| Killing many birds withthe Memo-Scandal |
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The memo-scandal inPakistan has opened up new Pandora box between military and civilian governmentthat would affect the fledgling democracy and journey of misdirected nation alreadymired by serious economic and security challenges. If examine the magnitude of challengesthis turbulent nation has been facing, posing it existential threat. Theexistential threat is not external but originating from the politics andpolicies its successive military regimes have pursued over decade: internally bydestroying every institution they deemed threat to their vested interests; andexternally by nurturing and harboring militant groups as proxy army against itsneighbors. The memo-scandal that has caused political mayhem and forced formerPakistan Ambassador Husain Haqqani to resign for his alleged involvement in it.According to the claims of Mansoor Ajaz, Haqqani had contacted him soon afterthe killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. He sought his help to carry the memoto US joint Chief of Army Staff Mike Mullen, asking for help against the possiblemilitary-led coup and in return offered concessions. However, Haqqani contestedall his claims and refused from any of his involvement. The revelation ofsecret memo has certainly brought new pressure on Zaradari government who aftersome early failed attempts to control spy agency had retreated by givingmilitary blanket approval on security and foreign policy matters: externally, onIndia, US, Afghanistan, china; and internally militant groups and Baluchistan.Now that there is consensus in military and political circles that memo hadbeen sent and concessions were promised but yet to be determined who was themastermind of memo, Zaradri or Hassain Haqqani? Supreme Court has already initiatedhearing on Nawaz Sharif petition and also ordered to put Haqqani on ECL. Inaddition, Court has given green light to the military that Haqqani cab be triedin military Courts raising legitimate concerns about the fair trail andjudicial independence.
Apparently, it was assumed that with the resignation ofHaqqani and appointment of new Ambassador Sherry Rehman issue is over but unfoldingsituation suggesting that it is far from over. The discourse in mainstreammedia and political circles that is focused only whether inviting USintervention is treason under the Constitution, and if the security and sovereigntyof country has been compromised? And no one bothers to look into the contentsof the memo that should merit attention of all critics that why an elected government had torequest US officials for help against the possible military-led coup, if memois true? In nutshell, memo-contents clearly suggesting that after the Osama’s presenceand killing in a military Area had raised serious questions about Pakistanmilitary and its spy agency’s complicity in sheltering Osama, and incompetenceof world’s fifth largest Army that failed to detect or stop US militaryoperation in the backyard of its military Academy? This situation had certainly caused serious embarrassmentfor Pakistan as country and its military. While the severity of situation warrantedserious action against the responsible security personnel failed to protecttheir borders and their possible involvement in sheltering Osama. The likelihood of any genuine inquiry againstmilitary, perhaps prompted Army leaders for possible coup, if Zaradarigovernment had made mistake to hold any genuine inquiry that opposition wasdemanding too. Perhaps, Zaradri had anticipated the mood of military Generals, andhe instead of holding genuine inquiry he attacked opposition for defaming andconspiring against Army to avoid the wrath of disgraced generals. The possible threatof military take-over might have led Zardri government to ask US General to usehis leverage over KIani to desist.
However, this Haqqani or Zaradari centric discourse thatcurrently dominates everywhere failed to take holistic view of the problem inorder to set record straight. The critics needed to revisit the political historyof Pakistan to learn about the bitter truths before awarding their verdicts thatwho had set precedence of inviting US intervention; Zaradri, makers of thiscountry or Army Generals? Without seeking the answers of these questionsPakistan will further descend into chaos and turmoil, and such misguideddiscourse will only strengthen military rule there. Name anyone’ from Liaquat Ali Khan to GeneralAyub to the Mushraf, who have not invited and given US blanket approval ofintervention, and provided their soil, military bases; and accepted influenceon foreign policy to internal politics. Ayub Khan visited Washington in 1956 toconvince Eisenhower Administration not to support elections in Pakistan, andpleaded to support military coup if want to contain communism in Pakistan. He alsotold him to treat Pakistan army as his own Army. It goes further back what Haider Nizamanimentioned in his article published in Daily Dawn that it was fathere-e-millat LiaquatAli Khan who was willing to have no Army if US could have guaranteed the Securityof Pakistan. Other military leaders from Yahya Khan, Zia-ul-Haq and Mushraf,all have literally given US blanket control on everything including its Army,bases but no questioned was asked or objection raised against them. Ayub Khan providedUS bases in Peshawar against former USSR, and all present verbal or writtenagreements about bases, CIA operations and drone attacks were not made byZaradi but by Mushraf in which Kiani as his right hand was involved. Pakistanhistory is replete with such instances where let alone US interference, countrylike Saudi Arabia’s intervention is so blatant and open that it now decides thefate of country. And, world was watching when Nawaz Sharif was handed over toSaudis from Islamabad Airport by General Mushraf and Kiani while he wasreturning from London and Saudi Intelligence Chief was there. Moreover, countrylike Lebnon, whose Leader Harriri was at Islamabad called by Mushraf to handover Nawaz Sharif to Saudi.
China is another country where after every minor or majorincident with India or US, Pakistan’s PM, President, Army and ISI chiefs rush toBeijing for help. And China has wisely encouraged and used Pakistan military’s Indiancentric sentiments to engage India militarily. The problems lies with Pakistanmilitary Institutional vested interests that always used enemy image (India) tobe in power which was never questioned at home or by US during the cold warperiod. But, in the post-cold war period growing US and Indian strategiccooperation and relations have questioned the very Indian centric security doctrineof Pakistan military, and its growing support for democracy in Pakistan hasupset the Generals in Pakistan who view this entire development underminingtheir political dominance within and outside the country. As a result they havesystematically encouraged Anti-American sentiments to increase pressure on USin order to protect their interests by enhancing bargaining position with US.This is their such tested tool not only against India, or now against US, butthey didn’t refrain to use within country against the political leaders, butalso dividing people along sectarian, ethnic and linguistic lines. Haqqani was a souring point in GHQ whom theynever trusted and were in search of opportunity for punishing him. Now,memo-scandal has provided military an opportunity that will not only kill twobirds (Zardari-Haqqani) but many other birds with one stone.
Mumtaz Khan
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