U-Turn in Karzai’s Stand

U-Turn in Karzai’sStand

By Sajjad Shaukt

In an interview to a private Pakistani TV channel on October 22 this year, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that Kabul would never betray a ‘brother’, “if Pakistan is attacked by US or India.” He explained, “Pak-US tension did not have any impact on Kabul’s attitude towards Pakistan.” However, this shows a u-turn in Karzai’s stand which needs an appropriate analysis.

The remarks of President Karzai are in sharp contrast to Kabul’s past and recent allegations against Pakistan over cross-border terrorism, accusation that Pakistan was involved in killing Afghan peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani on September 20. On October 3, a statement from Afghanistan’s presidential palace said that evidence shows that Rabbani’s death “was plotted in Quetta and the person who carried out the suicide attack was a citizen of Pakistan.” Indirectly, in this regard, Kabul also accused Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). On the other side, Islamabad rejected allegations, saying that Pakistan or the ISI was not involved in the murder of Burhanuddin Rabban.

On October 4, in a televised address, Karzai condemned Pakistan’s double game on terrorism in Afghanistan, blaming that many Afghans are suspicious of Pakistan’s connections to the Taliban-led insurgency in their country. He elaborated, “Pakistan has not supported our efforts to bring peace and security to Afghanistan.”  At the same time, Karzai urged Pakistan to use its influence in bringing the militants to direct peace talks.

Failing in making his own policy and taking his own stand, Karzai whose puppet regime was established by the US-led western countries after ousting the Taliban, has always followed the blame game of America and India against Pakistan. In 2008, frustrated in coping with the insurgents in his own country, Afghan President Hamid Karzai had threatened of targeting militant’s locations inside Pakistani territories. He had also advised the US-led NATO forces to invade Pakistan’s tribal areas.

By pursuing Indian approach, the Afghan Government had blamed the ISI in the July 2008 attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul. On October 8, 2009 when a large suicide bomb exploded near the Indian embassy there, both India and Afghanistan had again accused that ISI was behind the attack.

On May 2 this year, when Osama Bin Laden died in a US military raid, Afghan President Karzai alleged in the language of his foreign masters that other leadership of Al Qaeda has also taken shelter in Pakistan.

In the past few years, when Karzai felt that well-trained troops of the US and NATO, equipped with sophisticated weaponry have badly failed in crushing the continued resistance of the Afghan Taliban who have been fighting against the occupying forces, he started changing his stance to some extent. Confused in his goals, he also began to criticise the US for innocent casualties of Afghan people due to aerial bombardment and ground shelling. He also tried to contact Taliban leaders for a peace deal, calling the Taliban leader Mullah Omar his brother. But Taliban refused any dialogue until foreign troops leave Afghanistan. And when US announced that foreign troops would withdraw from Afghanistan upto 2014, Karzai was greatly depressed because survival of his government has totally depended upon the US-led forces.  

As regards the question of security, on October 7, Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai told the BBC that the “failure to provide security to the Afghan people has been his government’s greatest shortcoming.” He openly remarked that it “is 10 years since the US invaded Afghanistan…NATO and the US must share the blame for failing to deal with the Taliban.” But he again accused Pakistan of supporting the militancy.

However, after acting upon an ambivalent policy, full of paradoxes, Karzai has suddenly taken a u-turn in his stand, revealing, “If ever there is a war between Pakistan and America, Afghanistan will side with Pakistan.” He further indicated about Islamabad, “Let us engage from a different platform, a platform in which the two brothers only progress towards a better future in peace and harmony.” Nevertheless, u-turn of Karzai’s stand is owing to a number of reasons.

In this context, since May 2, this year, tension existed between Pak-US relations, which was increased recently due to the hard statements of Admiral Mike Mullen (R) and some other US high officials who alleged that ISI was behind Haqqani network in connection with US embassy attack in Kabul. On the other side, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership rejected American coercive diplomacy, refusing to take military action in North Waziristan. In this backdrop, realising the ground realties and showing realistic approach, a positive shift has occurred in the US policy towards Pakistan, which was displayed during the latest trip of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Islamabad.

Ms. Clinton said on October 21, “Pakistan has a critical role to play in supporting Afghan reconciliation and ending the conflict.” She also clarified that there was no evidence that ISI was involved in attack on the US embassy in Kabul through Haqqani network. She also agreed with Islamabad’s stand that infiltration of militants from Afghanistan inside Pakistan should also be stopped, and US interests demand stability in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In her return to Washington, on October 23, in a CNN interview, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, revealed that an improved level of mutual understanding has taken place with Pakistan. The US and Pakistan will work together for Afghan peace. She also pointed out, “US acknowledges the need to eliminate safe havens of terrorists in Afghanistan…who attack Pakistan.”

It is noteworthy that before visiting Islamabad, in Kabul, on October 20, Ms. Clinton emphasised Afghanistan’s distrustful leadership to keep up Taliban reconciliation efforts and boost counterterrorism co-operation with Pakistan as the Obama administration presses ahead with troop withdrawal plan.

Now, change in the US policy is quite opposite to the stand of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Worried about his presidency, he knows that if the US-led NATO forces withdraw from Afghanistan, his regime will not survive due to stiff resistance of Afghan Taliban. Even India will not be in a position to maintain its network, and its investment-projects will also not succeed in wake of the successful guerrilla warfare of the Taliban.

It is mentionable that India and Afghanistan signed a strategic agreement on October 5 this year, deepening their security and economic ties. The deal will guarantee Afghanistan’s security as foreign troops begin withdrawing from the country, which will be completed in 2014. However, apparently, it is open strategic agreement, but secretly, India which has already spent billion of dollars in Afghanistan, wants to further strengthen its grip in that country not only to get strategic depth against Islamabad, but also to use the war-torn country in destabilising Pakistan. For this purpose, secret agencies like Indian RAW and Afghan Khad are in collusion and has been sending well-trained agents and militants in Pakistan, who not only attack the check posts of Pakistan’s security forces, but also commit other subversive acts in various places of Pakistan, besides supporting Baloch separatism.

Being unsuccessful in their objevtives, India and Afghan rulers, with the help of RAW and Khad could act upon dirty tricks to get especially American troops entangled in Afghanistan permanently. In this context, with the help of some so-called Muslims, these secret agencies could increase attacks inside Afghanistan, particularly targeting American soldiers with the sole aim to revive old blame game of the US against Islamabad and ISI in relation to cross-border-terrorism.

Although, President Karzai favours dialogue with the Afghan insurgents, yet America should remain alert that New Delhi and Kabul in connivance against Washington and Islamabad will try to fail the peace deals with the Taliban militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In this regard, they will also make ground to implicate Islamabad and ISI, re-creating a rift in Pak-US ties. Thus India and Karzai could entrap the US permanently in Afghanistan in order to achieve their secret designs by damaging American global and regional interests. In this intricate situation, while quoting a report, a Pakistan’s daily newspaper disclosed on October 24, “Pakistan has told the United States that it is ready to facilitate its talks with the Afghan Taliban, but cannot become a guarantor to the negotiating process.”

Nonetheless, u-turn in Karzai’s stand contains hidden agenda of India and Afghanistan against Pakistan and the United States.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

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Conspiracy against Balochistan Accelerates

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newstrack66: Countering Enemies’ Aggression

newstrack66: Countering Enemies’ Aggression: Countering Enemies’ Aggression As part of the new aggression, Pakistan has become special target of the internal and external threats , ...

Countering Enemies’ Aggression

Countering Enemies’ Aggression

In the past aggression, was openly being made between two sovereign belligerents through the traditional armies with tanks and machine guns, though the same also included some subversive tactics on limited scale. But the arena of aggression has changed. In the present era, non-state actors have made it difficult for the military to serve alone as the automatic dominant sphere in every war, covering all the land, sea and space domains. Now, different lethal weapons such as suicide attacks, bomb blasts and targeted killings used by the terrorists coupled with non-lethal techniques of psychological warfare like propaganda, creation of divisions among government institutes, politicians, general masses etc. can be more harmful in damaging the interest of a rival country.

As part of the new aggression, Pakistan has become special target of the internal and external threats, facing multi-faceted crises created by the United States, India and Israel through their secret agencies like CIA, RAW and Mossad which are in connivance to destabilise Pakistan as it is the only ‘nuclearsied’ country in the Islamic World.

In this respect, on August 6, this year, NBC TV channel disclosed that the “US has a contingency plan to seize Pakistan’s nuclear weapons…if it fears they are about to fall into the wrong hands.”
It is noteworthy that US seeks to shift Afghan war to Pakistan after the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan. In this context, the hidden aims behind are to produce more terrorism in Pakistan. With the help of RAW and Mossad, Obama Administration has already been implementing its agenda of secret war in Pakistan through various subversive acts. Thus after creating unrest in Pakistan, America wants to show to its western allies that country’s nuclear weapons are not safe and could be snached by the Taliban insurgents. Then, Washington is likely to ask Islamabad to rollback its nuclear programe or to hand over its all nuclear assets to the US.
Although terrorist events have been conducted by the external enemies intermittently in the last 10 years, yet such incidents have accelerated in the past few months. Besides other terror-incidents in various cities, foreign elements are also fuelling sectarian and ethnic violence in Pakistan’s seaport Karachi. In the last few months, a fresh wave of violence sparked by the killings of several political activists has swept the city with targeted killings, burning of vehicles and firings between two groups. Similar wave of terrorism continues in Balochistan, particularly targeting the Punjabis.

It is mentionable that America is playing a double game with Islamabad through various tactics such as pressuring the latter to do more against the militants by ignoring the internal backlash, intermittent drone strikes, suspension of $800 million in military assistance and accusing the country’s intelligence agency, ISI of supporting cross-border terrorism in Afghanistan by the Haqqani network. But in fact, under the pretext of Haqqani network, the US-supported intermittent attacks by the armed militants who crossed inside Pakistan from Afghanistan and attack check posts of the security forces, schools and mosques, continues.  In this regard, on October 6, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani issued a warning to Afghanistan to stop cross-border incursions in Pakistan.

However, in the recent days, tension increased in Pak-US relations when American retiring top military officer Mike Mullen accused that Pakistan is waging a ‘proxy war’ in Afghanistan with the assistance of ISI. In this context, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership not only rejected American false allegations, but also refused to act upon its old maxim to do more against the insurgents in North Waziriatan.

While taking note of the US designs, on September 29, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani convened the All Parties Conference (APC) which was participated by the top political and military leaders who displayed unprecedented unity in order to cope with the prospective aggression of the United States. Besides, in their statements, most of our religions parties and members of the civil societies have also shown unanimous approach against any possible threat to the state. But it is not enough to counter the aggression as Pakistan has been facing a number of enemies, posing multiple threats.

It is notable that some opportunist elements like the US, India, Afghanistan and Israel are in collusion as part of a plot to weaken Pakistan to fulfill their common strategic interests. For this purpose, apart from sending militants from Afghanistan, who commit subversive acts like suicide attacks and bomb blasts in our country on daily basis, their secret agencies have rapidly established their collective network inside Pakistan. They have recruited Pakistani nationals who are vulnerable and can work on payroll. These foreign elements have also purchased the services of some Indian Muslims. Those who did not come up to their terms have been neutralised or murdered. In this respect, in the past few years, some politicians, intellectuals, journalists and religious leaders have been killed by the agents of these external agencies. Their purpose is to create perennial unrest in Pakistan, while main aim remains to disintegrate the country.

Some reports suggest that CIA, RAW and Mossad have been recruiting smugglers, employees of the security companies, experts of the psychological warfare, scholars and journalists so as to obtain anti-Pakistan designs of America, India and Israel.

Nevertheless, it is regrettable that on the one hand, country’s multiple crises indicate that Pakistan is rapidly advancing towards a ‘failed state’ owing to the sinister designs of the external forces, while on the other, our media, particularly most of the TV channels conduct controversial debate between politicians and commentators, contesting internal politics. Like the foreign enemies, by ignoring the sacrifices of Pakistan’s security forces against terrorism, they malign Pak Army and ISI. In this regard, some of our media anchors and most of politicians or political experts pay no attention to the national unity in its true sense. At this critical juncture, while situation demands selfless unity to counter the aggression of all the enemies, both our media and some politicians manipulate every terror-incident or negative development against Pakistan. On renowned TV channels, our politicians oppose their rivals for the sake of opposition. Accusation and counteraccusations have become their routine practice. In this context, they opine as to what the people want, but conceal as to what people actually need? Especially, it appears that a majority of Pakistan’s media anchors is on the payroll of external enemies.

At present, people of Pakistan need strong sense of solidarity. We can also deduce it from the statement of Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani who, while taking note of the present critical situation on June 9, stressed upon national unity. Kayani especially explained, “Any effort to create divisions among important institutions of the country is not in national interest…the people of Pakistan whose support the army has always considered vital for its operations against terrorists.”

In order to counter the enemies, true unity requires that our political leaders must pledge that they will not exploit their regional and provincial differences at the cost of the national interests so as to grab political power. In this respect, a blind dedication to one’s own race, tribe and creed should not be allowed to create hatred in one group against the other. In these terms, formation of alliances and counter alliances, based upon the principle of hostility for the sake of hostility should also be abandoned, while our politicians and leaders must create national cohesion among various segments of society.

They must avoid manipulating present thorny issues in order to increase their vote-bank. If any controversy arises between the rival politicians, it can better be settled through mutual dialogue in consonance with the constitution. For this aim, in order to castigate the conspiracy of the external enemies against the integrity of the country, our political leaders must also stop exploiting any crisis against the security forces and ISI whose image are deliberately being tarnished by the external plotters.

In producing real unity, Pakistan’s media, especially TV channels can play a key role. First of all, owners these channels should detect some anchors who are working on the payroll of foreign countries. Then they must terminate their services as they are also enemies of the country. Particularly, our media should give a matching response to malicious propaganda of the US-led some western countries including India and Israel which are leaving no stone unturned in distorting the image of Pakistan, its army and ISI. As unlike the printed media, electronic media attract more viewers, so Pakistan’s TV commentators must openly disclose the collective connivance of CIA, RAW and Mossad regarding their support to subversive acts inside our country and against Pak nukes.

No doubt, at this critical hour, Pakistan’s survival lies in strong cohesion and selfless unity which are essential to counter the enemies’ aggression.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

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US Wavering Approach towards Pakistan

US Wavering Approach towards Pakistan

In this regard, on October 6, while addressing a White House news conference, US President Barack Obama accused Pakistan in relation to Afghanistan, saying that there were “some connections” between Pakistan’s intelligence services and extremists. Obama explained that the United States would not be comfortable in a long-term strategic relationship with Pakistan, if it felt Islamabad was not mindful of US interests. But at the same time, Obama remarked that the United States and Pakistan were cooperating on a “whole range of issues” and admitted that recent successes against Al Qaeda-linked forces in the region would not have been possible without Pakistani help. Obama further said that the United States remained committed to helping Pakistan confront its own problems despite concern over ties.
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