Reckless
From the Blog PkColumnist.com: Reckless - Former President Musharraf's recent statement that Pakistan had an intrusive role in Indian-held Kashmir was not only grossly incorrect. It was a godsend to Indian propaganda. India claims that the freedom movement in Kashmir is not indigenous but cross-border terrorism, with Pakistan providing the finances and training to terrorists. Belated efforts by Musharraf to explain the "distorted" interpretations of his statement were of no avail: the damage was done. Most of our cabinet ministers, lacking political discipline and eager to project themselves, often offer comments on sensitive issues they are not competent to discuss. Sometimes the issues are not even related to the ministers' fields. Subsequent explanations, denials and retractions only create confusion and embarrassment. Then there is Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's comment on Iran, in his address at Harvard University on Oct 18. He declared: "I don't think they have justification to go nuclear. Who is threatening Iran? No one." And this despite the well-known animosity that Israel and the United States harbour towards that country. The suffocating economic sanctions imposed on Iran by the US and the West are but one example of the American hostility. Qureshi also offered this unsought advice to Iran: "The US administration has been extending the olive branch. Make use of it. Engage the world." In other words, his statement echoed the US position that Iran's nuclear programme is weapons-oriented, whereas Iran has declared numerous times that the programme is for civilian use. On its merit and in the context of Pakistani-Iranian bilateral relations, the uncalled-for statement by the foreign minister was inappropriate and damaging. It did not even reflect Pakistan's consistent official policy on the subject, which is that it is the basic right of any country to pursue a peaceful nuclear programme. Besides, Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has the right to pursue a nuclear programme within NPT parameters. Qureshi's statement was particularly unfortunate because Pakistan's relations with Iran are pivotal to our security. It is a historical fact that, regardless of what government is ruling in either country, the two nations have been a source of strength to each other. We must not let this equation not be disturbed. How strongly the people of Pakistan feel for Iran was evident from the media criticism and public reaction to the foreign minister's remarks. The News commented that "Qureshi's words have made Islamabad come out looking like a particularly naive US stooge." The Nation accused Qureshi of "damaging Pakistan's vital interests" through his "irrational critique of Iran's nuclear programme, insinuating that somehow Iran had nuclear-weapons ambitions." Pakistan is going through a very critical phase and needs international goodwill and support. Statements like the one made by Qureshi create complications in our bilateral relations by creating unnecessary controversies. Aside from its contents, the timing of his statement makes it significant, and suspect: it was delivered in the US at a time when Pakistan is trying to strike a favourable strategic deal with Washington. Iranian concerns over Qureshi's statement are demonstrated by the fact that Iranian ambassador Mashaalah Shakeri paid a visit to the Foreign Office and, on Friday, called on President Zardari at the Presidency. Hopefully, Pakistani clarifications that there is no change in Islamabad's policy regarding Iran's nuclear programme pacified the Iranians. Like Pakistan, Iran is also passing through a very delicate state because of the sanctions. So it is truly unfortunate that while Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez assures Iran of support "under any circumstances," Pakistan's foreign minister should question the neighbouring country's nuclear intentions. Iran's importance for the stability and security of Pakistan calls for particular caution and circumspection. Foreign Minister Qureshi has to be reminded that discretion is the better part of valour. . Read Full Post
Spinning like Qureshi
From the Blog PkColumnist.com: Spinning like Qureshi - I don't need to be a foreign minister to know two things. One, if I want to tell Iran it doesn't need nukes, I can do so directly and not while delivering a speech in Washington DC, unless I want to scuttle the Iran-Pakistan gas deal. In that case I'll go through DC. That's two. Without getting anything in return, our foreign minister adopted the American policy on Iran even before the start of the Strategic Dialogue. With one grand shot, he kicked the Iranians in the face, pleased Washington, and left the Turks scratching their heads. Just a few days ago the Turk prime minister was in Islamabad and heard from us how we support his initiative to back Iran's right to civil nuclear technology. Except for Gen Kayani, every single Pakistani official who attended the meeting with president Obama came out a different person. It's as if a transformation took place behind closed doors. They entered as representatives of the Pakistani government and came out as roving ambassadors for the US administration. One of them shouted in disbelief, 'US doesn't want to see Pakistan weak.' Another one gratefully announced the US will pay for two small dams in the northwest. A third one faked a wise tone as he claimed the talks 'invigorated' Pak-US ties. Going at this rate, if more rounds of this strategic dialogue were not stopped, we risk the emergence of a bluntly pro-America political party in Pakistan, called the Pro-America Political Party in Pakistan. Foreign Minister Qureshi apparently attended a different strategic dialogue than the one most of us heard about here. In his ridiculously triumphant press conference after returning home, it was obvious he and his colleagues are no match for the cunning Americans. All weekend the official media outlets kept recycling the story that the benevolent United States 'has allocated $2 billion from the Kerry-Lugar bill for Pakistan's energy sector'. State-media newscasters kept repeating this line to show the immediate benefits of the strategic dialogue. But this is misleading. Kerry-Lugar money was announced a year ago. Howcome this new aid? Isn't the US government cunningly recycling the same aid in new ways to create headlines? And why is our government endorsing this deception? There is also every chance that the US-financing for the two small dams will also come from the same aid money announced a year ago. Here's more of what our band of Washington converts won't tell Pakistanis: That the US is welcoming Iran into Afghan talks, and India and Russia and anyone else, even Bangladesh. But not Pakistan. Grudgingly Richard Holbrooke is conceding that Pakistan has a 'legitimate interest' in Afghanistan but his government will do everything possible to dilute the Pakistani role by involving other countries. The $2 billion lollypop for our military is a joke. It will come into effect not now but two years from now and end in 2016. We'll have four years to get what we want. Considering US-government red tape, political wrangling and Congressional politics and we can see where this is headed. The US has increased the price on fighter jets and helicopters we already purchased and we can's afford them any longer. And don't forget the blackmail: Washington wants to punish Pakistan army units allegedly involved in human-rights violations in Swat. This coming from a country whose military has fathered the worst rights' violations in recent memory in Iraq and Afghanistan. At least the defence minister, ISPR, the information minister or even the COAS should have given an earful to the Americans on this. Egypt and Israel, recipients of massive US aid, never take this kind of shakedown. US officials visiting Pakistan intelligently rope in Pakistani TV channels, which obediently spare anchors and time slots to air one-sided lectures by US officials. To its credit, Geo was the only mainstream news channel that refused to partake of this exercise during Mrs Clinton's last visit. Last week's talks in Washington were a chance for us to take some victims from FATA and Swat, and some victims of our losses of $64 billion since 2002 to Washington and put them on talk shows. Maybe the four-year-old lone daughter of a Pakistani Christian janitor who died shielding female students from a suicide bomber. Or the hundreds of our children orphaned by Pakistani civilian and military fathers having died in America's war. . Read Full Post
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