A deliberate and planned attack
Posted on December 3, 2011
By Mohammad Jamil
As the nation is mourning the death of its brave sons in last weeks Nato attack on a Pakistani border posts, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey has declined to offer an apology stating that he did not know enough about the incident. This was, indeed, naked aggression plain and simple, deliberate and planned. The posts were set up for the US-led Nato forces inaction to hobble fugitive Pakistani militants, safely ensconced, under their very noses, in Afghanistans Kunar and Nuristan provinces from where they freely planned and launched deadly attacks on our security posts and returned to their bases unchecked. Nato couldnt be unaware of these posts. By going through the statements of USAs civil and military leaders, it is not difficult to conclude that the attack on border posts was not an act in isolation. Since, they have been threatening Pakistan of a unilateral action, if evidence of Al-Qaedas high-profile leaders was available. But there was neither an Al-Qaeda operative, nor smoking gun to justify the attack on the border posts.
Anyhow, Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with the US and closed down supply routes used for the Nato forces in Afghanistan, and also asked Washington to vacate the Shamsi Airbase within a fortnight. Likewise, Pakistan has done well to boycott the Bonn Conference, since the previous meeting in Istanbul was an exercise in futility. Although US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during her last visit to Islamabad, had asked Pakistan to help bring the Taliban to the negotiating table in a veiled reference to the Bonn Conference, but the problem is that there is a clash of interest between Pakistan and America, and this is the major reason for the trust deficit. Also, going by the propaganda blitz and statements of American think-tanks, members of the Obama administration and US commanders, it is not difficult to reach the conclusion that they want to disgrace Pakistans military and ISI in the publics eye.
Nevertheless, America wants Pakistan to help it win the war in Afghanistan, but all the rewards are bestowed on India in the form of reconstruction constructs and strategic partnership. Of course, it is in the interest of Pakistan that Afghanistan is stable, independent and strong, but the countrys desire to see a government that is not hostile to it is natural and genuine.
DGMO Major General Ishfaq Nadeem in a briefing to the editors and columnists, has termed the strikes on Pakistani posts by Nato and Isaf as unprovoked act of blatant aggression, adding that they were not unintended in which all coordination procedures were violated. The positions of the posts were already conveyed to the Isaf through map references and it was impossible that they did not know these to be our posts, he said, while giving details of the attacks on the border posts. Then referring to the reports of the Afghan media about the shelling of Afghan territory by Pakistani military, he said that they were totally incorrect and baseless. So, Pakistans civil and military leadership has rightly toughened up its act, which is emblematic of a sovereign country, and the measures taken now should have been taken and followed up in execution long time ago.
It is a matter of great satisfaction that all strata of society have expressed their determination to stand by the armed forces to deal with the threats and challenges facing Pakistan. Public protests and rallies are being held throughout the country to express their solidarity with them. Yet, there are some politicians and analysts, who, instead of lauding the efforts of the civil and military leadership to get out of American servility, are trying to denigrate the military and ISI. One of the analysts on a renowned TV channel remarked that Pakistan cannot resist the superpowers pressure, and ultimately will have to do its bidding. Another one tried to create fear in the minds of the people that in the event Pakistan resists and insists on vacating the Shamsi Airbase, and does not allow resumption of supplies to the Nato forces in Afghanistan, America will consider it as an act of war. A few others say that the elected government is doing what the military tells them, just to prove that the civilian and military leaderships are not on the same page and the army is calling the shots.
Former President Pervez Musharraf had buckled under US pressure after 9/11, but it is no divine canon that we have to provide the supply routes for the American and Nato forces in Afghanistan. In fact, we have been stupidly generous in extending this facility, all for free. Even the northern route that Afghanistans US-led Nato occupiers have explored and established as an alternative for their supplies is not for free. They pay for every liable levy. They have been using our routes over the past 10 years without paying even a dime in tax, and the aid they have given is not enough to refurbish the roads they have damaged. What, indeed, have we got for all our sacrifices, except that they have shown us only malice and rancour?
More so, they want to make Pakistan a whipping boy to cover up their own cowardice, spinelessness and acute deficit of fighting spirit that has led up to their debacle in Afghanistan. We have sacrificed 35,000 innocent citizens; and 5,000 brave officers and soldiers have laid down their lives in this spurious US-led war on terror in Afghanistan. We have had enough of it! And we must have no more of it!
The writer is a freelance columnist and a regular contributor