US backs stable and vibrant democracy in Pakistan, says embassy spokesman
Thursday, March 26, 2009
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: Those having faith in, what they call, Obama Plan for this region foresee remarkable changes in Pakistan to bring political stability, good governance and economic development in the country.
The recent resolution of the judicial crisis was said to be part of the same Obama Plan, which now envisages the return of PML-N in the federal government, return of PPP-PML-N government in Punjab, introduction of constitutional and judicial reforms in line with the Charter of Democracy, strengthening of the Office of prime minister, empowerment of the Parliament, and the unfolding of a countrywide programme of construction and development.
US embassy spokesman Jeremiah Knight when approached though did not confirm or deny the existence of any Obama Plan for this region including Pakistan, said that Washington is happy over the peaceful resolution of the judicial crisis in Pakistan.
When asked if there exists any Obama Plan for the region and for Pakistan and that it envisages the formation of national governments at the Centre and in Punjab, the implementation of Charter of Democracy, the repeal of 17th Amendment etc, he said, The US supports the creation of stable and vibrant democracy in Pakistan. He said that Washington is happy over how the major political parties in Pakistan have advanced in the recent past.
An informed source while quoting an Islamabad-based diplomat, who is said to be aware of the details of what he called the Obama Plan, said that a long-term solution to the problems associated with the Gwadar Port vis-a-vis the divergent strategic interests of US and China would also be explored in regional context, and in this regard all the concerned parties will be taken into confidence for seriously considering the following options. Regarding Pak-India relations, the proxy war between the two are being checked and controlled completely.
As reported earlier by The News, the same source had indicated that the judicial crisis would be resolved by March 16. The resolution of the crisis, it is said, would pave way for the PML-N to rejoin the PPP-led federal government and to jointly pursue the constitutional/judicial reforms under the Charter of Democracy.
The source claims that after the resolution of the judicial crisis, broad-based coalition governments at the federal and provincial levels are to be established thereby involving all major political parties (who matter) so as to give an outlook of a national government. Target date for it is said to be March 31, 2009.
The Office of prime minister and Parliament in Pakistan will be strengthened through certain constitutional amendments. Target date for this is said to be April 30, 2009. The coalition government of PPP, PML-N, ANP, etc will be encouraged to ensure good governance in Pakistan and to generate employment opportunities through a country-wide programme of construction & development thereby initiating infrastructure development projects, social & economic activities, health and education projects etc.
Target date for this is said to be June 30, 2009. However, the USA and other countries in the group of Friends of Pakistan will only offer their respective financial and economic development assistance packages to Pakistan unless and until a stable coalition government presenting the outlook of a national government in Pakistan is ensured. Target date for such an understanding with the Friends of Pakistan is May 30, 2009.
Regarding long-term solution to the problems associated with the Gwadar Port and the divergent strategic interests of the US and China related thereto, it is said, would be explored in regional context, and in this regard all the concerned parties will be taken into confidence for seriously considering the following options: Let Pakistan declare the Gwadar Sea Port as an international open port; Let both the USA and China jointly invest into developing the Gwadar Port as a Deep Sea Port of international standards; Let the USA build a land route and oil/gas pipelines from the Gwadar Deep Sea Port to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) of Central Asia through Afghanistan; Let China construct a land route and railways (if feasible) from the Gwadar Deep Sea Port to its Khunjerab Pass and onward through Balochistan, NWFP and Northern Areas; Let India construct a motorway from New Delhi to Lahore and then Pakistan constructs a motorway and railways (if feasible) from Peshawar to Jalalabad, city of Afghanistan, and at the same time, Afghanistan constructs a motorway and railways (if feasible) from Jalalabad to the American-sponsored land route extending to the CIS thereby providing India and Pakistan a joint access to Afghanistan and to the Central Asian States; Let Iran construct a motorway and railways (if feasible) to the American-sponsored land route in Afghanistan extending to the central Asian CIS member states thereby providing Iran a land access to Afghanistan and the Central Asian States, and also to China through Pakistan or through the CIS; and Let India, Pakistan and Iran jointly build a gas pipeline from Paras Gas Field of Iran to India through Pakistan for meeting the growing energy needs of both India and Pakistan.
The above solution, the source said, will provide a way forward to all the concerned countries thereby transforming into an economic inter-dependent region of peace and mutual cooperation to their respective benefits and prosperity.
Unlike his predecessor, the source said, President Barack Obama is bringing a paradigm shift in the US policy towards handling the present situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The source claimed that he has been duly warned by many think tanks in the USA and Europe that Washington has got only six to 12 months to save Pakistan falling into chaos of international consequences. Therefore, the US-administration under President Obama in collaboration with European Union and Pakistani authorities has to come up with a pragmatic plan for resolving the ongoing conflict and armed struggle in Afghanistan by the Afghan-Taliban (including al-Qaeda) and the insurgency in Fata and Swat by the TTP (including al-Qaeda, drug mafia and criminals), under which the following actions might take place in the very near future: To hold free & fair elections (under UN or a fair mechanism) in Afghanistan thereby openly allowing the Afghan-Taliban to participate in the upcoming elections so that Taliban (predominantly Pashtoons) should have a justification of quitting their armed struggle and joining the government in Afghanistan. Target date: September 30, 2009.
The US-led Nato forces, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (and may be Iran too) will have jointly to stop heroin production in Afghanistan and its smuggling out of the country through Pakistan, Iran and the CIS.
The coalition forces and the Afghanistan government will not allow any poppy growing and production and processing the heroin in Afghanistan. India will stop supplying the chemicals for heroin processing into Afghanistan. The Pakistan government will stop heroin smuggling through its territory. It will result into stopping the money supply out of this drug trade to the Afghan-Taliban and the TTP as well as to criminals/insurgents on both sides of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and once this money supply is dried out they wont be able to continue their insurgent activities with empty stomach. Target date: December 31, 2009. To stop the ongoing proxy war between Pakistan and India, as soon as possible. In this regard, the USA, China, the UK, the European Union and Saudi Arabia will play a major role in order to ensure a permanent truce between the two warring parties.
