generational war pitting the tribes against the federation would have
started and Pakistans very survival placed in jeopardy.
6. We need, therefore, to put the impending military action in
perspective. There are two wars going on, one against Pakistan by alQaeda and its affiliates and the other in Afghanistan by the ousted Afghan
Taliban. There is some overlap between the two but mainly because of alQaeda which is pursuing its own designs. Regardless, the distinction
between the two must still be maintained. The first concerns Pakistan; the
second much less so.
Moreover, while cooperation with America is a lot easier against alQaeda et al, against the Afghan Taliban, it is less straightforward. The
Afghan Taliban are only interested in Afghanistan, unlike al-Qaeda. True, we
have an obligation to help the Americans fight al-Qaeda and its affiliates of
which the Afghan Taliban are manifestly not, or else, presumably, the
Americans would not be talking to them, much less asking them to share
power with Karzai in an eventual peace deal. We have by and large met our
obligations concerning the elimination of al-Qaeda and even the Americans
concede that we have acquitted ourselves well although in the process
we have absorbed enormous damage.
7. In a sense we have no option. No state can permit its territory to be
used as a launching pad for attacks against another. However, the state has
a higher obligation to itself which is to seek a solution by peaceful means
and, in this particular case, through an Afghan owned and Afghan-led peace
process. And this becomes mandatory when what is at stake is the countrys
future stability and progress. It is a folly for Pakistan to provoke the
unremitting hostility of the Afghan Taliban with whom it must coexist and to
do that merely to appease the Americans in their pursuit of an evanescent
military triumph.
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8. It is the peace process therefore, that should be uppermost in

our minds right now. Military actions should at best play a tactical,
subservient role to the peace process. We should have indicated far more
forcefully that we want reconciliation between the Afghan Taliban and their
adversaries and are willing to use our influence to that end. We havent said
as much. And given our ties with the Afghan Taliban and suspicions that we
want the Taliban back in power, we need to do more to persuade others of
our peaceful intentions. It doesnt make sense to talk of peace on a take it or
leave it basis. There has to be more flexibility on all sides if the outcome is
to be meaningful and enduring.
9. Perhaps, the best way would be to become active in some
capitals (Kabul, Ankara, Riyadh, Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, Paris, London
and Washington DC) about pursuing a fresh initiative that focuses on
accelerating the Afghan peace process so that the Afghan Taliban can be
accommodated on the basis of reconciliation. If need be we should have our
initiative endorsed by the OIC only for technical and diplomatic purposes so
that we have a multilateral document to work with and for others to take our
initiative more seriously. More than any other country, we are in the thick of
it. And yet our policy makers are inert and lifeless. Worse, they are coming
in the way of directing our energy on the home front towards the TTP et al.
10. If the Americans insist on taking on the Afghan Taliban in
Pakistan by bombing and invading the tribal areas then there isnt much we
can do to prevent them without inviting our own destruction. Furthermore,
the Americans will get bogged down soon enough and realize what we
have for centuries, that Afghanistan is a snake pit and no one who has put
his hand in it has emerged unscathed. Besides, nothing that the Americans
conjure up by way of a militarily strategy will prove effective. Neither carpet
bombing the lunar-like landscape nor night raids by Special Forces.
Bombing villages and killing innocent civilians will only earn America more
odium. The Russians killed over a million Afghans in their decade long
sojourn in Afghanistan but to no effect. We should not, therefore, succumb to
the emotive element thats driving current American policy in Af-Pak. This
policy is at cross purposes with our own.
11. Instead, we should turn our attention to dealing with the
extremists in mainland Pakistan where terrorism has its roots. In other
words, we should be gearing up to break the back of Al-Qaeda-led TTP
elements in our heartland rather than get diverted into an operation in North
Waziristan which we can ill afford and that may well prove ruinous.

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On 9th June, Asad Munir commented: There are five major terrorist
groups and some minor cells, operating in our country. Since 2002, the
main base of al-Qaeda in this region is Waziristan. After the invasion of
Afghanistan, a shattered and depleted al-Qaeda chose Waziristan as its
headquarters for regrouping and reorganization. Even though their agenda is
global, they need a secure area to implement their goals; therefore they have
interests in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the eighties, Osama had plans
of using Pakistan as a possible place to back up if the need arose. He was
interested in the internal politics of Pakistan. He played an undeniable role
in the vote of no confidence against Benazir in 1989. A liberal woman, as
head of government, did not fit in the future plans he had for al-Qaeda.
Al-Qaeda is here and it is the biggest threat to our sovereignty
and security. Members of al-Qaeda are motivated fanatics and there is a
remote possibility of them being used by foreign agencies. They will remain
in Pakistan and use our soil for terrorist activities until the time, when some
favourable environments are created in Afghanistan or any other parts of the
world, where they can shift. Since such a scenario is not on the cards in the
near future, they have to be chased and eliminated, with the assistance of our
allies.
The local Taliban have an internal agenda. They want to create a
Taliban state in Pakistan. They will not surrender on the withdrawal of
NATO forces. Their war is against Pakistan. All of them are not religiously
motivated, and chances of some of them being in contact with foreign
agencies cannot be ruled out. They began their activities in 1998.
Elimination of their sanctuaries, through use of force, is the only solution to
disintegrate their already depleted organization. The Pak Army has done an
excellent job by securing six districts and some tribal agencies. However, all
means should be utilized to defeat them, including securing of the remaining
sanctuaries, special legislations, trial in military courts and allowing drone
attacks against them. Negotiations should only be held with them once they
surrender and abandon their objective of running a state within a state.
Terrorists from Central Asia, including Islamic Movement of
Uzbekistan (IMU), had a local agenda, to topple their governments through
use of violence. Initially they had little affiliations with al-Qaeda. However
now for their survival, like other groups, they have joined hands with alQaeda. Their main leaders have already been killed. Some of them may be
willing to lay down arms, but since they do not have a place to fall back
upon, therefore, they have no option but to fight it out. The possibility of
contacting their governments, for resettlement of those who are willing to
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surrender may be explored. In the absence of any other solution, operations

have to be conducted against them.
The jihadis feel betrayed by the state. Through an ill-conceived
policy, they were trained by the state to fight a proxy war in which many
were killed. In 2002, once the jihad policy was selectively abandoned, no
steps were taken, for their rehabilitation. Most of these jihadis are highly
motivated. They should be approached at some level to motivate them to
abandon their war against their own country, offering them incentives and
rehabilitations options. In case they do not agree, they should be treated at
par with other terrorists and eliminated. The members of sectarian outfits are
mostly criminals and murderers. They have not been sponsored by the state.
They should be dealt with ruthlessly until they are willing to surrender and
face trials for their crimes. The Gul Bahadur and Maulvi Nazeer groups
should be disarmed at a suitable time.
The government should make another effort to bring all political
parties on the same page. Political parties and media have to educate people
rather than burden them with their emotional opinions, based on half-truths
and false propaganda. The government should take people into its
confidence, with data about drone attacks and the possible repercussions of
anti drone measures. The implications of closing NATO supplies should be
highlighted. The need for a coordinated effort of civil and military
intelligence is the key to success. The jihadi policy also needs to be
revisited. We could afford to pursue such an ill-conceived policy in the
eighties and nineties, but have to abandon it now, as the whole world is
focused on us.
Dr Ashraf Ali focused on the war on terror in Bajaur Agency. The
two years and ten months since the launch of the military operation
have seen a large number of deaths, with still more people left injured or
maimed. The loss caused by the destruction of material assets, in terms of
both personal property and infrastructure, is staggering.
Bajaur Agency has suffered the most significant damage in the
decade-long war in the tribal areas. The damage is estimated at $68
billion. Almost 40 villages were completely demolished in the Loi Sam,
Tank Khata, Khazana, Zoorband, Hashim, Manogi, Rashakai and Kotki and
Khalki areas of Charmang. Official estimates put the figure of damaged
homes at 9,580, with 3,000 dwellings completely destroyed.
Meanwhile, more than 4,000 shops and other commercial units were
destroyed, and this rendered countless thousands of people without
961

livelihood. Fifteen per cent of the people in the area earn their livelihood
from the small businesses they own. Fifty percent of the people are
associated with agriculture, ten percent serve in government, semigovernment and non-governmental organizations. Twenty-five percent are
engaged as labourers in the cities and towns of Pakistan and in the Gulf
countries, or work as night watchmen, construction workers, shoeshine boys,
popcorn sellers, bus conductors, woodcutters and truck loaders.
The destruction of the agricultural, communication and business
infrastructure has added to the serious difficulties the people of the area
were already facing. After the new crisis befell them, the people are
desperately looking for other sources of income. Lack of communicational
links kept family members away from each other. The IDPs had no word
about their relatives, let alone their having an inkling of whether their
personal belongings were still where they had left them.
A total of 106 schools were destroyed. This destruction, so much of
it deliberate, left thousands of children without education. The army rebuilt
some of the schools that had been destroyed partially. However, most of the
schools in Nawagai, Charmang and Mamoond areas are yet to be reopened.
This is an extremely unfortunate situation for an area where the literacy rate
is abysmal, more so among females. In Bajaur it is as low as 18 percent in
the male population and a mere three percent among females. It will never
be known what devastating affect the long closure of schools had on the
local population, but one thing is certain: the further the rate of education
falls in the disturbed area, the more the male members of the population will
be drawn to the Taliban, fuelling the insurgency still further. Indeed, they
will have little alternative but to join the Taliban.
In a region where a sense of deprivation among people is chronic, the
governments failure to deliver on its promises of providing security and
basic facilities of life can only result in frustration and alienation among
the population, and this will be exploited by the re-emerging Taliban. Bajaur
connects Pakistans tribal areas to Afghanistans Kunar province, a hub of
the Afghan Taliban. It is linked to Malakand Division where the Taliban
militia led by Maulana Fazlullah turned the picturesque Swat Valley into a
battlefield and played havoc with lives of the local people.
To its east lies Dir, a religiously conservative area. It was here that
the leader of the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM), Maulana
Sufi Muhammad, led a contingent of 10,000 jihadi zealots to fight alongside
the Afghan Taliban when their government in Kabul was toppled by the US962

led attack in late 2001. The jihadi fighters from Swat, Dir and Bajaur made
their way into Afghanistan through Bajaur Agency in response to the call of
Mullah Muhammd Umar in Afghanistan. To its west is Mohmand Agency,
where militants led by Omar Khalid operate.
In view of the strategic location of the area, and the human and
material losses caused in the past few years and the growing frustration
amongst people, the government needs to come up with a credible
development plan with a built-in component of security. If the
government fails to do this, and do it immediately, the whole nation will
have to bear the consequences, with Bajaur having to bear the brunt once
thing go wrong. In the traditional Pakhtun society, power, authority, respect
and wealth matter more than anything else. If unemployed young men are
empowered through weaponry, the only consequence can be bloodletting.
And that is what Mullah Faqir Muhammad seeks.
Next day, The News commented: A video that aired on local TV
channels late Wednesday night has broken the sense of numbness people
have begun to feel towards the daily dose of death and destruction in
Karachi. A man in civilian clothes is shown holding an unarmed youth by his
hair, kicking him toward a group of five guards from the Sindh Rangers.
Under a clear blue sky, one of the Rangers shoots the pleading boy while
four others stand watching. The Rangers had earlier claimed the boy was
robbing people in the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Park and was killed in an
armed encounter. But the incident was captured on camera and the footage
found its way to television channels. This incident of Rangers brutality is
surely not an isolated one. Extra-legal killing by law-enforcement agencies
just recently came into the limelight when five unarmed Chechens were
brutally killed by the Frontier Constabulary and police on May 17 at a
checkpoint in the Quetta locality of Kharotabad. The video footage of the
boys murder amounts to a further indictment of the Rangers.
There is no excuse for the fact that a force whose duty is to defend
the law and protect citizens is ruthlessly murdering them. The sanctity of life
must be respected, especially by agents of the law. Policemen and soldiers
who abuse their uniform should be punished accordingly to serve as a
deterrent to others. Thus, those involved in the recent incident must be
punished for their heinous crime. The government must institute an
immediate investigation into the latest incident and make public its findings,
focusing not just on what happened and why, but also on what can be done
to ensure law enforcement agencies dont take matters into their own hands
in the future.
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The prime minister has announced a probe in the National Assembly

and President Zardari has taken note of the case, as if that matters in any
way. The Rangers and the police should fully cooperate to clear their own
image as protectors of citizens not perpetrators of death. Tackling impunity
among uniformed officers remains a serious challenge for the
government which must address the root causes and seek reforms.
Citizens deserve respect for their fundamental rights, including the rights to
life and dignity of the human person. Unlawful killings by security agencies
should stop and perpetrators should be made to face the full wrath of the law.
This is the only way to restore public confidence in law-enforcers. The rulers
can rest assured that the image of the pleading boy is etched in peoples
memory and they will be waiting anxiously for justice to be done.
Harris Khalique opined: One could still find some pieces of dead
meat sticking to the bones on the carcass of Pakistani society. Ravens
and vultures alight on these bones to have a pick. The battered soul hovers
above the carcass and watches with helplessness the remains of the body in
which it once lived.
Sarfaraz Shah was one such small piece of flesh that was torn
apart from the decaying bone by the piercing beak of a vulture. A beakfull of meat, as it were. Small. The worn out and detached soul still feels the
pain but the carcass stays a carcass. Unable to sense or move. Bigger things
have happened. It remains lifeless, defunct and empty.
Shah was a young man, allegedly involved in snatching cash and
valuables from visitors to Benazir Shaheed Park in Karachi. According to
the Rangers, a prime law enforcement agency, he was caught redhanded. The family of Shah refutes these claims. This is not an issue,
nevertheless. He was unarmed, pleading not to be shot, fully surrounded by
the sepoys of Rangers, so close to the man who was aiming at him that Shah
was physically trying to lower the barrel, and looked completely harmless in
that instance. He was shot at then from a close range to be killed.
Shah was neither chased for being wanted for some heinous crime nor
did he carry any weapons for self-defence or to threaten the Rangers. The
only weapons he had were his open arms and a stuttering tongue
begging for mercy. Even if he had committed a crime of atrocious nature,
once caught he should have been charged by the police, tried by the court
and sentenced for his crime. But it was his fate to become another statistic in
an already existing list of thousands of extrajudicial murders committed by
the custodians of the law. Mind you, this may not be proven either that he
964

was at all guilty of anything. Many killed in such ways were found to be
innocent.
Sarfaraz Shahs death in cold blood and in blatant violation of
any civil code, social values or legal provisions has only become troubling
for some people in this country because they saw it in their living rooms.
Courtesy television news channels. Journalist friends in Karachi tell us that
it was for the release of this gory footage alone that the Rangers were left
with no choice but to order an inquiry. For hours they had tried to kill the
story. The family, friends and neighbours who were demonstrating outside
the Sindh chief ministers house against this brutality while carrying the
body of the deceased with them were told be at fault.
But you see, in some ways Shah was lucky. He was spared of a
long drawn, excruciatingly painful dying process. He was shot twice,
point-blank, and his soul left the body sooner than those who are lynched,
beaten to death or burnt alive. There is a possibility that he was caught by a
mob of normal citizens for committing a theft or allegedly committing a
theft and then lynched using most cruel forms of physical torture. Also, he
could have been a journalist or a political activist who is silenced by blows
of wood, iron or steel on the ribcage by terrorists or the sacrosanct enforcers
of the law.
Shafqat Mahmood observed: The embarrassments for the security
forces in the country continue. The latest being the killing of a youngster
in Karachi by the Rangers. This comes on the heels of the Kharotabad
killings in Quetta and allegations of ISI involvement in the murder of Syed
Saleem Shahzad.
Grand conspiracy theories cannot explain these. The United States
may indeed be warily eying our nuclear assets and making contingency
plans to seize them. India may also have a hand in destabilizing Balochistan.
But can this account for the wanton cruelty and lack of discipline in the
police and security forces?
Yes, discipline, because in the end it is a command and control
failure. The six Rangers personnel in Karachi who participated in the killing
of the alleged thief in cold blood had no fear of accountability. If there were
any, they would not have stood by and watched or indeed encouraged one of
their men to murder the poor kid.
And they may have gotten away with a manufactured story of an
encounter if it wasnt for someones camera recording the gory episode.
How many other such incidents have occurred that were never recorded
965

and were successfully covered up by the superiors? It is this protection or

misplaced sense of camaraderie that is the crux of the problem.
The Kharotabad incident is even more gruesome and suggests a
greater deterioration of command. Painful is not the word to describe the
wanton killing of the poor Chechen men, women and children. The active
participation in this slaughter of the police chief and the Frontier
Constabulary battalion commander reflects terribly on the quality of
leadership in the security forces.
What has gone wrong with us as a nation? We are not a bad
people and indeed have much that others can envy We are also a beautiful
country with a diverse landscape, from the tallest mountains in the world to
fertile low lands and serenely picturesque deserts. And, we are not a new
civilization. Our history in this place we call home goes back thousands of
years. Yet, with all these things going for us, we find ourselves in this
frightful mess.
It is no use regurgitating in any great detail the awful mistakes we
have made over the last 63 years The return journey has to begin by
correcting these mistakes. Our rapidly expanding population with a massive
youth bulge of people under 25 is a liability because of illiteracy and a lack
of skills. Our salvation lies in turning this liability into an asset by
investing heavily in education and skill development.
It has been said umpteen times before, that a large cache of nuclear
weapons could not save the Soviet Union from collapsing. Defining security
narrowly as building up security forces and weapon systems is a sure recipe
for failure. The defence budget and debt servicing account for nearly 75
percent of our state expenditure. With this kind of resource allocation there
is very little possibility of investing in the people. We have no choice but to
put a cap on the money we are investing in weapon systems. If we have a
hundred nuclear weapons, that should be at least 50 times enough. We dont
need another hundred.
The second massive failure has been not establishing the rule of
law. In simple terms the concept means that law is supreme and the same for
everyone rich, poor, civil or military. The arrest of the IMF chief in New
York for allegedly assaulting a maid should be a revelation for us. It is a
story of one of the most powerful men in the world versus a poor black
immigrant woman. We may love to hate America, but this is an example of
laws supremacy in that country. To emerge as a civilized nation we have no
choice but to follow the same track
966

Notion of the laws supremacy cannot only be confined to

civilians. It must operate in the armed forces also. Then, it will put the entire
nation on the right track. The military always claims that it has a robust
mechanism of internal accountability. Let us see that in action. The Rangers
personnel involved in this wanton killing in Karachi should be charged with
murder, as should the police and FC personnel in Quetta. Let them get a fair
trial, but there must be accountability It is only after the powerful civil
and military institutions start demonstrating accountability that the principle
of rule of law will take effect. If it does, it will provide the foundation for
this country to start on the long road back to salvation. If it does not, nothing
can stop us from going under.
The third essential element is creating the ability to finance the
state or in simple terms having the ability to pay our bills. Much has
been written on it and how it can be done, but unless the ruling class is
ready, it will never happen. The cabinet hooted down a proposal in the
current budget to impose an asset tax. This was designed to make the rich
pay more for the survival of the country, but the rich sitting in the
government decided that they wouldnt Rescuing the country from the
dreadful state it is in right now is not complicated. What is required is
visionary leadership. Where would this come from?
Surrraiya Wahab from Hyderabad wrote: I am a mother of two sons
18 and 20 years of age. I have not slept ever since I saw the video of
Rangers personnel killing a young man. I cannot stop thinking that this
could have happened to my sons. This can happen to my sons if the highhandedness of security personnel continues. Is there anyone to bring to an
end their unfounded and criminal superiority complex?
Zaheer Shah Khan from Karachi asked: Do we need anymore
evidence that our security forces are not able to handle the unbridled
authority that has been given to them? They have virtually ruled the
country for 63 years and were hardly ever held accountable for the crimes
they committed. It is time we brought them under civilian control and kept a
strict check on them which is our right for we pay for their well-being.
Ismail Ahmed also from Karachi observed: The Rangers have done
little to improve law and order in Karachi. Instead, they have been
running successfully the most lucrative business of water tankers. They
also run wedding halls in Karachi and make a lot of money off the land they
acquired on heavily subsidized rates. Also, their headquarters in Karachi is
actually in an old building of historical significance. The building is
967

protected under the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994. Yet,
they have altered its design by carrying out illegal construction on the site,
disregarding formal protests by the Sindh government and the KBCA.
Sqn-Ldr (r) S Ausaf Husain too from Karachi opined: Rangers
deployment in Karachi to curb crime and maintain law and order in the
metropolis has not proved fruitful at all. What did they do to stop the Lyari
gang warfare? What success have they achieved in ending target killings
in Karachi, and how many would-be suicide bombers and terrorists have
they caught so far? They can only harass common people. It is high time that
they be withdrawn from Karachi and returned to border areas to perform
their actual duty.
Khurram Mushtaq Bangash from Hazara wrote: The performance of
our security forces is already under close scrutiny due to their
continuous failures. Sensing this, they should have tried their best to be
careful and not give any opportunity to their opponents to criticize them. But
it seems they are doing quite the opposite. They have become trigger-happy
in the true sense of the word. They say wise are those who learn from others
experiences. Im afraid I cannot say this for our security forces.
On 11th June, The News wrote: In the midst of all this uncertainty, the
Supreme Courts direction that both DG Rangers and IG Sindh be removed
from their posts is welcome and reflects the courts understanding that
responsibility and punishment need to be fixed not just on the ordinary
solider but also on those who are at the helm of affairs. Already, this
revolting show of naked aggression by the Rangers has brought back the
memory of the lynching of two brothers in Sialkot while a crowd that
included district police officers looked on. This memory combined with
recent events has filled most with shame except perhaps the interior
minister who seems to think the killing by Rangers is somehow justified
because the deceased was a criminal. Since when is the interior minister
the competent authority to declare anyone a criminal? Isnt that the domain
of the courts? And even if the boy was a thief, is death the commensurate
punishment for theft? Is it time for Rehman Malik to deeply rethink his
shoot-on-sight orders? In the long run, ex post facto, ad hoc accountability
cannot work. The only sustainable way to check such events is to improve
the quality of law enforcement as well as judicial functioning.
Brigadier Asad Munir demanded from the government to educate
people about usefulness of drone attacks. Parliament, certain political
parties and the media are raising the issue of the countrys sovereignty being
968

violated by the drones. It is a fact that the US drones are violating our
sovereignty, but what about the peoples sovereignty? The people of
Pakistan were deprived of their choice to elect their representatives for
decades. Their sovereignty is as important as that of the state. In 1980, Zia
opened our borders to Muslim jihadis, from all over the world, to participate
in the so-called jihad. None of them required any visa or travel documents.
That was a severe blow to our sovereignty against which the print
media never raised its voice. A reasonably liberal country was converted into
a battlefield. Even now, there are more than one thousand foreign
militants using our soil for terrorists activities. These terrorists, besides
violating our sovereignty, are involved in the killing of thousand of innocent
Pakistanis.
The drone is an unmanned machine, with no US pilot violating
our border. But the terrorists are roaming our cities, towns and villages,
killing Pakistanis and destroying our defence installations. We must raise our
voice against these foreign terrorists since we organize dharnas against
drones.
The political parties, as institutions, are required to educate their
supporters. They should not formulate policies keeping in view the
opinion of their voters, which may be flawed and based on
misinformation, emotional and irrational rhetoric. The PPP, instead of
supporting Salmaan Taseers bold and just stance, went on the defensive
once he was assassinated. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto would
certainly have reacted in a different way to the death of a great PPP leader,
who lost his life promoting the cause of the party.
The rightist parties have an agenda. They have to appease their
conservative voters. Nevertheless, the so-called liberal parties, the PPP,
the ANP, the MQM and the nationalist parties should apprise their
followers about the effects of the drone attacks. The coalition government
should release data on these strikes. It should take the people into confidence
and make it clear that the drones are operating in our areas with our consent.
The number of civilian casualties is much less compared to those resulting
from bombing by the air force and artillery and mortar fires.
The violation of our sovereignty by foreign militants is more
dangerous than the action of the drones. The strikes by drones are
indirectly supporting our operations against those terrorists who are killing
innocent Pakistanis and attacking defence installations.

969

On 18th May, The News commented: In the same breath in which

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last Friday backed Kabuls plan to
reconcile with Taliban-led insurgents and pledge $500 million for
development projects, he also urged Afghanistan to shake off outside
coercion and interference in Afghan affairs. Singhs strong words to a
session of the Afghan parliament come at the end of a two-day visit to Kabul
last week aimed at renewing Indian ties with Afghanistan where India has
been jockeying for influence to counter historical rival Pakistan. September
11, 2001, presented a unique opportunity for India, largely shut out of
Afghanistan throughout the Taliban period, to become Afghanistans most
important partner for reconstruction in recognition of the countrys
strategic importance. Singh has now announced that India will widen our
cooperation in the area of security once NATO hands over security
responsibilities to the Afghans by 2014.
Firstly, it is significant that India has accepted the idea of peace
with the Afghan Taliban. It has had to contend with security challenges
stemming from the erstwhile Taliban regime in Afghanistan and has been
pre-eminently interested in ensuring Afghanistan does not return to being
what it was under the Taliban. However, in the face of hard realities on the
ground, Singh has had to give in. Singhs suspicions about a Talibaninclusive solution were partly due to the potential role of Pakistan in talks
and subsequent agreements. His latest decision should thus be welcomed.
Secondly, an increase in Indias security-related role in
Afghanistan must be viewed sceptically. Less than a fortnight after the
killing of Osama bin Laden, it seems India returned all stakeholders to the
drawing board and decided contrary to speculations of a fading Indian
footprint in Afghanistan that it would stay the course on earlier
commitments and supplement them with other security measures to remain
on the curve in the new situation. This may set off alarm bells in Pakistan
and a new round of competitive statements and actions. Until India decides
whether and how it will manage its competition with Pakistan, the outlook
for regional security remains dim. India needs a better vision for what kind
of neighbour it wants in Pakistan and to devise a set of policies that will
make that future more likely than not.
On 29th May, The News wrote: No conflict is ever simple, and that
which rages in Afghanistan is more complex than most. Perhaps the
greatest misfortune to be suffered by Afghanistan is beyond the merely
human it is geography. For centuries it has sat in the divide between the

970

interests of Western powers and the resources of the East. It has been fought
over and invaded many times and has rarely had peace in the modern era.
Today America, India, Pakistan, a coalition of European states and assorted
vested and business interests all vie for a slice of the Afghan cake. And then
there are the Taliban, that Frankensteins creature that now demands a seat at
the table of governance in whatever iteration Afghanistan moves to next.
Beyond the usual bland statements little detail has emerged from the recently
concluded Afghanistan-Pakistan-USA talks in Kabul. Pakistans relationship
with Afghanistan has been more than a little fraught since the fall of the
Taliban government. It was one of only three countries in the world to
recognize the Taliban as a legitimate power. They were ousted in 2001 but
have since fought the coalition forces to a stalemate and today they are both
fighting and talking with the talking gaining more importance as there is
no winning to be had on the battlefield.
When the Americans and the coalition forces are gone and the
Afghans are left to their own devices, few are seeing a bright future for
them. The Taliban have Mullah Omar as their spiritual leader. Mullah Omar
is high on the American target list but at the same time there are credible
reports that his emissaries are in talks with the Americans and the British,
who are old hands at the Great Game. The other ethnic groups in
Afghanistan Tajiks and Hazaras to name but two are not keen to see a
Taliban-dominated government particularly as they have got used to having
hands on the levers of power in the last decade.
The country is riddled by corruption at every level and none of the
inherent instabilities that were there when the war started have been
resolved. Afghanistans national police force and the army are years
away from being bodies of sufficient strength and coherence to offer
stability. Various special representatives move in and out of the country
and have influence that is impossible to determine, but likely to be shortterm whatever it is. They make the kind of statements that you expect them
to make most recently Mark Sedwill the UK Special Representative to
Afghanistan said that the Taliban leadership was in talks with various
stakeholders with the aim of finding an Afghan solution to an Afghan
problem. But as governments and movements come and go and the
geography remains the same; it seems it may remain the primary arbiter of
Afghanistans future.
Two days later the newspaper commented: The tragic sight of the
bodies of small children wrapped in blood-stained sheets brings home the
full horror of the war being fought in Afghanistan. The incident which took
971

place in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan is one of the worst of

its kind. Twelve children and two women were killed in a strike by the USNATO forces. There is no evidence of any militants in the area and grief-torn
locals say the Taliban were in fact far away from the site. We have seen such
errors made before, but this ranks as one of the worst. In response to this
incident, President Hamid Karzai has said that, in the future, sensitive
operations would be carried out by the Afghan forces themselves. We do
not know if this will happen.
The excuse of civilian shields being used by militants carries no
credibility. These deaths simply cannot be dismissed as collateral damage.
Each of the victims had family members who mourn their deaths, for whom
such deaths are too heavy a price to pay for the war against militancy. It is
incidents such as these which, for obvious reasons, turn people against
the US and create support for Taliban actions against it and its allies.
The strikes over the homes of civilians are thus counterproductive. We have
seen far too many of them since 2002 and they mean that the US quest to
win over hearts and minds is doomed to fail. Recent surveys by US think
tanks indicate opinion favourable to the US is at an all-time low across the
Muslim world, including Pakistan. No doubt this holds true for Afghanistan
as well; the images we have seen from Helmand can only fuel anger and
fury. The US must rethink its strategy. Such actions cannot be allowed to
continue. Only a handful of militants have been killed as a result of such
attacks. In most cases, it is civilians who have suffered for no fault of their
own. As a result, more support has been created for the Taliban. There is a
need to bring this cycle to an end and by doing so safeguard the lives of the
innocent who have been the main victims of atrocities of the kind we see
from time to time on both sides of the Durand Line. The one at Helmand has
been among the worst of these.
On 2nd June, Brian Cloughley wrote: One day last week eight
American soldiers were killed in Afghanistan. As I write this piece the news
comes in of the deaths of two more British Royal Marines. What did these
youngsters die for? Did they give their lives fighting for freedom? Can
their grieving families comfort themselves that their deaths could possibly,
in the words of the United States Declaration of Independence, further life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
Brain mentioned Iraq War and then William Hagues disconnect with
ground realities therein. He then added: But assertions continue that Iraq
is a better place than it was before the illegal US-led conquest that
destroyed the country. Certainly, Saddam Hussein ruled viciously, and no
972

doubt the world is better without him. But he wasnt any worse than all the
other dictators who have been and are being so slavishly supported by
Washington and London.
When foreign troops withdraw from Afghanistan in three years
time there will be similar claims that the country is a much better place
than we found it. At the moment it certainly isnt a better place. After nine
years of foreign military operations its a violent shambles. The deaths of a
dozen children in the hamlet of Salaam Bazaar in a US air strike on May 28
prompted President Karzai to protest in the strongest terms and declare that
if such atrocities continue, then foreign forces will be regarded as occupation
troops rather than allies...
Western military imperialism has fostered political confusion,
social disruption, economic bedlam, massive corruption, and death and
destruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. And on May 26 it was reported from
Iraq that Ali al-Lami, the executive director of the Justice and
Accountability Commission, was shot dead. He had been one of the most
energetic opponents of Saddam Hussein for years and had lived (sure, pretty
tensely) throughout Saddams reign. But Saddam didnt kill him. Eventually
he was murdered in what Washington and London consider to be a better
place than we found it.
Ali al-Lami died because he believed in freedom. But all these
thousands of foreign soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan fought and died
and are fighting and dying for nothing. Just like the dozen kids killed in
Salaam Bazaar. Their lives were wasted at the whim of smug western
politicians who continue to wash their hands in blood.
On 7th June, Rizwan Asghar observed: A series of events over the
past few months have further reinforced the view that the war in
Afghanistan has taken an unwelcome course and Obamas Afghan
strategy is in tatters. In a show of desperation, General Petraeus appears to
have adopted the counter-Afghan strategy after the complete failure of his
so-called counter-insurgency strategy.
A recent ITV documentary shows US troops in Afghanistan forcing
Afghan people from their homes and then destroying them, simply to
provide access for vehicles or lines of sight. Inside reports also suggest that
US troops in Afghanistan are so frustrated that children are being picked up
one by one and killed ruthlessly.
On March 1, nine Afghan children were killed by NATO helicopters
while they were gathering firewood which was no heat of the battle
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blunder. A few days earlier, on February 17, NATO ground and air strikes
had killed 64 civilians including 29 children in the Kunar province. The
situation has worsened to the extent that President Karzai has openly
turned against the Americans because of the latters total disregard for
the Afghan peoples dignity. Excessive reliance on aerial bombardments by
NATO forces while the Taliban continue to use ordinary people as human
shields have resulted in civilian deaths and subsequent rage among the
Afghans.
Nowadays analysts hired by the CIA are writing in various
international newspapers that the US surge is turning the tide against antioccupation fighters in Afghanistan. At a Senate Armed Services Committee
hearing, General Petraeus has claimed that the momentum achieved by the
Taliban since 2005 has been arrested in much of the country and reversed in
a number of important areas. But in reality any gains secured so far are
very fragile and problems continue to mount for the imperialist forces.
More than 200 NATO troops have been killed in the first five months of
2011.
The Taliban in the south have shown resilience and exercise
considerable influence over the bulk of the population, particularly outside
urban areas. There has been no apparent diminution in their capacity to
fight. In the coming days, the scale of insurgent activity is likely to rise
again while the security situation across Afghanistan is fast deteriorating.
Attempts to sign up ex-Taliban fighters to a peace and reconciliation
programme have resulted in a very small number of recruits coming over to
the side of foreign troops.
Special Forces operations, responsible for assassinations and nighttime raids on homes, are a cause of alienation among Afghans. Yama Torabi
of Integrity Watch has lately stated: Villagers dont forgive the US army
for killing their sons just because it has built a road or a bridge.
According to a recent poll, over 90 percent of the population wants
the NATO countries to begin withdrawing their forces as soon as
possible. Attacks by the anti-occupation forces have increased by 66 percent
since last year and anti-occupation fighters have opened new fronts in the
north and west of the country
The pretext that NATO troops are training local forces to take
over the security of the country is quite ridiculous. A report by the US
Special Inspector-General for Afghan Reconstruction found that around
27,000 Afghan soldiers a third of the total were not present on duty at
974

any given time. This policy has failed in Vietnam and Iraq and is doomed to
fail in Afghanistan. It is said that every time history repeats itself, the price
goes up. The case of US madness in Afghanistan is no exception and failure
in this war is inevitable.
On 8th June, Dr Maleeha Lodhi commented on Robert Gates speech in
Singapore. Afghanistan was a notable omission in Gates wide ranging
address on strategic challenges intended to convey Americas enduring
commitment to the regions security. This was all the more surprising as a
decision by the White House is only weeks away on the start of a US troop
drawdown this summer. Also Gates went directly to Afghanistan from the
Singapore summit for farewell calls to American troop bases.
Only in response to a question from a Pakistani participant did he
comment on Afghanistan and the prospects for negotiations to forge a
political solution. His answer reiterated the familiar Pentagon view
shared by the outgoing top US commander in Afghanistan, General
David H Petraeus and struck a note at variance with the thinking in the
White House and the State Department about the timing and terms of an
Afghan reconciliation process.
He said the generally accepted view was that nearly all conflicts of
this kind eventually come to a close with some kind of political settlement.
But he argued that prospects for a political settlement do not become
real until the Taliban.... begin to conclude they cannot win militarily.
For that to happen, military efforts were needed to expand the security
bubble and sustain gains already made. And then, perhaps this winter, the
possibility of some kind of political talks on reconciliation might open up.
He acknowledged that the Taliban are part of the political fabric
of Afghanistan but insisted that they will have to agree to three
conditions sever ties to al-Qaeda, accept the Afghan Constitution and lay
down their arms for talks to take place. This qualified support for the peace
talks and the suggestion that the Taliban first accept these conditions lays
bare the gap that seems to persist between the Pentagons views and those of
President Obamas civilian advisers. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has
already clarified that Washingtons three redlines are not pre-conditions, but
the outcome sought from negotiations.
The view Gates voiced at the conference of continuing military
operations in Afghanistan reinforced the confusion that continues to
characterize US policy. He stated this more explicitly when he reached
Kabul where he called for staying the counter-insurgency course. This
975

together with hints from other American representatives attending the

Singapore summit that another season of fighting may be needed raised
anew the question whether the US still wanted to kill its way out of
Afghanistan or negotiate.
This produces a conundrum for Islamabad. Is the American
expectation that Pakistan kill, capture or encourage Taliban leaders to join
the reconciliation process? It cannot be all of the above. If the expectation
is that senior Taliban leaders should be eliminated who will be there to
talk to? A closed session debated this among other questions but the
deliberations were off the record.
For the authorities in Pakistan the Shangri La Dialogue was a
missed opportunity as there was no official to represent the country or
make its case on any of the regions security challenges. In not sending any
official to the summit, civil or military, Islamabad failed to utilize a chance
to reach out to the international community. Considering Pakistans only
strategic relationship lies in this region with China it is especially ironic
that Islamabad is bereft of any Look East strategy or framework for wider
engagement in what is now acknowledged as the worlds most dynamic and
fastest-growing region.
Zafar Hilaly wrote on the eve of Karzais Islamabad visit. True, the
Taliban are under pressure as their traditional sources of revenue from
abroad have come under greater scrutiny; and their profits from the drug
trade are being squeezed by better controls. The increased fighting during
the surge, and especially the night raids by Special Forces, has caused
casualties among their experienced commanders, and even if these were
quickly replaced, it must have had hurt their morale and fighting capability.
Reports of Taliban foot soldiers taking advantage of US amnesty offers to
hand in their weapons also suggest some success. But these are at best
marginal gains. Since then, the Taliban have struck back and fighting has
seldom been so intense or American casualties greater than in the month
of May 2011. Moreover, Taliban recruitment has also not flagged. The truth
is that the Taliban will never have a shortage of recruits in a war against
foreign occupation.
At the same time, in the US, Congress is desperate to cut costs in
deference to domestic priorities; the deeply afflicted economy shows little
sign of recovery anytime in the near future and the presidential campaign is
gearing up with record unemployment figures being a big headache for
Obama. Furthermore, war weariness has grown on both sides of the political
976

aisle; the recent success against Al-Qaeda in Af-Pak has reduced the urgency
of relying overwhelmingly on combat operations in Afghanistan, and with
the surge having failed to live up to its pre-launch hype hawks are more
isolated than ever on current Afghan policy. In fact, Sen Lugar has
questioned the entire purpose of an expensive war that in his view
safeguards no important US interest.
Karzai too is moving harder on peace with the Afghan Taliban
hierarchy in the hope of getting his message across. Of late, he has been
remarkably uninhibited in his criticism of American military tactics, even
issuing a last warning if the American military caused any more innocent
civilian casualties. He has also managed to loosen the grip of the Northern
Alliance by getting rid of two prominent Pakistan-haters in his inner coterie.
He has skillfully placed himself at equidistant between the Taliban and their
inveterate foes, the Tajiks, thereby making it possible for him to act as a
conciliator between them, were that to become necessary during peace
negotiations.
Pakistan too is finally getting its act together. The army is taking
a manifest interest in the Afghan peace process. Kayani has met Karzai
with the aim, no doubt, of removing the bad blood that was so evident
between the army and the Kabul regime. And noticeably, whenever he
journeys to Kabul, he takes the opportunity of calling on Karzai. It seems we
have stopped pretending and woken up to the volcano that the Afghan war
has potentially become and which we alone cannot douse by arming or
playing off one proxy against another. The OBL and the Mehran fiascos
have brought us down to earth by taking away the machismo and aura some
within the establishment had built up of our own security apparatus and by
laying bare for all to see what our fundamental problem is it is our
strategic extravagance.
Our perceptions of the Afghan Taliban are also changing, though
perhaps not as perceptibly as some would like and the Americans have
long hoped. The Afghan Taliban are no longer viewed as some kind of
irresistible heroes who have a right to rule Afghanistan. Actually their
nearness to the TTP in demeanour and spirit is a source of increasing
concern and resentment. The thought that peace in Afghanistan may not lead
to peace at home is slowly, ever so slowly, gaining an audience.
Nevertheless, few here cavil that the Taliban remain the leading contenders
for a share of power and must be accommodated constitutionally as a
political force within a new post settlement security structure.

977

The fact is that civil conflicts, like in so many cases around the
world, especially those burdened by with numerous players and crosscutting interests and concerns, usually come to some conclusion at the end
of a protracted and uneven peace process. So if the Afghan peace process,
once it kick-starts, proves to be no different, this should not come as a
surprise. The important thing for Pakistan is that it is vitally in its
interest to see an end to this debilitating conflict. So much is at stake that
it would be utter folly to underestimate its importance and urgency.
Civil conflicts as a rule share broad similarities; they have their own distinct
contexts, and therefore there is no one size fits all solution. Solutions have
to be adapted to the peculiar circumstances of the conflict itself. The process
itself may eventually help to bring about flexibility and dynamism. It would
be foolish to insist on preconditions or to come with fixed preconceptions.
The hardest part is often getting the process started or getting the parties to
organize themselves for the process.
The fact is that a zero sum gain (where one sides gain is regarded
by the other side as its loss) runs contrary to the concept of a peace
process. While war can be a continuation of politics by other means, to
quote Clauswitch, a peace process cannot be a continuation of war by other
means. War has failed all sides. The only sensible alternative is
reconciliation through a peace process.
It is time, therefore, that we got back to the normal business of
diplomacy, demanding as it is, rather than persist with any game, great or
not, if we are serious about pulling through our worst crisis. The complex
Afghan peace process is going to be our biggest litmus test of that and
Hamid Karzais visit to Islamabad this week is as good an opportunity as
any to begin the process in earnest.
On 23rd May, The News wrote: On May 11, 2011, India made public
the names of 50 Pakistanis it accused of involvement in terrorist activities in
India and which it wanted extradited. On May 20, India withdrew the mostwanted list when it was found that two of the fugitives supposedly hiding in
Pakistan were very much in India one of them in prison! The list was first
handed to Pakistan during home secretary-level talks in March but the
contents were not made public until this month. The timing of the disclosure
immediately raised suspicions: was it a coincidence that New Delhi revealed
the list just 10 days after Osama bin Laden was found and killed in
Abbottabad? Clearly, the aim of the disclosure which even Indian
newspaper editorials have called a petty bilateral gambit was to create

978

more trouble for an already troubled Pakistan reeling under pressure both at
home and abroad.
The release was perhaps also meant to give cover to Indian army
chief VK Singh s and defence, research and development organization head
VK Saraswat s irresponsible boasting of India s ability to mount an
Abbottabad-type operation in Pakistan against elements inimical to Indian
interests. If the timing of the release didnt already reek of malice, India was
caught with foot in mouth when the government learnt that two of the
terrorists were in India itself. Stung by the blooper, India withdrew the list
even as Home Minister P Chidambaram tried to play down the mistake by
saying, I don t think we should make a big issue of it. But there are saner
voices who believe this was a monumental lapse that not just embarrassed
India but also created unnecessary bad blood with Pakistan. The gaffe should
thus serve as a much-needed reminder to the Indian security establishment to
sort out its internal troubles rather than always look for a whipping boy
westwards.
There is a lesson here for all countries, including Pakistan, that are
fighting against security-related concerns like terrorism: professionalism in
the conduct of security and intelligence is key to success, as was highlighted
by the intelligence failure with regard to Osama. One step in this direction is
internal security coordination and intelligence-sharing. For India, as the
latest goof-up has highlighted, this means better coordination between
the home and external affairs ministries and intelligence agencies like the
Central Bureau of Investigation. For Pakistan, this means an overarching
body to coordinate intelligence sharing between the ISI, IB, MI, FIA and
other intelligence-gathering forces. Developing a culture of institutionalized
intelligence coordination is key to a successful counter-terrorism policy.
In the context of Balochistan, The News commented on 18th May: A
three-member Supreme Court bench, hearing petitions against targeted
killings in Balochistan, has expressed dissatisfaction over the prevailing
situation and sought a swift improvement in the state of affairs. The court
was informed by the chief secretary of the province, Ahmed Bux Lehri, that
260 people had been killed in targeted attacks since 2009 and over 500
injured, and that Rs135 million had been paid in compensation since 2005.
The detailed report had been sought by the court during the last hearing of
the case. In response to courts remarks about a deteriorating situation, Mr
Lehri requested more time to get matters under control.

979

But the fact of the matter is that there is no evidence that this is
happening and the killings continue. Human rights groups have repeatedly
called for urgent measures to tackle a worsening situation, in a part of the
country where nationalist, ethnic and sectarian tensions merge in the
most dangerous possible form. It should also be noted that while the issue
of compensation for heirs of those who have been killed is a valid one, it
cannot help ease the sense of uncertainty and terror sweeping across the
province. The core reasons for these killings need to be found and political
solutions negotiated before things become worse than they already are.
On 8th June, Kamila Hyat commented: The province has been badly
let down by all the institutions of state. The government, the courts and the
military have all failed it. Only a handful of the 61 or so points included in
the package for Balochistan announced in 2009 have been implemented. No
political dialogue aimed at creating a consensus has been initiated. Killings
such as those of Dashtiyari continue. Most missing persons have not been
found. Their families claim some who have returned have suffered so much
brutality in captivity that they are now disabled, physically or
psychologically. Releases come with warnings for the victims to maintain a
permanent silence.
The situation is at least as bad as that in some of the South American
dictatorships of the 1970s and 1980s. Yet too few in the country are
sufficiently concerned or even aware of the full reality; even fewer speak
out about it. Senior members of the Balochistan government are understood
to have warned the prime minister that things could easily spiral out of
control. The response has been inadequate. We have heard frequent
accusations of Indian and Afghan intervention, but this rhetoric does nothing
to address the problems that lie within the province itself and can only be
solved there
It is perfectly true there are many groups involved in all kinds of
violence in Balochistan: settlers some who have lived in the province for
generations, teachers and security personnel are gunned down by
increasingly desperate nationalists. In terms of nuance, differences exist as
far as their own ideologies go. But their broader vision of independence is
unanimous.
Extremists kill Shias or the Hazaras who they accuse of being US
agents and intelligence personnel wage their own battles against anti-State
elements. But if state actors replicate the same patterns of violence we
see from non-state players, we have a faster drift towards anarchy. Such
980

actions will only act to create a more dangerous cycle of violence rather than
helping to end it.
For now, events in Balochistan may seem to be taking place in a
faraway place. The distance between the province and the centre of control
continues to grow. The repercussions of what is happening there could in
time prove to be extremely dangerous for the country as a whole, as a
civil war that has so far gone more or less unnoticed boils over and reaches
out from beyond boundaries of that turbulent province.
On 10th June, Dr Qaisar Rashid wrote: Until not long ago, one of the
gravest problems in Balochistan related to missing persons. Now, it has
taken a grisly turn, that of bullet-riddled bodies being discovered around the
province. Who is making Baloch politicians disappear and who is now
executing them is a big question staring in the face of the federation of
Pakistan. Meanwhile, the death toll in inter-ethnic violence is rapidly
rising as differences between Baloch and non-Baloch mount. The threat
to the federation should sound alarm bells in Islamabad, but it apparently
isnt.
Democracy is the best revenge, as the slogan goes. Unfortunately,
democracy isnt considered the best solution to the problems in Balochistan.
If it were, the province would not have been left at the mercy of the security
forces. The pretext of national security gives no one the right to resort
to violence in a troubled region of Pakistan, not even the security agencies.
Democracy has the potential to work wonders in the resolution of
long-standing contentious issues. But democracy is in sharp contrast to
authoritarian tactics employed in the name of democracy. Democracy does
not mean overemphasis on the application of violent measures in the
name of restoration of the writ of the state. Unless the Balochistan
package is implemented in its entirety, exercises such as the NFC Award and
the 18th Amendment will be of no avail.

REVIEW
All and sundry condemned the cold-blooded murder of an unarmed
young Sarfraz by the Rangers in Karachi. But, as usual there were
exceptions like Rehman Malik, who was in Karachi and Gilani in National
Assembly, who raised their voices in defence of the law enforcing
agencies.

981

Whereas the latter advised the parliamentarians not to use harsh

language for the men in uniform, the former concocted pretext in defence of
the killers saying the deceased was involved in crime and he had tried to
snatch a rifle from Rangers. His evil mind, impressed by his American
masters remembered Dr Aafias case of rifle snatching instantly and he
blurted it out in defence of the force under his command.
Extra-judicial killing of Sarfraz has not been the only incident which
reflected poorly on the state of law enforcing agencies. There have been
quite a few incidents in the recent past and many more went unnoticed or
ignored by the media altogether.
All these incidents spoke of inadequate education of the law-enforcers
about the subject of law; just use of weapons they carry; slack discipline and
lose command control of the force. These and other such observations have
been widely mentioned by the observers, but there are more to this
wholesome institutional degeneration.
Two factors need to be pointed out in this context. First is the
employment of Rangers in Karachi during last decade. This force has been
used under various noble sounding pretexts to protect many types of
politically-backed mafias. During Musharraf rule this force, along with
police were under direction to serve interests of MQM.
The compliance from the security forces was total; so comprehensive
that even Chief Justice could not dare step out of airport terminal when
MQM did not approve of him entering our city in on May 12, 2007. Since
2008 this force has been at the service of PPP government.
Misuse of law enforcement agencies for protecting and promoting
party interests, rather than public security ought to have negative effects.
There have been many symptoms of these effects, killing of Sarfraz
happened to be the one caught on camera and telecast by electronic media.
This has been an instance wherein an individual, who had been
watching misuse of the force by political parties, ventured to do the same for
personal motives. If political parties in power could use this force as their
private army why an individual placed advantageously could not do that to
get his own end served.
The war on terror is the second factor that has contributed towards
this degeneration. The war that was waged to avenge 9/11 attacks, which
was given numerous holy names and has been commonly known as war on
terror, is in fact nothing but an unending orgy of extra-judicial killings.
982

In this war international and domestic laws have been blatantly

violated. Barbarianism has been on the rampage on the pretext of protecting
values of civilized people. Pakistan has been in it for nearly a decade,
mostly in the role of a mercenary hired by a superpower. The rulers over a
period of time have developed liking for the job and they now affectionately
call it as our war.
The extent to which it is our war is proved by two incidents that took
place at University road check point in Peshawar. Four US nationals were
stopped at the post at midnight and they refused to prove their identity
making mockery of the security checks. And then they were allowed to go
after they decided to tell the police that they were jijas of Pakistani rulers.
At this very point a boy was shot dead some times ago for not
stopping his motor cycle. In his case, the law of the land was enforced in
letter and spirit. The security apparatus came into action proving that in this
war only Pakistanis are killed indiscriminately; hence it is our war.
As already said there have been numerous incidents in this war,
adopted and fostered by Pakistan rulers, in which thousands of innocent
men, women and children have been killed in drone, jetfighters and gunship
attacks. The incidents where dozens were killed in air strike in Khyber
Agency and in drone attack at peace jirga in NWA were far more gruesome
than killing of Sarfraz.
Men in uniform have been watching all this happen and have
inadvertently accepted that this war is nothing but an open licence to free for
all killings. Thus, the saga of extra judicial killings continues, but its
intriguing aspect is: why so much crying over some odd incidents
occasionally.
13th June, 2011

BUSINESS AS USUAL

983

Attention of media and the masses remained focused on Osama

Episode and spate of terror attacks in its wake. The events since May 2 had
shaken the people of Pakistan but, these were intense enough to cause any
ripples in the business of politics.
The lack of reporting from that front did not mean that nothing
happened on this front. The business on this front not only continued
unabated, but in fact showed signs of flourishing with PML-Q joining the
multi-company enterprise.
The business of corruption remained on the rampage. The Executive
continued defying court orders with impunity. All possible measures were
taken to conceal the plundered public wealth. The PPP did not relax in
pursuit of its democratic revenge.

NEWS
DG FIA submitted reply to contempt notice and apologized
unconditionally on 16th May; the court showed dissatisfaction over the
explanation. Sindh Assembly passed a resolution asking Zardari to continue
political activities in the Presidency. Next day, Khwaja Asif stated before the
court that allotment of LPG quota was carried out on political basis
disregarding commercial considerations. Nawaz on second day of his visit to
Sindh met nationalist leaders in Hyderabad. Speaking on the occasion he
urged trial of generals and judges who protected Musharraf. IMF agreed to
defer RGST till next year, but insisted on imposition of agriculture income
tax.
On 18th May, intra-court appeal was rejected in contempt case
involving seven judges of LHC and PHC. They were asked to return one
years emoluments and the government was directed to cancel their
appointments as judges. They will now be formally charged and proceeded
against in contempt case. Asma Jahangir criticized the verdict.
Apex court directed the trial court not to give any exceptional
treatment to Moonis Elahi and decide his bail requests on merit. Salim
Saifullah alleged that Shujaat-led faction of PML-Q was threatening Likeminded Senators after they have decided to support Ishaq Dar for
Chairmanship of the Senate. Meanwhile, two persons involved in targeted
killings were held in Karachi.
Next day, parliamentary committee looking into NICL scam was
informed by FIA that Rs24.4 million were transferred to the account of Amin
984

Fahim. PML-Q minister, Rana Tauseef, was accused of four bank loan
defaults. The Supreme Court bench that heard a petition filed by Imran Khan
gave three weeks to the government to form Election Commission.
Balochistan High Court suspended removal of Pemras regional chief, Gul
Muhammad Kakar. IHC was moved against Dr Jabbars deputation in Pemra
by his DG.
On 20th May, Faisal Raza Abidi declared that Zardari wont stop
politicking in Presidency. IHC rejected plea against acting chairman of
Pemra. Wikileaks revealed that Shahbaz Sharif had agreed to removal of
Chief Justice Iftikihar after his restoration. Violent protests against power
outages were held across the country, which were more pronounced in
Punjab.
On 21st May, two lawyer brothers were among four killed in Karachi;
SCBA announced countrywide observance of Black Day on 23 rd May. Next
day, PML-N leaders admitted that party was facing isolation and Nawaz had
woken up late. Babar Awan invited Nawaz Sharif to contest polls on PPP
ticket to ensure his winning. Public debt jumped to Rs11 trillion. PPP
government borrowed more money in four years than others did in 60 years.
Foreign debt was also up by 45 percent. Several former ministers, including
Tariq Anis and Tariq Aziz were still using transport of their former
ministries.
On 25th May, the Supreme Court gave DG FIA two days to repost
Zafar Qureshi and sought FIAs report on the NICL case that was submitted
to the parliamentary committee last week. Eight FIA witnesses denied
making statement against Moonis; they did it before a magistrate.
The apex court rejected governments review petition about additional
judges appointment as it found no justification bfor reviewing its judgment.
Amir Khan of MQM-Haqaqi, who was freed couple of days ago, joined
MQM after he had apologized to Urdu speaking Imam Khomenei. Gas and
electricity prices were increased.
Next day, the Supreme Court asked the State Bank the law under
which loans were waived. LHC ordered DG NAB Punjab to stop working as
period of his contract had expired in April. Permra refused to obey BHC
orders regarding reinstatement of Kakar.
On 27th May, hearing of contempt case against Sharjeel Memon and
Taj Haider was adjourned till 1st week of July. The court did not allow
change of counsel during the hearing. The bench hearing Haj scam case
ordered suspension of deputy chief of ANF. The Supreme Court ordered the
985

arrest of all members of jirga who settled a dispute through wani in Sukkur.
Bhutto will be sardar of Zardaris; Asif Zardari appointed his son Bilawal
Bhutto as head of the tribe. Traders in Karachi held a protest rally against
Bhatha mafia. ANP activist and two policemen were killed in the city.
Next day, two policemen were among six killed in Karachi. On 29 th
May, Babar Awan, Rehman Malik, Kaira and Firdous launched ferocious
counter-offensive agains Nawaz Sharif for pressing constitution of an
indeperndent commission to probe Abbottabad attack. Nine people were
killed in Karachi.
On 30th May, Chief Justice said the big people manage loan waivers
and their factories keep running but poor peoples houses are auctioned. He
asked the State Bank to ensure transparency in discursing loans. The court
hearing the case of Benazirs murder declared Musharraf a proclaimed
offender after he failed to appear before it despite repeated notices. Fifteen
percent surcharge was imposed through ordinance on all types of income.
Gas price will be increased from July.
On 1st June, the Supreme Court directed State Bank of Pakistan to
recover waived loans. Next day, the State Bank of Pakistan issued circular in
compliance with a Supreme Court order directing financial institutions to
provide a record of loans waived since 1971 and identify persons responsible
for disbursing loans. The circular was approved by the court. Public
Accounts Committee asked bureaucrats not to comply verbal orders of
President and Prime Minister.
Inquiry report into Harris Steel Mills case was submitted in the
Supreme Court. The report found credible evidence against Babar Awan and
Malik Qayyum. The report also brought out doubtful role of Latif Khosa in
the fraud case. The Court sought government stance on 686 illegal
appointments in Port Qasim Authority and separately a reply in Rs2 billion
fraud in NBP fund.
On 3rd June, the Supreme Court charged DG FIA with the contempt of
court. He was also charged with hampering the proceedings of the court.
Pemra issued notices to GeoNews, Dawn News, NewsOne and Dynya
Newsfor provoking anti-national sentimentsamong viewers by sensitizing
events unnecessarily. Five persons were killed in Karachi. Next day, JI
staged a sit-in in Karachi to protest against price hike, law and order
situation and interference by the US. Two ANP activists were gunned down
in Karachi.

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On 5th June, Owner of Haris Steel Mills denied paying any money to
Babar Awan to get court relief. He accused Punjab government for
victimizing his family for not giving statement against Pervaiz Elahi. He
claimed that Shahbazbought their Rs4 billion property for Rs700 million.
Gilani ruled out mid-term polls. More Haqiqi leaders joined MQM.
Next day, the Supreme Court ordered Pemra to issue licence to Geo
Super within 24 hours and confirm in three days. LHC set aside Haj policy
and canceled allotment of quota to tour operators terming it illegal and
directed revision of the policy.
Chairman Senate declared Maulana Haideri of JUI-F as winner for the
slot of leader of the opposition in the Senate. Ishaq Dar of PML-N had got
24 votes against 18, but the chairman declared the required number of votes
invalid to ensure Maulanas victory.
Flood Inquiry Commission submitted its report to the the Supreme
Court in which corruption in Irrigation Department was blamed for the
havoc caused by the floods. The commission found no evidence about
involvement of politicians. The court ordered translation of the report before
making it public.
On 7th June, the Supreme Court ordered implementation of flood
commission recommendations. The Chief Justice took notice of recovery of
bottles of wine from Attiqa Odho and not registering an FIR against her; the
case was registered and a team was sent to Karachi to arrest her. PML-N, JI
and Likeminded staged walkout from Senate over nomination of Haideri as
Opposition leader. Taking part in budget debate Khwaja Asif accused rulers
of bringing the country to brink. Punjab withdrew Elite Force from VIPs.
Four people were killed in Karachi and a PPP leader escaped attempt on life.
Next day, the court was informed during hearing of NICL case, by
secretary establishment that FIA official Zafar Qureshi was transferred on
verbal orders of Prime Minister and Rs41 million were deposited in Amin
Fahims account. The Chief Justice ordered arrest of all culprits and take
strict measures against all absconders; failing which be ready to go to jail.
The court reserved verdict on contempt charge against DG FIA.
The apex court asked NAB to provided details of pending cases of
Bank of Punjab. LHC served notice to Haj Ministry after accepting a
petition complaining non implementation of its order for allotting Haj quota
afresh. The annual report of Accountant General of Pakistan for the year
2010-2011 observed that Rs35 billion were either missing or embezzled.
Nawaz Sharif canceled his visit to Quetta after flight was repeatedly delayed
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on the behest of the regime; PIA claimed delay was due to technical fault.
Nine people, including PPP activist, were killed in Karachi.
On 9th June, Zardari appointed four retired judges as members of
Election Commission and also named members of Council of Islamic
Ideology. An ATC sentenced two DSPs and seven policemen were sentenced
for 32-year imprisonment each in lawyers burning case during Lawyers
movement.
PML-N protested in NA over governments role in sabotaging Nawaz
Sharifs visit to Quetta. Punjab government was blamed for stuffing
government departments with PML-N men. Punjab suffered petrol shortage
on third consecutive day. Six people were killed in Karachi.
Next day, the bench hearing Haj scam asked secretary to reappoint
Hussain Asghar, IGP Gilgit-Baltistan to FIA. ANP asked PPP to stop
favouring MQM in Sindh. On 11th June, permanent arrest warrants for
Musharraf were issued by the ATC hearing Benazirs murder case. The judge
was transferred soon after the vissue of warrants. Banking court indicted
Moonis Elahi in NICL case and the hearing would commence from 18 th
June. Three people were killed in Karachi. On 12 th June, Shahbaz urged
establishment of system based on justice. Javed Hashmi said Quraishi would
be welcomed in PML-N. Petrol shortage persisted in Punjab and AJK.

VIEWS
On 18th May, Huzaima Bukhari and Dr Ikramul Haq commented on
LHC judgment on Zardaris dual office. Irrespective of their internal
regulations, all parties that have the privilege of forming a government have
to follow some fundamental ethics. These require that all party activities
including meetings should be held at the party premises or in the
confines of members properties. The presidency, the prime ministers
secretariat, governor houses or chief minister houses for that matter all
government premises are run on taxpayer money, meant purely for the
functioning of the government and not for any activity that falls outside the
precincts of governance.
This principle, according to press reports, has been violated
perpetually during the last three years by the federal and provincial
governments alike. The Chairman Public Accounts Committee on November
13, 2008 took strong exception of this and observed: The PPP should not
hold meetings at the president or prime minister house. Such meetings
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should take place at the partys office or Zardari house. However, he did
not mention who had been paying for the PML-N meetings allegedly held at
Punjab House in Islamabad.
All the parties in power have demonstrated complete indifference
to public criticism regarding the use of government premises for their
meetings. The nation has a right to know how many meetings were held at
the presidency, prime minister house, chief minister house or Punjab house
over the last three years using taxpayer money.
One wonders if the PPP or PML-N were depositing the expenses
incurred on these meetings in the government treasury. If not, they were
(mis)using taxpayer money on party activities. By organizing meetings on
government premises, the public office holders are guilty of misconduct.
They are accountable to the people of Pakistan with respect to the amount
incurred during these meetings and other private functions. To avoid further
tarnishing their image and legal proceedings, they must pay back these sums
to the government treasury from their party funds immediately.
Next day, The News commented: Politics in our country sees all
kinds of twists and turns which unexpectedly bring former foes together or
create new realities on the national scene. We have in recent weeks seen this
already as the PPP and the PML-Q link arms, beginning a new and some
would say uncomfortable jig, as partners. PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz
Sharifs visit to Karachi and meetings with the leaders of Sindhi nationalist
parties appear to be intended chiefly to counter this move. Till now, Sindhi
parties as is the case with nationalist forces in other provinces have
remained somewhat wary of the PML-N, seeing it as a pro-establishment,
Punjab-centric body hostile to their own interests. Any change in this would
of course be welcome. In his meetings with Qadir Magsi of the Sindh
Taraqqi Pasand Party and Rasul Bux Palejo of the Awami Tehreek, Sharif
emphasised he was eager to hear the views of the nationalists. By all
accounts he did so, listening carefully to their perspectives. Expressing his
own views, Sharif attacked the PPP for its failure to keep promises and no
doubt this failure is immense.
He also lashed out against the MQM, asking nationalists to fight
urban extortionists. Here we would advise caution and not political
expediency, even if such statements resonate well with certain groups.
Karachi is too sensitive and too big a matter to be dealt with in the light of
immediate political aims. Karachi, and consequently Sindh, has paid a huge
price as a result of politicians doing just that. The challenge is to develop a
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social and political vision to create ethnic harmony so that the oppressed, no
matter which ethnic group they come from, could make a collective bid to
rid themselves of oppression, both at the hands of those that claim to
represent them and those that constitute the other. Sharifs comments about
generals and judges who protected military dictators cannot be faulted for
being too off the mark generally speaking. It is our failure to hold
accountable those whose ambitions of power and privilege have time and
again wreaked havoc on this country; but again perhaps it is time for our
politicians to go beyond devising rhetoric about what happened in the past to
suit the ups and downs of the present. What they should do instead is carve
out a vision and a political course that is not subject to change depending on
how far or near the elections are.
It has yet to be seen how his rather unexpected overture will be
received by the nationalists. But undoubtedly the PML-Ns latest strategy
will ruffle feathers within the PPP. The province has long been considered
the personal fiefdom of the party, most notably by President Asif Ali Zardari,
who has used the so called Sindh card on more than one occasion to further
his own interests. But there are reports from the province of growing
disgruntlement with him. Nawaz Sharif in fact tried to capitalize on this,
asking why the murder of Benazir Bhutto remained unsolved. The issue of
continuing drone attacks, among others, was also raised. It will be
fascinating to watch events in Sindh in the future, and see how things shape
up. The PML-N initiative can also be seen as a response to the recent MQM
rally in Lahore. But for obvious reasons the PPP and the MQM will both be
displeased as the PML-N enters the political arena in Karachi, and the rest of
Sindh, and demonstrates a new zeal in its search for allies for potential gains
in the next elections.
On 22nd May, Masood Hasan wrote about rampant corruption. There
is no chance that we will put a man on the moon, but were we to collect the
reports of all the scams that have been an intrinsic part of our national life, I
daresay we could easily climb our way to the moon and back before you can
say Moonis. Some even go so far as to suggest that its hard to say which
came first, Pakistan or the scams? Of course, all countries have scams, but
with us there is a quality difference. Not only can we sniff out a potential
scam, we can also plan it meticulously, pull it off effortlessly and involve
enough important people (or notables, as they are called) to ensure we never
ever get caught with or without our pants down. We also ensure and
having faith in this corrupted land, that no enquiry ever comes to fruition. As

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and when these face-saving pantomimes are ritually enacted, we ensure

through strategic alliances that the findings are never made public.
Thus, the crooked prosper and the not-crooked suffer. Oh, yes; we
make huge commitments and promises, assure everyone that the crooks
would be bought to justice, the guilty would be appropriately punished and
all heinous crimes would be stripped to the bare truth and then revealed to
all. Never will such infamy be ever repeated in a land that is pure as the
driven snow but, as any Pakistani will tell you, this is simply hogwash
enacted by thousands of scam-masters. Within hours of the startling scam,
it is business as usual. The black waistcoats remain neatly pressed, the
medals won for wars never fought remain shining and the glory of the
masters of Pakistan remains up there amongst the stars. Rotters are feted,
dined, fussed about. The more crooked you are, the more this jaundiced
society welcomes you. The biggest scam of all is that someone has run away
with our conscience, and it is not Double Shah.
A cursory look at the list of scams, a mere random glance reveals a
mind-boggling number of the most audacious criminal acts, with the
identifiable but never punished notables now living lives of luxury and
respect conferred on them by the system, which in turn is run by other
crooks. Its a perfect fit and its worked like magic all our blighted 60-plus
years. The crooks having made their billions and ensured generations after
them a life of ease and sloth, write edifying essays in the national
newspapers, preach the values of moral high ground, and act as innocent as a
newborn lamb. Others write books of poetry, sanitized memoirs, and plans to
guide Pakistan to a great future. They are also regulars on all the infernal TV
chat shows, seminars and conferences and are applauded by their long line
of supporters and sycophants. And so the republic without wheels runs on
and on
There are so many scams that, had we been people with half an
iota of self-respect, we would have collectively committed hara-kiri or
exposed those who had robbed this country and its trusting poor people. But
shame is always in short supply here and things like apologies, forgiveness
or accountability are but words without substance. A couple of Umrahs and a
Haj thrown in take care of most sins and the biggest sinners weep the
loudest. This is hypocrisy taken at a new level and it is now as old as the
hills. We repent only because we want to resume the pillage. As for what
happened before, who cares? The money is safely in the banks, the
properties are flourishing, the mistresses are happily ensconced in luxury
and sin, the wives are breaking down the doors of Harrods and the sons are
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driving luxury sports cars at US campuses and making out with pretty
American chicks. Careers are assured, the confidence and swagger that
comes with illicit money obtained easily defines the next generation and the
mission of looting the land is more hallowed than the 1940 Resolution,
which no one can quite remember.
Next day, Shaheen Sehbai observed: Serious thinking is going on in
top PPP circles that the domestic and international environment is now
perfect for the party to go for snap mid-term polls in the country and grab
two-third majority in both the houses of parliament.
PPP stalwarts, both within Pakistan and those traveling abroad, offer
strong multi-dimensional arguments in private conversations to support this
line of thinking, especially after the May 2 Abbottabad attack which has
left the military and security establishment reeling and, they think,
almost unable to interfere in the political process because of the massive
international and domestic embarrassment they had to go through.
The PPP stalwarts also argue that since the top military leadership
has been reluctant, unable or not proactive in pushing for implementation of
the main anti-government/PPP judgments of the Supreme Court, particularly
in the NRO, NAB and FIA cases, the momentum of the judiciary has been
broken and the PPP can enforce its own agenda without fear of any
meaningful challenge.
Thus, all big or small challenges thrown by the judges have
already been successfully countered by effective use of the Sindh Card,
the Topi and Ajrak and deploying the resources of the Sindh government.
More such judicial threats will also be countered in the same and more
aggressive manner.
According to this line of thinking, the government has kept the civil
bureaucracy almost under its thumb with frequent and repeated
transfers of top bureaucrats not enabling them to settle down or contribute
or assert in any policy making. In addition, its own cronies have been put on
key positions, thus keeping full executive control of lucrative positions.
With the security and judicial establishment out of its way, or so the
PPP think tanks feel, President Zardari has brilliantly manipulated the
political parties, allies and opponents alike, and thus the political situation
has become absolutely perfect for quickly going for the kill by ordering a
snap election and sweeping the scene.

992

The allies have been kept at a distance but not pushed so much
that they may break away. So the MQM, although it has been treated like a
stepchild, has been made to look like amateur players who have made
themselves almost the butt of jokes by off-again, on-again relations with the
PPP. They have been in and out of the cabinet and still their key demands
have not been met. They are now back again in the government.
The JUI is angry but not to the point that Maulana Fazlur
Rehman would throw away the perks and privileges that he enjoys. So
the wily Maulana has removed himself from the scene and is enjoying
foreign travels at the government expense, staying away from embarrassing
situations like the Osama killing or Raymond Davis fiasco or the war
between the PPP and the Supreme Court.
To keep both these not so trustworthy allies on the alert, Zardari has
now removed his gloves and welcomed the Chaudhry brothers into the
government, no matter how bitter or embarrassing it may have been for the
PPP rank and file. He has bargained with the Chaudhrys to keep his
government intact and could reach a deeper understanding on electoral
adjustments to corner the PML-N in the Punjab.
Balochistan and the ANP have never been PPP problems and
whatever the election results in these provinces, Zardari knows that he
would be able to cobble together governments of his choice and get their
votes.
The PPP think tanks feel the potentially strong challenge of the
PML-N has been effectively dissipated more by the laid-back politics,
failure, miscalculation and/or over-confidence of Mian Nawaz Sharif to read
Zardari in the first place and focusing too much on the diminishing threat of
a military intervention.
Nawaz is obsessed with and has targeted a politically dead
Musharraf more than a deadly and alive Zardari and thus his party is
now paying the price of pushing itself into a self-inflicted isolation. His
latest attempts to activate his party by meeting Sindhi nationalists or Balochi
hardliners is seen as an initiative, too little, too late and again at the wrong
place at the wrong time.
PPP thinkers feel that by keeping away the great bulk of PML-Q
electable leaders, Nawaz Sharif has lost the opportunity to gain ground
in the Punjab. The incumbency factor in the Punjab will be a liability and
the PPPs aggressive push to appease the southern Punjab by supporting the

993

Seraiki province would cost the PML-N substantially. They believe the
PML-N may not even be able to get the seats they have right now.
Outsiders in the current parliament like Imran Khan, Jamaat-eIslami and some others are brushed aside by the PPP as of no
consequence in electoral politics though they may have some nuisance
value on the streets, but that too not much to worry about. The dharnas of
Imran Khan are described as dharnis with not more than a few thousand
odd participants gathered from all over. They pose no real threat to anyone.
PPP strategists do not consider the huge issues of Osama killing,
Raymond Davis fiasco, high prices, unemployment, load shedding etc as
of any real threat to their electoral prospects because they believe elections
in Pakistan is a totally different ball game, a science in which issues do not
count but people, personalities, alliances and administrative power is what
matters. With the PPP succeeding to manage all these relevant factors, a
sweeping victory is thus not difficult.
This line of thinking in the PPP has almost convinced President
Zardari to go along it as he is being told that this situation, in which the
Army and agencies are lying prostate, political opponents are in a state of
disarray and allies are in abundance and willing to oblige, may not be
guaranteed for long.
The key and a very strong factor at the moment is the full
backing of the Obama Administration to the Zardari set-up because the
Pakistan Army, specially General Kayani and ISI chief General Shuja Pasha,
are on the US hit list and they may stay under US pressure. It is possible that
if they become unmanageable, Zardari may replace them.
People who interact with key US leaders frequently in Washington
say there is a growing feeling in the Obama Administration that a
corrupt Zardari regime may be a better bet than a rigid and hard-tomanage General Kayani or General Pasha. The refrain from top State
Department and Pentagon officials is that the Army must be brought under
civilian supremacy and thus whenever a statement is issued, support to
democracy is its integral part, says a regular visitor from Pakistan who
meets these officials.
While all of this may sound sweet music to the Zardari-Gilani duo
and their think tanks, there is a strong counter argument, which carries
equal if not more weight. It goes like this: Some people are trying to set
up Zardari to order an early election by painting such a rosy picture only to
break the stronghold he has managed to maintain so far. The moment he
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orders a new election, an interim set up will take over, Election Commission
and local bureaucracies will become relevant, law and order will be a prime
object and for that the role of the Army and the agencies will be revived and
they will swing back into action.
Staff solutions that are always ready on the GHQ shelf may be
dusted off and put into practice. Judges may be given the vitamins they need
to order enforcement of their judgments and Executive and the Army may
abide by the constitutional orders of the courts to intervene and enforce these
verdicts. Within days, power may slip away from the Zardari camp. The
imaginary and much feared nexus of the Army and the Judiciary may try to
delay the elections to carry out the much-needed accountability. The angry
and disheartened PPP rank and file may be revived with a new zeal and the
latest out-of-the-blue statement by Sanam Bhutto may just be one indicator
that an alternate and more marketable PPP leadership may be in the works.
As Zardari is in the habit of kicking everyone on the back, someone is
trying to push him to kick a live bomb.
Adiah Afraz talked of Imran Khan. The only places where you
would find unflinching support for Imran Khan and plenty of counter
arguments for the left and the right and the liberals of all kinds, are the
places of learning and education; the places where you find young people
who compete for grades, write research essays and dream of making money;
who are fond of books, sports, American TV serials and social networking,
and have ideals for a better future for Pakistan. Diverse combination of
things, I know, but better than rigid and self-made markers of good and bad.
These people are not necessarily against girls and girlfriends either, and
believe that Pakistan has much more sinister things to worry about than
considerations of a cricket sensation s love life in the 80s.
And these are the people who tell you that Imran Khan is a
cricketer par excellence, an orator who inspires them, and a philanthropist
who makes them optimistic. These are the people who would post on
facebook those pictures of him sleeping on the floor in the middle of a sit in;
unafraid, undeterred, and without bulletproofing or security of any sort. And
these are the people who don t turn, right or left or a beetroot red when you
tell them that you think Imran Khan should win the next election. They
simply turn around and say. You think so too?
On 25th May, Raoof Hasan wrote: This charade has gone on for too
long with each member of the ruling coterie blaming the other for the
calamities that have befallen the country. In actual effect, each one of them
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is more to blame than the other as all of them are guilty of both
hypocrisy and corruption. Leaders born in the laps of dictators are laying
claims to being democrats it is a different matter that they dont introduce
a democratic culture in their party ranks which continue to be managed
along dictatorial lines. Be it written-off loans or using official positions for
financial gains, all of them are guilty of having used the tricks of the
political trade for their personal aggrandizement.
Trickery and duplicity can take you so far. Beyond that, the path
is strewn with pitfalls that cannot be traversed by people of mediocre
mettle and debatable integrities. The path beyond would be traversed by
individuals who display the qualities of fortitude in adversity and maintain
their dignity in trying circumstances. This is the path for no ordinary mortals
whose ranks are swollen with myopic and self-perpetuating proclamations
cloaked as service to the people. Lets be done with it. Lets get on course to
accountability those who go around pontificating to others. Lets unmask the
faces behind the face.
On 28th May, Zafar Hilaly wrote pen picture of Imran as politician
and termed him modicum of hope. What was it that prompted several
thousand of us in the oppressive heat of a relatively windless Karachi day to
stand, sweat and listen to a host of mostly uninspiring and unknown
speakers in the dharna against drones organized by Imran Khans PTI?
For me, at least, it was not anti-Americanism, which seems to have
our populace firmly in its grip. When mindless, our hatred of America, like
our love of the Arabs, can be self-deluding and destructive. Nor am I certain
that if the drones stopped wreaking their havoc, all would be well. There are
some who will find America insufferable, come what may. But it would not
be a bad thing for those who react thus to pause for reflection. Because
getting it right may determine our fate.
As it happens, drones are an excellent contraption for the type of war
that is being waged today. The trouble is that, like all weapons, when they
are pointed in the wrong direction the results can be disastrous.
Unfortunately, this is what has been happening. The number of civilians
killed in drone attacks is unacceptable. Besides, for every TTP foot soldier
eliminated by the drones, two more are radicalized. Nor was it the promise
of being exposed to Imrans spellbinding oratory that served as an incentive.
The precious thing in speeches is the pauses, and in that respect Imran is not
a gifted speaker, whatever may be his leadership qualities.

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Imrans plaints against the prevailing corruption in Pakistan are

also not novel. All readily concede that the corruption that exists today has
never been equaled before. Daily revelations of thievery at all levels of
government confirm this trend. Actually, so inured is the public to the
crooked ways of our politicians (who even when bought refuse to stay
bought) that they dont expect anything better from any of them. Hence, to
hear someone go on and on the subject is tiresome.
Besides, while Imran has been upright, in the past he has been more
rhetorical than substantive in his views on key internal and external issues.
Happily, though, he has moved away from generalities. He now has
specific remedies and a well-thought-out policy, which is just as well. We
have had enough of populism in the past and we cannot afford it anymore
our condition is too dire and the situation too complicated for simplistic
solutions.
What, then, draws the public to Imran Khan? Ironically, its his
artlessness and political naivety which sets him apart from the run-of-themill conniving politician and, above all, his honesty. And if we add to this
brew a dash of modesty and shyness, they make for a refreshing change.
Here is a man, a growing number reckon, who is indeed different from the
archetypal corrupt, bloated and bombastic politician.
It is heartening to see how many among his supporters believe that
their hopes would not be quelled by one or two failures. They seem to be in
it for the long run. The crime is not to fail but fail to give triumph a
chance, said one especially articulate fan. In other words, going down with
him was far preferable than standing with the likes of the Zardaris,
Sharifs and Chaudhrys. Win or lose, they seem to be saying, our leader
Imran Khan will still be around and not in a squalid cell or on the run abroad
as a declared absconder, which would surely be the case for the others
Being on the right side and losing, another went on in a similar vein, is
sometimes what is required in politics. Its a sentiment that resonates
powerfully with ones own.
Pakistan is in a dire crisis. The Economist may believe that there is a
lot of ruin left in this country but what it seems to have misjudged is just
how quickly ruin can overtake Pakistan. Two more years of the present
regime should, by any reckoning, be sufficient to complete our downfall
and, if not, what passes for elections thereafter should sound the death
knell of democracy. Imagine the kind of (mal)-practices that the electoral
process will be subjected to by bosses of the likes of Zardari, the
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Chaudhrys and the Sharifs. Talk of casting out devils, we are being asked to
accept them, live peacefully with them and, worse, elect them.
Of course Imran will have no easy sailing. Practical politics, it is
said, consists of accepting facts. Imran Khan has instead ignored plenty of
facts. He has no deputy of any public stature to speak of; no real party
structure and no ready source of funding. This last fact may prove to be a
fatal handicap, considering what his opponents are prepared to spend. Mr
Zardari, in particular, has a war chest that would match anything that parties
in far richer countries possess. Also conspicuously absent in the PTI is the
biradiri/zaat phenomenon that is so marked in our politics and welds
together supporters of the other parties. But Imran does not think so. There
is a wave. I sense it will sweep all before it, he says. And his optimism is
infectious.
Imrans current situation is different from Z A Bhuttos at a
similar stage of Bhuttos political development. Bhutto trumpeted
socialism and a peculiar variety which he dubbed Islamic socialism as his
partys political creed. But, as we know, Bhutto was as much of a socialist as
Ayub Khan was a democrat.
Imran, in contrast, disdains such affectations. A good, clean,
competent government and an independent judiciary operating within
the confines of the present Constitution is what he seems to feel is
required; everything else will follow. Its a simple enough recipe and much
easier for the public to digest than the flowery rhetoric and turgid phrases of
most party manifestos. He senses that what the people want arent circuses
any more, but bread, jobs, etc., and a modicum of hope. Thats the
revolution, which he speaks of and, come to think of it, that would amount
to a revolution in our present way of doing things.
But even such a minimalist approach to government presupposes a
leader who is up to the task. Is Imran up to the task? His supporters will
readily confess that they dont know. I rather suspect that he is. While
the World Cup victory is still his main thing in the public mind, his cancer
hospital has shown that he can perform wonders when sufficiently
motivated. The fact that he is fully familiar with the world outside Pakistan
also means that he can conduct himself well when the time comes and the
responsibility falls on his shoulders. Thats almost as important as knowing
the internal situation well and being able to navigate within it.
We live in a volatile world with the worlds attention focused sharply
on the countrys multiple crises and its ability to steer the country out of the
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big mess. It is looking desperately for positive signs. In the current line-up
Imran stands out as the one with a far better potential, even though he
is untested in governance at the national level. Anyway, assuredly he
cannot be worse.
Next day, Jamil Nasir pondered about tackling corruption.
Astonishingly, we are highly tolerant towards this specie of corruption
on the argument of low salaries of the public officials. We, perhaps, do
not have the proper understanding and appreciation of the damaging impacts
this brand of corruption may have for economic development and state
building. It erodes the peoples confidence in state institutions and enhances
the levels of perceptions about the pervasiveness of corruption in a society.
Hence the high ranking among the list of corrupt countries, which, in turn,
has negative implications for investment, trade and economic growth.
Mr Kaushik Basu, the chief economic advisor of India, realizing the
negative impacts of bribery, has come up with a simple but novel proposal to
contain it. Mr Basu has divided bribes into two basic types i.e.
harassment bribes and non-harassment bribes.
Harassment bribes are those bribes that people pay to get what
they are legally entitled to get. What Basu suggests is that in such cases the
act of giving the bribe be declared a legitimate legal activity. According to
him, a person entitled to get a refund from the income tax authorities, if
compelled to pay bribery to get the refund cheque issued, is victim of
harassment bribery. The giver of harassment bribe is not happy over the
payment of bribe money for obtaining his genuine rights but he keeps mum
as the law of the land treats him as guilty as well.
If the law is amended to the effect that bribe giver is not considered
guilty of crime rather all punishment of the act of bribery is heaped on the
bribe taker, the bribe giver will have incentive to disclose the act of bribery,
the argument runs. The change in law on these lines will deter the bribe
takers from indulging in bribe and incidence of bribery will be reduced.
However, the downside of this proposal is that false charges of bribery may
be leveled against public servants to blackmail them. But Mr Basu suggests
that this loophole can be plugged by increasing the punishment for
blackmail and false accusations.
Besides the simple and novel proposal of Mr Basu, Professor
Bhagwati (who is also from India) has time and again argued that it is the
over-regulation of the economy that becomes the chief reason for
rampant corruption. He says the bureaucratic corruption owes its genesis
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to the permit raj prevalent in India. Cumbersome rules, convoluted

procedures and lots of licensing requirements for import, export, produce,
and investment etc gave a lot of opportunity and potential of corruption to
the Indian bureaucrats and the politicians
India is also witnessing a social awakening on the issue of
corruption Things are also deteriorating day-by-day in Pakistan as
well. Corruption is crippling our economy and society. We need to take
corruption head on and not pussyfoot around the issue. We need to flesh out
a concrete anti-corruption strategy by exploring workable alternatives to
tackle this issue.
The insights from our neighbouring country may at least provide
some food for thought for devising such a strategy. Our politicians, social
activists, civil society, media and the economists need to articulate
corruption as the most daunting challenge Pakistan is faced with.
On 30th May, Dr A Q Khan remembered the dreams he had while
making Pakistan a nuclear power. He wrote: Instead of benefiting from
our achievements, both at the domestic and international levels, our
rulers initiated a series of blunders. The first was the freezing of the
foreign currency accounts of both locals and expatriates. One has to totally
lack foresight to undertake such an action or to listen to such advice and act
accordingly. It caused total lack of confidence in our nationals abroad, who
could transfer billions of dollars at a single call.
The second blunder was the supersession of a highly competent
officer, Gen Ali Kuli Khan. I met him a number of times when he was chief
of the general staff and I was highly impressed by his qualities and
background. Instead, a commando was appointed army chief and the result is
there for us all to see.
Even worse than these two blunders was the entry into politics of
those known to be corrupt and incompetent, followed by the friendly
opposition. There is a well-known expression, Once bitten, twice shy, but
that refers only to people of understanding. Solemn promises made to the
public were broken without compunction and a game of I dont see; I dont
hear and I dont understand was played out. This policy and only this
policy is the root cause of our present malaise.
This friendly opposition has taken us nowhere. Not a single
problem has been solved. On the contrary, the country is in the worst stage
of its history. I believe it would be best for the country if all the old party

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leaders retired and cleared the field for young, energetic, educated leaders to
save the sinking ship.
If that is not done, it is up to the public to dump all the old parties
that have proved themselves to be unworthy and form new ones, join
hands with each other and save the country. A good place to start is with
Imran Khan. Young, honest people should come forward and work together
for the good of the country.
It is sad and disheartening that all our Herculean efforts and
achievements have gone down the drain. Only a few selfish looters are
enjoying life while the majority of the people suffer from unemployment,
hunger, load shedding, price hikes, suicides, murders and kidnappings.
Patriotic Pakistanis are having sleepless nights over the situation and
one is compelled to think that Mr Bhuttos dream of Pakistan becoming a
nuclear power is no more than a mirage. The dream has definitely gone sour.
We, the public, are extremely worried while our rulers seem to be
completely unworried. The party goes on undisturbed. In short, instead of
benefiting from the achievements of May 28 and 30, 1998, we are worse off
now than we were 13 years ago.
The present alarming situation in the country demands
immediate cooperation between young, energetic and educated people to
get together in the larger national interest. Mr Javed Hashmi, Ahsan Iqbal,
Imran Khan, young workers from the Jamaat-e-Islami, Mr Shah Mehmood
Qureshi, Sen Safdar Abbasi, Mrs. Naheed Khan, Mr Haneef Abbasi, and
others likeminded people should join hands to form a credible block.
Many of my colleagues, acquaintances and I would, if asked, be
happy to offer advice in finding solutions to economic, educational,
agricultural, water and energy problems. Our country does not need to be a
colony or enemy of any other country. We should follow a neutral policy
friendship with all, animosity with none. National interests and mutually
beneficial trade should be the yardstick of our friendships. No aggressive
designs against any country and no permission to anybody to use our land
for aggression against anyone should be the rule.
Ours is a beautiful country, blessed by Allah with many riches,
manpower and scenic beauty, and together we can turn it into a prosperous,
advanced and well-developed homeland. We should look ahead. There is
very little time left, and we should not waste it. We should turn Pakistan
into a true Islamic welfare state.

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On 3rd June, Ayaz Amir opined: Islam is not the state religion of
Pakistan, denial is. And our national emblem should be the ostrich, given
our proclivity to bury our heads in the sand and not see the landscape
around us as it is. We need a drastic change of course, thats for sure. The
kind of civilian leaders we have, their quality we know. No hope for any
miracles from that quarter. As for the military side, Kayani has begun to look
too much like a dated product, a rep of the old order. He has outlived his
usefulness. His extension may have been a Zardari political masterstroke,
serving to protect his flanks, but otherwise it wasnt a bright idea.
We need a change of guard, both political and military, the
coming of some rebels to the fore. This is Pakistans foremost
challenge...dependent, however, on divine grace because the political
spectrum, from one end to the other, presents the aspect of a desert, the level
and lonely sands (echoes of Shelley) stretching far away.
On 5th June, Adnan Adil wrote: In recent days, Imran has made
efforts to make some sort of an alliance with different left-wing political
groups headed by Abid Manto, Farooq Tariq and Dr Mubashir Hassan, but
he failed because these groups were not comfortable with his support for
Taliban and other Islamist groups. His only ally seems to be the Jamaat-eIslami, which is struggling for its survival in the wake of the mushroom
growth of other Islamic organizations.
However, Imran Khans appeal among a large section of the
young people cannot be discounted. His party has set up its offices all over
the country. He has been untiringly visiting every nook and corner of the
country to organize his party. Unlike other smaller parties, Imran gets a great
deal of coverage both in print and electronic media and is a major
contributor to the ongoing political discourse. In a recent by-election, his
partys candidate won a large number of votes in a by-election of Lahore.
Though he lost the election, it was enough to put Nawaz Sharif on the alert.
Imran Khans influence on the political narrative and setting the
political agenda coupled with his popular appeal among the young people
make him a significant political actor and potential threat to both
mainstream political parties, the PPP and the PML-N, besides the ANP. Even
though his party is small, its effective enough to keep the rulers under
pressure on issues like corruption, poor governance and subservience to
American policies. Imran Khan, like Asghar Khan, may survive only as a
leader of a small political party, but the influence and impact of the two
Khans on the Pakistani politics cannot be overlooked.
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Adnan Rehmat opined: To become a politician of contention Imran

needs to stop playing macho crotchy cricket. And to become the national
skipper he needs to first become a player who can make it to the
national 11 of parliament. Then we shall see if hes the messiah he thinks
he is and we hope he can become. Until then give us Zardari and Sharif any
day.
On 8th June, The News wrote: The findings submitted to a threemember Supreme Court bench by the commission set up by it to examine
the numerous breaches of embankments along the River Indus which
aggravated the damage inflicted by last years floods, have revealed a little
bit more about the manner in which our administrative set-up works and the
favours that are meted out to the influential at the cost of ordinary people.
The four-member commission headed by Muhammad Azam Khan has pinpointed acts of negligence by the irrigation departments of both Sindh and
Balochistan, with the report detailing the poor upkeep of key dykes, and
corruption which has permitted people to obtain land based along the
structures, thus encroaching on areas meant to hold heavy spillovers of
water. Mismanagement has been particularly noted in the case of the
breach of the Tori Bund near Jacobabad, which led to massive flooding
that ravaged vast areas in neighbouring Balochistan. The failure to build
drainage channels while constructing roads has also been taken into
account.
It is vital that the recommendations made in the report be
implemented. The court has already issued orders in this regard. The
government should follow them without delay and must not disregard the
matter. Past records of administrative work indicate that this could well
happen, leading to more havoc should another calamity strike. Preventive
measures to avoid this have clearly been identified in the findings. The court
and the commission have done us all a favour in undertaking this task.
The rest now lies in the hands of the government and especially the
irrigation department which needs to close the many loop-holes that exist in
our flood-safety situation.
Next day, The News commented on growing tensions between PPP
and PML-N. There have also been fierce attacks on government
performance by members of the PML-N during the ongoing debate on the
budget the shouts and slogans of protest amidst which the budget was
announced reflect a growing loss of patience and tolerance. This is hardly
surprising given that growing hostilities have been festering for some

1003

time and the level of public disenchantment with the governments

performance only fuels angst.
Disturbing reports suggest that more trouble may be afoot, and that
it could break out at a most inopportune time. According to a report in
this newspaper, the presidency may be devising a plot to reopen cases again
the Sharif brothers as elections come around. The cases are being
deliberately held back, we are told, till what the government sees as the right
time to inflict maximum damage on the PML-N, and thus create an uneven
playing field around election time. What the government does not appear to
realize is that in doing so, it would be weakening an already struggling
system of democracy and inflicting greater damage on it.
This is characteristic of the short-sightedness we have seen again
and again from those who lead our country. Putting forward opposing
views and criticizing each other is a standard element of any democracy. The
process helps bring before people the problems that exist and offers them
more information based on which they can make informed choices. But
adopting devious tactics to undermine leaders can serve no useful purpose.
Strains of the kind we see now make it harder to keep the system working
smoothly and thus add to the many problems we already face as a nation.
Ayaz Amir seemed very angry over suo moto notice of the recovery of
enlightenment spirit recovered fro Attiqa Odho. He bitterly criticized
everyone from Zia to Chief Justice who tried to impose Islam on use of
liquor and then concluded: Saudi Arabia has not been able to eliminate
drinking altogether. It is possible to get the forbidden nectar in the land of
the ayatollahs. And these are two of the harshest regimes on offer. But we
should learn from our own experience. We have seen prohibition make a
monkey of the law. Who benefits from this hypocrisy? Apart from the
police and the smuggling fraternity, it is hard to think of anyone else.
Politicians, many of them, will imbibe but trust them not to have the
courage to revisit the impracticality of prohibition. Preferring make-believe,
they will continue to hide behind self-righteousness. Their lordships, out to
reform so much, could do worse than step into the breach. Instead of
training their heaviest cannon on a sparrow, and a delicate one at that,
shouldnt they look at the wider ramifications of this vexing subject?
On 11th June, The News wrote: The gargantuan scale of corruption
and mismanagement of the national finances has been exposed by the
auditor general of Pakistan in his latest report. It says that Rs35 billion was
either embezzled from the public purse, irregularly spent or paid, or,
1004

astonishingly, it was simply missing. To place this in perspective, the

budget for education in the coming fiscal year announced in Punjab on
Friday was Rs25 billion or Rs10 billion less than what had disappeared
between the cracks nationally in the last year. Put yet another way, Rs35
billion is close to the sum required to fund the solution to our education
crisis, and it has disappeared into the pockets and bank accounts of
bureaucrats, contractors and political back-scratchers. The level of detail
provided by the report is such that individual cases of mismanagement
or corruption are identifiable. The AGP noted the Rs236.45 million of
unauthorized payments made by the law ministry to lawyer associations. It
will be remembered that the then law minister, Babar Awan, toured the
nation dropping bundles of money on bar councils; none of which was in the
form of officially authorized payments. The interior ministry has failed to
provide any record or receipt of Rs515.51 million generated by the issuance
of 88,838 arms licences between March 2008 and June 2009. Perhaps
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, a man known to be nimble with his sums,
could enlighten us as to the whereabouts of this money.
At the parliamentary level, Rs252 million air tickets have been issued
to MNAs as per their entitlement, but there is no record of how or if they
used the tickets, cashed them in, or returned them. The Frontier
Constabulary in Peshawar has been playing fast and loose with public
money as well. It has made irregular payments of Rs248.73 million whilst
purchasing vehicles, and retained Rs2.69 million in unauthorized and
presumably unlawfully collected monies from private and public sector
organizations for whom it was supposed to be providing security. Perhaps
the most incredible fact revealed by the AGP is that the Rs248.73 million for
vehicle purchase was actually deposited in the private bank account of the
inspector general of the FC. A sum of this size would attract substantial
interest even if deposited for a relatively short time interest that would
accrue to the account holder which, in this case, is a private individual. The
AGP has recommended disciplinary action against those responsible but
the chances of that ever happening are remote. The corruption, ineptitude,
and thievery exposed by this report are not the product of some hidden
foreign hand. It is the hands and fingers of our own public servants that are
robbing us. They will continue to do so as long as they are allowed to.
Babar Sattar observed: The priorities of our decision-makers are
inexplicable. Even the smallest organization with a limited lifecycle puts in
place a human-resource plan. Here we have the future of a country of 180
million at stake and we dont wish to invest a penny in developing their
1005

faculties to distinguish right from wrong, earn themselves a decent living,

develop a civic sense of responsibility and acquire the skill-set to administer
the country and compete with the rest of the world? How hard is it to grasp
the fact that providing education is not simply about the states responsibility
to uphold an individuals fundamental right but a mandatory human resource
requirement to prevent Pakistan becoming a menagerie? Pakistans median
age is 21.6. There are more than 25 million children who should be in
schools but are not.
Imagine what a jungle well turn this place into within a decade-anda-half when these 25 million enter adulthood without any education,
comprehension skills or ability to earn a living. Through the 18th
Amendment, parliament has written down in the Constitution that not only
does each Pakistani between the age of five and 16 have a right to free
education but also that it is mandatory for the state to ensure that he gets
one. A year later there is no law providing for such mandatory education.
And now the money being allocated for education by the centre and the
provinces is proof in itself that the constitutionally mandated fundamental
right of Pakistani children to free education will continue to be thwarted.
Why is this not the burning issue for all those across the political
divide who wish for the 18th Amendment to be implemented in letter and
spirit? Is the meagre educational allocation an IMF and US conspiracy to
push our upcoming generation, and consequently our future, into darkness?
Do our political parties and our legislators not understand that what we have
in place is an educational apartheid, and what it is breeding is intolerance,
bigotry, desperation and violence, along with an intellectual drought that will
sound the death-knell for Pakistans future? Is Atiqa Odhos possession of
two wine bottles a more consequential matter of public importance
deserving a suo moto notice than 25 million children of school-going age
being left in a lurch? There is anarchy on the one hand and painful selfreform on the other. The choice is ours, and time is of the essence.
Ironically, Babar despite being a lawyer expected the Chief Justice to decide
about budgetary allocations.
Ameer Bhutto commented: What is left of Pakistan? There is no
visible administrating authority. A free-for-all prevails, in which the
politicians in power are looting the state in broad daylight, vital state
institutions are decaying due to neglect and the appointment of cronies who
only cover their sponsors criminal tracks, the government has done its best
to sideline the judiciary by flouting its authority and the houses of
parliament have been reduced to a joke. The hapless citizens do not know
1006

whom to fear more; criminals or those who are supposed to protect them
from criminals but are themselves out of control. The remaining vestiges of
sovereignty have been sold to foreign masters for the sake of power.
Consequently, while the people of this country stew in the
sweltering heat without electricity, without water, without petrol or gas,
without security, without access to adequate educational or medical
facilities, without solace or succour and without any ray of light or hope of
relief from the painful battles they wage every day just to survive, those
who wield the reins of power make hay while the sun shines and pander
to their foreign masters who sustain them in government.
In just the last month, we have had to endure These are symptoms
of a comprehensive collapse. Such a status quo is unsustainable. Pressure is
building towards a climactic explosion which will blow away much
debris, but is also likely to irreparably damage the edifice of the state.
The important question is who is attending to the national interests of
Pakistan?
Countries have to be governed. Problems and crises need to be
resolved. Policies and plans have to be made for the future. Laws, structures
and systems have to be evolved, refined and updated. Development work has
to be carried out. The writ of law has to be established. There appears to
be no one doing any of this crucial work.
How can this mess be set right? There are corrective mechanisms
that can fix a system or jolt it upright, but a society that possesses the
wherewithal to deploy such mechanisms would never let things deteriorate
to such an extent as this in the first place. The process begins with the
electorate making the right choices at the polls based on merit, past
record, and a sound manifesto for the future. But that does not happen here.
Our choices are ruled by personality cults, which charlatans and their
puppeteers find convenient to manipulate, leaving the people writhing in
agony till the next election. But given the chance to remedy their mistake,
the electorate repeats the same mistake all over again. This is what has been
happening since 1988. We are told that the electorate will mature in time and
learn to properly use the vote. The problem is we do not have the luxury of
time, like most western democracies which developed over several centuries.
Struggling in a sea of crises, we have to either swim or sink today, not a
hundred years from now.
The second option is honest and sincere leadership that can pull us
out of the quicksand. We do not have that either. How can we, when the
1007

electorate falters at the first step of the process? Despite the examples of
the Shah of Iran and Saddam Hussein, our rulers prefer to stay in power with
the support of foreign powers rather than the support of the people, like
Irans President Ahmadinejad. That is why they serve foreign interests rather
than national or public interests. In an almost comical development, the
Sindh Assembly recently banned smoking hukkas, as if that was the only
vice left in society!
The nation can expect no good from this lot. When all else fails,
the system and state institutions can rescue and resuscitate the country,
provided they are vibrant and effective. But the system is not allowed to
function here as it should and institutions have been rendered hollow and
ineffective through years of manipulation by successive governments. The
constitution, parliament, laws and courts have atrophied under the influence
of those whose intentions and purposes are not identified with national
interests. If even this option fails, then there have been instances in history
whereby intervention by military rulers has provided the requisite jolt that
has saved countries from ruin
The last option is a mass public uprising along the lines of Tunisia,
Egypt and other Arab states. When people lose confidence in the system and
those who run it, they come out in the streets and take matters in their own
hands. The people of Tunisia and Egypt even shattered the age old myth that
revolutions cannot occur without strong leadership. But there are no signs of
such an uprising in Pakistan. People protest sporadically and burn tires
because of power outages and water shortages but there was not a squeak
out of them over issues of national sovereignty like the Raymond Davis
issue or the US Navy SEALs operation in Abbottabad.
The government has turned us into a nation of beggars. Instead of
questioning why millions are spent daily on lavish presidential and prime
ministerial palaces while even after almost 10 months, the flood refugees
have not been fully rehabilitated; people are content to live off handouts.
Those who used to, in the name of honour, kill any man who so much as
glanced at their women folk, now send their women to stand in lines outside
banks all day and suffer unmentionable humiliation for a few rupees of
charity. This once proud nation has become addicted to taking the path of
least resistance, even if doing so piles on more misery and insult upon them.
So if the electorate cannot make the right choice at the polls, the government
is not sincere with the national cause, the system and state institutions are
atrophied and useless, the army is not willing to intervene and people are not
ready to come out in the streets, then whats left?
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We have pretty much run out of options as far as corrective

mechanisms go. Decay, left unchecked, can only generate more decay. How
will this country survive the crises it faces? How will it withstand the
menacing storms that loom over the horizon? I now begin to understand
what Pervez Musharraf meant when, in his farewell address to the nation, he
said Pakistan ka Khuda Hafiz.
On 13th June, Asif Ezdi commented on reconstitution of Election
Commission. The reconstituted commission now has an opportunity of
undoing these wrongs; whether it will do so remains highly doubtful,
especially as long as Mirza remains the CEC. But it is not simply one mans
doing. The problem is much bigger and more deep-rooted. Our ruling elite
has completely perverted the countrys electoral system and acquired a
virtual stranglehold over it, further consolidating their grip on political
power. They now have a strong vested interest in keeping things as they are.
The results are reflected in the composition and performance of the
legislatures which are packed with looters of public money, tax cheats,
loan defaulters, fake-degree holders and an assortment of other shady
characters. The same discredited lot and their progeny and hangers-on get
elected again and again. Once they are elected, their first priority is to
expand their wealth, power and privileges and that of their class. The 18 th
Amendment strengthened dynastic hold further by scrapping the
constitutional requirement of intra-party elections and transferring the
powers under the defection clause from the elected leader of the
parliamentary party to the party head.
An electoral system that produces such public representatives as
we have in our country is not just broken; it is rotten. Simple tinkering,
such as the five-year strategic plan announced by the Election Commission
last year, will just not be enough. The solution lies in taking steps that break
the monopoly of the countrys political dynasties. This is not as difficult as
might seem at first sight.
Two steps would go a long way. First, we need legislation that
introduces meaningful elections in the political parties, not the kind of
cosmetic measure which Musharraf adopted in 2002 with the aim of
neutralizing Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto. Second, we should replace
the present first-past-the-post system for elections to the National and
Provincial Assemblies with proportional representation. It will reduce the
influence of rich locally influential politicians and strengthen programmebased political parties, besides producing legislatures in which the party
1009

strength more accurately reflects the support they enjoy in the electorate.
Needless to say, the initiative to take these measures cannot be expected to
come from our present rulers. It has to come from outside parliament.

REVIEW
The helplessness of the superior judiciary was evident from its
frequent bursts of admonishing of various officials of the Executive for not
fulfilling the mandatory obligations of prosecution. FIA officials have been
the main culprits in this context in recent past. They failed in investigating
properly and in certain cases deliberately obliterating the incriminating
evidence.
On every occasion the court has been claiming the show of restraint
on its part and at times threatening to punish the culprits for their willful
obstruction in enforcement of rule of law. These facilitators of corruption
never felt the need to mend their ways, because they knew that the exercise
of so-called restraint was nothing but admission of Judiciarys helplessness
to proceed against organs of powerful Executive.
Confronting an embarrassing situation in administering accountability
of the powerful Executive, the Judiciary is criticized when it tries to
establish rule of law in other segments of the society. It is accused of
showing unjust harshness towards the weak while absorbing all the insult
from the powerful.
During the period the Chief Justice took suo moto notice of not
registering an FIR against Attiqa Odho, who returned from abroad with two
bottles of wine. A few days ago an air hostess was detained when a similar
recovery was made from her baggage. The Chief Justice took notice of this
discriminatory application of law.
The enlightened and liberal intellectuals like Ayaz Amir and Babar
Sattar felt that action on the part of Chief Justice was unwarranted.
According to them the lady had committed no serious crime by bringing
couple of bottles containing the enlightenment spirit, which merited
personal attention of the Chief Justice.
The liberal forces, including those ruling the country, perhaps were of
the view that her act should have been condoned in the spirit of exercising
her right of personal freedom. It was however unfortunate that Musharraf

1010

took yet another U-turn and shunted the lady out of his party; whereas he
should have appreciated for practicing his concept of enlightened
moderation.
14th June, 2011

TERRORIST: WHO?
The week under review began with the completion of one month since
unanimous adoption of parliamentary resolution. Not a single point of the
1011

resolution was implemented by the government and nor there were any
indications that it had any intention to do so. The circumstances also seemed
to be helping the regime.
Top civil and military brass got together and deliberated over the
prevalent situation. Officially it was announced after the meeting that they
had resolved not to compromise on national security issues. Actually, they
had got together for damage control as month of May had left hardly
anything to be compromised.
The recent events have in fact left the people of Pakistan wondering as
to who is the biggest terrorist out of those whom they have been confronted
with. America from day one has decided to defeat terror with terror. This
policy has been a success to the extent of instilling fear in the hearts of
almost all Muslim rulers, especially those in Pakistan.
Pakistans security forces as mercenaries had to implement the same
policy, because they get military hardware from the US with restrictions on
its use. Jetfighters and gunship helicopters cannot be used against India; thus
they use these against anti-American elements in Pakistan. They have also
picked up other habits of US military like inflicting collateral damage and
according priority to force protection.

NEWS
In Pakistan, two people were killed in tribal clash in Kurram
Agency on 12th June. TTP denied role in Peshawar blasts as death toll
reached 39. Three persons were wounded in bomb blast in Barakao. PTI
staged sit-in against drone attacks and NATO supplies. Eighty-one Afghans
were held in Chaman area for entering Pakistan illegally. Two suicide
bombers were held in Karachi.
Family of Sarfraz was to be paid Rs1 million. Sindh government hired
Babar Awan to defend IGP. Forensic experts produced the first piece of
evidence incriminating Kharotabad victims as terrorists; splinters recovered
from their dead bodies were of Russian made hand grenade. Reportedly, the
evidence of their visit to North Waziristan was also available.
Next day, top civil and military leaders; including President, PM,
CJCSC and three chiefs met in Presidency and rejected external pressure on
military operation; discussed Abbottabad and Mehran attacks; and resolved
not to compromise on national security.

1012

US Deputy Secretary of State met Zardari, Gilani and Hina. Gilani

told the visitor that military action alone was not a solution; US must give
political space to Pakistani government. The visitor said nothing important
could happen without Pakistan.
Opposition criticized Prime Minister in NA and accused him of letting
down Parliament by not implementing resolutions. A civilian and three
soldiers were killed in various incidents in South Waziristan. NATO jets
violated airspace in Kurram Agency. Bank guard was killed and three
persons wounded in I-8, Islamabad; the guard had saved major disaster by
not letting the bomber enter the bank.
ATC remanded six Rangers in Sarfraz killing. Sindh government had
second thought over filing petition for review of Supreme Court orders
regarding removal of IGP and DG Rangers. It left the matter to the federal
government. Attorney General said the court verdict would be implemented
in letter and spirit. DG Rangers was transferred.
Police thrashed the surgeon who carried out autopsy of Chechens and
gave factual statement before the commission to its disliking. Earlier he had
testified that foreigners had died of bullet wounds. Chief Justice of Federal
Shariat Court was appointed as head of probe into killing of Saleem
Shehzad.
On 14th June, Three suspects were held near Naval Headquarters in
Islamabad. DG Rangers and IGP Sindh were reluctantly removed from their
posts in pursuance of Supreme Court orders; removed IG likely to be made
DG FIA. Chief Justice BHC took suo moto notice of manhandling of police
surgeon, Dr Baqir Baloch. Riaz Fitiana warned that in future head of the
force would be held accountable if there would be any extra-judicial killings
in uniform.
Defence Committee approved appointment of Panetta as Secretary of
Defence. US spokesman Mark Toner said time has come to launch
crackdown against Taliban and al-Qaeda and US expected that Pakistan
Army would take positive decisions. US House panel proposed 75 percent
reduction in aid to Pakistan and demanded strict checks on its utilization.
PAC proposed revenue collection from NATO containers.
Next day, at least 13 people were killed in drone attacks in North and
South Waziristan. The US was reported preparing to relocate drones from
Pakistan to Afghanistan. Two NATO oil tankers were burnt in Bolan Pass.
Journalists staged sit-in to press for their demand for appointment of a
Supreme Court judge to probe into death of Saleem Shehzad. Nawaz joined
1013

the sit-in and said nation, law and state seemed helpless before hidden hand.
Late at night the regime appointed Justice Saqib Nisar as head of the
commission to probe into the murder of Saleem Shehzad.
Chief Justice of BHC asked Police why Dr Baqar was taken to police
station. He was informed it was done by mistake. Chief Justice sought
inquiry against SHOs who tortured doctor. Evidence was produced before
the tribunal that those killed in Kharotabad were terrorists and they had
visited North Waziristan. Harbiyar Murri termed Khrotabad commission a
whitewash.
Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Pakistani services
aided Osama. US newspaper claimed that five CIA informers, including a
major, who provided information about Osama, were now arrested by
Pakistan; Army denied. Panetta had asked for their release during his recent
visit to Islamabad. Mullen said ISI and Army were clueless about Osama.
On 16th June, tribesmen of Waziristan protested against drone attacks
with dead bodies laid before them on roadside. One person was killed and
three wounded in firing at a bus near Hangu and four passengers were
wounded in firing at a coach near Kohat. One person was killed by militants
in Bara area for his link to peace jirga. Four hundred Afghan militants
attacked peace lashkar in Bajaur; five lashkaris and nine attackers were
killed. NATO tanker was set ablaze in Nasirabad. Six people were killed
when a tractor trolley hit a landmine near Chaman.
New York Times reported that Pakistan Army turned anti-American
after Abbottabad incident. Saleh Zaafir reported that video of Parliaments
in-camera session has reached US diplomats. Robert Gates and Mullen
wanted the US to work with Pakistan despite mistrust. Al-Qaeda named
Zawahiri as successor of Osama.
Information Minister announced that the PM has nominated Justice
Saqib Nisar as head of the commission to probe murder of Saleem Shehzad
and journalists ended the sit-in. PML-N objected to his nomination of and
the nominee himself declined to act because he was nominated without
consulting the Chief Justice.
Many journalists felt they have been tricked and observers termed it
yet another attempt on the part of the regime to delay. PFUJ decided to file a
petition in the apex court. PFUJ, on prompting of Asma Jahangir, filed a
petition in the apex court begging for constitution of a commission.

1014

Next day, four rockets were fired at a post near Hangu. Senators
lashed out at US for drone attacks. Mandokhel warned drones might one day
hit the Presidency. Militants attacked a post in outskirts of Peshawar. Three
women were killed in Khyber Agency when a shell landed at their house.
Twelve militants were killed in Bajaur clashes. NATO jetfighters violated
airspace and carried out three strikes in Mohmand Agency. Four militants
were killed and five wounded when Pakistani jets shelled their positions.
Tribesmen blocked NATO supplies at Chaman.
The bank attacked in Islamabad was warned by a militant group
because the design of its floor tiles was strikingly analogous to letter Allah,
but the bank did not pay any heed. The complaint was also launched by the
outfit in writing in concerned Police Station.
ISPR said Army supported constitution of commission for probe into
murder of Saleem Shehzad and expressed concern over hype of a section of
media against ISI. PFUJ foiled governments attempt to pitch journalists
against Judiciary by filing a petition in the court for formation of a
commission. Phone call data from Saleems mobile was erased; Asma
Jahangir said this could only be done by ISI.
US mulled replacing the destroyed PC3 Orions with restriction not to
use them against India. It stressed upon talks on safety of Pakistans nuclear
weapons. Robert Gates said both countries need each other beyond
Afghanistan. Mullen wanted to give Pakistan a little more time and a little
space. He added that joint force idea was intended to satisfy Islamabad.
On 18th June, two soldiers were wounded in attack on FC post near
Miranshah. Lashkar member was killed in Bara area. Gunship helicopters
shelled militants positions in Mohmand Agency; casualties were not known.
DNA tests of attackers of Mehran Naval Base did not tally with data held by
Nadra; it implied that they were foreigners.
Investigations of Sarfrazs murder were completed; six Rangers to
face terror and murder charges. Rehman Malik claimed data of Saleem
Shehzads cell phone was intact. He said CIA was not conducting operations
in Pakistan; thousands of its agents were there on picnic.
In Afghanistan, Army claimed killing 32 Taliban in Badghis
Province on 12th June. Police commander was killed along with two in bomb
blast in Khost; 23 others were wounded. On 15th June, six people were killed
in suicide bombing in central Afghanistan and five more were killed in
second bomb blast.

1015

On 17th June, one British soldier was killed in Gereshk. Authorities

claimed that four girls were killed and two women wounded in shelling by
Pakistan in Kunar Province. On instructions of the US the UN separated the
lists of wanted al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives. This was required to trap
some Taliban through peace talks. Pentagon Opposed quick removal troops
from Afghanistan.
Next day, nine people were killed and 12 wounded in Taliban attack
on police station in Kabul. Kunar Governor said 8 Afghans were killed in
shelling by Pakistani forces. British and French soldiers were killed in
separate incidents.
Karzai said the US was in talks with Taliban; allies motives were
suspect and foreigners were using Afghan soil for own goals. He added, if
NATO helps Afghanistan, it gets it back over 100 times and he termed
negotiations with Pakistanis very important for Afghans.
Pakistan paid ransom for the sailors of India, which were freed by
Somali pirates on 13th June. Next day, the Court of Arbitration arrived in
Pakistan to assess the work done on Neelum-Jehlum project to arrive at its
decision on Kishanganga Hydropower project. On 17th June, Indian Navy
tried to obstruct PNS Babar, which was sent to escort MV Suez bring sailors
freed by Somali pirates; Pakistan lodged a protest. Next day, Indian HC
vehicle injured a youth in Islamabad; learning ways of the Yanks.
On Balochistan, one trader was shot dead by gunmen in Mastung on
13 June. Two persons were wounded in attack on a police post in Quetta.
Next day, several people were wounded in firing by unknown gunmen. On
15th June, one person was gunned down in Quetta. Next day, sports director
and former Olympian boxer Ibrar Hussain was gunned down in Quetta. Gas
pipeline was blown up in Dera Bugti area. On 18th June, FC convoy was
attacked by militants in Panjgur; three passers-by were killed.
th

VIEWS
In the context of press release issued by Pakistan Army after corps
commanders conference Ghazi Salahuddin on 12th June wrote: Be that as it
may, a lengthy press release issued by the ISPR has sought to respond to the

1016

recent surge in criticism of the military and has expectedly said that efforts
to create divisions between institutions were not in the national interest.
They do want to be the arbiters of what is national interest. This press
release has touched upon many different issues, such as relations with the
United States, disbursement of the US aid, fight against terrorism, and a
resolve to support the democratic system. But I will refer only to the
resentment that is expressed over criticism of the military in the public
sphere.
We are told that the commanders were given a comprehensive
briefing on internal security, terrorism, role of the media, society and
military-level relationship with the US. Yes, they talked about the role of the
media and society. The commanders noted that some quarters, because
of their perceptual biases, were trying to run down the armed forces and
army in particular.
Ah, perceptual biases? Who has actually held on to such biases in
defiance of a reality that is manifesting itself with disaster consequences on
the ground? Where and who, for instance, is the enemy? It was Oscar Wilde
who had observed that a man cannot be too careful in the choice of his
enemies. It would be the same for a nation. Unfortunately, our ruling
ideas, shaped largely in the militarys mind, have led us astray in our
choice of enemies. What we have reaped is this toxic nexus between
jihadists and the rogue elements in the armed forces.
Apparently, our armed forces do not simply possess the required
intellectual and educational resources to be able to contemplate the
crisis of Pakistan and to identify what they need to do in this critical
situation. The ISPR statement contains a veiled warning against those
quarters ..... with perceptual biases that are criticizing the army. But this
criticism is no longer restricted to some liberal commentators. Leading the
attack, so to say, are the leaders of PML-Nawaz, a major political party with
its roots in the Punjab. So, is a paradigm shift possible?
To conclude, here are two sentences from Anatol Lievens book:
Pakistan: A Hard Country, a very recent publication that portrays an
appreciation of our resilience as a country. Read this: The Pakistani
military is in some ways an admirable institution, but it suffers from one
tragic feature which has been with it from the beginning, which has defined
its whole character and world view, which has done terrible damage to
Pakistan and which could in some circumstances destroy Pakistan and its

1017

armed forces altogether. This is the militarys obsession with India in

general and Kashmir in particular.
Rahimullah Yusufzai commented on rise in cross-border incursions
from Afghanistan. For the last 10 years the US and Afghan governments
along with their allies were critical of Pakistan for its inability to
prevent cross-border movement of militants from its territory into
Afghanistan.
The situation has undergone a change and Afghanistans
territory is now being used to launch attacks in Pakistans border
areas The latest attack took place on June 2 in Upper Dir when several
hundred militants stormed the border security post in Shaltalo village in the
Barawal area using light and heavy weapons. Government officials werent
sure about the number of attackers as initially they put the figure at 200 and
later estimated it to be 300 to 400.
Whatever the exact figure, it was a big cross-border attack by
militants operating in a no-go border area in Afghanistans Kunar
province. Brazenly enough, they returned the next day to launch another
attack even though government officials had earlier claimed to have secured
the area. It was strong evidence of the fact that ungoverned areas existed on
both sides of the Pak-Afghan border and had become the strongholds of
militants.
Pakistani authorities conceded the loss of 27 Dir Levies and police
personnel along with three civilians in the attack By the time the situation
calmed down to enable journalists to visit Shaltalo, a village with around 60
houses nestled in forested mountains and located seven kilometres from the
Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan, there were scenes of destruction all
over the place. The security post had been destroyed, two schools were
burned out and a mosque had been damaged. The peshimam, or prayer
leader, who made announcements to urge the villagers to resist the attack,
was shot dead by the militants in his mosque along with three security forces
personnel hiding there.
Journalist Delawar Jan wrote that frightened silence prevailed in the
ghost village where a few worried men had stayed behind to look after their
properties. The villagers had migrated to Samarbagh area in Lower Dir
and were reluctant to return due to fear of another Taliban attack.
Villagers recalled having begged the authorities not to establish the security
post in Shaltalo as it could be attacked.

1018

The situation has deteriorated so much in parts of the militancystricken Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and almost everywhere in the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) bordering Afghanistan that residents
dont want a security or police post to be set up in their villages and
localities as they fear getting harmed if it was attacked. Instead of serving as
a symbol of strength and reassuring concerned citizens, the police and
defense installations are increasingly being considered as a prime target for
the militants and, therefore, unwelcome.
Rahimullah mentioned an earlier on April 23 and learning of no
lessons. He then added: It was strange and irresponsible to deploy
policemen at a border post in an area where both Afghan and Pakistani
militants have been operating. Even otherwise, the Pak-Afghan border is a
dangerous place at many points including Pakistani border areas adjoining
Afghanistans Kunar and Nuristan provinces where the Afghan Taliban are
particularly strong.
Besides, it was no secret that Pakistani Taliban evicted from Swat
and rest of Malakand division and from Bajaur Agency had found
refuge across the Durand Line in both Nuristan and Kunar provinces and
had threatened to attack targets in Pakistan. The threat of such attacks had
increased when the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) publicly
warned that it would avenge Osama bin Ladens assassination. Though
regular Pakistan Army and paramilitary Frontier Corps troops were
reportedly deployed at the border security posts in Upper Dir and Lower Dir
after the latest cross-border attack, it is a case of too late, too little.
The TTPs Malakand division chapter claimed responsibility for
both the attacks. Its spokesman Omar Hasan Ahrabi on both occasions
phoned reporters from an undisclosed location to make the claim and
threaten more attacks. After the latest assault, he also claimed that the
militants seized anti-aircraft weapons from the stocks at the border security
posts. If true, this is something serious as the militants in Afghanistan and
Pakistan have yet to use anti-aircraft guns. Both the NATO forces in
Afghanistan and the Pakistani military completely control the skies and use
it to their advantage to hit the militants even in their remote and forested
mountainous hideouts.
The TTP spokesman claimed the Pakistani militants carried out
the cross-border raid in Pakistans territory with the help of Afghan
friends. This obviously meant Afghan Taliban, who later forcefully denied
their involvement through their spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid and termed
1019

it an internal matter of Pakistan. Mujahid also reiterated that the Afghan

Taliban limit their operations to Afghanistan and have never launched
attacks in Pakistan or any other country.
It appears that the Afghan Taliban movement as an organization
wasnt involved in the two cross-border attacks in Upper Dir and Lower Dir,
but the presence of some Afghan militants among the Pakistani TTP
attackers cannot be ruled out. After all, the Afghan Taliban and other
militants in Kunar and Nuristan provinces have given refuge and protection
to the fugitive Pakistani Taliban who fled Swat, Dir and Bajaur after
operations by Pakistans security forces. There have been reports about the
sightings of the Swat Taliban head Maulana Fazlullah in Afghanistans
border provinces. In fact, he had even announced his arrival in Afghanistan
after fleeing Swat and his spokesmen too have admitted this fact in the past.
Pakistan had lodged a formal protest with Afghanistan. Pakistan
Army commanders also said NATO was failing to crack down on militants
sheltering on the Afghan side of the border. In the past, the Frontier Corps
officials had even accused Fazlullah Wahidi, the Afghan Governor of Kunar
province, of harbouring and supporting the Pakistani militants. However, it
was the first time that Pakistan formally protested to the Afghan
government over the cross-border raids and demanded action against
the militants. In a way a new issue has been added to the list of disputes
between Islamabad and Kabul.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa also took a strong stand on the issue and Chief
Minister Ameer Haider Hoti flew to Upper Dir to deliver a speech in
which he held the Afghan and US forces equally responsible for Shaltalo
incident. He also announced stronger support for village lashkars to defend
their villages against Taliban attacks.
This was certainly finding an easy way out of the crisis by putting the
burden on hard-pressed villagers to defend themselves. The
experimentation with lashkars has had disastrous consequences in most
instances in the province and Fata as the militants have retaliated with
suicide bombings to kill and maim the villagers and tribesmen supporting
the government.
In Mohmand Agency, some of the sub-tribes have refused to form
lashkars as they believe it would trigger bloodshed. The government
needs to deploy regular troops to defend the borders instead of the Levies
and the police. Besides, lashkars voluntarily formed by the tribesmen and

1020

villagers are more effective than those raised on the orders of the
government and the security forces.
S Iftikhar Murshed talked of Arab media theories about killing of
Osama. There have been credible reports in the Arab media that fissures
have surfaced within al-Qaeda after the death of Osama bin Laden.
Unnamed but reliable sources have revealed that fierce competition has
emerged within the outfit along national and ethnic lines. Each group is
advancing its own candidate as a replacement for Bin Laden. Thus, al-Qaeda
leaders such as Ayman al-Zawahiri, Abu Yahya al-Libi, Ilyas Kashmiri (he
was reportedly killed in a drone strike on June 4), Salih al-Qarawi, Atiyah
Abdul Rahman, Sayf al-Adel and others are being promoted by their
respective countrymen.
The distillate of these disclosures indicate that: (i) it was a
member of al-Qaedas inner circle who provided the information that led the
Americans to Bin Ladens compound in Abbottabad; (ii) as the power
struggle inside al-Qaeda becomes increasingly venomous, attacks on other
senior operatives of the organization are likely; (iii) many al-Qaeda
members are abandoning the outfit for fear of internal betrayal; (iv) the
Egyptian elements of al-Qaeda (al-Zawahiri and al-Adel) have been
particularly active in securing absolute control within the group and are said
to have crafted the plan that resulted in the elimination of Bin Laden; (v)
with Osama bin Ladens death al-Qaeda has lost the only person charismatic
and powerful enough to keep the network together, and it is now replete with
contending factions.
The Doha-based publication Al-Watan has carried an assessment
based on information obtained from an al-Qaeda source that fissures within
the group became more pronounced after Bin Ladens illness in mid2004. He was advised by the leader of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Ayman
Al-Zawahiri, to shift to Abbottabad where safe houses and medical facilities
were more readily available than in the tribal areas. Thus, Bin Laden was
isolated from al-Qaeda fighters and effective control of the outfit was
assumed by al-Zawahiri. The plan to eliminate Bin Laden was
operationalized after Sayf al-Adels return to North Waziristan from Iran.
The 48-year old al-Adel was one of the persons involved in the assassination
of President Anwar al-Sadat of Egypt in 1981 and is now reported to have
succeeded Bin Laden as the al-Qaeda chief, but it is still uncertain whether
he has been accepted by the rival factions.

1021

The unnamed al-Qaeda insider informed Al-Watan that the courier

who led the Americans to Bin Ladens hideout was not Abu Ahmed alKuwaiti but another operative loyal to al-Zawahiri and al-Adel. The US had
claimed that they had learnt about al-Kuwaiti through confessions extracted
from the 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammad currently in American
custody. In fact, according to the source, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad had not
divulged any names other than those already known to the US or of those
who had been killed or arrested. Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti is a fictitious
name and the actual identity and nationality of the courier have not
been disclosed.
The bottom line in the reports that are sourced to al-Qaeda operatives
is that the leadership of the Egyptian faction within the group had
recruited the courier and then ensured that the information reached US
intelligence through selective leaks to persons suspected of maintaining
links with the Americans. Osama bin Laden was thus eliminated, the
combine of al-Zawahiri and al-Adel achieved its objective, and Pakistan
became the target for reprisals ruthlessly carried out by al-Qaeda affiliates.
These are important developments about which the leadership of the
country seems to be completely unaware. The implications of a possible
post-Osama fracturing of al-Qaeda are consequential and could be
exploited to Pakistans advantage. But this is of least concern to the
government. How else would one explain Prime Minister Yusuf Raza
Gilanis four-day jaunt to Paris accompanied by a fifty-member entourage
after the Abbottabad incident? The visit was touted as a success in the usual
hyperbolic formulations of official pronouncements on such occasions. The
two countries agreed to enhance cooperation in diverse areas including
defence. But shortly afterwards French defence minister Gerard Longuet
traveled to New Delhi and gave an assurance to the Indians that his country
would not sell heavy military equipment to Pakistan
Next day, The News commented: When representatives of the
government and those in charge of our security say the fight against
militancy is not an easy one and much of what this country is going to look
like depends on whether we succeeded in eliminating this deadly brand of
inhuman obscurantism, people find little to disagree with because it is their
lives, the lives of their near and dear ones, their property and their way of
life that the terrorists target.
What is fast losing credibility are the claims that the network of
terrorism has been weakened, that victory is either near or has already been
1022

achieved to a great extent, that the backbone of the militants has been
broken. The hopes that the country would be rid of the scourge of
terrorism after the military operation against terrorists and militants
got underway continue to fade as death continues to stalk and strike
helpless people. The terrorists continue to succeed in instilling fear in the
hearts and minds of the people and much has happened in the past few
weeks to erode further the confidence of the people in those they should be
able to trust their with their lives.
At least 34 people are dead and another 100 or more injured in the
latest example of terrorism being alive and well and far from broken-backed.
The bombing of the Khyber Supermarket in Peshawar shortly before
midnight on Saturday was a sophisticated operation. There was a teaser
blast inside a building that attracted the attentions of the media, the
emergency services and the general public, and it was followed up by a
much larger blast, probably through a suicide bomber, that produced the
carnage. Rescue workers, media people, police and paramilitaries and the
ordinary citizens of Peshawar lay dead and injured. In a statement of the
blindingly obvious, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian
Iftikhar Hussain said that the law and order situation in the province is very
bad. The disconnect between the claims of victory and such incidents
could not be more obvious either. Since the killing of Bin Laden there has
been a string of deadly attacks on the people by his supporters or fellow
travelers. They are able to operate in every province of the land and their
campaign shows no sign of slackening. A broken back usually produces
symptoms of paralysis and significantly impaired mobility. And if this is
achieved in the case of the militants, it will make such a real difference in
the lives of our people that no claims will actually be needed. Life, then, will
speak for itself.
In another editorial the newspaper added: The government is all set
to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the order to remove
within three days the director general Sindh Rangers and the Sindh police
inspector general. The court understands that certain precedents need to be
set so that senior officials realize their responsibility not to allow certain
things to happen on their watch. After the killing of a youth by Rangers
personnel in Karachi, the court has sought to set just such a precedent; hence
the orders that the DG Rangers and the IGP be sent packing. But the
government thinks otherwise. Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro has said
that the Sindh advocate general will file a review petition in the Supreme
Court because the killing was an individual act in which institutions were
1023

not involved. The government has also announced that it will defend the
DG Rangers in the Supreme Court.
The government has shocked many who see its decision as yet
another callous maneuver by those at the top of institutions to shirk
responsibility, and do everything in their power to resist the setting of a
precedent that will allow their powers to be checked and accountability
carried out. It is eminently sensible that those in charge be held responsible
for individual acts that happen under their charge. Precedents to this effect
exist around the world. What is equally troubling is that the government has
taken the decision to challenge an order that has been widely acknowledged
by experts, and more importantly by the public, as being fair. The
governments move, then, is tantamount to challenging an
overwhelming public consensus. While it doesnt shock that the
government would want to go against public sentiment to please those in
power, it does highlight for the public where the governments loyalties lie:
not with justice, rule of law and fairness but with powerful institutions that
jealously guard their status and are loathe to being held answerable, not even
for the sake of lives.
Chris Cork observed: Death is appearing on our TV screens with
increasing frequency. The incident at Kharotabad in which five foreigners
were killed is one such occurrence, the killing of a young man in a Karachi
park last week another. What struck me about both incidents was how
casually these people were killed. There was no sense that those killing
them were themselves tense or anxious, they fired their weapons not as if
they were shooting at people but at some inanimate object. The man who
shot the youth in the park was unruffled by the presence of a camera, and
went about his business with the same nonchalance as he would buying a
burger. It was all so easy, this killing. So public. So unlikely to be questioned
or challenged. But it is.
The footage was quickly uploaded on to the internet and passed to
TV stations and thence to the rest of the world. Shot twice in the lower
abdomen or perhaps the upper thigh the blood looked arterial-bright he
lay on the ground unmoving for a while but then raised himself up amidst
the zig-zag pattern made by his life ebbing away. The bricks he lay on
channeled his death into liquid geometry. He was watched not just by
the camera but by the members of the group that had just summarily
executed him. They passed back and forth, their boots shiny-clean.
Eventually he lay back down and got on with dying.

1024

The images are fixed in the mind. The raised arm of the woman lying
with others who were dead or about to be beside a sandbagged checkpoint.
The young man pleading for his life who found that he had been judged and
sentenced in the flick of an eye for what crime we know not. Of themselves
these are powerful, but it is what comes after the creation of these images
that gives pause for thought.
At Kharotabad and Karachi the events were caught on cameras that
come with the mobile phone package. They were also photographed by
professionals and thus we have these incidents presented from slightly
differing perspectives. Two or three views of the same timeframe that makes
it impossible to say fake. And here we get to the nub of the matter. Were it
not for the ubiquitous mobile phone and its attached gadgetry we may
never have seen or heard in any objective detail about either of these
incidents. They would have been lost in the undergrowth of unknowing that
tends to surround encounters such as this, but instead of being lost these
deaths have become public property and with that has come a grudging
accountability.
There is a public enquiry into the Kharotabad killings and there is
going to be similar into the killing in Karachi. The only reason that there is
any enquiry at all is because imagery taken by members of the public
was circulated quickly and in a medium that has global reach and access
the internet. They could not be denied, avoided, dodged or ignored. The
Karachi killing was on Youtube within an hour of it happening and had been
seen by tens of thousands a couple of days later. Newspaper websites around
the world have hot linked the footage. It has been aired in the USA, UK,
Russia, Japan, France and South Africa and that is just the TV news
stations I have seen carry the story. The advent of that little machine that
many of us carry has reduced the places for wrongdoing to hide in; and it is
nudging accountability to centre stage. Keep pointing those phones Dear
Readers, keep pointing those phones.
On 14th June Rahimullah Yusufzai wrote: The Khyber Super Market
bombings and the innumerable acts of terrorism before it in Peshawar
exposed the absence of a proper security and rescue plan to cope with such
happenings. The authorities should have prevented citizens from converging
at the site of the first bomb explosion, emergency lights should have been
provided to rescue workers who had to work in darkness for a while when
electricity supply broke down and fire-tenders and ambulances need to be
alert to do a quick and proper job in such emergencies. Peshawar, KhyberPakhtunkhwa as a whole and FATA have been suffering intermittently from
1025

bomb explosions since the 1970s and there is no end in sight to acts of
terrorism in this region. But, sadly enough, arrangements to cope with the
challenge are far from satisfactory.
Most depressing are healthcare facilities at public hospitals. The
Accident and the Emergency Department at the Lady Reading Hospital, said
to be state-of-the-art, and the newly established mass emergency block at the
Khyber Teaching Hospital are hopelessly placed to efficiently tend to bomb
blast victims. Both were found lacking in coping with the emergency after
the Khyber Super Market bombings as severely wounded patients remained
unattended for quite some time and attendants had to buy medicines from
private stores. As victims mostly suffer burn injuries in bombings, one is
appalled to find after every bombing that Peshawar and the province and
tribal areas dont have a single specialized burn care unit and patients,
whether they can afford the treatment or not, have to be referred to Kharian,
Islamabad or Wah Cantonment for treatment.
Next day, The News commented: With the heads of all the principal
civil and military bodies getting around the same table for the first time in
this government, and a slew of visits by Americans carrying repair kits, it is
clear that the political winds have shifted. The shock to the system provided
by the Osama bin Laden raid and the attack on the PNS Mehran base has
been profound. It has exposed weaknesses in our security apparatus and,
at the same time, appears to have forced a re-evaluation of our relations
with America. The military has stated in the clearest possible terms that it
has no interest in governing the country, and at the same time offered
support for what passes for democracy. The civil power has decided that the
Bin Laden raid was a raid too far and seems to have put its foot down with
the Americans. Taking these events together one can see why it was time all
the guarantors of the existence of the state got around the table to make sure
they were all reading from the same page and could present a unified voice
to the population. In the end it came down to a single-line communiqu and
a resolve not to accept any external pressure regarding who or what we
should be attacking, and where and when to attack who or what.
The American repair team of Clinton, Kerry, Grossman and Mullen
has applied its toolkits with varying success over the last six weeks. They
have persisted in their calls for military operations and reiterated their belief
in the criticality of Pakistan in the fight against extremism. But it is the
bigger fight that we hardly ever hear of that needs to be joined, fought and
won. Whatever battle is fought militarily, it is the battle against the insidious
creeping mindset of extremism that is of the greatest importance. There is
1026

no point in winning physical battles against extremists if the culture and

conditions that produced those extremists are unchanged, and thus
produce more extremists to fight yet another battle with. Battle, like much of
the national debt burden, becomes circular. Extremism has been fostered by
poor governance, the spread of corruption, a failure to invest in education at
primary level and a chronic failure of politicians to collectively think, plan
and act together in a way that guarantees our future rather than lines their
pockets. Unless we fight extremism at its roots, every battle we fight in
Waziristan will be the prelude to another battle we have to fight later.
In another editorial the newspaper added: It seems the already-long
list of those targeted for doing their job will only keep getting longer and
longer. In a latest incident, Dr Baqir Shah, the police surgeon who conducted
autopsy on the victims of the Kharotabad shooting incident, has been
attacked by policemen in Quetta. Journalist Jamal Tarakai, who made the
video of the incident, was also arrested and it is reported that the police have
assaulted him also Dr Shah was visiting a restaurant when up to 10 people
arrived and dragged the surgeon out. He put up resistance and ended up
being so badly beaten he had to be rushed to the civil hospital. He has
requested the government to provide security to all the doctors involved in
the case and said he will take legal action against the accused policemen.
The attack came just hours after Dr Shah had recorded his statement in
the ongoing tribunal on the Kharotabad killing incident in which five
foreigners were gunned down at a check post by police and FC personnel on
suspicions they were armed suicide bombers. In his testimony, Dr Shah
confirmed that all the victims had died of gunshot wounds from police and
FC weapons fired from a distance of 50-60 feet. Dr Shah conclusively ruled
out that the foreigners were killed by a hand grenade, which is what the
police had claimed. Even after being attacked, Dr Shah says he will stand by
his conclusions.
As if the police werent already over their heads with suspicions and
allegations of naked aggression towards civilians, these latest incidents will
only reinforce peoples conviction that the ones tasked to protect them
may just be the ones they need to fear the most. After the recent killing of
an unarmed youth by Rangers personnel in Karachi, this latest attack on a
professional carrying out the legitimate and necessary duties given him by
the government does nothing but buttress the impression that the police and
other security agencies increasingly consider themselves above the law and
think themselves capable of getting away with just about anything. In a
democracy no one has the right to suppress the truth through intimidation
1027

and brutality. What is most disturbing is that this intimidation of citizens and
the assault on freedom of expression seem to be a part of a larger policy of
dealing with dissenting versions of events.
On 16th June, The News commented: Our relationship with
America gains a new level of complexity almost every day. The
spokesman for the US State Department said at a press briefing on Tuesday
that the aid America gives to Pakistan is in the national interest of both
countries. He also said that there was no evidence of any link between our
lead security agency and the Haqqani network. Almost simultaneously, a
House panel examining the Obama administration spending agreed that
congressional oversight of $1.1 billion due to come to us would be
tightened. There had been tacit warnings in the past that the Kerry Lugar aid
will be strictly monitored.
Piling complexity on complexity, the same day, the New York
Times published a report which alleged that five members of our armed
forces, including a serving major, had been arrested for providing support
and information to the CIA in the months before the Osama bin Laden
operation on May 2. Their arrest was reportedly raised by Leon Panetta,
director of the CIA, when he paid a flying visit last week. Adding to the
information overload, there is the reported response of the deputy CIA
director when he was asked by members of the Senate Intelligence
Committee to rate our cooperation with the US counterterrorism operation
on a scale of one to 10. He replied three clearly, not a man much
impressed with the state of play between our respective intelligence
agencies.
An Inter-services Public Relations press release on Wednesday
afternoon denied that any army officer was detained, but did not deny that
members of the services had acted as CIA informers. We cannot
independently corroborate the story of the arrests in the New York Times,
but if it is true, then it throws a disturbing light on the state of our
intelligence sharing with the US. It may be inferred from the New York
Times story that there was collaboration between the CIA and some of
our own people.
Moreover, we may infer that this cooperation went on for several
months and that those involved on our side did not leak information to the
intended target or Bin Laden sympathizers within our own agencies who
could have given him a tip-off and thus aborted the mission. If they are
arrested then why and by whom? It would appear that they were cooperating
1028

with the Americans in an operation that at least theoretically would have had
the support of our own agencies. But if they were acting without the sanction
of their employing agency and under the control, if not in the employ of, the
Americans, then we are in murky waters indeed. The lines are rarely clear in
the intelligence world, where no state wholly trusts another. We have
hardened our line vis--vis the American presence here, they have hardened
theirs on oversight of money dispensed to us and the trust deficit has
increased. There is no quick fix for this and no guarantee either that
matters will not get worse before they get better.
Dr Qaisar Rashid opined: There is a positive side to the tragedies
Pakistan has seen recently, to name only a few incidents. Whether it is the
shooting in Kharotabad, Quetta, where five unarmed Chechens lost their
lives to the overreaction of the Frontier Constabulary on May 17 or the
incident at the Benazir Park in Karachi where unarmed arrested youth
Sarfraz Shah was shot by the Rangers on June 8, these incidents strengthen
Pakistani societys resolve that things cannot stay the same any longer.
Meanwhile, good precedents are being set. For instance, Atta
Muhammad, the driver who had brought the Chechens to Kharotabad in his
taxi, was not cowed by any possible threat to his life and spoke the truth
before the tribunal concerned that the Chechens were unarmed. In
accordance with his duties, police surgeon Dr Baqir Shah issued a forensic
report which indicated that the Chechens executed in Kharotabad had
exploded no bomb, which makes it clear that the victims had not provoked
the police and the Frontier Constabulary into firing at them. Dr Baqir was
roughed up for speaking the truth but he is undeterred.
Were it not for Jamal Tarakai, the cameraman who recorded the video
of the Kharotabad incident, and the man who recorded the video of the
shooting of Sarfraz Shah, the shocking truth would not have reached the
public in the undeniable form that it did. All these people are agents of
change in Pakistan. Pakistani society had been in desperate need of such
everyday heroes, and now they are emerging, and in quick succession.
Zafar Hilaly opined: Perhaps one of the reasons why we dont seem
to be getting anywhere when dealing with the problems that confront us is
because we insist on marrying old opinions to new facts. We do this
subconsciously in order to minimize the jolt and maximize our sense of
comfort and continuity. Regardless of the changes that occur in our
collective and individual beliefs, much of the old order still remains
standing.
1029

To take one example, the one thing that we know for sure unites us
and was indeed responsible for our creation, is our religion. We believe,
as a people and a nation that our common religion Islam helps us gel.
True we always had the lunatic fringe and the odd spat between shias and
sunnis would occasionally pull us apart. But these were exceptional lapses
and would soon tide over.
Today, however, Muslims are literally slaughtering each other and
Pakistan is in danger of being rent asunder not in the name of ethnic or
linguistic nationalism, but in the name of Islam itself. Faced with this
dilemma we are at a loss when it comes to crafting a response, and unable or
unwilling to identify the cause. We forget that while history is full of
religious wars it is not the multiplicity of religions that produced these
wars but the intolerant spirit which animated violence fuelled mostly by
greed or ambition.
Another fast growing misconception is that the present conflict
being basically Americas war, the departure of the US and/or our
disassociation with the war would drain much of the poison and since the
remaining protagonists are Muslims, and mostly fellow countrymen,
resolving our differences should not pose too much of a problem.
Americas departure from the region would be welcomed by all sides
in the conflict and it would undoubtedly improve the prospects of a peaceful
resolution. But the fact of the matter is that, as the TTP has clearly stated,
its war against Pakistan will continue until its peculiar version of the
Shariah becomes the law of the land.
In other words, even if we completely ceased to have a working
relationship with Washington, that would not be enough for the TTP;
not even if, by some miracle, peace came to Afghanistan. The TTP has left
its friends and adversaries in no doubt that it intends to achieve its goal come
hell or high water, regardless of the means used
Were we to close shop with America it would create new
challenges. For example the TTP and Al-Qaeda would likely become more
emboldened using their propaganda network to press harder for their
ambitions. Religion in their hands is an instrument of intimidation,
depredation and oppression as we saw in full display in Swat and in
Afghanistan.
Another challenge would be that other regional players, some at
loggerheads with us, would increase their footprint while we would still
be trying to find a way out of extremism and terrorism. There are quite a lot
1030

of extremists both foreigners and locals within our territory who would be
viewed by the outside world as posing a serious threat to them, including
countries like China, our only ally. Nor is the US going to wash its hands off
completely even if it decides to scale back its presence. So it is nave to
think that the outside world would leave us alone or that Al-Qaeda and the
TTP would follow suit if the Americans leave. It is just as credulous to think
that we are capable of meeting the challenge entirely on our own.
Many of us hold views that reflect a dangerously naive understanding
of international relations. Whether we like it or not there is no alternative
but to sharpen our understanding and our skills in order to operate
more effectively in the swirling world of international politics.
Emotionalism will not do neither will a one sided approach that focuses on
others while ignoring our own failings. Just as others are impure and have
defiled their hands so have we and in a way that has come to haunt us. Just
ask the Afghans who have been at the receiving end of our strategic depth
policy for more than two decades.
Emotionalism and one sidedness have also penetrated politics
and polemics, completely overshadowing our economic interests. We
simply cannot deal with any of our problems, as our socio-economic
conditions deteriorate and as governance becomes more difficult in such
circumstances, without first focusing on our economy and without asking
ourselves what it would take to rebuild it.
Zafar expressed his thinking regarding tackling of economic solution
and patch up bilateral ties with India. He then concluded: Instead of
getting caught up in a vortex both decision makers and civil society
activists should start thinking out of the box first by perceiving
themselves as being in the same boat and in very choppy waters. Infighting
will only rock the boat, threatening to capsize it while it is still in narrow
straits between the mythical rocks of Scylla and Charybdis. Coordination is
vital when rowing a boat. And when in choppy waters, it is especially
critical to survival and making a landfall. As to how we will fare, ask
yourself, do we have anyone in the current line up even remotely capable of
guiding the boat? Do we even have a cox in reserve?
Old man Roedad Khan wrote: If you want to know what happens
to a Third World country when it enters Uncle Sams embrace, dont
visit Africa or Latin America. Look at Pakistan. Like millions of my
countrymen, I feel a deep antipathy toward the Yankees who, with the help

1031

of power-hungry generals and corrupt politicians, have turned independent,

sovereign Pakistan into a rentier state.
Pakistan has lost its independence and is now virtually an
American satellite, with no honour, dignity and sense of self-respect. If you
want to know what happens to an ill-led and ill-governed, poor country
which attaches itself to an all-powerful country like the United States,
Pakistan is the perfect example.
In his Farewell Address, George Washington cautioned: an
attachment of a small or weak nation towards a great and powerful nation
dooms the former to be the satellite of the latter. The strong might have
interests and objectives that could be of little real importance to the weak;
but once the latter submitted to acting the role of a satellite, it would
find it no easy task to avoid being used as a tool by the strong.
Washington highlighted the dangers inherent in an unequal
relationship between a very strong nation and a weak nation and the folly of
a weak nation succumbing to the belief that real favours would flow to it
from the strong partner. It is folly in one nation, Washington observed, to
look for disinterested favours from another...it must pay with a portion of
its independence for what ever it may accept under that character. No
truer words have been spoken on the subject.
The month of May was a disaster for Pakistan. May 2 will go down
in our history as a day of infamy. When challenged, all our intelligence
agencies were caught napping. All security institutions charged with
protecting the country were shamed. Defeat is one thing. Disgrace is another.
The country has been humiliated. But it is business as usual in the
corridors of power, as if nothing has happened
This is the bleakest era in the history of Pakistan since 1971.
Today Pakistan is dotted with American fortresses, which seriously
compromises our sovereignty. People dont feel safe in their own country
because any citizen can be picked up by CIA agents in collusion with our
government and smuggled out of the country.
Think about where we Pakistanis stand today. Zardari is presiding
over a lousy economy and spending like an inebriated sailor. Terror is the
order of the day. Pakistan is experiencing the tremors of an impending
political and economic earthquake. This is a particularly perilous time for
Pakistan to have a president who is facing corruption charges at home and
abroad and whose moral authority is in shreds. At a time when the country is
at war, President Zardari, the Supreme Commander, spends almost his entire
1032

existence in the confines of a bunker which he seldom leaves these days.

He is more concerned about protecting himself and his wealth than
protecting the country or the people of Pakistan. Today we have a deeper
hole than ever to dig out of, thanks to our corrupt rulers, and have less
political authority than ever to make the hard decisions needed to get out of
the hole
Today the United States is conducting a virtual crusade against
the Islamic world to steal its oil and capture its resources The
alienation between the people of Pakistan and the United States has never
been more intense. Relations between Pakistan and the United States have
never been as stormy as they are today. The Obama administration does not
seem to be aware of the tectonic shift that is well underway. One thing is
clear: the United States has lost Pakistan forever.
In the aftermath of the May 2 debacle and the cold-blooded murder
of the innocent, unarmed youth by paramilitary personnel in Karachi, there
had been hopes that the shock could motivate the nation to find a way out of
its morass. Sadly, the people appear to be increasingly disappointed with
the response of their national leadership. As I look around, I witness a
proliferation of excuses for inaction, a grotesque abdication of responsibility.
The political paralysis that has gripped Pakistan for years continues.
As we approach the endgame, one thing is clear: In the death throes
of the regime, Zardari will take Pakistan down with him. When power
and leadership come to people incapable of handling either, the result can be
disastrous. Isnt it a great tragedy that at a time when statesmanship of a very
high order is the need of the hour, the fate of 180 million Pakistanis is in the
hands of Zardari and hordes of weak-kneed triflers, mountebanks and
charlatans begrimed with corruption? Were politics in our country burdened
with such notions as shame, integrity, accountability, rule of law and, last but
not least, inviolability and supremacy of the Constitution, all of them would
be in jail today.
Today we stand alone. Such are the harsh realities inherent in an
unequal relationship. It is time to wake up. At this time all those among us
who love this country and see the perils of the future must draw together and
take resolute measures to put Pakistan back on the democratic path. Failing
that, a long polar night will descend on Pakistan.
If you want to know how a people can survive despite their corrupt
government, well, take a deep look at Pakistan. Today it is a political and
moral imperative for all Pakistanis to fight for our independence,
1033

sovereignty and liberties and be prepared to face all consequences. Liberty

once lost is perhaps lost forever, John Adams told his countrymen. It is,
therefore, going to be an uphill task. Let there be no doubt about it.
Amid all the tension Ikram Sehgal found time to talk about border
trade zone; an idea prompted by the US that was never meant to be
implemented. It doesnt take a genius to figure out that economic
initiatives must be given preference if peace is to be restored on both
sides of the border Promised setting up by the US as far back as 2006,
the proposed Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) is an attempt to
correct the economic imbalance but is really just a patchwork solution that
cannot function practically on the ground. The ROZ concept is interlinked
with the US economy because of opposition from vested lobbies the
legislation has already failed twice in the US Congress. In the proposed
Border Trade Zone (BTZ) concept, US (and international) donor aid is only
required for the development of roads and communications.
Ikram discussed the ways and means to revive this still-born idea and
then concluded: With their livelihood guaranteed, the tribal will have a
vested interest in protecting the means of their income by keeping peace on
both sides of the Durand Line. Special security company licenses must only
be sanctioned for FATA business concerns. With factories and shopping
centres coming up, schools, colleges and hospitals, will naturally follow. The
aim must be to eliminate the prevalent economic deprivation that breeds
anarchy. With a vested interest in keeping peace in Afghanistan, the West
must make a joint effort with Pakistan to club together economic initiatives
with political and military ones. Instead of spending billions of dollars
fighting a war without end, why not spend a fraction of that creating jobs
and reinvigorating the economy?
Far more importantly, the BTZ will act as a base for development
in Afghanistan and transform a population that historically comprises
predators who live off goods and people transiting through their country into
a viable vibrant country with an economy not perennially dependant on
others.
Next day, The News commented on nomination of Justice Saqib Nisar
to head commission to probe murder of Saleem Shehzad. Journalists
protests got louder, support for their cause grew and hundreds of journalists
marched on Constitution Avenue on Wednesday to demand a judicial
commission of investigation they then sat down beside Parliament House
and refused to move until the government gave in to their demands. Early on
1034

Thursday morning it appeared that they had got their way with the
announcement that Prime Minister Gilani had signed the summary for the
judicial commission to probe the killing. It will be headed by Justice Saqib
Nisar of the Supreme Court and also includes the president of the Pakistan
Union of journalists. The commission is to report in six weeks. But all was
not as it seemed and true to form, the government was playing dirty.
There had been no consultation with the chief justice or with the
judge announced as head of the commission, and it would appear that the
government is deliberately trying to make the issue controversial. The
commission will get tangled in procedural and legal impediments and will
fail to materialize. The journalists are muzzled, the truth remains hidden, and
the guilty may get away scot-free once again. Justice Nisar said he was
willing to head the commission if it had the approval of the CJP, but there
was no word as to whether the government was prepared to follow
procedure and consult with the CJP. It is unlikely that the government has
any real investment in the truth emerging about Shahzads murder, any
more than it wants the truth about the murder of any journalist to be
revealed. But it is up against a people sick to death of being lied to and
deceived, and a media that this time is not going to let go. Truths, even the
most unpleasant ones, have a way of finding their way out.
Shafqat Mahmood observed: Under tremendous pressure from
abroad, we are also deeply fractured within. Political rivalries are benign
compared to the real fissures that have opened up in the body politic. The
political class, in government or opposition, is not on the same page as the
military. The top office holders pretend to support it because of fear but their
world view, whatever of it they have, is very different. Left to themselves
they would totally tow the American line and move forward on issues with
India in no time.
Others, like Nawaz Sharif, may have greater caveats on the American
association without wanting to be its adversary but on India, he and
Zardari are not that far apart. In fact, strange as it may seem, given the fiery
rhetoric on all sides, there is a virtual political consensus within parties
in parliament on most foreign policy questions.
This unacknowledged reality of the political class having divergent
views from the military on most things is a serious hindrance to
common state policy in these difficult times. Add to this the deep divisions
that have emerged between the countrys intelligentsia and the security
establishment and we have a perfect recipe for state failure.
1035

States go under not only due to foreign aggression. Even when they
lose wars, are occupied and sometimes divided, they recover because of
internal unity of purpose. With everyone pulling in the same direction, the
task becomes easier. Germany and Japan after the Second World War and
Vietnam among the less developed countries are excellent examples.
With the US and NATO as our Western neighbours, with a specific
agenda that needs our cooperation, and India in the East with its demands,
we are under tremendous pressure. But, ways can be found to negotiate
through these minefields, if there was a semblance of unity within. The sad
part is that little is being done to create it.
Shafqat went on to mention Osama killing, attack on Mehran Base
and murder of Saleem Shehzad and resultant division over probes into these
incidents and he then added: What we need is a grand national dialogue
between all important elements of state and society. It is true that in a
democracy parliament is enough of a forum to debate all national issues.
But, let us be real here. The locus of power in our country is not the
parliament. It passes resolutions, even in joint sessions that nobody cares
for.
What we need is something bigger, more serious, because these are
not ordinary times. Nations in existential battles need not remain wedded
to form, if form does not deliver. A forum has to be created, albeit
temporarily, that allows the political class, judiciary, military, media, and
civil society to sit together behind closed doors and thrash out state policy
on domestic and foreign policy issues.
This should be done with an agreement that nothing will come
out until the final positions are worked out so that the temptation to score
cheap political points is minimized. There will obviously not be complete
agreement on everything but the purpose would be to build a minimum
framework to deal with internal and external issues.
This proposal may seem extraordinary but special times require
special solutions. What we are today is a nation divided. Not only by
ethnicity, provincialism, class interests and education, but by divisions
within the state structure among the political class, the judiciary, and the
military. There is also a disconnect between the armed forces, the media,
and civil society. This is no way to go into a war, and war is what we are
in.
Let the military take a lead in pushing this because the political
leadership by itself would do nothing. Zardari is benignly presiding over this
1036

storm as long as he remains in office. And as far as he is concerned, things

couldnt be better. The armed forces and the judiciary have been put in their
place and the political challenge to him is weak. So, why should he do
anything? The countrys survival needs a broad national consensus. If we
do not move forward to create it, the future is bleak.
Ayaz Amir wrote: Let us be firm with the Americans. Let us not
allow them the freedom of our country. But at the same time it makes
little sense to go out of our way to pick quarrels with them. It is fine to
arrest local informants who may have helped the CIA to reach Osama bin
Ladens doorstep in Afghanistan. But this will be more convincing if some
of our anger is also directed at our own failure to get a whiff of his presence
in Abbottabad.
Five long years secreted in a compound that should have excited the
suspicion of the local police station let alone our vaunted intelligence outfits.
So whether we like it or not there is a case to answer and this is best
done calmly instead of going red in the face.
A line should also be drawn between the larger national interest and
individual discomfiture. Abbottabad was not only deeply embarrassing for
Pakistan as a whole. At a personal level it must have been deeply distressing
for the army chief, Gen Kayani, and the ISI head, Lt Gen Pasha. They had
confronted the CIA in the Raymond Davis affair, lecturing their American
counterparts about violated sovereignty and the dictates of national honour.
The Americans, knowing more than we did about the trail leading to
Osama bin Laden, took our inflamed looks and angry words lying
down. And our senior commanders puffed up their chests in the belief that
they were standing up to the Americans.
Gen Kayani declared that the back of terrorism had been broken. At a
ceremony in the GHQ to remember our dead and wounded in the war in
FATA, he said that prosperity could not be bought at the expense of national
honour. And then May 2 came and the wind was taken out of our sails. The
army command was shell-shocked and did not know what to say.
Statements coming out of the Foreign Office and the GHQ soon after the
American operation make for awkward reading. Even so, whatever the blow
to individual egos, Pakistans interests vis--vis the US should be projected
with as little rancour and bitterness, and as much equanimity and
composure, as possible. Our differences with the US should not be
personalized.

1037

True, this is not the time to attack the army or the ISI. Harsh winds
are buffeting Pakistan from all directions and we will face them if all of us
stand together. But the army command should also emerge from the deep
bunker it went into after Abbottabad. It must emerge into the light and
adjust itself to the new state of play.
It would also help if the Foreign Office, instead of always taking
its cue from elsewhere, were to learn to think for itself. We do no favour
to India by talking to it. It is in our interest as well. India would push its own
agenda, which may be Mumbai or anything, as it has every right to do. We
should push our agenda. But prior to foreign secretary-level talks what is the
use of proclaiming through a loudspeaker that Kashmir was the core issue
and it was imperative to discuss it? Do we want to step into the future or are
we determined to stay in the past?
On 18th June, The News wrote: A comment is said to have come from
COAS General Kayani in late May to the effect that Pakistan has mortgaged
itself to the United States. He is reported to have said that we were unable to
pay back the loan and that we were helpless debtors to an America
determined to have payback. Reports in foreign newspapers and media
outlets speak of General Kayani fighting for his position against a group
of corps commanders who have become increasingly anti-American
since the Bin Laden raid and allegedly increasingly critical of their
commander. The New York Times went as far as to say that a colonels
coup internal to the army was unlikely but was not completely out of the
question. These reports have mostly emanated from foreign sources and
there is very little by way of domestic corroboration, but it seems reasonable
to conclude that there may be a grain of truth in them.
Notwithstanding foreign pot-stirring it may be time to turn down the
heat under the bubbling pot of US-American relations. The two countries
are perhaps never going to be best friends but they do not need to be
enemies either. The relationship is always going to be transactional but we
are not without bargaining chips. Lines have become blurred in the last year,
the rules of engagement indistinct, and the Bin Laden raid while, at one
level, was revealing of gaps in a range of our security agencies has
prompted a sharpening of focus and a redefining of the relationship with the
Americans. Inevitably, this is not going to be a comfortable process for
either side. Unfortunately international relationships are characterized as
much by deceit as they are by honesty, and that is also true for that which
exists between Pakistan and the US.

1038

Outgoing US Defence Secretary Robert Gates admitted this fact only

the other day saying every country lied to the other. Dishonesty aside, they
do have to work together and devising mechanisms to allow that is an
essential part of the relationship. Thus there is reported to be a new joint
counterterrorism task force to oversee operations against terrorism.
The new force is said to be designed to curb American unilateralism in
its intelligence operations in Pakistan, likewise is the scaling back of
American troops or trainers here. The Americans may replace the two Orion
aircraft that were lost in the PNS Mehran raid, and they will keep supplying
us with F-16s. We may not be able to fight the Americans, but we are not
without collateral to pay the mortgage either.
Babar Sattar commented: If security debacles as enormous as the
OBL operation and the GHQ and Mehran attacks, and human tragedies as
horrifying as the Kharotabad butchery, Sarfraz Shahs horrifying death in
Karachi, and Saleem Shahzads murder have failed to encourage our military
high command to indulge in soul-searching instead of finger-pointing, what
will? Let us first understand this criticism that our commanders
misperceive as being aimed at driving a wedge between the army and the
people of Pakistan. One, its object is not the jawans and officers acting as
Pakistans first line of defence against enemies, but the top-tier generals who
wield uninhibited authority to craft our national security policy, design
military strategy and provide operational oversight responsibilities that
they seem to have bungled thoroughly. It is aimed at the khaki elite and
not the institution.
Two, the critique is not meant to demoralize troops, but to
highlight that the security of our citizens and state is so precarious that
those exercising control over security policy can no longer hide behind
sacrifices of military personnel and self-serving conceptions of national
security, national interest, and patriotism to shirk responsibility for their acts
and omissions. Three, it focuses on the need to render the khaki elite
subservient to the law like the rest of the institutions and citizens of this
country, as opposed to rubbing its nose in dirt out of pique or intrigue.
There are at least three reasons why the generals should suspend
their imperiousness and take public criticism in stride. One,
technological advancement and a shrinking world have made it exceedingly
hard to censor information and dissenting views. Only a handful of rich
totalitarian states are mildly successful in purchasing or coercing the media
and controlling access to information. It is neither possible nor desirable for
Pakistan to emulate such examples. Two, a diverse national media such as
1039

ours reflects the thoughts and aspirations of the people, who are worried sick
about their security and their future. Attempts to intimidate the media into
submission will only add fuel to fire.
And three, the flaws in our current security policy and mindset being
identified by the media will become more and more obvious with time if left
unaddressed. We are in the throes of an international war and a homebred
insurgency (aided by bigotry and intolerance) without a coherent national
security and counterterrorism strategy. The internal and external challenges
to our security and rule of law will not melt away simply because journalists
are browbeaten into not talking about them. Shooting the messenger or
resorting to populism and anti-Americanism can only bring transient
relief for top military leaders, but will neither stem the rot nor address the
factors dissipating the spirit of troops and the nation alike.
One, our khaki elite needs to reconcile with the letter and spirit of our
Constitution, which holds unambiguously in Articles 243 and 245 that the
federal government shall have control and command of the armed forces,
who shall act under the directions of the federal government. Commanders
who understand and accept the principle of civilian control of military would
never issue a press release expressing the resolve to continue supporting the
democratic system without any preference to any particular political party.
What business or legal authority does a subsidiary organ of the federal
government have to promise equal treatment to all political parties?
Two, we need a federal law to authorize the military to undertake
internal security duties and act in aid of civil power under Article 245 of
the Constitution and another to provide legal mandate for the ISIs legitimate
intelligence functions. A legislative framework for militarys internal
security functions is imperative to ensure that they fall within the four
corners of our criminal justice system. Changing the law of evidence will
not automatically result in convicting terrorists so long as the military
continues to gather intelligence and perform internal security duties without
explicit legal mandate. Rooting the ISIs de facto powers in law is essential
for the additional reason that without effective internal and external checks
enshrined in law, there will exist no means to prevent abuse of authority by
individuals within our lead intelligence outfit.
And three, there is need to uproot the malaise of sycophancy
within the military introduced by Ziaul Haq and prospering ever since.
The militarys recruitment, training and promotion system is considered
meritorious and transparent, but only up to a certain level. When it comes to
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making a two- or three-star general, there is a sense that fortune shines not
necessarily on the ablest but the most artful. More importantly, if any officer
has been unjustly disciplined through a court martial, his only recourse is to
appeal to the army chief. The jurisdiction of ordinary courts of law stands
ousted in such matters. And if heaven forbid, the Caesar himself decides to
discipline anyone, there is no remedy other than an appeal to Caesars wife,
as the adage goes.
The army chief being the lord and master of the entire force does
three things: it denies military personnel just legal remedies in relation to
service grievances; it makes the blessings and whims of the army chief more
relevant than merit when it comes to the composition of top military
leadership; and it scuttles legitimate difference of opinion at the top level by
nurturing sycophancy. Other stable democracies have recognized the need to
provide neutral mechanisms to curb arbitrary exercise of authority within the
forces and redress service grievance. India, for example, established the
Armed Forces Tribunal in 2007, which is an independent adjudication forum
comprising judicial and administrative members drawn from superior court
judges and military officers respectively. We need a similar law in Pakistan.
But who will introduce such wide-ranging reform? Our army chief
lost his moral authority when he accepted a three-year extension against the
norms of the institution he leads. His professional credibility has also taken a
severe beating with Pakistans security problems accentuating under his
watch. It is probably time for him to allow the next ranking commander to
start on a clean slate and initiate vital reforms. Given his baggage, walking
into the sunset is probably the best thing General Kiyani can do for
himself, his army and his country.
On 12 June, The News commented: President Karzais two-day visit
to us was a multilayered affair and may be the beginnings of what
geopoliticians are fond of calling a road map. Pakistan and Afghanistan
are going to be neighbours as long as both are nation-states. The two
countries have ethnicities and languages that overlap their borders and have
suffered the serial meddling of great powers.
There seems little chance of that changing in the foreseeable future;
but we still need to determine the shape and nature of our long-term
relationship independent of external agendas. In developmental terms,
Pakistan is far in advance of Afghanistan, and has much to offer by way of
cooperation and expertise that could be of early benefit for Afghans. It is
going to be the practical outcomes of meetings such as this that are likely to
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be the tangible confidence builders of the future. Thus the proposal to extend
the railway link from Peshawar to Jalalabad is no pipe-dream. It is eminently
doable in engineering terms and has obvious trading benefits. Likewise, the
Peshawar-Jalalabad-Herat Expressway, much of which already exists but
which needs the dots joining to complete it. The existing Afghanistan
Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement can be improved, strengthened and
converted into a trilateral agreement to take in the Central Asian Republics.
All of these would provide jobs, generate revenue for both states, and feed
into a stabilization process but there is still a rocky road ahead.
Despite the obligatory expressions of fraternal neighbourly love
for one another there are real tensions between the two states. A complex
war is being fought across the shared border, as well as separate but
cerebrally-linked wars within Pakistans national boundaries. Each of these
conflicts feeds into the other. The war with the Taliban in Afghanistan is
going to have to end if the Taliban join a future Afghan government. Against
that will have to be balanced the needs and demands of ethnic Tajiks and the
Hazaras. The glue of democracy in Afghanistan runs even thinner than it
does here, and is going to have to hold together after the Americans and the
NATO forces have left and democracy has never been the favoured model
of government in Afghanistan anyway.
A new spat has emerged with reports that Karzai cut short his visit
over Islamabads refusal to allow him to meet Mian Nawaz Sharif with
whom he then had a telephonic conversation and invited him to Kabul.
Pakistans historical rival India is a major donor to Afghanistan, and since
the fall of the Taliban, the Indians have built solid foundations for
themselves with education, health, and infrastructure funding that far
outweighs anything Pakistan could offer or afford to give. The Indians are
not going to pack up and leave; they are there for the long haul the same as
Pakistan. Meanwhile, the fighting continues in both countries and shows
little sign of abatement. The Karzai visit is perhaps best seen as a postconflict sketch map, a roughing out of the possible that would be good for
both countries if we could just turn the volume of conflict down. Parts of the
sketch map can be given substance quite quickly but will need very large
amounts of money which neither Pakistan nor Afghanistan have. Finding an
entity or entities to pick up the downstream bill will be an even bigger
challenge than sketching a road map.
On 14th June, Munir Ahmed Baloch Observed: US administration
officials appear to believe that the assassination will persuade the Taliban to
turn to reconciliation and engage with the state of Afghanistan. Even it that
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reconciliation materializes, the United States assumed desire to stay on in

Afghanistan in one form or another will prove to be an impediment in
the way of a permanent settlement in that country. If press reports on USTaliban talks over the past few weeks are accurate, it would appear as if the
endgame in Afghanistan is not too far off. However, the United States
wants to utilize the talks process for two objectives: one, to augment
Obamas support for the Afghan war despite Osama bin Ladens death; and,
two, to create fissures in the Taliban ranks over their ties with Pakistan. The
Taliban are being offered hefty amounts of money to distance themselves
from Pakistan and in the process weaken the Talibans resolve to stick with
the decade-old demand for US withdrawal as a precondition for any talks on
reconciliation. Without any regard to Pakistans interests despite the great
sacrifices rendered by this country in the war on terror, the Americans have
not taken Pakistan into confidence, even though the Afghans have been
briefed, as was appropriate.
The UKs point man on Afghanistan and Pakistan told journalists in
Islamabad that the Taliban leadership was engaged in talks with various
stakeholders with the full backing of the US with the sole aim of finding a
solution to Afghanistan from within, without any involvement of foreign
players. This indicates the lack of trust the United States and its NATO
allies have in their frontline ally in the war against terror.
Meanwhile, the US moves on Afghanistan fail to take into account
the relationship of Pakhtun tribes across the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border. The ancient tribal and social bonds across the divide are too strong
to be affected by the existence of an international frontier.
The United States is doing everything to divide the Taliban. At the
same time, it is trying to sideline Pakistan in talks on an Afghan
settlement. Both efforts are destined to failure in the long term especially
the latter. It would be a great geo-strategic blunder if the Americans sideline
Pakistan, rather than make use of it as a critical player in the Afghan
reconciliation progress. Whether the Americans recognize this or not,
Pakistan is a part of the solution in Afghanistan, not part of the problem.
Osama bin Ladens elimination has created a historic opportunity
for the United States to move forward in Afghanistan. But the
opportunity will slip if Washington does not play its cards well. The United
States would be committing its greatest folly if it did not take Pakistan on
board in the reconciliation process. Long-term stability in that war-torn
country will remain a pipedream.
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Dr Maleeha Lodhi wrote: The more important decision is not

about the size of troop reductions this summer in Afghanistan but how
the mission will be defined for the remaining US and NATO forces there.
Will the recently articulated political objectives now drive the military
strategy or work the other way around, as has been the case so far? The
strategy that is chosen will determine whether this will help or hinder the
peace process that Washington is now committed to. Violence has already
intensified in recent weeks with the onset of the traditional fighting season.
If, as the Pentagon still insists in following the Petraeus line the
military mission in Afghanistan persists with its present fight-and-talk
approach, this will complicate if not impede the move towards
reconciliation that most Afghans fervently wish to see. Bringing military
pressure to bear in an effort to soften the adversarys negotiating stance is a
well-rehearsed tactic. But there comes a point when this approach runs it
course and a pause in fighting is essential to allow diplomatic space for
negotiations.
Washington acknowledges that historically all such conflicts end by a
negotiated political settlement, and so must the Afghan war. But it has yet to
accept the proposition that continued military escalation simultaneous with
the pursuit of a negotiated settlement would diminish, not enhance,
prospects for such an outcome. Vigorous military campaigns involving
night raids are seen by Afghan officials as having the opposite effect to that
intended. They strengthen the Talibans will to fight and offer, by way of
civilian casualties, a recruiting sergeant for the Taliban.
The notion of talks with the Taliban only from a position of strength
is also predicated on an unreliable assumption that the tenth year of
war will produce a game changer that nine fighting seasons have not. It
overlooks another reality. The Afghan Taliban will not negotiate if they think
they are weak and being shot at. Indications are that they will do so if they
can engage in talks as equal partners. The logic of defeating the Taliban
before talking to them makes little sense.
To signal seriousness about peace talks a mutual de-escalation in
violence will be necessary. This does not mean yielding ground but holding
that ground and not ramping up militarily. It also means exposing the
negotiating process to the test of a mutual suspension of offensive actions.
This could start by a reciprocal undertaking to end night raids by NATO
forces and cease assassinations of Afghan officials by the Taliban. Cessation
of hostilities could offer the Taliban an incentive to abandon Al-Qaeda, the
1044

most important of Americas red lines for a settlement and its over riding
strategic goal.
The historical experience of peace processes is that they start with
some form of agreed stand down or pause leading to a negotiated ceasefire. Accordingly, efforts to explore interim peace building measures will
determine if the nascent Afghan reconciliation process can gather
momentum in coming months. What will make President Obamas troop
withdrawal announcement meaningful and strategic rather than political
is if he calibrates this as part of a strategy to provide an impetus to the
peace initiative rather than affirm a course that undercuts this.

REVIEW
People of Pakistan, in general, have experienced unprecedented
calamities and setbacks in almost all walks of life. Only PPP has excelled; it
has humbled all its opponents. The credit of this exceptional performance
must go to Zardari who had been vowing to exact democratic revenge.
Zardari had entered Presidency with feelings of strong threatens from
the Judiciary and the Army. He missed no opportunity to express his fears
loudly. He often complained about the designs of pen and the boynet. He
even talked of leaving Presidency only in an ambulance.
All this hue and cry was no more than a smoke screen, behind which
he unleashed his plan to defeat all his opponents. He focused on Judiciary,
Army and media and worked relentlessly to humble them. In less than three
years he has scored remarkably success against Army and Judiciary and the
battle against media is continuing aggressively.
He has delivered hard blows on part of the media wherein he had
identified some troublesome political actors. For the rest of media he has
applied the policy borrowed from his foreign masters. The carrot and stick
have been used to produce desirable results.
Judiciary has been rendered completely ineffective through strategy
of weakening the prosecution and non-implementation of court verdicts. In
doing that it has been ridiculed, especially the Chief Justice. Judiciarys
policy of tolerance of all the nonsense has encouraged the Executive to
ignore Chief Justice altogether as was evident in nomination of two judges,
one after the other, without even talking to him.

1045

The most comprehensive victory has been scored against the military
and ISI, of course in collaboration withy the US. The strategy that worked
wonders was very simple. Army was assigned the task of countering
terrorism and dealing with the US on security matters independently.
This allowed the government to own the successes and failings were
to be owned by the Army. The Zardari regime cherished the both; even the
failings. These setbacks led to criticism, ridicule and resultantly to subduing
of the ISI and Army; the long standing goal of the Zardari regime.
The events since May 2 had all been security related failings resulting
in bitter criticism of Army and ISI. The regime has been relishing every bit
of the media onslaught though apparently it appeared to be shielding the
security forces. In fact, it has been deliberately allowing the criticism to
linger by delaying the actions needed for fact finding.
Not only that, it has tried to malign the Judiciary for not taking suo
moto notice of the murder of Saleem Shehzad while it had hastened to take
action against Attiqa Odho. It even blamed Punjab government for not
probing the matter as dead body of Saleem Shehzad was found in territorial
limits of the province. And, at the same time PPP parliamentarians joined the
protest of journalists.
Journalists staged a sit-in in Islamabad. They rejected appointment of
Chief Justice FSC as head of the probe into murder of Saleem Shahzad and
insisted on their demand for appointment of a serving judge of the Supreme
Court. Parliamentarians of the ruling coalition joined the sit-in to show
solidarity with the journalists.
They primarily joined to assess the situation for deciding the future
course of action. PPP parliamentarians like Mr Chan came to divert the
focus away from the regimes complicity. He in utter display of
shamelessness tried to blame Chief Justice for not taking the suo moto notice
of Saleems murder. Even if the CJ takes notice the ball will still come back
to Executives court and the probe wont make any headway.
Next day, the government named Justice Saqib Nisar as the head of a
commission to probe into the murder. It was done without consulting the
Chief Justice. Talaat Hussain rightly observed that the regime was trying to
trigger confrontation between media and judiciary. He also said that the
regime was drawing sadistic pleasure from targeting of Judiciary, ISI and
Army by the critics.

1046

The result of all this is that Army commander now sits in front if his
supreme commander Zardari with his knees bent and his hands extended
on to the knee-caps. This respectful posture and the COAS often running to
Presidency to seek shelter is the greatest achievement of the man lodged
there and engrossed in exacting democratic revenge.
As regards Afghanistan, there has been significant increase in crossborder attacks by large size groups of militants. This had to happen one day.
Pakistani rulers should have been mindful of the fact that this could happen
once they forced large number of militants to flee to Afghanistan.
History bears that whenever Pakhtuns in Afghanistan were subjected
to oppression, by rulers or their foreign backers, they crossed over the
Durand Line and took refuge in Pakistan; they stayed there and launched
attacks till getting rid of the oppressors. It has happened during the current
American occupation of their country. And, this was now happening in
reverse order as military operations in Pakhtun areas of Pakistan had forced
thousands to cross over the Durand Line.
Measures should have been taken to avert this. The cross border
attacks indicated that this wasnt done. Resultantly, the regime, especially
ANP, now urge the local tribesmen to raise lashkars to defend their villages
against Taliban attacks. Some of the sub-tribes have refused as they believe
it would trigger bloodshed. This simple point has not struck to the bloodthirsty rulers.
19th June, 2011

1047

TRIOKA OF TERRORISTS
Sahibzada Fazl Karim said that all the rulers of Pakistan are agents of
the US; some big and some small. His statement implied that people of
Pakistan were double sandwiched by the Troika of terrorists comprising
Americans and their puppets both waging war against Islamic fascists.
While democratic fascists of America and Islamic fascists of Af-Pak
have repeatedly vowed not to tolerate each others presence in the region;
Obama became Pakistan specific by declaring that the US wont tolerate
terrorist heavens therein. The puppets of the US, civil and military, however,
have maintained ambiguity about their stance.
In May, the military top brass continued pretending that it did not like
the breach of Pakistans territorial sovereignty as was done by the US in
Abbottabad. It sought governments support and parliament passed a
unanimous resolution, but then its implementation was hampered. The latest
edition of militarys Hilal magazine, in which May 2 has been termed a Big
Day confirmed that it has been lying about the sovereignty issue.
The same is true, perhaps more so, about the civilian rulers. They have
been availing the tragedies as opportunities to score points against their
adversaries. In the case of Saleem Shehzad they even tried to pitch media
against the Judiciary. Chief Justice read the game and named the same
judges which were preferred by the regime to head probes who had censored
the regime over its attempt to sideline the chief.
Ordinarily, this should have been taken as slap on the face by any selfrespecting Executive; but not of this regime. The Scoundrel and the Saint
would take it as yet another success of their delaying tactics. They would
rejoice over defying the opposition, media and civil society simultaneously.
Meanwhile, BBC reported arrest of Brig Ali Khan during first week of
May. The allegations against him revealed something that had been feared
and on which CIA had been working. It aimed at dividing Pakistan militarys
rank and file on the lines of religion and secularism.
In the context of Afghanistan, the US lashed out at Karzai for his anticoalition remarks. This seemed to be drama being staged to attract Taliban
towards Karzai and get them engaged in peace process thinking that he had
turned hostile towards occupation forces.
Obama also announced pull out of some troops but that did not mean
that the US has given up its plans to have four or five permanent bases in the

1048

country. Robert Gates boasted the US could win Afghan war without
Pakistans help not realizing that it might not happen despite Pakistans
support.
All rounds of bilateral talks between India and Pakistan are preceded
by release of prisoners; like the release of doves as symbol of peace gesture.
This time, however, India handed over eight baby-doves to Pakistani High
Commissioner in New Delhi in addition to handing over six mentally
retarded at the border.
Strangely, despite the immense love for peace, India took 11 years to
decide about these juvenile prisoners. India was also constrained to release
five sailors that it had captured from Somali pirates in March, but only after
receiving six Indians which were got freed after payment of ransom arranged
by Pakistan.

NEWS
In Pakistan, three militants were killed on 19th June in North
Waziristan. At least 25 militants were killed in operation in Mohmand
Agency supported by jetfighters of PAF; four soldiers were also killed and
seven wounded. NATO container was burnt in Mastung and an oil ranker
was set ablaze in Quetta. Hussain Haqqani informed US media that more
than 30 informers of CIA were under detention for investigation into
Abbottabad attack.
More than five weeks after adoption of resolution by Parliament the
government wrote a letter to the Chief Justice to name a judge to head the
commission to probe Abbottabad incident. In another letter the government
sought nomination of a judge to head probe into murder of Saleem Shehzad.
Next day, twelve people were killed in three drone launched missile
attacks in Lower Kurram Agency. Tribesmen protested against drone attacks
in Miranshah and PTI organized three-day sit-in in Shershah area of
Karachi. Lashkar commander and two policemen were killed in car bombing
in Mattani. A nine-year old girl, who was kidnapped from Peshawar for
suicide bombing, was held in Lower Dir. Militants killed four people in
Mohmand Agency. NATO oil tanker was set ablaze and driver killed in
Quetta. NA mission found victims of Kharotabad innocent and held FC and
Police responsible for killings.
The Chief Justice nominated Justice Javed Iqbal and Justice Saqib
Nisar to head probes of Abbottabad attack and murder of Saleem Shehzad
1049

respectively and in view of that the apex court disposed off petition of PFUJ.
Tariq Butt reported that Gilani dragged his feet on Abbottabad and Shehzad
Commissions as he did not want to become Mohammad Khan Junejo.
On 21st June, nine-year girl held in Lower Dir changed her statement;
she was neither from Peshawar nor kidnapped; her name was also incorrect.
Rehman Malik said names of Benazirs killers would be disclosed if PPP
leadership allowed, but he went on to claim that Osama was involved in her
murder. Army chief decided to consult retired generals about war on terror.
BBC broke the news that a Brigadier of Pakistan Army was arrested
for allegedly having links with banned outfits. After breaking of the news
Waqt TV showed a letter it had received few days ago in which release of
Brig Ali Khan was demanded. Ali was detained soon after he had asked
some tough questions from General Kayani about Abbottabad Raid when
the latter had addressed officers of the garrison on the subject.
Prime Minister approved constitution of commission to probe
Abbottabad raid; it would be the same as ordered already except
Fakhurrudin G Ibrahim. It has been mandated to ascertain facts of the
presence of Osama in Pakistan; circumstances and facts regarding the US
operation; nature, background and causes of lapses and make consequential
recommendations. PML-N rejected the new commission.
PM also approved constitution of a commission to probe into murder
of Saleem Shehzad. Justice Mian Saqib Nisar will head the commission
comprising Chief Justice FSC, IGP Punjab, IGP Islamabad and President of
Federal Union of Journalists. The commission will probe into background
and circumstances of Saleems abduction and subsequent murder.
Next day, one soldier was wounded in attack on a post in Orakzai
Agency and four militants were killed in retaliatory action. Five militants
were killed when they attacked a check post in suburbs of Peshawar. Two
Khassadars were killed in bomb blast at Jamrud check post. One person was
killed in a clash between LI and tribal lashkar in Bara area. Osamas widow
and children presently in Pakistans custody would be soon sent to Yemen.
ISPR confirmed through foreign media that four majors were also
being interrogated along with Brigadier Ali Khan, whose link with Hizbut
Tehrir (HT) has been proved. Murtaza Ali Shah wrote that HT was obsessed
with nuclear Pakistan. Amir Mir reported that HT had coup plans.
Umar Cheema reported that Brig Ali had raised questions about
Abbottabad raid. His wife and lawyer said he was being targeted for
1050

demanding accountability. General Beg said, arresting a high ranking

official for having contacts with it is nothing except to conceal the facts.
There are some other factors that led to Ali Khans detention.
Pew survey revealed that only 37 percent Pakistanis supported
military action against militants. A report in western print media said CIA
was working on triggering mutiny in Pakistan Army. Ansar Abbasi observed
that Zardari and Nawaz have taken clear positions on war on terror. Obama
telephoned Zardari and the two agreed to work together.
On 23rd June, sailors released by Somali pirates sailed into Karachi
Port in PNS Zulfikar; 11 Egyptians, six Indians, five Pakistanis and one Sri
Lankan were accorded warm reception. The foreigners departed to their
respective countries the same day. The entire episode of their release was
commendably conducted, but it had touch of MQM rather that Pakistan.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague held meeting with his
Pakistani counterpart in Islamabad. Two countries agreed to defeat terrorism
and boost trade and business ties. The visitor talked of already promised aid
for education sector worth 65 million pounds in which thousands of teachers
would be trained and syllabus books would be provided to millions.
Obama told Pakistan to remove terrorist heavens from its soil and
have good relations with Afghanistan. Robert Gates said the US could win
Afghan war without Pakistans help. Hillary warned the US wont keep up
military aid to Pakistan if it didnt take steps to improve ties with the US.
General Patreaus said Pakistan has to carry out military operation in tribal
areas.
Next day, thirteen people were killed in an air strike in by PAF
jetfighters in Kurram Agency. Two foreign militants were killed in Orakzai
Agency. Five people were killed in a clash between militants and tribal
lashkar in Khyber Agency. The suspects linked to PNS Mehran attack, which
were picked up from Lahore, returned to their homes. New York Times
reported that Osamas courier belonged to Harkatul Mujahideen, a militant
group linked to ISI. He had used his cell phone to contact ISI.
On 25th June, NATO troops shelled a village in North Waziristan.
Fifteen people were killed and eight wounded in factional fighting in
Orakzai. Two persons were killed in a factional clash in Khyber Agency. Ten
policemen were killed when three suicide bombers attacked Kulachi Police
Station of DI Khan; TTP owned the responsibility. NATO container was set
ablaze near Mastung. The man accused of murder of Shahbaz Masih was

1051

acquitted by the court for want of incriminating evidence. Shujaat Hussain

opposed Abbottabad Commission and instead urged inquiry by CJCSC.
On 19th June, eight Coalition soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in
various incidents; four of them died in road accident. Three civilians were
killed in suicide car bombing. The US lashed out at Karzai for his anticoalition remarks. Next day, the US took Pakistan into confidence about its
talks with Taliban. Afghanistan protested Pakistans cross-border attacks.
On 21st June, Taliban bomber targeted a governor in northern
Afghanistan and killed two persons. Three policemen were killed in a bomb
blast Uruzgan and two were shot dead in Kandahar. Next day, eight
policemen were killed when Taliban attacked a check post in Ghazni
Province.
On 23rd June, Obama ordered phased pull out of 33 thousand US
troops starting next month, out of which ten thousand would be withdrawn
by December this year. France also decided to pull out its troops. William
Hague said Britain was engaged in talks with Taliban.
Next day, six people were killed in bomb blast in Kunduz. Kabul said
cross-border attacks could affect relations. Presidents of Iran, Afghanistan
and Pakistan met in Tehran and agreed to boost cooperation. Kerry said the
US should listen to Pakistan on Afghan issue.
On 25th June, at least 20 people were killed in suicide bombing in a
hospital in Logar Province. Taliban did not claim the responsibility, but
western media kept pointing finger towards them. Two children were killed
in cross border firing in Kunar. Karzai and Zardari met in Tehran and
discussed cross-border attacks.
On 20th June, Foreign Minister of India, Krishna issued guidelines to
Pakistan for its Afghan policy; he urged Islamabad to join hands with New
Delhi for betterment of Afghan people. Indian Navy had rescued some
captives held by Somali pirates in March, including five Pakistanis, who
were still held in Indian jail.
On 22nd June, India released six Pakistani prisoners on the eve of
foreign secretary level talks in Islamabad. Next day during first round of
foreign secretary level talks India demanded trial of all those involved in
Mumbai attacks as precondition for any meaningful dialogue. The two sides
also deliberated on nuclear confidence building measures.

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On 24th June, six Indian sailors were warmly welcomed in New Delhi
as they arrived from Pakistan. This put the Indian government in some sort
of shame and it decided to free five Pakistani sailors who were captured
by Indian Navy after an encounter with Somali pirates.
Foreign secretary level talks between India and Pakistan ended with
two sides acknowledging that Kashmir is a complicated issue and more
talks would be needed for its resolution. Obviously, if India needed months
to decide freeing five sailors, it would require decades to make up its mind
about Kashmir. It was, however, decided that two more crossing points
should be opened along the Line of Control.
In Balochistan, five people were wounded in firing at a van in Bolan
Pass on 19th June; two persons were kidnapped. Next day, one person was
killed and 8 wounded in bomb blast in Quetta. On 22 nd June, four people
were killed and 11 wounded in firing at Iran-bound pilgrims bus in Quetta.

VIEWS
In the context of Pakistan, The News wrote on 19th June: After
some initial hesitancy, the government first announced a commission headed
by a judge of the Federal Shariat Court which journalists rejected and
later, as the deadline ended and journalists held a 24-hour-long sit-in outside
parliament, announced the formation of a commission headed by SC Justice
Mian Saqib Nisar. It was quickly realized that the government had
nominated Justice Nisar without the approval of the chief justice, which is a
requirement under the Commission of Inquiry Act 1956.
This move indicates that the government has tried to use journalists
to achieve its own objectives and the move to sideline the CJ reeks of an
attempt to undermine the judiciarys influence. In any case, after Justice
Nisars refusal to head the commission, journalists have filed a petition in
the SC.
Meanwhile, the mysterious resurfacing of Shahzads cell phone
records, earlier erased, has brought the agencies role into sharp focus once
again, given the fact that the facility of monitoring and manipulating cellphone and landline communications is available only to them. The Inter
Services Public Relations (ISPR) has, in a recent statement, voiced concern
over the accusatory fingers continuously being pointed at the ISI and said
that such accusations have also been raised in the past but were proven
wrong by investigations. On its part, the ISPR has welcomed the formation
1053

of the commission to probe the murder. Clearly, a mess is being made of an

issue where clarity, honesty, and transparency are needed. Given the
importance of the case, it is crucial that the government stops reaching
into its old bag of tricks and instead works with the judiciary to ensure
that Shahzads murderers are brought to justice and that journalists in this
country are not left at the mercy of invisible forces.
Next day, Asif Ezdi opined: If there is anything positive that has
resulted from the Abbottabad raid, it is that it has triggered an
unprecedented nation-wide demand that the countrys armed forces be
made fully accountable to the elected civilian authorities. This demand
assumed the proportions of a crescendo after the daring terrorist attack on
the Mehran naval base three weeks later which exposed some striking gaps
in the security of the countrys defence installations. In the US military
operation that killed Osama, the invading force came from the worlds only
superpower. The Mehran raid was in one sense even more alarming because
it made our armed forces look helpless even in the face of a handful of
locally trained and equipped suicide commandos.
Even before these two disasters, the militarys public standing
had been dented by its ambivalence on US drone attacks and by the
mishandling of the Raymond Davis case. As if all this was not enough, the
perception that the ISI was behind the murder of Saleem Shahzad finally
seems to have broken the long-standing taboo that shielded the military from
the oversight of the civilian authorities and the scrutiny of the media
Nevertheless, some of the debate in the wake of Abbottabad on the
armys role in national life has been characterized more by fiery rhetoric
rather than the thoughtful deliberation that we need. Typical of the
invective being spewed these days by some of our commentators is the
outburst denounced the army generals as political duffers who support and
encourage terrorism and the calls for saving the people of Pakistan from
such an army and daring it to win a war.
Viewed against the background of vituperations of this kind, the
statement issued by the corps commanders on 9 June expressing regret that
some quarters were trying to deliberately run down the armed forces in
general and the army in particular, was a model of restraint and
statesmanship. The army also did well to point out that it will defer to the
findings of the Abbottabad inquiry commission. That does not of course
mean that all criticism of the military is unpatriotic. The Abbottabad and
Mehran raids brought to the fore some of the weaknesses but there is a lot
1054

more that needs to be fixed. These issues should be debated openly and
without any taboos.
One such area is the lucrative perks accumulated over the years
by the top brass, such as gifts of agricultural land, plots in urban housing
estates, shares in business ventures and exclusive golf courses for the
recreation of the senior officers. The taxpayer has a right to ask how these
hefty rewards are contributing to the countrys defence.
But those who argue that the threat from India has been invented or
exaggerated by the military to justify high defence outlays are either nave or
perverse. The Indian threat has no doubt receded since Pakistan
acquired a nuclear deterrent but it has not vanished. India has responded
to the nuclear environment by developing the Cold Start doctrine
While playing down the Indian threat or denying its existence, this
same class has declared that the primary danger facing the country is
terrorism; that this problem has been created by the armys sponsorship of
militant proxies to fight the jihad in Afghanistan and Kashmir; and that it is
now for the army to crush them through military force. This is a line which
is in tune with the current US policies in the region.
But both the diagnosis and the prescription are wrong. The
breeding ground for terrorism has in reality been provided by the widening
gap between the haves and the have-nots. People like Ilyas Kashmiri who
take up arms against the state are not suffering from some genetic defect.
They have been driven to it by the attempt of the ruling class to perpetuate
the current unjust and repressive economic and social order. The army is
being used by the ruling class to do its dirty work. How dirty it can get was
shown in a video recording of the execution by army personnel of some
suspected Taliban captives in Swat last year.
Establishing civilian authority over the military will require not
only a change in the military mind-set as Nawaz Sharif has been calling for
in his thunderous speeches but also vastly improved performance by the
civilian institutions and organs of the state. If the military has in the past
been able to grab the space reserved for the civilians, the fault lies in no
small measure with our politicians.
In an unusual speech in the National Assembly on 11 June, a PML-N
member said that two-thirds of the 342 members of the house do not pay
their taxes, though many of them use expensive luxury cars. He wondered
how their preaching could be meaningful unless they themselves set an

1055

example of honesty. Not surprisingly, his words fell on deaf ears in the
august house.
But outside the Parliament, questions are increasingly being put
by the people why a tiny predatory class has been given the license to
plunder the national wealth. Why is Pakistan probably the only country in
the world where the poor man subsidizes the rich man through the tax
system? What business do those who themselves cheat on taxes have to
impose them on others? And what right do they have to pass the budget? If
we are to establish civilian control over the military, we will also have to
purge our political institutions of such people. Making the armed forces
respect the red lines of the constitution will not be enough.
Aijaz Zaka Syed wrote: Something is terribly wrong with
Pakistan. This is what its legion of detractors have been shouting about
ad nauseam for years and decades. And now its increasingly difficult to
deny this even for the sincerest friends and well wishers of the country. This
killing holds up a mirror to Pakistani society and nation and Pakistanis
should be horrified and outraged by what they see. I do not even want to get
into the pointless, depressing debate about the myriad woes Pakistan faces
and what or who is responsible for turning Jinnahs dream into an endless
nightmare.
Petty games of big powers; stranglehold of the omnipotent and
omnipresent Army; hopelessly corrupt and feudal nature of Pakistani politics
and of course, and the scourge of extremism-each one of them or all of them
may be responsible for the present state of the Islamic republic. We know the
drill. The question is; what are the Pakistanis going to do to about it?
What can they do to stop the freefall of their amazing country? How
long will they helplessly watch while their young nation is ripped apart by
the vultures of all colors and kinds? And the less is said of the political lot
the better. They are part of the curse haunting Pakistan.
What Pakistan badly needs is a bold, grassroots movement for
change. A peoples revolt, if you will, against all that is wrong, corrupt and
unjust. A revolt against the forces of status quo and a return to the basics.
Pakistan needs to rediscover the dream, vision and faith that created it. It
probably needs an Arab spring to clean out the dirt, cobwebs and skeletons
accumulated over the past six decades.
On 21st June, The News commented: We had a partial set of answers
that raise more questions about the PNS Mehran attack. The DNA of the
four assailants, whose bodies are in the possession of authorities, appears to
1056

show that they may have been related brothers or cousins and that they
were not on the Nadra database. Further, they may have been Eurasian in
origin and almost certainly were not Pakistanis. The single published picture
of one of the dead terrorists shows a pale clean shaven man of
indeterminate ethnic origin. There should be little surprise that the men are
not on the Nadra database terrorists are hardly likely to leave an electronic
trail if they can possibly avoid it. But if they looked so different why
werent they noticed by our own intelligence agencies? Different people
stand out like sore thumbs these days when foreigners are a rarity here. If
they were of foreign origin then there must be questions about how they
came to be in Pakistan and who facilitated their arrival? The release of
partial information tells us little, and bungled efforts to set up commissions
of enquiry into matters of pressing national importance all point to a
government that has little interest in discovering uncomfortable truths.
The slightly better news is that our rulers are discovering that civil society
and the judiciary are getting better at demanding and getting the
beginnings of accountability.
Shamshad Ahmad wrote: What is most worrisome is that Pakistan is
now going through the gravest crisis of its history. Its national edifice is
being weakened methodically by keeping it engaged on multiple external
and domestic fronts. Its institutional structure is being dismantled brick by
brick, not from outside but from within. Its sovereignty is being violated
with impunity. We have ransomed our freedom of action for personal gains.
It is the only country in the world with an on-going war on its own soil and
against its own people.
The use of military power within a state and against its own people
has never been an acceptable norm. It is considered a recipe for intra-state
implosions, a familiar scene in Africa. In our own country, we have had very
bitter and tragic experiences in the past, and yet we are repeating the same
mistakes. We cannot afford any more 1971-like tragedies and national
debacles. We must avoid reaching points of no return. Instead of always
blaming outsiders for our problems, we should have the courage to
admit that there is something fundamentally wrong with ourselves
We have become a warrior nation, and have been tirelessly fighting
wars. These are not military wars alone. We have been fighting proxy wars
for others, and we have also been fighting fratricidal, communal, sectarian,
and political wars of our own. These have been suicidal wars. We have been
killing ourselves and destroying our institutions. We have paid an
immeasurable price in these wars, and continue to pay a heavy price for our
1057

repeated failures. No wonder, we have never been so unstable and so

tormented. We have never found ourselves so weak and so vulnerable.
We have been squandering our future. And still we learnt no lessons
from our wretched history. After Abbottabad fiasco and Mehran debacle, we
have become the focus of the most humiliating global attention, with serious
doubts on our commitment to the war on terror. It is the character of the
state and the character of those governing and guarding this state that
has been responsible for the current abysmal situation in the country.
The nation suffers an NRO-based ruling hierarchy left behind by Gen
Musharraf in his parting kick to the nation.
Ironically, while the common man in our country is suffering the
worst-ever hardship, the looters, plunderers, profiteers, hoarders and
murderers could not have a safer haven anywhere else in the world. The
Supreme Courts Dec 16, 2009, verdict on these looters and plunderers
remains unimplemented. No other country is familiar with the practice of
forgiving as a matter of rule the elite usurpers of the nations money
and resources.
No one knows what lies ahead for this tortured nation, which stands
completely torn apart and emotionally shattered. Unsure of our future, we
are still groping in the dark with one crisis after another and have yet to
figure out a sense of purpose and direction for ourselves as a nation.
Unfortunately, we are never without a crisis. Our governance failures and
leadership infirmities have seriously constricted our foreign policy options.
But our problems are not external. Our problems are all domestic.
Even our external problems are an extension of our domestic
problems. These problems have nothing to do with our foreign policy. In
fact, there is no foreign policy worth its name in any country in the absence
of good governance which in todays world is the real instrument of
statecraft. No country has ever succeeded externally if it is weak and
crippled domestically. The former Soviet Union could not survive as a
superpower only because it was domestically weak in political and economic
terms.
And let us not blame America, India or anyone else for our problems.
We ourselves are responsible for being where we are today. Decades of
political instability resulting from protracted spells of military rule,
institutional paralysis, poor governance, corruption and general aversion to
the rule of law have destroyed Pakistans ethos and image. In-house
Byzantine intrigues and blame-game against each other will take us
1058

nowhere. We need to remake ourselves, politically, economically and

socially. We also need to revamp and restructure our armed forces, giving
them the requisite vigour and a new image worthy again of the nations full
confidence and respect.
Ahmed Quraishi observed: The debate on whether Pakistan can
afford an open war with the United States if we shoot down CIA drones or
restrict the spy agencys illegal actions is a misleading one. A group of
supposed Pakistani apologists for the US are misdirecting the debate
and recasting it as a choice between going to war with the US and total
surrender. The promoters of this line of analysis are essentially doing two
things: obstructing any Pakistani debate on reviewing our role in Americas
war, and painting all those demanding a rethink as crazy warmongers.
This is a false divide. And it is alarming to note that the Americans
have been successful in using diplomacy, the media and hired guns to
sow maximum confusion among Pakistanis. Today, instead of protecting
our interests, we have a noisy lobby that wants to see Pakistan permanently
mortgaged to US interests. This lobby is resisting calls for a review of our
decade-long policy of blind support to US military operations in
Afghanistan. Anyone who calls for such a review is accused of antiAmericanism, which is a ridiculous term, coined by Washington media
managers to stigmatize legitimate critics of US policy.
Advocating foreign subservience has not only become acceptable in
Pakistan, but those who do so get to be hired as consultants to US
government advisory boards and rewarded with powerful political
appointments in Pakistan. It is important to remind everyone that
working as a hired mouthpiece for a foreign government is illegal under
Pakistani law. We dont have a legal process by which agents and advocates
of foreign governments can register themselves and concede that their paid
writings and commentaries in our media are meant to promote the interests
of a foreign government.
Moreover, the CIA and its contractors have been busy recruiting
freshly retired Pakistani military officers who could provide access into the
security establishment. The CIA has been quite successful in this as the case
of DynCorp and its Pakistani affiliate company Inter-Risk proved in late
2009, where the US security contractor recruited, trained and armed a proxy
militia at a location on the outskirts of Islamabad. The project was busted,
but unfortunately Pakistani authorities were sweet-talked by the
Americans to drop the case in exchange for a full-fledged Pakistani-US
1059

Strategic Dialogue, which has turned out to be a little more than hot air.
Such recruitments are ostensibly not possible now, but advocacy for US
positions in Pakistan is an ongoing project, with a budget larger than
anything that Pakistan can allocate these days for a counter-effort.
Pakistanis who are demanding a review of relations with the US
are not reckless adventurists or warmongers. Such a review is natural
and overdue. Several US allies in Afghanistan have opted out of the war or
drastically changed the terms of their cooperation. The US government itself
is continuously reviewing its involvement in this war. Pakistan is the only
country where no such review is taking place. Moreover, we have apologists
for the US warning Pakistanis of a war if we dont accede to American
demands. These advocates of US policy are increasingly misleading public
opinion by portraying any talk of a review as a declaration of war against the
US. This, in turn, is misdirecting the debate to a question of whether we can
defeat the US in case of hostilities.
Our problem with the US is not whether we should be enemies or
friends. It is about the role of the CIA and the US military in Afghanistan
and their concerted anti-Pakistan actions from the start of our cooperation
after 9/11. The US military mess has caused Pakistan unspeakable damage.
The CIA has been involved in aiding and abetting terrorism and insurgencies
against Pakistan since 2002. Aid continues to pour to anti-Pakistan terrorists
on the Pakistani-Afghan border. Terrorism in Balochistan continues to be
patronized by the CIA and its allies in Afghanistan.
Following Pakistani complaints, the CIA dragged its feet before
finally cooperating in elimination of leaders of TTP terror group through the
use of drone technology. But this was limited cooperation, as supplies and
terrorists continue to pour from US-controlled Afghanistan into
Pakistan. Attacks by unknown terrorists from the Afghan side on Pakistani
border regions have multiplied recently with the downslide in Pakistan-US
relations. The way the CIA used its clandestine network of agents and
willing supporters inside Pakistan on May 2 to sideline and demonize our
military and intelligence is indicative of its deep anti-Pakistan bias.
The above notwithstanding, the core of Pakistans current instability
is linked to a 2006-07 deal whose clauses remain secret There are reports
that Ms Bhutto quietly opted out of the deal by late 2007 and informed her
secret American interlocutors of the decision. She was assassinated and
replaced by her husband who revived the deal. One of the key interlocutors
in the deal was our incumbent chief of the army staff. He was not a free
1060

agent then and the deal and its content was not his idea. He did not advocate
the deal but, as director general of the ISI, found himself in the unenviable
position of negotiating the deal on behalf of his boss, Gen Musharraf. Given
the legendary discipline within the Pakistani armed forces, whatever military
commanders thought of the deal, it went ahead regardless.
This deal and its outcome is a major cause of strategic instability
in Pakistan. It is causing frequent ruptures in Pakistan-US relations because
it forces the US to conduct it relations with Pakistan through proxies. It is
time Pakistan opted out of this arrangement. US officials and politicians who
want Pakistan-friendly relations should support ending this arrangement that
has turned their country into an enemy in the eyes of most Pakistanis.
This deal was an abnormality in Pakistani politics. It was an imposed
action that interrupted a natural political evolution. It institutionalized
foreign meddling and allowed a foreign government to shoot up its
intelligence presence inside the country. The deal has placed docile figures
in key Pakistani positions to facilitate foreign meddling, like the former
national security adviser and the current ambassador in Washington.
The only good to come out of the deal is to contain the separatist
agenda of some extreme elements within the MQM, the PPP, and the ANP,
the three parties that came to power as a result of the deal. By being
absorbed into the system, the pro-Pakistan elements within these parties
appear to have prevailed. This is by far the only positive in a shady deal. A
way has to be found to break this deal without causing major instability
in the country, and without providing some political elements the chance to
claim political martyrdom and heroism to re-emerge as false prophets of
democracy a decade later.
Next day, The News commented on the report of the National
Assembly Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights (NAPCHR) on
Kharotabad killings. In all probability the police and the FC realized their
mistake fairly quickly, perhaps within an hour of the deaths, and swiftly
went into their default position a cover-up. There were statements from
police and the FC that were conflicting and did not square anyway with the
video evidence that was quickly available in a remarkable piece of citizen
journalism. The police claimed the five died in a bomb explosion not true.
They claimed that they had explosive vests but could not produce them as
evidence again, not true. It was claimed that they were carrying hand
grenades not true.

1061

The members of the NAPCHR found the evidence of the Balochistan

IGP to be contradictory and unimpressive. He had offered the wholly
unsubstantiated opinion that the five dead were highly motivated and
trained by what route he deduced this is incomprehensible. The hinge
around which this tragedy of errors may turn could be language. The
victims may simply have not understood what was being shouted at them.
The police were shouting that they were terrorists, the five continued to walk
towards the check post and as they crossed the wire the firing started. They
were dead minutes later and the machinery of denial and lies was quickly in
action.
Whether the findings of the NAPCHR will ever be translated into
criminal charges and whether the families of the dead will ever be offered
compensation for what, by any measure, is an appalling crime, we do not
know. What we may be certain of is that a dogged and persistent media
and witnesses brave enough to stand up to attempts to intimidate them
into silence, have exposed a terrible wrong. Five innocent men and
women, and an unborn child, were murdered in cold blood because of
sloppy police work and a callous indifference to the rule of law. Bring those
who are truly guilty of a crime to court. Prosecute them, and let justice be
done as it never was for those five innocent lives.
On 23rd June, The News commented on detention of Brigadier Ali
Khan. The arrested brigadier had been under surveillance and has close
relatives serving in sensitive organizations. He would not have suddenly
made the connections that led to his arrest. He may have had these
sympathies and affiliations for years. He will almost certainly not be alone in
his leanings. The army like every other state institution is wider society
in a microcosm. A radicalized society may, over time, produce
radicalized recruits for the armed forces and influence the allegiances of
serving officers and men. It is all very well for the director general of the
Inter Services Public Relations to say that the army has zero tolerance for
extremist or sectarian ideology, but the reality he and the rest of the army
command face is that an unknown proportion of serving officers and men
may be of a radical persuasion, and may pursue radical or extreme agendas
from their positions in the ranks or the officer cadre. This is not idle
speculation or scaremongering, this is hard-nosed analysis based on proven
behavioural and societal models. As a state we face some very sophisticated
threats, and they are internal as well as external. We may have rotten apples
in the barrel, and the barrel, it seems, is in need of cleaning.

1062

Zafar Hilaly observed: The anger that gripped the American media
and some Senators at the news that 30 or so Pakistanis had been detained for
questioning for passing on information to the CIA about the goings on in the
OBL compound in Abbottabad. In an angry and incredulous tone they asked
how Pakistan could possibly arrest anyone who helped the CIA bring the
worlds number one terrorist to justice. It did not seem to cross their minds
that those detained may be traitors because they preferred to work for a
foreign spy agency rather than their own in return for money or some other
favour. Instead, surprise and hurt were on display and the feeling among
American politicians that such spiteful actions by Pakistan were actually
meant to divert attention from the involvement, embarrassment, and
incompetence of our own spooks.
Ambassador Haqqani tried to assuage US anger by parrying
questions and when cornered by adopting a very conciliatory tone. Even
saying that none of those arrested had been punished thereby implying
somehow that they would be dealt with leniently even if found to be
spying for the CIA. This suggested to his legion of critics here that
recruiting agents for the CIA among our uniformed personnel and civilians is
somehow acceptable when, in fact, it is reprehensible and illegal to suborn
their loyalty. I cannot believe Haqqani was saying anything of the sort or
that the issue would be resolved to the satisfaction of Pakistans friends and
its laws. The law surely does not reflect the wishes of either friend or foe.
What especially raised hackles here are the ongoing attempts,
subsequently leaked to the press by the Americans that Panetta had
intervened with Kayani on behalf of those arrested on suspicion of being
CIA informers. How can Panetta forget that working for a foreign spy
agency is deemed illegal in all the countries of the world, including his own,
regardless of the issue involved? How can it be considered legal for a
national of one country to spy for another country? It infringes on the very
concepts of sovereignty, nation-state, and interstate relations. Neither the
Russians nor the Americans believed their moles were doing the legal thing
during the Cold War when they passed on sensitive information even if the
individuals involved personally believed they were pursuing the right cause.
The logic behind this just doesnt make sense It would have been a
lot better for Leon Panetta to have waited until the authorities had completed
their investigation and to make a discreet pitch for clemency for the persons
in question. Washing dirty linen in public is silly as it puts the country in an
awkward position and may indeed worsen matters by being perceived as
provocative and demeaning. Nor has Panetta done much good by
1063

allegedly leaking the matter and doing it at a time when there is

mounting tension over more important issues. Actually, all he has done is
to ensure that if found guilty of violating their oath of loyalty to their
institution and the state to which they belong, the fate of those being held
will be dire.
The question often asked is why America behaves in an arrogant and
insensitive manner when dealing with friends or allies. Why doesnt it care if
it is distrusted and disliked? Why do Americans feel they must step on the
dignity of others, including friends, only so that they can claim they are
maintaining their own? The fact that these questions are repeatedly asked
by its friends should bother Americans and not be treated like water off
a ducks back.
The time has surely come to question the importance of the American
alliance and the temptation to hang on to it in order to benefit from the
American largesse and in particular, the weapons we need for our defence.
Indeed, the price tag has grown more exorbitant while our capacity to foot
the bill in terms of reciprocity has shrunk further. In short the alliance is
turning out to look like a luxury we can ill afford and we must therefore
begin to live within our means as best as we can.
We cannot continue to believe out of sheer force of habit that what
we have become accustomed to is what is best for us, when it is not. We
must cease to find excuses for acting and believing in the manner we do.
When love no longer exists in the heart, as it does not today for America,
then the love affair is truly over. Old creeds that have shrouded policies must
be abandoned
It is absurd that the Americans should be in the business of killing
and be killed even as they declare their wish to make peace with their
adversary. This absurd war has truly plunged Pakistan into a civil
conflict and effectively destroyed our chances of emerging as a strong
united nation for another generation. And the longer we remain tethered to
the Americans, the greater the chances of deeper ruin. The need to cut our
losses and free ourselves from an embrace that has in any case become a
suffocating one, therefore, is now beyond doubt. Although admittedly
untangling ourselves from the alliance will require far more skill and
dexterity than we have been shown to possess.
While doing so, let us bear in mind that ending an alliance does not
mean making an abrupt shift from friendship to enmity that would be
an error and an emotional response to an existential trauma we are
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undergoing today. It only means making a determined and diligent

realignment of our external relations so that we have more options and more
space within which to address our national interests. The close American
connection has outlived whatever value it may have had in the past and it
has degenerated into a perpetual headache and heartburn. Parting amicably
when we can is better than parting disagreeably when we must.
Roedad Khan wrote: the guardians of our frontiers slumbered
away; the myth of Pakistans independence was shattered. Pakistan,
possessing one of the finest armies in the world, lay prostrate, leaving the
country dazed and totally demoralized. How had we fallen to this state?
What were the reasons for the lack of military response? What were the
reasons for the political and moral collapse leading to the debacle?
Who is to blame for the May 2 debacle in Abbottabad? The army?
But an army can rarely be stronger than the country it serves. How
strong was Pakistan on the eve of the ordeal it was about to undergo? People
had been watching with increasing apprehension the country go downhill, its
strength gradually sapped by dissension and divisions, by an
incomprehensible blindness in foreign, domestic and military policy, by the
ineptness of its corrupt leaders, and by a feeling of growing confusion,
hopelessness and cynicism among the people. No wonder, trust in
institutions was at historic lows.
Khan mentioned Pakistans state of permanent crisis and then added:
Pakistan will be Pakistan again as soon as we have swept away this scum,
and there will be no Pakistani who will not cry with joy when that happens.
The army has lately begun to realize that it has been led into an absurd
war, a meaningless war, a war against its own people, a war which has
cost it thousands of precious lives, a war that is not theirs and has been
imposed on them.
The Pakistan Army is suffering from sclerosis in the high command,
from a wave of pacifism in the country, and from an utter confusion in
parliament and the government. Top generals are clinging to their posts long
after superannuation. The Pakistan army, like the French army, on the eve of
World War II, is being run by Methuselahs, beholden to a corrupt president
owing everything to Washington. Meanwhile, the people of Pakistan had
been put to sleep with a pleasant dream based on a false sense of
security. Now reality has hit them.
Today Pakistan, a thinly disguised civilian dictatorship, is a paradise
for gangsters, swindlers, smugglers, tax evaders, fake degree-holders and so
1065

on and so forth all the dregs of humanity. People openly talk about the
corruption, indiscretions, follies and vulgarities of President Zardari, a
parvenu, his corruption and avarice gargantuan, his ambition overweening,
whom fate has so rashly planted in the presidency. He will stop at nothing to
keep his lock on power. It seems that in the death throes of his regime, he
will take Pakistan with him.
It is hard to exaggerate the baleful impact of Zardaris rule The
present leadership is taking Pakistan to a perilous place. Terror is the order
of the day. Pakistan is experiencing the warning tremors of a mega political
and economic earthquake This is a particularly perilous time for Pakistan
to have a president who is facing corruption charges at home and abroad and
whose moral authority is in shreds. At a time when the country is at war,
President Zardari, the Supreme Commander, spends almost his entire
existence in the confines of a bunker his macabre domicile which he
seldom leaves these days. He is more concerned about protecting himself
and his ill-gotten wealth rather than protecting the country or the people of
Pakistan.
The Pakistan army is a peoples army, in the sense that it belongs to
the people of Pakistan who take a jealous and proprietary interest in it. It is
not so much an arm of the executive branch of the government as it is an
arm of the people of Pakistan. It is the only shield we have against foreign
aggression. In the absence of authentic institutions, it is the only glue
which is keeping the federation together. Dont weaken it. All efforts by
enemies of Pakistan to alienate it from the people must be frustrated.
Individuals are expendable. Institutions are not.
By all means, reform the army and the ISI; but why only the army
and why only the ISI? Why leave out corrupt political institutions and
thoroughly corrupt holders of public office at the summit of power? One
thing is certain. For anything to change in this country, everything has
to change. What this country needs today is a mighty but bloodless
revolution.
Today the nation is clearly at a fork in the road. We can follow the
line of least resistance, turn a blind eye to all that Zardari is doing, and
continue to follow the road that has led us where we are today. Or we can
choose the other road. We dont need pitchforks and guns. If parliament is
unable or unwilling to respond to public demands, people will, perforce, take
the issue to the parliament of the streets, as they have done in the past.

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Next day, The News wrote: Just how dangerous are the waters we are
treading? The struggle to keep our heads above the surface seems to be
growing tougher by the day. We learn now that the enemy may have
infiltrated deep into the core of our institutions, weakening them from within
as termites do when they eat into the woodwork of strong structures. The
arrest in May of Brigadier Ali Khan, whose links with the banned Hizb-utTehrir (HT) are said to have been established, has been followed by a
shocking confirmation by the Inter Services Public Relations that four
unnamed serving majors have also been held for interrogation. The suspicion
is that they are linked to the same organization. The ISPR spokesman has
been rather brave in admitting that loopholes may have played a role in the
PNS Mehran incident and that other acts of terrorism need to be examined in
greater detail. Corrections can only be made when faults are admitted. The
failure to own up to shortcomings in the past has contributed to the problems
we face now. We do not know how many personnel in uniform the HT
may have recruited over the years. It may also have picked up individuals
in other places including bureaucrats, well-placed professionals, and others
in positions of some importance. The luring over to its ranks of powerful
members of society in various countries has long been the hallmark of the
group.
From Pakistans perspective, reports that the country has been a key
focus of HT activities since 1999 given its acquisition at the time of
nuclear arms are especially alarming. The implications are appalling all
the more so if there exists support for the group within the army. A report in
this newspaper speaks of a possible HT-led coup attempt and suggests that
the detained officers are being questioned along these lines. It seems we
need to take a very hard look at how extremists operate. The allegations
that Brigadier Ali Khan was held for criticizing the military during a
review of the Abbottabad raid do not sound convincing. We need an indepth inquiry into the dramatic chain of events that has unfolded, and also an
examination of why the HT, banned in 2004, has been able to continue
operations using Pakistan, it would seem, as a key base from where to
stage its struggle and spread its message.
Shafqat Mahmood was of the view that Pakistan is caught today in
a web of complex geopolitics and internal strife. Standing between it and
total collapse are a smattering of political forces and discipline within the
military. If either is undermined, it will be the end.
It is hard to find an overriding reason for the continued US and
NATO presence in Afghanistan. If the stated purpose of denying al-Qaeda
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a base is taken at face value, it stands partially achieved. The Afghan Taliban
are ready to distance themselves from it and a majority of al-Qaeda-allied
militants are no longer in the country.
The death of Osama bin Laden, while symbolic, also signifies
attrition in top ranks of the organization. Its viability as a coherent entity
with a unified command structure is seriously in doubt. Yet, the Americans
are keen to have a continuing presence in Afghanistan with up to 50,000
troops permanently stationed there.
What this implies is that the war in Afghanistan is unlikely to end
soon. While the Taliban led by Mullah Omar are ready to talk, their principle
demand of no foreign forces in the country cannot be met if the Americans
are determined to remain there. Even President Karzai, who is an American
creation, has begun to describe the US-NATO presence in the country as an
occupation force.
The Americans have loudly protested this description but essentially
do not give much importance to what Karzai says. They have enough levers
to pressurize him to sign off on a so-called strategic pact, which would allow
the US to have troops permanently in the country. Their real problem are
the Taliban, because they would not agree.
If the endgame in Afghanistan were only about bringing the war to an
honourable close for all parties it would not be so hard to achieve. The
Taliban would happily give the US safe exit and agree to accept the new
Afghan constitution. They would also accept a minor role in the central
government. What they would not agree to is permanent presence of
American forces in their country.
This explains the strong US emphasis on degrading the Talibans
fighting ability, to an extent that the remaining rump can agree to the
Americans main demand of permanent military bases. It also is the reason
why President Obama, despite intense pressure from domestic public
opinion and his own party, has only agreed to withdraw 30,000 troops by
next summer and leave nearly 70,000 still in place. The goal of bringing a
weakened Taliban to the negotiating table remains in place.
This brings Pakistan into focus. It is fervently believed in
Washington that a victory against the Afghan Taliban is not possible
unless the Pakistani military joins the battle. This is not surprising,
because many of the Afghan groups, elements of al-Qaeda and their local
allies find safe havens in the hilly terrain of the Pakistani-Afghan border.
Some are also reported to be in Balochistan.
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The US believes that if the Pakistani military is able to evict them

from this side and push them across, their forces would be able to finish
them off. While the reality may be more complex than this simple equation,
the Americans have been pressurizing Pakistan to do its part. Using a
mixture of inducements aid and military assistance and threats boots
on the ground, expansion of drone attacks, plus fiery rhetoric from its
politicians and generals the bullying is on.
It is also understood in Washington that the real resistance is not
coming from the ruling political class in Pakistan but the military and its
intelligence agencies. President Zardari and his team are considered
compliant while Gen Kayani and his commanders seen as obdurate.
The rhetoric coming from the US is thus craftily fashioned to support
democracy, which sounds moral and principled, but is actually an
endorsement of the submissive political leadership. Its other essential
objective is to demonize the stubborn military.
Recent events some deliberate, others coincidentalhave made the
US task easier It is important for the political class and the civil society
to understand this larger game. We need to have a strong debate about the
kind of military we want but within the confines of not harming it as an
institution. Abusive language and knee-jerk condemnations are not helpful.
Similarly, there has to be much thinking and discussion, about
support or otherwise, for the US objective of a permanent presence in
Afghanistan. There is little doubt that Pakistans role is critical in it, as is
recognized by the US, but it is for us to conclude whether it is in our
national interest or not.
This is what parliament, the civil society and media should be
debating because whatever decision we take has huge repercussions. If we
decide to go against the Afghan Taliban it could give a massive fillip to
domestic terrorism. If we say no to the US, we risk alienating it and its
Western allies. We are caught between very difficult options, the need is
to focus on them, rather than attack one institution or another, and in
the process undermine ourselves.
Brian Cloughley commented on deliberately spread rumours about
possibility of mutiny in Pakistan Army. So the anonymous official leakers
plant disinformation. They are purveyors of the sort of stuff we like to
believe. (Come on, lets be honest with ourselves we all love scandalous
chitter-chatter.) And the genius of such operations is that some of it just
a fraction a grain, a scrap, a peck on occasions is pleasingly,
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attractively, compellingly true. Its what sells the New York Times pages
commenting on Pakistan. And it can influence people. Thats what the
anonymous sources are told to do; and they are good at carrying out their
orders.
It appears that the main targets of government agencies
propaganda are their own and foreign citizens. So the point-people are
reporters. Heres another one of them, saying: the military has to be
understood to be a world unto itself in Pakistan. If you walk onto a military
base, if you see how people are housed, if you see the quality of living, the
quality of just basic food supplies amongst the military families, you
understand that there is a real Catch 22 situation.
I very much doubt that this man described as Sebastian Gorka, a
military affairs analyst at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracy in
Washington who advises the United States and its North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) allies, as well as the British military and the United
States Special Operations Command has walked around a battalion or
regimental lines or visited a married quarters building in Pakistan.
(The head of the Foundation for the Defence of Democracy is Mr Clifford
May, formerly of the New York Times, the Republican National Committee,
and the Republican Jewish Coalition.)
The quality of living on Pakistan Army bases and domestic areas
is pretty much the same as in every army in the world, even Mr Gorkas,
although it has to be said that some cantonments are a bit basic. There arent
any caviar jars or gold taps in the kitchens.
But Mr Gorka is believed by the people who want to believe him.
Just like those who trust the New York Times reporters who write that
General Kayani is: fighting to save his position in the face of seething anger
from top generals and junior officers since the American raid that killed
Osama bin Laden.
There is a campaign being mounted against the Pakistan Army
and government, and its proving to be quite effective in stirring up
hostility against these institutions. Who are the directors of the Crusade? Just
who is stage-managing all this? And why?
Ayaz Amir wrote: There may have been bitterness and anger in the
statement issued after the last Corps Commanders Conference but didnt it
also call upon the people of North Waziristan not to allow foreigners to
make their territory a base for operations against Pakistan? This is a
departure from the Hamid Gul and Aslam Beg schools of ideological
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thought, the jihadi theology we should finally be consigning to the

trashcan of history. Shouldnt we welcome it? And shouldnt we welcome
the fact that the army is doing this on its own instead of under American
suggestion or dictation?
The strangest thing of all is that this army command, after all the
bowing and scraping of the Musharraf years, is finally standing up to
the Americans and trying to work out new rules of engagement with them.
And yet this very command is coming under harsh criticism from the very
elements whose foremost mantra is national dignity and honour and national
sovereignty.
There is no winning this game: being attacked for subservience and
then coming under more attack for showing a rare streak of independence.
There is no suiting some tastes. If the army is going after a banned
religious outfit like the Hizb-ut-Tehrir what is there to object about it?
All of us are entitled to our religious beliefs but there should be no place in
the army for an outfit which subscribes, as the Hizb does, to a form of the
caliphate.
Soldiers are bound by their oath to uphold and defend the
Constitution of Pakistan. If they subscribe to something else, they can create
their own salvation army or erect some other temple to their beliefs but they
should leave the army alone. So it is not a little surprising to find
politicians mercifully, not too many caviling at the arrest of some
Hizb-inclined officers.
There is much to set right in the army. But then there is much to set
right in the nation. If the army, at long last, is moving in the right
direction it deserves our support, instead of becoming an object of
reflexive target-shooting...as a mark, I suppose, of some higher kind of
patriotism.
On 25th June, The News noted: Much as is the case of a concert, we
hear some distinctly inharmonious notes emanating from Washington.
Within hours of each other, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and
President Barack Obama have issued statements that appear to strike a
somewhat discordant note. Answering questions asked by US Senators,
Clinton suggested that aid to Pakistan could be slowed down and stressed
that the country would be made to stick with the specific commitments it
had made. There was no specific mention as to what these commitments
were, but it is not very hard to guess the US has been seeking action in
North Waziristan and against other key targets. President Obama, who had
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spoken with President Zardari over the telephone, discussed in an interview

with the Voice of America, the possibility of more assaults inside Pakistan,
but unlike Clinton, softened the blow by also saying that Pakistan was itself
the primary victim of terror, that the US was keen to work with it, and that
the country would not be abandoned as had happened in the past. This
reference to 1989, when the war against the former Soviets ended in
Afghanistan was also evident in a talk addressing law-makers given by
Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who said past mistakes should not be
repeated, but that the US was capable of defeating militants without
Pakistan.
We can assume that what sounds like a discordant cacophony is in
reality part of a planned strategy. Washington seems to have opted to keep
the pressure on Pakistan turned up high partially in response to Senate
demands following the Osama raid but also to leave space open for
discussion and cooperation. The question for Pakistan is how it can use this
space. We do not know precisely what promises were made in talks that
followed the Abbottabad fiasco, but Ms Cinton has made it clear that she and
her team are determined to ensure that these are honoured. The evidence of
some improvement in relations is encouraging. Pakistan needs to use this to
its advantage, and devise a game plan of its own. Islamabad, rather than
Washington, should be determining what the strategy to defeat militants
should be, involving its own people in this process and then seeking US
technical or financial help. The inaction we see from it can only add to the
frustrations in Washington an echo of which rang out as Clinton spoke
and make things more difficult in the future as stouter sticks are wielded and
patience dries up more rapidly.
Anjum Niaz wrote: The US will never tolerate a safe haven for those
who would destroy us, warned Obama in the same breath while mentioning
Pakistan in his speech. He conveyed this message to Zardari in a phone call
before he addressed the American nation. What do you think Zardari said
in response? Heres my guess: I agree with you Mr President. I will
convey your message to my army chief. Obama had known the answer all
along!
The ISI has newly okayed 67 CIA operatives to enter Pakistan. What
are these guys going to be doing? General Pasha of ISI says he knows what
their job description is and hes quite comfortable with them coming over.
What about the contractors hired by the US government that roam around
free in Pakistan? Guys like Raymond Davis. By the way, has anyone heard
about Davis fate? Didnt Senator Kerry promise us that Davis would face
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the US law on his release from Pakistan? Heres a hot tip for the snoopy US
media to follow go find out whats cookin in your backyard on Davis
instead of poking holes in the Pakistan Army and its intelligence outfits.
Lets keep our eye on the ball will Petraeus succeed in driving a wedge
between the Zardari-Kayani-Pasha partnership as CIA chief? Look out
people. Something has to crack because the newfound civil-military
comradeship is cosmetic.
Arshad Zaman opined: While new challenges have emerged, so have
new opportunities. The military must change the mindset that because
we cant fight America we must give them a free hand to occupy parts
of our territory and airspace, kill our citizens in broad daylight and walk
away free, and conduct covert operations through a network of spies,
mercenaries, and terrorists within Pakistan, to attack military facilities and
foment domestic strife.
The sky will not fall if we offer a bit more resistance against these
unlawful American activities in the country. The example of the Turks,
who successfully resisted American demands that Turkey assist in the
invasion of Iraq, merits study and emulation. The people of Pakistan do not
expect the military to invade America, but they do expect it to defend
Pakistan, not just against India but against all invaders.
On 20th June, The News commented: Events are beginning to
converge in Afghanistan that will affect us here in Pakistan. Two
announcements in the last three days, one in the United Nations (UN) in
New York and another from the office of President Karzai in Kabul, give us
a picture of what may follow in the next few months. The UN Security
Council last Friday decided to split the international sanctions regime for
the Taliban and al-Qaeda as part of the effort to ease the Taliban in the
direction of talks about reconciliation; and on Saturday, President Karzai
officially confirmed that talks are taking place between the Afghan Taliban
and the Americans and several other interested parties and brokers as well.
Taking the UN decision first, this is probably a direct outcome of the death
of Osama bin Laden on May 2.
Hitherto al-Qaeda and the Taliban have both been handled by the
same sanctions group, but it makes sense to clear the path for inclusive talks
about future governance with the Afghan Taliban. Separating the two
differentiates between the global al-Qaeda jihadist agenda and what has
always been the entirely separate agenda of the Taliban fighting in
Afghanistan. There are of course Taliban who sit in the al-Qaeda camp as
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well as the purely Afghan camp, and the split will provide them with a
choice that was hitherto unavailable in clear-cut terms.
Riding alongside the UN decision is the announcement of talks with
the Taliban by the Americans and other foreign powers. There have been
preliminary talks for perhaps as long as a year, and unconfirmed reports that
Mullah Omars emissaries may have been party to them. The synchronicity
of the two announcements is no coincidence and comes at a time when there
is considerable unease among the nations contributing to the coalition force
fighting in Afghanistan. Support for the war has long been waning in the
electorates of the nations involved. It is expensive of lives and treasure.
The upheavals in the Arab world have shifted the focus of Western states and
the complex Afghan problem is one they would much rather moved to some
form of resolution which may not be entirely comfortable for all concerned
but which at least left the Afghans holding the Afghan problem primarily for
themselves. Many Afghans fear what the outcome of talking to the Taliban
might be, and civil society groups and groups representing the interests of
women are particularly concerned given past experience with a Taliban
government. President Karzai on his recent visit here sketched a postconflict road map based on mutual cooperation. Are we entering a period
where conflict wanes and peace gains traction? Time will tell.
Next day, Rizwan Asghar noted: Last week, a very alarming
development was reported in the Guardian which has created a state of
frenzy in international media. The news that the US is holding secret talks
with the Karzai administration about the long-term presence of its troops on
Afghan soil sparked deep concern among Afghanistans neighbouring
countries and beyond. The talks in progress for more than a month are
expected to ensure the permanent presence of US troops and spies in
Afghanistan.
A number of other news reports have also confirmed that US
military generals are seeking to remain in Afghanistan for several
decades and want to secure a strategic partnership agreement with the
Karzai administration. A delegation of American negotiators is arriving in
Kabul for a new round of talks to determine the nature of US presence in
Afghanistan after 2014 which is the agreed date for all 130,000 combat
troops to leave. There are at least five bases in Afghanistan which are
considered likely candidates for housing large contingents of American
forces, intelligence operatives, surveillance equipment, and military
hardware after 2014

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This is a distressing reminder that despite President Obamas promise

to pull out all foreign troops by 2014, all senior US officials have signaled
that American troops will remain in the country much longer. Meanwhile,
NATO officials have predicted that British troops will remain in
Afghanistan far beyond 2014 and will continue taking part in combat
operations.
NATO officials have also predicted that the insurgency in
Afghanistan will continue after 2014. Now the people should understand
that the US occupation of Afghanistan is really about sordid material
interests and power. In defence of these interests, the Pentagon is inciting
an insurgency in Afghanistan and secretly giving money and weapons to
the Taliban in order to justify their presence in this region for an
indefinite period of time. Everyone knows that Osama bin Laden was among
the mujihadin recruited by the CIA to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan.
It is beyond any kind of doubt that the longer the US and NATO
forces stay in Afghanistan, the more they will destabilize the region. The
NATO senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, Mark Sedwill, has
recently spoken of the threat of a Great Game 3 in the region. Russia and
China have voiced serious concerns over any strategic partnership deal that
would prolong US presence in the region. In the heart of one of the most
unstable regions in the world and close to the borders of Pakistan, Iran, and
the Persian Gulf, the presence of US bases would surely serve no good
purpose.
The presence of any foreign troops be it NATO, US, or Soviet
troops has always inspired violence and radicalism. The war in
Afghanistan is not only directly destabilizing Pakistan but is also
seriously undermining the Pakistan armys efforts to counter extremism
within our borders. The US may also use its forces in Afghanistan to conduct
secret operations in Pakistan as recently American helicopters took off from
Afghanistan to conduct the raid in Abbottabad which allegedly killed Bin
Laden.
Concluding a strategic partnership agreement could also clash with
efforts to find a political settlement to end the conflict in Afghanistan.
President Karzai, in his efforts to remain in power with US support, is
setting off a wider conflagration that may engulf the entire region for
many decades to come. If no one steps in to seize the helm and change the
course of affairs, the US will continue killing innocent people in
Afghanistan.
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On 25th June, The News commented: In what he has called the

beginning, but not the end, of our effort to wind down this war, President
Barack Obama has announced the withdrawal of 10,000 US troops from
Afghanistan this year and another 23,000 by the end of September 2012. He
has rejected the advice of his top generals in choosing a quicker pace to end
the Afghan war and drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle on
Capitol Hill. Most experts are concerned that the recent security gains are
tenuous and reversible, and had recommended that troop numbers be kept
high until 2013, giving the Americans another full fighting season to attack
militant strongholds and their leaders. But it seems Obama has set a
withdrawal date based purely on political considerations. Having to
choose between satisfying the Pentagon that demands he leave enough boots
on the ground to finish the job, and placating Congress and the American
public who want an end to the longest war in the countrys history, Obama
has chosen the latter. For most Americans, the war makes even less sense
now that Osama bin Laden is dead. The enormous cost of deployment and
human lives has attracted criticism from Congressional leaders as well as the
public. As a president running for re-election, Obama needed to reassure the
American public that the end of the war was near. And thats what he has
done.
But outside of politics, doubts have emerged over the point of such a
withdrawal, especially given the tense and deteriorating security situation in
northern Afghanistan. Though President Karzai has welcomed Obamas
announcement, Afghan security insiders are well aware that the Afghan
National Army is a long way from being up to the security challenge. A swift
withdrawal could also sabotage the counterinsurgency plan Obama adopted
in 2009, which requires the US and allied forces to hold areas in southern
Afghanistan that have been cleared of the Taliban and to sweep the eastern
provinces that have not yet been reached by the counterinsurgency
campaign. Most importantly, troop withdrawal is likely to be accompanied
by cuts in billions of dollars of civilian aid, bringing a steep shift of control
which many fear could tip Afghanistan into further corruption and chaos. In
sum, Obamas plan appears to be driven purely by political calculus rather
than military strategy. But winning the publics approval will not end the
war, or the chaos left in the wake of US soldiers marching home.
On 21st June, Dr Maleeha Lodhi commented in advance foreign
secretary level talks between India and Pakistan. Without addressing the
causes and not just the symptoms of long running tensions between
Pakistan and India, no durable rapprochement is really possible. This is the
1076

lesson of history and the dictum of common sense. The appearance of

normalization does not obviate the need to address disputes without which
durable peace will remain an aspiration rather than a reality.
This does not mean that process is not useful in establishing a stable
environment for meaningful engagement. That is a necessary first step. But
any confidence building endeavour has to transition and lead to conflict
resolution. It is progress on the thorny issues that will give a substantive
boost to the peace process and make it sustainable.
This urges the need for a two-track approach to manage and improve
bilateral relations. If one track aims at defusing or managing tensions and
building confidence by deepening the process of engagement, the other track
must concern itself with problem solving. The latter requires leaders on
both sides to invest more political capital than they have done and show
a readiness to accommodate the others core concerns.
The process of managing a difficult relationship should also identify
enduring and emerging threats that can de-rail relations or even plunge
the region into crisis. The key threats include: a) Terrorism b) Indias
destabilizing arms build up and provocative military doctrines and c) the
fraught situation in Indian-held Kashmir where a general strike last week
shut down the Valley in memory of those killed in three stormy summers of
anti-India protests.
In the foreign secretaries talks later this week, a slew of Kashmirrelated CBMs including on cross-Line of Control trade and travel agreed
earlier but never announced or implemented are likely to be re-affirmed
Ultimately the success or failure of the resumed bilateral endeavours for
peace will be determined by the mutual willingness to address the real
issues that divide the two countries, rather than a diplomatic dance around
them.
Next day, Tanvir Ahmad Khan wrote: India and Pakistan have not
made any significant progress towards resolving the Siachin and Sir Creek
issues despite a widely shared view that it was possible to do so.
Unfortunately, there is a growing feeling in Pakistan that New Delhi watches
Pakistans current crises with glee and that this schadenfreude is emerging as
a new barrier in the resumed dialogue. Meanwhile new contentions get
added to the already heavy agenda. For the anxious Pakistanis, water is
doubtless the next intractable problem as India creates new facts on the
ground. Not as readily recognized by the man in the street is the cluster of

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contests piling up because of the pursuit of antagonistic objectives in

Afghanistan.
Khan went on to discus the importance of Indo-Pak ties for regional
stability and then concluded: What is needed most from a South Asian
angle is exactly what is most difficult to achieve: it is Pakistan and India
narrowing the gap in their approach to Afghanistans future. Kissinger
attaches high importance to a regional conference assisting the United States
in finding a viable solution. This or any other format would demand a much
better understanding between Islamabad and New Delhi. For obvious
reasons, Afghanistan would not be on the formal Indo-Pakistan agenda on
June 23-24. But it would not take much ingenuity for Salman Bashir and
Nirupama Rao to have a preliminary informal conversation about ending a
zero sum game in Afghanistan. Even if they go over the perceived facts and
likely scenarios without looking at each other and without ever
acknowledging that they had discussed Afghanistan, a taboo would have
been cast aside opening the door for a less contentious approach to a critical
regional issue in future.

REVIEW
It was briefly mentioned and commented upon in one of the previous
reviews that General Kayani had addressed officers in some garrisons to win
back their hearts and minds. This was necessitated by the US raid on Osama
Compound in Abbottabad which perturbed Armys rank and file. He
abandoned the venture after he was confronted with embarrassing questions
by young officers, including suggestion that he should resign.
Such interactions are essential for two-way communication. These
allow venting of the feelings; provide outlets to release pressure building
from within. It is for this reason that generals normally take questions in a
stride and ignore their embarrassing aspect, especially when these come
from youngsters.
At times these ventilators turn into exhausts and thrusts of heat so
discharged become unbearable, especially when some senior officers ask
blunt questions. Generally, senior officers tend to avoid embarrassing
generals knowing well the repercussions, but it reportedly happened in
Rawalpindi on 5th May, soon after General Kayani addressed the officers.
Brig Ali Khan, who was serving in Regulation Directorate, GHQ for
the last two years, decided to break the barrier of discipline. The US raid
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on May 2 had weighed too heavy for a soldier; son of a soldier and father of
a soldier; who had rendered thirty-two years of meritorious service and was
due for retirement on July 9, 2011.
He questioned subservience to the US in return of dollars and
suggested that Pakistan could get rid of its mercenary role if military officers
surrender their plots and other assets to national exchequer. His piercing
questions resulted in dawning upon the COAS that he was linked to Hizbut
Tehrir. He was arrested the same day from his office.
Forty-six days later and that too after BBC had broken the news DG
ISPR declared Brig Ali Khan was being interrogated for links with a banned
outfit and hurried to pass judgment that such persons bring bad name to the
Army. Soldiers turned military analysts, like Lt Gen Talat Masood, Brig
Mahmood and Brig Imtiaz, who were taken on line by various channels for
comments, agreed with DG ISPR even without knowing the details that were
still pouring in and urged weeding out of black sheep.
SIB was still busy in implicating Ali with terrorists, but ISPR
provided the proof to the Western media that rank and file and even
command echelons of Pakistani military had been penetrated by banned
militant outfits. Such security forces, obviously, cannot be trusted for
preventing the nuclear weapons falling into the hands on terrorists.
Hizb-ut-Tehrir, however, is not a terrorist organization. It was banned
by the government only after US had done that though many European
counties have not done that. This Islamic outfit is more active in Central
Asia and Europe and preaches practice of Islam and also works for
establishment of Khilafat in Islamic World.
General Kayani, driven by his anger over a subordinate asking a
question that he perceived amounted to insolence, played into the hands of
the West. He by blaming Brigadier Ali Khan for his link with a banned outfit
has provided a pretext to them for propagating that Pakistans nuclear assets
were insecure in custody of Pakistan Army.
He has, inadvertently, split the Army into Islamists and secularists.
Chaudhry Nisar rightly warned against the dangers of causing this unwise
divide. As Army Chief he should have known it better that Islamists clearly
outnumber the secularists in rank and file under his command.
He should have also known that most of them have sympathies for
one religious organization or the other. These links are sheer out of their
conviction; unlike the links many have with the CIA. Reportedly, thirty of
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them have been detained for working as informers or agents of CIA for the
sake of dollars. He should have also remembered that he and DG ISI too
have links with CIA; the Agency which is now working on triggering a
mutiny in Pakistan Army.
Interestingly, the detainees are being grilled for informing the CIA
about the presence of Osama in Abbottabad; instead of informing ISI and
Army. It has not occurred to the authorities that dollars can work wonders
when it comes to Pakistan. Reportedly, they have counter-questioned the
interrogators to prove that Osama was present in that compound.
The so-called liberal and secular forces must stop pushing their
agenda too far and should tolerate the existence of a vast majority that clings
on to their faith; interpretations of the religious teachings notwithstanding.
They must desist creating hype over recovery of literature of this or that
Islamic outfit and then persecuting the people with religious inclinations.
The people must not leave it to liberal and secular forces and their
media outlets and must show their intent to protect their beliefs; here and
now, failing which time will come when keeping a copy Quraan in ones
house with commentary by religious scholars of the past would amount to
indulging in militancy.
They must guard against liberal and secular forces which own this war
as our war. It is our war for ANP and MQM which consider religious
political parties and groups as their political adversaries in KPK and Karachi
respectively. Both the liberal secular parties approve of battering of their
political opponents at the hands of security forces.
It is our war for the PPP, because its leaders claim it to be Hussaini
war. Faisal Raza Abidi has given it Shiite touch several times. In addition to
guarding against our war turning sectarian war, Pakistanis must also not
forget that the Americans intend staying in the region till de-militarization
and de-nuclearization of Pakistan.
26th June, 2011

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BLACKSMITH NAWAZ
The war on terror related events since May 2 caused the kind of
humiliation to the military establishment which Zardari-led PPP had been
longing for since it came to the power. These events worked as scabbards for
the bayonets about which Zardari had been having nightmares despite being
the supreme commander of the armed forces.
The outsourcing of responsibility of fighting war on terror to military
leadership bore the intended result. The military, beaten and battered by
militants, Americans and critics alike, was now hiding behind Zardari for
political support. Resultantly, he seemed to be standing at the summit of
political power and enjoying every bit of it.
This worked as tonic for arrogance of the man. Zardari went to
Naudero and addressed Nawaz Sharif disdainfully from his power base. He
said, Oblacksmith who the Hell are you to criticize my generals. He,
however, advised Nawaz to get some lessons in politics and offered him free
tutoring.
Within few days of his midnight speech at Naudero Zardari-led PPP
won majority in AJK polls. This victory, though marred by the allegations of
rigging and malpractices of all kinds, yet resulted in enhancing the arrogance
of the Scoundrel. He claimed the results proved that popularity of the PPP
has increased.

NEWS
On 13th June, top military brass assembled in Presidency and in a
meeting chaired jointly by Zardari and Gilani the sought refuge against
criticism to which they have been subjected. DG FIA, against whom
contempt case was pending, was transferred; no new DG was posted. Petrol
shortage problem in Punjab was aggravated by gas load-shedding. Thirteen
people were killed in Karachi.
Next day, Chief Justice asked ECP to clarify the status of post-18th
Amendment bye-elections. Chief Justice of LHC took suo moto notice of
extra-judicial killing by police and sought report on all encounters since
2010. Abusive language was used in Punjab Assembly on second
consecutive day. Q-Likeminded joined hands with PML-N and exservicemen met Nawaz Sharif.

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Young doctors were baton charged in Quetta. Fifteen people were

killed in Karachi; MQM walked out of National Assembly to protest killing
of its activist. ANP and MQM delegations met in Governor House after
spending the day in accusing each other for targeted killings.
On 15th June, PPP MPs protested in Punjab Assembly the statement of
Rana Sana in which he had quoted lawyers saying that Babar Awan was a
black sheep in their ranks and they considered him fit for slaughtering. The
house was turned into fish market but at the end of the day Speaker arranged
reconciliation between Raja Riaz and Rana Sana. Senate passed a resolution
condemning Rana Sana and demanded his removal as minister. Governor
wrote a letter to CM for action against Rana Sana.
The debate on budget ended with Saad Rafique saying that the nation
has become victim of the dictators in suits. PAC asked for report on petrol
shortage in two days. OGRA issued show-cause notice to companies for oil
shortage. PPP and PML-Q agreed to extend alliance to AJK polls. Former
chairman was reported to be running NICL affairs from jail. One person was
killed when angry students stoned Press Club in Multan. Death toll in
Karachi in three-day killing reached 38; out of which 24 were killed in
Orangi alone.
Next day, the Supreme Court issued contempt notices to Interior
secretary, Establishment Division secretary and principal secretary to PM for
transferring Zafar Qureshi an FIA officer who was probing the NICL scam.
The court has asked them to file their replies by June 23.
Nawaz kicked of election campaign for AJK polls. He addressed a
public gathering in Kotli in which he blamed generals for foiling plan to
resolve Kashmir issue. Babar Awan mulled moving the Supreme Court
against Rana Sana; Sana asked Babar to mend his ways.
Fazalur Rehman band Zardari agreed to evolve joint strategy on
important political issues. Five people were killed in Karachi and the
government gave orders to Rangers and police to check violence in the city.
Rehman Malik claimed that situation in the city was under control.
On 17th June, Finance Minister while winding up the debate on annual
budget urged parliamentarians and businessmen to pay taxes honestly; 16
PPP parliamentarians boycotted speech over agriculture tax. Fazl met Nawaz
and invited him to APC on Kashmir, who agreed. KPT leased land worth
Rs25 billion for Rs540 million to two housing societies. PTI appealed to
Chief Justice to take suo moto notice of MPAs housing scheme. People
protesting against power load shedding clashed with police in Rawalpindi.
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On 19th June, Shehbaz complained of discrimination in power, gas and

petrol supply to Punjab, he was not only too late in raising his voice but also
forgot to mention water along with power, gas and petrol. Another NICLlike scam was in the making in which assets worth Rs100 billion of
Telecommunication Foundation were being plundered. Fourteen people were
killed in Karachi as Rehman Malik and Qaim Ali reviewed law and order
situation.
Next day, Nawaz addressed an election rally in Bhimber and he
accused Zardari of promoting politics of plunder in Pakistan. Babar Awan
accused Nawaz of talking in Bal Thakerays language and Haider Abbas
Rizvi flayed Nawaz for anti-MQM remarks. Babar Awan sought Supreme
Court probe into Rana Sanas threat; he claimed Punjab executive has
contacted outlaws to kill him. Eleven people were killed in Karachi.
On 21st June, the Supreme Court gave one month to government to
appoint NAB chief and save the institution. The court warned that if
chairman wasnt appointed the Bureau will become non-functional. In
missing persons case the court asked as to why were Pakistani citizens were
handed over to other countries, of course, without getting any convincing
reply. LHC declared Haj Policy 2011 unconstitutional in its detailed
judgment.
Nawaz blamed the government and agencies for ruining Pakistan and
said former was continuing with record corruption. He said it during his
address to an election rally in Dhirkot, AJK. He also reiterated his demand
for accountability and resolved to arrest Musharraf one day.
Zardari went to Naudero to mark 58th Birthday of Benazir from
where he has been delivering political speeches since coming I into power.
He asked: who is Maulvi Nawaz to hate generals and love soldiers. He saw
no difference in thinking of Nawaz and Mulla Omar and declared that
Maulvi Nawazs mindset was being defeated. He advised Nawaz to learn
from him, meet him in private or accept him as his teacher.
Gilani was more concerned about Punjab than anyone else. Rehman
Malik threatened to retaliate if Opposition continued attacking PPP. He said
he knew how to frame charges and pursue those. Asma Jahangir asked the
government to challenge Armys grip on power. Umar Cheema reported that
save-Moonis operation was intensified by posting favourite police officers in
the FIA. Imran Khan and Senators accused PPP of misusing BISP. Pakistan
was ranked 12th in failed states index. Seven people were killed in Karachi.

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Next day, Nawaz addressing an election rally in Planderi said the

hands should be broken of those who break law and the constitution. He said
militancy was increasing because of the one man show and accused Zardari
of plunging the country into darkness. Shahbaz said Zardaris politics and
conspiracies would be buried in Naudero.
Nisar congratulated Army for having new spokesman in Zardari, but
warned against dangers in dividing militarys rank and file on the lines of
religion and secularism. He added that having friend like Zardari Army
doesnt need any enemy. He slammed Zardari for making mockery of
Islamic values and saw his fate no different from Musharraf.
President did not issue notification to remove six PCO judges as
ordered by the Supreme Court and instead sent a reference to Supreme
Judicial Council under Article 209 to establish whether these judges are, or
not, guilty of misconduct after taking oath under PCO. The Supreme Court
reprimanded FIA for not booking National Bank officials and summoned 16
directors who were given performance awards. Investigation officer of FIA
denied involvement of Moonis Elahi in NICL scam.
Banking court acquitted ARYs Haji Abdul Razzaq and banker
Hussain Lavai. Marvi Memon resigned from party and parliaments
membership for failing to come up to the expectations of his voters in
stopping her party from joining the government. Two ANP activists were
among eight killed in Karachi.
On 23rd June, during hearing of NICL case the Chief Justice vowed
not to allow loot and plunder of public money and assets. He warned that if
the government wanted top officials to be tried the apex court would oblige.
He expressed anger over not reversing investigation officer and gave one
week to secretaries to reply to contempt notices.
PML-N and PPP remained busy in election campaign in AJK. Nawaz
accused rulers of converting Islamabad into corruption market and Gilani
termed Kashmir as Pakistans jugular vein. Shahbaz told Zardari that the
nation was aware of latters cunningness.
Next day, Chief Justice said corruption in lower courts was eroding
faith of litigants. He asked high courts to directly supervise lower judiciary.
Opposition in the Senate said the government has lost credibility. Lahorites
protested prolonged power outages. LPG price went up by Rs5 per kg.
On 25th June, in defiance of the apex court orders on contract
employments, the Sindh government appointed Wasim Ahmed as additional
1084

chief secretary of the province. MQM boycotted AJK polls after polling in
two constituencies of Karachi and one in KPK was postponed. The part also
complained of pressure to withdraw its candidates for these seats. PTI
launched Remove Government, Save Pakistan campaign in Multan. Five
people were killed in Karachi.
Next day, AJK polls were held amid tense atmosphere created by the
two main rivals; PPP and PML-N. Scuffles were reported from Lahore,
Rawalpindi, Muzaffarabad and other places; two persons were killed and
several wounded. The polling in one constituency of Lahore was postponed.
PPP managed to win 21 seats in 41-seat house and end ten-year rule of
Muslim Conference. Polls were held for 38 seats. PML-N won eight,
Muslim Conference four and independents two. All participant parties
complained of rigging.
Altaf Hussain bitterly criticized the government over postponement of
polls in two AJK constituencies of Karachi due to which MQM had decided
to boycott the entire polls. He accused PPP for pressing his party to give up
one seat of Karachi and on refusal the polls were postponed. He blamed
Zardari regime for stabbing its sincere ally in the back and urged Chief
Justice to declare the polls as null and void.
Senator Zahid Khan of ANP termed Benazir Income Support
Programme as the biggest hub of corruption. Akbar Bugtis grandson was
among five killed in a shoot-out in a house in Defence area of Karachi; nine
more were wounded.
On 27th June, MQM filed a petition in Sindh High Court seeking
deferment of AJK polls. Later in the day, the party announced to quit the
government at all levels; even Governor Sindh sent his resignation to
President. Khurshid Shah welcomed MQMs decision to sit on opposition
benches as his party approached Muslim Conference and independents for
formation of government in AJK. Shujaat talked to Altaf for reconciliation.
Ansar Abbasi reported that after AJK Zardari was working for similar win in
Pakistan using diversions, twists and media management as key tactics. He
hoped for securing second term while considering Nawaz Sharif politically
nave.
Babar Awan told the Supreme Court hearing ZAB reference that there
was no restriction on the bench to revisit the case. He claimed that the then
Chief Justice heading the bench was biased against Bhutto and said under
law no co-accused could be hanged to death; Chief Justice said co-accused
gets punishment at par with the accused under law.
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Next day, thirteen provincial and three federal ministers of MQM

resigned. Meanwhile, Sindh High Court asked MQM to move AJK High
Court first. Shujaat telephoned Altaf but the latter regretted to stage usual
come back. Altaf contacted Fazlur Rehman and both agreed to work
together. PML-N cautiously welcomed MQM on opposition benches. Nawaz
announced that fair polls would be impossible under Zardari.
Cabinet approved devolution of seven ministries to provinces, but
federal ministers will stay. Babar Awan concluded arguments in ZAB
reference case. He told that Maulvi Mushtaq felt threatened by Bhutto. Chief
Justice remarked only trial court can revisit case on the basis of new
evidence.
Three more witnesses denied recording statements against Moonis
Elahi; PML-Qs decision to join government was bearing the desired results.
LPG price increased by Rs5 per kg for the third time in two weeks. NA
committee was informed that electricity crisis wont be solved until 2014.
Balochistans MPA Yar Mohammad Rind and his son were sentenced for life
in kidnapping for ransom case. Nine people were wounded in grenade attack
in Karachi.
On 29th June, the bench hearing ZAB reference asked Attorney
General not to repeat what Babar has said; he requested time for preparation
which was granted. Chief Justice vowed not to decide the issue haphazardly.
Chief Justice urged the government and public to help judiciary in war
against corruption. Transparency International Pakistan was stopped from
producing 2011 Corruption Index.
Government planned to increase gas tariff by 15 percent and 100
percent for fertilizer units. Protest rally was held in Mirpur against rigging in
AJK polls; a day earlier similar protests were held in Nakial. ANP demanded
division of Karachi into six districts; PPP has already planned similar
division.
Next day, ECC approved three-day a week load-shedding at CNG
stations in Punjab and two days in Sindh. Gas price raise was deferred.
PML-N held a meeting and rejected results of AJK polls due to rigging.
Rehman Malik apologized for whatever he might have said that annoyed
Altaf Bhai. Gilani said MQM was still a friend. Imran Khan said mid-term
polls were inevitable. Nine people were killed in gang-war in Karachi.
On 1st July, the Supreme Court rejected presidential reference
regarding PCO judges and asked President to relieve them immediately. The
bench hearing NICL case suspended transfer order of ADG, FIA and Zafar
1086

Qureshi was back in his seat. The apex court rejected plea to suspend LHC
decision on Haj quota.
PAC gave ruling for disciplinary action against three retired generals
for their involvement in NLC scam. Presidency denied receiving resignation
of Ishrat Ibad. Rehman Malik went to Saudi Arabia to seek help for saving
its alliance with MQM. Qaim Ali said dialogue with MQM was on. Ten
people were killed in Karachi.
Next day, Establishment Division canceled the transfer order of Zafar
Qureshi, the investigating officer of NICL case, in compliance with the
orders of the Supreme Court, but transferred all the subordinate officers
assisting him to far flung area. Zafar wrote to DG FIA that these transfer
orders amounted to interfering in the investigations and he was told that
these were routine transfers.
Nawaz at last realized the need to have alliance; he welcomed MQM
on Opposition benches. Differences were reported between government and
military over nomination of AJK prime minister. Gas price summary sent to
Prime Minister for approval; 15 percent increase in domestic, 18.43 percent
in industrial, 69.05 percent in CNG stations and 96.06 percent in fertilizer
units was proposed. Six people were killed in Karachi.
On 3rd July, Shahbaz invited opposition parties for alliance saying
unity is the only way to get rid of corrupt government. JUI-F urged PMLN to change mind on midterm polls. Gilani said time for snap polls have
passed and suggested to opposition to prepare for Local Bodies polls. Five
people were killed in Karachi; Zulfikar Mirza warned the terrorist of his
return with danda.

VIEWS
On 14th June, Shaheen Sehbai commented: The Pakistan Army corps
commanders have pushed the hapless and helpless Pakistani nation
between a rock and a deep ditch. The rock is the Army itself, armed with
guns and a lot of arrogance. The ditch is the corrupt sea of vision-less
politicians who cannot see beyond their stolen billions and rightly or
wrongly have acquired power and perks they will not let go of.
In an almost defeatist and vengeful tone the 1,032-word political
statement coming out of their meeting tells the people that from now on
Pakistanis will be at the mercy of the politicians, who the commanders, in
their heart of their hearts believe are corrupt and incapable of handling these
1087

life and death matters of state. So they want to wash their hands off
matters and let the people and their leaders drown fighting each other.
They will watch from the sidelines and when a collapse becomes inevitable
they will step in and take over, blaming everybody else.
This is almost a political strategy to bring down the system, instead
of supporting the system, as the commanders have pledged in their
statement. It is like pulling out all the fire engines from a burning house
and telling the inmates to fight the fire with their hands and empty
buckets
The Army leadership has taken a highly defensive position after the
repeated debacles, which were not engineered by the politicians but were
self-inflicted because of either incompetence or sheer carelessness. The
politicians have taken extra sadistic pleasure at the pathetic plight of the
security establishment and have rubbed more dirt into its face. It is this
attitude, which has forced the Army leadership to talk back, and lecture
everybody on how to handle the disasters caused by lapses on their part.
But lapses can be forgiven and prevented with better security
management. What cannot be forgiven is the failure of the Army to clean
up the mess it has left in the political arena and by refusing to stand by
national institutions, which if strengthened could have provided some hope
and direction to the country and generated confidence in the systems, both
democratic, judicial and civil.
For instance the present Army leadership was part and parcel, in
fact the spearhead of the dubious political arrangements which were
forged by the falling dictator Pervez Musharraf to protect his power. These
were arrangements, like the NRO, which were extremely toxic for the
country, but were pushed with vigour and enthusiasm. Until Musharraf was
around, there may have been a justification, or a de facto compulsion, to
continue.
But once he was gone, the Army leadership failed to undo those
dirty deals although privately all the top generals would express extreme
repulsion at the leadership which grabbed power and deliberately tried to
demolish all crucial institutions, including the parliament, the judiciary, the
media and the bureaucracy. Was it incompetence or complicity?
An even greater incompetence or complicity was not to back the
judiciary against blackmailing by politicians who continued to destroy the
economy, implode state-owned enterprises with crunching cronyism, looting
billions and whenever challenged by the judges or the media, hurled this
1088

card or that card and pushed the complicit Army to back off. They did, ever
so willingly. These politicians also easily coerced the executive and almost
rendered political parties impotent by keeping critical powers with unelected
and/or incompetent party heads. No one raised a finger.
Knowing that the politicians were corrupt and had no intention of
correcting their course, the Pakistan Army, as the guardian of internal
security, had to provide firm and unflinching support to corrective
mechanisms within the system, if they really wanted democracy to take
hold and get going in the right direction. They never bothered.
Instead, they allowed corruption by not only looking the other
way but strengthened the impression that they were partners in crimes
by getting extensions in their tenures and condoning every atrocity that was
unleashed by the power-drunk politicians in the name of democracy. What
was so undemocratic about creating independent accountability forums or
properly investigating white-collar crimes? No one interfered because that
would have been politically incorrect.
While this lack of support to institutions and the democratic system
strengthened the undeserving and visionless political mafias, security lapses
and blunders suddenly brought the Army, navy and the air force under
tremendous pressure, thus taking away from them whatever will and
potential there was to stop the rapid implosion of the system.
The politicians, who always felt threatened by the Army, got
repeated God-given opportunities in shape of Abbottabad, PNS Mehran,
Kharotabad, Saleem Shahzad and Clifton episodes to blast the khakis,
bringing them almost to their knees, almost to this point when they are
publicly pleading their case in long and unnecessary explanations in their
defence.
It is a known fact, and the politicians, the civil society, the judiciary,
the media and even the Army, admit that repeated martial laws and
dictatorships have brought Pakistan to this sorry state. It was then the
duty of all of these institutions to help in picking up the pieces and rebuild.
If one or more of these institutions resisted this process of improvement,
others should have forced them in the larger national interest.
Sadly only the judiciary, parts of the media and portions of civil
society joined hands while the major players, led by corrupt politicians
continued to resist. They were helped by some apologists who laughed and
applauded the fraudulent politics and trickery that was perpetuated on the

1089

nation, as if playing tricks and succeeding was a great national service. The
Army unfortunately took the side of these corrupt tricksters.
Now when the chips are down and there is tremendous pressure
from within the ranks of the Army on its leadership to change course, there
is little goodwill left to forgive and forget. The trick brigade is laughing its
heart out.
The demand of the corps commanders that the nation should stand by
it at this critical time is basically reasonable and should be supported but
when the commanders accuse people and parties of perceptual biases they
are ignoring some bitter realities and condoning their own share in
making and perpetuating these perceptions.
What has the Army done after all to undo the wrongs done by
General Musharraf against all the political parties and leaders? Was the NRO
a deal to undo the wrongs done to PPP or was it a deal by Musharraf to save
his own skin by joining the loot brigade? What did General Kayani do to
remove fears and concerns of Mian Nawaz Sharif so that he could play
his due political role without fear of another military takeover?
The Zardari-led PPP was so tainted and corrupt that it had no legs to
stand or assert its will on the Army after it was surreptitiously allowed back
into the corridors of powers. That was easily done by the Army leaders but
have they accepted the civilian supremacy in reality or is it not just a
smokescreen that Army wants to support the system?
Was it not the Army responsibility to clean the dirty mess it had left
over the years and when the courageous judiciary took up this cause why did
the GHQ drag its feet and not assure the unarmed judges that their moral and
legal authority would be upheld by those who have the powers to implement
their orders. Why did they allow shameless and mindless politicians to
defy the law, mock justice and act like mafias, prolonging the agony of
the nation? It was the extreme of the insult of apex court as dozens of its
decisions were not implemented by the government.
These and many such questions remain unanswered despite the
1,032-word communique of the corps commanders. Their stance on the
Pak-US policy is also a big question mark and reflects a growing schism
within their ranks as it is now towing the populist line while for the last
many years they have been doing what Washington has been asking. Now
when the public mood is changing they have shifted the burden on the
civilians to devise a policy, issue orders and they will do whatever they are

1090

told. It is almost certain, these orders will not be implemented and if so

done, blame of any failures will be easy to pin on civilians.
Still not all has been lost. The security lapses are a professional
hazard which every army, intelligence agency and institution has to face and
can be forgiven. To gain the trust and the confidence of the people and the
nation, the Army has to play its role in building up of critically
important institutions like the judiciary, the media, civil society, the
parliament and the bureaucracy. It has to be either with the corrupt or against
them. If mafias and gangs take over everything, in the name of democracy,
what needs to be done?
The answer is strong institutional checks. Anyone who attacks or
tries to undermine these institutions should be condemned and declared an
outcast, through the existing legal and political systems. If political
blackmail in the name of the Sindh or Punjab card is attempted, it
should be crushed by all legal and constitutional means. And the army
should stand behind these decisions, with force, without being apologetic.
Only then it will get back respect of the nation.
In one of my meetings with a top general sometime back, I asked
about the Sindh Card and what it meant to the Army. The answer was a
dismissive sweep of the hand accompanied with the words: What Sindh
Card? If we act not a soul will move carrying the Sindh Card. We know
how big this bluff is.
But ultimately the general sahib and his team surrendered to the
bluff became the butt of jokes and are now offering apologies seeking
our support. Support they will get but where should the 180 million people
caught between the bluff and the bluffers go?
Next day, Zainul Abedin opined: What is happening is not an
aberration. A state that has ideologized violence of various kinds in the name
of values and beliefs, constitutionalized theocratic superstitions,
intellectualized unreason through education and propaganda, brought up
sectarian and ethnic vultures that thrive on hatred and feed on the flesh of
the other a state that for decades has rented itself out to the highest
bidders to fight their wars and clean their filth, a government that comprises
thieves, swindlers, fakers and murderers; a political culture where the stature
of a politician depends on how may large swathes of population he holds
hostage, how many people he can get killed in a day and how many
institutions here and abroad he can do business with this has been our
sorry lot which would be the undoing of any people.
1091

But couple it with the states colossal failure to ensure, both in

economic and social terms, a human level of existence for the majority of
its subjects, and you get some idea of the nature of the beast. Imagine this
beast fully aroused at a time when the state has to rent itself out, yet again, in
a war whose weight is proving to be too much for it to bear but whose
weight it must obey, and you have a situation which would put to shame
Hamlets lament on his times.
The toll on our institutions is terrifying, with things falling apart with
a rapidity that frightens them, demolishes the myth of their invincibility and
exposes their utter irrelevance to any idea of a possibility of a new
Pakistan arising out of the ashes of the old that is on fire. The spirit of
Cain has come to possess them in the same measure as that of their failure to
gain real legitimacy which cannot be the work of force alone.
Long-time renegades from their basic responsibility that of making
little things of life possible for those they rule and theoretically protect
they will now seek refuge in unbridled force wherever they can, against
those who run afoul by raising questions of legitimacy. And when
institutions crumble, in the darkness that falls the little Cains they
harbour within them will kill not only at their masters bidding but also
for money, mirth and revenge. It shouldnt be very difficult in a land
vanquished by Cain.
Mir Adnan Aziz observed: Politics, as a rule, has some fundamental
principles. These are honesty, dedication, and a demonstrated will to serve
the people. Our politics lacks this basic set of rules. It is an embodiment
of mere rituals and rhetoric. Evolving from a one-off habit to a total
abdication of principles and responsibility, it has become a farcical display
of hypocrisy and deceit. An allegory for the political mindset and our
national apathy, this culture has become a transparent charade with neither
the politicians nor the people believing in it.
Today in Jinnahs Pakistan we have a ritual and rhetoric charade
created to obscure the darker realities of our collective lives. The beastly
Sialkot, Kharotabad and Karachi killings epitomize our alarming
regression as a society. It is also the trickle-down effect of a virtually
unaccountable Executive. Created by the blood of millions, we share a
common identity. Ironically, loyalty to such an identity is neither intrinsic
nor unbreakable. It has to be earned by the legitimacy of ruling institutions;
more important, by the part the nation plays to ensure the same.

1092

Greed and covetousness was once the hallmark of a few; today it

has replaced political ideology. Tragically, the country is at the mercy of
these politicians. An even greater travesty is that they are interlocked in an
insatiable lust of wealth and power. The business of governing has become a
business for personal gains. The scam is brazen, the utter impunity
frighteningly stark. Meanwhile, all we, the nation, do is ponder the
Shakespearean quote, Is it not strange that desire should so many years
outlive performance? The greatest tragedy of this sham democracy might
yet be the silent submission of the masses, ensuring that desire outlives
performance.
On 16th June, M Zeb Khan observed: Now that the country faces
complex and formidable challenges, the leaders have to find reasons for
the institutional decay and take bold steps to build them on modern
lines. In this regard, a national commission, with people of competence and
integrity, be constituted to reinvent the entire government. The commission
must be fully empowered with a strong backing from all political parties.
Once in place, the commission should examine in detail the dynamics of
local conditions and try to find out indigenous solutions. For example, if the
word haram is instituted in place of embezzlement and
misappropriation, it would help prevent many people from indulging in
corrupt practices due to its psychological impact. There are many such
ostensibly minor but impressive cultural and structural innovations that can
make public sector institutions strong and vibrant.
Next day, Dr Muzaffar Iqbal observed: Pakistan has a strange
history of strongly directed, self-centred, military rule followed by a
democratic drift into an abyss; it is, once again, in the midst of a drift, like
a ship without a captain. If logic dictates historical necessity, then the next
military coup should not be too far.
This is not a forecast, just a possible outcome of the current so-called
democratic experiment, which is perhaps the greatest watershed in the
political history of this unfortunate nation where genuine leadership has
been as rare as the legendary Huma bird. One does not need to turn to
fortune tellers to see where the country is going; the drift itself is so
obviously toward a certain chaos which will leave nothing intact in an
already fragmented polity.
One can understand how the ruling party has led the country into this
state, but it is hard to understand the impotency of the official as well as
unofficial opposition. In more concrete terms, all that the country has is
1093

empty bombast, being issued from the frothy mouths of the entire spectrum
of those who constitute opposition.
The froth intensifies with each US drone attack; each extra-judicial
murder adds to the empty chatter of those who are outside the government.
Recall Imran Khans sit-in stint over a month ago: he gave one whole month
to the government and vowed to march onto Islamabad if drone attacks did
not stop. Then he disappeared from the scene. Look at the statements being
issued by the Jamaat-e-Islami leadership: it is always the next drone attack
after which they will do something.
And if anyone had any hope in the official opposition, then it is
sufficient to see what happened to Nawaz Sharifs three-day ultimatum for
the constitution of a commission to probe the Abbottabad event. In fact, one
must be living in a fools paradise if one is unable to see that Nawaz
Sharif is a broken man, a lion without teeth. Yet, all of these are merely
etceteras in the long march of history; Pakistans real dilemma is graver than
the failure of individuals; it is its chocking political environment which has
not allowed any real political development over the last 64 years.
Pakistan never had a chance for the independent growth of a
political culture based on talent, commitment, and vision. Part of the
problem is the psyche of its people: Pakistanis have always been looking for
a messiah, a hero who would come and take them out of their abysmal state.
Since the expectation has been there, false hero-cum-messiahs have come
and gone, without solving anything. In fact, every such messiah has left
behind a bigger mess.
Since there has never been any growth of a genuine political culture,
people have always voted for a Bhutto or a Sharif and having done their
part, have waited for the messiah to deliver. Since there is no concept of a
genuine political process that allows individuals to come forward, grow,
learn, and eventually provide leadership, the half-literates who come forward
as candidates during elections all remain hostage to a dozen or so tiring faces
who hurl the generality of their rank and file like cattle. No one has a voice
except their masters voice and no one represents anyone but their own
bosses and their interests.
This state of political underdevelopment could have been rationalized
20 years ago, but now that there is a sizeable young and educated
population, it is hard to rationalize and understand Pakistans political
vacuum except by recourse to an overwhelming hopelessness that is spread
all over the country. This death of hope is not circumstantial; it is
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embedded in history and it projects onto a future which is turning

increasingly bleak by the day.
The state has nothing left; neither sovereignty nor institutions
which can be relied upon: the judiciary is only able to pass verdicts which
may be good for the books but which have no practical utility; the executive
is utterly rudderless; passive and subordinate to the dictates of its American
masters; the official opposition is impotent and the unofficial opposition is
without the necessary public support which can translate its foam into
substance.
In such a situation, people like Imran Khan, who used to evoke hope,
have themselves become so hopeless in their empty rhetoric that it is better
for them to leave the political arena and do something more respectable.
That something more respectable and meaningful is now the only hope left
for Pakistan and it is none other than what Mawlana Mawdudi abandoned in
1955: to train a new generation of Pakistanis through a well-thought of
generational plan in the art of governance. This is still possible in
Pakistan and this is the only hope for this country which is visibly falling
apart by the day.
What this means in practical terms is a rigorous programme of
education, involving a very large number of young men and women, leading
to the growth of a politically conscious generation of honest and talented
young people who are deeply committed to a certain vision for their country
and who, moreover, understand the complex realities of our post-modern
world. This new generation of Pakistanis should have analytical tools to
examine the history of their unfortunate country without becoming
emotional. They need to evolve into a cohesive social and political force
which can give birth to a Pakistani Spring in a decade or so. In that
native spring lies the hope for a polity now hopelessly drifting in dangerous
waters.
In order to start that process, we need some elders, some wise old
men and women who are not interested in immediate returns, whose vision
is embedded in a long historical process and who can provide a nucleus for
the young generation. People like Imran Khan, if he still has anything
real to offer to this country, can also be part of this process. In fact, he
can lead this generational process if he is able to come out of his self-created
cul-de-sac.
On 18th June, a day after Finance Minister delivered closing speech on
debate on budget, Yusuf S Shirazi wrote: According to Mr Dominique
1095

Strauss Kahn, Managing Director of the IMF, globalization has led to a

lethal cocktail of high unemployment, strained social cohesion, and
political instability, which, in turn, has affected macro-economic stability.
In Pakistan, thus the 10 percent poorest in the country consume four
percent of the national cake while the richest 10 percent gobble up 27
percent of it.
On the other hand, Pakistan has been a haven for those engaged
in smuggling, under-invoicing, and evasion of taxes in the name of free
economy. According to a recent report of the Federal Board of Revenue and
World Bank, 57 percent of the economy is untaxed. The countrys total
revenue is about Rs1.5 trillion and if this 57 percent untaxed economy is
taxed the total revenues will be about Rs2.5 trillion. This would more than
compensate the aids, loans, and credit Rs0.38 trillion our country has
been plagued with since inception. The total debt of the country has reached
a mind-boggling figure of Rs11 trillion now as against Rs4.7 trillion four
years ago in 2007 due to non-payment of loans.
In fact, now even the donor countries have started saying that aid
recipients such as Pakistan should rely, first, upon its own resources. Such
constructive criticism of our tax machinery is a blessing in disguise for we
must get our house in order to win back our sovereignty and become
masters of our own destiny.
Thus Pakistan has to rethink her strategy from foreign policy to
economic and social strategy. If all these resources are put together and
prudently employed, Pakistan will be free from reliance on the donor
countries and earn socio-politico economic freedom. This will encourage
investment, production, and export, creating employment for the masses and
make them self-reliant. Access to foreign countries through full utilization of
resources will lead to increased competitiveness and, as such, access to the
world markets on its own merit. It is local access to the local economy and
not access to US aid and IMF programmes which will lead to selfreliance
It is thus Localization local access to the local economy not
Globalization a lethal cocktail...of macro-economic stability which
will help the Pakistani economy. Local access to our economy will create
employment, provide the bread, clothing, and shelter promised to the masses
of people and not reliance on the donors at whatever cost, for aid and loans
undermine our nations sovereignty.

1096

Nest day, Raza Rumi observed: PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif is

aiming to seize the moment by leading a campaign calling for wide-ranging
military accountability and its overgrown powers of policymaking. The PPP
with greater stakes in the system appears defensive and is doing the PR job
for the sanctimonious national security institutions. It is too early to
determine whether Nawaz Sharif is seeking a structural transformation
of Pakistans governance culture or is merely hankering for
acceptability within the power matrix. Similarly, it is not clear whether the
PPP is reluctant to lead a campaign for military accountability, fearing that it
may just fail like in the past. Nevertheless, the third moment in 40 years has
arrived which may result in a much-awaited rationalization of civil-military
relations in the country. It is neither feasible, nor advisable to pressurize an
overly-engaged army on the eastern and western borders. At the same time,
for the future of Pakistan, it is vital to reset the parameters of power and the
manner in which it is exercised in Pakistan.
On 21st June, The News wrote: There is opacity about the business
dealings of our president and his extended family that is reminiscent of
armour plating. The latest of his dealings to emerge concerns 2,400 kanals of
land him and his son Bilawal own in the Margalla Hills area. As reported in
this newspaper, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has approved
changes in the zoning regulations of Zone III, currently defined as being
within the protected Margalla Hills National Park area, which will allow the
land to be used for commercial purposes. These may include farm-housing, a
golf and country club, medium-rise apartments, and the ever-ugly and noisy
wedding lawns. The CDA chairman insists that this particular tract of land,
part of Zone III, was actually outside the boundaries of the National Park
and therefore not subject to the regulations that control development within
it. The approval of the change in use of the land is going to magnify its value
many-fold, and the Zardari clan will have scored a significant fiscal gain.
There will be those who argue that this is nothing more than good
business. He has held the land since the mid-90s, long before the presidency
beckoned and if he benefits from a change in the zoning laws, all well and
good. But where did the impetus for the change come from? Why, none
other than the cabinet had referred the case to the CDA and sought
variation in the zoning regulations. Other Zardari associates are also
interested in the rezoned land, at least one of them until recently, a federal
minister. The CDA Zoning Regulation 2005 defines the whole of Zone III
as: Margalla Hills National Park as notified under section 21 of the
Islamabad Wild Life (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and
1097

Management) Ordinance 1979 and other protected ranges, forest areas and
un-acquired land falling between Margalla Hills and the north of Murree
Road shall constitute this zone. That at least is clear as day but how that
came to be changed is as clear as mud.
Next day, Mubashir Mahmood from Karachi wrote: Instead of being
apologetic for his irresponsible behaviour during the budget session of the
Sindh Assembly, Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq who was
caught on camera watching an Indian TV show using his Pad during the
session is criticizing Pakistan Muslim League-Functionals MPA Marvi
Rashdi for being disrespectful to senior legislatures. Our political leaders are
not at all serious about solving peoples problems. In the past too we have
seen many members of assemblies sleeping or chatting during sessions. It
also goes to show how much importance is given to an issue as
significant as the budget by our elected representatives.
On 23rd June, The News commented: There may be some degree of
accuracy behind what the leaders say, but perhaps there are other, more
dignified ways of expressing these grievances. Mr Zardaris diatribe,
highly unsuited to his position as president, simply makes Pakistan look
even more dysfunctional than it already is.
There is something particularly distasteful about the breakdown of
trust between two parties who after the 2008 election had proclaimed
themselves great allies. The disintegration of this friendship has been bitter
but what is sadder still is that this has happened even as Pakistan
lurches from one crisis to another. There is nothing wrong with having
differences of opinion. But what we need right now is some degree of
cooperation among our top leaders, a readiness to put the concerns of their
country beyond their own interests, and a willingness to jointly explore
means to recover from what is a truly precarious situation. Exchanging
accusations will not help resolve these issues or create the calmer climate we
need for this to happen.
Dr Qaisar Rashid talked about the dream of civilian supremacy. One
of the main hindrances on the path to civilian supremacy in practical
terms is an indulgence of politicians of all hues in corrupt practices
one of the greatest weaknesses of the political institution. Corruption spawns
inequities in society and is therefore despised by everyone. That is why
corrupt politicians are reviled and consequently they lose support in public.
The malpractice of misappropriation of national funds for the growth of one
someones personal bank accounts in Switzerland and elsewhere undermines
1098

the credibility of politicians and they are believed to be unable to run

countrys affairs. The weakness of one institution as a result of corruption
becomes the strength of another. When the army meddles in the political
domain on the pretext of saving the country from corrupt politicians, people
heave a sigh of relief.
Under the present government, the National Accountability
Bureau has been deliberately defanged. Presently, there is neither a
chairman of NAB at the centre nor a director general in the regional office of
Rawalpindi. Shirking responsibilities of this sort is tantamount to
encouraging corrupt practices in society and discouraging anti-corruption
forces. Consequently, the political institutions will become still weaker than
they are, and could offer a justification for another military intervention.
Another obstacle is the lack of democracy at the grassroots level.
Ironically, the local government system is not being practiced by the present
democratic government. People cannot prize democracy if they dont get
involved in the system and figure out the worth of democracy. Nawaz Sharif
stumbled and fell owing to that reason. For example, during his second stint
as prime minister, he did not hold local body elections. As a result, when he
was overthrown, people had no platform from which to express solidarity
with him, even if they had wanted to do that, and voice their opposition to
the abrogation of the Constitution.
The democratic value of the local government system is not being
realized by the present government either. The government of the PPP is
perhaps overconfident as a result of its success in dealing with the NRO
tangle. The country is in critical need for reforms. The army should be made
accountable to parliament and directly answerable to people in the court of
law. But if parliament protects corrupt politicians and denies basic
democracy to people, the dream of civilian supremacy cannot be realized.
Next day, The News wrote: Its now official: the PPP and the PMLN have returned to the zero-sum view of politics they shared in the
1990s There is no doubt that Zardari should not be the one to defend the
PPP against Nawazs onslaught. This is an insult to the chair of the
president, which is a symbol of the federations unity. It also brings into
focus Zardaris lack of respect for the court ruling against using the platform
of president to work for partisan political purposes. It is also unbecoming of
the president to publicly defend the military against allegations. As for the
PML-N, their claim of being engaged in principled politics rings somewhat
hollow and there are several indications that the Sharifs are in the business
1099

of politics to win. In the last days of the Musharraf regime, the happy
coincidence of smart politics and principles helped the Sharifs ride a wave of
populist support back into power. By opposing a deeply disliked Musharraf
and supporting an intensely popular chief justice, they succeeded in
becoming heroes while playing politics.
But once in power, the reality check of office always sounds its
knell. Even today, much of the PML-Ns criticism of the PPP is valid also
for the Punjab government: an autocratic leader; fiscal mismanagement;
inability to provide basic services, rampant crime; and so on. The PML-N,
therefore, may also want to look within before it takes digs at the PPP, even
if much of the criticism may be well deserved. The public is by now wearily
familiar with both parties bags of tricks. It may be time to embrace maturity
at a moment of great threat to the state itself. As the third transition to
democracy draws closer to its end, our leaders must not forget that what the
people have given them, the people can take away unless they put the
peoples concerns above their own interests.
Dr Muzaffar Iqbal opined: As the two main political parties of
Pakistan sharpen their teeth, dulled by greed and mutual bargaining, let it be
said once again that it is too late to fool people; there have been noora
kushtis one too many for people to take the current reciprocal diatribes as
anything but false. The lions of Punjab and Sindh may rest assured that they
might be the only contenders in the ring, but those who hopelessly watch
them cannot take their fight seriously. If the gallery is full, it is not because
people are genuinely interested in their rotten politics; it is just because
Pakistanis have not lost their hunger for superficial fun.
The performance of Nawaz Sharif, now on his first leg of Azad
Kashmirs tour, is so poor that one cannot even be amused. It is as if one
is listening to a broken record filled with self-pity, defeatism, selfconstructed past glories, repeated apologies to the army (I am not criticizing
anyone), repeated mention of what he thinks he achieved during his previous
stints, and helpless pleas to be given a chance once again.
Nothing concrete comes out of these speeches. There is no indication
of a policy whether foreign or domestic that he intends to implement if
he comes into power. There is no indication of how he will tackle problems
faced by the country, such as power shortage, poverty, corruption. There is
nothing, except empty rhetoric filled with self-pity: my heart aches, my
heart aches about Pakistan! Ache it may, but that is not what a politician is

1100

supposed to be telling his audience, gathered from here and there in busloads
to listen to him.
Pity the nation has nothing but these nauseating faces that have
destroyed Pakistan through mismanagement and corruption for as long as
one can remember. The ruling party has nothing different to offer.
Comfortably enjoying its secure position in the absence of any real
opposition, it has no fear from any quarter, at least not until the next general
elections when unpredictable results may rock the boat. But until then, all is
well. The presidency has a full grip on the party, the parliament, the senate
and the sheepish elected members of the two houses. Those who could not
stand the corruption and feudal control left. The smoothly oiled machinery is
yielding what it was primed for.
The boss is happy as well, despite his little uproar over the May 2 nd
drama. Actually, the Americans never had it so good: a political setup so
fine tuned to the dictates of its wishes that it does not even need to send its
emissaries on urgent missions; a military fully supportive of the idea of a
long-term American presence in the region. Thus configured, the Islamic
Republic of Pakistan is rolling along at full speed toward its disastrous
future
There is no ray of hope in this gloomy scenario. Carefully
considered, the situation seems to be a direct result of lack of genuine
leadership in Pakistan. This has been the case since 1948, a long and
barren stretch of time which has shaped the present state of this country and
which continues to shape its future. There is not even a process through
which a new generation of leaders can come to the forefront. All avenues
have been suffocated. The only possibility to salvage the situation is a
violent reawakening of masses through desperation, but even that scenario is
only remotely possible since masses are struggling to merely survive.
Survival has been made difficult by successive military and civil
regimes. The middle class has all but disappeared and there is an increasing
gap between those who have and those who do not. The wretched and the
poor are dispossessed to such an extent that they do not even have a
consciousness of what they are dispossessed of; such is the scale of
Pakistans tragic millions. There is not even a poet left to say, with
dismay: this is not the dawn for which we had hoped for, as one from the
previous generation was able to say. In the absence of even a poetic protest,
one can only hope for miraculous resurrection and awakening, a possibility

1101

that keeps ones hopes alive to some extent, even if it is not grounded in any
rational consideration.
Mir Adnan Aziz wrote: Indeed, we all know about the malaise that
plagues us. Our sin is that we have accepted the same. We keep asking
ourselves what the solution to our problems is. But the issues at hand are not
so complex as to baffle an ordinary mind. What solution does one need to
perform a given task with honesty and responsibility? What enables those
who act otherwise to survive and thrive? Those who plunder the country go
to extraordinary lengths to provide for and protect their kith and kin. On
an individual level we seek the best for ourselves. Just imagine the due
diligence that goes in tying a nuptial knot or other facets of our personal
lives. What makes us elect a known cheat to public office and why do those
in positions of power or otherwise bypass everything humane in matters that
affect the country or society at large?
An independent election commission is a precondition for fair
participative elections. We have a political system that was spawned by the
infamous NRO. We allowed it to happen; that was our greatest undoing. The
election that culminated in the fox guarding the hen-house had a staggering
37.18 million (45.67 percent) bogus votes out of a total of 81.21 registered
ones. This is apart from fake degrees and false asset declarations. Expecting
anything else than corruption and cronyism from the resulting entity is, if
anything, a fallacy. Monetary and intellectual corruption has been the bane
of every society. Our country falters because we have allowed it to triumph.
Legislature is a fundamental component of democracy. How can a
parliament lacking the capacity to monitor the executive or influence
policies be deemed democratic? A strong opposition signifies a strong
political system. With all the political parties sharing power, parliament is
left totally devoid of the necessary checks and balances. Our political
opposition has played, if not more, then at least an equally dubious role in
ensuring the present pathetic state of affairs. Another crucial factor, the
judiciary, has a constitutional jurisdiction to ensure fundamental rights and
hold public officers accountable. In our democracy, the executive has flouted
almost every Supreme Court decision.
All signs point to a disastrous continuation even after the next
election. The manipulation of the system has been more blatant than ever
before; our collective apathy ensures the same. It is only when each and
every single one of us thinks of himself as a precipitator of this malaise and
works towards undoing the same, that we shall see change. Lament, ad
1102

nauseum as it may sound, is an attempt to needle nationalism, evoke

empathy, awareness and responsibility; if a shred survives somewhere within
us all.
On 27th June, The News commented on Chief Justices statement
about the need to improve performance of lower courts. At the moment, the
long delays, corruption in the running of the courts and a lack of
adequate supervision means that litigants mistrust the lower courts and
faith in the countrys judicial system remains low. This, of course, is one
reason why we have so many appeals to the higher courts, overburdening the
Supreme Court and making it more difficult for the institution to function
effectively. During this important meeting, the chief justice gave many
examples of cases that had been pending for years, including that of the rape
of a girl that had not been settled in six years. This factor is, of course, the
main feature of the reason for peoples dissatisfaction with the process of
justice and their failure to gain access to it in all too many cases.
One problem has been that in the past too little attention has been
directed to this issue. As a result, things have gone from bad to worse over
the years. The lack of faith in the system of justice is one reason why we
see a descent into chaos with people resorting to mob justice in various
places. There have been numerous incidents of this, with suspected criminals
being brutally punished by people who perhaps fear there is no other way to
save themselves from robbery and other crime. The increase in verdicts
delivered by jirgas is also a problem that arises from this, resulting in a
situation where barbaric judgments are meted out more and more frequently.
Things cannot continue as they are. For this reason, it is good news that the
chief justice has put the issue so high on the list of priorities and seems to be
doing everything within his power to bring in genuine change. Most people
who deal with the courts do so at the lowest levels, and it is from here that
change must start. Things will not alter overnight. But the commitment
shown to bringing reform will in time yield results. This is why the process
initiated is so important and the chief justices commitment to it so
significant.
Jamil Nasir commented: The anti-corruption strategy needs to be
multi-pronged and should essentially include elements like improving
economic governance, deregulation, simplification of procedures, egovernance, civil service reforms, a strengthened auditor general office with
major focus on systems and performance audit and tackling corruption, a
strong, autonomous, competent and politically non-partisan accountability

1103

agency to investigate and prosecute corruption, a public information

campaign against corruption, and above all whistle-blowing legislation.
Whistle-blowing is emerging as an effective tool to fight against
corruption. Countries around the globe are developing legal regimes that
encourage good faith whistle-blowing against corruption, and protect
whistle-blowers from retribution. Article 33 of the UN Convention against
Corruption mandates that each party shall consider incorporating into its
domestic legal system appropriate measures to provide protection against
unjustified treatment for any persons, who report in good faith and on
reasonable grounds to the competent authorities any facts concerning
offences established in accordance with this Convention.
It is a matter of fact that the first person who notices the act of
corruption, mismanagement or patronage is generally the guy who either
works inside the organization or is directly associated with such an
organization. Employees of an organization are better placed to raise their
concerns about corruption but at the same time, they are the biggest losers
when it comes to disclosing such goings on, particularly if they are not
backed by legal protection.
The fear of retribution becomes a big hurdle in their disclosure. If the
law gives the whistle-blowers confidence and security, corruption can be
confronted from the inside of the organizations as well. Such an approach
will essentially be proactive as alarm bells will ring before acts of corruption
actually take place.
Unfortunately, the inside and proactive approach has not properly
been experimented with in our country. A lack of inside involvement in
implementing the anti-corruption strategy, in a sense, denies organizations
vital opportunities to deal with the problem of corruption before it causes
real damage.
Asif Ezdi saw Nawaz Sharif caught in a time warp. In an unusual
reversal of roles, which is not easy to explain, the PML-N has emerged in
recent months as the main critic of the countrys military leadership.
Criticism of the militarys role in the countrys domestic politics is of course
justified and necessary. A military dictator who topples a civilian
government is guilty of high treason and must be brought to justice under
Article 6 of the Constitution. Nawaz Sharif is therefore absolutely right in
demanding that Musharraf stand trial for having subverted the Constitution.
But some of Nawazs recent utterances in which he has implicitly
held the military responsible for the history of confrontation between
1104

Pakistan and India betray a poor understanding of the dynamics of the

relations between the two countries and raise doubts about his suitability
to hold the office of prime minister for a third time as he aspires to. It will
suffice to mention three of these statements:
First, in a press conference in Karachi on May 16, Nawaz was quoted
as saying that Pakistan must stop treating India as its biggest enemy.
Second, in a speech given in Lahore on June 10, he said that the army
must give up its India-centric obsession. (This is also what Obama
said last month).
Third, in a speech at Bagh on June 22, Nawaz said that Vajpayee had
assured him in Lahore in 1999 that the Kashmir issue would be
resolved within the year, but the effort failed after Musharraf launched
his ill-fated adventure in Kargil.
Nawaz clearly needs a refresher course in history. He seems to
have forgotten that it is India, not Pakistan, which is in illegal occupation of
Kashmir and that it was also India which imposed the 1971 war under a
carefully prepared plan to break up Pakistan. Musharrafs Kargil adventure
was of course a huge folly but Nawazs belief that Vajpayee was willing to
settle the Kashmir issue on any terms other than the territorial status quo
also has no relationship with reality.
Nawaz seems to be caught in a time warp. His point of reference
for everything is 1999 when he was deposed from power. This is also
evident from his oft-repeated boast that he conducted nuclear tests in 1998
despite massive international pressure. That is true, but it is history. The
challenge Pakistan faces now is getting access to peaceful nuclear
technology as India has got and which is being denied to us by Washington
at Indias behest. But Nawaz seems to be unaware of this vitally important
issue. At least he has not raised it in any of his meetings with visiting US
officials.
Nawaz Sharif claims to have learnt from his past mistakes. But it
seems that he has not learnt enough. In his public speeches, he has not
spoken once about the major obstacles to the countrys development and
progress: a broken education system, galloping population growth,
unchecked environmental degradation and a ruling elite that does not pay
taxes. Clearly, he has a lot to learn.
Next day, The News commented: Whatever the PPP may have
gained in the AJK elections, it has apparently lost on the national scene
1105

with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement finally quitting the federal and
provincial governments. The seriousness of the move although questioned
by many analysts and seen by observers with skepticism, and not without
reason was evident in the resignation of the longest-serving governor of
Sindh, the MQMs Dr Ishratul Ebad. The MQM has come to this breaking
point rather late in the day. It enjoyed the fruits of power for over three
years, both at the Centre and in Sindh. It had a strong say in many matters
and the climax was reached when it forced the controversial Dr Zulfikar
Mirza, Sindh home minister at that time, out of the cabinet. The PPP showed
a lot of tolerance keeping the MQM in the alliance then. On its part the
MQM also showed extraordinary patience by sticking with President Zardari
though they were duped on various issues that also included the holding of
local bodies elections. Are the AJK polls the proverbial final straw? The
MQMs decision this time does appear to be final; Altaf Hussain has
described it as the beginning of the end of the PPP government. Though
President Zardari and Interior Minister Rehman Malik may still make some
cosmetic moves to persuade the MQM to review its decision, the chances of
this happening now appear to be few as the PPP and Zardari seem to have
decided to say goodbye to the MQM, rather than the other way round.
For months the PPP had been cementing its ties with the MQMs
opponents in Karachi and the ANPs senior leader Haji Adeel may have let
the cat out of the bag when, minutes after the MQMs decision, he said it
was all about Karachi, its local bodies polls, the fresh delimitation of
constituencies and the larger issue of who would control Karachi. There
have been reports that, on a deeper level, a tactical alliance between the ANP
and the well-trained cadres of Amir Khans Mohajir Qaumi Movement may
be in the offing after the leader surrendered to Altaf Hussain. It appears that
at this point when Zardari feels he has touched his zenith in political trickery
and is floating high in the sky with a demoralized army establishment, a
scattered opposition, a strong backing from Washington, a conglomerate of
opportunists gathered under his wings to provide him with the numbers in
parliament and the upcoming Senate election in his grip he can dump those
who have irritated him.
Yet the MQMs decision, if it holds, may offer other forces a
chance to realign themselves. The voices from the PML-N heard after the
MQMs announcement are mellow and suggestive. A breakdown of law and
order in Karachi, if it happens as it is feared, may provide the establishment
with another opportunity to reassert its role. Further provocations by the PPP
like reappointing Dr Zulfikar Mirza and his likes in Sindh could lead to
1106

emotions flaring up. Any crackdown on the MQM may become a launching
pad for the opposition to cause enough turmoil on the streets for the
government to start shaking. All this would fit in with the strategy of those
who do not want the PPP to sail through the Senate elections in March and
grab a two-thirds majority. It is time for all to take cautious steps and tread
very carefully as an overconfident PPP government, backed by a meek and
embarrassed establishment, may tend to overstep its bounds. At the same
time, it has to be said that a dictatorial regime in the garb of a democratic
setup does little to serve democracy and those who do not believe in the
system of checks and balances may ultimately find the ground cut from
under their feet.
On 29th June, The News commented: For a country thats already
confronting innumerable domestic crises and mounting pressure from the
West to do more against extremists, - an effort that requires consensus and
joint endeavours above all - instability and fission on the political front
doesnt ring well. Already, the PML-N has expressed hope that the MQM
will join it in collectively challenging the AJK election results. While the
prime minister has argued on several occasions that the time for midterm
polls is long gone, the PML-N sees the latest developments as a fresh
opening to call for early elections. Imran Khan has also launched a campaign
to remove the government while the ANP has boycotted the National
Assembly and Senate over the PPPs sidelining of the party in the KP
government. Even if the PPP government survives these myriad assaults, the
fate of Project Democracy hangs by a thread. It is this fate that the custodian
of the transition to democracy, the PPP, seems to care the least about.
Mohammad Malik wrote: The popular perception holds that right
now the armed forces are too deep in the hole to even think about any
desperate action. The series of humiliating professional lapses have
devastated their public image. Their civilian supreme commander, no matter
how controversial, is one tricky variable and not someone to be taken or
dealt with lightly. The US is no longer the good old buddy and wants the
defence establishment to change according to Washingtons wishes. The USled world opinion hardly appears in the mood to brook any adventurism
because foreign leaderships have a lot at stake directly in this theatre, both in
terms of financial and energy interests, but also taxing political
consequences in their own electorates. The economy is in a shambles and
with the current economic czars there is no danger of it improving in the
short term. Once again: is the military possibility now an impossibility?

1107

Contrary to the prevailing perception, we were never closer to a

forced round of a khaki-inspired solution to the myriad problems being faced
by the country. The khaki and civilian minds think differently. What were
unforgettable incidents for us civilians are mere tactical failures at the end of
the day for the army, which need to be assessed and factored for in the
future. For the strategist, these are transitory in nature regardless of their
immense short-term fallout. Official statements coming out of corps
commanders meetings reflect the growing sense of the us-them syndrome.
Background interviews with the top brass reveal a sense of hurt at
being ...viciously attacked by the politicians and the media at a time when
thousands of us are laying down our lives. Do you know that since OBL, 28
young officers have already been martyred in anti-militant operations? You
guys have treated us worse than the Americans, as one highly emotional top
general put it.
The army chief will either have to do something historic to justify
his historic extension in office or be relegated to a position of shame
amongst his peers. The armed forces have been hit as an institution and
desperately need the revival of their image, and will definitely want to retake
their traditional position in the power equation. The situation is fast
evolving. The executive is already flaunting the orders of the Supreme Court
and will definitely not obey any major orders on matters of significance,
such as the NRO. Judicial mayhem is on the cards. Nobody has the numbers
to democratically vote out the extremely corrupt and overbearing federal
government or for that matter those ruling the roost in Punjab and KhyberPakhtunkhwa. So how do you stop the pillage of national wealth? The
economy is in its death throes and the present ruling dispensation does not
have the ability to change its course. We are looking at disastrous inflation
and unemployment down the road. Political forces are fighting it out for
power and not for the people (the surprising MQM split is hardly
surprisingly for the power corridors).
On 1st July, Harris Khalique wrote about Karachi. The MQM gets
angry with its senior coalition partner on some administrative step it
takes that goes against the MQMs interest or some unfulfilled promise
that was made by the PPP high command when it wooed the MQM back into
the coalition at some point or in the present scenario the postponement of
elections for Azad Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly on the two
refugee seats in Karachi that were bagged by the MQM during the previous
elections.

1108

However, the actual issue remains the turf war in Karachi between
the MQM, PPP and ANP with the issue of the administrative division of
Hyderabad also tagged along. At times it becomes latent but continues to
be the main apple of discord between the MQM and its political adversaries.
The PPP enjoys support among the citizens of all ethnic and linguistic
denominations but its definite electoral support comes from the Baloch,
Sindhi and Katchi communities in the city.
Some crime rings in places like Lyari and Malir also take refuge in
the PPP folds. But there are other constituencies as well where a large
number of those who speak Urdu, Punjabi and Gujarati as their first
languages would vote for the PPP. A fresh delimitation of constituencies
will increase the PPP seats and consequently its power in the
metropolis
The real power that the MQM enjoys is not supported by
demographics anymore if we compare it with the late 1980s. There are a
host of reasons for that. Rural-urban migration and comparatively small
family sizes of middle and lower-middle class urban supporters of the MQM
being the first two. The MQM continues to draw power from its ability to
bring city life to a halt through its rank and file that consists of armed and
cantankerous youth.
The MQM has to revise its political paradigm if it is really serious
about countrywide politics. Sitting in opposition as a genuine political party
for a change and acting as one rather than behaving like a militant pressure
group would do it good in the long run.
Ayaz Amir observed: Those in the business of politics and politics
is the foremost passion in the Islamic Republic, that and the drumbeats of
false piety have to realize one thing: wishes, alas, are not horses. And
merely expressing the wish for change is not going to deliver it. The
political class, if it is so keen about it, will have to work for change. But
there are precious few signs of anything along those lines happening.
The PML-N was the party in waiting. It is still the party in waiting.
But to enter the lists next year and grab the prize on offer it will have to
put things together. What will be its clarion call, the bugle it will sound? It
has to go to the electorate with something compelling. A one-point agenda of
Zardari-baiting this is my feeling, and I could be wrong is not likely to
be enough.
After all, having been in office in Punjab it is its performance
there that will count. What has it to show for itself? This is the challenge
1109

before it: putting together a stirring election narrative, something that

touches people, making them think daring thoughts.
How much of a factor will Imran Khan be? More and more people
predict that the young are going to root for him. Perhaps they will, because
the established parties and let me not name names have engendered a
sense of weariness and anger. I keep meeting people who shake their heads
and say that the burger crowd in cities denizens of Defence, etc. will go
Imran Khans way. But does he really have that spark which will set
people on fire? Will electable candidates gather around him? Looking
angry and always looking angry is one thing, but then you should also have
something to say...something beyond the regular broadsides against
corruption and its attendant ills.
If the president has to be beaten at his own game, his opponents
will have to be smarter than him. It has not paid to underestimate him. It
will not pay merely to mutter imprecations against him. The arrows shot at
him have done him little harm. Some sharper ones have to be found.
If a week is a long time in politics, three-and-a-half years in
power in the context of Pakistani politics is almost an eternity. Powerful
governments with convincing majorities have not been able to last as long.
What we are seeing is a party with no majority in the National Assembly
cobbling together the most unlikely alliances and sticking to power.
There is not much on the credit side of the PPP government but
sometimes, when the odds are stacked against you, mere survival
becomes the highest virtue. Would anyone two years or a year ago have
given the president the ability to complete his term? But on this score, if no
other, he has proved his detractors wrong. This must be taken into account
when we take stock of the current situation or lay any bets on the shape of
things to come next year.
The past, in one crucial respect, has already been stood on its head.
Who could have thought that of all the forces on earth the PPP, historically
an anathema for the armed forces, would emerge as the foremost defender
and champion of the army and what we call the agencies? Time was when it
was rumoured about Gen Kayani that he was averse to meeting the Supreme
Commander alone, without witnesses. How distant that time seems. I know
this is pretty depressing stuff. But the point is worth repeating that mere
frothing at the mouth is of little use in this most practical and merciless
of games called politics.

1110

Next day, The Nation commented: The prices of fuel and natural gas
seem to be at cross-purposes with each other. While the Oil and Gas
Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has recommended a cut of oil prices
domestically, which is supposed to reflect the decline in prices on the
international market, the government seems bent upon taking back with one
hand what it is giving with the other. This is by virtue of the raise it is
planning for gas, even though the government itself had linked gas prices to
international oil prices. It makes no sense to raise gas prices when oil
prices have gone down. It makes no sense at all when international gas
prices have also gone down, as they have by $61 per ton. The proposed
increase would be gradually, with an increase of 10-15 percent for domestic
consumers, 15-20 percent for commercial consumers and 100 percent for
fertilizer factories. As fertilizer production is, perhaps, what is keeping the
economy afloat, such a step would either mean a direct increase in the cost
of agricultural products across the board, or a collapse of production if the
farmer tried to avoid fertilizer.
It should be kept in mind that Pakistans agriculture has meant that
we are able to feed ourselves. If it was lowered because farmers found
fertilizer too expensive to apply, that ability to feed itself would be
compromised. Another result would be the climbing of prices. Millions
more people would slip into poverty as a result of loss of food security. With
elections looming, the IMF, which proposed the policy in the first place,
would hope that a government anxious to avoid this would be more
amenable to US demands, on the excuse that its support was essential at
international finance institutions, especially those belonging to the
Washington Consensus.
The government should ensure that reductions in fuel prices are
followed by those in fares, both inter-city and intra-city, not to mention other
transport fares. If it does not do so, the transporters will merely earn
abnormal profits, leaving the inflationary effects of past raises where they
are. Under the circumstances, it must pay attention to the ordinary citizen,
who is also a voter, and protect his interests. That would mean keeping gas
tariffs under check, and rolling back the inflationary effects of previous oil
price increases. Instead of doing so, the government hopes to do what it
has not for more than a year and satisfy the IMF, and for which it plans
to raise electricity tariffs yet again. Apart from helping solve the national
economic problem, this would help restore national independence.

1111

REVIEW
Naudero is the base of Zardaris political power and within that
Bhutto familys graveyard in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh is the secret of his
political prowess. He is fully cognizant of this fact and that is why he, like a
seasoned majawar, ensures performance of rituals of an Urs on every
birthday and death anniversary of his wife and her father.
He was there on 58th Birthday of his wife. This years ritual, however,
was markedly different from the previously held functions in Naudero. The
man, who used to go there to complain about sounds of boots he heard and
the bayonets he saw in dreams, this time, began with donating blood for
Army personnel, though no general was reported wounded on battle front.
Having done that, next day he turned his guns against the critics of his
new-found love for the generals. Some observers noted that Zardaris
outburst against critics was the result of General Kayanis personal request
for political support for the Army which had been subjected to severe
criticism of late.
It meant that the Army, which had been feared by corrupt politicians,
was now seeking shelter behind the Don of the corrupt. Zardari relished
extending protection to generals; it was indeed a feat never performed by a
politician in the history of the country. Nisar was wrong in congratulating
Army for having new spokesman; Zardari was defender of the Defenders of
Pakistan.
After getting into the shoes of de-juro as well as de-facto Supreme
Commander of armed forces of Pakistan he looked around the arena if there
was any adversary was still standing on his feet and needed to be floored by
him. He could spot only two; some sections of the media and the PML-N.
He ridiculed both of them.
His verbal outburst was more like that of boxers who do so at the
weighing-in ceremony. The Scoundrel had all the intent to maintain his
winning streak. The first round of his next bout with PML-N began with
AJK polls and as was expected of him he performed well in that round not
withstanding the indulgence in foul play.
AJK polls were indicative of what would happen in next general
elections in Pakistan. Some of the likely features as displayed in these polls
would be seen at a much larger canvas. The Scoundrel would feel no shame
in cheating forming alliances and betraying. He wont spare anyone as he
didnt spare MQM in AJK polls.
1112

Election commission will continue acting as stooge of the forces in

power, thus allowing continuation of malpractices. It is not expected to bring
any change that would help holding free and fair polls. It wont even update
the voters lists and thereby deny the unpredictable youth the right to vote.
The political culture would show no signs of refinement. The electoral
norms would remain unchanged ensuring the same people entering
assemblies; only the doors used could be different. The only expected
change would be that tempers would be very high next time.
The Scoundrel would use his political acumen to produce favourable
results as he did through using Manzoor Wattoo in AJK polls. For similar
ends in Punjab, the rumours about Parvez Elahi replacing Gilani as Prime
Minister could be translated into news as Zardari is capable of surprising
everyone on the pretext of reconciliation.
The philosophy of reconciliation does not always mean
reconciliation, but it certainly has the designs to the contrary. Parvez Elahis
appointment as Prime Minister would be intended to create problems for
PML-N in forthcoming polls and driving a permanent wedge between two
major factions of Leaguers.
4th July, 2011

1113

STORM AND SPRING

The uprising that had started in Northern Africa and was termed as
Saharan Storm in previous reviews, no more merited to be referred as such.
The Western powers which have acquired the ability to fiddle with nature
found no problem in moulding that uprising to fit-in with their interests. The
technology used in this case was IT.
Libyan uprising has been guided against Gaddafi, the old rival of the
West, and oil-rich part of his domain has been practically separated. Its
separation, or independence, will be formalized in due course just as
southern Sudan will be independent today. The rule of Sunni stooges in
Bahrain has been saved; the puppet Saleh has, however, been ousted, but his
ouster posed no serious threat to the interests of the West.
Meanwhile, the Organization of Islamic Conference changed name to
Organization of Islamic Cooperation, but OIC remained OIC. Al-Qaeda
named Zawahiri as the successor of Osama. Survival of this militant group
suits for promotion of US interests in Islamic World, because this outfit can
also be used as an ally of the US as is being done in Libya.

NEWS
In Africa, Libya remained in the eye of the storm and some incidents
were also reported from Egypt and Somalia. Elsewhere, dozens of people
were hurt when a suicide bomber hit Nigerian Police HQ on 16 th June. Ten
people were killed in bomb blast in Kano on 3 rd July. Seventeen al-Qaeda
militants were killed in Mauritania on 26th June.
On 20th June, Tunisias Ben Ali said he was tricked into leaving his
country. On 4th July, A Tunis court sentenced ousted Tunisian president Zine
el Abidine Ben Ali in his absence to 15 years in jail for possession of arms,
drugs and archaeological artifacts.
On 2nd July, Morocco's Arab Spring; protesters said they were
undeterred despite a landslide victory for King Mohammed in a referendum
on constitutional changes they say do nothing to ease his autocratic grip on
power. On 26th June, the UN expressed its concerns over air strikes in
southern and eastern parts of Sudan for the last four days.
The US House adopted a resolution on 4th June, rebuking Obama over
sending US troops to take part in military operation against Libya without
Congressional approval. Next day, NATO continued bombing targets in
1114

Tripoli and started using attack helicopters for imposing no-fly-zone.

Russia warned NATO against land operations. Rebels met NATO officials in
Hague.
On 7th June, 32 people were killed in NATO attacks. Obama said
NATO was forging inexorable advances and it was only a matter of time
before Gaddafis departure. Gaddafi vowed to fight to the death. China
initiated efforts for median in Libya. Two days later, Hillary and her
counterparts from NATO countries held third round of talks to map out
post-Gaddafi Libya. Hillary declared that Gaddafis days were numbered
and the time is on our side.
On 10th June, Norway decided to quit Libya operation in August.
Heavy fighting with rebels was reported. Next day, Libyan forces shelled
rebel positions in Misrata; 31 people were killed and 150 wounded. The city
of Zlitan was also surrounded by the troops. NATO helicopters provided
close support to rebels in their intended push towards Tripoli.
On 12th June, fighting between Gaddafi forces and rebels erupted in
western Libyan towns of Zawiyah and Zintan. Next day, Gaddafi forces
killed 21 rebels in a clash near Brega. Germany recognized Libyan rebel
leadership. On 14th June, Canada followed Germany and recognized Libyan
rebels, but rebels met setback on battle front despite NATO close support.
Next day, twenty people were killed when NATO jetfighter bombed a bus
near Tripoli. Ten US lawmakers filed a case in Federal Court against Obama
for waging an illegal war against Libya.
On 16th June, at least five rebels were killed and 20 wounded in
western Libya, where they reported to have captured three villages with
close support of NATO. Russian envoy said Gaddafi was in talks with
rebels. Spain expelled Libyan envoy. Next day, Libyan rebels denied reports
about talks with Gaddafi.
On 18th June, 8 rebels were killed in a clash. Libya insisted it was in
talks with rebels. US lawmakers stepped up pressure on Obama over
military action against Libya. Next day, nine people were killed in NATO
jets struck a house in Tripoli and ten rebels were killed in firing by Gaddafi
forces in Misrata.
On 20th June, 19 people were killed in yet another bombing of
civilians by NATO. EU decided to consider using frozen Libyan funds for
rebels. Next day, British PM brushed aside the criticism and vowed to
continue military operation in Libya. The NATO helicopter lost in Libya was
a Fire Scout drone helicopter; a new robotic aircraft used in the war.
1115

On 22nd June, Italy urged halt to Libyan conflict. China recognized

rebels as an important dialogue partner to resolve the conflict. Next day,
David Cameron said time was running out for Gaddafi. Leading defector
also predicted Gaddafi would quit Libya.
On 24th June, US lawmakers voted against military action against
Libya, but approved release of funds for the ongoing operation. Next day,
fifteen people were killed in NATO bombing in Brega; NATO rejected the
report. On 27th June, ICC issued arrest warrants of Gaddafi.
On 1st July, use of weapons made of depilated uranium was reported
in Libya. Next day, Hillary Clinton stepped up Western calls on Muammar
Gaddafi to quit, brushing off his threat to attack Europeans in their homes
and offices. In a telephone address relayed to some 100,000 supporters in
Tripoli's Green Square on Friday, Gaddafi had urged NATO to halt its
bombing campaign or risk seeing Libyan fighters descend on Europe like a
swarm of locusts.
On 3rd July, Turkey recognized the council of Libyan rebels. Buoyed
by French arms drops and intensified NATO air strikes on the regime's
frontline armour, Libya's rebel army said it is poised for an offensive that
could put it within striking distance of Tripoli. Next day, Russia and NATO
failed to narrow their differences over the Western air campaign in Libya, as
alliance warplanes stepped up their bombing of regime targets. Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused NATO of interpreting a UN
resolution in any way it wished, after talks with NATO chief Anders Fogh
Rasmussen that showed up differences rather than any agreement on a
solution.
On 5th July, shelling by forces loyal to Gaddafi killed 11 people and
wounded another 57, almost all civilians, in the western rebel enclave of
Misrata. On 7th July, Italian Prime Minister he was against NATO
intervention in Libya but had to go along with it, an admission that exposed
the fragility of the alliance trying to unseat Gaddafi. Next day, Gaddafi
forces recaptured Misrata and 19 militants were killed in the operation.
Muammar Gaddafi threatened to send hundreds of Libyans to launch attacks
in Europe in revenge for the NATQ-led military campaign against him.
On 12th June, an Israeli official was held in Egypt for spying. Five
days later, Spain froze assets of one of the comrades of Mobarak. On 26 th
June, protesters stoned the vehicle that brought former interior minister to
the court; they wanted death sentence for him for the killing of peaceful
protesters during uprising against Mobarak. On 29th June, bloody clashes
1116

took place in Tahrir Square between police and protesters who had gathered
to express dissatisfaction over military rulers pace of reform.
Ten soldiers were killed in bomb blast on 9 th June in southern
Somalia. Two days later, fighting erupted in Mogadishu after attack on the
residence of a minister. Al-Qaedas east Africa chief was reported killed. On
12th June, Somali pirates released an oil ship with 29 crew members,
including 17 Pakistanis, after payment of ransom.
A week later, Somali Prime Minister resigned. On 2 nd July, The
clandestine American military campaign to combat al-Qaedas franchise in
Yemen is expanding to fight the militancy in Somalia, according to a new
dispatch in The New York Times.
In Middle East, western media remained focused on Syria and
Yemen and Iraq also stayed on TV screens. Elsewhere, the US imposed
curbs on Irans national airline on 23rd June. Nejad said his country was not
seeking nuclear bomb. Two days later, Ahmadinejad during international
moot on fight against terror accused the West of sponsoring terrorism.
In Turkey, ten al-Qaeda suspects were held on 7th June. Five days
later, Erdogans ruling party won over 50 percent votes in Turkish polls. UNbacked court probing into Hariris murder handed over sealed indictment
and arrest warrants to prosecutor general of Lebanon on 30 th June. On 7th
July, Israel battened down the hatches at its main airport, awaiting hundreds
of pro-Palestinian activists as Greece blocked the last boat in a scuppered
campaign to ship aid to the Gaza Strip.
Jordanian kings motorcade was attacked in southern city of Tafileh
on 13 June. Sunni rulers regained the control of Bahrain with the help of
Saudi Arabia and the US. However, thousands of people demanded reform
in Bahrain on 11th June. Eight senior politicians were sentenced for
imprisonment for life on 22nd June for taking part in anti-regime protests.
th

Twenty-four people were killed in attacks on a mosque in central Iraq

on 4 June. Next day, three soldiers were killed in a bomb blast west of
Baghdad. On 6th June, eight people were wounded in car bomb attack in
Baghdad. Next day, 13 people were killed in bomb blast in Tikrit.
th

On 13th June, four people were killed in suicide attack in Basra. Six
days later, Iraq sought help of the UN for hunting $17 billion of its oil
money that went missing as result of the US invasion. On 20 th June,
parliamentarians accused the US of stealing $17 billion oil money after

1117

invasion of Iraq. Next day, 26 people were killed and 30 wounded in twin
car bombing at governors house in Diwaniyah, Central Iraq.
On 22nd June, one person was killed and 30 wounded in four bomb
blasts across Iraq. Next day, 34 people were killed and 80 wounded in three
bomb blasts in Baghdad. On 26th June, a suicide bomber in wheelchair killed
two wounded 17, including nine policemen in a town north of Baghdad. On
5th July, at least 35 people were killed and 28 wounded when a car bomb and
an improvised bomb exploded simultaneously outside a government office
in the city of Taji north of Baghdad.
Three protesters were killed in Syria on 4th June and death toll in
Fridays protests reached 70. Next day, 23 Syrians were killed and 350
wounded when Israeli troops opened fire at protesters in Golan Heights. On
6th June, armed gangs ambushed a convoy in northwest Syria and killed 120
policemen. Next day, the toll in clashes with security forces reached 120.
On 11th June, Syrians exodus into Turkey continued. Three days later,
six people were killed by security forces and tanks were deployed near Iraq
border. Turkey urged Syria not to use force against protesters. On 16 th June,
Syrian forces pressed its crackdown on dissent and deployed tanks in
another town in the north. Next day, 16 protesters were killed. Angelina Jolie
visited Syrian refugees in Turkey.
On 18th June, 19 people were killed when forces stormed a border
town near Turkey. Two days later, Assad blamed foreign powers for
supporting violence in Syria. He urged people to listen to their government
and promised political reforms ensuring maximum participation of the
masses.
On 22nd June, seven protesters were killed after Assad announced
amnesty. Syria warned against outside interference. Next day, Syrians
continued fleeing into Turkey. On 24th June, eleven protesters were killed in
various parts of Syria, Next day, five people were killed and 200 arrested
during protests in Syria.
On 26th June, five people were killed in Syria in the ongoing protests
and clashes. On 28th June, Russian envoy called for end to violence in Syria.
Next day, four people were killed in Syrian uprising. On 1 st July, six people
were killed in Syrian protests. Next day, Assad sacked the governor of Hama
province on Saturday, a day after tens of thousands of protesters massed in
the provincial capital to demand the Syrian leader step down. On 5 th July, 11
people were killed by army in the city of Hama. Fifteen protesters were
killed on 8th July.
1118

In Yemen, nine soldiers were killed in an ambush on 5 th June. Tens of

thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate as Saleh went to Saudi
Arabia. Vice president assumed the office of acting head of state. Two days
later, seven soldiers were killed in a clash with rebels and nineteen protesters
were killed separately. Thousands of demonstrators urged Saleh to stay out.
On 8th June, thirty dead bodies were found. Three days later, 30 people
were killed in clashes in southern Yemen. On 12th June, protesters
participating in a rally in Sanaa asked Saleh to stay away. Twenty-one
people were killed in clashes with rebels in the south.
On 14th June, a Yemeni officer was killed in bomb blast in Aden. Next
day, three soldiers were killed in the south as rebels captured another village.
On 17th June, Saudi authorities announced that Saleh wont return to Yemen.
Two days later, security forces claimed killing 13 al-Qaeda militants; two
soldiers were also killed in the clash.
On 22nd June, 62 al-Qaeda prisoners escaped from a jail. A week later,
thirty soldiers were killed in Zanjibar in clashes with al-Qaeda militants and
four people were killed and 12 wounded in air strike. On 30 th June, five
soldiers were killed in a clash with al-Qaeda militants in the south.
On 7th July, President Ali Abdullah Saleh, his face burned and his
hands covered with bandages, appeared on television for the first time since
he was wounded in a bomb attack on his palace in Sanaa. He showed his
willingness for transfer of power as per constitution.

Elsewhere in the world nothing significant happened in last five

weeks; except a Russian Army Colonel was shot dead in Chechnya on 10th
June.
Two days later it was reported that Obama Administration was
leading a global effort to establish shadow internet and cell phone systems
to help dissidents undermine authoritarian governments. On 24th June, a
survey report said Islamophobia has increased since election of Obama as
President and hatred against Muslims has risen in the US. A week later,
Panetta took over charge from Robert Gates as Defence Secretary.

VIEWS
On 7th June, The News observed: There was jubilation in some
sections of Yemeni society when it was announced that President Ali
Abdullah Saleh, injured in an explosion last Friday, had been flown to Saudi
Arabia for treatment. The assumption quickly arrived at on scanty evidence

1119

was that this was the end for Saleh, and he would never return. That might
be a little premature. It is also premature to understand what is happening in
Yemen as in some way a part of the Arab Awakening that is seeing
democratic regimes replace despots As evidenced by Colonel Qaddafi in
Libya and President Assad in Syria, despots can be hard to dislodge, and
Saleh is not without support. Whether he returns or not is in the hands of the
regional broker Saudi Arabia, and for their own reasons the Saudis
may not want to see an end to Saleh, and neither do the Americans.
America has bolstered the Saleh regime as a bulwark against alQaeda, which is believed to have a strong and active presence in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has itself been unsettled by events in the Arab world in the last
six months and although there is no sign that the Saudi regime is vulnerable,
there is a fear of cross infection from the restive states that surround it
including Yemen. If there is to be a transition then the Saudis and the
Americans would want to carefully stage-manage it, and President
Obama has already reportedly spoken to Yemeni acting Vice-President Abed
Rabbo Hadi and we may assume an exchange of words between the White
House and Riyadh.
Hadi is regarded as a lightweight by most in Yemen, and if he does
become caretaker, his first job will be to ensure that a truce between tribes
holds and that Salehs son and his nephews, all of whom command
substantial military forces, can be kept in check. The Yemen crisis is a mix
of inter-elite rivalries, burgeoning secessionist movements in both north
and south, turf-wars between tribes and an unfocused populist movement
that lacks a leader but is picking up martyrs by the day. This is no Facebook
or Twitter-driven uprising; this is an old-fashioned clash of arms, interests
and rivalries. Spring may be far off blooming in Yemen.
Aijaz Zaka Syed felt the need for an Arab lobby in the US. Excerpts
from his column are reproduced: Pundits arent still done debating
Netanyahus little circus in the Congress last week; which isnt surprising.
Even though we have all been familiar with the long tradition of US
politicians forever dancing to Israels tunes and eating out of the hand of
its lobby, Bibis endless adulation in the Congress was nonetheless hard to
digest.
As Israeli commentator Uri Avnery put it, Netanyahus speech could
be summed up in one word: NO. No to peace. No giving up or sharing of
Jerusalem. No right of return for Palestinian refugees. No peace talks as
long as Fatah and Hamas are at peace with each other. More important, a
1120

resounding no to Obamas call for the Palestinian state on the land that Israel
captured after the 1967 war. Yet they cheered Bibi on even as he heaped
abuse on Palestinians, Arabs and even Islam, peddling lie after brazen lie
with a straight face.
Even if Obama is sincere in his commitment to peace and I believe
he is he is utterly helpless before the awesome, brute power of the
Israeli lobby. This is why he had to rush to the AIPAC meet a day after
Netanyahu snubbed him at the White House to eat his own words and
reassure the almighty Lobby on the ironclad nature of the US-Israel
equation. He wasnt alone.
As The Economist reports, 67 senators and 286 members of the
House of Representatives joined 10,000 delegates at the AIPAC dinner, a
powerful testament to the clout of the J Steet. And its not just the Jewish
votes, Jewish money and support of the largely Jewish-controlled US media
that politicians covet. They are mortally afraid of the Israeli lobbys farreaching power and its propensity to punish the slightest slight or
defiance real or imagined. No politician can defy the fiat of the lobby and
live to tell the tale.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Jewish donors of the
Democratic Party have already warned Obamas campaign that they
could expect little support from them if theres no change in Obamas stand
on Israel. Its hardly a secret that the Israeli lobby is a major contributor of
funds to both Republicans and Democrats, and more so in the Democrats
case, as Jewish voters have traditionally voted for the Democrats. No
wonder every politician on both sides of the aisle is sucking up to J Street.
Which begs the question: Why cant the Arabs have their own
lobby in the US to protect their interests and force the US establishment
to pay attention to their genuine grievances? Almost every country and
every major company has its lobby group or public-relations consultancy to
look after its interests in the US. So, instead of constantly wailing over the
Israeli stranglehold over US politics, why cant Arabs do something on this
front when their vital interests are at take? Lobby culture is part of US
politics and plays a crucial role in influencing the choices of decisionmakers.
Instead of spending their precious resources and time and energy
on pointless pursuits like camel racing and horseracing and buying
expensive, useless junk like fighter jets and tanks, the Arabs would do well
to divert some of those funds to present their side of the story. I am not
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suggesting buying the conscience and support of politicians, as the Israeli

lobby has done all these years to perpetuate the tyranny of a ruthless, racist
regime. Truth and justice are on the side of Palestinians and Arabs, and the
whole world knows it. Its high time the notoriously uninformed and gullible
Americans realized it.
A week later, Rizwan Asghar commented on Turkish polls. The
process of Turkeys transition to democracy has always been hampered by
the politically intrusive role of its military and the ultra-secular old guard.
Since 1960, the military has intervened many times to dictate a puritanical
version of Kemalist principles in Turkish politics. The recent countrywide
polls could lead to the establishment of a true democratic order in the
country.
Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has got its
third electoral victory in the June 12 elections. More than 40 million voters
came out to elect the members of the 550-seat Grand National Assembly that
will rule the country for the next four years. Prime Minister Erdogans party
has clinched 328 seats and has remained the largest ruling political party in
the Grand National Assembly. The main secular opposition, the Republican
Peoples Party (CHP), got 135 seats with the Nationalist Action Party (MHP)
capturing 58 seats and the independents securing 29 seats. By achieving this
landmark victory, the AKP has done something that no other party has
been able to do in Turkey over the last five decades winning three
elections in a row.
The AKP, which has ruled the country since November 2002, has
won support by ensuring steady economic growth. Per capita income in
Turkey has grown from less than $3,000 in 2000 to $10,000 in 2010 and the
country has recovered from the global recession by growing faster than any
other country save China. Turkey, a nation of 74 million people, is the
worlds seventeenth biggest economy and a leading member of the G20
club. In the recent elections, Erdogan pledged to make his country one of
the worlds 10 largest economies by the year 2023, the 100th anniversary
of the Turkish Republic. The countrys location between Europe and the
Middle East lends it huge geopolitical significance.
Erdogan is also liked for securing the opening of EU accession talks
in 2005 and for elbowing the army out of politics. Erdogan has also taken
significant steps towards resolving the Kurdish issue. Since 2002, Erdogan
has given Kurds more freedom and autonomy than they had before, for
which he deserves credit. His Kurdish opening policy in 2009 promised
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still more, including amnesty for the PKK guerrilla fighters based in the
mountains of northern Iraq. The AKPs religiosity is a minor problem in the
eyes of some of its opponents but a majority feels that Turkey has become
a better place to live in since the coming of the AKP in 2002.
A look at the political debates in Turkey reveals that the biggest
issue at stake is constitutional changes. The AKP wants to gain a majority
in parliament in order to push through a new constitution regardless of the
position of opposition parties. A constitutional amendment requires at least
367 votes but if the number of supporters is between 330 and 367, the
amendment will automatically be taken to a referendum.
Though all Turkish political parties agree on the need to revisit the
constitution drafted by the army following the 1980 military coup, they have
not been able to agree on a modus operandi. With 328 seats of its own
combined with the support of independents, Erdogans party remains in a
position to move towards adopting a new constitution without
compromising its stance In these elections no accusation of rigging has
been leveled against the ruling AKP.
On 15th June, Tanvir Ahmad Khan wrote: To lead the people, the
Chinese sage Lao Tzu advised some 2,500 years ago, walk behind them.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has done both admirably. He
walked behind the people to read their aspirations and, at the same
time, provided strong leadership on a broad range of national issues. The
Turkish people gave a resounding endorsement of his policies and
governance in Sundays elections by electing his Justice and development
Party (AKP) for the third time and with a decisive majority
By 1990s, Turkey was witnessing a large internal migration from
villages to the major cities. The distinctly religious migrants were a caravan
of faith heading back to the cities, especially Istanbul. Rapid urbanization
was a double-edged sword. It could become a major factor of instability if
Turkey did not progress exponentially. Erdogan presided over rapid, often
consumption-driven, reforms and an unprecedented growth in Turkeys
external trade. It diversified trade especially with Russia, the Middle East
and Africa and should soon be at a point where it would be more in the
interest of the European Union to invite Turkey in rather than
condescendingly hand over lists of requirements to it to join. In its first term
of office, AKP developed a communitarian-liberal economy, an
intermediate way between the extremes of freedom and regulation. The
objective was to balance economic growth with distributive justice. This
1123

strategy connected AKP to the Islamic voters who were disillusioned with
the old established parties.
Erdogan understood well how and why earlier Islamic parties that
sought to channel the Muslim reaction to the excesses of the Kemalist
secularists had foundered upon the rock of a powerful Westernized political
class backed by the armys own secularism. As the mayor of Istanbul,
Erdogan had demonstrated that a cultural reassertion of Islam need not be
acrimonious. This is why a confrontation with secularists was not his
first priority. He wanted to demonstrate that a multi-party Islamic
democracy would work in Turkey. The state under him did not embark upon
a proselytizing mission but allowed an environment of a free examination of
Islam in the context of Turkeys modernity.
AKP rule was not without a hiccup or two caused by the militarys
reservations about Erdogan, but he remained mindful of the past sensitivities
of the armed forces while using people power to restrain their interventionist
habit. A triumphant Erdogan is now poised to carry out far-reaching
constitutional reforms. Hardcore secularists are alarmed; so are Turkeys
Western friends, who did not really want the AKP to win so handsomely.
Once again, Erdogan should be expected to prove them wrong with his
penchant for calibrated action. Turkey has decided well.
On 17th June, Nauman Asghar opined: The Arab revolution has
entered its second phase, which is characterized by foreign interference. The
gains of the revolution go much beyond the expectations of the outside
world. The people in the Arab world have broken the shackles of
psychological fear and seem determined to take their destiny into their own
hands.
The revolution in Egypt swept away one of the most entrenched
dictatorships in the Arab world. Egypts biggest problem, in the wake of
the ouster of Hosny Mubarak, was to chart a new path to reforms. The
people there have for the first time freely voted in a referendum on
constitutional changes defining the framework of the countrys future
political order.
Members of the former regime in Egypt, including the ousted
president and his key cabinet figures, face trial in courts. Without their
accountability, the aspiration of the Tahrir Square protestors will
remain unfulfilled. The changes envisaged through the constitutional
referendum include reduction in the tenure of the president from six years to
four years and a limitation of two terms for the president. There will also be
1124

fewer restrictions on the nomination of a presidential candidate, and judicial

supervision of the entire election process. The highest court will get the
authority to arbitrate disputed election results and there will be restrictions
on when the president can declare a state of emergency.
Some sceptics say that the revolution in Egypt has been hijacked
by the Military Council with the collusion of the Muslim Brotherhood.
But such apprehensions are baseless. The ruling council has introduced a
new Political Parties Law which eases restrictions on the legal establishment
of new political parties in Egypt. Parliamentary elections in Egypt are set to
take place in September 2011. It may take some time for the democratic
process to take roots there.
In Tunisia prospects for democracy are equally promising.
Elections to the new constituent assembly of Tunisia will be held in October.
Rachid al-Ghannouchi, the leader of the largest religious party, Al-Nahda,
has signed an agreement with secular parties under which no restrictions will
be placed on womens freedom, because Al-Nahda cannot afford to lose
voters. A consensus is emerging among the political actors on what shape the
new government will take. Eighty-two political parties have got themselves
registered and the people will get an opportunity to exercise the right to elect
their own government in the forthcoming general elections. One-party
dictatorship has given way to a pluralistic culture where values of tolerance
and co-existence will thrive.
Intense violence erupted in Yemen after President Ali Abdullah Saleh
refused to accept the power transition deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation
Council last month. The task of orderly, peaceful and democratic transition
in Yemen has been complicated by the tribal rivalries and the biggest
challenge is to stop the country sliding into civil war. Despite the fact that
President Saleh has left the country for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia,
the protests involving the youth are not likely to cease unless a complete
transformation is achieved. The regional states must play a role in postSaleh Yemen to put the country on the path to normalcy. The
international military Intervention in Libya authorized under the United
Nations Security Council 1973 has made things complex, but the endgame
for Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi is not far away.
Muammar Qaddafi has set a bad precedent through his violent
crackdown on demonstrators. President Bashar al-Assad is also unleashing
brute force on his people. President Assad is fighting a losing battle and has
forfeited his chance of exit with some semblance of dignity. His regime has
1125

been shaken to its foundations and the people will be satisfied with nothing
less than a complete overhaul of the authoritarian system. The increasing
use of force, intimidation and torture has strengthened the Syrian
peoples demands for change.
The increasing pressure for reforms has not left the kingdom of Saudi
Arabia unscathed. A campaign has been launched in Saudi Arabia urging the
authorities to allow women to drive cars. This campaign was started by a 32year old Saudi woman, who has withdrawn from the protest under the
coercion of state officials. But the movement will gather momentum in the
days to come and King Abdullah will not be able to resist the change, like
his counterparts in the neighbouring countries. King Abdullah is trying to
prevent a revolution breaking out in his country. He has also unveiled a $36billion public spending programme, but he must realize that time has come
to start political reforms and give civil liberties to the people. A new order
is born in the Arab world and these political changes will go a long way
in ultimately bringing about social revolutions in Arab societies.
On 23rd June, Iftekhar A Khan observed: The series of wars the USNATO forces have launched have a common denominator. All the targeted
countries, which are militarily weak Muslim states, possess either huge
energy reserves or are situated along critical routes to energy sources.
While wars go on in four countries Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Yemen
in the fifth, Pakistan, it is escalating. Pretexts vary for the invasion of these
countries. In Afghanistan, the Western forces are fighting to defend
(Western) freedoms and values; in other countries, like Libya, there isnt
even a need for a pretext. Only Barack Obamas recent proclamation would
do, that the US has the right to wage wars wherever it considers its interests
and values were at stake.
Before Mr Obama entered the White House, people suffering in
various countries because of US policies had hoped for a positive change
In Libya, UN resolution 1973 provides enough cover for the US-led alliance
to launch a devastating air campaign to obliterate the infrastructure
and annihilate the civilian population before the boots could move in. As
the Libyan people face the most perilous situation, the robed Arab
leaderships observe a deafening silence. As if its a heart attack they think
only happens to others.
The Libyan war, already into its third month, is moving apace. The
combined air forces of the US-UK-France coalition have destroyed
almost everything that moved; now they are destroying all things that
1126

stand. Even Al Fateh University in Tripoli was hit by cruise missiles, as

confirmed by former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who has recently
been on her second fact-finding mission to Libya. The university has 10,000
undergraduates, 800 masters degree candidates, and 18 PhDs enrolled. Ms
McKinney is the candidate of the Green Party in the 2012 presidential
election.
On June 12, speaking over Progressive Radios News Hour,
McKinney said she witnessed non-military sites, such as hospitals, schools
and homes bombed, which caused innumerable civilian casualties. Is
destroying hospitals and universities part of the humanitarian intervention
that the NATO forces have launched in Libya?
Evidently, the first phase of the invasion is to completely decimate
Libyas infrastructure, because only then could the second phase begin
the phase of the countrys reconstruction by Western companies, with the use
of Libyan oil money. What we witness in Libya is a replay of the invasion of
Iraq, minus the hoax of Saddam Husseins weapons of mass destruction
For imperial powers, there is no business better than the war
business. And this phenomenon isnt new. Brig Gen Smedley Butler of
Britain, winner of the Military Cross, had detailed in his 1935 book War is a
Racket how profitable the business of war was. Imperialist policies havent
since changed.
Amid battering of Islamic countries Tayyab Siddiqui remembered
OIC without saying; God bless her soul! He wrote: The failure of the
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) the so-called representative
organization of 57 Muslim states representing one billion Muslims mandated
to safeguard dignity, independence and national rights of all Muslim
peoples is galling. It is no where to be seen or heard.
Tayyab mentioned some the crises faced By Islamic World and then
added: The OIC has failed to respond meaningfully to any of these crises or
demonstrate any unity of thought and action except issue high sounding
declarations at the end of summits. Nothing was ever done to contain the
crisis, avert tragedy or counter the negative images of Islam as a source of
violence, intolerance and terror.
The dynamic Mahatir Mohammad, Prime Minister of Malaysia while
hosting the 10th summit in Kuala Lumpur in 2003 made a frank analysis of
the prevailing situation and gave a clarion call for restructuring and
reforming the OIC to make it relevant. A commission of eminent persons
was set up to examine the malaise. It made practical and concrete
1127

suggestions to revitalize the OIC. A special summit held in Mecca in

December 2005 approved the recommendations and agreed on a 10 year
strategy plan for Islamic renascence and pursue policies to face the
formidable challenges on all fronts. Ten billion dollars were allocated for
the programme. The matter rests there since and the OIC has since relapsed
into a state of stupor.
On 28th June, Tayyab Siddiqui wrote about Sudan: On 9 th July a new
country will emerge on the map of the world. The Republic of South Sudan
will become the 55th state on the African continent. This will be yet another
success story for the strategy of the west and US to control the oil
resources of Muslim countries, through a familiar pattern of aggression
and sanctions against weak Muslim states
The saga of referendum and eventual partition however is not
over yet. There are critical issues such as demarcation of border between
two countries, sharing the oil revenue and the future of the disputed region
of Abyei, which needs to be settled before the emergence of new state.
Sudan produces 500,000 barrels of oil a day. South Sudan gets 98
percent of its revenue from the crude, while 45 percent of the Khartoum
budget comes from oil which makes up around 90 percent of its exports.
Most oil reserves are in the Abyei region bordering the North and South. The
North has pipelines and refineries; the South about 75 percent of the
reserves. The sharing of the oil revenue has thus complicated the picture
further and become the most contentious post referendum issue.
Originally referendum was to be held simultaneously in the region of Abyei
but could not be held.
The unresolved status of Abyei led Northern forces to take over the
border region on May 21, fuelling speculation of renewed war between
North and South. The military push invited condemnation of Khartoum by
the west and US, blaming it for deteriorating the security situation, through a
Security Council resolution. The neo-cons found an opportunity to seek
an application of a Responsibility to Protect doctrine as currently
invoked in Libya.
Earlier on President Al-Bashir has been under intense diplomatic
pressure on the Darfur issue which earned him the epithet of a war criminal
by ICC in The Hague. Before the referendum, controversial reports appeared
in the West blaming Khartoum for thwarting the referendum and risking an
all out war rather than go for referendum. Bashir defied all the predictions
and willingly accepted the secession. The South is now being encouraged
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to lodge claim not only for Abyei but for Blue Nile and the Kordofan
states bordering the North to further destabilize Sudan. To defuse the
situation the Sudanese president has proposed a rotating administration in
Abyei with joint committee taking control in Abyei and to demilitarize Blue
Nile and Kordofan along with common border.
The African Union got into the fray and finally a peace agreement
has been signed that provides for full demilitarization of Abyei with
deployment of Ethiopian troops as peace keeping forces. The mandate
and size of troops will be determinant by the Security Council. The
agreement has been brokered by Thabo Mbeki former president of South
Africa. While the agreement has been signed by the leader of both North and
South, trouble is still expected in the run-up to Souths independence
declaration.
Looking back at the last 10 years, a definite pattern has been seen
of how the West and US weakens and controls Muslims states rich with
energy resources through military aggression and economic sanctions. To
their eternal infamy, none of the Muslim countries or organizations have
resisted or even protested these blatant hostile policies, driven primarily by
Islamophobia. Their silence is simply deafening and extremely dangerous
inviting evermore predatory policies against them.
On 2nd July, Robert Fisk wrote: More than six years after ex-prime
minister Rafiq Hariri was blown up by a truck bomb on the Beirut Corniche
along with 21 other Lebanese, a UN Special Tribunal has blamed four
Hezbollah officials for the assassination and issued arrest warrants for the
quartet.
The UN initially pointed the finger at Lebanese security officials
who were imprisoned and then released then Syrian officials (whose
identities they then tried to keep secret), and finally, on Thursday, decided
that Israel's principal enemy in Lebanon, the Hezbollah, was to blame.
Mustapha Badraddin, the head of the militia's military operations, topped the
list the Lebanese press had been telling us this for weeks and thus
produced immediate chaos within the new Lebanese government in which
Hezbollah has a number of seats.
How can you rule a country when one of your principal cabinet blocs
killed the father of the man who ran the previous government, ex-prime
minister Saad Hariri? The new premier, Najib Mikati, a billionaire (many
are, although this one was a wealthy man before he took over the
government), immediately appeared on television to tell the Lebanese that
1129

these were merely indictments, not proofs of guilt. It was important, he said,
to be patient and rational.
This, of course, is a tall order. The largest religious community in
Lebanon are the Shia (to whom the Hezbollah are loyal), the second largest
the Sunni (to whom the Hariris belong). So the one thing the country did
not need right now were these indictments from the UN.
Next day, Cynthia Mckinney wrote: While the apparatus of our
government has been used for over ten years to inform the American people
and the global community that al-Qaeda is an enemy of freedom-loving
people all over the world, the President chooses to ally our military with
none other than al-Qaeda elements in Libya and other people whom US
intelligence say they do not know.
Additionally, US Admiral Locklear admitted to a Member of
Congress that one of NATOs missions was to assassinate Muammar
Qaddafi. And, indeed, NATO bombs have killed Qaddafis son and three
grandchildren; just as US bombs in 1986 killed his daughter. NATO bombs
just recently killed the grandchildren of one of Qaddafis associates in a
targeted assassination attempt. Targeted assassination is not within the scope
of the United Nations Security Council Resolution and targeted assassination
is against US law, international law, international humanitarian law, and
international human rights law. Targeted assassination is also a crime. We
certainly cannot encourage others to abide by the law when we so openly
break it. While in Libya, I witnessed NATOs targeting of civilians: NATO
bombs and missiles landed in residential neighbourhoods, hit schools,
exploded near hospitals, destroyed parts of the public broadcasting
infrastructure, and narrowly missed killing students at Al Fateh University.
When civilians are targeted in war, or low kinetic activities, crimes are
committed.
NATO practices in Libya are exactly like Israels practices in
Gaza: fishermen are killed as they go about their fishing business, a naval
blockade allows arms to flow to NATOs Libyan allies, but stops food, fuel,
and medicine from entering non-NATO ally-held areas. The entire
population suffers as a result. Collective punishment is illegal when Israel
practices it against the people of Gaza and collective punishment is illegal
when NATO practices it.
NATO and hyperbolic press accounts have introduced a kind of race
hatred that the Libyan people have been trying hard to erase. Approximately
50% of Libya looks like me. Innocent darker skinned Libyans have been
1130

targeted, tortured, harassed, and killed. The people of Libya have the right to
self-determination. They have a right to resource nationalism. They have a
right to live in peace. They have a right to determine their future and they
need not exercise their rights underneath the shock and awe of NATO
bombs and missiles.
On 3rd July, Syed Shariq opined: The extent of the malaise in the
Muslim world requires a comprehensive change, not just a change of
faces. Replacing Ben Ali in Tunisia or Mubarak in Egypt with those who
worked with, supported, or even legitimized their regimes is no solution.
Democracy is not the solution either. Pakistan and Sudan are democracies
after all, and are no better than an Egypt or Tunisia. What is required is a
comprehensive change at the level of the regime and system.
This is what the people want. The emphatic slogan of the uprisings
was unequivocal: The people want the downfall of the regime; not the
President, but the entire regime. This is, of course, the type of change
Western governments do not want. They have been working hard to hijack
the uprisings and to get away with mere cosmetic changes. Undoubtedly,
their role in the uprisings has been intrusive, exploitative and hypocritical. In
this regard, the West continues to doublespeak.
The propaganda is also persistent. If one were to go by the coverage
of the mainstream media or the pronouncements of Western leaders, one
would think that people of the Middle East and North Africa have finally
seen the 'light' of the Western way of life, and are calling for liberal
democracy. This could not be further from the truth. Being subject to
decades of Western imperialism, Muslims have an intimate appreciation of
what Western ideology has to offer, and they reject it outright. Instead,
keeping the historical context in mind, it is clear to any impartial observer
that it is the Islamic revival that gathers steam and the Muslims want
change on the basis of Islam. The proof of this has been furnished
elsewhere. And so they should. It is not the European model of the secular
nation-state that represents the values, beliefs and history of the Muslim
world; it is the Islamic model of the Caliphate.
The Caliphate, far from being a threat to the world that some
would have us believe, would be a source of progress. For one, it will fill
the political and leadership vacuum in the Muslim world and, thereby, would
be a source of stability, and, in turn, progress and prosperity. A stable
Muslim world means a much more stable and peaceful world. Two, the
Caliphate would offer a new intellectual and political leadership to rival, and
1131

break USAs monopoly as the sole superpower, whose foreign policy has
wreaked much havoc on the world. Surely, advocates of liberalism cannot
argue against competition?
Many in the West will disagree with our arguments. As long as they
are open to civil debate and discussion, we are ready to respectfully engage.
Many will vehemently oppose the idea of the Caliphate in the Muslim
world. As long as they are sincere and consistent in applying their criterion
of judgment to current superpowers, we are ready to listen. This is a
discussion that needs to be had. But we hope that people in the West will
call a spade a spade and will take the moral and principled stance to
account their governments and prevent them from quashing the dreams
and wishes of the people in the Muslim world.
Next day, Marwan Al Kabalan observed: Despite what appears to be
genuine democratic movement in the Arab world, the fear of instability in
various parts of the Middle East provides the champions of the status
quo with a lifeline to advance their argument which has always favoured
stability over democracy. Scholars and analysts, who have never believed
that the Arab world can ever embrace democracy as a political and economic
system, are exploiting the difficult transition to democracy in Libya, Yemen
and Syria to make their voice heard in US academic and political circles.
Through lobbying, publicity and media coverage they have been
trying to influence US policy in the Middle East at a time when the Obama
Administration is struggling to establish a clear strategy to deal with the
unexpected developments in the Arab region. The fact that a state is
despotic does not necessarily make it immoral. That is the essential fact of
the Middle East that those intent on enforcing democracy abroad forget,
Robert Kaplan, a distinguished US writer, argued in an article published in
the Washington Post.
A few years ago, such voices were eclipsed by the shock of 9/11. At
the time, the real threat for America seemed to be coming from
undemocratic regimes and failed states' in the Middle East. The rationale
behind this argument was that there are failed', rogue' and weak' states in
the world that are, in varying ways, brutalizing and killing their own people,
disrupting regional stability, developing weapons of mass destruction,
engaging in acts of terror or are linked with violent anti-western terrorist
organizations. In such cases, it is the moral duty of democratic states to
intervene in a variety of ways, including militarily, and even pre-

1132

emptively, to ensure that humanitarian crises are brought to an end, that

good government is restored or implanted and that order reigns.
In the early years of the George W. Bush administration, democratic
imperialists gained the upper hand, wherein their ideas served as the guiding
principle for the US global strategy. In a world where evil is still very
real, democratic principles must be backed with power in all its forms:
political and economic, cultural and moral, and yes, sometimes military,
former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice suggested once. Iraq was the first
step in a long process to implement this strategy: overthrow Arab autocrats
and replace them with democratically elected governments.
This optimism, which accompanied the drive for democracy in
the Arab world, did not last long, however. The failure of the Iraq venture
and the rise of movements in Iraq, Egypt and the Palestinian territories
through the ballot box undercut the influence of this school, giving way for a
rival argument to emerge. So-called traditional realists argued that pressure
for democracy will present the US with a number of immediate dangers and
few clear advantages.
The likelihood of the Middle East producing fully democratic
regimes in the next 10-15 years is remote; it enjoys none of the recognized
prerequisites for sustaining democracy: its elites are not committed to
democracy, its population is not homogeneous, its national institutions are
extremely weak and its per capita GDP is lower than the level commonly
viewed as the democratic tipping point.
Furthermore, the transition to democracy would almost certainly
lead to the disintegration of state institutions, such as the army and police
and Arab countries would slip into chaos and inter-confessional violence.
Worse still for this school was that the likely alternative to the existing Arab
regimes are Islamic governments run by the Muslim Brotherhood. When the
Obama administration came to power a couple of years ago, developments
on the grounds in Iraq and Afghanistan seemed to be approving the
argument of this school. He therefore dumped the democracy promotion
thesis and decided to focus instead on stability through strengthening
relations with the autocrats of the Arab and Islamic world. The belief that
America must support authoritarian regimes or else face a chaotic situation
gained momentum in Washington. The relatively smooth transition in Egypt
and Tunisia earlier this year must have disappointed traditional realists.
It is early to suggest, though, that the pro-stability school has
completely lost ground inside the Obama Administration. What is clear;
1133

however, is that a titanic intellectual conflict over the direction of US foreign

policy and the future of the Arab world is taking place in Washington. Alas,
this happens while the Arab world needs all the assistance required to get
through the transformation process from autocracy to democracy.
Shlomo Ben Am wrote: The bad news is that Europe's feebleness
and America's fatigue might also signal the limits of noble ideas such as
the obligation to interfere in order to protect populations being
brutalized by their own rulers. America's reluctance to be drawn into the
Libyan quagmire, and the West's failure to intervene in order to stop the
Syrian army from massacring civilians, now looks like a sad, and fairly
accurate, guide to the future.
On 5th July, David Gardner observed: Just as a successful strategy in
Afghanistan would need to divide the forces loosely branded as Taliban, the
best way to wear down the Gaddafi and Assad regimes is to split them
and bodies like the ICC can help. As the isolation of the dictators and their
inner circle grows, their henchmen increasingly confront the choice of
whether they should defect, or risk ending up against the same wall or, at
best, in the same dock, as their masters. This was a tactic, albeit deployed by
European intelligence services, used to prey on the minds of Slobodan
Milosevics generals, who in the end deserted him.
Brian Whitaker wrote: Colonel Gaddafi can stay in Libya if he
gives up power, the head of the opposition movement said on Sunday in a
move that could ease the way towards a political solution of the conflict that
has now been raging for more than four months. Mustafa Abdel Jalil, chair
of the Transitional National Council, told Reuters
The situation in Libya is complicated by the arrest warrants for
Gaddafi and his son issued last month by the International Criminal Court.
Letting him stay in Libya under international supervision is probably
impractical, since it would amount to protecting him from arrest in
defiance of the ICC.
The transitional councils offer was apparently made privately a
month ago, before the ICC issued its warrants, and there is some speculation
as to why Jalil has raised it in public now. His remarks coincided with a visit
from the Turkish foreign minister which resulted in Turkey throwing its
weight more firmly behind the Libyan opposition recognizing the
transitional council as the countrys legitimate representative and promising
a further $200m in aid.

1134

Talk of internal exile for Gaddafi may also be connected with

attempts by the African Union to set up negotiations between the regime
and the opposition. An apparent concession by the regime is that discussions
could be held without the colonels direct involvement.
Another possibility suggested by Ranj Alaaldin, an analyst and
contributor to Comment is free, is that the opposition could be giving him
one last chance before launching an offensive on his Tripoli stronghold.
Some media reports have suggested that opposition forces are preparing to
attack the capital but are concerned about the risk of bloodshed if they do
so.
On 7th July, Alia Brahimi talked of changing' face of Qaeda, though
she did not mention that in Libya the US was backing al-Qaeda. Lately, alQaeda's strategists view the Muslim population in the west as their ace
in the hole. According to al-Qaeda military strategist Abu Musab al-Suri,
the group seeks to increasingly exploit the potential of self-radicalized
Muslims who are 'able to be present in the west in a natural way'. These
individuals provide al-Qaeda with a broader base from which to project
power from. As Adam Gadahn argued in his most recent video appearance,
Muslims in the west are perfectly placed to play an important and decisive
role, particularly as America is awash with firearms which can be easily
obtainable at gun shows without identification.
Furthermore, individual operations are much harder to detect and
intercept because, as al-Qaeda's 'Inspire' Magazine points out, nobody else in
the world needs to know what these lone operatives are thinking and
planning. The global jihad becomes at once universal and highly
particularized.
Most importantly, from a strategic perspective, such operations shift
al-Qaeda's violence out of the Islamic world and back into the western
heartland. In short, their targets are necessarily western. This second wave of
democratization is designed, in many ways, to counter the problems created
by the first wave: bin Laden's brand was gravely damaged by the horrific
massacres of Muslim civilians perpetrated by loosely affiliated groups. From
Afghanistan to Algeria, the bloodbaths which took place under al-Qaeda's
banner targeted the very Muslims al-Qaeda was supposed to be
protecting.
The aim is to get back to basics and start hitting western targets
again. A few successful examples are routinely put forward as models for
jihad al-fard (individual jihad): Taimour al-Abdeli, who detonated a car
1135

bomb and his own suicide bomb in Stockholm; Major Nidal Hassan, the US
military psychiatrist who went on a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood army
base in Texas; and Roshonara Choudhry who, seconds after smiling at her
local MP, British politician Stephen Timms, plunged a knife into his stomach
in May 2010. The latter is most significant because it is believed Choudhry
had no contact with any radical recruiters or cells, and plotted her attack
entirely alone.
The emergence of the strain of thought privileging terrorism by
individuals coincides with the rise of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
(AQAP), whose ideologists are vigorously re-imagining the landscapes of
jihad. Inspire magazine is AQAP's publication, and its glossy pages
increasingly advocate 'individual terrorism'. In the latest edition's letters
section, an anonymous Muslim living in the west asks about the best way to
reach the jihad frontiers. Stay where you are, he is advised, and focus on
planning an operation in the west instead, like attacking an army recruitment
centre or a nightclub.
A few pages later, AQAP's military commander, Abu Hureirah, calls
for an operation in their midst in response to every drone attack in
Waziristan or act of aggression against the Palestinians. It is Abu
Hureirah's hope that the magazine will soon offer a military section
dedicated to explaining what the Muslim should do on the western front.
This would presumably complement the recurring Open Source Jihad
section, which advises on how to make a bomb in your mum's kitchen (Issue
I) and how to outfit a pickup truck with blades so that it can be used to mow
down Allah's enemies (Issue II).
Also associated with AQAP is the charismatic preacher Anwar alAwlaki, whose fluent English, soft intonation and sharp wit are directed
conscientiously at Muslims living in the west. A trained cleric, his
religious addresses are suffused cleverly with a very articulate brand of antiimperial politics. Awlaki was in email contact with Nidal Hassan and his
sermons were found on Roshonara Choudhry's computer.
Awlaki's father defends him against terrorism charges by
observing that, unlike Osama bin Laden, his son is not a fighter but
merely a preacher. However, therein lays Awlaki's potency as al-Qaeda's
non-conventional combat doctrine enters a new phase. In the era of
individual terrorism, the power to inspire is the most significant force
multiplier.

1136

According to a US counterterrorism official quoted by the ProPublica

website, Nasser al-Wuhayshi sent a message to Osama bin Laden before
his death proposing that Awlaki replace him as leader of AQAP.
Volunteering to step aside, Wuhayshi argued that because of Awlaki's
popularity in the west, his appointment would be a PR coup and an
important spur to recruitment. Bin Laden rejected the proposal, stating that
he preferred to leave things the way they were.
It comes as no surprise, then, that Awlaki didn't make the cut as bin
Laden's replacement. Still, Awlaki may prove more influential than Zawahiri
if the strategy of individual terrorism takes root - perhaps even posing a
challenge to al-Qaeda's own established authority structures. With a rise in
lone wolf attacks, it will be Awlaki's face which appears in al-Qaeda's
new moon.
Michael Stephens opined: Blaming Iran for Bahrain's internal
problems can no longer be used as a suitable reason for suppression of
protests. As real as the Iranian threat may seem to many in Bahrain, it is
simply not the case that Iranian interference can be adduced as the
primary cause of Bahrain's troubles. Bahrainis must reject this line of
thinking and instead work toward solving the social issues that have so
profoundly divided them.
Neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia, despite their looming presence, is
able to prize apart those who seek to reject sectarian illusions.
Reconciliation must therefore be built, not only at the level of the National
Dialogue, but also between individuals. A top down solution to this bitterly
divided country will not be enough to draw in those whose disenchantment
is so great that anger and violence is all they can countenance.
Should a holistic approach be shunned, then the Bahraini fear of
Iranian influence becomes very real. Disaffected young Shia will turn their
heads toward those who offer them emotional and logistical support in return
for undivided loyalty, and the chances of radicalization become yet more
likely. If the Bahraini state does not quickly realize this, their nightmare
scenario might very well come true.
Next day, Dennis Kucinich wrote: President Obama has ripped up the
US constitution for NATOs ill-considered Libyan adventure. Congress must
restore sense. This week, I am sponsoring legislation in the United States
Congress that will end US military involvement in Libya for the
following reasons:

1137

 First, the war is illegal under the United States constitution and our
War Powers Act, because only the US Congress has the authority to
declare war and the president has been unable to show that the US
faced an imminent threat from Libya. The president even ignored his
top legal advisers at the Pentagon and the department of justice who
insisted he needed congressional approval before bombing Libya.

Second, the war has reached a stalemate and is unwinable without the
deployment of NATO ground troops, effectively an invasion of Libya.
The whole operation was terribly ill-considered from the beginning.
While NATO supports the Benghazi-based opposition (situated in the
oil-rich north-east), there is little evidence that the opposition has
support of the majority of Libyans.

Third, the United States cannot afford it. The US cost of the mission is
projected to soon reach more than $1bn, and we are already engaged
in massive cutbacks of civil services for our own people. It is not
surprising that a majority of Republicans, Democrats and
independents alike think the US should not be involved in Libya.
This war is misguided. An invasion would be a disaster. NATO
already is out of control, using a UN mandate allowing for protection of
civilians as the flimsy pretext for an unauthorized mission of regime
change through massive violence. In a just world, the NATO commander
would be held responsible for any violations of international law. As a means
of continuing the civil war, NATO member France and coalition ally Qatar
have both admitted shipping weapons to Libya, in open violation of the
United Nations arms embargo.
In the end, the biggest casualty of this game of nations will be the
legitimacy of the UN, its resolutions and mandates, and international rule of
law. This condition must be reversed. The ban on arms supplies to Libya
must be enforced, not subverted by NATO countries. The US must cease its
illegal and counterproductive support for a military resolution now.
The US Congress must act to cut off funds for the war because
there is no military solution in Libya. Serious negotiations for a political
solution must begin to end the violence and create an environment for peace
negotiations to fulfill the legitimate, democratic aspirations of the people. A
political solution will become viable when the opposition understands that
regime change is the privilege of the Libyan people, not of NATO.

1138

On 9th July, Michael Gerson wrote: Bashir was forced into the
acceptance of southern independence. But he is a survivor who knows
how to turn reverses into advantage. He can credibly tell his domestic
audience that he is wringing major concessions out of the south including
a preferential oil deal while expelling resented southerners from the north.
And the United States is dangling some prospective benefits if Bashir allows
a clean break with the south perhaps the easing of sanctions and the
removal of Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
By inviting Bashir to the independence celebration, South Sudans
government is making its own calculation. The north may be hated, but it
remains the souths primary trading partner. Sixty percent of food
consumed in South Sudan is either produced in or transported across the
north. Though the south produces oil, it imports refined fuel from its
northern neighbour. The recent closing of the border due to fighting in Abyei
has caused fuel shortages in this area.
The current, uncomfortable accommodation between north and
south is fragile. Military skirmishes are inevitable along the undemarcated
border. A number of southern commanders and political figures have family
roots in disputed Abyei. SPLA forces in the region may not be fully
controlled by the central government. And a more concerted fight for Abyei
would be broadly popular in the south, where many view Abyei as stolen
land.
Some southern commanders seem drawn to a strategy of keeping the
north occupied and distracted with smaller-scale military actions. Some in
the north seem equally intent on supporting anti-government militias within
the south to weaken the new state. So far, South Sudans president, Salva
Kiir, has skillfully de-escalated the situation. But it would be an easy slide
from a border conflict to a general war with a new flag carried into
battle and new victims of a war that pauses but does not end.

REVIEW
Colonial rules in the past were established after defeating the armies
of the kings ruling various states in Asia and Africa. The experience of the
past revealed that such colonial rules did not last for too long, because the
colonial powers had not taken the masses on board or had not done enough
to break the will of the people they subjugated.

1139

In view of that, the Europeans were compelled to give up their

colonies after Second World War. The lesson learnt was that future colonies
must be established either after breaking the will of the people to resist or by
taking them on the board. To this end the ploy of democracy has been used
quite successfully and unlike the past the colonization has become a
corporate business.
The present awakening of Arab masses fits in this strategy. The
current Arab Spring is unique in a way that in this Spring no Arab cherry
has blossomed so far. Only American and European cherries are blossoming
and bearing fruits in the business of corporate farming.
9th July, 2011

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FOCUS ON PAKISTAN
The focus of war on terror has been shifted to Pakistan since long,
though General Petraeus took time to declare that as such. The most glaring
aspect of the shifting of focus related to demonizing of the ISI and Army,
virtually implicating the two with terrorist outfits with the evil intention of
coercing them to comply with the US commands.
The bullying attitude of Americans has forced the Army and ISI to
reconsider the extent of their roles in the US war on terror. The Zardari
regime, which has been under obligation to be at the service of Americans
because of the NRO deal, too found it difficult to ignore the views of the
military in this context. The civil and military rulers, however, were falling
well short of the demands of self-respect and national pride.
The focus is all encompassing; aimed at demilitarization,
denuclearization and de-Islamization. Whereas the foregoing relates to
demilitarization the goal of denuclearization wasnt forgotten. During the
period General Jehangir Karamat was accused of accepting bribe from
Koreans through Dr AQ Khan for providing nuclear technology.
The war for de-Islamization has been directed at Mulla and Madrassa
which during the period showed signs of escalation. A new front was opened
by hosting first-ever event for the rights of gay under auspices of US
Embassy in Islamabad and endorsed by Obama Administration. The
ceremony coincided with Americas Independence Day. It appeared that
promoting this tendency was part of American strategy for establishing
hegemony.

NEWS
In Pakistan, on 26th June, Taliban said a woman led the attack on
Kulachi Police Station. Motor cycle bomber struck police post in Multan;
three policemen were among six wounded. TTP vowed to attack targets in
the US, France and Britain. Eighteen British soldiers were relieved from
their training mission with FC.
Next day, at least 26 people were killed in two drone attack in South
Waziristan. Taliban commander was shot dead by gunmen riding a car with
tainted glasses in North Waziristan. Fazal Saeed Haqqani of Kurram Agency
parted his way from TTP and formed a new group and named it as Tehrik-iTaliban Islami (TTI). Four people, including two militants were killed in a

1141

clash in Darra Adamkhel. Check post at Mattani was attacked by militants.

Two oil tankers of NATO were set ablaze in Nowshera. Judicial commission
for probing murder of Saleem Shehzad met and chalked out plan for
recording statements. Hillary telephoned Gilani and discussed ties.
Grossman said Pakistan must show that it wants peace in Afghanistan.
On 28th June, a child was killed in Dir when a shell landed at his
house. Kharotabad report was submitted to the provincial government and it
was decided not to make it public to avoid media hype over it. Next day, two
militants were held in Islamabad. The court charged six Rangers with
murder. Osamas son approached UN to obtain family of his father, but he
doubted the killing of Osama. Defence Minister said the US has been told to
vacate Shamsi Airbase and he confirmed widening of trust Gulf between US
and Pakistan. NA body was told that attackers of Mehran Naval Base had
inside support. The body was also told that the cause of crash of Blue
Airline aircraft in Islamabad has been established but it couldnt be revealed.
On 30th June, the probe report accused CCPO, Lt Col of FC and two
police inspectors of excessive use of force in Kharotabad incident and found
no proof that the victims were terrorists. The US refused to vacate Shamsi
airbase saying no US troops are deployed there. Pakistan military preferred
to remain quiet over the issue. Zardari on private visit to London vowed to
fight war on terror till logical end.
Next day, ISPR said TTP fighters were operating through Kunar and
Nuristan and were opening new bases accordingly; Afghanistan denied and
NATO kept silent. Zalmay Khalilzad urged the US to end Pakistan threat to
the US as its military continued supporting Taliban. Zardari met British
Prime minister and pledged to continue fighting against terrorism.
New York Times reported drone attacks are carried out from Jalalabad
since Raymond Davis Episode. The newspaper has also reported that
Pakistan has lifted the ban on visas for CIA agents. Firdous A Awan said the
US was not asked to vacate Shamsi Airbase; her claim negated Defence
Ministers earlier statement. Munnawar Hussain said US refusal to vacate
Shamsi Airbase was insult to Pakistani nation.
On 2nd July, two militants were killed in factional clash in Khyber
Agency. Five soldiers and six militants were killed during attack on a post in
Mohmand Agency. Zardari stressed for the need for intelligence sharing
between UK and Pakistan. Next day, Afghan troops fired artillery shells
across border in South Waziristan. Three policemen were killed in attack on

1142

a post in Shangla. Grossman said Osama had support base in Abbottabad.

Senator McCain reiterated that ISI has links with Haqqani group.
On 4th July, militants from across the border attacked a post in North
Waziristan; one Pakistani soldier and four attackers were killed. Four
children were wounded when mortar shell landed at their house. ISPR said
Army has launched operation in Kurram Agency on the advice of tribal
elders. Driver was wounded in attack on a NATO oil tanker near Quetta.
Gilani attended celebrations of Independence Day held in US Embassy.
Next day, four soldiers were killed and five wounded in separate
incidents of bomb blast, firing at a convoy and rocket fire at a post in North
Waziristan; four militants were killed in retaliatory actions and ten people
were held from a private hospital from where the convoy was fired upon and
the hospital was got vacated and demolished. Four people were killed in
drone attack late at night.
Operation in Kurram Agency continued and Cops Commander vowed
to complete it by Eidul Fitr. Three people were killed when a shell landed at
their house in Orakzai Agency. Pakistan imposed ban on fertilizer
ammonium nitrate to Afghanistan which is used in bomb making. The US
and Pakistan agreed to intensify war on improvised explosive devices
(IEDs). First formal meeting of Abbottabad Commission was held after two
months and four days of the US raid. The commission worked out modalities
and barred repatriation of Osamas family.
General Petraeus said the focus of war would be shifted to Pakistan
border. He announced increase in employment of more Special Forces and
intelligence operatives and use of more airpower. ISI asked CIA to sign
formal accord. The US imposed three times more tariffs on Pakistani textiles
as compared to other countries. The New York Times claimed ISI ordered
killing of Saleem Shehzad to send a strong message to the media.
On 6th July, Army captured Manatu Mountain in the ongoing operation
in Kurram Agency; ten militants were killed bring the death toll to more than
thirty. Hundreds of militants entered Dir and burnt three schools and 20
shops. The intruders were pushed back by tribal lashkar; four members of
lashkar and three intruders were killed and three of them were captured.
Gilani telephoned Karzai and complained about cross-border attacks.
Obama Administration endorsed the hosting of first ever event by US
Embassy in Islamabad to uphold the rights of gay. The ceremony was held
under auspices of US Ambassador which coincided with Americas

1143

Independence Day. The spokesman made a special mention that Pakistani

government has not protested over the event.
Next day, tripartite meeting was held in Peshawar to discuss the issue
of cross border attacks from Afghanistan. Pakistan Army proposed
establishment of hotline between commanders of both sides and jirgas of
tribal elders of villages on either side of the border. Meanwhile, eight
Afghan militants were reported killed in yesterdays attack.
Washington Post claimed that it has obtained documentary proof that
Pakistani generals received millions of dollars from North Korea through Dr
AQ Khan for transferring nuclear technology. Dr Khan termed the document
fabricated and General Karamat denied receiving $3 million.
Hussain Haroon warned against blame game and said peace would not
prevail if Afghanistan became theatre of proxy wars. Mullen claimed that
Pakistani government sanctioned killing of Saleem Shehzad. Foreign
Office said there were more positives in US ties than negatives. Forty
militants were killed in the ongoing operation in Kurram Agency. NATO Oil
tanker was set ablaze in Quetta.
By 8th July, fifty militants and eight soldiers were killed in the ongoing
operation in Kurram Agency. Pakistan asked US to share evidence on
Shehzads murder. Firdous Awan said statement of Mullen could affect PakUS ties. Mullen said Pak-US ties were going through very difficult time. A
Bill to cut $2 billion aid to Pakistan was rejected by the US Congress.
Next day, seven militants were killed in Kurram Agency. Five people
were killed in firing by militants near Kohat. Eleven militants were killed in
shelling in Upper Dir; death toll reached thirty. Five persons were wounded
in firing at Wah Mosque. Commission sought journalists help in Saleem
Shehzads murder. DG ISPR criticized anti ISI and Army reports published
by New York Times quoting unnamed officials. He termed these reports
aiming at weakening Pakistan. Gilani said no more yes boss to the US.
In Afghanistan, Afghan Army claimed killing 32 Taliban in
Badghis Province on 26th June; two soldiers were also killed. Two British
soldiers perished elsewhere. Karzai said talks with Taliban wont work
without the US and Pakistan. Next day, seven people were killed in two
bomb blasts in Ghazni Province. Tripartite meeting was held in Kabul.
Pakistan was blamed for firing 470 rockets across the border; Pakistan
rejected. Kayani met Karzai to discuss the issue.

1144

On 28th June, at least ten people were killed in attack by Taliban

suicide bombers on a five-star hotel in Kabul. Salman Bashir urged Kabul to
stop blame-game for the sake of Afghan peace. Next day, Obama said
America is safer despite attack on Kabul hotel in which 21 people were
killed. French journalist held by Taliban was freed.
On 30th June, 26 civilians were killed when their bus hit a landmine in
Nimroz Province. Next day, Afghan general, Aminullah resigned after he
was not allowed to retaliate to Pakistans cross border shelling. On 3 rd July,
McCain slammed President Barack Obama's military drawdown plans for
Afghanistan as risky, unsupported by his military commanders and a threat
to progress made in the last year. Reports indicated that the US planned to
bypass Pakistan supply route and mulled new supply lines through Central
Asia. Next day, Cameron scrapped visit to an Afghan town after a British
soldier went missing.
On 5th July, David Cameron stressed upon dismantling of terror
infrastructure in Afghanistan and he saw Talibans political future. Next day,
UK decided to pull out 500 soldiers. On 7 th July, thirteen civilians were
killed in NATO air strike in Khost Province. Two days later, Panetta arrived
in Kabul on first-ever visit as Defence Secretary; he claimed that the US was
close to defeating al-Qaeda.
On 28th June, Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar declared that
Pakistan cannot fight India for 45 days. India released 14 Pakistani
prisoners. Next day, Manmohan Singh asked Pakistan to forget Kashmir and
pay more attention to its internal affairs.
On 29th June, HRCP alleged Agencies were involved in killings in
Balochistan. Next day, Mumtaz Alvi reported that situation in Balochistan
was grimmer than perceptions. The CM blamed foreign factor for security
problems and Aslam Bizenjo urged establishment to intervene.
On 1st July, two persons were killed in firing and landmine blast in
Quetta and Dera Bugti respectively. A dead body of a missing Baloch was
found in Lasbela. Next day, shutter-down strike was observed in Balochdominated areas of the province to protest killing of a Baloch nationalist
leader in Lasbela.
On 4th July, two bullet ridden dead bodies were found near Turbat.
Levies man was among two people killed in Quetta. Next day, five FC men
were killed in bomb blast in Kech. On 6th July, four dead bodies of missing

1145

Baloch persons were found from Kech, Khuzdar and Gwadar. Three days
later, three persons were killed in rocket in Loralai.

VIEWS
On 27th June, Ansar Abbasi wrote: Disciplinary violations in
Pakistans defence forces have increased in the recent years, as like the
ordinary public, hearts and minds in the military also are divided on the
issue of the so-called US war on terror. Despite being part of the highlycontroversial US war whose targets are Muslims, the motto of the Pakistan
military, however, continues to be Islam-centric i.e. Imaan, Taqwa, Jehad FiSabeelillah (Faith, Fear of God, Jehad in the way of Allah).
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirms that there is no
change in this motto. To a question, the ISPR also said since the foundation
of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan is Islamic, so the
Pakistan Army also follows the Islamic ideology. Sources within the military
also said despite all pressures, there was no intention to change this
particular colour of the countrys defence forces.
However, it is accepted that it is the friction between the militarys
post 9/11 Washington-dictated role and its well-entrenched Islamic
outlook that it has been facing growing cases of indiscipline. Brigadier
Alis case, being the latest one, is also considered as the outcome of the
same contradiction. The family of Brigadier Ali has already revealed that he
was victimized by the then dictator and military chief General Musharraf,
whom he confronted over the so-called US-led war on terror.
Ever since Musharraf decided to become a part of the US war on
terror, numerous military officials have either opted to seek premature
retirement or were sacked or forcibly retired for not willing to be part of
this controversial war. The military authorities, however, never shared with
the media the number of such military officials.
It was Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who in a recent
statement, cautioned the military to stick to its fundamentals (Islamic
ideology) to save the state and the institution of the Army from collapse.
When asked about the recent arrest of Brigadier Ali, he said although he
does not know the background of the case, this suffocating environment is a
serious matter of concern for him. He said the basic foundation of the
Pakistan defence forces is attached to the Islamic faith and that Pakistan
Army was also the Army of Islam.
1146

He warned that any effort to divide the armed forces on secular

and religious lines would be disastrous for both the state and military.
He added the unity of Pakistan and its armed forces were linked to the
Islamic ideology and faith. Chaudhry Nisars statement is seen as a clear
message to the military establishment that any further toeing of the US
dictates would damage Pakistan and further the divisions not only within the
society, but also within the rank and file of the Army.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan also shares the same
opinion. Instead, he was the first one to have warned the top military
command in his public statement that launching a military operation in
North Waziristan must be ignored to avoid serious rift within the
defence forces. In Imran Khans view, the Pakistan military could not live
on if it is secularized and detached from its Islamic vision.
Next day, The News commented: Both President Zardari and
President Karzai went to Tehran partly in an act of strategic defiance
against the US, knowing full well that the Iran connection would gain them
space vis--vis the US. Specifically, Karzai wants to secure all the political
support that Iran can offer, enabling him to power through the reconciliation
with the Taliban. Pakistan, as a country with a large Sunni majority, is
important to Iran in so far as it does not become part of the Saudi-led
alliance against Iran in the Middle East. The Taliban used to be a divisive
issue in the Iran-Pakistan relationship but that too has changed and for both
countries the most important concern of the Afghanistan situation today is
scuttling a long-term US presence there. In the wake of the US invasion of
Afghanistan and the consequences that have followed, Pakistans capacity to
dictate an Afghan settlement unilaterally is much reduced. Karzai is thus the
best bet for both Iran and Pakistan as the leader of an Afghan-led peace
process. All these factors have caused a broad convergence of interests
between Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. How this convergence plays out
in the coming months will have a significant bearing on the course of
events in Afghanistan and will no doubt affect reconciliation with the
Taliban.
On 29th June, Munir Ahmed Baloch observed: The series of crossborder attacks from Afghanistan have highlighted the supposed Talibans
ability to move large numbers of their fighters with impunity across the
border with Pakistan along with heavy weaponry. What explains this
capability is the fact that some of the trails the raiders use in Afghanistan are
in areas where US-NATO forces are deployed. These raiders cross the border
at official and non-official crossings that exist all along the chain of
1147

mountains that separate the two countries, and they do it with surprising
ease. Given their easy access into Pakistani territory, the raiders will
continue to enter Pakistani territory whenever they chose to, or are asked
to.
There are two possible options in efforts to stop these raids. One
is to close these entry points since sealing the entire border is a virtually
impossible task. Pakistans failure to seal the porous crossing points with
Afghanistan would mean continuing raids and attacks on Pakistans security
forces. Every time an incursion takes place, reinforcements are required, and
that puts Pakistans limited resources under greater stress.
Alternatively, a joint task force consisting of personnel from
Pakistan and Afghanistan should be formed to oversee the crossing
points all along the border between the two countries, on the basis of
shared intelligence. It may not be possible to make an accurate assessment
of how many insurgents are operating on either side of the border as some
are dedicated fighters and some are mercenaries. Shared intelligence on their
presence and their movements will help both sides forestall such attacks.
On similar lines, the ISAF, Pakistan and Afghanistan had earlier
agreed to build Border Coordination Centres with the aim of preventing
cross-border movements by insurgents, again on the basis of shared
intelligence. Out of eight coordination centres agreed, only one is
operational at present. However, with the lack of commitment of the
United States to sharing of intelligence, the initiative has not made any
progress. Progress in construction work on the remaining seven centres is
little more than nominal, and it appears the whole concept is destined to die
its own death.
During his June 10-12 visit to Islamabad, President Hamid Karzai
termed the recent series of cross-border attacks from across Afghanistan as a
worrying sign that points to a need for the two countries to work harder to
remove radical elements and their sanctuaries in the border areas. He
promised to take action if it became evident that these attacks originated in
Afghanistan. To what extent he can be effective in stopping the crossborder raids is uncertain. He would rather encourage these attacks.
On 2nd July, The Nation commented: The reported firm refusal of the
US to vacate Shamsi airbase is hardly the gesture of a self-proclaimed
friend; it is the attitude of an imperialist power in occupation of a piece
of foreign land. At the same time, it is a matter of great shame for our
leadership who, first leased the base to a friendly country and then did not
1148

question its right to allow an outside power to carry out operations aimed at
killing our own nationals. In letting the US have a free hand in its use, they,
certainly, demonstrated a striking poor judgment about the intentions of a
nation, which is known for its designs of maintaining global hegemony. Ever
since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, it has been desperately trying to
block the path of any country that could be suspected of challenging its
supremacy in the future. For this purpose, it maintains an extensive network
of military bases spread over every part of the world. The very invasion of
Afghanistan could have convinced a perceptive politician that the US has
ulterior motives of appropriating the rich energy resources of Central Asia to
itself and, thus, China, our best friends, would come in clash with the US.
Islamabad should have refused to extend any cooperation to it in this evil
venture, which has cost us dearly and even compromised our sovereignty.
The sheer charlatan nature of Musharrafs political understanding
made him buckle under the threat of bombing to the Stone Age his wellknown expression and fall for the mantra of key ally and assurances of
abiding friendship. The Americans employed these expressions to
remove Pakistans doubts about their long-term commitments to stay
engaged in the region; in reality, in an axe to grind. Soon, the areas of
differences of vital importance to the US and Pakistan emerged; that should
have been enough for our leaders to realize that the US-Pak association in
the war on terror was bound to cause us grievous harm. Somehow they were
too myopic.
But that does not absolve the US from its criminal intent. After
having ruined our peace and economy with the backlash that terrorists
handed out to us, it comes round and says, neither has it vacated Shamsi
airbase, nor intends doing so to confront Pakistan with the dilemma of
defying the sole superpower to get back the custody of the base.
Washingtons stance rubbishes its propaganda bewailing the abuse of human
rights in oppressed societies, crying for the need for democratic order to
prevail worldwide and helping the poor to develop and flourish. Forcible
occupation of land in usurpation of the sovereignty of its people constitutes a
crying shame for the US; its Founding Fathers must be turning in their
graves for their acknowledged abhorrence of imperialism in all its
manifestations. It betrays an utter lack of understanding of the geopolitical
manoeuvrings of the US in the region for Information Minister Dr Firdous
Awan to say that she is not aware of any issue about Shamsi airbase. The
Pakistani decision-makers ought to pick up the courage to get rid of

1149

association in the war on terror with the US. The nation, they must rest
assured, will not let them down and will be ready to defy all odds!
Next day, the newspaper wrote: The report in the Herald has
American officials dismiss Mr Mukhtars statement as an example of
something said to satisfy the Pakistani public. If the USA is showing an
unwarranted complacency, this is because the government, which wrongly
considers the people to have accepted the continuous interference in its
sovereignty that the drone attacks represent, wants to curry favour with the
USA in the belief that this will enable it to prolong its hold on power. It is
the desire to please the US which is causing ministers of the same
government making apparently contradictory statements.
The present juncture demands that, first of all, the government must
speak with one voice, and should be very clear, both among themselves and
to the Americans, that any intrusion by drones in Pakistani airspace will be
met as any sovereign nation should meet them, by shooting them down. Not
only must the USA be told to vacate Shamsi, but it must be given a date
to do so. Only after it promises an immediate suspension of use, and
vacation within the deadline, should supplies be allowed to go through to the
personnel inside. It is particularly galling that the airbase which is the centre
of the drone campaign was leased by Pakistan, but not to the USA, to a third
country, which saw fit to give the base.
For too long has Pakistan, misled by the elusive shadow of an
American alliance, allowed it to violate its sovereignty egregiously and
repeatedly. It is time the Pakistan government drew the proverbial line in the
sand, and told the USA that it would no longer go on with an alliance
that had grown burdensome, and would no longer allow the free ride
which the USA has taken for granted so far. There have been incidents
enough, like the Raymond Davis affair and the Abbottabad raid, not to
mention the almost daily humiliation of drone attacks, and the government
needs no further evidence.
Jalees Hazir opined: Pakistan must share the blame for bringing
things to such a sorry state. We opened the doors of our house to a certified
bully, recognized the world over as a self-serving menace without any
scruples, a country that thrives on the death of other peoples and destruction
of distant lands. We gave it a free hand to strengthen its overt and covert
presence in our country and, as a consequence, push forth its tunnel-visioned
declared and undeclared agendas that go against our national interest. By
indulging the bully, we reinforced its power over us. But as they say, it is
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never too late. The newfound resolve to rid ourselves of the menace is
therefore welcome and an achievable goal worth pursuing. To
accomplish the task made arduous due to our earlier laxity, it is imperative
that the civil and military leadership approach it with unity and firmness of
purpose.
The irresponsible statement of the Federal Information Minister has
the exact opposite effect. By suggesting that the decision was not taken by
the civilian government, but by the military leadership, she has created the
impression that the two are not on the same page on the issue. While this
impression had been reflected earlier on several occasions, especially during
the debate on the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act and when the government tried
to place the ISI under the Federal Interior Minister, recent developments had
indicated a closer partnership between the government and the military
leadership. President Zardari had spoken about the armed forces in a
different and positive vein, and their recent joint interactions with visiting
US officials had indicated a growing convergence between the government
and military leadership on vital security concerns. So where is Firdous Awan
coming from?
Is she plain stupid or was it just a silly slip of the tongue? Even
worse, was she prompted by her government to add to the controversy?
Many observers feel that whatever the government public posture, it is
hopelessly wedded to a slavish mindset vis--vis the United States. They
feel that the resolve to move away from the deathly embrace of the evil
superpower has emanated from the military leadership and the government
has decided to go along with it, but only on the surface. Essentially,
according to these observers, the government does not have its heart in it,
and it would like to avoid any significant re-orientation of the Pak-US
relationship. While the government does not have valid reasons to continue
with the abusive relationship or the guts to oppose a popular demand now
backed by the military, the observers say that it would try in its own devious
ways, and through its devious ministers like Firdous Awan and Rehman
Malik, to scuttle the initiative of the military leadership.
The observers present various reasons for supporting their point of
view, some of them quite convincing. At the same time, there are reasons
to believe that the government and the military are together when it
comes to renegotiating our terms of engagement with the United States.
In any case, to clear the ambiguities, some urgent steps are needed to be
taken by the government. It must make public whatever understanding exists
between the two countries and present its plan for redefining them in
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partnership with the military leadership. Instead of verbal commitments,

everything must be in black and white. And of course, the government must
rein in its ministers with important portfolios who do not miss an
opportunity to pass confusing statements regarding important national
matters. It must create some discipline within its ranks and punish those who
violate it.
On 4th July, Imran Malik opined: Our somewhat confrontationist
(though populist) attitude towards the US has not and is not likely to
pay any worthwhile dividends. Good practical diplomacy would require
one to readjust (without being conformist), and yet be able to derive some
benefits from this (fractured) relationship. We must also ensure that all the
adjustments that we make are not without the requisite quid pro quo. We
need to manage our relationship with the US to our mutual and specifically
our own advantage. We might have been unwitting victims of our own
rhetoric the parliamentary resolutions, stances taken by our political
parties, and the fire and fury being spewed forth in our print and electronic
media! Yet, there is time and a need to make a course correction in our
policies to still glean some advantages from the current and future strategic
environments in the Afghan end game and our future engagements with the
US. We need some deep and true analysis and some honest answers.
Hence, the imperative for the Pakistani hierarchy to take a
strategic pause and to reassess the prevailing and the expected strategic
and operational environments in AfPak, in the light of the paradigm shift
announced by the US. There may be a need to change tack on our approach
to safeguarding our core national interests in Afghanistan. This readjustment
of policy must take us up to and beyond 2014. The civilian government
needs to enunciate a clear, explicit and unambiguous policy laying down
guidelines for the Foreign Office and the military to work on. Together the
two organs of state must evolve fresh strategies to stop the rot that has set in
our relationship with the US and yet gain some advantages from this
engagement. Furthermore, these strategies must ensure that all options for
the US and its allies to violate our air and ground spaces are foreclosed. Our
armed forces would have the necessary operational contingency plans ready
for all possible hot pursuit and cross-border operations that could possibly
be launched by the US and its allies. What they need is the political will of
the government and its decision to execute them, if need be. We need to have
absolute clarity in our policy about our operations. Thus, it is imperative that
the government and the military are on the same page. There is a need to

1152

bring in a clear understanding of the strategic and operational environments,

and our responses to the possible operational contingencies.
Dealing with the US under the changed strategic and operational
environments will demand diplomacy of the most pristine quality and
the most sensitive and articulate form of military collaboration that, on the
one hand, should assist the US to achieve its goals, while, on the other,
obviates any detriment to our own national interests. Is it possible? Can our
diplomats and military experts deliver on this? That would require strategic
foresight, statesmanship, diplomacy and negotiating skills of the highest and
most sublime order and calibre from our politico-military hierarchy. And that
is the need of the nation at this critical hour in our history. And the time for
this review and delivery by our politico-military experts is now.
Khalid Iqbal observed: It is amply clear that America has decided to
abandon Afghanistan and dump Pakistan. Partnership with the US has never
been easy, yet the recent spate of doubts and uncertainties has reinforced
strains and fault lines. The war that is being abandoned rather abruptly has
the potential of reversing the frontiers and finding its way into Pakistan as,
indeed, other countries bordering Afghanistan. Presently, all the American
options towards Pakistan are primed on a single objective of putting extra
pressure on it on one pretext or the other. Gorbachev and Obama are two
sides of the same coin, as far as post-war dealing with Afghanistan and
Pakistan is concerned. Pakistan needs to understand this quickly and
adjust to the fast changing realities. The recent initiative by Iran to hold a
trilateral summit with Afghanistan and Pakistan on the issue of terrorism
needs to be expanded to include all countries bordering Afghanistan.
Dr Suhrab Aslam Khan wrote: The first term of reference for the
commission includes the ascertainment of facts regarding the presence of
OBL in Pakistan. Now the commission is expected to essentially include
the interrelated assessment of OBLs unlikely escape from Tora Bora
subsequent to the US invasion on October 7, and the evidence presented by
the US incriminating OBL, but also al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
At the same time, a definitely relevant evaluation will be about the
circumstances associated with OBLs arrival in Afghanistan during the
Taliban regime in second part of 90s. The term of reference about the lapses
of authorities, especially during the US clandestine raid on May 2, is
intricately related to the similar dilemmas that have gnawed at the vitals of
Pakistan. For the resembling enigmatic situations of the paralysis of state
security system in 1971 during the former East Pakistan debacle as so
1153

vividly reported in Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission report in Karachi and

interior Sindh for three days after December 27, 2007, following the
assassination of former premier Ms Bhutto.
The constitution of the OBL Inquiry Commission is a harbinger
of an inestimable promise. For the unraveling of facts in the May 2 related
OBL saga wherein if he put the remainder world on tenterhooks then he
awakened the Muslim world to Islamic militancy is likely to prove
landmark national as well as international revelations.
On 6th July, Karamatullah K Ghori observed: Pakistans military
leadership has been put on the defensive, vis-a-vis its own public opinion, by
the cumulative impact of the events of the past two months. The military
commanders have been left in no doubt by a popular backlash that
faults them for being too in awe to the Americans and complicit in a war
that was unpopular from day one and has become more so because of the
blood that drone attacks continue to spill.
Still, the ace up the sleeve for the Pakistan military is the peoples
far greater distrust of their political leadership than the armed forces.
Therefore, general headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi may see it as
pragmatic to stand up to the Americans and not sign on dotted lines laid
down by Washington, especially when the weak civilian leadership of
Pakistan has absolutely no desire to cross swords with the Americans.
Minister Mukhtars public demand on the Americans to vacate Shamsi could
have been prompted by a politicians gut instinct not to be outwitted in the
eyes of the people by men in uniform.
Both the Americans and the Pakistanis are walking a tight rope
and testing each others wits. However, this is a risky venture, to say the
least, especially when the stakes are so high. Any unravelling of USPakistan ties could have a devastating impact on Obamas plans to walk out
of Afghanistan with some face-saving.
In the latest development, GHQ in Rawalpindi has announced the
launching of a full-fledged [military] operation in central Kurram, close to
the Tora Bora where al-Qaeda is said to have a strong presence with
thousands of troops and helicopter gunships. The area, according to military
sources, had earlier been declared as a conflict zone. Thousands of civilians
started fleeing as the military offensive got under way. The launching of this
latest offensive against militants well inside Pakistan has only one
interpretation: it is an attempt by the Pakistan military to pull back from
the brink in its mangled relations with Washington.
1154

TheNation commented: It is most obvious that Afghanistan

presently in the clutches of the US and NATO forces is at war with
Pakistan. On Monday, there was yet another ground as well as missile
attack by Afghanistan. Mortars shells were fired which injured four little
children and wounded many others but simultaneously there was a ground
attack with hundreds of armed militants sneaking into our territory and
running amok over a security check post in Bajaur Agency killing and
wounding our troops. These forays have been going on for quite some time
now and the manner in which they are launched, with militants having
sophisticated weapons and plenty of ammunitions it is but clear that they are
being done at the behest of the US. One can well imagine the consequences
of these militants stalking our territory and ultimately the threat they might
be posing to our security as many of them reportedly have been trained for
terrorist attacks.
The USs overt plan is that of causing our destruction through the
drone attacks and these covert games constitute yet another tactic of harming
our homeland. The pity is that while US-led Afghanistan is literally filling
our country with militants the PPP government is still bowing before the
US as if it was its slave. For one thing, the Taliban that are fighting the
resistance in Afghanistan are pro Pakistan and under no circumstances as
earlier stated by Mullah Omer would launch such attacks against us. It is but
clear that behind this sordid game is the snake in grass; ironically our
biggest and closest ally, the US.
It is time to part ways with the US, bring down all the intruding
drones and refuse to take any aid largesse. And currently reports
appearing in a section of press indicating that the government is launching
an operation in Kurram Agency are quite worrisome. It seems that
government has again succumbed to the pressure of the US to go into tribal
areas. Why are we not realizing that the US only wants to pit brother against
brother in the country and create a civil-war like situation? The days ahead
are going to be crucial for us as a nation and we need to stay focused and
avoid the pitfall the US is busy setting up.
SM Hali wrote: Hand in hand with the drone war, the CIA has
expanded its role in Pakistan through covert operations. Pakistan, on the
other hand, has woken up rather late in the day to the clandestine activities
of the American intelligence agency and ordered its operatives to depart. But
like the proverbial camel, it has occupied the tent and refuses to budge out.
The new US war strategy reveals the method in the madness and Pakistan

1155

will have to carefully put the genie (the CIA) back in the bottle through
diplomatic skills.
AR Jerral opined: It seems that Pakistans political and military
establishment is not openly coming out with the true situation on
ground. The military leadership is silent on the Shamsi status; the political
bosses are not on the same wavelength; and Pakistans Information Minister
has contradicted her Cabinet colleague and declared that Islamabad has not
asked the US to vacate the base. She maintained that the Defence Ministers
claim is a statement for the media only as the vacation of the air base has
never been even discussed in any meeting of the Defence Committee of the
Cabinet. This stance confirms the US observation that the statement by the
Defence Minister was for home consumption to pacify mounting anti-US
emotions.
The US cannot stay in this region indefinitely; the withdrawal plan
gives it time until the end of 2014 to eliminate al-Qaeda related security
threats. The projected increase in the attacks will correspondingly result in
increased collateral damage to life and property, which will generate more
hatred for America and Pakistan; the US will eventually move out leaving
Pakistan to face the local wrath for a very long time to come. Islamabad
has yet to develop and come up with a strategy of its own to deal with the
situation it will be left in.
Needless to say that there is a pressing need for Pakistan to engage
the Parliament members from FATA in a political process to convince
the local population of the area to deny sanctuaries to the militants. Also, the
local Taliban must be brought to the negotiating table; if the US can seek this
route with the Afghan Taliban, Pakistan has that right too. This strategy will
reduce the threat perception and thus reduce or curtail drone and physical
attacks by the US. Hence, Pakistan needs a clear politico-military policy in
this direction and a vigorous implementation of the same; resolutions alone
will take us nowhere.
Next day, TheNation commented: The message that is coming from
everyone on Pakistan is to do more, and to further the aims of the
USAs war on terror. Not only has British Prime Minister David Cameron
said that Pakistan and Afghanistan should cooperate and the Taliban should
surrender, but outgoing US Commander in Afghanistan Gen David Petraeus
has said that the focus of the war there will shift, with more special forces,
intelligence, and air power being concentrated on the border with Pakistan.
He has also said that there will be more boots on the ground in the East, not
1156

just of the Afghan forces being raised, but also of coalition forces. Mr
Cameron made his statement during his unannounced tour of Afghanistan,
while General Petraeus spoke in various interviews. A Pakistani response
came indirectly from Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who noted that
a large majority of Pakistanis disliked certain steps which had been taken by
the Americans against the sovereignty of the country. He said this at the
British Ministry of Trade and Industry, while visiting on Tuesday and
assuring his hosts that he would personally guard any investor, further
assuring them that Pakistanis were not against the West as such.
This actually makes an important point at a time Pakistan is finding
itself under increasing pressure from the West, especially the USA, to
help in an Afghan solution in which the US and NATO forces are assured a
safe exit from Afghanistan, while a settlement is reached which not only
excludes Pakistan, but also fully accommodates India and its puerile
ambitions in the region. The USA does not seem to have realized that it
wants the impossible, and it is not Pakistans fault that it cannot deliver on a
plate something that the military has failed to deliver. General Petraeus is
trying to cover his professional failure in Afghanistan, following that in Iraq,
in going to his new post at the CIA, where he has already shown he will be
no friend of Pakistan.
Though there have long been clear indications that Pakistan should
abandon the American alliance, and end its needless involvement in its
war on terror, these are some more. If the West chooses the refusal to have
their sovereignty abused as a sign of being anti-Western, Pakistanis are
willing to shoulder the blame, and want their rulers to do the same, instead
of continuing their present kowtowing to the USA. The present government
may well be under the impression that they owe power to the USA, but they
should realize that they are due for elections quite soon, even if the
government runs to its full term, which is by no means a certainty.
On 8th July, TheNation commented: Both Prime Minister Gilani and
COAS General Kayani spoke at a seminar entitled National Seminar on Deradicalization in Mingora Mr Gilani pointed to drone attacks as
impacting negatively on our efforts in controlling radical trends. It is
unfortunate that on the one hand, the US administration unendingly accuses
Pakistan of supporting groups, it believes, are terrorists, on the other, it
disregards the plain logic that the casualties of innocent tribesmen that these
pilot-less planes cause tend to radicalize the affected population and add to
the strength of militants as well as to Pakistans difficulties in subduing
them. According to a report in the Washington Post, the US maintains that it
1157

will not vacate the Shamsi airbase despite Pakistans demand to that effect
and asserts that if at all it has to leave it, the CIA will launch drones from
Afghanistan or ships in the nearby sea. This clearly goes against what Mr
Gilani considers vital for our counter-terrorism efforts to succeed:
partnership approach that fully accommodates others interests and shows
respect for the clearly stipulated red lines. The only choice left with us is
to tell the US in clear terms that it should not exacerbate the situation
by continuing with the policy of drones and let us handle the problem
ourselves like we have overcome it in Swat. Obviously, the Americans are
unwilling to supply us the drones, but we have a far better option. The
Chinese would and, as in the past, be ready to give us technology as well.
Meanwhile, both the armed forces and the civilian administration should
insist on the US withdrawing from the Shamsi airbase and also from any
other place in the country where its armed forces or spies are present.
M. A. Niazi opined: The recent controversy may have been about the
use of the Shamsi airbase for US drone unmanned aerial vehicles to fly out
of, and bomb targets on Pakistani soil. But it must be seen within the context
of the USAs war on terror, of which the imperialist contours are now
becoming visible, especially after the killing in Abbottabad of Osama
bin Laden, and the CIAs use of the drones, which makes them intrude on
something the US armed forces thought it had a monopoly over, that of
fighting the USAs wars, which were always abroad, against an easily
demonized enemy
Niazi discussed the use of drones in some detail and then added: The
PAF has, through its present and previous chiefs, offered to shoot down the
drones. Considering how drones have previously performed, that is
eminently doable. In the first UAV-piloted plane dogfight, in the second
Gulf War, it was the UAV that lost to the Iraqi jet, and there is no reason
to believe that PAF pilots are inferior to those of the Iraqi Air Force, or
even of the Taliban, who shot down one drone which was flying
reconnaissance missions. Using a ground-based air defence is another
option, but there has been no offer from the Army Air Defence Command, at
least not in public. However, there is no reason to doubt its capabilities.
With these options available, there seems to be no reason why the
government should hesitate to have the drone attacks stopped. The USA
would obviously want them continued, and that would probably provide the
government the only reason to allow them to continue. However, as the USA
relies on the drone strikes to provide a reminder to the Taliban of its
command of the air, it will not give them up unless compelled.
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Farooq Hameed Khan wrote: Like the drones, Shamsi may soon
become a leading national issue that could fuel more anti-Americanism. So,
what options does Pakistan have if the superpower refuses to vacate it?
In this context, trilateral negotiations between key players (Pak-US-UAE) at
the political and diplomatic level should take priority. Pakistan could
withdraw any external security or logistics support provided to the base. In
search of real truth, the Pakistani media should be granted access to the base
to verify the ground realities.
Would the US be able to withstand the Pakistani publics demand
to vacate Shamsi? No. Like Badaber, it will have no choice, but to respect
the demand of the Pakistani nation and its people. Shamsi has been a dark
chapter of deceit and deception in our history. After USAs exit, a memorial
at this airbase be dedicated to those countless Pakistanis, who became
bloody victims of indiscriminate drone attacks in a needless and senseless
war under a complicit leadership.
Next day, Malik Muhammad Ashraf wrote: The new thinking in the
US administration is fraught with grave dangers and might push the region
into a nuclear holocaust. Our first priority and focus, therefore, should be to
facilitate USAs exit from Afghanistan and obstruct its nefarious moves to
assign any role to India after it.
On 26th June, Dr Farrukh Saleem wrote: The $500 billion nation
building drama is drawing to a close. The Americans are going home. They
abandoned Afghanistan back in 1989 as well. The second divorce in less
than 25 years is, however, going to be slower-and perhaps more painful-than
the first one.
Everything in American politics well, almost everything
revolves around electoral timetables. The Iowa Democratic Presidential
Caucus, the first election for the Democrats of the 2012 presidential election,
is scheduled for February 6, 2012. Obama has now announced that 5,000
GIs will be going home in July and an additional 5,000 by the end of this
year. Just in time for the Iowa Caucus.
The 2012 Democratic National Convention, in which delegates will
elect the partys nominees for president and the vice president takes place in
the week of September 3. Obama has now announced that some 33,000
troops will be back home by September 2012. Just in time both for the
Convention and for the United States presidential election of 2012 which
is scheduled for November 6, 2012. By the end of 2014, some 50,000 troops
are to be withdrawn so that no combat troops are left in Afghanistan by end1159

2014 (around 20,000 non-combat, so-called military advisers or special

operations will be left behind).
The Obama Doctrine is taking wings. David Petraeus, the four-star
United States Army General, the current Commander, US Forces
Afghanistan (USFOR-A), and the architect of the surge, has been kicked
upstairs to the CIA. Robert Gates, the 22 nd United States Secretary of
Defence, who was not in favour of an accelerated troop draw-down, is
retiring. The dreams of a democratic Afghanistan with schools and an
independent judiciary have all gone up in smoke.
The $100 billion-a-year Afghan war tag had become politically
unpalatable. The military reality in Afghanistan is that the Taliban would
not fight the US on American terms and that not even the entire US army
will ever be able to subdue the Taliban spirit behind throwing out an
occupying force. Obama is therefore transforming the 10-year war into a
major, high-tech, intelligence intensive, robot-driven counterterrorism
undertaking.
The Obama Doctrine has two goals: one; not to allow Afghanistan
to become the source of another attack on the US and, two, to use Afghan
soil to hunt al-Qaeda and other transnational terrorists in Pakistans
badlands. For Pakistan, the Obama Doctrine means three things. One; more
drone attacks. Two; sophisticated, cross-border, stealth counterterrorism
strikes. Three; a decreasing Pakistani leverage over America because of
Americas decreasing logistical dependence on Pakistan.
The Obama Doctrine also means leaving behind a 650,000 sq km
massive power vacuum a vacuum surrounded by Iran, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Nature abhors vacuums and with the
Americans gone, the Pakistan Army would be the largest, most powerful
military force in the region.
As far as the War on Terror is concerned, the Pak-US transactional
relationship is also drawing to a close. We are free to pick our friends. But
would it be in Pakistans interest to pick the US as an adversary? We also
need to pick a role model. As a point of reference, North Korea picked the
US as an adversary and has always had close relations with the Peoples
Republic of China and Russia.
Next day, Jemima Khan wrote: Alhamdulillah! President Barack
Obama is finally withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. Except hes not
only those extras that he deployed in the surge of 2009; 68,000 will
remain, double the number sent by his predecessor, George Bush.
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Obama keeps doing this; sounding marvelous, then, in retrospect,

disappointing. After eight long and bloody years of Bush, everyone outside
America, especially Muslims, welcomed this voice of reason, sobriety and
perhaps even empathy. Scribbled on a bullet-punctured wall in Gaza was
Obama Insha Allah! Even in Pakistan, the only ally of the US, which the
US regularly bombs, people came out on the streets any excuse, admittedly
to celebrate his election victory
During his election campaign, he promised to end the war in Iraq
and finish the job against al-Qaeda. No one thought hows he going to do
that? because all everyone had been waiting to hear were the words end
and finish. For a short spell, al-Qaedas recruiting agents must have been
scratching their beards. But before they had time to say war on Islam, the
anti-war, Islamophile President Obama had tripled the size of the
American force in Afghanistan, approved military action in four other
Muslim countries Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen and more recently Libya
and drastically increased the use of predator drones.
Within 72 hours of settling into the Oval Office, before Pakistanis
had even had time to remove the bunting, wash off the henna and re-starch
their kurtas, the Nobel Prize-winning president had droned (its become a
verb) Pakistans tribal areas. It didnt take long for Pakistanis to realize
and for local newspapers to report with colourful snaps of collateral damage
that while dastardly Bush the real baddie, surely had used unmanned
predator drones 45 times in his eight years in office, Obama was not going to
be outdone. He unleashed 118 drones on Pakistan last year alone. According
to a Brookings Institute report, charmingly entitled Do targeted killings
work? for every one militant killed by these strikes, 10 or so civilians have
died. According to US commanders official figures, 14 al-Qaeda leaders
have been killed in the tribal areas and 700 civilians. Officials were quick to
point out that, of those 700 innocents, only 25 per cent were a direct result
of NATO bombs. Phew.
Theres a Middle Eastern proverb: Its me and my brother against
my cousin. But its me and my cousin against a foreigner. Now half a
million Pakistani tribals are up in arms, namely Kalashnikovs, which
every man in the region owns. A poll revealed last week that 69 per cent of
Pakistanis now view the US as more enemy than ally, and only 8 per cent
have confidence in Barack Obama theyve dropped the Hussein to do the
right thing in world affairs.

1161

Nuclear-armed Pakistan, with its discredited and fractured

military and its own Taliban, has been badly destabilized by the war on
terror. Before 2002, there was no Pakistani Taliban and suicide attacks were
unheard of. Last year, in Pakistan, 11,585 people were killed as a result of
terrorist incidents, including 80 suicide attacks. There comes a point when
you have to ask: what is more dangerous, terrorism or counter-terrorism?
The irony of the war on terror is that the US can win it only when it finally
stops fighting it.
Undeterred, the US defence department has asked for a 75 per
cent increase in funds to further enhance drone operations in Pakistan.
The US already spends more on war sorry, defence than all the other
countries in the list of the worlds top 10 military spenders combined. We
will not relent until the job is done, said Obama on Wednesday, when
announcing the partial troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. What is a job
done? What defines victory?
Obama took the opportunity to clarify the war objectives: to
defeat al-Qaeda and eliminate safe havens, though more safe havens exist
and terrorists operate now outside Afghanistan, from Peshawar to Sanaa. Its
about fighting the resurgent Taliban, he said, who after a decade of fighting,
are now in control of two-thirds of the country, poised to fill any vacuum
and in political talks with Obamas own people.
Its about leaving a functioning Afghan state that can defend itself,
though Hamid Karzais government is the second most corrupt
government in the world (according to Transparency Internationals
corruption index) and is in power only thanks to American protection. By
2015, he will probably be house-hunting in Marble Arch, for a pad near his
old neighbour, President Musharraf.
The war will be concluded on the very terms it could have been
concluded 10 long bloody years ago, trillions of dollars ago, thousands of
lives ago. Will someone then refute the oft-repeated mantra of our leaders,
They did not die in vain? (The Independent on Sunday, London).
On 28th June, Adnan Gill wrote: Republicans are not the only ones
who didnt spare their criticism of the withdrawal, rumblings of hasty
withdrawal were heard from the presidents own cabinet. Defence Secretary
Robert Gates, nominated CIA director General Petraeus and Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton were among those who expressed their reservations
against the haste. Arguably, the presidents withdrawal policy might force
history to repeat itself. If the US once again leaves without cleaning the
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mess it created throughout the decade long war, who can say things would
fare any better this time around?
Has US eliminated the Taliban, warlords or the drug barons who will
most definitely take over the country as soon as America leaves? Will the
millions of Afghans forget and forgive the Americans for their decade
long occupation and deaths of hundreds of thousands of Afghans? Will
the Afghans accept the corrupt rulers US will leave behind, or will the
Taliban fill the political and administrative vacuum again? Will Pakistanis sit
idle and do nothing about the Indian influx in Afghanistan?
Instead of having gone-in with blazing guns, had America spent one
fifth of that money approximately $175 billion and half of the time
five years on developing Afghanistans infrastructure and improving the
standard of living of the ordinary Afghan, we would not have been facing
this conundrum today.
Rahimullah Yusufzai opined: It cannot be easy for the US and its
allies to agree to talk to the Taliban after having refused to do so earlier
and demonized them to no limit. One relevant question that President
Obama needs to answer is his refusal to talk to the Taliban before the
military surge as this could have avoided the human and material losses
since December 2009. In fact, the surge brought more foreign troops and
weapons to Afghanistan, led to ferocious fighting and caused violence,
bloodshed and displacement on a scale not seen before. More importantly,
the surge didnt weaken the Taliban or strengthen the Karzai government.
Still the decision to talk should be appreciated as it is admission
on the part of the US and the Taliban that they cannot defeat each
other. It is time to stop fighting and start talking. As one understands, the
two sides have agreed to hold secret talks and issue denials in case their
meetings become known to the media. The first rounds have been held in
Qatar and Germany and another round was planned in Dubai. These are
preliminary meetings in which the two sides would size up each other and
reiterate their known positions. A breakthrough is unlikely at this stage and
none should be expected.
The US would be wrong if it concludes that the Taliban have been
fatigued by the long fighting and have agreed to talk out of weakness.
The Taliban would be making a mistake if they believe that the US was
again running away from Afghanistan. Both sides need to make a deal on the
basis of their existing instead of desired strength. A note of caution though is
in order because no past deal in context of the Afghan conflict has worked.
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On 29th June, Zafar Hilaly observed: The most challenging will be

the permanent military presence the US seems determined to maintain
in Afghanistan. Without some resolution of this issue, it is impossible to
start serious negotiations or to bring any negotiations to a positive
conclusion. A trade-off on this issue will have to occur at some stage for an
eventual peace settlement.
For the moment, at any rate, serious negotiations
premature. This is not just because some tough issues may have
discussed confidentially first to see if either side is prepared to
reciprocal flexibility, but also because we have another year of war
Obamas withdrawal plan.

seem
to be
show
under

The Pentagon is going to use this period to fight the Taliban while
it still has the surge troops at its disposal and the Taliban will likely hold
their ground and bounce back after the combat withdrawal starts in earnest
next summer. So even if there are some tactical shifts on the ground, at the
political level, a stalemate will most likely persist.
Yet, it would be myopic for the Obama Administration to wait
another year before it signals serious interest in a negotiated peace.
Another year of intense fighting would mean little to the Taliban if only
because they can sit it out until the going gets easier next year. It is the US
that faces a serious problem with its aggressive military strategy. A year will
not make much difference to the ground situation. Indeed, the US may have
to concede some ground seized from the Taliban once the Afghan army takes
over and is unable to consolidate those gains, as is widely accepted to
happen.
So instead of prevaricating or delaying the inevitable, the US
should abandon its war strategy altogether and replace it with a peace
strategy. And that will not only require showing some flexibility towards
the Afghan Taliban but also a major overhaul of its underlying policy that
is, a paradigm shift to a multilateral approach. Just as its unilateral military
approach has failed, so will Americas political approach if that too remains
essentially unilateral when stripped of its rhetoric.
Unless this shift occurs, the key regional players, notably
Pakistan, will not find enough space to help Afghanistan make the
difficult transition from war to peace. These persisting problems should not
however deter Pakistan from rebuilding its frayed ties with Kabul. The two
countries must recognize their legitimate interest in improved relations.

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Pakistans supreme interest lies in helping to bring about

reconciliation in Afghanistan. If bilateral ties move forward, it will be a lot
less difficult to counteract American unilateralism. So even if a stalemate
persists for the moment, there is a lot that a regional diplomacy initiative can
do in the meantime to lay the ground work for an eventual peace process.
Unfortunately, that may not happen. Having lost his patience,
Obama has designated Pakistan as the next battle ground for Americas
War on Terror and seems eager to launch his complement of drones and
Special Ops teams. To what end is clear, but to what avail, is not.
Unshackling the United States from its failed policies in the Muslim world
seems a task beyond Obama.
To sum up, if the veritable Afghan knot is to be untied, the
irreducible minimum prerequisites for peace would be: the Afghan
Taliban transform themselves into a political force; the US abandons a
permanent military presence in Afghanistan; and Pakistan helps out in the
Afghan reconciliation process. All these prerequisites presuppose that the
principal protagonists (Afghanistan, the US and Pakistan) can be convinced
to trade off irreconcilable ambitions for a pluralistic peace.
Next day, The News wrote: At least five suicide bombers attacked a
famous Kabul hotel on Tuesday and waged a battle with security forces for
almost five hours. The Kabul police say 10 Afghans, mostly hotel workers,
have died in the attack. Ironically, at the time of the strike, guests at the hotel
included provincial governors present in Kabul to attend a conference on the
transition of civil and military responsibility from the foreign forces to the
Afghans. Earlier in the day, before the attack began, officials from the US,
Pakistan, and Afghanistan had met to discuss prospects for making peace
with Taliban insurgents. The attack was a stark reminder that many
challenges remain. The assault seems calculated to prove that insurgents
have the ability to attack the centre of power in Afghanistan - an ominous
reminder a week after President Obama made an announcement about US
troops withdrawal from Afghanistan. That the raid ended when a NATO
helicopter killed the remaining insurgents in a final rooftop battle was
embarrassing for an Afghan government that claims that local forces are
ready for security challenges.
Violence in the Afghan capital has increased the start of the Talibans
annual spring offensive. In the wake of the latest attack, many believe that
those who want an immediate, full exit of US and NATO forces from
Afghanistan are making a grave mistake, risking a Taliban takeover of
1165

substantial portions of Afghanistan. Sceptics also believe a hasty exist may

undermine peace negotiations if the Taliban believe they could simply wait
out the departure. Withdrawing US combat forces from areas that have seen
a loss of Taliban control also threatens to unhinge the fragile, hard-fought
success. On the other hand, a long-term US military presence in Afghanistan
flies in the face of serious negotiations to end the war. Besides ending
foreign occupation, the biggest challenge is to end Afghanistans 35 year-old
civil war. Talks among all Afghan stakeholders, including the Taliban, seem
to be the best option.
On 1st July, Dr Muzaffar Iqbal commented: The United States has
never admitted defeat; this is perfectly in line with its self-image. No super
power can ridicule the very notion of its superness by admitting defeat.
This unwillingness, however, does not change the verdict of history:
Vietnam was a humiliating affair; Iraq has been a mixed situation; Bush was
able to remove Saddam Hussein but that led to the emergence of the first
Shia dominated Arab state in modern history and no one knows how this
will change the entire Middle East equation.
Afghanistan is, however, neither Vietnam nor Iraq. Thus when
President Barack Obama admitted that American involvement in
Afghanistan is no more financially viable though not in these words he
admitted defeat, albeit American style. For an American president to admit
what he admitted, after ten long years, is another characteristic of the
American attitude toward the dictates of history
President Obama is making no concession to the Afghans in his
decision to pull back American troops; his second term is his most
obvious personal consideration while he has Americas economy as his
national consideration. Furthermore, in making his announcement against
the desires of his generals, he has proven one more time that America is a
country with an army, not an army with a country, as is the case for Pakistan.
Wars are hugely costly and after ten years, America has accomplished in
Afghanistan is no more than what any other occupier has accomplished there
as history reveals.
One has to admit that the ragtag Taliban have once again proven
that faith is stronger than weapons; that no one, not even the lone
superpower, can overcome those who possess faith. All that Taliban have
to do now is bide time and continue to do what they are doing and the future
is theirs. What would they make of that future remains to be seen but one
thing is clear: the newly trained Afghan army will collapse like a house of
1166

cards and the Taliban will simply sweep through the country just like they
did last time. If they have gained any wisdom, they will make much more of
their victory this time around.
Before we get to that point, however, there are numerous ifs and
buts. To be sure, the puppet regime will want to prolong its hold. It will
offer permanent bases to the departing occupiers; it will raise a lot of
helpless cries about the future of the country, but none of this is unknown to
the Americans; they know what could not be achieved with $500 billion
and 130,000 soldiers will not be achievable with a fraction of that
amount both in money and in troops. In addition, even the most protected
military base will always remain an easy target of a resurgent Taliban force.
No matter what decision America eventually makes, the entire
equation is about to change because the proverbial hen laying golden eggs
will depart and with it, a most ludicrous business for the generals in
Afghanistan and Pakistan will come to an end. They must now find
another paymaster.
In a world dominated by the green buck, no one is going to talk about
the human cost of this war, especially of the Afghans. To be sure, the country
has been destroyed and its population traumatized. However no one has
been counting the non-white dead bodies. So, no one really knows the
cost of war to the Afghans, but with their faith stronger than the mighty
mountains which enclose this beautiful land, their wounds will heal in good
time and their villages will gain a degree of tranquility and stability
The American pullout from Afghanistan has tremendous challenges
for Pakistan Without a war in Afghanistan and with a reduced
animosity with India, Pakistan can drastically cut its defence spending.
A wise and stable civilian government may be able to curtail the power of
the generals. This power can only be curtailed if there is a strong civilian
rule and the judiciary is functioning autonomously. A strong civilian rule
requires a very representative parliament not beholden to a lion of Punjab or
Sindh and that is exactly what Pakistan is lacking since its birth: it has failed
to evolve a political culture which is independent of a political lord. Just like
Afghanistan cannot function without war lords, Pakistan has never been able
to function without political lords.
There is, thus, an urgent need for a few individuals to come
forward and attempt to establish a mechanism through which a new
political force can come into existence. All the factors are in place for this
new force to evolve: a relatively young and educated population, a chronic
1167

political disorder; a sense of hopelessness which can be converted into an

action plan, and an opportunity the like of which has never existed before as
people are now sick and tired of the faces which have dominated Pakistans
politics for as long as one can remember.
On 4th July, Justin Raimondo wrote: We had the Russian experience
right before our eyes, as well as our own bitter memories of the Vietnam
disaster, and yet we still went in like even bigger fools. Not only did we go
in, but we stayed in long after the last remnants of al-Qaeda had fled and
attempted to set up a puppet government, confident we would succeed where
the Soviets failed. Yet President Hamid Karzai or whoever is in office
when Kabul falls will share Najibullahs fate, of that we can be sure.
As to whether our imperial delusions will implode in the same way the
Russians did and with the same rapidity remains to be seen. However, I
suspect or, rather, fear well know soon enough.
Next day, Samson Simon Sharaf commented: On the diplomatic
front, the USA has made considerable progress. The tripartite talks in
Tehran had its approval. The bulk of logistic traffic is already shifted to
Iran and Central Asia. The UN has been re-engaged in the peace negotiations
in Afghanistan. Consequently, the troops that would ultimately be withdrawn
will not be the all the surge element, but rather logisticians and its protective
detachments, intelligence analysts and non-essentials.
The lines across the Hindukush range will be kept secure with the
Northern Alliance, the new Afghan security forces, ISAF, the Indians, and
maybe even the Iran backed warlords. The South comprising Pashtun areas
will be left open for attacks from the air, drones and selective military
operations from fortresses at Bagram, Kandahar, Kost and Jalalabad. It is
also ominous that the US has already abandoned large parts of Kunar,
Laghman and Nuristan where the anti-Pakistan Taliban and al-Qaeda are
based. These elements have already launched attacks in Mohmand, Bajaur
and Dir. As Pakistan destabilizes, this intensity and frequency will increase.
Ultimately, drawing borders with blood, the USA could have a corridor
through Balochistan with the twin objectives to contain Iran and tap its
resources. But will the US be able to achieve all these objectives?
No one, including the USA, have all the cards to bring stability to
Afghanistan. If history is an indicator, they will not. First, the Pashtun
resistance in Afghanistan called Taliban will not allow any US bases in
Afghanistan, even for the sake of peace. History tells us that they will fight

1168

on. As Pakistan destabilizes further, so will its resolve to gel with the forces
fighting foreign occupation.
Second, other state actors in the region will also exploit these
sentiments to advance their interests. These actors include India, Russia,
China and Iran. Third, for nearly four decades, the Pashtun resistance in
Afghanistan is emotionally tied to Pakistan. They cannot be used against
Pakistan. However, the notion of a separate Pashtun state after the practical
division of Afghanistan may materialize into a security threat to Pakistan.
Fourth, nuclear capitulation of Pakistan will have to be a surgical
procedure. Given the capabilities of JSOC, this is not possible. As a prelude,
the USA and the UN will have to reach some agreement with the Pakistani
establishment. But the moment such intentions become visible, Pakistan will
explode. Military revolts and large-scale insurrections cannot be ruled out.
The war on terror will overflow the brims of Pakistan. The USA would have
paid the price of its open-ended narratives in the AfPak.
Tariq Osman Hyder wrote: One reason forend game continuing to
be opaque is the status of USAs negotiations with the Taliban. The US
administration has been engaged in various contacts conducted outside
Afghanistan. These would appear to be scoping missions through which the
Americans are trying to assess the relative influence of the various Taliban
leaders, particularly Mullah Omer and how monolithic or otherwise is the
Taliban movement and insurgency. There are also other tracks discussing
reconciliation: The high-level joint commission between Afghanistan and
Pakistan, and the Trilateral Core Group with these two countries and the
US.
The two main questions, however, remain in the way of a political
settlement with the Taliban. Firstly, Petraeus strategy of trying to wear
down the Taliban has been combined with special operations to kill or
capture its unit commanders. Mullah Omer himself remains a target. A
continuation is unlikely to win over the Taliban. Secondly, the main declared
Taliban objective calls for the total withdrawal of the foreign forces. While
they remain, or if they remain in some form after 2014 that seems to be the
objective of strategic talks between the Karzai government and the US,
prospects for a settlement appear dim, although the Taliban may also be
suffering from a fatigue factor and many may be willing to trade ending
links with al-Qaeda for a total withdrawal.
Another dilemma for both the Afghan people and the
neighbouring countries is the outline and duration of the American
1169

footprint in Afghanistan. On the one hand, this footprint, including drone

strikes, is an incitement to the insurgency within Afghanistan, Pakistan and
elsewhere. On the other hand, there is an apprehension that if America
withdraws without encouraging a political settlement, Afghanistan may
plunge back into the chaos that resulted when the Soviet Union was forced
to withdraw and the West abandoned Afghanistan. It is this apprehension,
which lies at the heart of the labyrinth that Afghanistan has become. One
cannot say at this stage how this will be resolved. It will require more skill
than employed before on the part of the US administration, an inter-Afghan
understanding to live and let live, and for the neighbouring countries and
regional influentials to confine their ambitions to an Afghanistan, that is, at
peace within and with all its neighbours. If any of these interlocking
elements goes out of synch, the prognosis for Afghanistan and the region
will be bleak.
There is a danger hinted at in Obamas speech that pressure on
Pakistan, with its 2,560 km international border with Afghanistan, will
mount to open another front in North Waziristan at a time when the US
and NATO forces are abandoning our border areas adjacent to Dir, which has
led to cross-border incursions from the war-torn country. Afghanistan cannot
be solved at Pakistans cost, nor will such a situation be sustainable within
Afghanistan itself. One thing that can be said is that despite everything
Pakistan performs best under pressure, as the sanctions period that did not
slow down our quest for a nuclear capability has shown. If we are forced to
stand on our feet more, in the long-term it will be to our benefit.
On 6th July, Yuan Zheng opined: The results of the 2010 mid-term
elections sounded an alarm for Obama and the Democrats. From this
perspective, the withdrawal plan is important as Obama promised to begin
withdrawing troops from Afghanistan this July and needs to be seen to be
fulfilling this promise. However, a successful outcome to the Afghan
situation for the US depends on the following factors.
First, in the next three years, the US-led multinational forces must
control the security situation and smoothly transfer security to the Afghans.
But even though the Afghan security forces now number about 300,000,
their effectiveness is not promising.
Second, with the approach of the withdrawal timetable, including the
Taliban in the Afghan peace process was an inevitable choice for the US, but
drawing a lesson from Iraq, the US is trying to divide the Taliban. President
Hamid Karzai is actively promoting peace talks with the Taliban to achieve a
1170

political reconciliation, but before any progress has been made between the
two sides, the US troop withdrawal will strengthen the Talibans position,
resulting in difficulties in the reconciliation process.
Third, the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces going deep into
Pakistan aggravated the already strained US-Pakistan relations. However,
the development of the Afghan situation also requires the cooperation and
support of Pakistan.
The troop withdrawal plan is a political compromise that tries to
appease both the domestic anti-war sentiment and the concerns of the
military. Prior to the general election next year, the withdrawal is limited to
the troop surge after Obama took office. Maybe after the election, the US
will focus more on the war in Afghanistan.
The US will seek to establish military bases in Afghanistan so as to
maintain a permanent military presence, as from Afghanistan the US forces
can raid surrounding military targets. The covert operation to kill bin Laden
was telling in this regard.
Mohammad Jamil opined: Washington should understand that no
progress can be made unless more than half of the Afghan population
comprising Pashtuns are guaranteed that they will have their rightful share in
power and no tricks or ruses are likely to work. But instead of
understanding the ground realities, the US is trying to shift the blame to
Pakistan and insists that the top al-Qaeda and Taliban leaderships are
present in its tribal belt. Last year, an imposter impersonating as Talibans
senior leader Muhammad Akhtar Mansoor negotiated with the Americans,
and disappeared after making millions of dollars and left them behind with
reeling embarrassment and shame. Does it not speak poorly of the CIA?
The outgoing commander of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan
said on Monday that the focus of the war will shift in coming months from
the Taliban strongholds in the south to the eastern border with Pakistan
where insurgents closest to al-Qaeda and other militants hold sway.
Undoubtedly, they should stop hurling threats, and if America does not take
cognizance of the ground realities in Afghanistan, and fails to address
Islamabads concerns about New Delhis involvement in destabilizing
Pakistan from its consulates in Afghanistan, it will be heading for trouble. In
fact, USAs reliance on India could prove to be a sure recipe for disaster.
Already, many analysts are of the view that Afghanistan could become
another Vietnam for America.

1171

On 8th July, Gulf News commented: The only sustainable solution

to the conflict in Afghanistan is an inclusive government. This
government should have the support of enough political and militant factions
in the country including the Taliban. The only way to build such a
government is through a process of political reconciliation and negotiation
and talks such as these can only get under way effectively if there are no
preconditions.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has called on the Taliban to
put down their weapons and join the mainstream political process so that
they can have a future in the country Camerons remarks also coincide
with efforts by the US to open talks with the Taliban leadership, ahead of the
scheduled withdrawal of foreign combat forces by 2014. The Taliban are
reportedly refusing to stop their attacks until such time as all foreign
forces are out of Afghanistan. The Taliban, US, UK and the Afghan
government of President Hamid Karzai must understand that peace can often
only come at the price of sometimes painful compromises with perceived
sworn enemies. But, the past 10 years must teach them that there are no
winners in war especially those fuelled by ideology and extremism and
the real victims are the people of Afghanistan.
The Taliban must realize that even if the US and its allies withdraw
from Afghanistan, unless there is a settlement that accommodates all
parties, the conflict will drag on through their proxies. Cameron is right
that the Taliban have no real future outside of mainstream politics, but the
US, UK and their allies must offer the Taliban real tangible benefits if they
are to lure them into peaceful government.
On 2nd July, Azhar Masood observed: Dr Singhs assertion about
Pakistans internal disorder only dictates one to remind honourable Dr Singh
that there indeed exist at least 23 insurgencies in India stretching from
Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, Megalaya, Andhra Pradesh
and many other regions where there population is disenchanted with Delhis
Central government
According to Indian Home Secretary G. K. Pillai, the Maoist
insurgents extort 14 billon Indian rupees (more than $300 million) each year.
By brandishing the threat of violence, the Naxalites make advantageous use
of the power vacuum in rural Indian territories. Fees are collected from rural
business owners, landowners, and local politicians. Funding is partially
redistributed among the military cadres and goes directly toward the
purchase of arms and the financing of operations against the state. These are
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glaring realities which the Indian Government and its one of the largest
standing armies will have to review and address. Dr Manmohan Singh
please stop calling pot you are black.
On 2nd July, Inayatullah commented: It needs to be realized that a
1971 like situation in Balochistan has been developing for quite some time
unmatched by deep concern and an enlightened resolve to address the
challenges staring us in the face.
Why cant the leading opposition party of the country call an all
parties conference and come up with an agenda of multiple initiatives. A
dialogue must begin without delay. The media and the civil society,
including the Human Rights Commission and Bar Associations, too should
provide support. Balochistan is a vital part of Pakistan. Let us embrace our
Balochi brothers, go out of the way to heal their wounds and help meet
their demands. It is time we stood with them for the realization of their
dreams. Tomorrow might be too late.
Next day, Khurshid Anwar Mirza wrote: According to media reports,
there is ample proof that the Indian RAW (and other intelligence agencies)
based in Afghanistan are aiding and abetting militancy in Pakistan, and
particularly in Balochistan, following its mantra of 5Ms: Man (cultivate a
dissident leader Mujib/Brahamdagh Bugti), Mission (Bangladesh/Azad
Balochistan), Militants (Mukti Bahini/BLA), Money and Munitions (provide
financial assistance to the insurgents), and Military (intervene through the
army when the situation becomes ripe). That is how the RAW orchestrated
the separation of East Pakistan, and is now applying the same tactics in
Balochistan.
We are also aware of the Western medias (and analysts) mindset
that has been predicting since long that the breakaway of Balochistan is
not too distant a future. For instance, Selig Harrison, an American analyst,
has openly suggested the desirability of the US supporting the insurgents for
an independent Balochistan to control the so-called epicentre of terrorism
(AfPak region) and serve its strategic interests, that is, to keep an eye on
China and Iran in order to dominate the gulf, the energy resources of
Central Asian states and the mineral rich Afghanistan.
Moreover, in the recent PNS Mehran attack, two P-3C Orion aircraft
were destroyed, while the helicopters parked nearby were spared. It seems
that the attackers main interest was in destroying the two aircraft, besides
killing or capturing the Chinese engineers working on the base. While they
succeeded in destroying the aircraft, they failed to harm the Chinese
1173

engineers, who were taken out safely in bulletproof cars. But one thing is
now certain: It was not a random attack by jihadi elements, but a well
thought out and well planned operation by outside agencies. (Reportedly,
the four attackers killed were identified as Central Asians, according to the
DNA tests.)
Add to this, the statement of French President Nicholas Sarkozi, who
had earlier visited India where he declared: France will not sell heavy
military equipment to Pakistan in future. (Perhaps, in the hope of selling the
French equipment and Euro fighters to India.) It may be noted that the
Pakistan navy had used the French Atlantique maritime reconnaissance and
surveillance aircraft in the past. Thus, any possibility of acquiring such
aircraft as a quick replacement for the destroyed Orions was
forestalled.
When seen against this backdrop, it seems that some major
incursion was afoot into Balochistan through the long and mostly
unguarded stretch of our coastline that is, between Karachi and Jiwani.
Undoubtedly, without the aerial surveillance aircraft, Pakistan would be
unable to detect any clandestine operations along the coastline, especially
during the night. Even the possibility of infiltration by the submarine-borne
commandos cannot be ruled out. Therefore, alarm bells should be ringing in
the concerned quarters to meet such an eventuality.
But the question is: What could be the possible alternative
measures to safeguard the coastline, in the absence of reconnaissance
aircraft like the Orion? Surely, Pakistans navy will have to use its
subsurface, surface and airborne assets in monitoring the vulnerable
coastline. The coast guards, too, may increase patrolling of the coastal areas,
while the air force may augment these efforts through its AEW aircrafts.
These are some of the immediate measures that could be adopted, till the
navy acquires a replacement for the destroyed aircraft. Of course, Uncle Sam
could also help by immediately replacing the two Orions by leasing the
aircraft from its own inventory, pending manufacture of two Orion aircraft
as replacements. This possibility, reportedly, has already been mooted. It
will, indeed, help improve USAs image in Pakistan.
More so, the Pakistani army, instead of concentrating its limited
assets in FATA alone primarily to assist the US/NATO forces in Afghanistan,
may allocate some of them to Balochistan. Without the military taking
overall charge and coordinating with the security ops in the province,
insurgency, which is aided and abetted by RAW, may snowball and spin
1174

out of control. It is the primary responsibility of the armed forces to ensure

the security of the country against the overt and covert war in Pakistans
largest province. Both federal and provincial governments must realize and
acknowledge the fact that the ongoing insurgency is not an ordinary run-ofthe-mill type affair, but a full-fledged war thrust upon us by the enemy; only
then insurgency in Balochistan can be tackled on war footing. Also, a
possible declaration of emergency and calling out the army (as aid to civil
power) in Balochistan are the steps within the purview of the Constitution.
We would do well to remember that those who ignore history (remember
East Pakistan) are doomed to repeat it!

REVIEW
Pakistan merited extra focus because of what has been happening and
is likely to happen in Afghanistan. America will try its utmost to force
Pakistan military to launch large scale operation in tribal areas so that
insurgents based therein cause minimum of problems to occupation forces as
they change posture to Iraq-like fortress-based occupation.
The outgoing commander of the US occupation forces in Afghanistan
declared on 5th July that focus of the US holy war in the region would now
be shifted on to Pakistan in terms of employment of Special Forces and
intelligence operatives and enhanced use of airpower, especially dronelaunched missile attacks. The general has broken no news; Pakistan has been
in the focus since coining of the term Af-Pak.
What does shifting of focus means on ground? Three things
mentioned by General Petraeus imply that drone strikes will be intensified
and US secret agents deployed in Pakistan through courtesy ZardariHaqqani-Rehman Malik nexus will continue operating inside Pakistan,
which means the things could worsen for Pakistan
10th July, 2011

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COMING TO TERMS
The events of May last had added bitterness to the Pak-US relations.
The US, despite being the guilty of most acts that soured the relations,
pointed finger at Pakistan, especially at Army and ISI, solely with the
intention of coercing the weaker party in the equation of bilateral
relationship.
Pakistan Army, like a cornered cat, was left with no choice but to
growl back and show its teeth. The US reacted by stopping the supply pf
cat-food. These actions and reactions resulted in realization that both
parties need each others help and hesitantly contacts were re-established.
The need of two partners is their interdependence for fulfillment of
their respective urges. The American beat quenches its thirst for Muslim
blood with the help of Pakistan and in turn Pakistan has got used to
American cat-food. Pressed by their urges the two sides seemed to have
once again come to terms with each other.

NEWS
In Pakistan, two policemen were killed in bomb blast in Peshawar
and seven others were wounded on 10th July. Exodus from Upper Dir
resulted due to continuous clashes between security forces and Afghan
militants. Driver was killed in firing at NATO container near Mastung. The
held back $800 million military aid of Pakistan.
Next day, four people were killed in drone-launched missile attack in
South Waziristan and 25 were killed similar attack in North Waziristan. One
soldier was wounded in attack on post in Orakzai Agency and five militants
were killed in retaliatory action. Seven people were killed in a suicide attack
in Batagram just before the start of PML-Q rally. One soldier was killed and
three wounded in three mysterious blasts in a units store in Sihala. Accused
in attack on Sri Lankan team was released on bail worth Rs500 thousand.
Abbottabad commission was told that PAF radars were in operation
on May 2, but American helicopters could not be traced out. Army
representative also briefed the commission. Pentagon said aid has been
halted not stopped, till Pakistan sets up anti-terror fight. Hillary asked
Pakistan to do more on already spelled out assignments.
On 12th July, corps commanders decided to rely on own resources to
fight against terror. The participants rejected conditional US aid, expressed
1176

anger over drone attacks and regretted Washingtons double standards. The
US said no blank cheque for Pakistan. China pledged support for Pakistan.
Fifty-two people were killed in four drone attacks in South and North
Waziristan. Six people were killed when mortar shells landed at their house
in Kurram Agency. Nine militants were killed in Orakzai Agency. Two
women were killed and 11 people were wounded in mortar fire from across
border in Bajaur Agency. The Supreme Court was informed that 198 people
went missing in current year. The court warned FO officials of action for not
bringing back Pakistanis jailed abroad.
The CIA had carried out an elaborate vaccination programme to
pinpoint Osamas family; a Pakistani doctor involved in the programme was
help by Pakistani agencies and the US was pressing for his release. Hussain
Haqqani said no decision would be taken under US pressure.
Next day, DG ISI left for Washington to seek actionable intelligence
with echo of three bomb blasts in Mumbai behind him. The US continued
pressing Pakistan to free Dr Shakil Afridi, who worked for CIA to collect
intelligence about Osama by conducting fake vaccination programme.
On 14th July, NCA expressed confidence in operational readiness of
strategic weapons and approved self-sustaining Nuclear Power Programme2050 and Space Programme-2040. Pakistan warned against casting evil eye
on its nukes and pledged to pursue credible minimum deterrence.
Three soldiers were killed and two wounded in landmine blast in
South Waziristan. Two US Embassy cars were stopped from entering
Peshawar for want of necessary clearance. LJ leader Malik Ishaq was freed
after 14 years. Two women and two children were killed in a blast near
Chaman. Petraeus met Kayani in Rawalpindi and the host told the visitor to
stop drone attacks. Pasha met acting chief of CIA in Washington. DG ISPR
said Afghan border areas have turned into terror heavens.
Next day, NATO planes violated air space in Kurram Agency. British
human rights lawyers urged suing former CIA legal chief for drone attacks
in tribal areas. CIA and ISI bosses met and made progress towards
reconciliation. CIA agreed on rules of engagement and ISI demanded no
under-covers and no unilateral strikes. Senate body demanded control of
Shamsi Airbase forthwith.
On 16th July, ten people were killed in firing at a wagon in Kurram
Agency. Army took partial control of Shamsi Airbase as Pakistan decided to
take up case with the UAE. ISI ruled out return on US trainers. FO saw
1177

strategic convergence with the US. Zardari arrived in Tehran on his second
visit to Iran within a month. He vowed to fight terrorism along with Iran.
Khamenei told the visitor that the US is the real enemy of Pakistan. Zardari
vowed to expedite work on gas pipeline project.
In Afghanistan, seven deminers were beheaded in Herat area on
10 July; they had been kidnapped earlier. Three NATO soldiers, three
Afghan soldiers and a civilian were killed in other incidents of violence. On
12th July, Hamid Karzais brother was killed in Kandahar; he was head of
provincial shura. Zardari and Gilani condoled with Karzai. At least 16
people were killed in NATO air strike in Logar Province. Sarkozy visited
Afghanistan.
th

Next day, five French soldiers were killed in suicide bombing in

Kapisa. Taliban claimed that Murad Ali, resident of Nangarhar province,
carried out a martyrdom attack on the top-level French invaders holding a
meeting at a house in Kapisa; 18 French invaders killed, 9 injured. Afghan
Taliban fought a two-hour long battle with the puppets forces in Wardak
district of Badakhshan province killing 10 puppets, wounding several more
and capturing 30.
Ahmad Wali Karzai was killed by martyr Sardar Mohammad who was
in contact with the Muahideen. Wali was the most trusted person close to the
invading forces in south Afghanistan. He cooperated with the Americans,
Canadians and Britons for the control of the south-west zone.
On 14th July, a child was among 11 people killed in NATO firing in
Khost. Four people were killed and several wounded in suicide bombing at
fateh khawani ceremony for Wali Karzai; senior officials escaped unhurt.
Next day, first badge of US troops pulled out. An Afghan army soldier killed
at least one NATO soldier near the southern Afghan city of Lashkar Gah,
due this week to be one of the first places where NATO will hand security
control to Afghan forces.
On 16th July, NATO handed over control for security in Afghanistan's
central Bamiyan province to Afghan security forces. Bamiyan is the first of
seven areas to accept responsibility for its own affairs in the initial phase of
the transfer. Names of fourteen Taliban were removed from the US terror
list. A man in Afghan Army uniform shot dead a NATO soldier.
On 11th July, India welcomed holding back of US military aid to
Pakistan. On 13th July, India drafted new list of 48 most wanted terrorists in
Pakistan. Kashmiris observed Youm-e-Shuda. In Mumbai, 21 people were
1178

killed and more than one hundred wounded in three bomb blasts; Indian
electronic media wasted no time in blaming Pakistan.
On 14th July, India said talks with Pakistan would go ahead as
scheduled as no lead was yet found about Pakistans involvement in May 13
Mumbai attacks. Indian troops wounded ten Kashmiris in IHK. Next day,
four Kashmiris were martyred by Indian forces in Lolab area of IHK. Advani
blamed Pakistan for Mumbai bomb blasts. India mulled over seeking US
help for Mumbai blasts. On 16th July, the mand, who was questioned in
Mumbai bombings, died in custody. Rehman Malik telephoned his Indian
counterpart and offered help in probe of Mumbai blasts.
Eight people were killed in incidents of violence in Balochistan on
10 July. Next day, one policeman was killed in firing in Mastung. On 12 th
July, two dead bodies were recovered from Khuzdar and Kuchlak and
passenger train was derailed when track was blown up in Naseerabad. Three
government officials were kidnapped on their way from Naushki to Quetta.
Prime minister arrived in Quetta and pledged to fulfill all commitments
made in 2008.
th

Next day, Gilani announced that a commission headed by a Supreme

Court judge would be formed to probe murder of Akbar Bugti. The cabinet
authorized Governor and CM to talk with nationalists. Rehman Malik said
he had proof of involvement of foreign hand in Balochistan.
On 14th July, two soldiers and five militants were killed in an
encounter in Chamalang area. A dead body was found in Kech district. Next
day, clash continued in Chamalang area in which four soldiers and eight
militants were killed. On 16th July, four dead bodies were found from two
locations in Quetta surroundings.

VIEWS
On 11th July, TheNation wrote: It is heartening to note that at last both
the political and military leaderships have learnt their lesson and come out
forcefully against the US as well as its media for waging a psychological
war against Pakistan. Prime Minister Gilani, feeling hurt at the spate of
criticism of Pakistan coming from across the Atlantic for its failure to do
the US bidding or for providing safe havens to some groups of anti-US
militants, as well as the mounting pressure for taking certain actions, told the
press at Lahore on Saturday that the time for saying, Yes, boss was gone,
and the government would not let anyone harm national interests. The nation
1179

has for long been expecting our ruling leadership to make such bold
statements to silence American and Western critics, and it was, indeed, a
source of great satisfaction that finally Mr Gilani rebuffed them.
Now that Pakistans persistent critic Leon Panetta has moved from
the post of CIA Director to that of Defence Secretary, one should expect
that the US would more frequently rail at our role in the war on terror.
Arriving at Kabul on Saturday he urged Pakistan to go after Al-Qaeda new
chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri. The US media has also stepped up its campaign
of vilification against Pakistan, finding holes in the military and ISIs
performance and accusing some of top brass of taking kickbacks for
allegedly supplying nuclear secrets to North Korea.
It is the very same media, whose complicit role had been fully
exposed when blindly toeing the line set by the deceitful Bush, it kept
beating, ad nauseam, the drum of President Saddam Hussein possessing
weapons of mass destruction, which were never found later. And with it, its
reputation for unquestionable integrity in reporting after thorough
investigation of the facts stood sullied. In July 8 of its editorial, the New
York Times quoting unnamed US officials maintained that there was
evidence of complicity of the ISI in sheltering bin Laden, of ties to the
2008 Mumbai attacks and of involvement in the abduction and murder of
journalist Saleem Shahzad.
Pakistan Army chief spokesman Major General Athar Abbas
debunked the accusations saying, This is a direct attack on our security
organization and intelligence agencies..We consider ISI as a strategic
intelligence organization, the first line of defence, adding that it was part
of a calculated plan by the United States to weaken the state. He said
that the ISI and the CIA should formalize their role through a written
document, and the ISI wanted the US to take it into confidence about what it
wanted to do. Similarly, Lt-General (retd) Zulfiqar, calling the news-item
about his taking bribe from N Korea for giving nuclear secrets as
mischievous and a fabrication, said that in pursuit of its vested interests, the
US regards nuclear Pakistan as an adversarial Muslim country in the region.
Next day, the newspaper commented: The $800 million of aid that
the Americans have decided to hold back out of $2 billion earmarked for
Pakistan Army should not be taken as a punitive measure that it is intended
to be. Instead, it should be treated as a golden opportunity to get out of
the intricate web of Western aid, especially of the US and international
financial institutions like the IMF. It might at first sight appear a tall order
1180

because of the huge amount that we owe to these institutions. However, the
American aid should correctly be called only a partial reimbursement of the
expenditure and losses that Pakistan bears in prosecuting the war on terror.
No doubt, it is fairly substantial in commitment, but is charily delivered. If
we were to coolly take into account the human and natural resources the
country possesses and if we were able to manage to eliminate the corrosive
disease of corruption afflicting our polity, it should not be too difficult for us
to manage without these financial hand-outs that come with a lot of painful
strings.
Fortunately, we have a tried and tested friend, China, to fall back
upon. For any shortfall, as an unnamed Pakistani official observed in
reaction to the announcement made by White House Chief of Staff William
Daley to withhold the aid, we can fill the gap from Beijing, which has time
and again expressed its readiness to help us stand on our feet. Only the
hesitation of our West-leaning ruling circles has stood against the
development of Pak-China relations to the great potential that they have.
Another story in TheNation yesterday quoted Director General of Three
Gorges Corporation of China Wang Shoofeng as assuring that it could help
Pakistan raise its generation capacity by 10,000MW within the next 10
years.
Meanwhile, military sources have asserted that they should be
able to continue fighting the war without the US help. We must realize
that lesser reliance on the US would also facilitate our breaking free from its
suffocating embrace. It has made us suffer the humiliation of an open
violation of sovereignty and poses a threat to our security. It should be
remembered that the cut in aid neatly fits in with the aggressive policies of
President Obama. Our strong reaction to the murder of two Pakistanis by
CIA contractor Raymond Davis and the clandestine nightly raid to take out
al-Qaeda chief, the arrogant and domineering posture of Secretary Clinton,
Army Chief Mullen and Senator Kerry towards Pakistan, the US anger at our
insistence to withdraw 100 US spies operating in the garb of trainers and the
strict restriction we have imposed on the number of visas issued to US
personnel all these are manifestations of a bilateral relations threatening to
break under the strain. Let us not buckle under the pressure of this onslaught
and like a self-respecting nation boldly bear it and set our sights on further
strengthening our ties with genuine friends like China, others in the Muslim
world and beyond.
On 13th July, TheNation observed: It must have cheered Pakistanis
across the board, barring a small minority of pro-Western citizens, to learn
1181

that Pakistan has reacted strongly but rightly to the American decision to cut
aid to Pakistan Army by $800 million in the context of fighting the war on
terror. Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukkhtar, while talking to a
private TV channel on Monday, warned the US that in case the aid was not
given, Islamabad would have no choice but to pull out its troops from the
Pak-Afghan border. It could not afford to maintain such a huge force to man
nearly 1100 check posts set-up there. He maintained the reduced amount is
not for fighting the war, but the money we have spent already. Chaudhry
Mukhtar also criticized the US for misusing the Shamsi airbase that it had
been allowed to use, through the UAE, only for surveillance purposes and
not for drones carrying lethal weapons and launching attacks. However, CIA
has remained in a challenging mood, simply ignoring protests from
Islamabad and continuing with drone strikes. Only during the past two
days missiles fired by them killed at least 53 tribesmen, leaving a lot more
injured. Pakistan would have to do something to deter these killing machines
to play with the lives of our citizens and make the Americans realize that
these attacks were proving counterproductive, as they tend to produce more
militants.
Chaudhry Mukhtar confirmed the widespread suspicion that the
military trainers whom Pakistan had asked to leave the country were
found to be connected with CIA contractor Raymond Davis, the killer of
two Lahorites. He hoped that the US would share the intelligence with
Pakistan and not repeat the action it took to take out bin Laden in the case of
Al-Zawahiri, who it says is hiding somewhere in our tribal areas.
Bitter reaction has also come from the army which says that it would
not accept any aid to which conditions were attached, and in any case it was
capable of fighting the war without any outside help, as it had done in
Bajaur, South Waziristan and other tribal areas. Army spokesman Major
General Athar Abbas, however, emphasized that since al-Qaeda was a
common enemy of both the US and Pakistan, the fight the army is fighting is
also in the interest of the US and the world. Over the armys strong response,
several retired army officials have expressed their happiness, with General
Aslam Beg saying that the Americans attitude was the result of their defeat
in Afghanistan and contained mere empty threats. Others, like General
Hamid Gul, observed that the aid was a mere stranglehold and by refusing to
accept the US dictation the army was safeguarding national interests. In this
climate, Secretary Clintons plea that the cut was to seek cooperation would
not help. We strongly urge the authorities not to deviate, under any

1182

pressure, threat or coercion, from their present stand and regard the
development as an honourable way to get out of the clutches of the US.
A R Jerral wrote: Pakistan Army is quite capable of handling the
war on terror within Pakistans territorial limits and indeed without US
aid largesse. It has successfully conducted it in Swat and South Waziristan
and has established the peace there from where the political process can
begin and it has. Pakistan Army and the ISI working in close cooperation
have the capability to search, locate and destroy Al-Qaeda targets that are
working against the interests of Pakistan. In this effort, Pakistan Army has
the ability to go alone. Pakistan does not need and should not allow a wider
US spy net in Pakistan, the existing CIA station chief with his operatives
working with the ISI will suffice for Pak Army to conduct this local war on
terror.
How the events will unfold only time will tell. One thing is
certain; our alliance with the US has come full circle. The stoppage of aid
is an indicator that the separation is approaching near. A journalist counts
this stoppage to be the seventh in 56 years of our mutual on-again-off-again
friendship. In all previous episodes, aid stoppage turned into snapping of
friendship. This time too, the events will follow the same pattern. Pakistan
should be prepared politically, diplomatically and economically to face the
conditions that will come its way once the ties snap.
Pakistans Diplomatic Corps, its strategic thinkers and
intelligentsia, need to consider the challenge unleashed against the
Muslim world by the Western Civilization. Panetta identifies al-Qaeda
locations in Yemen, Somalia, North Africa and Pakistan. These are the
cardinal points which surround the entire Middle East and Al-Maghreb. AlQaeda being an ideological movement on the hit list of the US-led West
gives it the reason to meddle in the affairs of the Muslim countries. The
events unfolding in Sudan and the Middle East make it abundantly clear. The
modern Western Civilization has embarked upon an ambitious plan to
dismember the Muslim World into smaller and manageable political units;
Abid Mustafa, a journalist expert in Middle Eastern affairs, has rightly
recognized this threat, with which Pakistan has been afforded a God-given
opportunity to break away from this western clash with Muslim Civilization
and launch a vigorous awakening campaign to educate the Muslim masses
about the dangers facing them. Pakistan must take the ideological lead in
this direction.

1183

Next day, TheNation commented: The Americans, used to spending

millions of dollars on the bodily comforts and protective gear of their
soldiers deployed to fight an enemy, seem to be labouring under the illusion
that unaided by the US, the Pakistan Army would not be able to fend for
itself. It would come begging for their help. They had better put such
thoughts aside; the Pakistani soldier is a different kettle of fish. While
heading for the war, he is imbued with the sole spirit of the sacred defence of
his country and for which he is ready to lay down his life; the means of
physical relaxation and self-protection are the farthest from his mind. Thus,
the corps commanders, who met under the chairmanship of COAS General
Kayani on Tuesday to consider the situation arising out of the $800 million
cut in the US aid for Pakistans military expressed the resolve to fight the
war on terror with indigenous resources, as they had successfully done in
several part of the tribal areas. That, indeed, is how the stern warning of hard
line US Defence Secretary Panetta and not-so-mildly-disposed Secretary
Clinton needed to be responded.
It is worth recalling Panettas exact words of admonition: And
theyve got to know that were not going to give out a blank cheque until
they show that this is a two-way relationship..theyve got to be able to
give us their cooperation. Clintons observation pointed to the same
obligation, but in less domineering style. The Pakistan Army top brass
made it plain that conditional aid was unacceptable. They also expressed
anger at the unabated drone strikes. As preparations for Obamas bid for reelection begin with greater commitment, such noises are likely to become
more strident.
Nevertheless, there should be no question of giving way to the
pressure. We must, first of all, tap all our resources in pursuing the war
on terror and, at the same time, limit its scope by engaging the tribal
elders to bring the militants to the negotiating table. For the Americans, who
entered the war bragging and blustering to subdue the resistance by the use
of military means, talks are an undeniable sign of defeat, but not for
Pakistan. The militants are mostly our own citizens; they can more readily
be persuaded to give up arms, once assured that we are not fighting for the
US. Secondly, for any shortfall in the required resources, we have the
Chinese who have declared, The stability and development of Pakistan is
closely connected with the peace and stability of South Asia and are ready
to give help that we need for this purpose.
But we must keep in mind that to be successful in self-reliance the
entire nation not only the army but also the political leadership and, of
1184

course, the people would have to stand united. Considering the multiple
crises Pakistan is facing it was, perhaps, never as necessary as today to
demonstrate unity for getting out of the mess we see around us. Display of
unity in the face of the US challenge would also disprove MQM chiefs
charge that the government and the US were conspiring against the
army.
Azam Khalil wrote: The decision by Washington to stop $800 million
military assistance to Pakistan amounts to outright blackmail, which must be
strongly condemned by Islamabad and the international community. US
Defence Minister Leon Panetta has demanded that Pakistan target al-Qaeda
leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who, according to him, is living in the tribal
areas of the country. One wonders that if Panettas statement is correct, he
should have quietly passed on the information to the Pakistani government
so that it could target al-Qaeda Chief through the best possible measures.
The Americans are in the habit of issuing vague statements and then
pointing their finger at the military leadership in Pakistan, even at times
accusing it of helping the militants.
The fact of the matter is that the USA has now realized that it will not
be possible for it to win the Afghan war and therefore wants a face-saving
exit. At the moment, the best solution for the US seems to be to put the
blame on Pakistan and, to a certain extent, on Iran for the miserable
performance of its troops in the war-torn country. Therefore, before the
American administration succeeds in its designs, of blaming Pakistan for its
failure in the war, Islamabad should make efforts and move fast to stop it.
The Government of Pakistan would be well advised to revise its strategy in a
way that will not only take care of Pakistans interests, but will also help to
formulate a foreign policy that is not totally dependent on America.
It is time that Pakistanis stood on their feet and told the
Americans that they could not and would not be blackmailed to do
anything against the interest of their country. Pakistan has several options. It
must apply them to pressurize the US to understand that it will not be
possible for America to have its toast buttered on both sides anymore. As far
as the negative media campaign that has been launched by the Americans
and some of their local agents is concerned, remedial steps must be taken by
the federal government. It should counter this media onslaught by placing
the facts in front of the people as well as the international community to
highlights the true picture.

1185

One hopes that in the coming days and months, the Pakistani
government will put into place certain irreversible measures and will not be
taken in by American overtures that have continued for quite some time now.
The ruling elite should formulate a well defined policy that not only
safeguards Pakistans vital interests, but also allows it to stand up and face
the challenges. This can, however, only be done if the undue concessions
granted to the US are immediately withdrawn, their intelligence network is
dismantled and all the Americans, who are masquerading under different
covers, are shown the door. They should not be given an opportunity to
create despondency amongst the local people; they should be stopped from
engaging in the illegal activities that had been tolerated by the military
dictator Pervez Musharraf.
On 15th July, LA Times wrote: The criticisms from the United
States have aggravated the anger in Pakistan, particularly in the
military, over the killing of Osama bin Laden in an operation that was
conducted without the knowledge of Pakistani officials. The suggestion that
it could not be trusted to keep a secret outraged the military, as did the fact
that US commandos stormed bin Ladens hideout without permission.
We worry that the cut off in aid was based less on a calculation of its
effect on Pakistan than on the desire to publicly protest the countrys
truculence, partly in an effort to mollify congressional critics. Ideally, the
suspension of aid will be short-lived while the relationship is mended.
Pakistan can assist in that process, rather than falling back into the rote antiAmericanism and obstructionism that led to the Obama administrations
decision to suspend aid in the first place. In confirming the suspension,
Daley called the US-Pakistani relationship complicated. Thats an
understatement. We hope that the decision to suspend aid wont
complicate it further.
Azhar Masood warned General Pasha to be careful of Zardari and
Haqqani; he said it with reference to meeting of CIA Director Mike Haydn
with Zardari in which the latter told the former to kill the seniors using
drone attacks and said, collateral damage worries you Americans. It does
not worry me. These are the kind of deals which will make mission of Gen.
Pasha to Washington not only difficult but complex. To me this was one of
the biggest sell out made by Zardari-Haqqani team. Zaradri still lives in the
Presidential Palace and Haqqani continues to be Pakistans ambassador in
Washington. Are they accountable for their questionable role holding high
offices?

1186

Next day, Robert Grenier commented: Despite the shift in US policy,

however, its demands of Pakistan are caught in a time warp. Pakistan has
anticipated all along that US patience and stamina in Afghanistan would
be limited, and has hedged its bets accordingly.
Now, having validated Pakistans fears, the US acts as though
that should make no difference, and continues to demand that the
Pakistanis sweep the Afghan insurgents and their local allies from N.
Waziristan. With Pakistans forces heavily engaged elsewhere against local
militants in the tribal areas, it is unlikely, to say the least, that Pakistan will
willingly sustain heavy losses to earn the enmity of Afghan militants who
will eventually, and perhaps sooner rather than later, find safe haven on the
other side of the Durand Line.
The US transition in Afghanistan will inevitably generate effects on
Pakistani policy calculations, and the US should not expect otherwise. It
would be far better for US policymakers to take their own actions into
account in assessing the rational limits of their aspirations for Pakistani
policy. And if the US transition to a sustainable posture in Afghanistan is
far slower than it should be, that is certainly not going to change the
Pakistani assessment as to what the future eventually holds in store.
This is not to suggest for a moment, however, that Pakistani
calculations of their national interest in the context of a US transition are
likely to be wise ones, or that new disputes between the countries will not
arise. Militants currently devoted to the destruction of the Pakistani
state are not likely to become less so as the US presence in Afghanistan
is reduced.
And present Pakistani tolerance of the Afghan Taliban and
associated groups is not likely to garner their future cooperation in
opposing Pakistani militants seeking safe haven on Afghan soil. Where the
threat of cross-border militancy is concerned between Afghanistan and
Pakistan, in the future the proverbial shoe is likely to be on the other foot.
As the US and Pakistan negotiate this changing balance of forces in
the region, the old categories strategic partnership versus transactional
relations should no longer apply. The very idea of a true strategic
partnership between Washington and Islamabad was never realistic, any
more than the US recently abandoned, over-ambitious aspirations for a
modern, centralized Afghan state.
The differences in American and Pakistani perceptions of their
respective national interests are too vast and the deficit in Pakistani national
1187

leadership too great to permit any such open-ended strategic relationship. In

South Asia, sad to say, the past exerts an inexorable pull on the future.
On the other hand, the notion of a transactional relationship, where
pressures or inducements from the US side are expected to produce
behaviour on the Pakistani side which would not otherwise occur, is no more
applicable. As has been amply demonstrated, Pakistan is going to do what
Pakistan is going to do, and US leverage will only have marginal
effects.
Instead, the US would be far better advised simply to support those
policies it approves, and withhold support for those it does not, making clear
its reasoning in both cases, and encouraging similar frankness from the
Pakistani side. The partial curtailing of US military aid to Pakistan, if
conducted rationally and with quiet candour, could be the first step in
establishing an equally contentious, but far more healthy and ultimately
more stable relationship between the two states.
Each side is condemned to continue dealing with the other. Their
respective interests will not permit them to do otherwise. For the two parties
in this bad marriage, divorce is not an option. But if they are wise, they will
learn, to the maximum extent possible, to air their operatic disagreements
openly with each other, but behind firmly closed doors, and secure in the
knowledge that nothing is certain but disappointment.
H D S Greenway opined: It would be hard to imagine a more selfdefeating gesture than cutting a third of Americas aid to Pakistan, but thats
what the Obama administration appears to be doing. The reason: to punish
Pakistan for expelling American military trainers, and to force the
Pakistani Army to be more effective in fighting militants.
One can understand Americas frustration. NATO soldiers are being
killed by Taliban. And when bomb factories are identified, Pakistanis warn
the would-be bombers The trouble with the US-Pakistani relationship
has always been that its transactional from Americas point of view
rather than strategic, as Pakistan would wish it to be. America is always
saying: We give you money, now do exactly as we say and do it right now.
Pakistan, on the other hand, would like to see more understanding of its
problems.
Not that Pakistan is blameless in this downward spiral of
relations with the United States. The impact of the Raymond Davis affair
was very hard on Pakistan. Davis, a CIA contractor, shot and killed two
Pakistanis in the streets of Lahore and then stepped out of his car to
1188

photograph the corpses. Davis claimed it was a robbery, but it is more likely
that the two dead Pakistani youths were following Davis on behalf of
Pakistani intelligence to keep an eye on him. One can imagine the uproar if a
Pakistani intelligence operative shot and killed two Americans in a US city.
That being said, the United States needs to be more understanding
of Pakistans position. Pakistanis are a proud people, and the humiliation of
the Osama bin Laden raid will long linger. Obviously Bin Laden had some
Pakistani help, but there is no indication that his whereabouts were known at
the senior level. Obviously there are sympathizers within the Pakistani
establishment. But that is a problem that cutting aid will only make worse.
The United States has to appreciate how deeply unpopular it is with the
rank-and-file, both within the armed services and the population at large.
Washington should not do more to humiliate those who support America in
the Islamabad government and armed forces, making their position even
more untenable.
As for the those militants the Americans want Pakistan to attack, it is
clear to everyone that the United States is leaving, and that there will be
elements of Taliban in Afghanistans future. The Americans are trying to
make a deal with the Taliban, why shouldnt the Pakistanis? A friendly
Afghanistan next door is a vital Pakistani interest. The United States needs
to understand Pakistans desire to keep up relationships with some Taliban as
a hedge against the future, just as the Americans are trying to establish
relations with the Taliban in order to get out.
For all its faults and contradictions the US-Pakistan relationship
is vital to the United States. Washington should not let its imperfections
goad it to self-destructive, if self-satisfying, punishments that are unlikely to
change Pakistans behaviour.
Inayatullah wrote: How much respect does Washington have for
democracy in Pakistan may well be judged by the way it has brushed
aside its Parliaments resolutions against the unwarranted and legally
dubious drone attacks, which violate our airspace, our territorial integrity,
and kill civilians with impunity? No independent state can allow external
elements to operate within its territories, unless there is a known agreement
for any such action. The US has been doling out some money on the one
hand, and arm-twisting Pakistan to let it do what it wants without let or
hindrance. When the GHQ put its foot down about the Special Forces
operations in the country and stop the training programmes by the
Americans, Washington has been cruel enough to withhold funds due to be
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transmitted to Islamabad. It is heartening to find that in the latest Corps

Commanders meeting an honourable stand has been taken. Pakistan, the
commanders have resolved, can do without aid and yet carry on its task in
the Pak-Afghan border areas.
Amazing that the highest military authority in the USA, Admiral
Mullen, who keeps reminding us of his deep appreciation of Pakistan
Armys operations against the terrorists could so casually accuse it (and the
ISI) of direct involvement in the killing of the Pakistani journalist Saleem
Shahzad. Such unexpected attacks are, to say the least, inexplicable,
unless the intention is to weaken Pakistans military and destabilize the
country. Another move unworthy of an honourable ally is to ask for the
removal of our ISI Director General
General Kayani, today, needs the wholehearted support of not
only the civilian government, but also the political opposition. A clarion
call of support should be loudly voiced for the stand taken by him.
Washington cannot thrust arbitrarily special trainers on us. It cannot force us
to take up operations, which would create serious complication for Pakistan
later. The COAS also needs blessings of the civil society. We have to realize
that he deserves respect and appreciation for the continuing exercise of
restraint. A power drunk general could easily have walked into the civilian
domain in the current domestic circumstances.
What a mess we have made of our country. There is a total collapse
of law and order in Karachi our major metropolitan city, and in parts of
Balochistan. Our economy is in the pits and our politics and governance
have become theatres of the absurd. A government that keeps defying the
verdicts of the highest court of the country and kowtows to foreign powers
cannot be expected to safeguard the national interests. The military with all
its deficiencies and faults has to be owned and backed by the people of
Pakistan.
There is, at the same time, a pressing need for our intelligence
and law enforcement agencies to mend their ways, taking note of the
public and political grievances. The law of the land has to be respected and
protected. Waywardness, even for achieving certain desired results, must be
eschewed. General Kayani would be well advised to examine the matter
personally and restrain the agencies and ensure that they behave properly
and lawfully.
Too much is at stake. Inimical forces are pushing the country to the
brink. Pakistan today needs stout hearts, clear-eyed observation of
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realities, perceptive minds and a live imagination. It also needs to activate

links with its good friends. And we definitely need a new and strong national
leadership. Indeed, a new mandate from the people.
On 17th July, TheNation: In a moment, the boost that the fallen
prestige of the ISI had received from the public vanished, bringing it down
again, when the report flashed that DG ISI General Shuja Pasha and Acting
Director of CIA Michael Morell who met in Washington on Wednesday
agreed to a framework for issuing visas to CIAs operatives working in
Pakistan as American trainers. One only hopes that no such concession has
been given by General Pasha. The nation, scared of anti-Pakistan doings of
these agents, had heaved a sigh of relief when they were expelled from the
country, as in the hard-to-question public perception, the presence of these
elements amounted to mortgaging the security of the country. Their return
would rekindle the feeling of uncertainty. We expect that the agreed formula
of issuing visas to the American citizens and their postings in Pakistan
would enable our agencies to keep an eye on their activities to ensure that
they conform to accepted standards of conduct of a foreigner.
The discontinuation of aid was hailed a starting point for getting out
of US dependence, which has proven to be a real pain in the neck, letting the
Americans encroach upon any sphere of our governance they wanted and
leaving us with making protests that went abegging. As the talks are said to
have gone well and the intelligence (sharing) component (is) back on track
completely the fear that the US would succeed in extracting information
from us that could be used to the detriment of our national interests has
resurged again. That is particularly so because to General Pashas pleas for
no undercover, no unilateral strikes, the US is reported to have shown little
readiness to compromise on drone attacks. The corps commanders meeting
only a few days earlier had expressed the participants outrage at these
deadly sorties. And it needs no recalling that Pakistanis, all to a man, have
been protesting against them as violative of the countrys sovereignty. It is
not clear what exactly was decided, though both the parties agreed to the
rules of engagement; for the term has not been spelled out.
The US acting spymaster should have been left in no doubt what
Pakistan wanted: guarantee of the countrys integrity and sovereignty, with
no interference of any outside power; exclusion of Indias role in the final
settlement of the Afghan imbroglio; and full respect of the wishes of the
people of Afghanistan about the kind of future political set-up they would
like to see established in their country.

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Jalees Hazir observed: The military, for its part, pays a high price
for the dollars it gets, not only in terms of loss of its personnel, but also
the death and destruction of citizens and their properties that it is meant to
protect. It pays by compromising the security of the country by allowing
intelligence operatives disguised as military trainers to access its ranks and
to run amok in our cities. It might have gone along previously but the
indications are that it is wiser about what the US is up to and is unwilling to
look the other way as the US plays its dirty double games under the cloak of
a well-meaning ally, a strategic partner and other meaningless tags. Of
course, the US does not like that, and that explains the consistent attack and
pressure on the defence and intelligence apparatus.
The superpower that shortchanges its allies/clients as a habit,
wants its full pound of flesh and says it should not matter to us if we get
killed in the process; we should just do as we are told. Despite such openly
hostile behaviour, the US would like to continue enjoying unhindered access
to all of Pakistan and the freedom to do as it pleases on our soil. It acts like a
slimy leech that does not understand the nuances of nudging; you cant just
ask it to stop sucking your blood and expect it to oblige. To break its
parasitic embrace, those in charge of our destiny must act to pull out its dirty
teeth, one by one, that connects it to our body.
On 10th July, General Mirza Aslam Beg wrote: On October 7, 2001,
President George Bush launched the shock and awe crusade against the
Taliban hoping to defeat them and consolidate the US hold over
Afghanistan, but he failed to do so. Consequently, the Taliban emerged
victorious and are not prepared to give concessions, unless the occupation
forces leave the war-torn country. The shame of defeat at the hands of the
Taliban is the greatest embarrassment for the sole superpower of the world.
But instead of accepting it, the US has opted for a strategy of siege that
was worked out at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, by the Strategic
Plans and Policy Division (SPP). This strategy is a vicious plan of deceit and
despair with defeat writ large on itself.
The plan envisages the pulling out of 33,000 troops by the end year
2012 comprising mainly Special Forces and the marines to hold the
fortresses of Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and the nearby airbases. Jalalabad will
be held as a fortress by the Afghan army. Mazar-i-Sharif and the airbase at
Dehdadi will be developed as fortresses by the Northern Alliance. The areas
in the south, that is, from Helmand to Laghman, will be left in control of the
Taliban, as the beginning of the vicious plan to divide Afghanistan in three

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zones. Thus, it (Mazar-i-Sharif) will be an important fortress to guard the

alternating supply and exit route through the Central Asian territories
because the passage through Pakistan is dangerous. The American claims
that 40 percent of their supplies are coming through this route may not
be true because it is very long and hazardous. Also, the Russians may not
like that their near abroad gets radicalized by the militant organizations
such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), who would try to
interdict the movements along this route.
USAs Strategy of Fortress Defence envisages a kind of secretive
war involving armed drones and special operation forces to carry out
surgical operations, employing unique assets against terrorist threat.
Washington has already extended covert drone attacks to Yemen and
Somalia. Such operations will be particularly focused on Pakistan, on
eliminating al-Qaeda safe heavens. How Pakistan and the Taliban in
Afghanistan are going to react to this strategy is important.
Focusing operations against Pakistan has already pushed the
Pak-US relations to the brink. Under public pressure, the Pakistani forces
now have no option, but to retaliate against such blatant violation of the
countrys sovereignty. How and in what manner retaliatory actions will be
taken is a matter of command decision. The strategic cost of such
clandestine actions by the Americans, therefore, would far outweigh the
tactical gains and the fallout on relations with Pakistan.
The Taliban have already accelerated the pace of their summer
offensive against the occupation forces inflicting heavy casualties on the
retreating enemy. And as the US forces get holed up into the fortresses
possibly by mid next year the Taliban would enjoy the advantage of
freedom to conduct operations more effectively against the fortresses. The
combination of men and missiles, which helped Hezbollah to shatter the
myth of invincibility of the Israeli army in 2006, would help them to break
the will of the forces holding the fortresses. So, they would be enjoying
greater freedom of movement and the resultant operational advantages.
The operational environment also is not at all favourable for the
Strategy of Fortress Defence. There is hostility within the country and
without, of the neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan and Iran. Russia
and China will not like the Americans to hang on in Afghanistan any longer.
The sooner they leave, the better it would be for peace to prevail in the
region. External pressures and support to the Taliban will add to the
problems of the forces under siege.
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After USAs exit, it is the Taliban who ultimately will gain control
over Afghanistan. They have already had a bitter experience of betrayal by
the Americans since 1990 and trust only in themselves to form a broad-based
government, which is the only viable course to secure peace in Afghanistan.
So, the Americans must exit from Afghanistan immediately, rather than to
extend the pain and shame of defeat through the strategy of siege, which
has already failed, even before it is implemented.
On 13th July, Pepe Escobar commented: It all comes back, once
again, to Pipelineistan and one of its outstanding chimeras; the
Turkmenistan/Afghanistan/Pakistan (TAP) gas pipeline, also known once
as the Trans-Afghan Pipeline, which might one day become TAPI if India
decides to be on board. The US corporate media simply refuses to cover
what is one of the most important stories of the early 21st century.
Washington has badly wanted TAP since the mid-1990s, when the
Clinton administration was negotiating with the Taliban; the talks broke
down because of transit fees, even before 9/11, when the Bush
administration decided to change the rhetoric from a carpet of gold to a
carpet of bombs. TAP is a classic Pipelineistan gambit; the US supporting
the flow of gas from Central Asia to global markets, bypassing both Iran and
Russia. If it ever gets built, it will cost over $10 billion.
It needs a totally pacified Afghanistan still another chimera
and a Pakistani government totally implicated in Afghanistans security, still
a no-no as long as Islamabads policy is to have Afghanistan as its strategic
depth, a vassal state, in a long-term confrontation mindset against India.
Its no surprise the Pentagon and the Pakistani Army enjoy such
a close working relationship. Both Washington and Islamabad regard
Pashtun nationalism as an existential threat. The 2,500-kilometer-long,
porous, disputed border with Afghanistan is at the core of Pakistans
interference in its neighbours affairs.
Its mind-boggling that 10 years and $5.4 trillion dollars later, the
situation is exactly the same. Washington still badly wants its pipeline
which will in fact be a winning game mostly for commodity traders, global
finance majors and Western energy giants. From the standpoint of these
elites, the ideal endgame scenario is global Robocop NATO helped by
hundreds of thousands of mercenaries protecting TAP (or TAPI) while
taking a 24/7 peek on whats going on in neighbours Russia and China.
Sharp wits in India have described Washingtons tortuous moves in
Afghanistan as surge, bribe and run. Its rather surge, bribe and stay.
1194

This whole saga might have been accomplished without a superpower

bankrupting itself, and without immense, atrocious, sustained loss of life, but
hey nobodys perfect.
Zaheer Bhatti wrote: Those perennially resigned to the subservience
of their imperial masters believe that the only way to infuriate Washington
was to allow those it terms as terrorists to freely operate from their safe
havens established within the Pakistani borders and strike at the Afghan and
occupation forces, and provide an excuse to the US/NATO to hit back in
Pakistan. This war philosophy, they say, is beyond their comprehension,
but so is this postulation to me. Taking the Pakistani government and its
army to be a bunch of morons, who would senselessly invite obvious
trouble, is an oversimplified presumption.
The analysts, who seem to have first-hand knowledge of such
terrorist havens besides the Americans, do not understand such a bizarre
strategy of facilitating few groups to attack the self-styled superpower.
However, it is perfectly understandable and justified to them that the
superpower from thousands of miles away should attack a sovereign though
poor nation (Afghanistan) for a crime it did not commit, and that the
Pakistan government readily provide it the desired bases and logistic support
to ransack that country for a whole decade. For these imperial
sympathizers, there is nothing wrong in flying out assault missions from
the Pakistani soil, carry out drone strikes and massacre countless
innocent civilians because, according to them, the superpower, like the
Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, wields more strength and command than the
Almighty (Naouz-o-billah).
Bhatti quoted excerpts from articles of various analysts to negate the
viewpoint of these imperial sympathizers and then conclude: Therefore,
this is not what we or several retired generals of consequence, or leading
analysts in the country say, but the world at large. May God allow the
skeletons in our own cupboard to grasp reality!
Next day, Azhar Masood wrote: Born in 1961 in Kandhar, Ahmad
Wali Karzai, being a half brother of Hamid Karzai always claimed to be
the Popalzai Pashtun tribe which held the pride of King Zahir Shahs
being a Popalzai.
A post-graduate from Illinois, Chicago, Ahmad Wali Karazi
strongly followed an American philosophy, what money cannot buy
more money can. For Easy money Ahmad Wali opted to head drug trade
and kick-backs from every contractor who was employed either by the
1195

Afghan Government of US-led ISAF in Afghanistan for the implementation

of Bonn and Tokyo conferences promising Reconstruction of Afghanistan.
In other words Ahmad Wali Karzai placed his fingers in every pie
corrupting socio-political and economic structure of South Afghanistan.
His writ though remained in Kandhar but here too he remained under the
influence of Mullah Omar-led Taliban.
Senior coalition officers would prefer to see the back of Wali
Karzai but they have come to the conclusion that their only option is to
work with him. They are trying, in the words of one officer, to remodel a
man accused of running a private fiefdom in the south. Wali Karzai had held
frequent meetings with the former US Central Command commander in
Afghanistan, General David Petraeus; the latest in a series of contacts
designed to rehabilitate and influence the activities of the chairman of
Kandahars provincial council.
The plan is to incorporate him, to shape him. Unless you eliminate
him, you have to (do this), said a senior coalition official involved in
planning what is viewed as this summers make-or-break military operation
in Kandahar. You cant ignore him, he added. Hes the proverbial 800lb
gorilla and hes in the middle of a lot of rooms. Hes the mafia don, the
family fixer, the troubleshooter. Although the meetings with General
Petraeus were described as friendly, insiders say that the American
commander reminded Wali Karzai of a number of key areas, including the
appointments of local district and police chiefs that he was encouraged not
to interfere with.
No matter having several stigmas of corruption and being a leading
figure in Afghanistans drug trade, Ahmad Wali Karzai remained an apple in
the eyes of US-NATO and ISAF commanders. The United States had
allocated military operations to British Army in Southern provinces of
Afghanistan including of course the one time capital of Talibans-Kandhar,
Ahmad Wali and Haji Gul Agha (Governor of Kandhar) cared hoots for
donors and NATO command s sermons of morality and no corruption in all
those contracts which several multinational firms had secured ranging from
transport to construction, construction to imports and provision of facilities
in Education, Health, Communication, IT, and formation of Afghan National
Army. Mindful of his personal security Ahmad Wali Karzai had employed
over 500 bodyguards. Salaries of these Popalzai bodyguards ranged between
300,000 to 500,000 Afghanis. Sayed Sarwar Jan killed Tuesday the man
whom he was paid to protect. Question is who masterminded
1196

assassination of slain drug baron. His top security man who executed
the plan appears a hatchet man. But whose?
As regards India, On 15th July TheNation observed: People in
Indian-occupied Kashmir Valley observed the Martyrs Day under curfew
condition with business completely shut down and army patrolling roads and
streets in the capital city of Srinagar. Section 144 was also imposed to ensure
that people do not assemble to take out rallies. In what could be termed as
the harshest action, the authorities placed top Kashmiri leaders including
Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Nayeem Ahmed Khan
under house arrest apparently to deprive them of leading protest rallies
planned to mark the day. On this day (July 13), 21 Kashmiri freedom
fighters were put before the firing squad on the orders of the Hindu ruler of
the State. The Martyrs Day was also observed in Pakistan and most of the
countries across the world where Kashmiri people live to pay homage to the
sacrifices offered by their forefathers.
Every year on this occasion Indian forces apply tough measures to
avoid people of Kashmir assembling in a large number to protest against
illegal occupation of their lands. The images that have gone out from
Srinagar on Wednesday must have shown to the world community how
human rights violations are taking place in a land of innocent and unarmed Kashmiri people.
India can no longer hoodwink the international opinion and continue
with its prolonged suppression and deny the people of the Valley their right
of self-determination recognized by the United Nations Security Council.
Sooner or later, New Delhi will have to budge or it would continue to bleed.
In the present day world, it is difficult to maintain illegal occupation of a
state against the aspiration of its people. Kashmir conflict is a core issue
between India and Pakistan and sooner the leadership of both the countries
resolve it, the sooner South Asian region would see peace and harmony.
India should shun its stubborn attitude and let the dialogue with
Pakistan take its natural course failing which it would continue to bleed.
The choice is Indias and it should take the benefit before time runs out.
In another editorial the newspaper added: Three deadly bomb blasts
rocked Mumbai during rush hour on Wednesday killing 21 people and
wounding at least 150 others. The first blast went off in the citys main
jewellery market followed by two explosions in an area to the south that is
the hub of commercial activity. As of now, no group has claimed
responsibility.
1197

Although the Indian government talked about foreign hand and did
not start the blame game as is its wont, the surprising and sad thing is that
the Indian media almost with indecent haste jumped to the conclusion that
the attacks were carried out by Pakistan and started spewing venom against
us. Some Indian investigation officials did express their suspicion at
Lashkar-e-Taiba for staging the attacks but mainly they were holding the
Indian Mujahideen as the most likely perpetrators. It is clear that by
pointing a finger of accusation at Islamabad, the Indian media took a
totally irresponsible step perhaps for two reasons. First, a large section of
it is not mature enough to see things in their true perspective and is run by
unqualified so-called journalists. Secondly, these bellicose media
organizations might be playing up the anti-Pakistan sentiment in India in the
hope of gaining cheap popularity for the sake of improving their ratings.
On the other side of the spectrum, President Zardari and Prime
Minister Gilani condemned the attacks, which should make it clear to the
Indians that we are a peace loving nation and do not believe in using
terrorism as a tool of state policy, something in fact their own country is
using with impunity in held Kashmir. At the same time, President Obama,
dreadfully indifferent to the series of even more ghastly bomb attacks in
Pakistan did not lose this opportunity to curry favour with the Indians
by assuring technical assistance in the investigations. While, there is no
harm in expressing grief over the loss of innocent lives, President Obamas
double-standards with respect to ignoring Pakistani victims of terrorism are
shameful to say the least.
At the end of the day, it remains to be seen how the Indian
government would react in the days to come and especially how it is going
to impact the dialogue process. If the Congress government starts to pin the
blame on Islamabad, which seems most likely to happen, then not only will
time be wasted but animosity will further increase between the two nuclear
armed neighbours. Finally, the Indian media must remember that there
have been attacks in Pakistan but neither the government nor our
media exploited these incidents to badmouth New Delhi.
Rajeev Sharma wrote: One of the biggest questions in the wake of
the three blasts that rocked Mumbai on Wednesday, killing at least 21
people and injuring dozens more, is what the fallout will be for IndoPakistan relations, and whether the attack will jeopardize Pakistan State
Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khars visit to India later this
month.

1198

So far, theres no indication that India will unilaterally cancel

Khars trip. For a start, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani were quick to condemn this latest attack on
Indias financial capital. And significantly, no Indian official has so far
pointed an accusatory finger at Pakistan over the blasts. Union Home
Minister P Chidambaram, for example, addressed the media in Mumbai after
visiting the blasts sites, but refrained from lashing out. Instead, he simply
said: We will not conduct the probe with any pre-determined assumption,
all groups are suspects. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, too, avoided
suggesting Pakistani involvement, simply noting that: This is another grim
reminder to everyone in this region that terror is a continuing threat to India
and thats necessary for all Indians to be vigilant.
The reasons for the Indian restraint arent difficult to
understand. The July 13 attacks are unlike the far more ferocious, militarylike assault of November 2008, where several fully-armed terrorists staged
an extended commando-type operation. Also, unlike the 2008 attacks, the
July 13 strikes werent a suicide operation. Instead, the perpetrators chose to
assemble improvised explosive devices from easily available ammonium
nitrate and remotely detonate them. One bomb was kept on the roadside, the
second in a box and the third one apparently in an umbrella!
Moreover, the circumstantial evidence so far points the needle of
suspicion at the Indian Mujahideen, a homegrown terror outfit. Still,
unlike previous IM operations, the July 13 Mumbai attacks have caused
significant damage and loss of life. This will worry the Indian government.
Previous IM strikes were little more than whimpers the grenade attack on
foreign tourists in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games in 2010 being a
case in point. With the exception of Punes German bakery attack, most
other IM attacks in recent times have been largely ineffective. But
Wednesdays attack suggests that IM has recharged, regrouped and
reorganized in a big way. The Indian security establishment will be
interested to know whether the turnaround in IMs capabilities has been
made possible with help from elements in the Pakistani establishment.
Until this linkage is established, theres no point in Indian officials crying
wolf.

REVIEW
Zardari went to Tehran on his second visit within a month. His backto-back trips have been noted by the observers as reaction to the US pressure
1199

exerted in the recent past. It appeared that he seemed to be winning the

sympathies of his hosts in the context of regional cooperation in security and
economic issues.
Logically, this should not have happened as a reaction to negative
tactics of the US. The saner, and natural, approach should have been that
Pakistan should have worked on regional options giving preference over its
global obligations. Relations with Iran should not have been part of any
contingency plan.
Zardaris visits also need to be pondered over more intently to find
answers to following questions. He vowed to fight terrorism along with Iran;
isnt it Sunni terrorism perpetrated by Taliban and al-Qaeda? Is he up to
turning the ongoing war in to Shia-Sunni confrontation; a long standing wish
of the Crusaders? How will it be viewed by the Arabs and impact Pak-Arab
relations?
For the time being the above could be termed as mere apprehensions.
Most probably, Zardari has been tasked by his American masters to take Iran
into confidence regarding peace talks with Taliban and possible solution of
Afghan problem. The Americans main concern is to acquire willingness of
the Afghan neighbours about retention of military bases in Afghanistan.
The United States did not anticipate any objection from Zardari
regime about these military bases as it has become quite used to getting
drubbing and battering from the superpower. Iran could have reservations on
this count and Zardari has been chosen and assigned the task to address the
anticipated resistance from Tehran.
While Pakistani leaders have been ordered to run around between
Islamabad and Kabul and between Islamabad Tehran, Hillary Clinton is
scheduled to visit New Delhi from tomorrow. She will be there to baptize
India as new bully to control Islamic countries of the region with special
emphasis on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
17th July, 2011

DIFFICULT PARTNER

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Hillary visited India during third week of July and spent most of her
time lecturing Pakistan as what it has to do for earning Americas favours.
Mike Mullen saw Pak-US relations at crossroads and passing through testing
times. New ISAF commander in Afghanistan termed Pakistan a very
difficult partner. In Pakistan, DGMO appeared before the Abbottabad
Commission and blamed the US for exploiting environment of trust. These
utterances amply described the nature of Pak-US relations.
In Afghanistan a new-look was given to higher echelons of its
occupation. Crocker assumed the office of US Ambassador in Kabul and
Panetta took charge of New Defence Secretary of Obama Administration.
General Petraeus relinquished the charge of occupation forces for General
Allen to become chief of CIA and he had mulled taking the war on to
Pakistans tribal areas.
Hina Rabbani, a graduate in hotel management, who had been helping
Musharraf and Zardari regimes in setting Pakistans monetary system in
order, was appointed as foreign minister. Soon after her appointment she met
Hillary in Indonesia and then went to New Delhi as representative of new
generation, which according to Indian media, viewed India differently. She
convinced India to hold next meeting in middle of next year.

NEWS
On Pakistan, curfew was clamped in parts of North Waziristan on
17 July and attempt of Afghan militants to enter the Agency was foiled.
Nine missiles were fired in Bajaur and support of Afghan state was
suspected. Militants burnt six vehicles in Lower Kurram.
th

Next day, one soldier and eleven militants were killed in Orakzai
Agency. Taliban released a video footage of execution of 16 policemen who
were recently abducted in an attack in Upper Dir. ATC court charged Sufi
Mohammad and others with murder and treason. Five people were wounded
in two bomb blasts in Multan. CIA got 87 new visas to resume normal
operations after assurance that the US intelligence agency would share more
information about its operatives.
On 19th July, four FC soldiers were killed when NATO forces fired
mortar shells at a border post in Angoor Adda area; Pakistan retaliated by
lodging a protest. Five militants were killed in remote controlled bomb blast
in South Waziristan; nobody owned the responsibility. Nine people were

1201

wounded in mortar fire by militants in Landikotal area. Eight workers of US

charity were kidnapped in Pishin.
Additional AG told the bench hearing missing persons case that
information given by Amna Janjua about her husband was wrong; her
husband was not in the custody of the intelligence agencies. A bill for aid cut
to Pakistan was presented in US Congress.
General Nadeem, member of the Abbottabad Commission, while
talking to Australian media said no one in Army or government sheltered
Osama. He also regretted methods used by CIA, especially vaccination
programme. Saleem Shehzad Commission recorded statements of journalists
and sought record of deceaseds e-mails.
Next day, six people were killed and four wounded in a clash in
Kurram Agency and six people were wounded when a shell landed at their
house. One person was killed in attack on a post in Mattani area. KPK
banned entry of foreigners without NOC. Petraeus admitted that the US has
no choice but to work with Pakistan despite troubled relations. Zardari met
Saudi King in Riyadh and two agreed to deepen co-operation.
On 21st July, two soldiers were wounded in attack on their vehicle in
South Waziristan. GOC said the information about IED manufacturing
factory was deliberately given late to give bad name to Pakistan Army.
Eight militants were killed in shelling in Kurram Agency. Peace committee
leader was attacked in Peshawar; the attacker was shot dead. Two persons
were killed in Bajaur due to mortar fire from across the border. Former
Afghan commander was killed in Pishin.
Eighty days after Abbottabad raid Gilani had different view of the
event, which was termed by him a great victory and for that he had
felicitated the US. In an interview to the Guardian he said the US acted
against unilaterally because it did not want to share victories with Pakistan.
The US only shared blame for the failings.
Next day it was reported that the US has been refused permission to
open a consulate in Quetta. On 23rd July, NATO helicopters violated airspace
in Waziristan as joint probe into cross border attacks started. Twenty
militants were killed and ten wounded in clash with tribal militia in Kurram
Agency. Hina Khar met Hillary Clinton in Indonesia and she vowed to
continue fighting Americas war on terror.
US team visited a fertilizer factory in Multan where it was briefed
about chemicals used in making fertilizer. The team was reportedly working
1202

to discourage these factories from using nitrate as fertilizers with nitrate

contents were being used by militants in making IEDs. This is apparently
happening without the knowledge of the government.
On 24th July, one soldier was killed and six wounded in suicide attack
on a post in South Waziristan. Seven soldiers were wounded in roadside
bombing in North Waziristan. Three soldiers were wounded in attack on
their convoy in Bara area. Nine people were killed in factional fighting in
Tirah Valley. Militants from across the border intruded and attacked a post in
Bajaur Agency; several attackers were reported killed and wounded when
troops returned fire. Hina said no one-sided ties with the US. Reportedly,
CIA has spread it tentacles in southern Punjab through influential people of
the area.
Next day, militant commander Gul announced support for Pakistan
Army and asked Baitullah Mehsud to leave the area. Twenty-seven militants
and four tribesmen were killed in clash in Kurram Agency. One person was
killed and six wounded in a bomb blast in Sadda.
DGMO told the Commission about Abbottabad raid that the raiders
exploited environment of trust and reiterated that no one knew about the
raid. Mullen said Pak-US military ties were at crossroads. ISAF commander
termed Pakistan a very difficult partner.
On 26th July, one soldier was killed and another wounded in mortar
attack on a post by Afghan militants in South Waziristan. Taliban made
bonfire of un-Islamic clothes in Wana. A boy was killed in an explosion in
Mohmand Agency. New NATO chief vowed to press Pakistan and convince
it that extremists are bidder threat than India.
Next day, hundred thousand people had fled because of Kurram
offensive. Three persons were killed in firing by militants in Peshawar; one
attacker was also shot dead. NATO tanker was blown up near Landi Kotal.
Two members of peace committee were killed in separate bomb blasts in
Mohmand Agency. Hillary criticized the bill to restrict aid to Pakistan.
On 28th July, eight militants were killed in ongoing operation in
Kurram Agency. Five soldiers were wounded in roadside bombing in
Mohmand Agency. NATO tanker was gutted in Bolan Pass. The US denied
any move launched against Pakistani institutions. Employees of US
Consulate in Lahore were detained after they had refused as usual to go
through normal security check. Police had to use force for detaining them;
Consulate boss accused Police of using brute force.

1203

In his interview to BBC Rehman Malik said drone attacks have been
effective but he has to oppose these because people of Pakistan disapprove
them. He showed his ignorance as to whether 350 US personnel expelled
were imparting training or working for CIA.
Next day, four terrorists with two suicide jackets were held in
Islamabad. Inter-city movement of foreign diplomats restricted; prior
permission made mandatory. In a tit-for-tat move, the Obama Administration
slapped curbs on the movement of Pakistani diplomats and embassy staffers
in the US. UNSC added TTP to terror list.
Countrywide crackdown against banned Hizb was launched by
security agencies on banned outfit Hizbut Tahrir and several of its key
members were detained during the last couple of weeks. Rehman Malik
attempted dubbing Tableeghi Jamaat as terrorist outfit; Shujaat rejected his
partners assertion.
On 30th July, three militants and a member of peace body were killed
in Kohat area. Foreign Office said no US-specific restrictions applied on
diplomats. CIA station chief who oversaw the intelligence team that found
Osama left Pakistan for medical reasons. White House asked for stepping
up action to knock out Qaeda even if it annoyed Pakistan.
On Afghanistan, air power was used in a clash between Afghan and
foreign forces with Taliban in Nangarhar Province on 17 th July; no other
details were released. Two days later, Zardari arrived in Kabul on a day-long
visit and the two US puppets vowed not to allow anyone disrupt security.
Seven policemen were poisoned in southern Afghanistan and two policemen,
including a commander, were killed in remote controlled bombing. Six
people were killed in NATO air strike in Logar Province.
On 20th July, four people were killed in attack on a police station in
Kandahar. Four people were killed and 11 wounded in suicide attack in
Mazar-e-Sharif. Next day, control of Herat was handed over to Afghan
security forces. In Paktika, 18 Afghan and NATO soldiers perished in attack
on an oil depot.
On 22nd July, NATO forces killed 30 militants in Khost in an operation
against Haqqani group. Next day, Pentagon mulled airlifting supplies to
Afghanistan. On 24th July, Control of Panjshir Valley was handed over to
Afghan authorities. Three people were killed in NATO troops firing.
Next day, Taliban claimed shooting down a US helicopter in eastern
Afghanistan; occupation forces said it was accidental crash. Rayon Crocker
1204

assumed the office of US Ambassador in Kabul. The US taxpayer money

indirectly reached the Taliban through a $2.16 billion contract that helped
promote Afghan businesses, a military-led inquiry indicated.
On 26th July, NATO claimed killing 35 Pakistani militants in Paktia
province in air strike. Karzai said long-term deal with the US would be on
Afghan terms. The mayor of the Afghan city of Kandahar was killed and
another person was wounded in a terror attack. A terrorist infiltrator got into
the mayors building and detonated a bomb hidden in his turban.
On 28th July, 22 people were killed, including a BBC correspondent
and 35 wounded in triple suicide bombing and shooting by militants
Uruzgan Province. Next day, 23 people were killed when a bus hit a roadside
bomb in Helmand Province.
On 17th July, China opposed move of India to join Nuclear Suppliers
Group. An Indian leader suspected Mossad and CIA involvement in Mumbai
blasts. Next day, Indo-Pak joint working group met in New Delhi and
reviewed cross-LoC travel and bilateral trade. Hillary arrived in New Delhi
to discuss modalities of Indias role in Afghanistan while wanting Indo-Pak
ties to grow.
On 19th July, Hillary and Krishna held talks in New Delhi and
discussed issues of enhanced role of India in Afghanistan and the region;
Indias permanent membership of UNSC and strengthening of Indo-US ties.
Hillary sympathized with India for Mumbai bomb blasts and said war on
terror is Indo-US war. She asked Pakistan to bring perpetrators of 26/11to
justice. In the US, Ghulam Nabi Fai was arrested for illegal lobbying for
Pakistan.
Next day, Indo-US talks encountered problem on nuclear technology
issue. Pakistan disowned GN Fai by denying any link with him. Syed Ali
Shah Geelani, has said that the arrest of Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai by FBI in the
United States was an act of conspiracy of India that will not deter Kashmir
freedom movement.
On 21st July, Iran halted oil supply to India for non-payment of dues.
Pakistan accused US of slander campaign over G N Fai. Next day, strike
observed in IHK over arrest of Fai. Protest rally was held over rape of a
married woman by Indian troops. On 23rd July, strike was observed in IHK
on second day over arrest of Fai and rape of a woman.
On 26th July, India freed 92 Pakistanis, including 87 fishermen that
marked arrival of Pakistani Foreign Minister in New Delhi. Pakistan planned
1205

to reciprocate the gesture by freeing 24 Indians on 29th July. Hina Khar met
Kashmiri leaders and assured them that they wont be ignored in dialogue
over Kashmir. Earlier, Gilani had talked to Nawaz and other leaders over
Delhi talks.
Next day, foreign ministers of two countries talked to media; Krishna
wished peace and progress for Pakistan. The two countries agreed to
continue dialogue on all issues, including Kashmir. Singh accepted the
invitation to visit Pakistan. Next meeting would be held urgently in mid
2012. Syed Ali Geelani was placed under house arrest on return from New
Delhi. BJP demanded and inquiry into Kashmiri leaders meeting with Hina
Khar. US judge accepted the bail of Dr Fai and he was placed under house
arrest.
On 28th July, Hina Khar declared her maiden visit to India a success.
India said concerns remained over slow progress on 26/11 trial by Pakistan.
Hina claimed there was more progress in this context that Samjhota Express.
Fourteen Indian fishermen were freed. An Indian officer was shot dead in
IHK. On 30th July, two Indian soldiers were killed in a clash in IHK. Indias
interior minister said troops from western border couldnt be pulled back
because trained terrorists could enter.
On 17th July, five PMDC officials were abducted from Surange
coalmine area of Balochistan. On 19th July, a security man was shot dead in
Quetta. Next day, at least four people were killed and seven injured in
remote controlled bomb attack on OGDCL convoy in Jafarabad. Gang of
kidnappers was busted in Balochistan; mostly government employees
comprised the gang. PML-N leader was shot dead in Quetta.
On 21st July, relatives of missing persons protested in Quetta. Next
day, BNP leader along with three others was shot dead in Khuzdar. On 23 rd
July, five Punjabi labourers were shot dead by gunmen near Naushki. Two
persons were killed and railway track was damaged in bomb blast in Quetta.
On 27th July, unknown gunmen killed one person near Levys training centre
in Naushki.
On 28th July, an imam was shot dead in Quetta. One person each was
shot dead in Naushki and Turbat. Next day, seven pilgrims four Pakistanis,
two Afghans and one Irani were shot dead in Quetta. Chief Ministers
nephew was among two people killed in Mastung during a football match;
12 security personnel were among 23 wounded. On 30th July, unknown
gunmen shot dead 11 people in Quetta; angry protesters set vehicles ablaze.

1206

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed the responsibility and Rehman Malik said Quetta

was now the target of contract killers.

VIEWS
TheNation commented on 18th July: Mr Zardaris visit to Tehran on
Saturday was very much called for to assure the Iranian leadership that this
time around Pakistan was serious about strengthening close and mutually
fruitful relations, spanning all aspects of life, with a Muslim neighbouring
country like Iran with which it has a long history of cultural, social and
economic ties. It hardly needs recalling that for the Pakistan government
having virtually surrendered its independence of action to the US since
becoming its ally in the war on terror, the US factor has been a formidable
hurdle to the development of relations with Iran, especially those relations
that could strengthen the Iranian economy. That Iran, our next door
neighbour, had plenty of cheap natural gas to spare that could help bridge
our supply-demand gap of energy, which was not only ruining our economy,
but also seriously upsetting every facet of life, was not important to
Washingtons policymakers. Whether or not Islamabad ever acknowledged
that they had been exercising veto over the construction of the pipeline to
bring this energy resource from the South Pars gas field, there has been little
doubt in the public mind.
Now as that constraint seems to be getting out of the way, it is
necessary to open up all doors of cooperation with Iran. It was because
of this that Mr Zardari took his second trip to Tehran in the course of a
month. However, from the brief remark attributed to President Ahmadinejad
in the press report it appears that Iran still had some doubts whether
Islamabad could really keep up with the proposals it was making. Mr
Ahmadinejad is only mentioned as having said something in the sentence
the two leaders expressed their resolve to upgrade and further intensify their
existing bilateral ties, particularly in the energy, trade and economic fields
for mutual benefit and when Mr Zardari called on Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he termed the US was Pakistans real enemy.
It is imperative, therefore, to step up bilateral contacts at official as
well as other levels to reiterate the assurance that we are, indeed, genuinely
interested in turning a new page in our relations. As a proof, we should send
to Tehran concrete proposal about the currency swap idea. If implemented, it
would make for the lessening of our dependence on the US and the IMF,
1207

which has, undoubtedly at the instance of the US, withheld our next tranche.
Besides, we should immediately start building the pipeline on our side
and work to remove the Iranian grievance about terrorists taking
shelter on the Pakistani soil. We should discuss with Iran definite
suggestions about how the two countries can join hands with Afghanistan to
bring it back and the region to a normal. There should be no going back to
the old relations with the US. We must watch our national interests and work
with genuine friends who could be expected to cooperate with us for mutual
benefit.
In another editorial, the newspaper added: It has been probably
overdue to take control of the Shamsi airbase from which the USA flew
drones to attack Pakistans own tribal areas. However, the takeover itself has
given rise to questions of crucial importance for the future. Perhaps, the first
would be why the Army has only taken over partial control, and not full
control. The taking over of an airbase should be simply a matter of the
occupying force intimating when it would vacate, and the force supposed to
take over, doing so. At a stretch, this should not occupy more than a
morning.
The excuse being made is that the base was leased by Pakistan to the
UAE back in 1992, and it was the UAE which gave the USA the base, and
the takeover from the UAE is taking time. Again, this should not occupy any
party for long, with the important thing to note is that while the UAE might
have a role in the allied paperwork, it cannot have a physical role in the
matter. Of course, it should be noted that it is still to be found out whether a
country which has received a base from another on a lease, can give it away
to another. Another question exercising Pakistani minds has probably got an
answer, that of whether the drone attacks would cease their almost routine
violations of Pakistani sovereignty, and the accompanying death they rain on
Pakistani citizens in the tribal areas, in the process causing a sentiment of
vengeance directed against the USA and its perceived allies, such as the
Pakistan government, to arise among the survivors. The answer is that the
base is shifting to Nangarhar province in Afghanistan. In short, the USA
plans to keep up the drone attacks on the tribal areas, but from Afghan soil,
not Pakistani.
This should be seen in the context of the testimony of US
Commander in Afghanistan, Gen David Petraeus, to a Senate committee, in
which he said the war in Afghanistan would shift focus to the eastern
border, and there would be more special forces and intelligence there.
The shifting of the drones seems to be part of this process, and it seems
1208

likely that the vacation of Shamsi is more due to the redeployment and
reconfiguration of US forces rather than because of any pressure the
Pakistan government might have exerted.
Pakistan should not accept the cynicism which the USA seems to be
applying to it. The US thinks that drone attacks on the tribal areas will
somehow grow more acceptable to it once they originate from another
country. Pakistan should break off the alliance forthwith if it is based on
such contemptuous assumptions.
Khalid Iqbal wrote with reference to Abbottabad raid: Time has
come for our leadership to take a holistic review of Pakistans
multidimensional relations with the US. There is a need to clearly
articulate the steps that it will undertake in case of a repeat of the Geronimolike cowardly act by the American forces. Pakistans military leadership
needs to come out of an aura of complacency and upgrade the readiness
posture to minimize the chances of success of such operations in future.
However, the public needs to be informed that even with full military
readiness, there are some chances of success of such covert missions by the
US.
The Inquiry Commission investigating the Abbottabad incident is
expected to conduct an in-depth probe digging into the reasons that led to
this strategic fiasco. It would be worthwhile to refer to the recommendations
of Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission, and extent of their implementation.
The commission must also evaluate the correctness of our national policy
after 9/11, which led to incremental proliferation of American influence in
some important institutions, including the media. Also, there is a need to reevaluate the military doctrine and the efficacy of our defence organization
by comparing it with contemporary models. The commission would do a
worthwhile service to the nation, if it comes out with convincing findings
to fix the responsibility and makes concrete recommendations to avoid
recurrences.
Ikramullah wrote: To put it plainly, it seems that Pakistans national
security interests are a hindrance in USAs nefarious designs for the
region. Indeed, all conflicting views need to be discussed by both sides,
rather than exchange harsh words.
Meanwhile, the recent visit by US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman
Admiral Mike Mullen and Central Command (Centcom) Commander
General James N. Mattis to Islamabad did not help to improve the situation.
Although the purpose of their visit was to discuss security issues in the wake
1209

of recent developments, yet not much was reported by the media about the
nature of their meetings. Strange as it may seem, there was no official word
whether General Mattis met General Kayani in Rawalpindi. According to
some media reports, the COAS had been addressing officers at various
garrisons and making himself available wherever his presence was essential
in the larger interest of Pakistans security. Besides, DG ISI General Ahmad
Shuja Pashas brief visit to Washington could also be termed as a major
event of the week, although not much is known about it. Anyway,
sometimes it is necessary to keep high-profile events in low-key, since
premature exposure of sensitive issues proves to be counterproductive.
As a final word, the alarming situation calls for national
consensus and resolve by our civilian and military leadership, and the
people of Pakistan, not only to preserve democracy, but also safeguard the
countrys sovereignty. But if we fail to do so the existence of the state may
be imperiled.
Immanuel Wallerstein observed: There were three things that
began to upset the US-Pakistan cozy arrangement in the last twenty
years. The first was the collapse of the Soviet Union and therefore the end
of the cold war. This was combined with the end of the Nehru programme
of internal state-sponsored development and its replacement by a neo-liberal
programme inspired by the Washington Consensus. Suddenly, relations
between India and the United States warmed up considerably, to the chagrin
of Pakistan, and indeed of China.
Secondly, the internal politics of neighbouring Afghanistan changed
as well. In the 1980s, Pakistan and the United States joined forces against
the Soviet Union's military involvement in Afghanistan, which Gorbachev
ended. But then what? Taliban regime offered its country as a convenient
base for al-Qaeda, which the United States came to regard as its nemesis,
even before al-Qaeda's successful attack of 9/11 on US soil.
Thirdly, with the overthrow of the Taliban in 2002 by a US-led
invasion, al-Qaeda forces retreated to secure bases in Pakistan. al-Qaeda's
programme was, if not to take over directly the government of Pakistan, at
least to force it to weaken, even break, its ties with the United States.
The accumulation of the three changes led to a situation in which,
as of about 2005, the United States and Pakistan seemed to agree on
very little of any importance. But the two countries seemed nonetheless to
remain tied to each other, seemed to think that they still needed each other.
Still, they became increasingly suspicious of each other's motives and
1210

actions. From the point of view of the US government, Pakistan was the
major source of outside support for the Afghan Taliban with whom the US
(and NATO) forces were in direct conflict. One part of this support came
from the so-called Pakistan Taliban who were hard to distinguish from alQaeda.
It became increasingly obvious to the United States that the Pakistan
military was neither willing nor able to contain the Pakistan Taliban/alQaeda forces. The US reaction was to intervene directly in Pakistan in
two ways. The first was using its drones to attack directly targets they
deemed dangerous. Of course, drones are notoriously hard to manipulate.
There has been a great deal of collateral damage, to the constant and
repeated protest of the Pakistani government. The second way was to pursue
on its own the finally successful search for Osama bin Laden, without
informing the official Pakistani authorities, whom the United States clearly
did not trust not to leak information about the intended attack.
If the United States no longer trusts the Pakistani authorities,
suspicion is even greater in the other direction. Pakistan has one great
guarantee of its security its nuclear weapons. As long as they have these,
they feel defended against India and against anyone else. They believe, quite
firmly, that the United States would like somehow to take possession of this
stock. The United States does fear that al-Qaeda, or other hostile forces,
might be able to get access to these weapons and that the Pakistani
government may not be a position to stop this. Of course, such a putative US
attempt to take control of the stock is far from a practical proposition. But
there are no doubt people in the US government who do think about this.
So now each side is playing its cards with each other. The United
States is threatening to cut off, or drastically reduce, financial and military
aid. The government is encouraged in this path by a US Congress that is
basically hostile to the alliance with Pakistan. Pakistan is retaliating by
withdrawing the troops it had stationed on the Afghan border. Pakistan is
also reminding the United States that it has another powerful ally, China.
And China is quite happy to continue to support Pakistan.
The weakness of Pakistan's regime is internal. Can it continue to
control an increasingly anarchic situation? The weakness of the United
States is that it doesn't have any real options in Pakistan. Playing it
really tough with the Pakistani regime might undo its efforts to withdraw
from Afghanistan (and Iraq and Libya) with minimal damage.

1211

Meir Javedanfar commented on Zardaris visit to Tehran. Pakistan is

currently facing a major energy crisis, which some analysts believe may be
the worst in its history. It desperately needs Iranian gas and is not shy to say
it In 1995 Pakistan and Iran signed a preliminary agreement. Due to US
pressure against it, this deal was not finalized until June 2010. Iran and India
signed an agreement in 1999, but, due to pressure from Washington, India
never finalized the deal.
Even when Pakistan did sign on, it never gave the order to start work
on the construction of the pipeline from its border to import Iran's gas, until
July 6th this year. Two major factors seem to have pushed the Pakistanis
over the start line. One is the ensuing energy crisis at home. The other is
that the competitor to the Peace Pipeline, the Trans Afghanistan Pipeline, is
considered to be too risky as the main source of Pakistan's energy, since it
runs through Taliban territory in Afghanistan.
It's possible that this, as well as the expulsion of US trainers, was
partly responsible for the US decision to suspend part of its military aid to
Pakistan. But, whether or not the two events are explicitly linked, the current
rift with Washington has made it easier for Pakistan to ignore US pressure
and pursue the Peace Pipeline deal with Iran. Not only have the Iranians
secured Pakistan as a client, they know Pakistan's dire need for Iranian gas
means they will not be leaving Iran's side anytime soon. Some analysts have
estimated that gas from Iran provide at least 20 percent of Pakistan's energy
needs. Others have suggested 50 percent.
The question that must now be asked is; how far will the PakistanIran rapprochement go? In all likelihood, not very far. Aside from this
recent victory, the most that Iranians can look forward to is the possibility of
closer security cooperation with the Pakistanis against the remnants of the
Jundollah terrorist organization, an ethnic Baloch group that spans both
countries. When it comes to Iran's nuclear programme and its influence in
the Middle East, Tehran is unlikely to find Pakistan of much help.
As new Wikileaks reports indicate, despite the help of Pakistani
nuclear scientist AQ Khan in building Iran's post-revolution nuclear
programme, some top Pakistani officials do not want Iran to become a
nuclear armed power. The Pakistani leadership, wishing for their country
to remain the only nuclear Islamic state, cooperated with George W. Bush's
efforts against Iranian nuclear development. This is unlikely to change
anytime soon.

1212

There is also the question of Saudi Arabia. Islamabad has very

close relations with Riyadh. In Washington arms control and Middle East
policy analyst circles, it has long been speculated that, should Iran become a
nuclear power, Pakistan would be obliged to provide a nuclear umbrella to
protect Saudi Arabia. What's not a theory is the fact that Saudi Arabia and
Pakistan have close economic and political relations that are far more
extensive and important to Pakistan than anything Iran could offer.
In the ensuing cold war between Iran and Saudi Arabia,
Pakistan is unlikely to leave the Saudi side. Last but not least, despite the
rift, Pakistan still maintains relations with the US. It still receives
approximately $1.2 billion in annual aid. It will not want to risk losing this.
The recent deal is a victory for Iran, but not one that the US should lose
sleep over. In the overall scheme of things, the gas deal has some advantages
for the US too.
On 20th July, TheNation wrote: While one had thought that a cut-off
of the US aid would be a blessing in disguise for us in the sense that it meant
a complete end to our fatal attraction with the US, the recent news of
granting 87 visas to CIA operatives along with resumption of aid is
pretty much disturbing.
Under the circumstances, it is but hard to dispel the perception that
General Pashas visit to the US and his meeting with CIAs Acting Director
Michael Morell was in fact nothing but a fence-mending mission. At the
same time, the Foreign Office has also given the statement that a policy with
respect to dealing with the US has been formulated, which is actually quite
mind-boggling because on the one hand we are accepting the US diktat in
return for peanuts only and on the other we are trying to give the impression
that our national interests come first. What could be more shameful than
continuing to issue visas to CIA sleuths despite experiencing at first hand,
the cloak and dagger operations they have been conducting on our soil from
killing ordinary citizens, browbeating the security personnel to virtually
everything conceivable under the sun. Indeed, there have been instances
where such sleuths have been found to be collaborating with even those
elements that are bent upon our destruction and carrying out deadly bomb
attacks. What is even more chilling is that these CIA agents have been
caught gathering intelligence about our atomic assets and reactors,
something that bears testimony to the fact that the game the US is playing is
to defang the nuclear Pakistan

1213

The government owes an explanation to the nation because at

stake is our sovereignty and national interest. It is but most dangerous to
give our land away to CIA operatives as a happy hunting ground. Their
previous machinations culminated in the Abbottabad incident unilaterally
conducted and who knows this time around these agents might be cooking
up even a more deadly game. Are we sleeping?
On 22nd July, TheNation commented: It was coming anyway! Most
Pakistanis had little doubt that once the Americans achieve their
objective in Afghanistan or get weary of fighting the resistance or have a
feel of impending defeat, and plan to leave the country, they would find
some excuse to show their frustration with Pakistan. That would be a
convenient ploy to wriggle out of their oft-repeated overture of long-lasting
friendship and obligations that go with it. The following American measures
reflect that frustration. Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from
California, proposed an amendment that would have barred any US funds to
provide assistance to Pakistan
A suitable scenario to take Pakistan to task was being built up.
While do more has been a command or counsel as old as the US began to
feel that the NATO forces were not up to the mark in beating down the
militancy in Afghanistan, the US reaction to certain recent events serves to
underline Washingtons decision to tighten the screw on Pakistan so that it
buckles under and acts even putting its national interests at stake. General
David Petraeus, till recently the commander of coalition forces in
Afghanistan and soon to take over as CIAs chief, wants Pakistan to
militarily move against al-Qaeda (Haqqani group) network in North
Waziristan and the Taliban in Balochistan. Pakistan does not regard the
Haqqani group as hostile and discounts the existence of Taliban leadership in
Balochistan.
The Americans made no attempt to offer their regrets for deliberately
violating Pakistans sovereignty; instead, President Obama, speaking soon
after Islamabad protested at the clandestine raid at Abbottabad, said that the
US would act unilaterally again, if required. Petraeus continues to see it as
an extraordinary success and is, perhaps, surprised why Islamabad
considers it an affront to their national sovereignty. Pakistan had also
suffered another humiliation at the hands of the US when killer Raymond
Davis was whisked away from the country. The Pak-US relations, hardly
friendly before, became further strained. It is the earnest hope of every
patriotic Pakistani that the government and the armed forces will keep
their resolve of living on our own resources and would do nothing that
1214

could harm our core interests. The nation is ready to make any sacrifice to
preserve national honour and dignity and believes that the present
predicament should be taken as a God-send to get out of the economic
stranglehold of the US.
Farooq Hameed Khan observed: While both Musharraf and
Zardari governments must be held responsible for granting
uncontrolled visas that led to an influx of CIA personnel, this facility was
dangerously misused resulting in the establishment of a countrywide covert
intelligence network by the spy agents that lured local civilians and retired
military men at handsome salaries. By early 2010, this parallel intelligence
network had become strong enough to pose a challenge to Pakistans ISI by
influencing terror acts through friendly extremist organizations. It also
sponsored a fake Hepatitis B vaccine drive in Abbottabad through their
locally recruited Pakistani doctor and his team to gain access to Osama
familys compound. This manifests the degree of penetration and the
boldness with which CIA operatives roam around unchallenged.
Equally concerning was the boldness with which certain elements
in the intelligentsia/media, resorted to destructive criticism of the army
and ISI post-Abbottabad/Mehran, that seemed to reinforce the CIA/foreign
media propaganda against our security institutions. While many respectable
faces exposed themselves in the process, their confidence indicated that
they enjoyed strong foreign backing and support, perhaps even financial.
Like the Abbottabad doctor, whether such Pakistani citizens would seek
greener pastures abroad in future, or be held accountable for disloyalty to the
state, remains to be seen.
The open cheque to CIA has now been withdrawn with visas
clearance/scrutiny being tightened and visas control reverting to Foreign
Office and ISI, as was practiced in the past. Although the latest news about
the granting of visas to 80 CIA operatives is not a welcome development, yet
ISI must ensure their monitoring and not allow them to reassemble their
network or conduct operations independently.
With Panetta transferred from CIA to Defence Department and
General Petraeus moving to CIA, Pakistan should be ready to face more
threats of blank cheques. Hopefully, our army will hold its ground against
this coercive American strategy. To Panettas threat, the Pakistani
response should be a loud and clear, that is, no blank cheque to the US,
too.

1215

M A Niazi opined: Pakistans government is not giving up on the US

relationship, not so much because it is important as because it believes that
Washingtons favour will ensure its survival. The US decline might occur,
but it will not stop its writ running in Pakistan, until it is replaced by another
foreign countrys writ. America is also not giving up on the relationship,
mostly because it needs it not just for the war on terror, but also for the
purposes behind it. However, at this juncture, the USA wishes to drive a
wedge between the people and the armed forces. Without this, the goal of
preventing Pakistan from aligning closely with China will not be achieved,
and the honourable exit the USA wants from Afghanistan will not be
possible. It can be debated whether the wish for an honourable exit is valid
or not, but it should not be assumed that the USA will not try. Under such
circumstances, Pakistan would do best to get out of a relationship which
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has shown the USA places below India. It
is not too much to assume that Washington has already decided against
Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, which might explain why Dr Fais arrest was
made to coincide with the visits, of General Pasha to Washington and
Secretary Clinton to India.
Next day, TheNation observed: In the wake of granting dozens of
visas to CIA saboteurs by our submissive government, an increase in the
number of suspicious looking foreigners has been witnessed across parts
of Lahore, particularly in posh localities.
This is most alarming because, as seen before, these agents are a
threat to the security of the country as well as the ordinary citizens.
They have been found breaking the law of the land, moving about heavily
guarded, ignoring traffic rules with impunity, in vehicles with tinted glasses
carrying fake number plates and indulging in other objectionable activities.
Interacting with the citizens, they misbehave: shout at security personnel
who ask for their IDs, harass commuters on the roads by driving at
breakneck speed and then creating fear in the localities they live in.
Reportedly, these Americans have also built bomb proof concrete bunkers
inside the houses they have taken on rent. All this has been covered by the
newspapers in the past and it is but certain that with their arrival, such
activities would be witnessed more often. The government should let the
public know under what conditions they have been issued visas and are
operating. Have we not learnt any lesson from Operation Geronimo and the
Raymond Davis episode that led to a storm of anti-Americanism in the
country, creating unrest and political turmoil?

1216

If a carte blanche has been given to them like in the past, it will
only complicate matters for us. Their presence is a source of worry for the
local population which feel alarmed at seeing these sleuths living among
them. The public rightly questions the logic of allowing them a complete
freedom to operate inside the country when they have already caused so
much worry about their cloak and dagger games. A foolproof mechanism for
their surveillance and checking when they are moving about the towns
should be devised.
Inayatullah opined: Pakistanis have generally been kept in the
dark about the terms of engagement between the two countries. The case
of drone attacks, for instance, has come to be seen a little less obscurely after
the publication of Wikileaks. It is time the double-faced approach is given
up. What is disappointing is the almost total absence of responsibility of the
civilian government of the day. Why let the military do all the talking and
taking decisions on its behalf? Where are the political opposition and the
civil society? What is stopping them to raise issues and put pressure on the
government to do the right thing?
Another serious omission is that unlike USA, which keeps sending
Senators and Congressmen and women to Islamabad to talk to Pakistani
authorities of the highest level, one hardly sees a Pakistani parliamentary
delegation visiting Washington to meet their counterparts. Why not also send
civil society luminaries to engage opinion makers in Washington and New
York? Leaving everything to military officials and our mission in
Washington is doing only half of the required job. There is further the need
for our media leading lights to meet American editors, journalists and
anchors to build up a rapport with them. Why cant our well known
intellectuals, authors, professors and some of our columnists be sent to the
US to visit American think tanks and press clubs? If we have a good case,
we should not let it fall by the wayside merely because of sloth or
incompetence on our part. It is time, we use all our resources, including
friendly nations, to protect and promote our vital national interests.
Imran Malik wrote: The moment of truth has arrived for both sides;
they must reveal their true selves. The contradictions must be removed,
attempts to outfox the other, stopped. The war can only be won, if fought
and managed as true allies. Else, our efforts will remain at cross purposes
to one anothers leading to an endless and debilitating stalemate, if not a
veritable defeat for the long term strategic partners.

1217

On 26th July, Steve Clemons reproduced some parts of an article

written by Lt Gen Asad Durrani. Initially the Americans and the Saudis
too had wooed Mullah Omar, though for a different reason: their interest
in a pipeline that was to pass through territories under the Taliban control. If
Pakistan should have ceased all support when this militant regime rejected
its advice on accommodating the Northern Alliance or sparing the Bamyan
Statues, for example remains a moot point. After all, post 9/11 the Taliban
did agree to our request to extradite Osama bin Laden, albeit to a third
country. That was rejected by the US for reasons not for me to secondguess.
The ISI was thereafter subjected to another purge in the hope
that the refurbished setup would put its heart and soul behind the new
decree: chase anyone resisting the American military operations in
Afghanistan all the way to hell. That came to millions on both sides of the
Pak-Afghan borders; likely to be around long after the US troops had gone
home, with some of them turning their guns inwards as one must have
noticed. Under the circumstances, neither the ISI nor other organs of the
state had any will to operate against groups primarily primed to fight
foreign occupation. If they also had the right to do so, or how this intrusion
was otherwise to be defined, can be discussed ad-infinitum. Pakistan in the
meantime has to fight a number of running battles.
So, this time around as well, it is not any rogue elements in the
ISI but the complexity of the crisis that necessitates selective use of
force; essentially against the rogue groups, some of them undoubtedly
planted or supported by forces inimical to our past and present policies.
(Thanks to the Wikileaks, we now know a bit more about the counterterrorism pursuit teams.) If our political and military leadership also had the
gumption to support the war against the NATO forces in the belief that
some of the present turmoil in the area would not recede as long as the
worlds most powerful alliance was still around does not seem very likely.
Indeed, the ISI suffers from many ailments, most of them a corollary
of its being predominantly a military organization and of the Armys
exceptional role in Pakistani politics. But that is of no great relevance to this
piece which is basically about the Agencys role in the so-called war on
terror; a euphemism for the war raging in the AfPak Region. The most
important takeaway from this fascinating snapshot of the ISI, the Taliban,
and Pakistans view of America and its strategic choices is that Pakistan
will never be a predictable puppet of US interests.

1218

On 17th July, Imran Malik commented: The US intends to have a

phased withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan up to 2014 and thereafter
retain a few land and airbases for an unspecified period. Furthermore, it has
made a paradigm shift in its military strategy from COIN to
counterterrorism. Will this paradigm shift and reduced US and allied
presence still lead to a final solution of the Afghan conundrum or further
hamper it?
What does a final solution in this instance imply? It would imply that
all terrorist groups in the region be defeated in detail, pacified, made
amenable to peace negotiations and to giving up their struggle. Additionally,
it would imply that the causes of terrorism be resolved and the scourge
of terrorism be brought to a complete closure. So, what options can the
US adopt till 2014 and beyond
Before we consider a practical manifestation of the final solution, we
must note that the US force being retained would suffer from an inherent
weakness in numbers and effectiveness. It would not be strong enough to
defeat the terrorists or give it a complete victory. It would be a stalemated
situation with neither side being able to subdue the other fully and would
continue painfully and endlessly. Therefore, it will have to be supported
through other means: Talks and negotiations.
A final solution, therefore, must meet the core and national
interests of all four protagonists i.e. USA, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and
the Taliban. Furthermore, the sensitivities of the regional countries too will
have to be considered. Thus, a wholesome and complete solution bringing
this sordid and sad chapter to a closure will have to be sought. To get
anywhere close to this sacred goal all will have to agree to a spirit of
accommodation, of give and take. This Gordian Knot will only be undone, if
all protagonists decide to disregard their mutual mistrusts, recriminations
and differences and work towards a viable solution.
The environment for these talks can be created through
generating effective public opinion, by encouraging the terrorists onto
the negotiating table voluntarily or defeating them militarily and then
forcing them to negotiate from a weak position. But talk they must. The
terrorists will have to make this call. Pakistan must show flexibility on the
sticking point of the Haqqani group. It must reach an accord with them and
ensure their effective neutralization either through dialogue and negotiations.
As a quid pro quo, the US must secure Pakistans national interests by
keeping India out of Afghanistan and by giving the Pashtuns their due status
1219

in the post-US Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban and the TTP would need to
be engaged fruitfully, talked to and coaxed or coerced out of their extremist
ideology. This ideology would also need to be negated through an intense
counter campaign in the print and electronic media and through the pulpit.
Simultaneous peace and reconciliation conferences will need to
be organized at two different levels the US-Afghanistan-Pakistan level
with the reps of the Afghan Taliban and the TTP and at the UN level with the
US, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran and India, along with the reps
of the Taliban. The first conference must resolve local and regional AfPak
issues with the Taliban and the second must usher in a comprehensive
multipronged development and assistance programme (Marshall Plan) to
redevelop Afghanistan and Pakistan on a fast track. The idea being to bring
peace, stability, reduce poverty and bring prosperity to this unfortunate
region and its people and to remove all social, economic and political
conditions that favour extremism in any form. The final solution must bring
closure to the unending misfortune of our region.
Next day, Dr Suhrab Aslam Khan wrote: The US exit plan from
Afghanistan is reminiscent of a famous Churchillian observation that the
US does things right but only after first trying all other options. And the
US laying the blame of indulging in terrorism on Pakistan is like availing
another option before doing the right thing complete withdrawal from
Afghanistan. During the interim, the US maneuvers at cleaving public
support from Pak Army and to label Pakistan as a terrorist state. A strategic
step in this response will be to divulge the information collected from a host
of CIA informants arrested during May, involved in OBL mission, possibly
for years aware of OBL residing in the northwestern city. For it will reverse
the allegation of terrorism and posit it where it rightly belongs, namely, the
US.
On 19th July, Ted Ral talked of the US love affair with drones which
has rendered Afghans a low priority. I posed the question to Afghan
government officials. They told me that the same US military that blows $1
billion a week on the war wont lift a finger to save Afghan lives by
providing basic security. Afghan lives are worth nothing to the
Americans, a provincial governor told me. Last week the United Nations
announced that civilian casualties were up 15 percent during the first six
months of 2011. If the same rate continues, this will be the worst year of the
ten-year-long American occupation.

1220

A well-placed US military source confirms that Afghan security

isnt a priority, it isnt even much of a passing thought. Contrary to
President Obamas claim that US is in Afghanistan in order to prevent the
country from becoming a base for al-Qaeda and other extremist groups and
to combat opium cultivation; he says that Afghanistan isnt about
Afghanistan at all. Afghanistan is a staging area for drone and other aerial
strikes in western Pakistan, he says. Nothing more, nothing less.
Afghanistan is Bagram (airbase).
Under Obama the death toll has risen, worsening relations between
the White House and its puppet president, Hamid Karzai. Beyond the horror
of the deaths themselves, it would be impossible to overstate the contempt
that ordinary people in nations like Afghanistan and Pakistan feel for
the drone program. Americans are cowards was one refrain I heard last
year. Real soldiers risk their lives. These days, the media gives little to no
time or space to such concerns. Americans have moved into post-morality.
Right or wrong? Who cares?
Azhar Masood noted: Invisible efforts for peace have been
initiated by the key players mainly the United States, Afghanistan itself,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. It is quite understandable when a
night before President Asif Ali Zardari, undertook his journey to Iranian
Capital of Tehran, held meeting with ambassador of Saudi Arabia Abdul
Aziz Al-Ghadeer and discussed, according to an official statement, regional
situation with reference to Middle East, the president reiterated Pakistans
stance that it favours political stability and non-interference in internal
affairs of the countries by outside elements. Major focus of this meeting
was to search acceptable areas both for Iran and Saudi Arabia for an Afghan
peace particularly in reference to Persian zones of Afghanistan where Iran
frequently exercises its ethnic influence.
Like war peace in Afghanistan too appears quite expensive for
the United States. To garner Muslim countries support in US concept of
peace in Afghanistan Secretary of Hillary Clinton went a step ahead by
attending OICs meeting which she co-chaired with Secretary General
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu in Turkish City of Istanbul.
She recalled a dialogue with Ihsanoglu and leaders of Istanbuls
diverse religious communities 15 years ago. Clearly reflective of US asking
Turkey to play its role in Mazar-e-Sharif. Surprisingly Hillary will be in
Delhi instead of Islamabad during this week in search for Indian support
in United States quest for an Afghan peace.
1221

Initially Islamabad offered a guarded response and stopped short of

giving any explicit statement. Instead, the foreign ministry said in a terse
statement that Pakistan has ongoing engagement on issues of peace and
reconciliation in Afghanistan and counter-terrorism. We will have the
opportunity to discuss these issues in greater detail when the core group of
Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US will meet in Kabul early next week, the
statement added. However, a foreign ministry official admitted that
Islamabad has certain reservations about the US plans for the Afghan
endgame.
General Pasha, Pakistans spymaster was not given a cold shoulder
by his US counterpart during his latest visit to Langley. Perhaps, its time for
realization on both sides. If at all Pakistan has to play its role in a
comprehensive peace effort in Afghanistan, being an important player in the
game, it must not sell itself at those terms which Washington so desires.
Pakistan is and will remain an important player in the region in its
pursuit for a comprehensive and sustainable peace in Afghanistan it
should at this juncture unfold its terms to regain its lost pride, glory and self
respect. The United States will need more of Pakistan than other regional
players. This time deal at your terms.
Momin Iftikhar opined: There is an overwhelming perception that
the US administrations policies in Afghanistan and Pakistans
partnership in the war on terror are the major reasons behind the rise
of indigenous Taliban, who are leading the wave of domestic insurgency
and terrorism that has bled the country white. There is an emerging
consensus that USAs Afghan policy is seeking a blueprint for a postwithdrawal Afghanistan, which does not take into account Pakistans vital
interests or its tactics are cognizant of its vulnerabilities. The drone assaults
in FATA region with their colossal collateral damage are accumulating a
cost which is becoming unbearable from a Pakistani perspective.
Therefore, no amount of military assistance can be justified to turn
the Pakistani landscape into a no-holds-barred arena for the CIA running
amok and conducting operations without restraint and without the full
knowledge of the ISI, circumscribed by well defined parameters of
cooperation. No country in the world can tolerate such heedless liberty of
action by any friendly intelligence agency, as demanded by the CIA of
Pakistan.
Also, the ISI has full rights to conduct counter intelligence operations
on its soil without hindrance or accountability by any outside power. More
1222

so, the annoyance reflected by the American media over the

apprehension of US collaborators in the wake of Abbottabad operation
is unsustainable and uncalled for, because Pakistan has the right not to
permit the recruitment of local spies on its soil by the CIA or any other
foreign intelligence agency.
The benchmarks for the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan
have been fixed and Pakistan has to ensure that it is not found flatfooted
at the end of the day having blindly followed the US diktat. It is
important, therefore, to have candid and firm discussions with the US to
make it clear that close cooperation and mutual respect as partners on equal
footings is essential to take the war on terror in Afghanistan and in Pakistan
to a successful conclusion. While tightening the purse strings for the
Pakistani army, Washington has to be cognizant that while it claims to have
given Islamabad an aid of $10 billion since 9/11 - half of it compensation for
using Pakistani facilities the nation (Pakistan) has already sustained a loss
of $60 billion as a fallout of its partnership with US in the so-called war on
terror.
On 23rd July, John Robles wrote: How would you characterize the
entire campaign by NATO and the US in Afghanistan? As a complete failure,
or were there any gains? There was an article recently by the US Department
of Defence, Pentagons press agency, American Forces press service that
just happened to mention in passing that Shindand Air Base in the Herat
Province has tripled in size recently to become the second largest
military air base in Afghanistan next to that of Bagram. Last year, the US
and its NATO allies stepped up the extension of air bases in Afghanistan I
mean in Kandahar, in Mazar-i-Sharif, in Jalalabad in addition to Bagram and
Shindand they are going to have air bases that control the entire region, a
good deal of the Greater Middle East, if you will, in addition to continuing
troop transit. Theyve also set up the northern distribution network that way.
Its an amazing access of air, ground, rail and truck transportation in
the Northern Afghanistan, which now includes 13-15 former Soviet
Republics, all except Moldova and Ukraine currently. Men and material are
being moved in and out, and this is an amazing net work, when you look at
it, including just recently the first air flight from the US over the North Pole
and then over Kazakhstan into Afghanistan. So, in terms of building up a
military network around the world and we also have to remember there are
troops from over 50 countries serving under NATO in Afghanistan, which is
the largest amount of countries offering troops for one military
commandment of one nation in world history. We also have to recall that
1223

Afghanistan has become a training ground, if you will, to place US-NATO

allies and partners in real life combat situations, to integrate the militaries of
at least 50 countries under, basically, US command, using English as their
common language. Im arguing that Afghanistan was a laboratory for
integrating the militaries of these various countries.
Next day, Hamid Alvi wrote: Needless to say, there are several
hurdles on the way to peace. First of all, there would be need to identify
the leader and influential men from the Taliban. So far, no such person
has come to the limelight. To simply say, that there are good and bad
Taliban, and we would talk to good Taliban, will not resolve anything.
Remember, lack of identification of a unified leader cost heavily to both the
main players during the Soviet-Afghan talks. The current war is, perhaps,
one of the penalties for the absence of a universally accepted Afghan leader.
After going through the make and break exercise several times, the friends
of mujahideen were compelled to accept collective leadership in the eighties.
At that point, the diversion of US attention towards disintegrating the Soviet
Union left few countries in the field to help the Afghans. Consequently, the
incipient government of the mujahideen broke down that led to a fratricidal
war. The disillusioned Afghans sided with the Taliban, who were the only
neutral force left in the field. Rest is history created by cause and effect.
Another major obstruction to the progress of negotiation is ethnic
Pakhtuns claim to power, because their being the largest nationality in the
country. It may be recalled that the US seized power from Pakhtun Taliban,
who were fighting the Northern Alliance mainly comprising Tajik and
Uzbek. It would not be less than a miracle to create a coalition of the
Pakhtuns and Northern Alliance. They are more likely to start the war where
they had left it at the time of US intervention.
Yet, another major obstacle to the success of peace talks is the
attempt to keep Pakistan out of the settlement. So far, nobody has
contradicted the press reports. While rest of the world capitals welcomed
Obamas disclosure about resumption of Afghan peace talks, Islamabad
showed its reservations over the attempt to keep it out of the Afghan
settlement. As the world knows, Pakistan joined the war under US pressure.
First, it was only a request for sharing intelligence and airbases. Later on,
Pakistan was persuaded to make military contribution. And presently,
American officials are heard saying that it is Pakistans war that the US is
fighting. One may ask: if it is Pakistans war, then why it is being kept out of
the peace negotiation? At this stage, many features of the war against the

1224

Soviet Union are revived. And all the parties will have to realize the impact
of history before going into the new experience of nation building.
On 27th July, Mehdi Hasan observed: As the 10th anniversary of the
war in Afghanistan approaches, the country continues its descent into
chaos. The president, meanwhile, has shamelessly surrounded himself with
some of the countrys most notorious warlords. Karzais campaign team in
2009s presidential election, for instance, included Abdul Rashid Dostum, an
Uzbek general accused of slaughtering hundreds of prisoners in 2001, and
Muhammad Fahim, a former defence minister accused of kidnappings, land
grabs and other human-rights abuses. Then, of course, there is the way in
which the president spent the past few years turning a blind eye to the
involvement of his (late) brother in the booming drugs trade in the south of
the country(Diem, too, appointed a drug-smuggling brother to a senior
position in the South Vietnamese government). The Karzai family has
opium and blood on their hands, one Western intelligence official told the
New York Times in 2009.
But, of course, seeing no instant or appealing alternative to Karzai on
offer, cynical western governments backed his re-election campaign two
years ago and overlooked the way in which his victory was secured with
the aid of more than a million fraudulent votes. This despite the fact that in
November 2009, the then US ambassador in Kabul, Karl Eikenberry, sent
two diplomatic cables to the White House in which he argued that Karzai is
not an adequate strategic partner and continues to shun responsibility for
any sovereign burden, adding: He and much of his circle do not want the
US to leave and are only too happy to see us invest further. In other cables,
revealed by WikiLeaks, Eikenberry described the Afghan president as
paranoid and weak, with an inability to grasp the most rudimentary
principles of state-building. Several leading diplomats share the former
US ambassadors assessment. Peter Galbraith, who served as a UN envoy to
Afghanistan until 2009, has since publicly questioned the mental stability
of Karzai and even suggested that the Afghan president may be using drugs.
How else, after all, to explain Karzais erratic behaviour? In April 2010, for
instance, he threatened to quit politics and join the Taliban if the west put
any further pressure on him to reform his government.
Today British troops handed over responsibility for security in
Lashkar Gah, the capital of war-torn Helmand province, to Afghan forces.
There is no doubt that in the fight for Afghan hearts and minds, the west
has to have a credible Afghan partner. It is high time Karzais western

1225

patrons recognized that the hapless and discredited president they are
propping up is part of the problem, not the solution, in Afghanistan.
Next day, Asif Haroon Raja commented: The US forgets that the
152,000 strong ISAF aided by ANA is fighting the main battle against
Taliban-Qaeda in Afghanistan while Pakistan Army is fighting the auxiliary
battle. Success or failure of the battle will hinge upon the outcome of main
effort and not the auxiliary effort. Moreover, why the US wants the whole
operational environments to be entirely in its favour? In other words, it
desires one-sided exercise with not even a single bullet coming from its
opponents and with 100% assured results. Pakistan helped the US in
emasculating al-Qaeda and in keeping Pakistani Taliban engaged at a
heavy cost; but now it wants Pakistan to enfeeble Afghan Taliban as
well.
On 17th July, Trigivesh Singh Maini wrote: Two new developments
could hurt the India-Pakistan dialogue, which was restored barely three
months ago after a hiatus of more than two years. First, the three blasts that
rocked Mumbai on July 13 have come just when the dialogue seemed to be
headed in the right direction, and barely two weeks before the foreign
ministers of both countries were set to meet in Delhi. The timing has
prompted sections of the media and strategic community to suggest the
attack could have emanated from Pakistan.
Singhs policy of engaging with Pakistan has already been criticized
by members of the strategic enclave, who say his quest for peace with the
latter is futile. And, in all probability, the appetite for peace with
Pakistan will dwindle even further for a number of reasons. First, as in
the aftermath of 26/11, some members of the business community have
come down heavily against the government for not being serious enough in
making India terror free. This is one issue the government cant afford to
ignore. Also, with Uttar Pradesh elections around the corner, the opposition
BJP (itself in total disarray) will be happy to resort to jingoism and to play
the terrorism card.
The government, meanwhile, isnt exactly at the peak of its
popularity. Indeed, it has been dubbed one of the most corrupt governments
in post-independence India (although headed by one of the most honest
prime ministers). On top of this, the lacklustre Cabinet reshuffle on July 12
has only worsened things for the UPA, with a tiny minority of members,
such as Mani Shankar Aiyar of the Congress Party, calling for an
uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan.
1226

The other development that could hurt engagement between

India and Pakistan is the not so judicious reaction of Indian External
Affairs Minister SM Krishna to the US scrapping of aid to Pakistan.
Krishna showed uncharacteristic alacrity in welcoming this step Was this
the right thing to say, and right now? With this latest engagement just a few
months old, couldnt the aged but dapper Krishna have been more nuanced
in his response? If he was really itching to say something and earn US
brownie points, he could have been a bit more precise by suggesting that
India isnt averse to aid being granted to Pakistan, but only for development
purposes.
While Krishna may have thought his statement would be correctly
interpreted by the civilian establishment in Islamabad, he must understand
that the civil-military balance is heavily tipped in favour of the latter. And
anyway, his comments will have irritated even the civilian leadership,
weakening them on all issues, including negotiations with India. Indias
foreign policy mandarins are faced with balancing the twin aims of
improving ties with both the United States and Pakistan. Its not
impossible, but its a mammoth task for sure.
On 21st July, The Nation wrote: With desperate urge for currying
favour with India so as to secure lucrative contracts for nuclear equipment
and technology for American firms, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
was more-than-unusual trenchant in criticizing Pakistan for its counterterrorism policy, while at New Delhi on Tuesday. Addressing a joint press
conference with Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna after the
second round of Indo-US Strategic Dialogue, she pledged full support to
Indias efforts to protect itself from terror attacks and said that the US would
press Pakistan as hard as it could on the terrorism issue. We do not believe
that there are any terrorists who should be given safe haven or a free pass by
any government, because left unchecked the consequences of that kind of
terrorist activity or intimidation can become very difficult to manage and
control, she remarked, undoubtedly, with an eye to Pakistans view of the
Haqqani group and Indias accusation against Lashkar-e-Taiba of
involvement in 2008 Mumbai attacks. She added that the US had made it
clear to Pakistan, after these attacks, to bring the perpetrators to justice.
While the US criticism cannot be divorced from the general
American stand of what it perceives to be Pakistans failure to sufficiently
combat the terrorist scourge, there was another motive at work behind
Secretary Clintons harangue. After all, the US had gone out of its way to
give India the privilege of striking a civilian nuclear deal with it, in
1227

disregard of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a sensitive instrument of

international law the accession to which by the non-signatory states the US
had itself, before the terrorism menace reared its head, made a cornerstone
of its foreign policy. But it was not just making India a bulwark against the
spread of Chinese influence, though this might be the principal objective,
that Washington favoured it with the nuclear deal and incurred the ire of fairminded nations. It was keen, even as an offshoot, to reap economic benefits
from the contracts that would automatically flow from this deal, but, to its
dismay, the US finds its giant corporations like Westinghouse and General
Electric being edged out by the French firms.
In the light of the above, the US demand to Pakistan to eliminate safe
havens and bring the Mumbai attackers to justice, becomes economically
somewhat understandable, but hardly justified on ethical grounds. The US
has not cared to take note of the fact that India has not as yet provided
credible evidence to Pakistan to enable it to arraign the accused on any
specific charge. As a palliative to Pakistan, Ms Clinton dug up the now
forgotten phrase and said that Pakistan was a key ally in the war on terror
and that the US wanted a long-term relationship with it. However, to assure
New Delhi that she was not letting off its neighbour for that consideration
she said: We recognize that Pakistan must act on its own..
Next day, TheNation wrote: The arrest of Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, a
dedicated and indefatigable Kashmiri activist who was living peacefully in
the US, on what appears to be a trumped up charge of being on the payroll of
the ISI and doling out money to certain politicians while lobbying for the
Kashmiri cause should be condemned strongly. Ironically it was the US
government itself that had in the past given him various prestigious awards.
His arrest has created discontentment among the Kashmiris and a call
for protest demonstration scheduled for Saturday has been given. There is no
denying Syed Ali Geelanis contention that this is a joint Indo-US move
against them. The incident makes a mockery of the USs claim of being
our ally. Indeed this is an attempt to woo the Indians, who are loathe to
seeing any powerful and resourceful individual take up cudgels on behalf of
the Kahmiris. Such below the belt tactics are also enough to show that the
US intends to work against our national interests and especially in the
context of the South Asian quagmire created as a result of its military
adventure in Afghanistan, it is bent upon making India its regional
policeman and even egging it on to cow Pakistan into submission. However,
it is time for us to discern friends from our enemies. Given the manner of Dr
Fais arrest and charges leveled against Pakistans government, we should
1228

reflect on our slavish behaviour of accommodating US spies, even though

they have caused considerable damage to our national security. Former DG
ISI General Hameed Guls words also deserve attention. He asserted that Dr
Fais arrest could be a bargaining chip to pressurize Pakistan to release Dr
Shakeel.
A man of impeccable character, Dr Fai had been working for the
cause of the Kashmiris in a peaceful way. Certainly he did not commit a
crime by raising the voice of the hapless Kashmiris. His arrest is a slap in
the face of democracy and the so-called freedom of expression in the
US.
On 23rd July, Daniel Markey in his interview to Jayshree Bajoria, in
reply to a question about Ghulam Nabi Fai's arrest, said: What's significant
about it most is the timing. This comes on the heels of the arrest of the
Pakistani doctor who assisted the US operation in Abbottabad (targeting
Osama bin Laden) and worked directly with the CIA in a variety of ways. So
what you have inside of Pakistan is the arrest of a Pakistani national for
assisting US efforts. And now here in Washington, you have the arrest of an
American citizen of Pakistani origin for his assistance (on) Pakistani efforts.
The similarities here are striking, and the fact that it comes in the
midst of a crisis in the broader US-Pakistan relationship will undoubtedly
lead to questions in Pakistan as to whether this arrest and this case are
being brought intentionally at this time to send a message to
Islamabad.
When asked about the message Washington trying to send to
Islamabad, he replied: Let's be clear; I'm not sure that Washington is
attempting to send a message. But the Pakistanis will see it as a message,
and their perception will link these events quite clearly. That may or may not
have been the US government's intention; it's not always the case that the
FBI, the CIA, the State Department, and the White House coordinate in
seamless ways to produce these outcomes. It is almost equally likely that
this case, which has been marching along for years now, came now for
reasons that have very little to do with that overall circumstance. But it will
be interpreted that way in Pakistan. They have a tendency to connect those
sorts of dots, and it's already happening.
I don't think it will do anything in the broader sense in Pakistan to
shift its strategy or its policies, but in the narrowest possible way, it could be
useful-if only because the United States continues to try to gain the release
of the Pakistani doctor who helped with the bin Laden mission. This
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demonstrates relatively publicly that it may be true that the Pakistanis

worked with the United States in that instance; it's also true that some
Americans have worked with the Pakistanis over a period of decades. So
both sides are at it, and neither side is innocent-and that should be
recognized, and perhaps that will help the case for the release of that
doctor in Pakistan.
In reply to a question about how the arrest affects broader ties and
military-to-military and intelligence cooperation between the two countries,
he opined: The effect of the arrest is more likely to be incremental than
it is to be significant, or a tipping point in the relationship. This is an
individual who had some influence here in Washington, but by most
accounts was not a significant threat. He was not a spy in the strict sense of
the word - he was attempting to peddle influence, and it's not even clear how
influential he ultimately was. Without downplaying the significance of his
actions, or suggesting that they might not have been illegal - it simply
doesn't rise to the sort of thing that would tip the scales one way or another
in terms of the US-Pakistan relationship. That said, the relationship is on
thin ice, and this event will make the ice thinner.
On 27th July, S M Hali wrote: It seems that the CIA has struck a
double blow with Dr Fais arrest: Firstly, it has tried to smear the ISI in
another vilification campaign and, secondly, the arrest has taken place when
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was touring India and trying to woo
it.
It is well known and even endorsed by US President Barack Obama
that Kashmir is a flashpoint between India and Pakistan, the plight of
Kashmiris is pathetic and their struggle for liberation is just. Yet, America
has not only hit back at the ISI, but has also tried to please India the
latest US paramour by trying to disparage the just Kashmir cause.
It is high time Langley and Foggy Bottom (the location of US State
Department Headquarters) grew out of the Spy vs. Spy syndrome and gave
Pakistan a breather to concentrate on the war on terror in accordance with its
priorities. However, there appears no light at the end of the tunnel because
General David Petraeus has taken over as head honcho at Langley. He is on
record blaming Pakistan for his string of failures in Afghanistan as NATO
and US forces commander, while Hillary Clinton the iron lady of the
Hades at Foggy Bottom has shown her true colours in New Delhi.
Next day, Azam Khalil wrote: Hopefully, the Americans will soon
realize their folly, since it has not only damaged the cause of the
1230

Kashmiri people, but also further strained its relationship with

Pakistan. They must remember that it is in their interest that Pakistan wins
the war on terror and eradicate militancy from its border areas. In case the
war continues for a long period of time, then the world will have to face the
consequences. God forbid, if terror is exported through Afghanistan to the
West, or elsewhere, violence and chaos will replace harmony and order. It is
a proposition that will surely not be in anybodys interest. So America,
instead of following a policy of India appeasement, must use its influence so
that the outstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir can be resolved peacefully
allowing both India and Pakistan to march towards prosperity ushering in an
era of wellbeing for their people. Without a settlement of the Kashmir
problem, there will be no lasting peace in this part of the world.

REVIEW
There has been noticeable lull in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan since
rise in tension in Pak-US relations in the wake of Abbottabad raid and attack
on Mehran Naval base in Karachi. It seemed that surfacing of strains in
bilateral relations between two allies have impacted the war in two ways.
First, Pakistan Army and ISI have been constrained to exercise more
vigilance in the context of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of CIA agents
operating in Pakistan. This vigilance has forced a check on their activities,
especially their contacts with militants. Second, the strained Pak-US
relations have aroused sympathy for Pakistan in some sections of militants.
This had been anticipated by the US-Afghan-India Axis after
Raymond Davis episode. They dusted their contingency plans for the
emerging situation. Pakistani militants that had crossed over to Afghanistan
were allowed to regroup and launch cross-border attacks. These attacks
considerably increased in Dir, Bajaur, Mohmand and Kurram Agencies
But, Zardari regime is likely to succumb to pressure from its masters
as has been evident from the report that after the last visit of DG ISI to the
US 83 more visas have been issued to CIA operatives. Cross-border aerial
and ground forays will also increase as thinning out of US troops demands
that activities along Pak-Afghan border have to be intensified.
Quite ironically, these developments have resulted in elevation of
Zardari from a puppet of domestic nature to a regional actor. He has been
tasked to soften Iran for acceptance of permanent bases, which the bases the

1231

US wants to retain in Afghanistan. He has been shuttling between

Islamabad, Tehran and Riyadh to this end.
While Zardari was busy in carrying out US errands Hillary Clinton
visited India and spent most of her time in scolding Pakistan and hurling
threats at it. The observers, however, were tempted to ignore the
implications of her threats assuming that all her utterances were meant to
please Indian rulers.
Hillary was followed by another lady that went to New Delhi to
seduce Indian leadership. Pakistans Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar
unlike Hillary had nothing to impress Indians accept her youth and
extravagant dresses. Worth of her dress could be judged from the fact that
she carried a $100 thousand hand bag.
Indian media treated her just as Pakistani media would have received
a celebrity from Bollywood. Even in Pakistan the daily Nation thought it
appropriate to cover her visit on showbiz page. Shaikh Rashid rightly
apprehended that Mahaish Bhatt could cast her in his next film.
On her return Hina claimed her maiden trip to India a success.
According to some sections of Pakistans electronic media she had
conquered India. It was Zardaris style of sending a message to Shah
Mahmood Qureshi that what he couldnt do in nearly three years, Hina did it
one encounter.
31st July, 2011

1232

ODD COUPLES
After February 2008 polls many Pakistanis wished patch-up between
PML-N and PML-Q so that two-party system could take roots for political
stability in the country. That wish did not materialize primarily due to
Nawaz Sharifs uncompromising attitude.
Zardari was conscious of this possibility and he pre-empted it by
seducing PML-N to join federal government. To this end he also distanced
PPP from PML-Q by calling it Qatal League, though under NRO deal
facilitated by the US he was obliged to accommodate PML-Q in coalition
government along with MQM and ANP.
Because of the bitterness so created no one could ever think of PPP
and PML-Q sitting together on treasury benches. Similar impression already
existed about PML-N and MQM, because Nawaz Sharif had suggested in
London APC not to form any alliance with MQM for what this party had
done on May 12, 2007.
Therefore, PPP-PML-Q and MQM-PML-N equations had become
two glaring impossibilities in Pakistani politics. Yet, three years later
Pakistanis have seen the impossible happening. The credit of making these
odd couples belonged solely to the evil genius of Zardari.
The aim of all these making and breaking has been to find a suitable
combination (coalition) to defy the superior judiciary that has been giving an
impression to punish the corrupt political leaders. Zardari at last found the
best partner in PML-Q and the two have now joined hands to keep the
judges under thumb.

NEWS
On 4th July, Shahbaz held meeting with Farooq Sattar in London and
Ishaq Dar met Ebad in Dubai. Gilani said grand alliance would be no threat
to his government; he held a meeting with Shujaat and vowed to maintain
contact with MQM. Pakistani politicians converged on to London; entire top
leadership of MQM and Shahbaz, Chaudhry Nisar and Rana Sana were
there. Fazlur Rehman, Rehman Malik and Dr Asim will soon be there while
Zardari was already there.
Zafar Qureshi investigating NICL scam was suspended after a
meeting of PML-Q with Rehman Malik; the officer was transferred back to
his post only a day before in pursuance of orders on the Supreme Court.
1233

Inquiry has been ordered against him for giving statement to media. PML-Q
was gaining maximum advantage of the situation created by the exit of
MQM from ruling coalition.
ECP informed the apex court that 37 million fake voters were
removed from the lists and the court ordered preparations of new list with
photographs by the end of this year. Election Commission of AJK
announced polls on Karachi seats on 20 th July and SHC disposed off the
petition of MQM.
The Supreme Court summoned Rana Sana on Babar Awans petition.
IHC ruled that persons having dual citizenship could not contest
parliamentary elections and directed for necessary legislation. Rally
demanding rights for Mianwali turned violent. Protesters snatched weapons
from Police that in turn opened fire; two people were killed and DCO was
among 22 wounded. State Bank asked government to contain borrowing.
Next day, the judge of the Banking Court ordered recording of the
statement of the manager of Moonis Elahi, who refused and defence counsel
supported his act. This led to exchange of hot words between the judge and
defence lawyers. The judge refused to hear the case and sent it to LHC and
Moonis to sub-jail. Outside the court Shujaat cried of victimization and
termed Zafar a mere stooge. Nawaz mulled special NA session on NICL
scam. Gilani ruled out government-Supreme Court row over Zafar.
Sharjeel Memon submitted his reply in contempt case; showing all the
arrogance and defiance at his disposal he refused to apologize for what he
did. PPP observed Black Day to condemn military coup of 1977. PML-N
MNA, Anjum Akeel fled abroad with the help of police to avoid arrest over
Police Foundations land scam. Death toll reached four in Mianwali and
strike was called off after negotiations. Fifteen people were killed in Karachi
and authorities banned pillion riding.
On 6th July, the Supreme Court took suo moto notice of Zafar
Qureshis suspension and transfer of four FIA officers, who assisted him in
investigations of NICL case, to far flung areas. Attorney General was
directed to appear before the court on 7 th July with necessary information
about suspension of Zafar and transfer orders of four officers. Nawaz said
government was making mockery of court orders and Zardari was following
Musharrafs footsteps.
PML-N and MQM joined forces against the ruling coalition; the
decision was taken in a meeting between delegations of two parties led by

1234

Ishaq Dar and Haider Abbas Rizvi. Shah Mahmood Qureshi met Nawaz and
the two leaders agreed to maintain contact.
Speaking at seminar on de-radicalization in Mingora Gilani said
establishment has been with government since 2008. General Kayani said
Army is answerable to people and Parliament. Reportedly, PPP was still
trying to woo back MQM and Zardari was in contact with Ebad. Twenty-two
more people were killed in Karachi; Qaim Ali Shah ordered stern action
against violators of law.
Next day, 45 people were killed in Karachi bringing the death toll to
77 in last three days. MQM leaders said partys activists were being
punished for quitting the government and joining Opposition; police and
Rangers were being blamed for inaction. The party decided to hold protest
rally on Friday and transporters announced strike.
Zardari called for meeting on law and order and sent Rehman Malik to
Karachi. He announced surgical operation soon after his arrival at the airport
and vowed to foil any attempt to topple the democratic government. He
announced induction of 0ne thousand FC troops. Police had been already
ordered to shoot at sight. A meeting was held late at night which was
attended by Qaim Ali and Rehman Malik. Earlier Sharjeel Memon asked
Chief Justice as to why he wasnt taking suo moto notice. Nawaz was for
requisitioning NA session.
The Supreme Court directed suspension of any probe against Zafar
Qureshi till further orders and cancellation of transfer of the four officers of
FIA recently posted out to far flung areas. The Chief Justice during the
hearing remarked addressing the Attorney General that the reason behind the
recent actions against FIA officials could be found out by appointing a
judicial inquiry which the government wont like.
The Supreme Court over-ruled the verdict of LHC that had annulled
Haj policy. Another bench disallowed Additional AG to appear on behalf of
Law Minister Rana Sanaa in hearing of Babar Awans petition against him.
In missing persons case the court was informed that Masood Janjua and
Faisal Faraz had been killed by al-Qaeda. PPP Punjab recommended
disciplinary action against Shah Mahmood Qureshi for meeting Nawaz
Sharif without prior permission.
On 8th July, violence escalated from torching of buses and vans to
burning of shops and houses. Residents started fleeing from troubled
localities. MQM cancelled the rally because of the persistent incidents of
firing. Thirty-three more people were killed in Karachi bringing the toll to
1235

110. Rangers launched the much awaited operation and 173 suspects were
held.
Zardari ordered revival of Commissioner System which MQM had
been strongly opposing; ANP welcomed the move. Manzoor Hussain
Wassan was appointed new home minister for Sindh. Rehman Malik
remained in contact with Altaf and Asfandyar. Gilani appealed for calm in
the mega city.
US Ambassador took notice of the bloodshed in Karachi and urged
upon all stakeholders to resolve differences amicably. Imran Khan blamed
PPP, MQM and ANP for killings in Karachi and termed MQM-PML-N
alliance a hoax. PML-N and MQM submitted NA and Senate sessions
requisition jointly.
Imran Khan urged the Supreme Court to hold Prime Minister in
contempt for creating hurdles in court directives. Babar Awan was acquitted
from kidnapping and ransom case after out of the court settlement. Khosa
ignored CMs nominees for VCs of three public universities. JUI-F hinted at
joining Opposition alliance.
Next day, violence subsided after operation by Rangers and this
respite allowed Rehman Malik yet again to claim victory against enemies
of Pakistan. The death toll reached 119. Zulfikar Mirza was appointed as
senior minister of Sindh. MQM requisitioned Sindh Assembly session.
Wasan asked Rehman Malik to stay away from Karachi. Nawaz backed
Army action.
Six secretaries of Punjab were summoned to give briefing to Governor
on floods, but all of them refused to do so. PML-F joined Sindh government.
Gilani vowed not to let Punjab government fall. PPP won Jaffarabad byepolls for provincial assembly.
On 10th July, Zulfikar Mirza celebrated the first day as senior minister
of Sindh by thrashing a reporter of Geo TV and hurling threats at him. Mirza
reportedly met Afaq Ahmed of MQM in jail and offered him to play the old
role. Qaim Ali said Afaq would join PPP. Five Divisions of Sindh were
revived; MQM vowed to challenge the decision in the court. Telephone lines
of Nine-Zero were disconnected. Seven more people were killed as Karachi
crawled back to normalcy.
Next day, in pursuance of three ordinances issued by acting governor,
Nisar Khoro, commissioners and deputy commissioners were posted in
restored divisions and districts in Sindh. Seven people were killed in
1236

violence in Karachi. MQM office was attacked in Lyari. JI offered help to

PPP in Karachi.
Zardari said all options were open for peace in Karachi except
deployment of Karachi. Rehman Malik said peace has been restored in
Karachi and in future stern action would be taken against those who try to
disturb that. Pir Mazharul Haq asked MQM to stop day-dreaming and stop
crying when no action has been taken so far.
The Supreme Court ordered demotion of 879 police officers who were
given shoulder promotions. Justice Javed Iqbal remarked that political
influence has damaged police force. DG FIA went abroad to evade Supreme
Courts orders for reversion of four investigation officers.
On 12th July, Altaf Hussain accused Zardari regime of conspiring
against Army and ISI in connivance with the US. Shujaat Hussain went to
Nine-Zero, but failed to woo MQM. Price of LPG was increased by Rs18
per kg. Next day, Sindh Assembly passed four bills in no time to entrench
Commissionery system; the passage was pushed through despite rumpus by
MQM MPAs. Ordinances promulgated by Nisar Khoro were challenged in
the Supreme Court on the plea that Acting Governor could not do so.
The Supreme Court all departmental actions against Zafar Qureshi
and ordered submission of transfer orders for the reversal of four
investigating officers in the court. Secretary Information was also directed to
take notice of the propaganda in the media to defame the judiciary launched
by Chaudhries of Gujarat over NICL case.
After a meeting at Shahi Syeds residence Zulfikar talked to media
men and told that he had met Afaq Ahmed twice and termed a political
prisoner of the stature second only to Zardari and true leader of Urduspeaking people. He called Altaf Hussain a criminal and a killer of hundreds
of people. He also said that prisoners from Karachi were shifted to interior
Sindh on his order.
US diplomats in Pakistan were mobilized to facilitate reconciliation
between PPP and MQM. Rehman Malik said wives and girlfriends have
killed more people that those killed in targeted-killing in Karachi. Governor
State Bank, Shahid Kardar resigned because of government policy regarding
random printing of currency notes.
On 14th July, MQM activists held rallies against Zulfikar Mirza; 14
people were killed and 27 vehicles were burnt in Karachi in the morning.
Rehman Malik tried to defuse the issue by apologizing, but MQM rejected
1237

his apology. It was followed by issue of written statement issued by Zulfikar

in which he regretted if he had hurt anyone; this too was rejected and MQM
asked him and Shahi Syed to leave Karachi within 48 hours.
ANP distanced itself from the statement of Mirza. Zardari summoned
Rehman Malik and Zulfikar Mirza to Presidency. The protests spread to
interior Sindh and Punjab and Balochistan. Altaf Hussain appealed to the
people to return to their homes but not before the toll had reached 15 dead
and 40 vehicles burnt. Video of Zulfikar Mirza was released late at night in
which he apologized in round-about manner.
The Supreme Court gave a day to restore Zafar Qureshi with warning
of terrible consequences. Chief Justice remarked DG FIA violated judicial
order. Khalid Ranjha termed Moonis ad against judiciary. Reportedly, the
regime decided to remove PCO judges as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Next day, Zardari telephoned Altaf Hussain over Karachi violence and
sent special plane to bring Mirza to Islamabad. MQM rejected video taped
regrets of Zulfikar Mirza. Jiyalas held rallies in support of Mirza. At the end
of day Altaf Hussain assured help to the regime and Zardari warned Mirza.
Observers felt Ishratul Ebad could withdraw his resignation.
PTI slammed Mirza for violence in Karachi. ANP demanded judicial
probe into the violence. Commissionrate system was challenged in the court
and contempt plea against AJK polls postponement was withdrawn.
Meanwhile, MQM decided to support JUI-F for Senates opposition leader.
The government refused to reinstate Zafar Qureshi and Supreme
Court gave another chance up to 17th July. Meanwhile, secretary interior
summoned four FIA officials who had assisted Zafar and was speculated that
they could be pressed to become approvers against him. CM Punjab wrote to
PM for implementation of 18th Amendment. Supporters of Anjum Shakeel
got him freed from police custody in Islamabad; Rehman Malik took notice
and ordered arrest of SP and SHO of Shalimar Police Station.
On 16th July, head of PIA Labour Union, Ahmer Ali Shah (a jiyala),
was among six more people killed in Karachi. Altaf Hussain said Ebads
return would be only under strict conditions and he was still willing to
cooperate with PML-N. PML-N parliamentarian Anjum Aqeel surrendered
at Police Station Kohsar on party pressure; authorities claimed he has been
arrested in pursuance of Rehman Maliks earnest desire to enforce law of the
land.

1238

Next day, eight people were killed in Karachi. Rehman Malik saw
foreign hand behind violence in Karachi and blamed Israeli weapons for
killings in Karachi. He also predicted good news on reconciliation with
MQM soon. PIA flights were disrupted due to strike over killing of its
unions president; a body was formed to nab his killer. Brother-in-law of
Ahsan Iqbal of PML-N was arrested by police in a raid at dance and drink
party in Lahore. Muslim Conference announced support for MQM in polls
for AJKs Karachi seats.
On 18th July, Altaf told Ishrat to go back to Karachi and resume duties
as Governor Sindh in the interest of democracy and national interest. Zardari
thanked Altaf and arranged special plane for Ishrats return from Dubai. The
PPP decided to return the good-will gesture by withdrawing its candidates in
polls for two seats of AJK Assembly from Karachi. Wassan claimed his
dream has come true and Faisal Raza Abdi Ishrat has returned because of the
policy of his leader. Shahbaz Sharif said MQM did what it thought was the
best. Ahsan Iqbal remarked it isnt easy to stay in opposition.
The Supreme Court sought reaction of Prime Minister and Interior
Minister over that why the court orders were flouted so far in reinstating
Zafar Qureshi heading FIA team probing NICL scam. Chief Justice
reminded Attorney General that the court has been persistently showing
restraint; AG was given one week to submit replies.
Bashir Bilour disclosed that Railways was left with two-day fuel. He
warned that Railways would Insha Allah collapse soon if a reasonable
amount of funds was not provided. Malik clarified his remarks about
Israeli involvement in killings in Karachi. Anjum Aqeel was handed over to
FIA for investigations.
Next day, Hina Rabbani Khar was sworn in as Foreign Minister. The
Supreme Court was informed during hearing of a case that 57 law
practitioner in Rawalpindi Bar held fake degrees; the court sought relevant
record. Petition was filed in SHC for registering FIR against Zulfikar Mirza
for giving a statement that provoked and resulted in killing of 15 people.
Zardari welcomed Ishrat back in Governor House. Ten people were killed in
Karachi.
On 20th July, shifting of prisoners back to Karachi from interior Sindh
was ordered after a meeting of Governor and CM. Zamir Sheikh observed
MQM titanic hitting hard the Zardari iceberg. PML-N issued show-cause
notice to Anjum Aqeel. Latif Khosa got the long sought briefing from
Punjab government. Bashir Bilour got Rs9 billion to accomplish the task in
1239

his hand, i.e. freezing the operations of Pakistan Railways. The government
filed a petition in the Supreme Court regarding appointment of Chairman
NAB.
Next day, Opposition walked out of National Assembly over forced
change of agenda. MQM was allotted opposition seats in Sindh Assembly.
Raza Haroon was designated as opposition leader. PML-N and MQM held
talks in the chamber of Opposition Leaders.
On 22nd July, MQM staged walkout from National Assembly and
Senate over killings in Karachi; ten people were killed and more than thirty
wounded in the morning. MQM leaders said the killing of their workers was
carried out under government supervision and Mirza was running killing
brigades. Siraj Durrani met Governor and asked MQM to rejoin the
government. By the end of the day four more people were killed.
On 23rd July, Zardari formed 4-member committee to hold talks with
MQM and MQM warned against sabotaging peace efforts as 11 more people
were killed in Karachi. Khosa reciprocated his briefing by approving VCs of
two universities. Musharrafs property details were submitted in ATC.
Next day, 24 more people were killed in Karachi as Ishrat made
contacts with leaders of PPP and ANP to control the violence. Pillion riding
was once again banned as shooting and arson spread to more areas. PPP won
six reserve seats in AJK Assembly and PML-N and Muslim Conference got
one each; MQM supported PPP.
On 25th July, the Supreme Court heard important cases of two scams,
NICL and Haj; neither the viewpoint of Prime Minister was submitted nor
did DG FIA appear as had been ordered by the court. Chief Justice observed
that political defiance of the apex court had begun and he ordered production
of DG FIA in the court duly handcuffed.
The court verdict on Zafar Qureshis suspension was reserved. The
court directed the government to restore previous Haj probe team. The court
also rejected the governments plea seeking more time for the appointment
of NAB Chairman and it virtually ceased to exist.
Police launched house to house search in Malir where 16 people had
been killed in latest violence. The operation was concluded successfully
with arrest of a youth and recovery of a pistol. The violence claimed five
more lives. Zardari chaired a meeting to review law and order situation in
the mega city. Compensation plan for the victims was approved. In the
meeting representatives from Lyari suggested that Bilawal should represent
1240

their constituency instead of Nabeel Gabol which accepted by Zardari

gleefully.
Mohsin, a Don of car-lifters gang, sent an audio tape to Ansar Abbasi
and wished to reveal the names of politicians and government officials
involved in a network spread over Lahore to Peshawar, but only to the Chief
Justice of Pakistan. He is presently in a jail in KPK.
Next day, the bench hearing Haj scam case enquired about the issue of
notification for re-instatement of Hussain Asghar as investigating; Secretary
Establishment, Sohail Ahmad started advancing excuses. Chief Justice
ordered him to present the notification by 11:30 or face the consequences.
When the bench resumed the hearing the secretary presented the notification
and the court ordered DG FIA to facilitate Hussain Asghar to resume
investigations of Haj corruption; the officer had been sent to Gilgit as IG
Police.
Sohail Ahmad, who had obeyed court orders quite reluctantly, was
made OSD before he reached back his office not too far from the Supreme
Court. Shahbaz Sharif observed that the government was on warpath with
the Supreme Court to hide corruption. Nawaz said the present government is
a threat to the system. Imran Khan condemned government action against
Sohail Ahmad.
PPPs Chaudhry Majeed from Mirpur was elected as new Prime
Minister of AJK. Gilani assured his party MNAs to withhold development
funds of PML-N MNAs. Chief Justice expressed concern over vacant post of
Chairman NAB. Eleven people were killed in Karachi as trio of sponsors of
perpetration of violence vowed to launch peace offensive as desired by the
Don, who had gone to Dubai to celebrate his 56 th birthday. Oxfam warned
that Pakistan was unprepared for flash floods.
On 27th July, the Supreme Court took suo moto notice of punishing
Sohail Ahmad by making him OSD and asked AG to advice Prime Minister
not to resort to defiance of court orders. Chief Justice asked AG to obtain
written reply from the chief Executive. Later, full court meeting was held in
which judges resolved to defend the Constitution.
In turn, PM chaired cabinet meeting in which Babar Awan was
especially invited to brief on legal aspects. Babar emphasized that the
judiciary must remain within limits. The cabinet decided that no one would
be allowed to encroach upon PMs authority. Gilani said those wishing
institutional clash would be disappointed. Imtiaz Safdar Warriach warned
institutions to mend ways.
1241

PML-N held party elections; Nawaz was elected President unopposed

for four years and Javed Hashmi as senior vice president, despite his regrets
to seek any party office because of poor health. After election Nawaz vowed
to fight solo and Shahbaz vowed to crush idols of corruption. Meanwhile,
the government apprehended that Zafar Qureshi could summon the ladies of
Warraich family in NICL scam. Sindh government launched peace drive as
nine more people were killed in Karachi.
Next day, the Supreme Court rejected Prime Ministers request for
more time to submit his reply, however, the court granted last 24 hours. The
Chief Justice asked the government to stop playing hide and seek with the
court over Sohail Ahmads reinstatement. Meanwhile, it was reported that
Hussain Asghar had been ordered by the regime not to leave Gilgit-Baltistan
till 30th July.
Zardari and Gilani discussed legal issues with coalition partners as
judiciary-government standoff deepened. Reportedly, the regime has decided
to move Parliament over orders of the Supreme Court. Concurrently, the
regime launched Babar Awan on ceasefire mission through backdoor
diplomacy. Presidents of Pakistan Bar and SCBA lined up behind judiciary.
Plot to assassinate Shahbaz Sharif was unearthed. Amir Moqam
agreed to join the cabinet. In his interview to BBC Rehman Malik blamed
Taliban and al-Qaeda for violence in Karachi as five more people were
killed. Samaa TV team was subjected to fire and their vehicle was set on fire
in kati pahari area. PPP, MQM, ANP and almost all the parties condemned
the incident for which Police has accused an ANP-linked group.
On 29th July, the government succeeded in brow-beating the apex
court which once again took refuge behind shelter of judicial restraint. The
Court suspended notification under which Sohail Ahmad was made OSD
and government to reinstate him in seven days or make his proper
adjustment. Despite stepping back, the judges feared strike from the
Parliament and the all of them were told to remain in Islamabad.
A high-level meeting chaired by Zardari and Gilani decided to guard
the government against the judiciarys pressure through the parliament. It
resolved that parliament is the supreme of all the institutions and all efforts
will be directed to ensure its supremacy and strengthen it. Zardari had
convened the meeting ostensibly to discuss political situation in the country,
but it focused on the stand off between the executive and the judiciary.
Asma Jahangir said the judiciary would go to any extent to defend
rule of law. Sardar Yaqoob was elected President of AJK. Babar Awan
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promised good news for Saraiki people in the month of Ramazan. Two
lawyers of PML-N were among 11 killed in Karachi.
Next day, Nawaz said the Parliament wont be allowed to be used as
shield to protect corrupt rulers and the government wont be allowed to harm
judiciary. Gilani said we will implement court orders. Chief Justice said
no fear or favour allowed in provision of justice.
Accountability Court quashed SGS case and acquitted all accused in
ARY reference. State Bank reduced interest rate from 14 to 13.5 percent.
Chairman and President of National Bank resigned over corruption
allegations. Seventeen people were killed as PPP and MQM staged joint
peace rally in Karachi. Jang and Geo TV offices were attacked.
On 31st July, mullas of Qasim Mosque decided at midnight that
Ramazan moon has been sighted and Peshawarites would fat on 1 st August.
Eleven people were killed in Karachi despite the much hyped peace rally;
seven terrorists were held.

VIEWS
On 6th July, TheNation wrote: It is a matter of great shame that the
PPP-led government continues to defy Supreme Court on a variety of
cases. Its recent decision in a string of attacks on the independent character
of the SC has been the suspension of the Additional Director General FIA
Zafar Qureshi who was taking firm action in the NICL scam, had recovered
Rs1.75 billion from the looters and most importantly was leading
investigations in an impartial manner.
The reason given for his suspension was that he had written a letter to
the DG FIA and had asked him to cancel the transfer orders of four officers.
It was charged that the contents of the letter had been disclosed to the media
deliberately. In fact, as explained by him he had only written the letter to DG
FIA and had never tried to politicize the issue. Truth is that the
government has given him marching orders because it does not want the
investigations to go in accordance with rule of law. There have been
reports that the decision to show the door to Mr Qureshi was taken
immediately after Chaudhry brothers meeting with Prime Minister Yousuf
Raza Gilani and Interior Minister Rehman Malik. All this game appears to
be in play to protect Moonis Elahi, who is already in custody and suspected
to be one of the main culprits in the entire scam.

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It bears pointing out that the Supreme Court had earlier cancelled the
transfer notification of Mr Qureshi and had ordered him to carry on with the
investigations. Satisfied with his performance, the SC wanted him to take
the investigations to their logical end as quickly as possible. So far three
federal secretaries are in the soup facing contempt of court proceedings,
while DG FIA Malik Iqbal for his brazen act to remove investigation officers
has already been indicted with contempt charges. Indeed one fully agrees
with the argument of the Supreme Court that the main attempt of the
government has been to replace truthful and conscientious officers
carrying out the investigations, with errant ones.
The government will deal a big blow to its credibility and cause a
serious judicial crisis which would be detrimental to democracy as well as
the stability of the present dispensation. The Supreme Court has already told
the government that its patience was wearing thin and that it wants rule of
law to reign supreme. The government must not forget that it was the same
judiciary that bravely and successfully stood its ground against
manoeuvrings of General Musharraf and came out as a winner. The way
forward lies in respecting its orders.
Next day, TheNation observed: Karachi is still bleeding with no
respite in sight. Men are falling like the withered leaves of trees every day.
Sirens of shuttling ambulances have become a way of life for the
Karachiites. City hospitals are under emergency. Police had failed long since
to control the situation. Even Rangers failed to separate the warring factions
and at times the army had to be called in to stop the bloodshed. Yet the
situation has worsened and every passing day witnesses the situation
deteriorating in what people used to call the city of lights. The key question
to which nobody could find an answer is after all who is responsible for
it? The three main stakeholders, the PPP, the MQM and the ANP have
refused to take any responsibility claiming individually that their party
workers, activists and leaders were being killed. If their claims are to be
believed, then who is behind this destruction? Even if this argument that
those behind all this are Indian RAW, American BlackWater and Xe
Services, the fact remains that they do not use their personnel and those who
carry out the vicious operations are local people.
From sectarian strife to gang wars, from suicide bombings to target
killings and from rioting to night attacks, the situation has come to such a
pass that it is hard to see whether normal political initiative would work.
What is the leadership of PPP, MQM and ANP doing to make this once
peaceful city return to normalcy? How far this blame game would continue
1244

with no solution in sight? Has the federal government done enough to bring
these stakeholders to the negotiating table to ponder the countless killings?
What result could we see of the oft-repeated assurance of peace of Interior
Minister Rahman Malik? So far we have only seen an alarming rise in target
killing incidents. During the past two days well over two dozen innocent
people have been gunned down. The time is running out. The federal
government must act fast and if the solution is to hand over the city to
the army, it must be done.
In another editorial the newspaper added: Since the PML-N has
been in the forefront calling for mid-term general elections, one would
have assumed that its intensified criticism, well deserved no doubt, of the
ruling leadership at the federal level was directed towards that end, and that
the efforts to form a grand alliance of opposition parties was the required
link in that chain. Mian Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N leader, however, when
giving an exclusive interview to TheNation on Tuesday, discounted that
possibility. He was thinking in terms of a popular movement or an in-house
change to compel the federal government to come to the right path.
Apparently, the decision on which of the two options to adopt would be
taken in consultation with the other parties joining the alliance, if his party
was able to sort out differences with the would-be allies and succeeds in
bringing about that unity.
Both a popular movement and an in-house change have their
own flaws; the former because it would disturb life, setting afoot an
unpredictable and, perhaps, unpalatable chain of events, and in the
conditions of today could even destabilize the country; and the latter because
it would, in the ultimate analysis, result in the formation of another PPP-led
government, with its Co-Chairperson as President. Thus, perhaps, only
change of a few faces operating under the same tutelage!
Instead, one way open to the PML-N and other opposition parties,
which are critical of the government, is to put it under constant pressure in
Parliament through their elected representatives. They should highlight the
evils of corruption flourishing under the patronage of the present
government, its disrespect of institutions like the defiance of the judiciary
and weak-kneed attitude to the defence of our sovereignty on the floor of the
House. Demanding the end of these evils, they should also obtain firm
assurances that the problems of the people would be adequately attended to.
Thus, they stand in much greater chance of ushering in an era of good
governance in the country. And the good omen is that PML-N and MQM

1245

have decided to join hands and work for setting things right through
entirely constitutional means, while sitting on opposition benches.
Another course of action merger of the various factions of the
PML into one party that had been suggested in these columns was,
unfortunately, rejected by Mian Nawaz. Despite the efforts of Pir Pagaro
and the willingness of all other factions, the PML-N had been the only
hurdle to putting that idea into effect. Now, alas, that opportunity has been
lost, as the strains between the PML-Q and PML-N have further developed.
The PML-Q, having been spurned by the PML-N, has joined hands with,
and become part of, the government that Mian Nawaz and his party men are
targeting. In the face of the realities of the present situation, it seems that the
only course that promises a worthwhile change in the government approach
to issues of national importance appears to be persistent parliamentary
debate on these issues.
Azam Khalil wrote: While planning continues between the leaders of
the opposition parties, it does not mean that the PPP and its coalition
partners are sleeping. For all practical purposes, the government has so
far succeeded in keeping the opposition divided with its policy of
national reconciliation a move that will continue to haunt the opposition
parties, even after the next general elections.
Next, the ruling party has planned to not only unsettle its political
adversaries, but will also ensure that all the strong points available with
the opposition are neutralized before the polling day. To achieve this,
they are planning to establish a new province in Punjab that will seriously
dent the political muscle of the PML-N.
In addition, the PPPs decision not to allow local government
elections in Sindh is bound to take a political toll on the MQM. In case
local government elections are held in Sindh, it would provide a perfect
launching pad to the MQM for the general elections; it is a proposition that
has not been accepted by the party for obvious reasons.
Also, the government may try to redraw the map of certain
constituencies in urban Sindh, which will deprive MQM from the present
advantages that it has in the National Assembly. Besides, it will try to ensure
that the religious parties do not gather on one platform and thus may take the
risk of inviting a few elements to join the PPP before the elections. Left on
their own the religious parties do not command a mass following.
As things stand today, the country will not only witness an extended
political campaign for the elections, but will also see the date being pulled
1246

closer thereby meaning that early elections may be held in Pakistan. The
government will, probably, benefit from this decision because it may not
allow the opposition to be united and become a force to be reckoned with
like when the IJI was formed against the PPP. While the opposition remains
divided, it will be in the governments interest to put its plan in place. That is
to provide relief to the common man and tackle with some pressing
economic problems.
Anyway, the dynamics of general elections guide us that the
government or the opposition may have elaborate plans of their
own. But something extraordinary can take place that may disturb the
scheme of things that are being planned by government and opposition.
It will be up to the entire political leadership in the country to ensure that
things do not get out of hand to an extent where it may become easy for
someone to take advantage of the situation and defeat the democratic forces.
They must remember that free and fair elections and submission to the will
of the people is a requirement for Pakistans progress. Any force that tries to
ignore or sidetrack this truth will damage the countrys vital interests.
One hopes that in the coming weeks and months the people will not

see an increase in sharp rhetoric by the politicians that will give rise to social
upheaval, since it always carries the potential for intervention by antidemocratic forces that, of course, is not in the interest of the political
parties and the nation.
On 9th July, TheNation commented: Karachi that once throbbed
with life for 24 hours seven days a week was seen deserted in most of the
localities, with an occasional bus plying on their roads and forced to pay the
price for its daring to step out of its terminal, a motorist rushing to the safety
of his home or a vendor of goods desperate to sell his wares but risking his
life for the survival of hungry family. And as the news spread all over the
town, the relatively securer areas witnessed traffic jams, as the people
wanted to make for their homes to escape the trigger happy lot should they
also want to create chaos in their localities as well.
But one wonders why the political stakeholders PPP, ANP and
MQM either wielding power as the ruling parties or carrying the weight
and influence of the opposition, have stood idly by letting the city of lights
fall into complete darkness! The MQMs complaint that its workers are
being targeted as punishment to the party for leaving the government
deserves to be properly probed. The public knows very well that successive
regimes have used this mini-Pakistan as battlefield for years to teach a
1247

lesson to their rivals. President Zardari who has called a meeting to discuss
the situation would only be hearing views what the participants want him to
hear. A meeting of political parties which have stakes in the city must get
together and for the sake of the country bring this mayhem to an end. The
big businessmen are compelled to take their capital elsewhere in the country
or outside Pakistan; a common denizen of Karachi or an ordinary
shopkeeper has no choice but to stay put, as poor Karachi bleeds!
On 15th July, Dr Haider Mehdi observed: The trouble is that
traditional political leadership in the country still suffers from the
psychological ailment of seeking the Wests patronage for its political
existence and they cannot escape from it. When compared to the other
personalities in Pakistani politics, he (Imran Khan) is a saint, the columnist
maintains.
Imrans rising popularity can be attributed to the fact that he is
not seeking US-Western support and partnership for the success of his
political ascendancy and political agenda: Khan made often pointed and
critical statements on US policy, which he characterized as dangerous and in
need of change in a meeting with former US Ambassador Anne Patterson
last year, reported the Christian Science Monitor. At last, Pakistans
problematic and difficult political process has given birth to a leadership,
which is independent, nationalist, rational and forward-looking, and free of
US-Western bogeymen.
In addition, the PTIs political agenda is being written in bold script
acknowledging the prime importance of the social contract in a democratic
set-up the ultimate goal of serving the masses interests. For the last six
decades, it has been the failed social contract that has plagued
successive political leaderships and consequently failed Pakistan. Now, it is
in this social contract that PTI will have its success and create a
revolutionary democratic Pakistan.
Khurshid Akhtar Khan wrote: The optimists among us opine that we
have reached the rock bottom and the only way now is up. But the public
takes everything lying down waiting for a messiah that may never come.
Nations have to carve their own destiny. It took a few unknown young
people only a few weeks with the help of Twitter to throw out Hosni
Mubarak of Egypt and his decades-old system. It is the people and the
leaders in the Middle East that are waging campaigns to change the system.
Our forefathers secured this homeland through a democratic struggle that
was based on principles, an ideology and a vision for a fair and judicious
1248

system of equal opportunities and rights for all citizens. Our leaders have
consistently failed us. It is time for our people to cease following our
self-styled leaders and commence leading them.
Dr AH Khayal opined: The administrative authorities are in action in
Karachi. But they cannot achieve what only the politicians can collectively
achieve. If the politicians sincerely resolve to establish peace in Karachi,
they do so in a jiffy. But unfortunately, the politicians have themselves been
at war with each other. However, there is a difference between the weapons
used by the Karachians and the weapons used by the politicians. Whereas,
the Karachians use military weapons, the politicians use their tongues as
their weapons.
Sometimes, a politicians tongue fires an abuses-laden missile at his
opponent. To avenge the verbal insult, the opponents tongue fires back
abuses, which are more corrosive than the abuses he was hit with.
Obviously, if the politicians are fully occupied abusing each other, they
can have no time to bother about Karachi.
During its entire history, Pakistan has had various breeds of
politicians. All these breeds have been utter fiascos. Pakistan desperately
needs a breed of unique politicians, who can pull it out of the well of disaster
into which it has been sinking inch by inch ever since its birth.
On 17th July, TheNation wrote: The reaction of the PML-N leadership
to the forced release of its MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan by his hooligan
supporters from the custody of the Islamabad police The PML-N, which is
second to none in giving tickets to winning horses, has since the last
general election come down heavily on wrongdoers in the ranks of its
parliamentary parties, obtaining the resignations of those found to have fake
degrees, as well as a ladies reserved-seat MPA accused of credit-card fraud.
The party seems to have realized that there is no smoke without fire, and
members exploit their high position for the basest of purposes. This means
that PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharifs statement that the party will not
support criminals makes sense, as does his direction for a party report on
the incident of Mr Anjum Aqeel Khan.
The PPP governments reaction so far does not give any assurance
that this incident will not be used for political persecution. The SP and SHO
have been suspended, and raids are being carried out to get those who helped
Anjum Aqeel Khan escape. This is not a time to carry out partisan revenge,
but to ensure that the supreme national interests are upheld. That means the
PPP should look to its own ranks where it should purge itself of
1249

wrongdoers. If necessary, the cleansing must start from the very top. The
PPP should realize that this lawlessness is the result of the process started
when it began a collective defiance of Supreme Court orders merely to save
individuals from the consequences of their actions and preserve the proceeds
of their corruption.
On 20th July, TheNation commented: The process of the return of the
MQM to the federal and provincial governments started on Monday, after
President Asif Zardari spoke on the phone with MQM chief Altaf Hussain,
with the proposed return of Sindh Governor Dr Eshratul Ebad to his
provincial capital, and to his post The MQM needs to consider the
political wisdom of playing politics while their city is in turmoil. The
MQM must also consider why it has placed itself in the position of the boy
who cried wolf, and how much credibility the PPP will place in any further
resignations, as it believe that a phone call from the President will win over
Altaf, and thus the party. It is also not known what will be the fate of the
commissionerate system, which the MQM had opposed both while in
government, when it prevented it, and out of government, when it protested
its re-introduction.
Dr Haider Mehdi opined: Pakistan needs to espouse a revolution of
the masses, as in other countries where the people are seeking change,
freedom and social and economic justice. We need to completely disengage
our nation from the politics of status quo and embark on a struggle for
political renaissance, transformation of our political culture, self-reliance
and independence, equality of nations in a global system, economic and
social justice domestically, and an end to state violence, poverty and
deprivations that have been inflicted on common citizens ad infinitum. We
need to create a brave new world of our own, on our own, pushed forward
by an imaginative and visionary political-economic management, dynamic
self-reliant and self-sustained planning, and in constructing a culture of
tolerance, mutual all-inclusive conflict-resolution structures at all levels of
society with peoples socio-political engagement. This is a tall order in
nation building, which is practically outside the domain of ideological
capitalism and the US-Wests promoted politics of status quo (at times
termed political stability) aimed at maintaining the traditional political class
in power to do the Wests bidding at indigenous peoples expense.
The vital questions are: Who will lead us to such a cherished
dream of a political renaissance and peoples revolution? How will we
get there? Let us for deliberative purposes, consider some options: Can the
Zardari-Gilani PPP regime transform itself into a revolutionary nationalist
1250

political movement and deliver Pakistan out of its six-decade bondage with
the US-Wests ideological capitalism and foreign policy global agenda? Can
the PPP top leadership disengage itself from the US political patronage? Can
the PPP disown America and NATOs war on terror? I am afraid not. The
problem is that hens lay eggs only they do not spit out pearls. Wheelers
and dealers can make modest adjustments in their stated interests, but they
can never turn into saints or political revolutionaries. The PPP leadership not
only lacks the political vision required for such a dynamic national
enterprise, it is so absolutely inadequate in its management and competency
level even to imagine, let alone undertake, such a massive and impelling
initiative. The partys three-year political performance (as well as past
record) prove that in talon meh tel nahin (you cannot hope or expect them
to have this kind of capability).
Can the PML-N, the second largest party in the country, salvage
Pakistans present predicaments? I think not. Its political manifesto and
strategic approach to national management affairs is a half-mix of so-called
pragmatism and vested interests wrapped in a half-baked loaf, neither fully
cooked nor eatable. Its leaderships confusion and perplexity is bewildering.
So, a peoples revolution aimed at altering the status quo in the country is
beyond the possibilities of the PML-N leaderships political capabilities and
ideological premises.
Can Jamaat-i-Islami, the most organized political party in Pakistan,
resolve the countrys ever-multiplying problems? Unfortunately, Jamaat-iIslamis leadership is neither charismatic nor dynamic. It is a highly
ideologically indoctrinated political organization and the Pakistani voters
have never in the past, nor are likely in the future, entrust it with national
leadership.
Can MQM, a truly peoples grass root political outfit, rescue
Pakistan? Not a chance. MQM still has a long way to go to attain national
stature, and its leaders modus operandi (rightly or wrongly) has always
been a question mark in the publics perception.
Is Imran Khan and his Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), the most potent
political force presently, a CIA-implant in Pakistan? Rationally
speaking, that does not seem to be the case: The CIA wants the war on
terror to continue, but PTI does not want Pakistan to own this war and calls
for its halt immediately. The US-NATO wants to impose a military solution
in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan, but PTI wants a political resolution of
the conflict and a settlement with the Taliban through dialogue, compromise
1251

and political means. The US-NATO and their allies wish to continue the
Islamist bogey indefinitely, but Imran Khans party opposes this ideological
pretext as bogus and without merit. The CIA wants the drone attacks to
continue, but PTI wants an immediate end to them against the Pakistani
citizens and Imran Khan considers such attacks as violation of the countrys
sovereignty. And so on and so forth.
The American political establishment considers global politics as a
marketplace and will pay any price to acquire what they wish, that is, their
political modus operandi! I will bet top dollar that Imran Khan is not for
sale and neither is the PTI!
And that is what Pakistan needs now: Personal integrity, leadership
credibility, honesty, ethical and principled national politics and a qualitative
change in its decades-old alliances the US and Western powers in which
the nations sovereignty is upheld and dignity is restored! That is how
peoples revolutions are made! Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insafs national political
manifesto is one of change, freedom and social justice. Decide for
yourself. What do you deserve?
On 26th July, TheNation wrote: Rocket and bomb attacks, target
killing and indiscriminate series of firing have become a norm in Karachi
and indicate that there is no writ of the government Despite the fact that
those involved in this painful battle are local, it is clear that there are
foreign elements that are providing funding and supplying arms and
ammunition. As long as weapons in such a large quantity would remain in
unsafe hands, there is no possibility of peace returning to the City of Lights.
Should one believe that whatever is happening in Karachi is the end result of
a political conspiracy to convert the beautiful metropolis of Sindh into a
graveyard? It must be recalled that in 1980s, Nooriabad Industrial Zone was
the hub of production activity but due to extortion mafia, industrialists
abandoned their units and migrated to Gadoon Amazai and later shifted to
Punjab. Now the residents of Karachi have started shifting to other parts of
the country since they are convinced that city is not worth living.
The most unacceptable situation is that no one is ready to accept
responsibility as far as federal and provincial governments are concerned.
Calling meetings, appointing commissions and issuing statements have
never resolved an issue of this proportion. Therefore, President Zardaris
four-man committee or calling a meeting in Islamabad would not lead to any
solution. One possible solution could be to hand over Karachi to the army
for a combing operation to de-weaponize its population and eliminate no-go
1252

areas. If two of the three main stakeholders believe this would help, why is
this not being done by taking the third partner into confidence that the
proposed operation would not be any group specific? What needs to be
feared is the chances of Karachi lawlessness spreading to other cities of
the country. Is anybody bothered about it? Apparently none!
Next day, Ashraf Mumtaz observed: While the government, like
other state institutions, is supposed to act in aid of the Supreme Court, it
has proved to be the major impediment. It is not clear what is behind the
governments stubbornness and who is advising it to pursue what clearly
appears to be a confrontational approach.
Maybe it is testing the patience of the apex court. Or, it is trying to
show that it doesnt fear the sword of justice and the likely consequences of
its recalcitrance. Opponents of the present setup allege that since the
government has failed to deliver on all fronts it is now trying to create a
situation that leads to some action against it which makes it a political
martyr.
A government which is facing countless problems should have been
focusing on solving them. Opening a front against the judiciary is not the
right approach. Whosoever is asking the government to follow this
dangerous course is doing a great disservice both to the ruling party and
the country
What the government is doing to court orders should be sufficient to
explain the kind of situation the common man has to face to get his rights.
They have to go from pillar to post but nobody listens. The helplessness of
the people can be gauged from the fact that they have started talking
about the need for military intervention. Some say that at least the army
should play its role under Article 190 of the Constitution to force the
government to implement all court orders. Unless that support is visible, the
situation would not change.
Former Army Chief Gen Mirza Aslam Beg is among the people who
are making such a demand. He thinks that the situation has deteriorated to
an extent that there is need for an interim setup which should address
all major problems of the country before thinking of fresh elections. When
even a former army chief feels that his institution should support the
judiciary and help it get its verdicts implemented, there should be no reason
to disagree with him.
In case the government was allowed to go on defying court
orders, the country would plunge into anarchy. When the rulers are under
1253

no obligation to follow what the court is telling them to, other people would
be justified in following suit and disrespecting the law.
But imagine for a while the situation the common man would have
faced by disobeying the court orders. Gen Musharrafs example should
always be kept in mind in such situations. He sacked judges and imposed
emergency, steps the Supreme Court had prohibited him to.
Within months, he was out of power and even out of the country.
So afraid is the former president of the present judiciary that he is less likely
to return to Pakistan as long as Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry is the Chief Justice
of Pakistan. To come up to the expectations of the common man, the
Supreme Court would have to show in unambiguous terms that it would
not let anyone violate the law and the Constitution, no matter what the
price.
Terence J Sigamony wrote: The bureaucracy finds itself entangled
in a show of strength of two institutions. The bureaucrats who defy the
apex court orders face contempt of court notices but if they go against the
federation they are either transferred or made OSD.
The government seems to be in no mode to implement the apex
court orders, while the Supreme Court instead taking concrete action
persistently showing judicial restraint and simply wants compliance of its
orders and when that does not happen the authorities are directed to take
action. And if they dare to take action they have to face the music.
Around 14 top officials have been removed, transferred or made
OSD in corruption cases including National Reconciliation Order, Pakistan
Steel Mills, National Insurance Company Limited and corruption in Haj
arrangements and seven have been suspended so far due to wrong policies of
the government.
On 28th July, TheNation commented: The executive seems to have
embarked on a course of confrontation with the judiciary, and the
Secretary Establishment, who complied with the Supreme Court order and
issued a notification for re-posting Hussain Asghar in the FIA, has been
punished and sidelined as an OSD. It is noteworthy that Article 5 of the
Constitution obliges all citizens to be subject to the rule of law and Article
190 makes all executive authorities bound to assist the judiciary. Thus, it is
quite clear that the Secretary was acting according to law and in line with the
counsel given by the Quaid-i-Azam to civil servants that they are servants of
the state and not any individual or political party and that they must act
fearlessly. Accordingly, the governments is a dangerous move that in the
1254

Pakistani context, merely appears to be an invitation for an extralegal,

unconstitutional takeover.
As the SC has already pronounced, these forces could not take
over with impunity; for this time they would not be given the required legal
cover for such actions. The Secretary Establishments fate illustrates the
dilemma faced by every permanent official in the executive. If they obey
their political masters, who have the power to punish them by depriving
them of prized postings or reward them with undue promotions, they at
times run the risk of falling foul of the law. And they might face the wrath of
the Supreme Court, which has moved beyond simple dressing downs, which
once used to suffice, to actually ordering the removal of officials.
As a result, the federal government finds itself on a dangerous
collision course with the SC The government must avoid the path it is
going down, and let the chips fall where they will. It is not befitting of the
executive to act as a mere instrument to save individuals from facing the
consequences of their actions, even if these individuals hold high offices.
Next day, TheNation commented: A full court meeting headed by
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has expressed resolve that come
hell or high water the constitution will be protected and under no
circumstances will the government be allowed to disobey the courts orders.
One wishes it Godspeed in its just cause to establish rule of law.
No one in the country wants to see the judicial crisis get out of
control but the situation, courtesy governments brazen foot-dragging is
only assuming horrific proportions by the hour. At the same time, while
hearing the Hajj scam case, the Supreme Court issued a 24-hour deadline to
the Prime Minister to restore the Secretary Establishment Sohail Ahmed
which has now expired In fact despite the Supreme Court orders, the
defiance by the Prime Minister is very much disturbing. There is an
impression that the PM is creating roadblocks in the way of the judiciary
partly because of his son who happens to be one of the accused in the Hajj
scam case. It is but incomprehensible why he stated on Wednesday that his
authority was being encroached.
The truth is; it is the executive that has been trying to clip the wings
of the judiciary in all sorts of sordid ways. He went to the extent of saying
that he was not a working professional but a politician. One wonders
whether being a politician mean disobeying the rule of law with
impunity. On the other side of the spectrum, the loud mouthed PPP big shot
Babar Awan, who parrots almost with finesse everything his big bosses utter,
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has stated that the institutions must work within their framework and that the
Supreme Court should refrain from issuing summons of government
officials. Mr Awans comments are outrageous and deserve to be condemned
strongly as such remarks in fact amount to testing the patience of the court
and provoking it merely for the sake of it. Democracy is prevailing and its
spirit gives the Supreme Court complete liberty to summon government
officials. Mr Awan is making it sound as if dictatorship was prevailing.
It bears pointing out that so far the government has defied the
Supreme Court on at least 18 cases, ever since the historic NRO
judgment was passed. This is a deliberate attempt to create political unrest
in the country and directly challenging the writ of the apex court. And then
we have Mr Babar Awan delivering a sermon that the institutions must work
in their framework. If the orders are not obeyed, the Supreme Court as it
stated on Wednesday would only be forced to assert itself to get its verdicts
implemented.
On 30th July, the newspaper added: Notwithstanding the Prime
Ministers remark that the government wants to avoid any clash with
institutions, there is enough evidence to establish that it has, in fact, taken up
arms against an important pillar of the state: the judiciary that is charged
with ensuring that the rule of law prevails in the country, protecting the
fundamental rights of the citizens, dispensing justice, etc. When the
government keeps defying the Supreme Courts clear and unambiguous
verdicts, even when the lapse is pointedly and repeatedly brought out by the
court, the media and almost every section of society, there is no other
conclusion that could be drawn, but that the executive is in open
confrontation with the judiciary.
Somehow, the political leadership fails to realize that the drift of the
ominous standoff of the two institutions carries within itself the germs of
countrywide chaos. The lawyers bodies, the Supreme Court Bar Association
and the Lahore High Court Bar Association, have warned the government
that if it does not implement its orders they would adopt any means to assert
the authority of the court, including the movement like the one launched to
restore the illegally deposed judges. Opposition, retired judges and civil
society have counseled obedience to the court. The government must
remember that it is unheard of in the democratic world that orders by
the highest judicial authority in the country are disobeyed.
While there are all the indications that the army is in no mood to
intervene in the matter to let the democratic process sort things out, the
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PPP government by carrying the matter too far might by default be

compelling the armed forces to act. Otherwise, letting the confrontation go
on would be an open invitation to the disregard of the law of the land by the
rest of the country. Former COAS General Aslam Beg believes that the army
would readily respond to the SCs request to intervene.
Though the NRO was pronounced null and void end-2009, several
other instances of SCs defiance have occurred since then, building up
tension between the executive and the judiciary, though the court has all
along showed remarkable patience. The one question that lies at the root
of all these cases is billions of rupees corruption by those occupying the
top position in the governing hierarchy. Things began heating up when the
Haj scandal case came up for hearing again in which billions of taxpayers
money was siphoned off by influential persons to their own bank accounts
Could one hope that the government would show political wisdom and
maturity and bow before the Supreme Court to save the nascent democracy
and prevent chaos in the country?
Next day, General Retd Mirza Aslam Beg once again urged the Army
to uphold the Constitution. He wrote: Civilian supremacy over the
military can be established only by a sovereign Parliament and an
independent judiciary. So, the armed forces must support Parliaments
resolution, demanding cessation of the drone attacks that the Americans
flouted, as it was helpless. Also, the political parties have the shared
responsibility to help the military establish the supremacy of the civilian rule
and support the government to build a sovereign Parliament, an independent
judiciary and the institutions to deliver above board accountability.
However, the most disturbing aspect of the present regime is the
appalling state of affairs. Nobody knows who is responsible for what.
There is no foreign policy to determine our relations with the USA, India
and Afghanistan. The fiscal policy is so wayward as to precipitate
resignation of the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan. The state organs,
such as the railways, national airlines and Steel Mills, are bankrupt and on
the verge of collapse. Yet, there are no clear-cut policies or plans to arrest
this dangerous drift.
At the same time, Parliament and the politicians show no urgency
to arrest this drift, while the courts of justice are blatantly defied and
humiliated; the process of accountability remains suspended and the armed
forces are watching this dangerous drift waiting for the worst to happen,
similar to the Egyptian turmoil, which ultimately resulted into military
takeover and a bigger chaos, so aptly described by an observer: It is a
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revolution without cadres, with no party, no leaders, no precise ideology.

The army has gone from hero to hate mode. We are in a terrible mess now.
Our present drift may also lead to a terrible mess, if Parliament,
politicians and civil society continue to watch the drift. It was in this
scenario that I had urged the armed forces to intervene in support of the
Supreme Court and to establish the rule of law. As a result, some heads in
the top leadership may roll, but Parliament will continue to function, sanity
will prevail and the government will complete its tenure. This is the way
forward. The next elections, therefore, would be crucial and must be free and
fair. Should these elections be held under this very government, or under a
caretaker government, is the moot point, to be discussed and decided. Free
and fair elections would arrest this dangerous drift and usher the country in a
new era of parliamentary democracy.
After a long time, we have a democratic order in Pakistan, which
is no more threatened by the nexus America, Army and Adaalat. It is a
comforting sign of the birth of a new order, as ordained by Allah: The Good
and the Evil cannot be equated, although, at times, the Evil may prevail, but
ultimately Good will surmount; (Al Quran).
Jalees Hazir opined: The Zardari-led government is fighting a war
that it is sure to lose. Pakistan has changed and it is no longer possible to
govern it with the outmoded elitist mindset that the President and his team
bring to the job. The rule-of-law has taken root in the public imagination as a
yardstick and the Supreme Court has emerged as a repository of hope for the
people. The number of civil servants that refuse to follow the illegal orders
of the government is growing, and they are being marked as heroes. Those
using the institutions and offices of the state to promote petty personal ends
are also being marked by the people for a sorry end.

REVIEW
The unprecedented tolerance shown by judges of the superior
judiciary for defiance of the court verdicts by the Executive amounted to
self-humiliation, or self-emollition. But, judges craze for self-torture has
resulted in degrading of the institution of judiciary in which the people had
reposed lot of hopes.
The restraint shown for the criminals amongst the Executive has
utterly disappointed the masses. Bureaucrats like Zafar Qureshi and Sohail

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Ahmad, who were punished and humiliated by the chief executive, were
certainly having second thoughts about their honest and upright approach.
During hearing of a corruption case on 25 th July the Chief Justice
remarked that the Executive has started defying the apex court. His
observation was correct, but late by more than two years. The Executive was
now openly and contemptuously ridiculing the court verdicts. This has
happened due to timid approach of the Supreme Court adopted on the
pretext of judicial restraint.
Sohail Ahmad and Hussain Asghar episode showed that the Executive
virtually coerced the Supreme Court to get a favourable verdict. In other
words, the Zardari regime has succeeded in intimidating the superior
judiciary; a feat that could not be performed by military dictator Musharraf.
The courts interim order of 29th July gave an impression of having
been passed under duress as it was far more accommodating for
Executives demands than meeting the demands of justice. It wasnt at all in
line with the remarks of the judges passed during last two hearings. The
judges seemed to have overlooked the fact that they were not dealing with
school boys but a lot of hardened criminals led by Zardari and Gilani.
The point can be comprehended clearly when seen in the background
of a telephone call of Hillary to Zardari, Gilanis meeting with Kayani and
high level meetings of the cabinet and governments coalition members. All
these were linked to court hearings one way or the other. Gilani had spoken
clearly about taking the court verdict before the Parliament if it were not to
his liking.
This could not have been possible without first taming the Army.
Zardari had accorded it first priority and how he accomplished that has been
mentioned in previous reviews more than once. Having secured his most
vulnerable flank Zardari focused on other adversaries, especially the
superior judiciary.
Zardari regime is close to doing to the judiciary what it has done to
the Army. While combating against the judges he did not ignore political
adversaries whether sitting on opposition benches or with the government as
allies. PML-N in opposition and MQM out of allies stood out in this context.
Whereas Babar Awan and others took on PML-N, Zulfikar Mirza was
trusted to tackle MQM single-handedly. During the period under review he
reminded MQM the partition days when their ancestors had arrived naked
and starved and Sindh had provided them food and shelter.
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His outburst reflected the feudal mentality of Sindhi politicians.

Sindhi waderas have yet not accepted the refugees; in fact, they quietly hold
Pakistan related migration causing loss of their resources. They completely
ignore the contribution of non-Sindhis in socio-economic development of
Sindh. On the contrary, Punjab absorbed more that thrice the number of
refugees so comprehensively that the locals and refugees meshed into one
community in no time.
MQM reacted violently to the remarks of Mirza, despite the fact that
when it comes to use of indecent language its own leaders outclass all other
politicians. Not long ago Wasim Akhtar had literally abused Punjabis. Long
haul in power has added to their arrogance. AJK election pitched the two
packs of scoundrels in a brawl, which observers thought would be match of
the century.
Zardari, the Scoundrel, was quite successful in conveying the message
to Altaf that if partnership as lesser partner could be troublesome for
MQM, the animosity (opposition) could mean much more in terms of dire
consequences. Altaf read the message clearly and told Ishratul Ebad to beat a
hasty retreat to the Governor House.
Power addict MQM found itself helpless before Zardari, the baron of
power-politics. It had no option but to comply with barons commands. This
revealed the myth of Zardaris policy of reconciliation; he knows how to
exploit the weaknesses of his adversaries. Another aspect of his policy is that
the safest commodity in Karachi through all the fits of violence has been the
US containers passing through it.
Zardari also did not ignore the disgruntled within PPPs rank and file;
Shah Mahmood was one the latest inflicted by this ailment. Zardari
appointed thirty-four years old Hina Rabbani Khar, a graduate in hotel
management, as Foreign Minister of Pakistan. This surprised the observers
as Pakistan was passing through a period in which diplomacy required
expert handling.
This, however, shouldnt have surprised anyone if working of
Zardari regime had been kept in mind. Presently, the foreign policy of the
regime revolves around compliance of the dictation from the US and that
can be done by Zardari-Haqqani duo quite adequately and efficiently.
A third person as foreign minister can cause embarrassment as had
happened in the case of Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Therefore, the regime
needed a dummy foreign minister and for that there could be no better

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choice than Hina; anyone who has the know-how of show-room setups
would appreciate the choice.
1st August, 2011

FEAR COMPLICATION

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Arab Spring had environmental effects in Mediterranean Region.

Saharan winds had carried the pollens across the sea resulting in causing
allergy, especially in Italy which has its big toe close to dark co0ntinent. The
pollens came in the form refugees from Morocco, Tunisia and Libya and
allergy symptoms became glaringly visible in the form of anti-refugee
protests.
The rulers of the civilized world, who had embarked upon noble
venture of saving humanity from tyranny of Gaddafi, could not liberate
Libyans without employing their ground forces. The absence of boots on
ground has resulted in stalemate. That, however, did not discourage the
Crusaders as the stalemate fitted in scheme of dividing Libya.
The worry of European countries lied in the influx of refugees from
North Africa. This was seen as grave threat by the Europeans who were
quite apprehensive about the Muslim immigrants already living in the
continent for decades. They demanded keeping the fleeing people away;
their human feelings for Africans exhausted too soon.
Europeans encountered problems with immigrants primarily due to
the fear caused by their media through its endeavour to demonize Islam and
its followers. The West has been suffering from the complications of
persistent fear of the monster of their own creation. One of the complications
emerged on 22nd July when a White Christian attacked a youth camp in
Norway to save Europe from Islam.

NEWS
The Arab Spring was almost over in North Africa except in Libya;
rest of the region, including Egypt was no more feeling the fragrance of the
spring. In Tunisia, 23 allies of Ben Ali and his wife appeared before a court
on 26th July, for trying to flee the country last January in illegal possession of
foreign currency. A total of 35 people were facing charges but only the 23
were arrested which appeared before the court. Nigerian Army killed 23
people on 26th July. Two days later, Ben Ali was sentenced for 16 years in
jail in absentia.
In Libya, security forces and rebels clashed 50 kilometers south of
Tripoli on 10th July. Next day, Libyan forces killed seven rebels and 21 were
wounded. On 14th July, Gaddafi accused Sarkozy of being a war criminal
who stained his country's history. Next day, rebel leaders won recognition as

1262

the legitimate government of Libya from the United States and other world
powers in a major boost to their faltering campaign to oust Gaddafi.
On 16th July, NATO jets destroyed a military storage facility and other
targets in Tripoli's eastern outskirts. Next day, street to street fighting
between Libyan forces and rebels were reported in Brega. On 19 th July, US
envoys held a meeting with representatives of Moamer Gaddafi and urged
the Libyan strongman to cede power. The meeting was held in Tunisia.
Next day, eight rebels were killed Brega. Libyan Foreign Minister said
following talks with his Russian counterpart in Moscow that the question of
Gaddafi's departure was not discussed. On 21st July, Libya-US talks
continued and reportedly the US asked Gaddafi to resign to escape his trial
in ICC.
On 25th July, Libya accused NATO of killing at least seven people in
an air raid on a medical clinic in Zliten east of Tripoli, after rebels repulsed a
counter-attack by loyalist troops south of the capital. The insurgents accused
Gaddafi forces of shelling the rebel-held city of Misrata targeting gas and oil
deposits and setting them on fire. Next day, efforts to find a deal to end the
civil war in Libya intensified with a UN special envoy heading for Tripoli
and Western powers signaling that Muammar Gaddafi could stay in the
country if he gives up power.
On 27th July, Britain expelled Libyan Embassy staff and decided to
ask Rebel Council to nominate their replacement. Next day, commander of
Libyan rebels was killed. On 31 st July, A clash broke out in Libya's rebel
capital of Benghazi in the wake of the murder of their military chief, as the
Gaddafi regime said it was in contact with rebel leadership members. Four
rebels were killed in the clash with a pro-Gaddafi group.
On 3rd August, it was reported that Libya's rebels have for weeks been
holding talks with former senior figures from the regime of Gaddafi in
Tripoli. On 5th August, rebels announced that Gaddafis son was among 32
killed in NAT) air strike; Libyan authorities denied death of Gaddafis son. I
Four Americans were arrested by authorities in Egypt on 11th July.
Next day, Robert Fisk reported anger growing again in Cairo over slow
speed of reforms. On 13th July, more than 600 police officers were dismissed
over crackdown on protesters during popular uprising against Hosni
Mubarak. Four days later, Mubarak was reported in coma.
On 22nd July, hundreds of protesters gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square
to push for reforms; Islamists held a separate demonstration calling for
1263

stability. A week later, tens of thousands packed Cairo's Tahrir Square as

Islamists flexed their political muscle in perhaps Egypt's largest protest since
popular revolt overthrew Mubarak.
On 3rd August, Hosni and his two sons were charged for murder and
accepting bribery. Next day, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Egypt's military
ruler, will most likely testify in the trial of former president Hosni Mubarak
if summoned after a request by the defence.
People of South Sudan celebrated their independence on 9 th July and a
fortnight later Pakistan recognized South Sudan. On 2nd August, the US
eased sanctions as 7.5 million people were affected by drought and then
floods in Somalia. A week earlier, chairman of the US House Homeland
Security Committee said more than 40 Americans have been recruited by alQaeda-linked terrorists in Somalia and they have gone there to fight. The
international community and its media had no time to cover the tragedy that
had been inflicted upon Somalis; 29 thousand children had died in last three
months of starvation.
The reports of bloodshed in Syria overshadowed other events in the
Middle East. Iraq, Israel, Iran and Yemen also remained in the limelight.
In Turkey, head of armed forces, along with chiefs of army, navy and air
force, resigned on 29th July over row with the government on promotions of
generals. On 4th August, Supreme Military Council appointed new top brass
after the shock mass resignation of its high command.
In Iraq, three rockets were fired into Baghdad's heavily-fortified
Green Zone on 11th July, wounding a woman and her children, as US
Defence Secretary Leon Panetta began the second day of a visit to press
Iraqi leaders on security. About 46,000 US troops remain in Iraq. They are
scheduled to leave in less than six months unless a deal is reached between
Baghdad and Washington.
On 15th July, at least 10 people were killed and 70 injured in series of
bomb attacks morning in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala during a major Shiite
rite. On 26th July, an al-Qaeda militant was killed together with his two
children when a car bomb he was making at his home exploded near the
northern Iraq city of Kirkuk. Two days later, five people were killed and 22
wounded in a bomb blast in Tikrit. On 3rd August, seven people were killed
and 15 wounded in two bomb blasts in Ramady.
Seven people were wounded in raid by troops of Israel in Gaza on
17 July. Two days later, Israeli warships surrounded French aid boat that
th

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headed towards Gaza. Israel refused to budge on new Jewish settlements and
Mahmood Abbas said no peace talks until settlements are frozen. On 20th
July, Republicans moved a cut in aid to Israels neighbours.
On 26th July, release of a long-awaited UN report on Israel's deadly
2010 raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla was again delayed until August.
Israeli officials have said the UN commission of inquiry, chaired by former
New Zealand premier Brian Palmer, found that Israel's Gaza blockade is
legal. Turkey prepared to harden its attitude towards Israel for its refusal to
apologize over last year's deadly raid. On 1st August, two Palestinians were
killed by Israel in West Bank.
Intelligence Minister of Iran said on 10th July that NATO and the US
were supporting Jundullah. Ten days later, Iran claimed shooting down a US
drone near its nuclear plant. On 22nd July, six Iranian soldiers were killed in
clash with Kurds. Next day, an Iranian nuclear scientist was shot dead in
Tehran.
On 24th July, Tehran blamed Israel and the US for killing on nuclear
scientist. Two days later, Saudi Arabia offered to supply oil to India after
refusal of Iran due to non-payments worth $5 billion. On 31 st July, Iran's oil
ministry said five-billion-dollar oil payments dispute with India has been
resolved without any interruption of crude exports. On 4th August, Nejad
said Iran was not looking for making an atomic bomb.
In Syria, pro-government protesters attacked US and French
embassies on 11th July. Four days later, Syrian forces killed 28 protesters,
including 16 in Damascus. On 17 th July, hundreds of thousands Syrians
thronged streets of Damascus as show of their support for Assad. A town
near Iraqs border was surrounded by the forces.
On 19th July, security forces shot dead 13 civilians in the central
protest hub city of Hama. Next day, sixteen people were killed by security
forces. On 22nd July, forces shot dead at least 11 people during mass protests.
Five civilians were killed overnight in Hama; six more were later shot dead
in protests in the suburb of Damascus.
On 25th July, government adopted a draft law allowing for new
political parties to operate alongside the ruling Baath party. Two days later,
eleven people were killed as tanks assaulted a village. On 30 th July, 20
protesters were killed in Syria. Next day, death toll in crackdown by forces
reached 140, out which 100 were killed in the town of Hama alone.

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On 1st August, death toll in the crackdown crossed 150. British foreign
secretary said military action against Syria was not contemplated, but he
wanted more pressure on Assads government. Next day, three more people
were killed as security forces pressed on their action in Hama
On 3rd August, Syrian tanks occupied the main square in central Hama
after heavy shelling of the city; three persons were killed in days violence.
Next day, Syrian forces killed 45 in Hama. On 5 th August, 13 people were
killed and several wounded in protests in Syria.
Eight people were killed in two incidents of violence on 10 th July in
southern Yemen. Five days later, armed men supporting protesters trying to
topple President killed a security chief and two bodyguards in Taiz, an
official said, and four civilians were killed by mortar rounds.
On 20th July, thousands rallied in Sanaa against the government. A
Briton was killed in the south. Next day, al-Qaeda leader and 10 soldiers
were killed in a south Yemen battle, the US had aided a unit besieged in the
south. On 24th July, eight soldiers were killed in terror attack in Aden. Next
day, Yemen's opposition dismissed government plan for talks aimed at
easing unrest, saying it had not even heard of any such roadmap for peace.
On 29th July, Yemen opposition forces deployed armoured vehicles
across streets of the capital as tensions flared during protests, both for and
against President Saleh's rule, and a UN envoy urged the country to
negotiate a solution to avoid a catastrophe. Al-Qaeda's military leader in
Yemen called for Saudi rulers to be killed as apostates, in an audio tape.
On 30th July, 42 people were killed in clashes in Zinjibar area. Next day,
Yemeni President called for dialogue with his opponents during the
Ramazan to help resolve a crisis over demands for his removal.
Out of the events reported from Far East two are worth mention. On
29 July, militants in the southern Philippines beheaded two marines in a
major clash that left five other soldiers dead and 26 wounded. The al-Qaedalinked Abu Sayyaf severed the heads of two of the seven dead marines.
Earlier on 10th July, violent protests were held in Bangladesh to demand
original Islamic character of the Constitution that has been mutilated in
effort to give it secular face.
th

In Mainland Asia, knife-wielding attackers killed 10 people in

China's Xinjiang region on 31st July and another four were shot dead by
police as a wave of violence swept the ethnically-torn area. Next day, China
said Pakistani rebels were involved in violence in Xinjiag Province. On 2nd
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August, two suspects were shot dead in Xinjiang and DG ISI arrived in
China. Tajikistan banned all children and teenagers from worshipping in
mosques as the republic pressed ahead with its battle against rising Islamic
fundamentalism.

Europe experienced a complication of an ailment of own creation;

the hatred for Islam and resultant fear that has gripped its people. A
Norwegian extremist, a Christian Jihadist by the name of Breivik took the
responsibility to save Europe from Islam. On 22nd July, he went on killing
spree at a youth camp on a Norwegian island.
Next day, the death toll in Oslo attacks reached 92 and one White man
was arrested. Police acknowledged it as pure white terror; there was no
coloured or Islamic impurity found and that was why it was so lethal. The
perpetrators, a Christian fundamentalist, confessed and showed no remorse
or regret.
On 24th July, the terror suspect arrested after attacks in Norway
wanted anti-Muslim crusades, he was not satisfied with the tempo of
ongoing war waged by the US and Europe. Next day, Breivik said he saved
the Europe from Islam. On 26th July, the lawyer for the gunman behind last
week's attacks in Norway laid out his feelings about the case and his client,
painting a picture of a cold and paranoid warrior who appears to be insane.
Six days later, several people were wounded in clashes of immigrants and
police and locals in Italy.
In America, Pentagon suffered one of its largest-ever cyber thefts
this spring when more than 24,000 files were stolen by a foreign
government, officials disclosed. On 24th July, a Pakistani was arrested in
Canada for suspected terror links. Towards the end of period under review
the US administration decided to educate its Muslim citizens about how to
guard against being trapped by those who recruit militants for al-Qaeda. This
was necessitated by the incident of thirty Americans who were recruited and
sent to Somalia.

VIEWS
On 10th July, TheNation commented: The secession of South Sudan
from the larger part of Sudan in the north and its becoming an independent,
sovereign state as the midnight clock struck to herald July 9 cannot be seen
in isolation. On the face of it, though, it should be a happy occasion for
everyone of us as the worlds 193rd free country is born and in whose
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celebrations President Omar al-Beshir, once President of the entire Sudan

but now of the North, also participated after according the new state due
recognition. Yet underneath the years-long struggle of the southerners,
mainly Christians, an age-old, sinister conspiracy by the Christian West
has been at work, to break up the Muslim world into smaller states.
That would help the already dominant Christian societies to
strengthen their control of the statelets, which would thus emerge through
organized public uprisings in the Muslim Middle East. The coming out of
the masses of people onto the streets and demanding change of regimes
could be attributed to the wave of consciousness that the commonly used
modern technological gadgets have created among the public for securing
the right of freedom of expression and having democratic governments. That
would serve as the right stratagem to make the dream of creating
instability in these Muslim lands a reality to pave the way for the Wests
subtle or even open intervention.
Several examples bearing out the above thesis could be cited
While South Sudan and East Timor both Christians become separate
states through referendums from their Muslim countries of which they were
part, no one hears the call of Kashmiris for seeking their promised and
legitimate right of a UN-sponsored plebiscite. Even the US, human rights
champion, turns a deaf to their cries of brutal suffering. Unless the Muslim
nations wake up to the looming danger of this conspiracy and put teeth
into the OIC and the Arab League and collectively fight for their rights, they
have a dismal future ahead.
Abid Mustafa wrote: As oil rich South Sudan becomes independent,
there are increasing signs that the West, especially America is
spearheading efforts to either dismember some Muslim countries or
subtly instigate regime change in others. The incessant Western media
evangelism about the promotion of freedom and democracy in the Muslim
World masquerades the real motives of America, which is more interested in
grooming governing elites that are more pliant to US interests and
subservient to her hegemony.
The secession of South Sudan under America's tutelage has
encouraged Christians in Nigeria and an Egyptian independent Coptic
state based on the model of the Vatican The idea of creating a sacred
Coptic state within the contours of Egypt is similar to the one advocated by
US Lieutenant-Colonel Ralph Peters concerning Makkah and Medina. In
June 2006, Peters published a map of the New Middle East in the June
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edition of the US Armed Forces Journal. The journal depicted amongst other
mutilated Muslim countries the 'Islamic Sacred State', which consists of
Makkah and Medina segregated from the rest of Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, various US officials have played upon sectarian and ethnic
differences, and called for the creation of a super Shia state that stretches
from Lebanon to Pakistan. The idea behind such a creation is to shift the
control of oil away from Sunni domination into Shia hands, whom the
Americans regard much more trustworthy to manage their colonial interests.
Indeed, the American occupation in Iraq is viewed by some Middle Eastern
leaders, as the first step towards Shia domination of the whole region. In an
article, entitled Iraq, Jordan See Threat To Election From Iran, published by
the Washington Post on November 8, 2004, King Abdullah warned: If proIran parties or politicians dominate the new Iraqi government a new
crescent of dominant Shiite movements or governments stretching from
Iran into Iraq, Syria and Lebanon could emerge, alter the traditional balance
of power between the two main Islamic sects and pose new challenges to US
interests and allies. He further went to state that Iran was the main
beneficiary from the chaos in Iraq. Ever since the Shia's rose to power in
Iraq, King Abdullah has oft repeated that America's occupation of Iraq is
bolstering Shia power across the region.
The dismissal of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was not a random event.
Rather it was a synthesis of rampant corruption incubated by 23 years
of Western patronage and fused with dire economic conditions made worse
by the global financial crisis and bloodsucking IMF structural programmes.
America is eagerly awaiting similar turmoil to manifest itself in Algeria,
Jordan and the Gulf countries, so that she can engineer regimes that pledge
greater loyalty to her hegemony at the expense of old European powers and
continue with oppression of the Muslim masses.
The Jewish state and her Western backers have resurrected
outdated plans once deemed too ambitious to accomplish to publicly
espouse views on how best to devour the Muslim World. No wonder then,
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could not hide her glee and used the
events in Tunisia to fire a salvo at the pro-European Arab leaders. She said:
In too many places, in too many ways, the regions foundations are sinking
into the sand. The new and dynamic Middle East...needs firmer ground if it
is to take root and grow everywhere. While some countries have made great
strides in governance, in many others, people have grown tired of corrupt
institutions and a stagnant political order. Those who cling to the status quo
may be able to hold back the full impact of their countries' problems for a
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little while, but not forever. If leaders don't offer a positive vision and give
young people meaningful ways to contribute, others will fill the vacuum.
The term employed by successive American administrations to
describe the plight of the Muslim World, such as sinking in the sand, arc
of crisis, balkanization, or Greater Middle Eastern Initiative, fail to
conceal their gloating and salivating over the riches of the Muslim
World. Furthermore, it is quite apparent that the West, despite its glaring
divisions, possesses a single purpose when conducting relations with the
Muslim World - divide, rule and conquer is the beckoning call reverberating
in the Western capitals. The destruction of the Muslim Ummah, the plunder
of her resources and her subjugation to the systems of kufr is their ultimate
goal.
New York Times wrote: Major elements of the 2005 peace
agreement are unresolved such as which side will control the oil-rich
region of Abyei, where fighting has also broken out; citizenship protections
for minorities; where final borders will be set; how oil earnings will be
shared (the south has 70 percent of the reserves).
The two sides are dependent on each other. South Sudan needs the
norths pipeline to get its oil to market. Sudan needs oil money to help pay
its bills. Both need foreign investment and the north needs debt relief. They
have a better chance of winning international support if they are at peace.
As an incentive the United States and its partners have offered to
convene an international conference in September for South Sudan.
That will allow South Sudans leaders to present their plans for encouraging
desperately needed private investment. Washington gave Juba $300 million
for education and housing and is promising more. International assistance
should go forward only if South Sudan works constructively with Khartoum
to bring stability to both countries.
The Obama Administration, correctly, is not taking Sudan off its
terrorism list and normalizing relations until Khartoum fulfils the peace
deal and ends the conflict in Darfur. China, Sudans main oil investor and
arms supplier, should deliver a similar message to Bashir, who is under war
crimes indictment, instead of receiving him with fanfare in Beijing and
promising him new oil deals. The international community must persuade
the two sides to avoid war and work to build a future for both Sudans.
On 12th July, M Abul Fazl observed: A globalized NATO prevents
this sort of independent action on the part of its members. It protects their
neo-colonial interests, but the benefits accruing from these actions are
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allocated within the alliance according to the correlation of forces among the
members, which benefits mainly the US. This usually makes other members
lukewarm about making contribution to NATOs military campaigns.
However, Americas dissatisfaction with them, as expressed recently by
Secretary Gates, misses the point. The main contradiction here has its
roots within the US itself. It has three elements:
Firstly, most of military campaigns launched recently by the NATO
serve, or aim at serving, the USAs economic or strategic interests. But
the young Americans, though prepared to defend their homeland, are
not similarly ready to die for its imperial interests. The US has partly
met this need by creating a foreign legion, consisting of Latin
American immigrants, who are promised American nationality in
return for fighting for it abroad. But their numbers are not sufficient to
meet its needs.
Secondly, the American people resent paying for these wars (the
Vietnam War cost $5 billion a year, and Afghanistan costs $10 billion
a month), through taxes and inflation, while the economic benefits
from them, i.e. oil, go to the big business.
Thirdly, the US has, like any waning imperial power, made alliances
with regional powers, that is, with India and Australia in the Indian
Ocean area, to safeguard its interests there. However, its
contradictions with them remain, as the interests of these powers in
their own regions are not identical with those of the US.
These various contradictions are unlikely to either disrupt the
alliance or affect adversely its policy of military interventions in the
Third World, as the mutuality of interests among the advanced countries is
greater than their differences. Pakistan had got involved with the Americans
in another situation. There seems to be no place for it in the evolving set-up.
It has to evolve a policy to meet the new one. But that evolution would first
have to take place internally to enable Pakistan to occupy a new place
abroad.
On 16th July, Stephen Lendman wrote: Americas dirty war, in
fact, targets Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, political activists, and
Muslims for their faith, ethnicity, and at times prominence and charity,
exploiting them as war on terror scapegoats.
On July 9, a Press TV US prison system racket interview highlighted
the problem and urgency to address it, accessed through this link.
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Americas media ignore how unjustly it harms millions of

disadvantaged people. Instead, they regurgitate spurious high-profile case
accusations, always when Muslims are affected. Most often theyre men,
occasionally women, bogusly charged with terrorism or conspiracy to
commit it, when, in fact, theyre guilty only of being targets of choice and/or
being in America at the wrong time.
Why Muslims when, in fact, Islam teaches love, not hate; peace, not
violence; charity, not selfishness; and tolerance, not terrorism; or that Islam,
Christianity and Judaism have common roots.
Whod know though in todays climate of hate and fear at a time
America wages global wars on Islam, including at home.
Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame is Americas latest high-profile target,
illegally captured, interrogated (and likely tortured) at sea for over two
months, based on spurious allegations of Islamic terrorist ties.
Post-9/11, the same pattern repeated ruthlessly against hundreds of
innocent victims. Pronounced guilty by accusation, Americas media
shamelessly regurgitate fabricated hate charges, not legitimate honest
accounts, doing what good journalists should their job.
On July 5, New York Times writers Charlie Savage and Eric Schmitt
headlined, US to Prosecute Somali Suspect in Civilian Court. saying:
Obamas Justice Department will prosecute (Warsame) in civilian court,
likely reigniting debate about (whether) to bring newly captured detainees
to Guantanamo, try them before military commissions, or do it in civilian
court.
While admitting Warsame plotted no attack, and that administration
officials gave contradictory accounts of his importance, the article presumed
guilt by accusation. It failed to question whether or not charges are
legitimate, let alone his illegal capture, detention, interrogation, and likely
torture at sea secretly for over two months.
A same day Karen DeYoung, Greg Miller, Greg Jaffe Washington
Post article headlined, US indicts Somali on terrorism charges, was just as
one-sided, presuming guilt because administration officials say so.
Quoting human rights attorney John Sifton, his best shot was
saying, It is not exactly satisfactory, from a legal point of view, adding
that the Justice Department is better suited to prosecute than a military
tribunal, instead of explaining what authority gives either the right.

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In addition, he didnt question the core guilt or innocence issue or

whether Warsame can get due process and judicial fairness in any court,
given the circumstances of his capture, charges with no evidence, and
America medias acting as judge, jury and executioner. On July 5, a
Department of Justice (DOJ) press release headlined, Accused al Shabaab
Leader Charged with Providing Material Support to al Shabaab and alQaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, saying: Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, aka
Khattab, aka Farah, aka Abdi Halim Mohammed Fara, aka Fareh Jama
Ali Mohammed has been indicted on charges of providing material support
to al Shabaab and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), two
designated foreign terrorist organizations, as well as conspiring to teach and
demonstrate the making of explosives, possessing firearms and explosives in
furtherance of crimes of violence, and other violation.
In fact, no evidence exists when suspects are charged with providing
material support or conspiracy to commit terrorism. Moreover, in 2008, the
State Department bogusly designated Al Shabaab a foreign terrorist
organization like its shamelessly done to other groups, scape-goating them
for political advantage. More on that below.
DOJ said Americas military captured Warsame on April 19, 2011,
questioning (him) for intelligence purposes for more than two months,
allegedly after (but very likely never) reading him his Miranda rights.
Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara called him a conduit between
al Shabaab and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula two deadly terrorist
organizations providing material support and resources to them both.
In fact, Al Shabaab members are Somali freedom fighters, not
terrorists, and al-Qaeda is a 1980s CIA creation. Moreover, no nation may
charge citizens or residents of another one with alleged internally committed
crimes. Only host countries may do it, but it doesnt deter Americas military
or covert CIA agents from lawlessly operating anywhere, at times with
complicit regimes pressured, intimidated or willingly going along.
Warsames indictment alleges that at least (from) 2007 until April 2011, (he)
conspired to provide and provided material (support) to al Shabaab (and)
allegedly fought on (its) behalf (in) Somalia in 2009 and provided other
forms of support....including explosives, weapons, communications
equipment, expert advice and assistance, and training.
Notably post-9/11 alone, America committed horrific crimes of war
and against humanity in multiple theatres, including Somalia, waging

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imperial wars on Islam, killing millions in the process genocide by any

standard.
Established by the Rome Statute in July 2002, the International
Criminal Court is mandated to prosecute individuals for genocide and
aggression, as well as crimes of war and against humanity. Instead, it
functions solely as an imperial tool, targeting victims, not mega-criminals
like US warlords and co-conspirators. On the Horn of Africa, Somalia is
strategically adjacent to the Red Sea, Suez Canal, the areas vital commercial
waterways, and neighbouring Sudan, valued for its oil and gas reserves
nations like America, China, India and others covet.
In December 2006, Washington-backed Ethiopian forces unseated the
governing Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), replacing it with a Transitional
Federal Government (TFG). Thousands were killed. Over a million became
refugees. In January 2009, Ethiopian forces temporarily withdrew, following
an agreement between the TFG and the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of
Somalia (ARS), a UIC coalition with other opposition forces. However,
fighting continues with America backing TRG/African Union forces to keep
Islamists from regaining power.
Including moderate and radical elements, UIC members arent
terrorists. Theyre freedom fighters, struggling to liberate their country and
end years of conflict, divisions and instability. Mogadishu traders initially
set it up to bring order to the citys insecurity, and end clan divisions after
years of instability and civil war in most parts of the country.
Shabaab and other opposition forces continue the struggle. Portions
of its rank and file call themselves the Mujahideen Youth Movement.
Estimates of its strength size vary from several thousand to double that
number or more, new recruits replacing others injured or killed.
On March 7, 2011, New York Times writers Mohammed Ibrahim and
Jeffrey Gettleman headlined, Militias Help Somalia Force Regain Towns
Near Borders, saying: On May 25, 2011, Eritrea-based analyst Thomas
Mountain headlined his CounterPunch article, UN Cuts Food, Expands War
in Somalia, saying: The UN/African Union army was increased by
thousands of Ugandan troops along with dozens of additional tanks, heavy
artillery and helicopter gun ships.
At the same time, the UN is overseeing the slow death by starvation
of the million Somalis they are responsible for, as part of Americas war on
terror. For over 20 years, in fact, Washington turned Somalia into a hell on
earth, what major media reports, including The Times, wont report or
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highlight Mountain asking, Where is our humanity? Its nowhere in sight

anywhere, waging imperial wars abroad and dirty ones at home against
Islam. Legitimate journalism would highlight it in feature reports.
However, instead of comforting the oppressed and oppressing the
comfortable, Americas mainstream does the opposite, shamelessly
supporting wealth and power, not popular needs, truth and justice, or right
over wrong, complicit for their own self-interest.
On 18th July, Richard Falk discussed the issue of sovereignty in
growing tendency on interventions. Excerpts are reproduced: The Arab
Spring (and its troublesome aftermath in Egypt); intervention in Libya; nonintervention in Syria; drone military operations in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia;
the influx of unwanted immigrants and walls of exclusion; and selective
applications of international criminal law all draw into question the most
basic of all ideas of world order: the sovereignty of territorial states, and
limits to that sovereignty.
Also at issue are the closely related norms of international law
prohibiting intervention in the internal affairs of states and affirming the
fundamental right of self-determination as an inherent right of all peoples.
These rules of order were acknowledged by the United Nations' charter,
which prohibited the organization from intervening in matters essentially
within domestic jurisdiction and affirmed self-determination
In passing, it should be observed that the West never respected the
sovereign rights of the people of the non-West until it was forced to do
so whether it was European colonialism that extended its reach throughout
Africa and Asia, or the assertions of US hegemony over Latin America
beneath the banner of the Monroe Doctrine.
This was accompanied by a refusal to extend the Westphalian writ of
mutual respect for sovereign rights beyond the Euro-American regional
domain until the imperial order began to crumble after World War I. First,
the US' Good Neighbour policy seemed to reaffirm sovereignty for Latin
America, but only within limits set by Washington, as Cold War-era covert
and overt interventions later confirmed. Secondly, following World War II, a
variety of nationalist movements and wars of national liberation broke the
back of European colonialism as an acceptable political arrangement, and
the idea of sovereign states was globalized formally, although not
geopolitically.
But the world has moved forward in pursuit of global justice. Or has
it? On the one side, human rights have matured beyond all expectations, and
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to some degree exert a general moral and political force subversive of

national sovereignty by validating a higher law that exists above and
beyond the legal order of the state. This subversive thrust is reinforced by
the development and institutionalization of international criminal law;
enforcement of accountability claims against such pariah leaders as
Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam Hussein, as well as lesser tyrants; the
establishment of the International Criminal Court; and arrest warrants for the
likes of Sudanese president Omar al Bashir and Libyan leader Muammar
Gaddafi.
And, perhaps most significantly, the rise of respected international
NGOs has created a somewhat less selective pressure for
implementation of human rights norms, but one still weighted towards
political and civil rights given priority in the liberal democracies of the
global north, and against the economic, social, cultural, and collective rights
of primary importance to developing societies in the global south.
And yet, these moves towards what might be called humanitarian
globalization at the expense of sovereignty are too often subordinated to the
realities of geopolitics. That is, the application of legal standards and the
assertion of interventionary claims remain one-sided: the West against
the rest, the North against the South, the strong against the weak. Even
the supposedly globally-oriented human rights NGOs devote most of their
attention to non-West violations when it comes to alleged infractions of
international criminal law.
Selective law and morality tarnish the integrity of law and
morality that presuppose fidelity to principles of equality and
reciprocity. This makes challenges to sovereignty suspect, but are they also
worthless, or, as some argue, worse than worthless?
There are two contradictory modes of response. The liberal answer is
to insist that progress in society almost always occurs incrementally, and
doing what is possible politically is better than throwing up one's hands and
doing nothing. So long as targets of intervention and indicted leaders are
given fair trials, and are convicted on the basis of the weight of the evidence,
such results should be affirmed as demonstrating an expanding global rule of
law, and serving the interests of global justice. The fact that the principal
states intervene at will and enjoy impunity in relation to international
criminal law remains a feature of world politics, and is even given
constitutional status at the UN in the form of the veto power granted to the
five permanent members of the Security Council.
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The critical response argues that such double standards

contaminate law, and make it just one more instrument of power. The
authority of law depends on its linkage to justice, not power. To enforce
prohibitions on the use of aggressive force or the commission of crimes of
state only on the weak and those on the losing side of war is implicitly to
grant the moral and legal high ground to the richest and most dangerous
political actors. It provides a humanitarian disguise for abusive behaviour in
a post-colonial global setting. It also provides pretexts for disregarding the
dynamics of self-determination, which is the lynchpin of a system of
sovereign states detached from the hierarchies of geopolitics.
In a world beset by contradictions, there are only hard choices. There
seem to be three kinds of situations that somewhat transcend this tension
between liberal and critical perspectives:
A severe natural disaster that cannot be addressed by national
capabilities, such as the Asian tsunami of 2004 or the Haiti earthquake
of 2010;
Acute or imminent genocide as in Rwanda in 1994, where a small
international effort could have averted the deaths of hundreds of
thousands; and
A mandate to act issued by the UN Security Council, as is currently
the case in Libya.
In each instance, there are risks and unanticipated effects. Especially
worrisome is the recent pattern of authorizations of force issued by the
Security Council. In the 1991 Gulf War, to some extent the sanctions
currently imposed on Iran, and now the Libyan intervention, the mandate to
use force has been stretched beyond the limits specified in the language
of authorization.
In the Libyan case, Security Council Resolution 1973 was built
around the emergency protection of civilians, but converted operationally
and openly by NATO into a mandate to achieve regime change in Tripoli by
dislodging the Gaddafi leadership. Nothing was done to reassert UN
control over the scope of authority granted.
What can be done? We have little choice but to cope as best we can
with these contradictions, especially when it comes to uses of force on
behalf of what is labeled humanitarian intervention or the right to protect.
I would propose two ways to turn the abundance of information into
reliable knowledge, hopefully thereby engendering greater wisdom with
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respect to global policy and decision-making. First, acknowledge the full

range of realities in international life, including the absence of equal
protection of the law: that is, judging claims and deciding on responses with
eyes wide open, and with reluctance to act except in extreme cases.
Secondly, presume strongly against reliance on hard-power
resolutions of conflict situations, both because the costs almost always
exceed the estimates of those advocating intervention, and because, during
the past 60 years, military power has rarely been able to shape political
outcomes in ways that are, on balance, beneficial for the society on whose
behalf the intervention was supposedly taking place. When it comes to
severe human rights abuses, somewhat analogous considerations apply. In
almost every instance, deference to internal dynamics seems preferable to
intervention from above, while soft-power interventions from below are to
be encouraged as expressions of emergent global democracy. Victimization
should not be insulated by notions of sovereignty, but nor should selfdetermination be jeopardized by the hypocritical moral pretensions of
hegemonic states. This is admittedly a delicate balance, but the alternative is
to opt for extremes of passivity or activism.
In effect, to the extent possible, challenges to sovereignty should
take the form of soft-power tactics of empathy as identities of persons
around the globe become as globalized (and localized) as markets. The
recent furore aroused by Freedom Flotilla II is illustrative of an emerging
tension between the role of sovereign states in defining the contours of law
and morality and that of popular forces mobilized on behalf of those unjustly
suffering and neglected by the world of states.
Ideally, the UN should act as a mediating arbiter, but the UN
remains a membership organization for sovereign states. It is generally
hostile to the claims of global civil society, however well-founded. One
attractive proposal to endow the UN with a more robust mediating role is to
establish some form of global parliament, perhaps building on the
experience of the European parliament that has evolved in authority and
political weight over the decades.
On 21st July, The Nation wrote: In line with its policy of treating
Palestinians as animals forcing them to live in remaining slum-like
settlements, cutting them off from the rest of the world, Israel had no
compunction in seizing the French yacht on Tuesday carrying a group of
pro-Palestine activists. Israel has made it clear that it would cross all
limits in preventing the people from around the world from reaching
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out to the Palestinians and expressing their solidarity. Indeed the Army
spokesman bragged that the operation was conducted without violence. It
was as if the supporters on board the yacht were armed and by conducting
the operation without violence was something of an achievement.
Have the conscientious people of the world forgotten what Israel did
last year, when armed commandoes stormed a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and
killed 19 innocent civilians in cold blood? To all intents and purposes, it was
a premeditated attack and was a warning to the world community to stay
away from helping the Palestinian people. Though it was heartening that the
world community came out with a firm reaction especially Turkey that
warned Israel in no uncertain terms of dire consequences of its brutal act
perhaps that explains why this time around the Israelis did not gun down the
activists but it is sad that with the passage of time, the fervour and
determination that was created in the aftermath of the massacre
internationally to take up the cause of the Palestinians has vanished.
Instead of forcing Israel to give up its forceful and illegal occupation, the
world community seems to be toeing the Jerusalems line on the dispute.
This latest incident of stopping the French yacht should bring
home to the Western capitals the broad day state terrorism being
carried out by Israel. It must not turn its back on the people in Gaza who
are starving and are even without medical supplies. The UN has already
stated that the supplies that Israel is allowing inside Gaza are far below than
what is required by the population. The world must come forward to rescue
the Palestinians.
Next day, Paddy Ashdown talked about a problem created by the socalled civilized world and now forgotten quite conveniently. He wrote: The
problem when a child is dying from starvation is that they cant wait. They
cant put their hunger on pause until the glare of the media decides to turn its
spotlight on them and help spread the word that children are dying. Instead,
they will slowly starve to death.
This is exactly what is happening to nearly 2 million children in
Somalia right now. Nearly half of these children are already on the critical
list, inching further away from life as every hour slips by. By the time you
read this, it may already be too late for some.
In todays newspapers from front to back I was hoping to see the
media use their power and influence to tell this story. I hoped to see
headlines shouting that millions of women and children in Somalia, and
across the entire Horn of Africa, are struggling for survival and need the
1279

British public to help. But I didnt. Instead, my eyes were blurred with
articles of shaving foam and hacking scandals, as talk about the dire need
for nutritional supplies for children who need their lives saved slipped
into the footnotes.
And now, the situation has reached crisis point. This morning the UN
officially declared that famine exists in Somalia and that the lives of nearly
half of the Somali population 3.7 million people are now in crisis.
At Unicef, which is the UNs childrens agency, they dont use the word
famine lightly. They are guided by strict criteria that mean it can only be
declared when at least three of eight prerequisites are reached. These are
acute malnutrition rates among children must exceed 30%; more than two
people per 10,000 die daily; and food access falls far below 2,100
kilocalories of food every day.
In those most severely affected regions of Somalia Bakool and
Lower Shabelle acute malnutrition due to poor diets or inadequate food is
now exceeding 50% and Unicef is recording at least six per 10,000
children dying daily. When one does the maths, this could translate into
more than 12 children dying every hour should the situation worsen. Three
other regions in the south will have a famine in next one to two months they
warn.
Ive been to Ethiopia with Unicef last year into some of the same
regions that are today the focus of the wider Horn of Africa appeal. The
famine, the first in 20 years, is due to a number of factors such as poverty,
inadequate rainfall and conflict. This famine didnt happen suddenly. It
has been slowly evolving but under reported. Unicef, along with the UN,
has been warning since January of a pending crisis and statements have been
issued. 2011 has been a year filled with natural disasters and social upheaval
in north Africa that have all been competing for news attention. Since
drought is a slow-onset disaster, it is often very difficult to get the type of
attention and response that is needed to raise the funds to prevent that
disaster. In addition, issues of access and conflict have made the situation
even more complicated.
The media also have a major role in the response to disasters. As
former BBC producer Suzanne Franks pointedly wrote in the British
Journalism Review: Disasters natural or man-made exist only when
they are covered by the media. Plenty of terrible things happen that remain
unreported. Most disasters are known about only by those directly affected.

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And the crises that do get media attention are not necessarily those that kill
or harm the most victims.
Being a child in Somalia is already tough and dangerous. If you
survive to one, you may not survive beyond five; if you live beyond five,
you most probably wont go to school and you most probably wont have
many choices other than being recruited into an armed faction. Now with the
famine, life is even worse. That is why Unicef which has been working in
Somalia since 1972 rightly calls this a childrens famine.
On 24th July, Susan Lindauer wrote: Nothing can persuade me that
Gaddafi's fate wasn't decided months ago, when Chevron and Occidental
Petroleum took their whining to Capitol Hill, complaining that Gaddafi's
nationalism interfered with their oil profiteering. From that moment, military
intervention was on the drawing board as surely as the Patriot Act got stuck
in a drawer waiting for 9/11.
The message is simple: Challenge the oil corporations and your
government and your people will pay the ultimate price: Give us your oil
as cheaply as possible. Or die. Don't kid yourself. Nobody gives a damn
about suffering in Libya or Iraq. You don't bomb a village to save it. The US,
Britain and NATO are the bullies of the neighbourhood. The enforcers for
Big Oil.
Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan have something in common. They have
vast and extraordinary oil and mineral riches. As such, they are all
victims of what I call the Vampire Wars. The Arab Princes get paid off, while
the bloodsuckers pull the life blood out of the people. They're scarcely able
to survive in their own wealthy societies. The people and the domestic
economy are kept alive to uphold the social order, but they are depleted of
the nourishment of their own national wealth.
The democratization movements are sending a warning that I don't
think Big Oil, or their protectors in the US and British governments
understand or have figured out how to control. The Arab people are
finished with this cycle of victimization. They've got their stakes out, and
they're starting to figure out how to strike into the heart of these Vampires,
sucking the life blood out of their nations. And woe to the wicked when they
do!
Jalees Rehman wrote about terror attack in Norway. One of the
biggest shocks to all of us was that these attacks occurred in Norway,
which is characterized by an open and peaceful society. However, if one
looks at it from the perspective of religious or political right-wing
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extremists, Norway is exactly the kind of country that would offend such
extremists. The fact that the society in Norway is tolerant, peaceful,
promotes progressive-liberal values, provides strong welfare support, while
maintaining a high level of quality of life must be a thorn in the flesh of
right-wing extremists.
This is why the response to these horrifying events has to be
cautious. When I heard the Norwegian Prime Minister Stoltenberg respond
to the attacks by saying "You will not destroy us, you will not destroy our
democracy and our idea for a better world", I felt a great sense of relief and
some pride in being a progressive-liberal European. If the ultimate goal of
right-wing extremists is to undermine our core values and try to force our
hand by giving up the tolerant and open societies we have built in Europe,
we cannot let them win.
One of the most painful aspects of the massacre on Friday is the
murder of the children. These teenagers were attending the political youth
camp to promote values such as tolerance, social justice and peace. Their
participation was a sign of their commitment to further improve our society,
and in this sense, they are heroes similar to the firefighters and policeman
who died during the September 11, 2001 attacks in the line of duty. We will
mourn the victims of all these terror attacks and we can hope and pray that
their families will recover from their grief. At the same time, we also need to
look towards the future and work together so that we can try to prevent such
attacks from happening again. Recognizing the right-wing extremist
threat is just the first step. We then have to develop short-term and longterm strategies to counter this threat without sacrificing our core liberal
progressive values. We owe this to the victims.
Next day, TheNation commented: A tragic rebuttal of the Wests
commonly held belief that acts of terrorism occurring anywhere in the world
are the preserve of Muslims was given by a Christian fundamentalist who
ruthlessly mowed down as many as 93 persons, most of them teenagers, in
Norway on Friday. The cruel incident is unquestionably condemnable by all
the sane elements around the world. The suspect, Anders Behring Breivik,
first bombed the Prime Ministers office and the Finance Ministry in Oslo,
wrecking the buildings and killing at least eight persons. Later, wearing a
police sweater, he took a boat to the nearby resort island of Uteoly where
around 650 young people had assembled at a summer camp organized by the
ruling Labour Party, beckoned them towards him and calmly began
randomly shooting at them at short range. And even those who jumped into
the water in an attempt to swim to safety were not spared. In just one sweep,
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the killer had shot down 85 on the island. That prompted the sad Prime
Minister Jens Stoltenberg to say, Never since the Second World War has our
country been hit by a crime of this scale. That also turns out to be the
worst shooting spree by a single gunman in modern times.
It is unfortunate that starting from the massacre of 9/11, President
Bush and his team fully supported by the US and Western media relentlessly
spread the message that it were Muslims who resort to terrorism. Mr Bush
even employed the word crusade in one of his remarks that served to recall
the painful memories of the past in the Christians minds, reawakening and
reinforcing their hatred of Muslims and Islam. The Western powerful
propaganda machinery simply swept under the rug the examples of
American terrorism like that of Timothy McVeigh who, with a truck bomb,
killed 169 people in Oklahoma City in 1995, the Irish terrorism and the
history of Israelis terrorizing poor Palestinians out of their villages and
ancestral homes. Even soon after this Norwegian case, a terrorism analyst
at the American CNA, a research institute that studies terrorism, tried to
misinform the world by maintaining that Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami had
issued a statement claiming responsibility for the shooting. But the
Norwegian police, interested instead in getting at the bottom of the problem,
soon came out with its version that a Christian fundamentalist was suspected
to have wrought the havoc. Confessing his crime, the gunman has termed the
killings atrocious but necessary.
Like any other high level terrorist operative he had a clear motive
behind his act. He wanted to bring about a revolution in society, punishing
the European elite, multiculturalists and enablers of Islamization for their
treasonous acts and had posted anti-Muslim views on Christian
fundamentalist website. Would that the anti-Muslim forces discarded the
petty prejudicial thoughts about any one particular faith sponsoring
terrorism, tried to see the problem in its proper perspective and met the
genuine grievances of the disaffected lot wherever it existed to usher in an
era of peace.
Aijaz Zaka Syed warned of next front in Americas war. Seldom do
empires learn from history. And they are condemned to repeat it again and
again. So today even as the disastrous campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq are
hastily being wrapped up, after burning $4 trillion, the ever voracious
monster that is Americas war machine is now sizing up Pakistan. Indeed,
Pakistan may only be the stepping stone to take a shot at the greater
prize the oil-rich, Israel-baiting, and fiercely independent Iran.

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Iran has long been an inviting target for the so-called champions
of the new American century and their Israeli gurus, not just because of its
nuclear ambitions or its rhetoric on Zionist machinations. It is Irans rich oil
resources, its leadership ambitions and continuing defiance of the US-Israeli
hegemony that make it a perfect target. Over the past decade or so, the
Middle East has lived with the fear of an imminent US-Israeli attack on Iran.
Indeed, as Seymour Hersh of The New Yorker has repeatedly warned
following his investigative reports, Bushs crusaders and the Israelis had
been itching for a showdown with the Ayatollahs, taking the new imperial
project to its next level.
If they eventually backed out, it was not because of Ahmadinejads
persuasive powers or his soliloquies on Israels future and Holocaust, but
because of the mess that greeted Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan. Uncle
Sam had spread himself so thin and already had so much on his plate that
Iran had to be put on the backburner. Or so we thought. Now, that witches
brew is being vigorously stirred all over again.
Iran already finds itself encircled with the US forces in Iraq on its
west and Afghanistan in the north, not to mention the US military assets
across the Gulf. If Pakistan eventually goes down and gives up its
desperate attempts to maintain its independence or what little remains of it
it would not be too difficult, from Washingtons viewpoint, to beat
Iranians into submission. Gets you two birds with one stone and takes care
of two potential, or imagined, challenges to Israels and Western hegemony.
Im no sucker for conspiracy theories, but I wish for once this was
merely a conspiracy theory of idle pundits. An attack on Pakistan and
then Iran sounds like a crazy, outrageous idea out of a Tom Clancy
thriller. But then so did the idea of Iraq invasion. If you take into account
the madness of Zionism and the US rights raving ambitions to take total
control of the strategic, energy-rich region, nothing looks impossible.
These are challenging times for the Middle East. Those in the line of
fire could confront this threat only by sticking together. Pakistan, Iran and
Arabs must learn from the examples of Iraq and Afghanistan. If they do
not huddle together, they will be taken out like sitting ducks, one after
another. The next showdown in the Middle East is more than a distinct
possibility. And those who arent prepared for it will perish.
On 26th July, Tariq Alhomayed opined: What happened in Norway is
also a message to everyone that terrorism is still the main threat to people
and to countries. The Norwegian extremist was able to put on a fake police
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uniform and deceive everybody and kill around 98 people. After discovering
the identity of the Norwegian terrorist, we must also pay attention to the fact
that not all terrorists are Islamists, which means that the West must stop
reinforcing stereotypical, negative images of Islam and Muslims. Arabs
and Muslims must also refrain from representing the role of the victim, and
justifying the acts of some of their people through denial and justification by
claiming that all the different political events in the region are feeding
terrorism. These excuses, even if there is a degree of truth to them, reveal
cultural and educational flaws and distort religious concepts, which leads our
youth to relate to extremist ideology, and resort to violence and bloodshed.
The Norwegian extremist is a Christian Jihadist; yet he did not
carry out the massacre because Norway is a member of NATO, and is
participating militarily in Afghanistan and Libya; rather he is an extremist
with regards to his views against Muslims and against his country as a
whole. Can anyone justify his horrific actions? Of course not. This is what
we must remember, regardless of religion. We must reject extremism
whether it takes the form of actions, statements, or incitement, as justifying
terrorism is no better than terrorism itself. The states and media of the West
rushed to denounce the crime that took place in Norway even before had
ended, whilst we see others among us justifying terrorism and terrorists
under various pretexts. The clearest example of this was the reactions of
some, including those who call for reform and rights in the country,
regarding the trial of a terrorist cell even though the trial is yet to finish!
Just as we say terrorism has no religion, we should also say that
there can be no sympathy or justification for it; whoever the perpetrator
might be and whatever his religion or motivations. All of us, regardless of
our backgrounds, have become victims.
Pepe Escobar wrote: Breivik and his ilk blame Western
parliamentary democracy as a whole political correctness included for
allowing Muslims in Europe to establish themselves as Trojan horses.
Everything and everyone is a threat from Al-Qaeda to the bureaucratic
European Union (EU) and the multicultural United Nations (UN). Breivik
and his kind are Huntingtonesque all the way fearing a clash of
civilizations right at home.
No wonder the next logical step was for Breivik to become a
modern-day version of the Knights Templars extolled in his rambling
manifesto and thus set an example. The Knights agenda: to seize political

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and military control of Western European countries and implement a cultural

conservative political agenda.
Al-Qaeda or the nebula of franchises and copycats commonly
bundled as al-Qaeda does not have the resources to attack Europe, and
this is not the priority anyway; the priority is AfPak, Central Asia and India,
as detailed by al-Qaedas military commander Ilyas Kashmiri. But the
priority of Christian fundamentalist terror is definitely Europe. And the
attacks will come via loners such as Breivik as well as organized groups.
Western progressives must be on red alert. Taboos will have to be
smashed especially by identifying the contorted but most of the time
crude strategies employed by ultra-right Christian fundamentalism and
Zionists to foment Islamophobia in the West. For instance, both
Islamophobes and hardcore Zionists see the Israeli subjugation of Palestine
as Israel defending itself in a clash of civilizations. Model disciple Breivik
hails notorious American Islamophobes such as Pam Geller and Daniel Pipes
as much as he abhors Norwegian support for an independent, sovereign
Palestinian state.
Breivik wrote, Its very hypocritical to treat Muslims, Nazis and
Marxists different from each other. They are all supporters of hateideologies. Not all Muslims, Nazis and Marxists are conservative; most of
them are moderate. But does it matter? It doesnt; fascism is an equalopportunity seducer. There will be blood a lot more blood, as Europe
confronts its own heart of darkness. Beware the return - en masse of the
pale blue-eyed Christian crusader.
Next day, TheNation commented: While one is at a loss for words to
condemn the massacre of over 100 people in Norway by Anders Behring
Breivik, the incident is a grim reminder that terrorism has no boundaries or
religion for that matter and that indeed the western world by badmouthing
Muslims everywhere around the globe was only deceiving its gullible
public to achieve ulterior motives.
Also it is an unfortunate reality that Americas unjust war on terror
has bred hatred within the Muslim community on the one hand and has
increased prejudice of Muslim in the West, on the other; Breivik provides a
glaring example of it. In fact such an outburst of hatred of Muslims was
bound to happen given the US propaganda machinery busy demonizing
Muslims day in and day out. It is, therefore, understandable why the attack
had so much shocked Europe and the US. Breivik is no lunatic, as is
manifest from his statement that the action was atrocious but necessary. He
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thought it necessary because he wanted to prevent the Western Europe from

Muslim takeover and therefore attacked Islamic colonization. His words
that he wanted to bring about a revolution are noteworthy because they reek
of the same hatred that President Bush had nurtured evident by the term
crusade he used. Breivik also revealed that a network of more terrorist cells
exists and so the police, who up until the incident were busy keeping an eye
on the Muslim Diaspora, should get alert. Finally, it is time for common
Westerners to question the propaganda being unleashed by their
governments and think tanks.
Umar Waqar talked of Rise of Nazism in the West. He wrote:
Across Europe, hard-right parties have been picking up support as
voters, disillusioned with their governments and worried about their jobs at
a time of economic austerity, are turning to populist parties. Here are recent
developments in some right-wing political parties around Europe.
Umar enumerated the developments in France, Netherlands, Denmark,
Hungary, Austria, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. He then added: Recent
discussions on the net as well as the Western TV channels have highlighted
one important aspect, which is the rise of neo-Nazism in Europe and even
America has not been given due attention in the Western media and
there had been a deliberate attempt to hide the facts, as this could create
public disorder; even the current massacre at Utoeya Island is being
downplayed by the Western mainstream media as an act by a lone wolf
The right-wing parties (which in many European capitals are
becoming the mainstream parties) have been consistent in projecting their
neo-Nazi agendas and poisoning the minds of the white youth to a degree
where Utoeya like massacre has happened in the worlds capital of peace
like Oslo. The West must realize that Utoeya is just the tip of the
iceberg; the simmering currents of Nazism have the potential to bring down
the Western house of cards within the next decade. The scale of destruction
in that case would eclipse the two Great Wars, as the new white man and his
non-white counterpart - the immigrant - are both equipped with intelligence,
knowledge and modern tools of destruction unparalleled in history and
unavailable hitherto.
Denis Corboy observed: In Russia, the West was frustrated in trying
to reform middle-aged, Soviet-trained elites. In Arab countries, the West
ought to have a longer-term focus: influencing the young and helping them
build civil society institutions, such as independent political and social

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organizations and private enterprise. Sending many more Arab students to

Western universities may be the best investment.
The United States led the Wests post-Soviet response in Russia. Now
Europe is best placed to foster change in most of the Arab world and build
enduring economic and people-to-people ties. Arab development is of great
consequence for Europes social peace and prosperity, and will modulate
immigration flows to Europe. Europes lead in the effort to aid Libyan rebels
fighting to oust Qaddafi is commendable, but it is only a start. While the
United States will be out front in encouraging reform in Iraq and to some
extent in Egypt, Europe must lead in other Arab countries undergoing
change. The latter countries are strategic to Europe but not to America, as
shown by the domestic challenges to United States involvement in the
Libyan campaign. For many years Arab challenges may be Europes
greatest external preoccupation. Not since World War II has the need for
European leadership abroad been so great and the opportunity so promising.
On 28th July, Ivan Eland commented: The Western media should be
more consistent and honest in their coverage. Neither Christianity nor
Islam, in most of their modern forms, are inherently prone to violence
or the spawning of terrorists. Religious motives played only a secondary
role in explaining all of the aforementioned terrorists actions. In Breiviks
case, he clearly hated Muslim immigration and multiculturalism and the
non-Muslim Norwegians who he thought were fostering them. In the case of
al-Qaeda, the root motivation of the attacks is not Islam, but the meddling in
and occupation of Muslim lands by the United States and its Western allies.
So, stated religious identification may play some role in the attacks, but not
a dominant one. Religion may divide people into groups based on
fundamentally different and potent spiritual outlooks, but other factors, such
as race, ethnicity, geography, class, and wealth can also segment populations
into factions and cause conflict.
In the case of al-Qaeda, focusing on Islam is just a way of avoiding a
much-needed introspective examination of the US foreign policy to see if
unneeded, and often counterproductive, the US interventions in the
Muslim world could be eliminated, thus taking the fire out of the
movement (instead of enhancing the status of the group by expanding the
war against it).
Ironically and tragically, in the case of Breivik, religious bigotry may
aid his cause. Although Muslims werent his direct target, his manifesto
decrying Muslim immigration has reopened a festering wound in Norway
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and Europe. Pressure could very well build to curtail future Muslim
immigration so that it will not be a lightning rod for future terrorist attacks
by extremists such as Breivik a classic case of blaming the victim.
Next day, Sarah Wildman wrote: What began, over a decade ago, as a
far right assault on immigration policies of European countries from within
(think Vlaams Belang in Belgium, the Front National in France, the FPO in
Austria, to the rantings of Geert Wilders in Holland) has been exported to
the United States where our ultra-conservative bloggers have handily
repackaged that material. Though we in the US have not had the same
economic conversations about immigration and Muslim communities
European concerns began with guest workers who became permanent
residents the Oslo murders tragically expose a well-integrated
transatlantic network of fear and hatemongering.
Among other references in his 1,500-page manifesto, Breivik quotes
favourably Robert Spencer, who runs the Jihad Watch website, Pamela
Geller, who, via her Atlas Shrugged blog, was a key player in the
controversy over the Cordoba Houses Ground Zero Mosque in 2010, and
Bruce Bawer, whose book While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is
Destroying the West From Within warns of the intent of Muslim
immigrants to Arabize Europe. In recent hours, each of these authors has
condemned the links journalists have made to their work and the killings in
Norway, calling the connections ludicrous likening them, in statements by
Geller and Spencer, to Charles Manson using the Beatles song Helter
Skelter as a plan for his murders.
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Bawer mourned that: During the
hours when I thought that Oslo had been attacked by jihadists, I wept for the
city that has been my home for many years. But once he realized this was
not the scenario, Bawers sympathy with the victims apparently
dissolved into dismay at the probably setback to those who oppose Muslim
immigration
Of course, neither Spencer, nor Geller, nor Bawer put the gun in
Breiviks hands. And while the New York Times highlighted the issue of
these blogs influence on Breivik, their Islamophobic discourse is far from
an exclusively American problem. Weve just taken it and run with it.
What were seeing in the US is a successful, almost mainstream, reimaging and repackaging of the panic of European Islamophobia, of the
sort thats oft spouted by far right groups from Austria, to France, to
the United Kingdom. In the year since the so-called Ground Zero Mosque
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furore, when campaigners brought in Europeans like Geert Wilders to march

for their cause, a group of conservative Americans have become increasingly
vocal in their opposition to public displays of Muslim life, from opposition
to mosques (which has coincided with an increase in arson attacks) to
warning calls that sharia law is soon to replace our justice system
Its not just talking heads, but politicians: as Peter Beinart pointed out
in the Daily Beast this week, Herman Cain, a Republican candidate for the
presidency, has said he would not appoint a Muslim to his cabinet, should he
be elected. Cain may be a wildcard, but hes not alone: other Republicans
including Tim Pawlenty and Newt Gingrich have expressed equally
rightwing positions on Islam, expressing fear about the Islamicization of
America and setting themselves up as defenders against sharia law. Those
messages legitimize Islamophobia, and provide a drumbeat for action
for those inclined to hear it that way. This is the ideological underpinning
that motivates militias and terrorists.
The Norway attacks, it might be said, were the work of a militia of
one, a single man with the deranged idea that he destroyed his society.
Spencer, Geller and Bawer each create the impression that western
civilization is under threat. It was not always this way. The United States
once resisted that European narrative both because we are a country of
immigration and because many Muslim immigrants came in at a higher
socio-economic and educational level, while a large proportion of American
Muslims were converts from Christianity. Muslims in the US were, for
these reasons, perceived as better integrated into our multicultural
society. But that perception has changed.
M A Niazi opined: There is little that can be done about the
Breiviks of the world, and ascribing them to one ideology or the other is
pointless. While Breiviks racist beliefs are shared by a vast number of his
fellow Europeans, many of them holding responsible positions in society as
well as in political parties (and not just right-wing parties), it would be
wrong to tar all of them with the same brush and assume that they are all
potential mass murderers. However, there are some aspects that need to be
considered. Where else would the attacks take place? The Western media has
touted terrorism so much, under the guise of covering Islamic terrorism, that
it is now in their midst. However, Western law enforcement agencies have
moved attention (which means resources) from rightwingers like Breivik to
al-Qaeda (which means Muslims), and thus the phenomenon may well recur,
particularly in other Germanic countries with large migrant Muslim
populations, like Germany, the UK or the Netherlands.
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On 30th July, Aslak Sira Myhre wrote: Nobody but the killer bears
responsibility for the atrocities in Oslo. But our society has a responsibility
to shift our public debate. We are responsible for the wars we wage, the
words we use and the way we treat people who are different from ourselves.
This is a responsibility we in Norway have not taken in recent years. If
something good might come out of the Oslo terror, I hope it will be a change
in the way we talk and think about others. On the ruins of our government
buildings and the lost youth of Utoya we have the possibility to create a
society in which we will grant people the same humanity regardless of
religion, nation, gender or sexual orientation. Norway must take back the
political correctness of my youth. We must regain decency in our public
debate.
Anne Marie Slaughter commented: The human costs to the Libyan
people that NATO seeks to protect mount daily. In battle zones,
widespread death and rape, with the attendant destruction of families and the
all-too-human desire for revenge. The destruction of vital infrastructure
necessary for economic activity, from oil production to ordinary small
business. The flooding of the country as a whole with arms, which will spur
further conflicts and raise the overall levels of violence in communities
across the country. The continued shortages of food, medicine, power and
other basic necessities of life, the disruption of education, business, travel,
and interaction with the outside world. The deepening of tribal divisions and
ancient enmities across the country.
All this will make it much harder to rebuild a Libya with a
government that actually serves rather than oppresses its people: the ultimate
goal not just in Tripoli, but across North Africa and the Middle East. We
have seen such a political tragedy unfold many times before, in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The relative
success stories, such as East Timor and Kosovo, are ones where the fighting
ended quickly once the basic objective had been achieved. It is time to
explore all possible avenues to add Libya to that list.
Next day, Momin Iftikhar observed: The events in Norway, and the
New York Times gung-ho manner of reporting, has raised questions
about media responsibility in tackling serious issues with global reach. It is
obvious that the paper was basing its response on preconceived hypotheses
and misbegotten perceptions formed by wrong assumptions, rather than
basing its response on tenets of objective journalism. It is incredible that this
leading institution of journalism, once dealing with the question of Muslim
culpability treated the matter in such a cavalier manner, knowing well its
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impact on the life of Muslims in general, and particularly in the US, where
they are extremely conscious of the repercussions whenever an act of
terrorism takes place anywhere in the world.
It is, however, reassuring to observe the steady manner in which the
Government of Norway has tackled the sensitive matter; proving its
societys truly liberal and secular moorings. The fair and balanced handling
of this profound tragedy by the Norwegian government reflects fair
treatment of its citizens irrespective of their religion. The episode,
nevertheless, has bared the American medias entrenched
misperceptions, that is, feeding the anti-Muslim frenzy in the US not only
creating schisms within the society, but also creating a strong anti-American
backlash in the Muslim world.
Aslak Sira Myhre opined: To hunt down and execute teenagers on an
island for an hour you surely must have taken leave of your senses. But just
as September 11 or the bombing of the Underground in London, this is
madness with both a clinical and a political cause.
Anyone who has glanced at the web pages of racist groups or
followed the online debates of Norwegian newspapers will have seen the
rage with which Islamophobia is being spread; the poisonous hatred with
which anonymous writers sting anti-racist liberals and the left is only
too visible. The July 22 terrorist has participated in many such debates
When the world believed this to be an act of international terrorism,
state leaders from Obama to Cameron all stated that they would stand by
Norway in our struggle. Which struggle will that be now? All western
leaders have the same problem within their own borders. Will they now
wage war on homegrown rightwing extremism? On Islamophobia and
racism?
Some hours after the bomb blast, the Norwegian prime minister, Jens
Stoltenberg, said that our answer to the attack should be more democracy
and more openness. Compared to George Bushs response to the attacks of
September 11 there is good reason to be proud of this. But in the aftermath
of the most dreadful experience in Norway since the Second World War, I
would like to go further. We need to use this incident to strike a blow to
the intolerance, racism and hatred that is growing, not just in Norway,
nor even only in Scandinavia, but throughout Europe.
Abraham H Foxman wrote: The attacks in Norway seem to stem
from a different source. They are the first to emerge from a relatively new,
specifically anti-Islamic ideology that moves beyond religious or racial
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prejudices to incorporate anti-Islamic sentiment as the focal point of a larger

worldview. Growing numbers of people in Europe and the United States
subscribe to this belief system; in some instances it borders on hysteria.
Adherents of this ideological Islamophobia view Islam as an existential
threat to the world, especially to the West.
Moreover, they believe that leaders and governments in the Western
world are consciously or unconsciously collaborating to allow Islam to
infiltrate and eventually conquer democratic societies. Left-wing
multiculturalist sentiments tear down traditional European culture, they
argue, allowing Muslim immigrants to replace it with their own culture and
values. The result, they claim, will be the demographic, cultural and,
eventually, political suicide of the West unless action is taken to stop it.
These ideas are no longer geographically isolated. The Oslo
perpetrator in his manifesto quoted extensively from the writings of
European and American bloggers including Robert Spencer and Pamela
Geller who promote a conspiratorial anti-Muslim agenda under the pretext
of fighting radical Islam. Because of the reach of the Internet, these ideas
float freely across borders and are reinforced by like-minded bigots.
This belief system goes far beyond anti-Islamic prejudice based
on simple religious or racial grounds. In a sense, it parallels the creation of
an ideological and far more deadly form of anti-Semitism in the late 19 th
and early 20th centuries on the backs of the previously dominant cultural and
religious forms of anti-Semitism.
The presence of this new ideological form of anti-Islamism is
clear in the Norway attacks. The perpetrator, though motivated by antiIslamic sentiments, did not attack or kill Muslims. Rather, he reserved his
extreme actions for those traitors whom he believed to be collaborating
with and allowing Muslims to take over Norway (and Europe). He chose
targets related to the Labour Party, the alleged multi-cultural Marxists who
dominated his thoughts.
Breiviks acts are so far the only major incidents like this.
Perhaps they will remain unique. His thinking, however, is certainly not.
Thanks to his carefully sourced manifesto, we can identify many of his
intellectual influences, and they are prominent on both sides of the Atlantic.
And many people hold views similar to Breiviks. In the United States, we
have seen frequent manifestations of this ideology, including the eager
promotion by anti-Islamic zealots of a growing conspiracy theory about
Sharia law.
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One bizarre twist to Breiviks warped worldview was his proZionism his strongly expressed support for the state of Israel. It is a
reminder that we must always be wary of those whose love for the Jewish
people is born out of hatred of Muslims or Arabs.
The obvious danger to Americans and Europeans is that as this
movement grows and solidifies, more people may become motivated to
violence by this hateful ideology. In America, the polarization, vitriol and
fear engendered by anti-Islamic activists must be replaced by reasoned
and civil debate. We must rally the voices of reason to overcome the voices
of intolerance before it is too late.
On 1st August, Ian Bremmer advised dont start wars you dont know
how to end. He wrote: Unless it gets exceptionally lucky, NATO is
unlikely to either force Gaddafi from his stronghold or cut a politically
saleable deal with him anytime soon. Meanwhile, the opposition are making
little progress, a fact now worsened by the death of their military leader,
Abdel Fattah Younis, who defected from Gaddafi in February. The most
likely outcome remains a country in pieces, with substantial volumes of
crude oil offline for at least the new few months
Gaddafi has made clear that he wont retire, particularly since the
International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for his arrest. He already
lives with the risk that the next whistling noise in the skies above might be
the last sound he hears. Nor are Libyas rebels likely to allow his children to
inherit his power, or to create a government of their own with their father
living happily in a tent in Libyas desert, lobbing threats in their direction.
Nor is Gaddafi likely to be willing to live inside Libya with less than total
political control: he knows that when a new government comes to arrest him,
no one will object.
As Robert Gates made plain in his final address as US defence
secretary to NATO members, Europes commitment to funding this
adventure is also on the wane though it was the Europeans who initially
led this charge and American lawmakers, now playing chicken with their
countrys credit rating, are in no mood to pick up another cheque.
So the transatlantic military alliance now faces two unsavoury
choices. It can put the proverbial boots on the ground to oust Gaddafi, and
bring the military chapter of this mission to a definitive close. That would
satisfy some, but enrage many others. Or they can cut a deal that leaves the
rebels where they are with Gaddafi as mayor of Tripoli. This de facto

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partition plan would frustrate virtually everyone. Understandably, no one is

prepared to make this choice.
And so the stalemate will continue. NATO must now hope it gets
lucky. In the mean time, its participants should reflect on the moral of this
story for those western powers anxious to write its final chapter: a lack of
international resistance can lead governments to start wars they dont know
how to win.
Next day, TheNation wrote: While the Arab uprising in the Middle
East is showing no signs of calming down, the death toll in Syria reached
140 on Sunday. In fact, the entire Arab world has been in the grip of violence
and unrest in the wake of the recent popular call for political change.
And there is little doubt that the present instability owes itself to
years of grievances and resentment the people have been nurturing. In
fact, not only, the Syrian government but the regimes holding the reins of
power around the Arab world should have seen to it that the public demands
ranging from political reforms to economic prosperity should have been
fulfilled and under no circumstances should such a situation have been
allowed to emerge. The wave of unrest is going on in the entire Middle East
and there is hardly any country that has not felt the tremors of public
disturbances. We do have the example of Jordan, where the government
immediately after feeling that the public temper was rising, initiated political
reforms and was able to avert the storm brewing up.
However, what is even more shameful is that the US and NATO are
always on the lookout to fish in troubled waters of any country in the region,
particularly those regimes that do not bow before its diktat. NATO, at the US
behest, for instance did not waste any time in starting aerial bombardment
on Libya that resulted in considerable degree of human and collateral
damage rather than making things any better. At the same time, President
Obama has warned that he would isolate the Assad Government for its acts
of violence against its own people. The US must realize that the chaos
prevailing in many parts of the world is because of its own imperialistic
designs and the brazen and illegal use of force to achieve them. The world,
as everyone can see, is being pushed towards destruction, violence and
anti-Americanism, which of course would one day register its impact on
the US as well.
Jackson Diehl observed: Four months of military stalemate since
NATOs air campaign began have given the rebels some time to build
rudimentary structures. A new interior ministry and a police force were
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established in Benghazi. Baja says 300 civil society organizations have

sprung up, including 150 or so newspapers, newsletters and blogs by people
who want to express themselves for the first time.
Western governments, cautious at first, were impressed enough to
grant the TNS (Transitional National Council) recognition. The Libyan
contact group at its last meeting, in Istanbul last month, endorsed the new
governments road map. Now the Old Middle East has pulled its military
commander under. In Libya, as in so much of the region this summer; its
an open question whether a new Arab order can survive that undertow.
On 3rd August, Linda S Heard commented: Breivik who champions
cultural Christianity and sees himself as a modern Crusader knight cites
multiculturalism as being the cause of societys moral breakdown and
mans emasculation whereas, in reality, closely knit immigrant communities
have a strong moral compass and make behavioural demands on their
members which is often why those communities hesitate to assimilate. The
dwindling church attendance and loss of family values in Britain and
elsewhere in Europe has nothing to do with those foreigners and everything
to do with the 1960s baby boomer revolution that produced a cultural
materialism and self-gratification. Personally, I believe that multiculturalism
enhances a nation.
For one thing, it gives multiple new dimensions to cities that were
formerly boringly monochrome. It provides nationals with the opportunity
to explore different cultures, taste exciting cuisines and, most of all, to learn
that under the skin human beings share the same needs, hopes and dreams;
things that I experienced growing up in multi-ethnic area of London. There
is no better template for the benefits of a multicultural society than Dubai
where people from every corner of the globe of every shade and faith work
alongside one another and socialize together in a spirit of friendship and
harmony. Europeans should take note and stop the slippery slope
towards hate before its groundswell becomes impossible to control.
Fadwa Al-Hatem wrote: Syria has gone down the road of Libya,
not that of Tunisia or Egypt. As with Muammar Gaddafi, Assad seems to
have realized that once the Syrian people broke through the fear barrier; his
fall from power would be inevitable. As a result, I have no doubt that the
regime now intends to pursue a ferocious campaign against the people who
dared to rise up against it. In the meantime, an elaborate and extensive
international networks of lawyers, lobbyists, statesmen and government will

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be probably be utilized to stretch out the regimes existence for as long as

possible.

REVIEW
Breivik, a neoconservative of Norwegian brand, resorted to
massacring nearly hundred young men in Utoya, just as rulers of the
civilized world do in different areas of the Islamic World. The reason
behind his act as individual and those acts collectively committed by the
countries of Europe and America is the same, i.e. hatred for Islam and its
followers.
Both Breivik and rulers of the West have the noble aim of protecting
their cherished values from savages called Muslims. The rulers have the
means and the will to carry the bloodshed to the lands of Muslims. The
Norwegian Crusader, however, could not make to an Islamic country and he
therefore decided to punish his own people whom he perceived to be too
accommodating for followers of Islam.
It happened at a time when the Europe was grappling with the
problem of immigrants and its adventures in North Africa had added new
dimension to this problem. The Europeans were busy guarding the southern
shores to keep the African Muslims at bay.
The Europe took no time in relegating its humanitarian feelings for
the North Africans. These human beings had turned savages when they tried
to seek refuge in civilized world. Disembarkation of fleeing Africans, for
whom their governments had waged Crusades in Libya, was blocked by
enraged Europeans.
Many of them were left at the high sea to drown and those which were
rescued and escorted by coast guards were treated like stray dogs by the
Europeans and not allowed to step on the sacred soil. This should be eyeopener for the rebels who trust humanitarian overtures of White Christians
and more so for the rulers in Arab World who join hands with the Crusaders.
6th August, 2011

STRICT SCRUTINY
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Rehman Malik dubbed Tablighi Markaz of Raiwind as breeding

ground of terrorism. During his recent visit to the city of Hyde Park he has
been behaving like one of the tamed monkeys who would do extra
somersaults in response to swirling stick of his master.
He represents a regime of enlightened slaves of the civilized world
which consider preachers of Islam as terrorists and preachers of Christianity
as missionaries. In spite of the display of total submission the American
masters seemed unhappy about the Pakistani armed forces performance as
mercenaries.
Pakistani mercenaries have been under constant watch and kept under
pressure to do more on Americas war on terror, but after the incidents of
recent past they have shown reluctance to perform certain tasks. The Yanks
have not liked this change in the attitude and therefore, decided to keep
Pakistan under strict scrutiny for the purpose of regulating the US aid.

NEWS
In Pakistan, a tribal elder was shot dead in Tank on 31 st July. TTP
moved its headquarters to Orakzai Agency after commander Gul had asked
Hakimullah and others to leave North Waziristan. Three terrorists were held
in Lahore. Reportedly, CIA chief left Islamabad over differences with
Munter on drone strikes.
Next day, five people were killed in drone attack in South Waziristan.
Eleven NATO oil tankers were set ablaze near Khairpur and three were burnt
at Chowk Azam. Mullen declared Pakistan a hub of international terrorism
and urged its rulers to do more in fight against terror. Grossman met Zardari
and the host urged for mutual respect.
On 2nd August, two soldiers were killed in attack on a post in South
Waziristan. Four people were killed in drone attack in North Waziristan.
Grossman expressed confidence about resolving the issue of travel
restrictions on diplomats. More details were reported about exit of CIAs
station chief; CIA was angry over delayed release of Raymond Davis.
Next day, six people were killed in factional fighting in Tirah Valley.
Two NATO oil tankers were set ablaze near Mastung. Investigation into PNS
Mehran Base attack has been completed and court-martial has been
recommended against three senior naval officers. Pakistan second most
dangerous country on Terror index after Somalia and followed by

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Afghanistan and Iraq. Grossman said to leave Pakistan alone after the Soviet
withdrawal from Afghanistan was a mistake. He also denied any solution of
Afghanistan without involvement of Pakistan.
On 4th August, NATO tanker was set ablaze in Khyber Pass. The
regime picked up the courage to think of taxing NATO trucks. The US ruled
out strategic dialogue with most important non-NATO ally. On 6 th August,
16 NATO oil tankers were burnt by a bomb blast on Ring Road Peshawar.
Five US planes were denied parking at Islamabad Airport, previously these
were parked at PAF base and used by US contractors and told to leave after
recent tensions. Foreigners visits to southern Punjab were being monitored.
Next day, twenty tribesmen were held in Kurram Agency. Two
persons were killed in firing by unknown gunmen in Bara. Foreign Office
blocked shifting of US Consulate Lahore to Jauhar Town. KPK asked the
Centre to scrap Afghan trade accord. On 8 th August, nine soldiers were
wounded in roadside bombing in South Waziristan. Two persons were killed
in firing near border in Kurram Agency. The US issued warning over travel
to Pakistan.
On 9th August, three villages were burnt in Kurram Agency by
unidentified militants. Two commanders were among five militants killed
when their vehicle hit a landmine in Orakzai Agency. Three militants were
killed in a clash with tribesmen in Tirah Valley. The Supreme Court sought
new head of inquiry commission for missing persons.
Next day, at least 25 people were killed and two wounded in drone
attack in North Waziristan; CIA claimed targeting militants of Haqqani
group. Five tribesmen and seven militants were killed in a clash in Shawal
area. Munter met General Kayani and discussed visas and strategic dialogue
the latter did not agree on operation in North Waziristan. MNAs want
restrictions imposed on US envoys movement.
RJ Hillhouse, a former rum and jewel smuggler, challenged the details
of Abbottabad raid. He said it was a Pakistani intelligence officer who came
forward to US authorities. The officer said he had knowledge of Osama bin
Ladens whereabouts, and was interested in cutting a deal seeking asylum fir
the family and $25million reward. Pakistans ambassador to Washington
accused the US of acting in a trigger-happy manner, alienating ordinary
Pakistanis by the mission to kill Osama bin Laden.
On 11th August, four policemen were among seven people killed and
37 wounded in two bomb blasts in Peshawar, including bombing by a
woman suicide bomber. Next day, militants attacked police escorting
1299

detainees; three policemen were killed and two wounded and two detainees
escaped. The Ranger who fired at Sarfraz was sentenced to death and sox
others got life-term. Justice Wajih when asked to comment about the
positive impact of the verdict said one swallow does not make spring.
Zardari signed two orders bringing administrative, judicial and
political changes in FATA in 110-year old system. The orders so issued made
collective punishment law toothless; detained tribesmen are to be produced
in court within 24 hours with right to seek bail; three-member tribunal set up
with powers of high court and funds with Political Agents to be audited.
On 13th August, two persons were killed and two wounded in mortar
fire from across the border in Angoor Adda. KPK government suspended jail
superintendent and doctor for their suspected involvement in escape of two
militants from police custody. Main accused of attack on GHQ was
sentenced to death, four others got life-term and two were given seven years
imprisonment each. US citizen was abducted from Lahore; his guards and
servants were arrested by police. Senator McCain met Kayani and Gilani
and demanded free movement of US diplomats in Pakistan. The visitor also
met Zardari with similar agenda while the host asked for more dollars.
Next day, at least three paramilitary soldiers were martyred and 25
others wounded when unknown militants fired rockets on their camp here in
Miranshah. Two soldiers were killed and five wounded when their vehicle
hit a roadside bomb; 8 militants were killed in retaliatory action. A NATO oil
tanker was burnt near Attock. Bakhat Farzandi a Taliban commander of Qari
Zia group was arrested by agencies. US newspaper reported that Pakistan
provided access to China to the wreckage of helicopter that crashed during
Abbottabad raid.
On 15th August, three soldiers were wounded in landmine blast in
Kurram Agency. Six NATO oil tankers were burnt near Kot Addu and five
containers were attacked and damaged near Torkham. Six persons were
wounded in bomb blast in Charsadda. Three TTP militants were held in
Islamabad. The US media reported that Washington has devised and
enforced a secret scoring system to determine performance related aid to
Pakistan. The performance will be linked to military action against al-Qaeda
and Taliban.
Next day, four persons, including a child and woman, were killed in
drone attack in North Waziristan. Three militants were killed in a clash with
tribesmen in Kurram Agency. At least 12 militants were killed in three
separate incidents of roadside bombings in Tirrah Valley. NATO supplies via
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Khyber Pass were halted after 21 NATO containers and oil tankers were
burnt in Multan, Muzaffargarh and Khyber Agency.
Fazal Mehsud, claimed by Police as close aide of Baitullah Mehsud,
was arrested in Karachi and freed on bail within few hours. Punjab decided
to write to the Centre for action against police officer who attended iftardinner party in US Consulate without prior permission.
Hillary said no deal between Pakistan and Taliban would be
acceptable to the US. Panetta warned of ups and downs in ties but urged the
US must stick it out with Pakistan. US media claimed Mullen did not visit
Pakistan because Pakistan had nor replied the queries about providing access
to China to the tail of US Stealth helicopter.
On 17th August, one soldier was wounded in roadside bombing near
Ladda. Five militants were killed in a clash between two factions in Tirrah
Valley. Militants killed member of peace body and his son in Bajaur Agency.
A NATO oil tanker was set ablaze near Quetta. Oil tankers association
accused the government of collecting bhattha through police at the rate of
Rs20 to 30 thousand per tanker. Police was also accused of stealing fuel and
then setting tankers on fire through third party.
Next day, five persons, including two women, were killed in firing by
unknown gunmen. Five militants were killed in clash with security forces in
Kurram Agency. Two persons were killed and six wounded when a shell
landed at a house in Khyber Agency. The USA and Pakistan stepped up
diplomatic efforts to find common grounds to enhance mutually beneficial
cooperation ahead of the crucial visit of Gilani next month; Munter met
Kayani and Hillary telephoned Hina.
STRATFOR rejected the CIA claim that the man killed in
Abbottabads compound by US Naval SEALs was al-Qaeda chief Osama bin
Laden. This was one of the reasons the CIA kept Pakistans premier
intelligence agency ISI in dark. It said: The possibility that bin Laden was
already dead and in terms of his impact on terrorist operations, he effectively
was
On 19th August, four people were killed in drone attack in South
Waziristan. Two soldiers were killed and three wounded in roadside
bombing in Kurram Agency. Bomb blast in a mosque in Jamrud killed 53
and wounded more than one hundred people. Two NATO containers were
destroyed near Landikotal and four oil tankers were set ablaze near Quetta.
The US report on war on terror for the lat year declared Pakistan heaven of
terrorists and India a victim of terror.
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Next day, FC convoy was attacked in Bara area; three soldiers were
killed and six wounded four militants were killed in retaliatory action.
Defence secretary appeared before the commission headed by Justice
Javed Iqbal; he told the commission that Abbottabad raid left deep imprint
on nation, Army.
Mullen was embarrassed by a GI when he asked for assurance about
his monthly pay during his visit to Afghanistan on 31st July. Four security
personnel were killed in suicide attack at a guest house in Kunduz on 2 nd
August. Tripartite talks were held in Islamabad during which it was decided
to establish contacts with Taliban. Next day, intelligence chief was killed in
bomb blast in Kunduz.
On 4th August, four NATO soldiers and an Afghan official were killed
in various incidents of violence across the country. On 6 th August, 31 US
soldiers, including 22 SEALs that took part in Abbottabad operation were
killed in helicopter crash in Wardak during an operation; 17 Afghan soldiers
were also killed. Taliban claimed shooting down the helicopter; Karzai
confirmed and Obama mourned. Eight Afghans were killed in NATO an air
strike. Mullen reiterated that border region between Pakistan and
Afghanistan remained epicenter of terrorism. ICG blamed international
community for failing in Afghanistan.
Next day, four NATO soldiers were killed in various incidents. NATO
ordered probe into helicopter crash, but denied the SEALs killed in crash
had taken part in Abbottabad raid. On 8th August, Taliban claimed that a
NATO helicopter crashed in Paktia in which 33 foreign soldiers were killed.
NATO denied that the SEALs killed in earlier crash had taken part in
Abbottabad operation.
On 9th August, five people were killed in bomb blast in Uruzgan.
Pentagon claimed Taliban were on the run and termed downing of helicopter
one-off incident. Next day, the US claimed killing ten Taliban in Wardak,
including those who shot down US helicopter.
On 11th August, five NATO soldiers were killed in roadside bombing
in southern Afghanistan; Taliban denied US claim of killing those who shot
down helicopter. US-Taliban collapsed over leaking of identity of Taliban
negotiators. Two days later, five people of the same family were killed when
their vehicle hit a landmine near Lashkar Gah,
On 14th August, 19 people were killed and 29 wounded in attack on
compound of Governor Parvan. Two days later, four guards were killed in

1302

attack on NATO depot in Kandahar and a woman working for Afghan

government was shot dead. On 19th August, Taliban gunmen and suicide
bombers attacked British Council in Kabul; 12 people were killed. British
newspaper reported that US troops would stay in Afghanistan till 2024 under
an agreement to be signed soon.
On 31st July, tensions mounted after killing of a Kashmiri youth in
IHK by occupation forces of India. On 3rd August, protest strike was
observed in IHK over killing of a shopkeeper in Police custody. Next day,
Indian troops martyred four Kashmiri youths in IHK. On 7 th August,
occupation forces martyred two more Kashmiris.
On 15th August, Manmohan did not mention Pakistan and IHK in his
Independence Day speech. Next day, Senator McCain met Kashmiri leaders
in IHK. On 17th August, the briefing arranged by Pakistan embassy to
defence attaches in Washington gave impression that for the first time
Pakistan felt no threat from India. On 20th August, an Indian officer and 12
Kashmiri freedom fighters were killed in a clash near LoC in northern
district of Gurez in IHK. McCain visited IHK and declared Kashmir is
internal matter of India.
Shutter down strike was observed in Quetta, Balochistan on 31st July,
over killings of last two days. One person was killed in bomb blast in Hub
and seven electric pylons were blown up in Loralai. Next day, two children
were killed in a bomb blast in Quetta. General Kayani denied any military
operation in Balochistan and Armys involvement in disappearances of
persons.
On 2nd August, one person was killed in firing by gunmen and fifty
suspects were arrested in an operation in suburbs of Quetta. Next day, Ansar
Burney while speaking to media in FC Headquarters in Quetta said local
chieftains and some influential people in the government were involved in
kidnapping for ransom and enforced disappearances in Balochistan.
Whenever the accused are arrested, they are said to be relatives of Rehman
Malik or other influential personalities, he added.
On 4th August, Munter visited Quetta, met provincial rulers and said
Balochistan is very significant. A student leader was shot dead in Khuzdar.
On 7th August, unknown gunmen shot dead three policemen in Quetta and
four people were killed elsewhere in the province. Next day, Punjabi
labourer was among five gunned down in Quetta.

1303

On 9th August, four people were wounded in bomb blast in Turbat and
FC post was subjected to rocket attack in Panjgur. Next day, two soldiers of
Frontier Constabulary were killed and two wounded in firing in Quetta.
Director Crimes Branch revealed before a bench of BHC that chief secretary
stopped him from recording the statements of ex-chief minister and former
provincial interior minister in the Bugti murder case.
On 11th August, two FC soldiers were wounded in rocket attack on
their post near Quetta. Next day, a soldier was killed in rocket fire at Quetta
cantonment. On 13th August, electric pylons were blown up near Quetta,
Barkhan, Sibi and Guddu. Next day, at least 14 people were killed and 10
injured in a hotel blast in a hotel in Dera Allah Yaar. A journalist was shot
dead in Khuzdar.
On 15th August, three bullet-ridden dead bodies were found from two
places in Balochistan. Gas pipeline to Quetta was blown up. Next day, highlevel meeting chaired by Zardari asked Balochistan government to consult
all political forces for peace in the province. Four persons were killed in
various incidents of violence in the province.
On 18th August, seven bullet-ridden dead bodies were found in
Mastung area. Hafiz Hussains son was shot dead in Quetta. Next day, two
bullet-ridden dead bodies were found in Pasni. On 20 th August, two dead
bodies were recovered in Kech district.

VIEWS
In the context of Pakistan, on 31st July TheNation commented:
Interior Minister Rehman Malik seems to have been overcome by the
hardships of his portfolio, which is why he is giving statements, accusing the
Tablighi Jamaat of fomenting terrorism. By this, he is also upsetting the
ruling coalition at a time when it is facing multifarious pressures, not least
because it is facing a crisis with the judiciary. Springing to the defence of the
Tablighi Jamaat was Ch Shujaat Hussain, who apart from heading a PML
faction which is an ally of the government, is a predecessor of Mr Maliks in
the Interior portfolio. Mr Malik has found himself summoned before a
parliamentary committee over his original statement, in which he said that
the Raiwind Centre of the Tablighi Jamaat was a breeding-ground for
extremists. This seems a very harsh evaluation of a party which is focused
on a group based on exhortation. Mr Malik seems to have adopted the view
that any trace of Islam is a breeding-ground of extremism.
1304

By this token, he should condemn his newest Cabinet colleague,

Ms Hina Rabbani Khar, whose photograph praying at the shrine in New
Delhi was widely published in the national press on Friday. Ch Shujaats
statement that the Raiwind Centre was one of love and stability seems more
accurate and the accompanying violent protests seem to have exceeded the
original brief of the Tablighi Jamaat, which has usually been one of
tolerance for abuse, rather than such militancy. While Ch Shujaat has been
rising to the challenge, the parliamentary committee on national security,
chaired by Senator Reza Rabbani, has summoned Mr Malik to explain his
position at its next meeting after a serious protest by its JUI-F and PML-N
members.
The committee meeting seems the best forum for Mr Malik to defend
his position, which appears to be based on their faulty assumption, or
rather the assumption held by those Christian and Zionist forces, which
believe that the Tablighi Jamaats message, that Muslims must firmly
observe the acts of worship that have been prescribed for them, leads to
extremism. If indeed the Raiwind Centre has become a hotbed of extremism,
Mr Malik should share the evidence with the committee and take it into
confidence on the action planned to stop this. If not, Mr Malik should show
more responsibility than to lay such a serious charge against an entire
organization which has a long history of non-violence. Mr Malik should also
remember that elections are not far off, and those associated with the
Tablighi Jamaat also have votes, so should not be needlessly antagonized.
Next day the newspaper wrote: The assumption that since both the
US and Pakistan need each other at the present critical juncture in history the
differences that have cropped up between them would not for long stand in
the way of their mutual cooperation, even though these differences might be
of quite a serious nature, has not as yet proven to be justified. Commonsense
demands that grievances of the aggrieved party are suitably redressed. As
things stand, Islamabad genuinely feels hurt at the violation of its
sovereignty the Abbottabad raid and drone strikes and the unfriendly
activities of its secret agents. Washington should tender its apology and
do something to avoid recurrence of these incidents. Display of arrogance
on being the solitary superpower that possesses the mightiest military force
in the world and an awesome network of spies that, the US aggressive
policymakers feel, could bring back to its senses any power that adversely
reacts to calumnies and humiliations at the hands of the US would be highly
misplaced. And if Pakistans political fragility, mounting indebtedness and

1305

instability in certain vital areas of the country enter into the equation, it
would be worse.
The Americans should also do soul-searching before having any
grouse against Pakistan in the belief that it is deliberately letting the US
down by not wholeheartedly pursuing the militants refusal to undertake a
military campaign in North Waziristan. Would not an operation in the agency
work against the long-term national interests of Pakistan? Sidestepping this
important factor and subjecting Islamabad to pressure to put aside its
genuine reservations and cooperate with the US would be absolutely
unjustified.
The fact is that the US refuses to budge from its stand, intends to
squeeze Pakistan economically by cutting down aid and threatens its
security by involving hostile India in Afghanistan and fomenting trouble
within Pakistan through CIA contractors. On drones, an issue extremely
sensitive to the Pakistani public, it remains adamant; the US asserts its right
to pursue terrorists wherever they happen to be. If that pursuit leads to the
murder of as many as over 97 percent of innocent civilians out of all those
killed, should it not put the human rights protagonist to shame? Against the
backdrop of such a situation, Islamabad has rightly reacted by sending back
the CIA chief who has been going well beyond the norms prescribed for his
job. Continued presence of such agents could not be without peril to our
safety. The US must realize that Pakistan is a key player, with strategic
location, in the region. Playing with its sensitivities would not be of any
help. It is hard to imagine that the US would be able to make an honourable
exit from Afghanistan hiding the shame of defeat, behind the false
accusation of Pakistans failure to extend its full cooperation in the war on
terror.
On 5th August, the newspaper commented: A section of the press
carries reports saying that the US, with the support of rest of the members
of the nuclear club, will secretly as well as formally pressurize Pakistan
to cap its nuclear programme by forcing it to sign the controversial Fissile
Material Cut off Treaty this September at UN General Assembly in New
York. The reports are quite worrisome. What is even more worrisome is that
they point to the US making preparations for a worse-case scenario of
attempting to snatch Pakistans 100-plus nuclear weapons if it feared they
were about to fall into wrong hands. Reacting to this development, General
Musharraf has rightly said that such a move by the US would be a disastrous
miscalculation and warned that it would lead to a total confrontation
between the US and Pakistan.
1306

It should now serve as a wake-up call for our subservient

leadership to get out of the lap of the US and turn to other genuine allies
like China and brotherly nations in the Arab world. What this development
shows is that the US is making two plans: one covert and the other overt to
defang nuclear Pakistan, hence its bias towards our homeland. First of all,
the US is itself the biggest proliferators of the fissile material as is manifest
from its illegal transfer of technology allowing states like Israel and India to
acquire plenty of nuclear weapons in stark violation of NPT. And these two
countries given their track record of crimes against humanity in Kashmir and
Palestine would have no scruples about using these bombs. Reportedly, India
is already using its so-called civil nuclear deal with the US to make nukes
further eroding the possibility of peace in South Asia. Pakistan under the
circumstances has been forced to keep its nuclear capability as a deterrent.
Although the US media is reporting that the Obama Administration has
taken China on board in its expected move at the UN General Assembly next
month, we are quite confident that China will strongly defend our stand as in
fact it has been doing in the past.
While bracing up for a diplomatic offensive, we should be extra
vigilant particularly after the report about the US plan to attempt
snatching our bombs. A message should be officially conveyed to the US
about the repercussion of such a move. Our National Command Authority is
fully capable of protecting these assets from terrorists and our armed forces
are powerful enough to repel any attack by a hostile state.
Three days later, Momin Iftikhar observed: The Chairman of the
House Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers, after expressing the standard
Washington fare of claiming that elements from the Pakistani military and
the ISI establishment provided some level of assistance to OBL before he
was killed, laid out what was expected of Pakistan in the context of the
detention of the CIA informers His lament; when the American sailors
who ditched Osamas body in sea, returned to a heroic welcome in the US,
the five Pakistanis who had collaborated with the CIA had been left out in
the cold to undergo interrogation about their role in the operation. Emotional
outbursts aside, the exposure of CIAs asset in Pakistan has implications
which are substantive enough to have triggered such an impassioned
outcry from the intelligence and political establishment in Washington.
First, despite claiming partnership with Pakistan, the US has
provided no details about the Abbottabad raid, which violated the national
sovereignty of Pakistan with a devil-may-care abandon. Given the
sensitivity of the issue, Pakistan is fully justified in initiating actions to
1307

reconstruct the sequence of events that would point to the lapses in the
system, which enabled the US Special Forces to violate its air and ground
vigil. The CIA collaborators make the best available sources to help fill in
the missing pieces in the jigsaw puzzle and also help comprehend the
circumstances in which OBL was able to remain hidden in his craftily laid
hideout for five years without attracting attention. These are vital questions
and the US collaborators are legitimate sources of intelligence; a fact that
should not be grudged by the US legislators nor the CIA bosses.
Second, much like the Raymond Davis affair, there may be
consternation among the CIA agents operating within Pakistan that the
questioning of the five detainees may lay bare the clandestine network that
CIA has painstakingly laid out in Pakistan. This may necessitate
reconfiguring the intricately laid web of espionage leading to the wastage of
assets and slowing down or even temporarily shutting off certain vital
operations. There will also be fears that despite placing necessary cut-outs,
to save the entire network from exposure, the questioning may lead on to
more local CIA agents serving the US interests in Pakistan.
Third, it is a question of the morale of the locals working for the
US intelligence, who are assured that in case of compromise of their cover
they would not be left alone to face the music. Resettlement abroad, as a
reward for their work and services rendered to the CIA, is always dangled by
the recruiters as an inducement. That they could be exposed and interrogated
in Pakistan, despite assurances must have sent chills down the spine of many
other CIA local agents, who are willing to sell their loyalties for the lure of
money or other elusive attractions. Netting of the CIA collaborators will
certainly dampen the spirit of their cohorts, who may realize that behind fake
promises and polished exteriors of the CIA recruiters are cynical, brutal
characters whose word, invariably, is absolutely worthless.
Fourth, with tangible evidence in hand, Pakistan is in a position to
question the presence of a large CIA footprint in Pakistan, where the turf
is exclusively claimed by the local agencies. Being a partner in war against
terrorism does not imply that CIA has a franchise to operate at will in the
country. There is no reason as to why CIAs untrammeled liberty of action in
Pakistan should not be curtailed and calibrated in deference to the countrys
priorities and sensitivities. The US legislators and the CIA should not
arrogate to themselves the right to tell Pakistan how to safeguard its vital
security interests within the confines of its own borders.

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On 13th August, The News commented: It is an age-old adage that

justice not only has to be done; it has to be seen to be done for the public to
have faith in its functioning. After the cold-blooded murder of 19-year-old
Sarfaraz Shah by the Rangers in June in Karachi, the people of Pakistan
were left feeling genuinely afraid: a force whose duty was to defend the law
and protect citizens was brutally murdering them in front of all to see. The
agents of the law were seen ruthlessly undermining the very sanctity of life
at the altar of trigger-happy impulses. Thus, the Anti-Terrorism Courts
verdict in the Sarfaraz Shah killing case awarding the death sentence to
Rangers official Shahid Zafar who shot Sarfaraz and life imprisonment to
the remaining six accused has certainly reassured people that impunity
among uniformed officers can, and will, be dealt with as per the law. The
image of the boy pleading for his life has been juxtaposed in the public mind
now with the image of the killers being meted the well-deserved
punishments and some public confidence has subsequently been restored in
law-enforcers. This can only be hailed as a positive development.
It is worth mentioning that the special attention paid to this case by
the Supreme Court, which took suo moto notice of Sarfarazs murder, has
played a large role in ensuring that the case was decided in a timely
manner. Also, it was the Supreme Court that had directed that both DG
Rangers Sindh and IG Police Sindh be removed from their posts an order
that reflected the courts understanding that responsibility needed to be fixed
as much on those at the helm of affairs, as on the main accused. The
defendants have announced that they will appeal the decision to the High
Court. If the judgment is upheld as the case moves on to the appellate stage,
we will be certain that justice was truly done without fear, favour, or the
pressure of an early verdict.
However, to see long-term results the government and reform
wizards need to seriously start focusing on root causes and take
measures to ensure law-enforcement agencies dont take matters into their
own hands. The dilemma for policy makers remains how to legally, morally,
socially, and politically deny the trigger-happy instincts of the uniformed
and change a mindset that favours violence. In the long run, then ex post
facto, ad hoc accountability will not be enough.
Three days later, Dennis C Blair wrote: Our dogged persistence with
the drone campaign is eroding our influence and damaging our ability to
work with Pakistan to achieve other important security objectives like
eliminating Taliban sanctuaries, encouraging Indian-Pakistani dialogue.

1309

Washington should support a new security campaign that includes

jointly controlled drone strikes and combines the capabilities of both
countries. Together, the American and Pakistani governments can fashion
a plan that meets the objectives of both without committing to broader
joint campaigns that would not be politically viable at the moment. We can
help Pakistan with logistics, transport and intelligence; Pakistan can help us
by deploying security forces and improving local government on the ground.
Drone strikes targeting Qaeda leaders and other terrorists would be
conducted by mutual agreement.
A cooperative campaign against common enemies offers them the
best chance of controlling American actions in their country. And Pakistani
participation in the targeting of drone strikes would remove a major
source of anti-American resentment. If we are ever to reduce al-Qaeda
from a threat to a nuisance, it will be by working with Pakistan, not by
continuing unilateral drone attacks.
On 17th August, TheNation commented: That the US has prepared
secret scorecards of Pakistans performance in the war on terror to assess
whether it is really extending the required cooperation to the US, before any
security assistance could be given to it, shows Washington in its true
colours and exposes the hoax of lasting friendship the American leaders
have been glibly talking about since 9/11. After all, the US is in the process
of packing up in Afghanistan and as there is little point in the superpower
currying favour with a country whose help would no longer be required after
the US withdrawal, it believes it is time to prepare the ground for moving
away from it.
For the role of regions policeman, Washington has opted for
India, which has, apparently, taken upon itself the role of keeping any
eruption of disturbances in Afghanistan under check after the US troops had
left and has also promised to serve as a bulwark against the expansion of
Chinese power and influence. Though the State Department has, in a
statement, confirmed the US media report about conditional aid, the ISI has
denied that it has been presented with any wish-list and rightly maintained
that it was Pakistans prerogative to decide how to combat terrorism and
conduct relations with Afghanistan. Under no circumstances should
Islamabad compromise on its national interests in trying to be on the right
side of the US because that could enable it to receive the promised aid
unhindered. Reportedly, four separate scorecards cover different areas of
cooperation in: exploiting the bin Laden compound; the war in Afghanistan;

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conducting joint counterterrorism operations; and improving the overall tone

in bilateral relations.
In the meantime, the American and British media has floated a story
that Pakistan, peeved at CIA contractor Raymond Davis murdering two
Pakistanis and the unilateral raid at Abbottabad, has let the Chinese experts
take photographs of the tail of the stealth helicopter destroyed during the
raid. Readers familiar with the media hype about the fake story of the
weapons of mass destruction in the hands of President Saddam Hussein to
justify attack on Iraq would understand that the Chinese inspection of
helicopters tail is nothing but a part of propaganda blitz of the US whose
tool its media is ever ready to serve.
The conditional aid and the flimsy charge of the Chinese taking
photographs of the helicopter tail are part of the pressure tactics to make
Pakistan fall in line. This is the time to resist such pressure and adopt the
policy of self-reliance, dispensing with foreign handouts. Our rulers
should swallow the bitter pill of a sharp cut in expenditure for running the
government, practice strict austerity and impose taxes on agriculture and the
rich to make up for the shortfall caused by the stoppage of the US aid, but
under no circumstances follow the American agenda.
Next day, the newspaper wrote: Both Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton and Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta, while talking before an
audience of National Defence University at Washington, expressed the belief
that though the US relations with Pakistan were complicated, Washington
attached great importance to them and had no option but to maintain them to
successfully prosecute the so-called war on terror. It was a nuclear power
and that raised fears in the minds of the Americans about their security. We
have to be concerned about what happens with these weapons, remarked
Panetta. The bogey about the arsenal falling into the hands of the
terrorists is deliberately kept alive with unfounded stories in the media,
assessments of its dozen a dime think-tanks and statements of political
figures, despite Islamabads emphatic assurance of a foolproof command
and control system being in place.
The idea is to put pressure on Pakistan and make it go the whole
hog with the US in eliminating whom it regards as militants. Both these
US leaders talked of Islamabads refusal to take certain actions in the context
of the war on terror, which the US considered were extremely necessary for
defeating Al-Qaeda and groups allied with it. A specific mention was made
of the Haqqani network, which the Americans are convinced makes deadly
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forays into Afghanistan from across the border in North Waziristan. The
Haqqani group has been so repetitively accused by the US that one would
assume that it is the single most hindrance standing between the invading
armies and defeat of the resistance, as if the Pashtuns within Afghanistan
have been subdued into giving up their inborn and traditional revulsion of
foreign occupation.
The Americans seem to have realized that no amount of coercion,
pressure or lure would make Pakistan forsake its national interests and,
instead, work for achieving the US goals, if they come in clash with each
other, as in the words of Clinton, Pakistan has a viewpoint that needs to be
seen with some respect. And there is clearly a clash between each others
interests in the pursuit of the war on terror, which had once again
compelled Washington to seek alliance with Islamabad.
For Pakistan it would not be possible to overlook these vital interests
and go along with the US, even if it is certain that the US will live up to its
assurance that it will stay engaged in the region after the war has ended and
that its friendship with Pakistan is of a long-lasting nature. It is not only
geographical necessity for us not to create hostility in the majority
population of the neighbouring Afghanistan, but also a domestic compulsion
in the sense that a large number of its own citizens are of the same ethnic
stock as Pashtuns across the border and virtually the countrys entire
population is averse to any action against them. If the question whether US
best asset (drones) is Pakistans worst nightmare elicited an emphatic
No in response from Clinton as well as Panetta, they must be having its
subservient political leadership in mind; to the public and the security
forces they are simply an anathema.
On 20th August, Inayatullah wrote: The situation urgently demands
the political parties and GHQ to deliberate the nature and complexities
of the current US-Pakistan relationship, and come to a clear and firm
stand. This should be followed by taking steps to open a dialogue with the
USA at various levels. It is surprising, if not baffling, to find that while the
Americans of all kinds keep coming to talk and influence our policymakers,
we confine ourselves to infrequent visits by the army officers and after long
intervals someone from the Foreign Office. Why not send some of our
experienced and bright parliamentarians to carry bipartisan messages to their
counterparts in Washington. It is a folly to leave this job of mutual education
to our diplomatic (official) mission and a paid lobbyist. Let
parliamentarians, media luminaries, professionals, professors and civil
society leaders go to Washington and other vital centres, and engage
1312

influential Americans to help them clearly comprehend our position and

points of view.
On 4th August, TheNation commented: One would have wished that
the Americans had listened to the counsel of those who had an understanding
of the strength of Talibans commitment to driving the foreign forces out of
Afghanistan and regain their independence, and not wasted time and
effort in trying to strike a peace deal with the foot soldiers and middleranking Taliban leaders, but approached their genuine leadership. But their
stubbornness in refusing to engage those leaders in negotiations, whose
decisions alone would have been acceptable to the Taliban fighters, caused
the loss of not only many an innocent Afghans, but also of the US and other
foreign troops, not to mention the human suffering all had to bear.
Ultimately, Deputy Afghan Foreign Minister Jawid Lodin had to
concede that lower level contacts with the Taliban did not end the violence
in Afghanistan. Mr Lodin did that at a news conference, along with Pakistan
Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and US Representative for Afghanistan and
Pakistan Marc Grossman, who had assembled at Kabul on Tuesday for a
two-day meeting of the trilateral core group constituted to find a way to
bring an end to foreign occupation of Afghanistan that makes for peace and
harmony in the country. As a result, the group decided to contact top Taliban
leaders to realize Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation, terming such
an arrangement of common interest to the three countries. Pakistan, it must
be recalled, was the first to call for such contacts if result-oriented, lasting
settlement was to be achieved. However, blinded by its military might, the
US for a long while insisted on reaching a solution through the use of
force, and when experienced setbacks after setbacks conceded only to talk
to what Mr Lodin called foot soldiers and failing again it came round to
contacting the top leaders of the Taliban hierarchy.
Strangely, in this exercise for a safe exit, the Obama Administration
has failed to appreciate the key input Pakistan is making in the war on terror
and has been working against its interests. And the pleas of their own man
on the spot, Ambassador Munter, for stopping drone attacks have been
turned down by the CIA, which apparently had the power to overrule any
suggestion in this matter. In the final analysis, the groundswell of antiAmericanism existing in the country gets reinforced. While on the one
hand, it wants to pursue a policy of reconciliation, on the other it
persists in indulging in acts that provoke tribesmens sympathy for the

1313

Afghan resistance and provides new recruits to its cause. The dual-track
policy is counterproductive.
In the meantime, before crying foul at the imposition of restrictions
on the movement of its diplomats for their own safety, the US must not
forget the indignities to which Pakistans visiting high dignitaries holding
diplomatic passports have been subjected to at the airports and shadowed
while in the country. Islamabad is within its right to impose such
restrictions as are deemed necessary in its national interests.
Four days later, the newspaper wrote: As reports of the death of 30
US soldiers, including 22 Navy SEALs, by a Taliban-fired rocket that
brought down a Chinook helicopter carrying them, poured in at the Camp
David retreat, where President Obama had gone to spend the weekend, he
expressed his feelings with these words: We will draw inspiration from their
lives, and continue the work of securing our country and standing up for the
values that they embodied. The right reaction would, instead, have been:
We will draw a lesson from the foolish military adventure we undertook so
far afield and against the people who are known for their intrepid bravery
and an uncompromising defence of their motherland. The US President
should have known that the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent
Iraqis and Afghans that the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan
has caused has not secured his country and, certainly, did not conform to
the values the Founding Fathers cherished and preached; the aggression has,
in fact, rendered the US more insecure by creating hatred of the Americans
in the Muslim world and provoking the angry lot among them to join the
bands of militants.
The loss of 30 troops, and most of them the best of the best, is the
deadliest single American (or for that matter ISAF) loss in the decade-old
war in Afghanistan. Seven Afghan soldiers were also killed in the crash. The
timing i.e. the ongoing drawdown of the forces, is also a cause of serious
concern for the US military command about the situation in the postwithdrawal period when the Afghan security forces would be holding the
charge of the entire country. Certain circles have voiced the fear that with the
drawdown proceeding, the occurrence of more of such attacks could not be
ruled out. But for the Taliban the downing of the Chinook is a big morale
booster. According to the Taliban spokesman, the helicopter was landing on
a house (or nearby) in the Tangi Joy Zarin in Wardak Saydabad district
where the Taliban fighters were assembling; possibly, it was a high-level
target the Navy SEALs were after and the failure to get hold of that was a
major setback.
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A week later, the newspaper observed: Talking to reporters in an offcamera briefing, Pentagons spokesman Col Dave Lapan repeated what
Defence Secretary Leon Panetta had earlier said that the Taliban were on the
run. Analysis of the realities on the ground would prove it otherwise. Not
only does it rebut the claim, but also suggests that it is, in fact, the US and
NATO forces, which are on the run. Whatever the pretext the economic
crisis that has been building up since long mainly as a result of the
astronomical amount of money being spent on prosecuting the war on terror,
which is also adversely affecting the Americans lifestyle; the public
pressure at home to withdraw troops because of the unending flow of body
bags; or the fighting forces own weariness at pursuing an enemy, which is
adept at playing hide and seek in the mountainous hideouts, the end result
is departure of the invading forces. The Taliban (read Pashtuns) constitute
the majority ethnic community in Afghanistan, and if Mr Panetta thinks it is
only a matter of time before they are eliminated, he is not living in the real
world. Ultimately, the occupying forces would have to leave. The truth is
that both, the Secretary and the spokesman, were trying to allay fears voiced
by some political analysts that the death of more than 30 Special Forces
men, including 22 Navy SEALs, last week might turn out to be watershed of
a resurgent resistance.
Another secret CIA-Pentagon report expresses alarm at Pakistan
Army officers and soldiers with a religious bent of mind, who it thinks
are in majority and could have access to nuclear assets, and maintains that
American monitors in the garb of Embassy officials have been sent to
Pakistan. The report raises several questions of serious nature. First, it is
none of US concern what kind of men comprise Pakistan Army; we have the
right to recruit what suits our best interests. Would the defence establishment
of the US stand our criticism of its armed forces just because there are a
sizeable number of Jewish or Christian fundamentalists? Secondly, Pakistan
as well as credible institutions in the world have shown their complete
confidence in the safety and security procedures we have adopted to protect
our nuclear arsenal. Thirdly, the Pakistan government and security agencies
need to explain under what circumstances they let the American monitors
come in the country as Embassy officials.
There is no doubt in the reports assessment that the political setup
in power in the country is, unfortunately, ready and willing to bow
before the type of policies the Americans choose to adopt. That is a fly in
the ointment; otherwise, the entire public, with the exception of a small
group of West-leaning people, as well as the armed forces are bitterly
1315

opposed to them. Pakistan Army consists of patriotic people and is against

US designs in the region and in that it is not merely responding to the
sentiments of the people; both are on the same page. And both would love to
see the harmful foreign influence to end immediately.
On 31st July, Inam Khawaja wrote an open letter to General Martin
Dempsey saying Sir, this is regarding your deposition before the Defence
Committee in which you said that Pakistan falsely considers India to be a
threat to it, and that the United States is working to convince Pakistan that
extremists in the West are a great threat and probably a greater threat to them
than any threat that India might pose.
Sir, the threat from India is very real, as the present deployment
of the Indian forces on our borders shows:
The 15th and the 16th Corps, along with an armoured and artillery
brigade, are deployed against us in the Indian occupied Kashmir.
The 11th Corps having three infantry divisions, an armoured brigade
and a mechanized infantry brigade, and the 10 th Corps consisting of
one regular infantry division and three Rapid Deployment infantry
divisions are facing us in Punjab.
In Haryana, the 2nd Corps with one armoured division, one Rapid
infantry division, a regular infantry division, and an additional
armoured brigade, is deployed against us.
In Rajasthan, we are facing the Indian 12th Desert Corps, along with
an armoured brigade and a mechanized infantry brigade.
In addition to the above deployment on our borders, the Indians have
the following forces suitably placed to reinforce their military power on our
borders:
21st Corps supported by an armoured division, a Rapid infantry
division, an Engineers brigade and an additional armoured brigade.
The 1st Strike Corps with an infantry division, a mountain division and
an armoured division.
This shows that 70 percent of the Indian forces are physically
deployed against Pakistan. In fact, India has only their 33rd Corps, 3rd
Corps and the 4th Corps deployed against China and Bangladesh. The Indian
army officially unveiled the Cold Start Doctrine on April 28, 2004, at the
Army Commanders Conference.
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This doctrine is undoubtedly Pakistan specific and its officially

stated objectives are:
India now plans to act offensively against Pakistan for any perceived
acts of strategic destabilization of India, proxy war and terrorism.
India has in declaratory terms enunciated that it will undertake
offensive operations against Pakistan, short of the nuclear threshold.
India could initiate offensive operations either as pre-emptive strikes
or straight away without giving Pakistan the time to bring diplomatic
leverages in play.
The Indian armys combat potential will be fully harnessed for
offensive operations at the outset by eliminating the differentiation
between defensive formations and offensive formations.
Implicit in this doctrine is that the Indian army will no longer
concentrate on capturing and holding the Pakistani territory as
leverage for post-war negotiations, but the new operation will aim at
destroying the combat potential of the Pakistan Army and its war
fighting capacity.
The above is to be achieved by fast moving armoured and mechanized
operations supported by preponderant artillery firepower and, even
more preponderant, combat firepower of the Indian air force.
Since April 2004, the Indian armed forces have carried out 11
exercises to debug and operationally perfect the Cold Start Doctrine.
Only a few weeks ago, the Indian army and air force held a combined
exercise involving over 50,000 troops, only 70km from our border in
Rajasthan. Furthermore, the headquarters of their Strike Force and Rapid
Force are being shifted from Central India to Punjab.
Sir, you very well know the threat to Pakistan from neighbouring India
is real and there is no falsehood about it. However, what is mendacious is to
advise us to ignore it.
On 19th August, TheNation commented: During a briefing at Pakistans
Embassy in the US attended by Defence Attaches of various countries, it
was revealed that Pakistan has redeployed five divisions from its eastern
border with India to the western border to help boost the fight against
terror. While the fact remains that we need boots on the ground on the
western border to stop the insurgents from neighbouring Afghanistan from
sneaking into our territory, this should not be done at the cost of pulling out
1317

troops from our international borders in India. The threat from India is real
and apart from three major wars, there have been occasions when it was
found harbouring plans to launch cross-border military attacks. And in fact
as of now the huge Indian military presence at the border only proves its
dirty designs against our homeland.
If India was not on the lookout for an opportunity to wage a war on
Pakistan, why would it deploy troops in full preparedness at its borders? We
must understand that the real threat still is from the eastern frontier
and the troops must be immediately shifted back. There is simply no
other alternative under the circumstances. The redeployment of our troops
from the Indian side to the eastern is an American game plan that the
Pakistan leadership is playing. We should not fall into the quicksand of tribal
areas, where the secret to peace lies in winning over the hearts and minds of
the people.
On 6th August, TheNation wrote: American Ambassador Cameron
Munter, who is on a visit to Balochistan these days, observed in a meeting
with the Speaker of Balochistan Assembly, Muhammad Aslam Bhootani, on
Thursday and later the same day with Chief Minister Sardar Muhammad
Aslam Raisani, that the province was very important for the US. Mr Munter
added that his country was ready to render help in technical and other
sectors, as required by the provincial government.
Envoy Munters remark about the significance of Balochistan to the
US and the offer of help for its uplift that would entail the presence of
Americans on the projects for which it would be utilized, have caused
great alarm among the people, who are already concerned at the dirty role
the US agents or the CIAs contractors are playing in the province.
There are also worrying reports that he has not been only meeting
leaders of different political parties, but also the nationalist groups. While
contacts with political figures are deemed proper for a diplomatic
representative, approaches to the dissidents who have picked up arms
against the established government of the day could not, under any rule,
be justified. This also poses a serious question about the circumstances
under which the authorities, to be exact the security agencies and the Foreign
Ministry, gave him the permission to have meetings with the outlawed,
separatists forces.
One can well understand why in the eyes of the US, Balochistan
holds significance. With the Chief Minister clearly denying the presence of
the so-called Quetta Shura, Mulla Omar and Ayman al-Zawahiri in the
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province, the US should cease to have any interest there in the context of the
war on terror. The fact is that it wants its agents on the ground to foment
trouble in our neighbours and friends Iran and China as well as in
Balochistan itself. That would enable them also to exercise its influence in
running the affairs of the province, more particularly with regard to the
strategically important Gwadar Port. In this way, the Americans intend
blocking the legitimate Chinese attempts at having easier access to the world
from this side. It is a matter of great shame that our leaders are facilitating
the Americans designs not only against Pakistan, but also its closest allies,
rather then preventing them to do so.
Whether it is the turbulent Karachi, where Mr Munter also expressed
the wish of the US the other day to play a role to sort things out, or the
mineral-rich, strategically located Balochistan, where certain disaffected
elements are disturbing the peace, the government should itself play a
proactive role in restoring peace. We have had enough of the US help and
cooperation; there is plenty of evidence spread over 63 years of
Pakistans existence to establish how harmful it has been. We need no
more of it. The Americans had better leave us alone now!

REVIEW
Pakistan was employed by the US as regular labour in war on terror
and it has been performing mostly the dirty and thankless errands after
having been lured with prestigious sounding status of non-NATO ally. At
times the work was got done through coercion.
Since the beginning of this year Pakistan Army and ISI have tried to
be selective in accepting the assignments. This has annoyed the employer,
who has downgraded their status from regular to casual labour. This means
there will be no fixed periodic payment of emoluments.
The payments will now be worked out with the help of performance
chart on rates determined by the employer. This act of relegation has not
been well received by the Army and ISI, but Zardari-led democratic setup
wont mind working as casual labour as long as some dollars keep trickling
into their palms.
This downgrading of status could be the first step of the process of
degeneration of bilateral ties as was evident from the annual report on the
war for the Year 2010. Pakistan, which has been receiving appreciations for
its contributions to the war on terror, has been declared terrorists heaven.
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Meanwhile, US media, of course encouraged by the US

administration, has upped the ante of Pakistan-bashing. It accused Pakistan
of providing access to the infamous tail of US Stealth helicopter. The report
was denied by China and ISPR, but Zardari regime has remained silent for
reasons too obvious. Pakistans Chinese friends should have told the
Americans that they were provided the access, but not allowed to lift the tail.
Amid spate of bad news about acts and neglects of the regime there
has been surprise good news. President issued two orders aiming at
reforming the administration of FATA. Presidential orders, which have been
long awaited, would facilitate integration of tribal area with rest of the
country.
21st August, 2011

DREAM RELATIONS
The period under review began with the Saint (Gilani) oozing with
confidence after the strategy of the Scoundrel (Zardari) had succeeded in
extracting a favourable verdict from the apex court on the issue of transfers
1320

of bureaucrats. In spite of that the regime did not stop maligning the
Judiciary.
Defiance of court orders continued vehemently. Zafar Qureshi was
reinstated but his first attempt to enter CIA Lahore office was foiled. Then
Rehman Malik graciously granted him the permission, but he found his
investigating team and case files missing. Meanwhile, Hussain Asghar was
kept captive by Gilgit-Baltistan government, which is a new addition to the
operatives of the Scoundrel.
On political front, since appointment of Wassan as Home Minister of
Sindh PPP-MQM affairs have turned into dream relations. He has been
having all kinds of dreams about MQM. The relations, however, have had
touch of a sex scandal rather than a love affair. And, each time MQM has
returned without going through obligatory hilala.
With the setting in of Ramazan the political mafias backed by secular
and moderate parties pursuing reconciliatory politics indulged in rampant
bloodshed in Karachi. More than hundred, mostly innocent, have been killed
while political bargaining between PPP and MQM continued in Islamabad
and Karachi.

NEWS
On 1st August, Sohail Ahmad was posted as secretary Narcotic
Control; the regime thinks he had obeyed court orders under influence of the
drug called honesty. PML-N members of National Assembly and Senate met
with Nawaz Sharif in the chair and decided to vehemently oppose any
resolution that the government tried to bring against the judiciary and
considered tabling a resolution for independence of judiciary. The party also
issued a White Paper on defiance of court verdicts by the government.
Contrary to apprehensions of the most observers, the government
tabled no resolution related to the Supreme Court in the National Assembly
and instead Gilani in his address bubbled with confidence and he vowed to
protect democracy, constitution, judiciary and bureaucracy; all these have
been bashed by the regime in the recent past.
The Supreme Court took up the petition filed by Chaudhry
Muhammad Aslam, former protocol officer of Benazir, in which he had
prayed for registration of FIR against Rehman Malik and Babar Awan in
murder case of Benazir for they had taken away the reserve vehicle. He had

1321

earlier filed similar petition in LHC. The court sought from the AG reports
of Scotland Yard, UN Commission and Police in two weeks.
Twenty-six people were killed and ten vehicles, six shops and a hotel
were burnt. Opposition parties staged walkout from National Assembly to
protest governments apathy over killings in Karachi and Quetta. HRCP
report alleged involvement of political leaders in the violence in Karachi.
Next day, ten more people were killed in Karachi. Rehman Malik
once again promised action against those involved in killings and ordered
aerial surveillance of the city. FC troops were given police powers. The
regime also converted the law and order issue into a prize winning scheme;
kill a criminal and get handsome prizes.
Altaf gave 48 hours to the government for restoring peace. He asked
people to buy one months ration as the government has failed to restore
peace. MQM members walked out in Parliament after terming the killings in
Karachi a massacre. MQM decided not to join AJK government. Meanwhile,
bail application of Hamid Saeed was rejected.
On 3rd August, Altaf Hussain in his telephonic address asked Army to
come to Karachi and restore order in the mega city. He also urged
international community to take note of the situation in Karachi and put
pressure on those who are responsible for stopping the bloodshed. For a
change he and his party leaders have forgotten to call Karachi as our city;
this is a significant achievement of Zardari.
Sindh cabinet met in Presidency with Zardari in chair to deliberate
over situation in Karachi. In all three meetings were held during the day.
Sindhi politicians decided that to impose presidential rule in the province
by imposing restriction on CM and let Zardari do all the talking.
Shujaat proposed all parties conference for formulating a plan. PMLN demanded briefing of parliamentarians by various heads of intelligence
agencies. Tehreek-e-Insaf demanded for governor rule in Sindh province
owing the violence in Karachi. Foreign Minister of Commonwealth
telephoned Ishrat and commended his and Altafs efforts for peace in
Karachi.
The Supreme Court took notice of non-compliance of its orders
seeking de-notification of PCO judges and fixed hearing of the case for 5 th
August. According to the Supreme Court the second FIR can be lodged in
the Benazir Bhuttos assassination case.

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Next day, a word from British foreign ministry drove sense into
warring parties in Karachi as no major violent incident was reported, except
killing of two persons including a policeman. Fazulr Rehman opposed Army
deployment while PPP and PML-N resorted to mud-slinging in the National
Assembly during debate on Karachi. Rehman Malik said no minister was
involved in targeted killings in Karachi. Sindhi nationalists condemned Altaf
Hussains speech and he apologized if he had hurt anyone in his yesterdays
telephonic speech. PPP suspended Enver Baigs basic party membership for
working against party interests.
On 5th August, the Supreme Court had directed to issue the
notification for the removal of PCO judges. Babar Awan, representing the
Law Secretary, said Prime Minister was busy in other issues, especially
Karachi violence. Chief Justice said: The government was trying to
undermine the authority of the court. Babar Awan requested that two days
should be given to issue the notification; that was granted.
Charging the PPP with unleashing a massacre in Karachi, Farooq
Sattar demanded the government to form a judicial commission to
investigate the events surrounding targeted killings in the port city. He
presented list of 500 criminals in the NA. Later, Zardari called Ishrat to
Islamabad amid rumours of yet another patch up between PPP and MQM.
He was not asked to attend conferences held in Presidency to discuss
situation in Karachi, which appeared to be exclusively PPP affair.
PML-Q submitted a resolution in Punjab Assembly secretariat
regarding Saraiki province. PML-N held a meeting with Nawaz in chair and
decided to oppose creation of new provinces on ethnic and linguistic basis
and support it for administrative reasons all over the country. Gilani said
consultations with stakeholders on the issue were on. Meanwhile, Bashir
Bilours ministry got Rs11 billion for his excellent performance as Minister
Pakistan Railways. OGRA hiked LPG price by Rs9 per kg.
Next day, twelve more people were killed in Karachi. Ishrat held
meetings with PPP leaders, including Babar Awan, Rehman Malik and Qaim
Ali to strike a deal using blood of innocent people as bargaining commodity.
In 12-hour marathon meeting the PPP agreed to reverse its administrative
orders and issued ordinance to restore local government system in Karachi
and Hyderabad.
Imran Khan kicked off his Hakomat Hatao, Mulk Bachao drive by
staging a sit-in in front of National Assembly building. Enver Baig resigned

1323

from basic membership of the PPP. Railway mulled stopping more train after
getting ten billion rupees grant.
On 7th August, ANP and Sindhi nationalists rejected restoration of LG
system in Karachi and Hyderabad and termed it first step towards division of
Sindh on linguistic basis. They party gave strike call for 8 th August. Zardari
intervened and third ordinance was issued restoring LG system in entire
Sindh; ANP welcomed the decision.
Speaker decided not to include PML-Qs resolution about Saraiki
province in the agenda of Punjab Assembly. Babar Awan warned against
blocking of the resolution. Javed Hashmi termed Saraiki province a far cry.
Shahbaz vouched for new provinces in all federating units. CH Balochistan
opposed the idea of new provinces. Deputy speaker on NA wanted inclusion
of D I Khan in Saraiki province.
Parliamentarians accused IB and Interior Ministry of bugging their
telephones. MNA Nausheen said IB is better equipped than ISI for this job
and she hinted at IBs possible involvement in Saleem Shehzads murder.
The regime at last de-notified PCO judges. Raja Riaz claimed Chaudhry
Nisar has deserted Sharifs. CNG price was increased by 13.55 percent.
Gilani formed a committee on unscheduled power outages. Four people were
killed in Karachi.
Next day, the Supreme Court declared Zafar Qureshis suspension
order void ab initio and ordered him to resume investigations of NICL scam
with a warning to DG FIA to refrain from interfering in investigations. The
court also appointed Justice Rabbani to inquire into media campaign that
was aimed at maligning the Supreme Court, apportion blame and
recommend action.
In a conference held in Rawalpindi Corps commanders expressed
concern over security situation in Karachi, but expressed satisfaction with
steps taken by the government. Rehman Malik met Ishrat in Governor House
and he announced that non-computerized arms licences would become
invalid after 31st August. Five people were killed.
PML-N demanded commission on new provinces to be created on the
basis of broad-based formula applicable to whole of country. The party
rejected division on ethnic basis. All parties except PTI rejected this
proposal. Shutter-down strike was observed in interior Sindh over
somersaults of the regime over LG system on the call of nationalist parties.

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On 9th August, six people were killed in Karachi; PPP MNAs decried
the killings. Nationalist parties of Sindh met on the platform of National
Front and decided to resist Zardari-led PPPs attempt to divide Sindh.
Another strike was called for August 13. ANP walked put of NA to protest
restoration of LG system in Sindh. ANP demanded division of Balochistan.
PML-Z submitted a resolution for Bahawalpur province.
Next day, four people were killed in Karachi. Zardari met separately
with Chaudhry Shujaat Fazlur Rehman and exchanged views with them on
the political situation in the country. Zardari took them on board over PPPs
decision to restore LG system.
Almost all the Federal Ministers from Sindh raised strong voices
against unilateral decisions of the government to tackle the political as well
as law and order issues in Sindh with particular reference to Karachi with
Prime Minister in the cabinet meeting. Zafar Ali Shah said Rehman Malik
and Babar Awan were not acceptable in Sindh.
Shahbaz met Gilani and discussed issues of electricity and education.
Government mulled opting for review petition on Zafar Qureshis
reinstatement. Zafar would complete investigation of NICL case before his
retirement on September 30.
On 11th August, Fauzia Bihram of PPP and Noor Niazi of MMA
clashed in Punjab Assembly over partition of Punjab when resolution on
Punjab Assembly was not entertained. Later, two resolutions were submitted
in secretariat for creation of Thal and Bahawalpur provinces. ANP MNAs
walked out of Assembly over LG system in Sindh. PML-N and PML-Q
(Likeminded) agreed on forming political alliance. Two persons were killed
and five wounded when police opened fire at affectees of Hunza Lake. Five
people were killed in Karachi.
Next day, five more were killed in Karachi; Rehman Malik said
enemies in FATA were fueling unrest. National Assembly constituted
committee on Karachi and Balochistan. Gilgit-Baltistan government refused
to relieve IGP Hussain Asghar in defiance of the court order, of course in
connivance with the federal government, to cause delay in investigation of
Haj scam. Three account holders involved in NICL scam disappeared; it was
feared they have been murdered to protect the future prime minister of
Pakistan, Moonis Elahi.
On 13th August, Zafar Qureshi was pre-empted from holding the
meeting he had called for in FIA office in Lahore. Bomb hoax was raised
and offices closed for scanning. If the war on terror could be exploited to
1325

come into power by striking NRO deal why cant bomb hoax could be used
to save future prime minister of Pakistan from the courts.
Nationalist parties observed strike and held protest rallies across
Sindh. In Karachi, one of the rallies was fired upon. One person was killed
and several wounded; in all ten persons were killed and eight vehicles burnt
in the mega city. Amin Fahim stated before the ATC that sun room latch was
opened on the suggestion of Safdar Abbasi. Shahbaz said in a public
gathering that he was getting life threats from Zardari. Nisar threatened to
quit PAC.
Next day, Safdar Abbasi termed the statement of Amin Fahim given in
the ATC as a lie; he said he never opened or suggested to open the larch of
sun-room of Benazirs vehicle. Rehman Malik ruled that Zafar Qureshi who
has been reinstated by the Supreme Court may be allowed to use FIA offices
in Lahore as the message has been conveyed as to who is the supreme; he or
the apex court. The regime generously distributed civil awards amongst
party leaders and its allies.
On 15th August, following the precedent set by Qasim Mosque in
moon-sighting, a section of red-cappers of KPK decided to hold flaghoisting ceremony on August 15, coinciding with the Indian Independence
Day. The ceremony was postponed after widespread criticism.
Zafar Qureshi was allowed to enter the premises of FIA as directed by
Rehman Malik not on Supreme Court orders but only one out of five
members of his investigation team was available to him and the case files
also went missing. Rehman Malik ordered JIT formation on bomb hoax in
FIA Lahore building.
Petition was filed for contempt cases against Prime Minister and
Rehman Malik for not posting back Hussain Asghar as ordered by the apex
court. Nisar criticized Zardari for dolling out civil awards within PPP and its
allies. Wassan had another dream that MQM ministers were staging a
comeback as five more people were killed.
Next day, Zafar Qureshi informed the Supreme Court that he was told
a day before that there would be bomb alarm; when the court asked DG he
denied knowing about that. The court asked him if knew that false alarm is
cognizable offence and ordered action against the concerned official. The
court made DG FIA part of Zafars team, cancelled leave of all the officers
of investigation team and sought record in the court. Meanwhile, Ishrat met
Zardari and Gilani to iron out final details for the return of MQM to

1326

Zardaris political haram. Nawazs statement about similarities of Muslims

and Hindus was widely criticized.
On 17th August, DG FIA produced the case record before the bench
hearing NICL case. He also informed the court that he would resign rather
than working under a junior as directed; Chief Justice told him not threaten
and approach appropriate authority for resignation and till then start working
as ordered. Later in the day DG FIA resigned.
When asked about bomb hoax, DG said he has not been able to find
the facts. The court then asked Director FIA Lahore, Waqar Haider who said
it was reported by AD Khwaja Hammad. He in turn let the cat out of bag and
told the court that he was instructed not to allow Zafar enter office because
there was lot of pressure from the top. The court ordered formal report
during next hearing to proceed further for taking appropriate action against
culprits.
The court also said that Zafar would continue working on the case
even after his retirement due next month. Babar Awan as counsel of Moonis
Elahi moved the court against Zafar Qureshi about impartiality as
investigation officer because he had received threats from Moonis.
Raja Karim, a former PPP MNA, was among 15 killed in Karachi.
Nabeel Gabol said the mega city was in the grip of anarchy. He alleged that
leaders of political parties oversee the land grabbing. According to his
observation Wassan was having so many dreams because he sleeps most of
the time. ANP and JI invitees did not attend iftar-dinner at Nine Zero.
DCC met and mulled urgent steps to quell militancy one of which
was to set up National Crime Data. It was not known whether corruption
would be included in the list of crimes. Nawaz demanded early polls. Death
in Police custody sparked riots in Layyah. Zardari granted remission to
prisoners; welfare of criminals has been the hallmark of his regime.
Next day, 35 people were killed and more than thirty were kidnapped
in Karachi; Gilani ordered indiscriminate action against troublemakers;
Zardari summoned Sindh ministers to his den in Islamabad and Rehman
Malik was sent to the city to add insult to the injuries. In Islamabad, Gilani
responded to Nawazs demand and said elections would be held on time.
Amir Sohail was inducted in PML-N; observers saw it as move to counter
Imran Khan. Some PML-N activists in Wazirabad joined PML-Q.
On 19th August, 23 more people perished in Karachi which has been
the scene of democracy extracting the best of revenge since the return of the
1327

Scoundrel. In one of the incidents late at night a bus carrying police

reinforcements was attacked killing five and wounding 40 others.
At mid-day, Rehman Malik claimed bring peace back to the city
saying that no one has been killed since mid-night and only 12 dead bodies
were recovered. He also claimed getting freed 16 kidnapped persons. His
boss held a meeting in Islamabad and formed a committee to suggest
measures to bring situation under control.
In the evening, two scoundrels talked on telephone and the one
speaking from London complained about leaking of intelligence reports in
which his gang was named for targeted killings and the other from
Islamabad asked him to join the government. Both of them agreed to keep
the Army away from democratic revenge.
Next day, seven people were killed in Karachi. Rehman Malik
claimed arresting more than hundred target killers. He promised to bring
those before the media. PPP and MQM held intensive consultations,
considered various options and decided to maintain status quo and tackle the
situation politically. General Kayani said Army is ready to help
government on Karachi.
On 21st August, eleven more people were killed in Karachi as
bargaining between MQM and PPP continued for the control of the mega
city. Gilani ruled out army action and arrived in the city to chair a meeting
which was boycotted by MQM and ANP. Nationalist parties in Sindh
demanded early elections.

VIEWS
On 2nd August, TheNation wrote: In the face of clear evidence to the
contrary, Mr Gilani claimed that his government had implemented, in letter
and spirit, all decisions of the apex judiciary and would do so in the future.
In support of it, he pointed to the views of recently retired judge of the
Supreme Court, Justice Javed Iqbal, who is reported to have said that the
government complied with the court directives. Without naming it, the
Prime Minister focused on taking to task the major opposition party
PML-N ruling Punjab for its acts, which he perceived as in stark
violence of law. He repeatedly came back to it for its transgressions that he
maintained his party had committed. Mr Gilani declared that the government
would protect democracy, the Constitution and the judiciary.

1328

But this was not the first time the Prime Minister has shown
respect to the judiciary and claimed his government was fully
implementing its verdicts while according to PML-Ns record it has flouted
17 SCs decisions so far. There is, therefore, little chance that this time
around he would honour his commitment. Earlier, President PML-N Mian
Nawaz Sharif held a press conference in which he said that his party had
decided to defend the judiciary and charged the government with trying to
use Parliament to hide its billions of rupees of corruption but his party would
give it tough time. He praised the Supreme Court for taking notice of the
rampant corruption in the country.
While, no doubt, the Prime Ministers words have temporarily cooled
down the situation to some extent, things would most likely heat up again
when another corruption case comes up before the court. The relief,
therefore, is only for a short while. And since buying time is the
governments principal objective to enable it to complete its term, it
would not mind showing respect to the judiciary, asserting it would
obey its orders and, at the same time, doing everything possible to evade
compliance. It must not forget that nothing could be more damaging to
democracy and, indeed, the state.
Two days later the newspaper added: The killings in Karachi go on.
With eight more killed on Tuesday, the toll over the last two days reached
36. To add a different element to the situation, MQM chief Altaf Hussain,
according to a private TV channel, has called on followers in the city, which
his party counts as a stronghold, to store a months rations. This has created
scare all over the city. The situation is grave and needs to be handled with
due care. Meanwhile, the Sindh government gave police powers to the
Frontier Constabulary as well, while both Rangers and police patrolled the
city. Altafs statement on the face of it represented a cop-out, a refusal
by the MQM to take any responsibility for the situation even though it
had withdrawn the resignation of its Sindh Governor, and thus paved the
way for the return of its federal and provincial ministers, who had also
tendered their resignations.
The crisis as in Karachi should be intolerable for the government
even if it was happening in a remote and isolated part of the country. It is
even more intolerable when it occurs in the countrys most populous city, its
financial and industrial capital, and its sole port. The government should
involve all the stakeholders in the process of seeking peace in the city,
including political parties, both in and out of government, as well as other
civil society organizations. There will remain another aspect, which can only
1329

be covered if the culprits are not just arrested, but also brought to trial and
punished. The IGP Sindh may have told the Sindh Chief Minister in a
meeting that 91 target killers had been arrested, admitting 191 target killings,
but catching them is not enough. They have to be tried and convicted, to
break the image of impunity they have earned.
The federal government also must not think that it has done its duty
by sending Interior Minister Rehman Malik to the city to hold meetings and
issue loud but empty promises of peace in days. The situation there is
intolerable, and it is about time that a thorough investigation of foreign
involvement was made. There are too many enemies of the country for this
aspect to be ignored. And this is an aspect where the federal government,
which is directly in charge of foreign relations, is solely responsible,
whereas its responsibility for law and order is also there, as a failsafe for the
provincial government. It should always remember that this problem
cannot be cozily sorted out within the coalition, but needs all parties to
work together to end the bloodshed.
On 5th August, the newspaper commented: That the gun-trotting
enemies of peace have for years been ruling Karachi without any serious
effort being made to restore sanity, which should prove lasting, is giving
sleepless nights to the people. Karachi, once the thriving port town and
commercial and business centre of Pakistan, now presents a picture of
desolation, with deaths daily raining on the citizens; anyone daring to go out
of the house risks being shot dead. According to a conservative estimate, the
total death toll this year alone is well over one thousand. The people are now
raising questions about the wisdom of the ruling political setup to bring the
culprits to book and put an end to the mayhem, especially as they are
convinced that activists of their own parties are involved. It is of no less
concern that the disturbed situation serves as a fertile ground to exploit
for foreign agencies interested in keeping the country in a state of chaos and
uncertainty.
One would have liked the leaders of different political parties, with
stakes in the metropolis, to put their heads together to work out a permanent
solution. Peace thus arrived at would also serve them best. But, having failed
to do that they are opting to invite the military to control the situation,
something they had best avoided. However, since peace is paramount for
restoring normal life and revitalizing the economy, the government should
straightaway be calling upon the army to take charge of the citys law
and order. Now, the MQM and PML-Q have joined other political parties
the PPP, the ANP in demanding that the army should be called in.
1330

President Zardari, who has been authorized by the coalition partners in the
Sindh government to decide upon the future course of action to meet this
blood-soaked challenge, should act swiftly. Any lull in the situation cannot
hide the existence of the bands of killers; without bringing them to justice
there is little likelihood of achieving lasting peace.
At this critical moment one expects political leaders not to lose their
cool and keep restraint while making any comment in order that things
might not get worsened. It is, therefore, surprising to hear a person of the
political acumen and stature of Altaf Hussain talk of Sindhis as slaves of
banias (Hindu businessmen) in the past. Similarly, his plea to the Indian
leaders, that in case of discrimination against muhajirs, a term applied to
Urdu-speaking migrants to Pakistan who were forced to leave their hearth
and home in India under most trying circumstances at partition, to
accommodate them is not only misplaced, but also raises needless alarm.
Since he is also calling for the military to intervene, and it must be stressed
that the military has, undoubtedly, a national outlook, a situation of
discrimination is not likely to arise. There can be no question, though, about
his remark that muhajirs, have been here since then, and that they are as
much citizens of this country as anyone else.
Next day, Inayatullah wrote: The irony of it all is that the Karachi
administration is in the hands of the political party, which, along with its
coalition partners, wields power at the national level. The government, thus,
has all the federal and provincial resources at its command. But all that is
seen by way of response, however, is the holding of meetings and the issue
of a string of statements, which carry little weight. The Interior Minister
makes an appearance on the scene and with mock seriousness playing on his
face, and announces yet another round of induction of the paramilitary
forces. They play their unwholesome part and then fade away. The debate
in Parliament does some time take place, but peters out after a slanging
match of inflammatory incriminations: A lot of hot air with little light at
the end of the day.
In this blighted country, attention keeps shifting from one crisis to
another. And these crises keep continuing all the time. They coexist in all
kinds and shapes. You name it, and you find it here social, cultural,
economic, judicial and political; grievous problems and more problems, but
with little solutions. Suddenly, Balochistan hits the headlines. Sabotage,
clashes, disappearances and killings become the tragic concern of the day.
Reports, editorials, and political statements litter the print media. Anchors on
the TV channels collect fiery protagonists and make them talk furiously.
1331

After years of such unproductive exchange of virtual fire, the public is

beginning to be fed up with these shows.
Take another continuing crisis: The defiance of the higher judiciary
by the federal government. Call it patience or extraordinary restraint on the
part of the Supreme Court, the government has mastered the art of defiance
of its orders by resorting to delays, procedural complications and preverification. As a part of the latest tactics, not only has it not complied with
the court directive to de-notify PCO judges, it has taken to questioning the
legality of the order itself. (You can indeed wake up a sleeping person.
However, can you do it with a person, who is wide awake but is pretending
to be asleep?) A former Chief Justice of Pakistan says that he is
surprised at the governments bull-headed attitude and for this
defiance. That is a clear case of contempt for which the apex court should
issue a notice to the government asking for an explanation.
My citation of the above mentioned conduct of the government
clearly brings out the unfortunate fact that in this country the custodians of
law and order themselves do not believe in the rule of law. And law is
what the highest court of the country lays down. Possibly, the worst
demonstration of the disregard for laws and rules is to be found in the way
merit has been mutilated
With the three coalition partners in government all the time wanting
to protect and add to their turfs in the city of Karachi, one can imagine how
the law enforcement agencies have been manipulated to further partisan
interests. Frequent changes of personnel and mutual bickerings among the
political parties have played havoc with the department. To expect that this
agency could, or would deal fairly with the people of the city or effectively
control the local land, drug and other mafias, would be utterly unrealistic.
Add to this situation, the known fact of unhindered issue of licences of even
prohibited arms to millions of people, during the last few years. One hears,
off and on, talk about de-weaponization in Karachi
One thing is clear now. The present rulers cannot manage or control
the situation in Karachi. Altaf Hussains call to the military may not be the
best option, but something drastic needs to be done. The Sindh government
needs to be wound up and replaced by a neutral and competent cabinet.
One of the first tasks of this interim government should be to put the
administrative house in order; the first priority being the purging of the
police, of undesirable characters, induction of personnel on merit and putting
the right man at the right place. It is good that the DCOs and Commissioners
1332

have been brought back. Honest and competent hands should hold these
offices. A cleansing and consolidating exercise should be followed by the
preparations for new elections. An equally vital step would be the
appointment of an independent Election Commission headed by an
experienced and courageous Supreme Court judge or an outstanding retired
civil servant (as has been the case in India). The army need not come, but a
meaningful nod from Kayani is called for.
On 8th August, Ikramullah opined: The issue of the creation of new
provinces at the moment appears to be less governed by administrative
compulsion and more by political goals with an eye on the next general
election. Anyhow, all the national and regional political parties are preparing
to cash maximum votes in their favour in case the new provinces in Punjab
(Saraiki) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Hazara) are created. Meanwhile, MQM
will be more than happy to have an administrative arrangement placing
Karachi under their control without disturbing the present setup. As for
Balochistan, there is no demand for the division of the province.
As far as the federal government is concerned, they will be relieved
if the focus on Karachi, including handing it over to the army, is
diverted to the debate on the creation of new provinces. There could be
no better way for Islamabad to divert attention from the deteriorating law
and order situation and bloodbath in the city of lights, while the police and
Frontier Corps battles with the mysterious mess in the Sindh capital.
Next day, TheNation commented: As the Sindh governments earlier
decision to restore the local government system in Karachi and Hyderabad
alone, leaving the rest of the province to be governed under the
commissionerate system, came in for severe criticism from the ANP and
Sindhi nationalist parties, it had second thoughts and rushed to introduce
LGs all over the province. Apparently, the government realized the intensity
of the reaction and the oddness of running two different administrative
systems in the same federating unit and Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah
had an ordinance immediately drafted and then himself took it to the
Governor after midnight on Monday. The Governor, after discussing the
matter with him, issued an ordinance to that effect, which became public
around 03.00am. Thus, the commissionerate system remained in force in the
province only for 28 days. In first introducing LGs in Karachi and
Hyderabad and later covering the entire Sindh, the PPP did not consider it
worthwhile to consult the ANP, an important coalition partner both at the
centre and the province. In these twists and turns, the present PPP
leadership demonstrated, once again, its tendency to pursue policies on
1333

an ad hoc basis, going along with a particular party when it suited its
interests, but when the situation took a different turn it would not hesitate to
jettison that party and opt for another partys recipe for a particular problem.
The sole aim to remains in power!
Interestingly, the issue of most critical nature for which all this
process of reconciliation had begun was to bring peace to the troubled city of
Karachi. There seems to be no talk of it at all now, unfortunately, while
the cycle of killings continues. The handing over of Karachi to the army to
control the law and order situation and deweaponize he city, the only
solution to which all the parties had agreed after other means had failed,
seems to have been dropped by the wayside. Both the PPP and the MQM
need to explain their positions to the anxious public, particularly the latter
since in the last round of upsurge in target killing it was a vociferous
complainant that its workers were being indiscriminately targeted.
Both the ANP and the nationalist parties are opposed either to the
introduction of LG system in Karachi and Hyderabad or to the whole of
Sindh; for, in their view, commissionerates served the interests of the people
better. There were shutter-down and strikes in the interior of the province in
response to the nationalists call and gherao of PPP Ministers and leaders
houses, accompanied by a flurry of activity to block the latest measure.
ANPs provincial and central leaders are putting their heads together to
decide the future course of action, but they intend to insist on retaining
commissionerates and have restrained their Minister in the provincial cabinet
from working till the issue is resolved in their favour. But the big question
is the wanton deaths in Karachi, and unless the government sincerely and
wholeheartedly addresses this problem, neither the people would have the
satisfaction of peace, nor the government could function smoothly, the LGs
or no LGs.
On 12th August, the newspaper added: In a classic display of bad
governance, the PPP-led ruling political setup at the Centre has been shying
away from dealing with the basic problems of the people and, instead,
raising those issues that are of little relevance to the conditions of today.
These issues, certainly, are of no concern to the man in the street and
can wait for better times to be taken up. And all this to divert the peoples
attention from the real issues! For instance, as Karachi continues to bleed
profusely, with the leadership failing to get the hang of it, it turns to
peripheral matters to hide the shame of incompetence from the public. Little
does it realize that in this age of awareness the media and the Internet its
weaknesses stand roundly exposed. Besides, the problems that affect the
1334

people every minute the mounting inflation, rank insecurity, paucity of

medical aid, poor schooling, virtually no public transport, debilitating
shortage of power in this hot and humid climate have dampened their
desires for the so-called higher things of life; they remain involved in
keeping body and soul together. They are interested only in solutions of
these issues, and not whether there are commissionerates or local bodies; in
Karachis specific case, their first priority is peace and security.
The PPPs new fad, creating a Seraiki province, has opened
floodgates of demands for carving out more provinces out of the existing
ones. The rowdy scenes witnessed on the floor of the Punjab Assembly
yesterday, where this issue came up, constitute a standing shame for the
public representatives, who in democratic order virtually hold the fate of
the nation in their hands. An understanding approach and sobriety in
debating vital issues is of essence. It is a great pity that the myopic wish of
the rulers to stay in power has opened this Pandoras Box, which is nothing
but the eagerness of local leadership to have the perks and privileges of
power. If the calls for new provinces, on linguistic, ethnic or administrative
grounds, were to be positively answered, we would see all the existing four
broken into different units, whose running would further burden the
exchequer that has already reached the breaking point. The whole idea is a
non-starter.
What the rulers should at present be wholeheartedly addressing
is the frightening situation in Karachi. With the people laced with lethal
arms, both provincial and federal governments are finding it hard to restore
peace. The Sindh government has shown its inability to implement the
Interior Ministers decision, announced before the media, that all licences
would expire by September 30 and need renewal. The leadership does not
have the courage to go either for the option to call the army to quell violence
or for a thorough campaign to de-weaponize the city. With the main
contentious points unresolved, there is little chance that any lull in target
killing could prove lasting!
Next day, Anjum Niaz wrote: Take note of what a Swiss Bank
insider, recently retired, says: Pakistan is a poor country but Pakistanis are
not. According to him 28 trillion (28,000,000,000,000) of Pakistan rupees
are deposited in Swiss Banks. A Pakistani tells me if our rulers were to
bring back their money and invest it in Pakistan, the next 30 year
budget will be tax free; we can generate 6o million jobs; we can build four
lane roads from any village to Islamabad; we can ensure forever free supply
to more than 500 social projects; we can provide Rs20,000 per month as
1335

financial assistance to deserving citizens for 60 years; we can end our

dependence on the World Bank and IMF loans. Failure to get the loot back
by the Supreme Court and the khakis is the reality on the eve of our 64 th
Independence Day.
Babar Sattar opined: It is about time we realize that while the elites
might have led our country astray to begin with, the society at large has
acquiesced in living within a predatory state and acquiring a predatory
character to survive and thrive. Our parochial instincts, insular vision and
lop-sided priorities are transforming our state and society into an
inhospitable place for our future generations. And individual fortune, success
and effort might not be sufficient to confront the challenges created for the
value set of our children by depraved communal ethics and public morality.
The cost of supporting reckless policies and hedonism in Pakistan is not all
tangible and that much of the damage it is causing might be irreparable.
Old man Roedad Khan kept coaxing Pakistanis to act. This is one of
those moments in history when all that is needed is for someone to push
open the door. I have no doubt that the present corrupt political system
would disappear in a violent upheaval since it carries within it the seed of its
own destruction. At this moment, when the nation is standing on the
escalator of corruption and anarchy, right-minded citizens cannot afford to
stand frozen in disgust and dismay. We cannot merely look upon the political
developments in sorrow and upon our politicians in anger.
Why is there no outpouring of revulsion and anger towards these
corrupt rulers? Our people are good at being long-suffering and patient,
but not very good at being angry. Now they are really getting very angry.
Public disgust has risen to epic levels. Anger is wafting across the country.
Indignation will soon lead to action. When hunger and anger come together,
people, sooner or later, take to the streets and demonstrate Lenins maxim
that in such situations voting with citizens feet is more effective than voting
in elections. When the indignation begin occupying Jinnah Avenue, in front
of parliament or on Constitution Avenue opposite the Supreme Court, the
wheel of history will be set in motion. Things will begin to change.
The ossified political parties are out of sync with the spirit and
essence of times and are fast becoming irrelevant. There is a vacuum
awaiting a star who has both integrity and credibility. Destiny is
beckoning Imran Khan, a whirlwind of a leader, harbinger of change, a
man of unbounded vitality. More and more people are looking up to him to
deliver shock therapy to the corrupt, encrusted, two-party duopoly running
1336

the show in Pakistan. Today, he alone has that passion burning within him
that will unleash people power and set the nation alight. Hopefully, he will
lance the poisoned carbuncle and clean the country of all the mess. Mark my
words, he is destined to change the political landscape of Pakistan.
On 18th August, Matthew Green commented on situation in Karachi.
The government response to the current outbreak has a repetitive feel.
As usual, Islamabad has ordered paramilitary rangers to sweep
neighbourhoods in search of perpetrators. Talks have been held with city
politicians. Rewards have been offered for mobile phone pictures of
suspects. But most believe it is only a matter of time before the next bout of
killing.
There is another side to Karachi. Say goodbye to split ends in 14
days promise banners advertising shampoo, appealing to a growing middle
class. Well-heeled diners pay Rs300 ($3.50) to enter the eateries at the new
Port Grand mall, developed on a forgotten patch of seafront. Bloodshed
may shut shops for a day but the city never pauses for long.
Such resilience is the citys greatest asset. The question is whether its
wells of tolerance run as deep. A unified, thriving Karachi would be a
beacon of hope for a more peaceful Pakistan. For now, the chasms
dividing the city, and the country, grow a little deeper with each freshly dug
grave.
Why distance does not matter for the citys most potent electoral
force. In the cut-throat world of Karachi politics, one man reigns supreme.
Altaf Hussain, head of the MQM, exerts an almost mesmerizing hold
over his followers. His feat is all the more remarkable because he has not
set foot in the city in 20 years.
Operating from a house in north London, he addresses rallies in
Karachi by telephone. Tens of thousands sit cross-legged in rapt silence as
his voice is broadcast from 4,000 miles away. Party lieutenants bestow gifts
on newlyweds in his name. Altafs acolytes defend his absence by pointing
to the fate of Benazir Bhutto. His philosophy is enshrined in a zigguratshaped monument adorned with a sculpture of a fist and the slogan:
Distance does not matter.
Personality cults are a staple of Pakistani politics but the MQM
phenomenon is unique MQMs white-collar activists view their party
as a bulwark of secularism against the extremism. Espousing a middleclass work ethic, they believe the MQM can serve as an antidote to the
deadening grip of Pakistans feudal-style politics.
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To its critics, the party is more akin to a crime syndicate. With its
history of internecine violence, it is blamed for the deaths of hundreds of
opponents. Some residents say that thugs enforce protection rackets to fill its
coffers and that some members are in cahoots with land-grabbers and
worse.
As the rival Awami National party has gained strength through an
inflow of Pashtun migrants, the MQM has become embroiled in a bloody
and ethnically tinged power struggle ANP activists are convinced that
the MQM wants to deny the Pashtun a rightful share of power but
demography, they say, is on their side. One of my colleagues has eight boys.
Even if six are killed, two will survive, says Bashir Jan, a senior ANP
official. I have seven children, he adds, and laughs.
Mowahid Hussain Shah wrote: Thanks to venal elite, the colonial
method of divide and rule is today re-emerging as divide and loot. In 1971, it
cost half the nation. In 2011, the perils of ethno-nationalism, tribalism, and
provincialism are risking the rest of what is left. It is being witnessed during
the month of Ramazan in August, exactly 64 years after Pakistan was created
during Ramazan in August 1947. It is a plot to divide and destabilize
Pakistan by trying to sub-fragment it.
The real threat to the nation comes from its own autocrats, who are
igniting ethnic emotions and fanning secessionist embers as a tool of
political manipulation. By doing so, it undermines the values of Muslim
nationhood and the founding vision of the Quaid and Allama Iqbal When
the rights of Pakistani citizenship are not empowered, then divisions along
ethnic, tribal, and lingual lines are easily enflamed. It fosters a dangerous
Us versus Them mentality
It is a misleading argument that one area is backward because
the other area is more advanced. Disparity often discounts factors of
culture, tradition, and geo-strategic placement. The island of Java, for
example, juts out in the 17,000-island nation of Indonesia.
Who then stands to benefit from the Balkanization of Pakistan? The
barracudas in the bureaucracy-cum-political oligarchy would like nothing
more than to subdivide the nation so that they can allocate lucrative
portfolios to themselves and their kith and kin. The problem is never
solved by robbing Peter to pay Paul. On the issue of timing; why now?
The sudden upsurge in playing the ethnic card seems orchestrated. The
quisling class, with its proven track record of opportunism and going with
the flow, has little hesitation in joining the jackals.
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What is wrong with the concept of one nation and one destiny? In
the Caribbean region, there are several small island nations mostly remote,
obscure, and insignificant. But only when they band together to play cricket
as one, under the banner of West Indies, do they become world-renowned.
An acclaimed documentary, Fire in Babylon, tells their inspirational story of
the collective fight for dignity and unity.
Bad leadership builds walls. Good leadership builds bridges.
Sovereignty can easily be eroded from within, through slow poisoning, but it
is harder to detect. It is much easier, however, to point at encroachment of
sovereignty by external forces.
The pitfalls of provincialism are not adequately weighed or vetted. It
can set the stage for more lethal conflicts. It marginalizes those not of
similar ethnicity, as the majority living in that province. It opens a can of
worms. In Pakistan, there is plenty of talk glorifying individual talent; but
very little about teamwork. A nation easily divisible by ethnic, lingual, or
tribal lines becomes a non-nation.
Next day, TheNation commented: Indifferent to the nations
agonizing groans, the cruelty of man continues to wreak havoc on Karachi,
cavalierly playing with the lives of its inhabitants and mercilessly putting
their belongings to the torch The death toll has kept growing. The loss,
immeasurable though as far as the worth of a single human being is
concerned, runs into millions, in material terms, when vehicles and houses
come crashing down, reduced to ashes. If nature is indifferent, no less
callous have been, and there lies the tragedy, the leadership in power, the
political parties enjoying control over the forces of violence the rioters
and influence in the governance of the city and, indeed, the custodians of
law and order. The stakeholders are engaged in political wheelingdealings, rushing from one meeting to another, settling terms of sharing
power that, in their terminology, goes for reconciliation. Nothing could be
more devastating to the soul, and nothing could be more shameful for the
rulers.
It is hard to draw a true picture of the blighted city as it exists at
present. One could imagine the dead bodies of active workers of rival
political parties or ethnic groups lying on street corners in an advanced stage
of putrefaction and shoved into gunny bags. An innocent passer-by, who had,
with some trepidation, stepped out of his house to shop for iftar for his
family, shot dead and sprawling on the roadside alongside a bleeding victim
of the cruel circumstances asking for help; a half-burnt corpse of a young
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college-going student, with his mind full of vague aspirations for life that, in
his blithe ignorance of the dangers accosting him at every turn, was cut short
and lying in the wreckage of the car he was driving; a poor bus driver,
perhaps the sole breadwinner of a family of seven, slumped over the steering
wheel of his minibus these must be common sights in the city that once
throbbed with life round the clock.
Yet, the rulers are looking at Karachi as if it was a distant place
of little concern to them. No gruesome tragedy, no criticism, no pleading
for life; nothing seems to move them. Their attitude would suggest that they
have lost the game; bringing peace is not within their power. Yet, as
everyone knows, all they have to do is to restrain the bands of party thugs
and, if they want us to believe that their parties do not harbour such
bloodthirsty goons, let Karachi be controlled by the Army.
On 20th August, the newspaper added: The only possible conclusion
that one can draw from the highly meaningful observations, It is not today
that Karachi has come to such a passall political parties have arms and
they are using it, is: There is nothing to worry about, killing each other
ruthlessly has been going on for long and is an accepted norm of the city, let
us relax and see, and if you have the blood of a murderer running
through your veins, enjoy, from the secure heights of power, the sight of
gangs mowing down their rivals. Karachi, after all, is a gangland, the murder
of 48 one day, 31 on the next and so on should not make anyone lose their
sleep. A perceptive reader, who has been keeping up with the brutal
developments taking place, unchecked, in Karachi, would not be surprised to
know that the words quoted above are of no less an authority than Manzoor
Wassan, the man especially put in charge of the preservation of law and
order in the province of Sindh and the security of life and property of the
people living there.
Thanks to Mr Wassan, the situation that has led most political
analysts to warn that it has reached the tipping point, but is so complicated
and no one could dare intervene has become clear. These analysts have
openly been saying that the gun-trotting gangs operating in the city
belong, mainly, to the three major political forces the PPP, the MQM
and the ANP and unless they decide to rein them in, there would be no
peace there. The pity is that no attempt is being made to put a halt to the
ongoing massacre, while the gangs have recently added rockets and hand
grenades to their arsenal and are throwing them at the living quarters of their
rivals, thus giving another dimension of indiscriminate murder to the game

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of target killing. Mutilated bodies dumped in gunny bags, however, would

continue to be found, as witnessed on Thursday.
It is pathetic to note the politicians with direct stake in Karachi
failing to move beyond holding meetings and telephoning each other,
with Prime Minister Gilani directing Interior Minister Malik to rush to
Karachi and maintaining that he has already issued instructions to Chief
Minister Shah and law-enforcement agencies to calm down the tempers.
This exercise has been going on for a long time, endlessly long for the
terror-stricken residents of the city. Strangely, the simple logic of restraining
their gangs and making them hand over their weapons to the law
enforcement agencies does not strike them, let alone cleansing the police
force of partisan elements and devising a mechanism that could ensure
lasting peace in the sprawling town that, alas!, was called the hub of
Pakistans industry and commerce in the now forgotten past.
Two days later, the newspaper commented: Talking to journalists on
Saturday, COAS Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani also said the army was willing
to go in if so ordered by the government. Therefore, it is the government Mr
Gilani heads, which is dragging its feet. One wonders how Mr Malik has
concluded that the city is peaceful, while people were killed on Saturday; yet
the government thinks the military should not be called in. It seems that the
government will go on refusing to accept any responsibility no matter how
many people are killed. Both federal and provincial governments need
reminding that the basic purpose of their existence is to provide security
to the masses, not ministerial perks and privileges for themselves, and if
that means using the last resort of the state, they should, especially when the
law enforcing agencies, including the paramilitary forces, do not seem to
have done anything to bring peace to the city.
The federal government will have to take tough decisions about
Karachi, including its de-weaponization, if it hopes to restore the peace
there. Mr Malik must be taken up on his claims that target killers have been
arrested. No doubt criminal gangs have played a role in providing the foot
soldiers in the current violence, but the brains must be sought among
those offering them protection, even if that means reaching into ruling
political parties.

REVIEW

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Karachi is in the grip of unprecedented bloodshed perpetrated not by

the obscurantist, religious extremists, Islamic fascists or savages, but by the
enlightened, democratic, secular and tolerant forces that the people have
been made to choose by the superpower. That implies that it cannot be
termed terrorism; at worst it can be called a fit of democratic revenge.
Zardari pursuing a policy derived from contradictory doctrines of
democracy is the best revenge and reconciliation has for the first time
confronted Altaf Hussain; an adversary of his repute and caliber. Both claim
ownership of Karachi as our city. Both have well established Dens in the
city Bilawal House and Nine Zero but they prefer to operate from distant
hideouts in Islamabad and London respectively.
The present row between the two that started during AJK elections in
which MQM revolted against the big brother of the ruling coalition forced
Pir Pagara to recognize Altaf Hussain as our pir. He was also impressed by
opportunism of Chaudhries of Gujrat and termed PML-Q Ali Baba and forty
thieves.
The two Dons made rapid moves and counter moves for the control of
Karachi for which MQM and PPP preferred different types of local
government systems. Apparently, the spate of ordinances issued about LG
system in Sindh happened to be a classic example of spit-and-lick habit; but
in fact Zardari seemed to have forced MQM to fall back to his haram of
coalition government.
Concurrently with reconciliatory moves the democratic revenge
continued with all the ferocity at the disposal of two sides. Targeted killings
and kidnappings followed by throwing of mutilated dead bodies in bags on
roadsides. MQM has the honour of introducing this form of exacting
revenge.
A day before the killings on 18th August, five dead bodies of PPP
supporters from Lyari were recovered and the manner in which Sharjeel
Memon described their condition on TV indicated the urge for revenge. In
less than 24 hours Urdu-speaking men were picked up from various places
and killed.
The two Dons never left their respective dens in London and
Islamabad. Both seemed absolutely unperturbed about the bloodshed and
occasionally summoned their gang members for feedback and to issue fresh
directives. Their concerns were evident from their telephone conversation;
one was perturbed about leaks of FIA and IB reports that pointed fingers

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towards his gang and the other asked him to return to the coalition
government.
This is dream situations for the Dons leading their respective gangs
of criminals, but for people it is worse than nightmarish. The residents of
mega city silently wish and pray that at least one of them takes care of other
if not both the devils perish in the ongoing encounter. They hope that some
noble soul would come to get rid of the remaining devil.
For that their last hope rests with the Supreme Court and the Army.
Most Pakistanis have started urging them to act, but Army can act only if the
government wants it or the Supreme Court directs it to act as such. The
government wont do what it did in Swat. There is a difference between
Swat and Karachi; in the case of former military crackdown was against
Islamic fascists but in the latter case the target would be democratic forces.
That will not be liked by the foreign sponsors of democratic forces
bunched together in the present democratic junta ruling Pakistan. Army
wont dare waging Jihad against armed activist of secular and moderate
political parties; jihad is permitted only against Islamic fundamentalists; a
production of mulla and madrassa.
In any case, employment of Army in the presence of this government
will lead to more bloodshed with no guarantee of any positive outcome; thus
the status quo is likely to prevail. Army leadership will also avoid extra
constitutional act as it could provide an excuse to America to marshal
international community for direct intervention.
The Don seated in the Presidency has been conscious of the criticism
he could be subjected for the failings of his regime and he has been making
diversionary moves to distract potential critics. The debate triggered by the
spanner of creation of more provinces has drawn the focus away from the
real issues.
Creation of more provinces from existing federating units is a genuine
requirement for facilitating better governance, but that has been mixed with
evil designs and thus unlikely to be implemented or made considerably
controversial and delayed. The oppressed masses are not much impressed
as it would be for the families of ruling elite which have expanded and need
more portfolios of ministers and chief ministers.
Amid hectic engagement with his political rivals as well as partners
and his critics Zardari did not give judiciary any room to dispense justice
independently. He continued exploiting Americas war on terror by
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promising to deliver more while fulfilling his evil designs about plundering
Pakistan.
His regimes coalition partners, ANP and MQM also availed the
opportunity for fulfillment of their respective vested interests and recently
PML-Q has joined the gang. On its behest bomb hoax was raised to save the
brilliant son of Gujrat who has been accused of stealing, not cattle, but
billions of rupees in NICL scam. The Zardari-led Sindhis and Chaudhries of
Gujrat have made a deadly gang of looters and thieves.
Meanwhile, Zardari rewarded members of his gang on 64 th
Independence Day by dolling out national civil awards like booty. Even a
senior PPP leader felt prick on his conscience who said they have made the
highest civil awards like PTV awards; more appropriately, like Zee TV
(Zardari TV) awards. Whatever the criterion, the awardees were in the good
company of actress Meera.
It also goes to the credit of Zardari that like a powerful Don he has
bulldozed through all the dissent within his party. Some the stalwarts who
disagreed with him like Safdar Abbasi, Naheed Khan, Aitzaz Ahsan, Shah
Mahmood and Enver Baig were axed mercilessly; others like Nabeel Babol
are waiting in the line of fire.
22nd August, 2011

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