By KUNWAR KHULDUNE SHAHID
Last calendar month the Supreme Court of Islamic Republic of Pakistan issued an arrest warrant for the old ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, after he failed to seem inward courtroom for a hearing on “Memogate.” The “memo” inward inquiry had allegedly been sent past times Haqqani to a high-ranking US official inward May 2011 – days after the performance that killed Osama bin Laden inward Abbottabad, Islamic Republic of Pakistan – exposing clashes betwixt the civilian regime thus led past times the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Peoples Party together with the army. Haqqani has denied those allegations, together with he expressed his disappointment with the Supreme Court warrant, maxim that “it is hapless that unopen to judges of the highest courtroom of Islamic Republic of Pakistan persist with such antics for local TV intelligence coverage.”
Haqqani, who is at nowadays a prominent analyst on South Asia, writer of the books Islamic Republic of Pakistan betwixt Mosque together with Military together with Magnificent Delusions, together with a regional managing director for the Hudson Institute inward Washington, spoke with Asia Times. Excerpts from an exclusive interview follow.
Pakistan volition survive position on the Financial Action Task Force (on Money Laundering) grayness listing inward June. Is this owing to US pressure?
Pakistan’s policy of tolerating together with supporting unopen to jihadi terrorist groups together with treating terrorist financing lightly is the existent reason.
It has been sixteen years since 2001, when inward the aftermath of 9/11 [terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001], Islamic Republic of Pakistan promised to comply with international sanctions relating to terrorist financing set downwards inward United Nations [Security Council] Resolution 1267 of 1999. Islamic Republic of Pakistan has nevertheless to human activity against groups together with individuals similar Lashkar-e-Taiba together with Hafiz Saeed. Groups are banned, entirely to re-emerge with novel names. Hafiz Saeed was listed every bit a terrorist past times the United Nations inward Dec 2008 but remains costless together with operational. Close ties with the US receive got thus far helped Islamic Republic of Pakistan [avoid] tough international sanctions.
This time, the prospect of it existence position on the “black list” also exists because the US is non lone inward its persuasion that Islamic Republic of Pakistan entirely acts against terrorists nether international pressure.
For unopen to fourth dimension now, Islamic Republic of Pakistan has been able to convey ane footstep forrad to larn relief from international pressure, followed past times 2 steps dorsum ane time the describe per unit of measurement area is off together with unopen to other footstep forward, when the describe per unit of measurement area resumes. The key alter inward mental attitude has non been forthcoming.
Pakistan lately issued unopen to other ordinance together with announced restrictions on the finances of terrorist groups, including charities linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, but these measures are aimed non at permanently shutting downwards favored jihadi groups but at evading the immediate pressure.
How produce you lot persuasion Communist People's Republic of China together with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia backing away from supporting Islamic Republic of Pakistan during the US-summoned minute vote at the FATF meeting, together with Turkey existence the sole supporter?
Pakistan has ever presumed that if a province is its ally, that province must back upward Islamic Republic of Pakistan inward all that it does – from ignoring Pakistani back upward for terror groups to standing theater behind Islamic Republic of Pakistan against India.
China together with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are seen every bit potent allies, together with Islamic Republic of Pakistan presumed that their unopen ties with Islamic Republic of Pakistan would Pb them to automatically vote inward Pakistan’s favor. But countries receive got their ain interests, together with inward this example neither Kingdom of Saudi Arabia nor Communist People's Republic of China saw it inward their involvement to back upward Islamic Republic of Pakistan beyond the initial phase. These countries in all likelihood also wanted to mail a message to Islamic Republic of Pakistan most the demand to scissure downwards on terror financing. Communist People's Republic of China together with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia both aspect upward their ain terrorism threats.
Other factors were at play, too. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had to weigh inward its unopen ties with the US together with fifty-fifty India; Communist People's Republic of China wanted to secure its seat every bit caput of the FATF board, for which it needs American together with Indian back upward inward future. Above all, Islamic Republic of Pakistan only did non fulfill the FATF criteria, together with it came downwards to whether others wanted to produce it an out-of-the-way favor.
Turkey, nether President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, has its ain agenda of forming alliances, together with its back upward for Islamic Republic of Pakistan was to brand Pakistanis experience practiced piece knowing its stand upward lone won’t actually brand a difference.
What produce you lot brand of the Trump regime blatantly calling out Islamic Republic of Pakistan for providing rubber havens to jihadist groups throughout the past times year? Does it stalk from President Trump’s ain stance, together with that of his team, or is this reflective of US unusual policy of recent years?
Mr [Donald] Trump may survive the showtime American president to openly together with unreservedly speak out against Islamic Republic of Pakistan publicly, but US frustrations with Islamic Republic of Pakistan become dorsum many years. As far dorsum every bit 1992, the US warned Islamic Republic of Pakistan that it would survive declared a province sponsor of terrorism if it did non scissure downwards on jihadis who, at that time, had kidnapped Western tourists, including Americans, inward Jammu together with Kashmir.
President Trump’s Southern Asia policy spoken communication concluding August, his New Year’s Day tweet, together with his administration’s policy towards Islamic Republic of Pakistan are non random comments past times an instinctive American leader. They reverberate the deep mistrust that has characterized the US-Pakistan human relationship together with has entirely grown since 9/11 within the US foreign-policy community, particularly after the regain of Osama bin Laden inward Abbottabad.
The departure inward the goals together with interests of both countries has expanded over the decades. The US wants to eliminate global terrorism; Islamic Republic of Pakistan prefers to selectively utilization terrorists every bit an musical instrument of regional influence. America has invested blood together with treasure to ready a modern multi-ethnic Afghanistan; Islamic Republic of Pakistan wants a regime inward Kabul dominated past times ethnic-Pashtun Islamists, such every bit the Afghan Taliban together with members of the Haqqani Network. The US sees Republic of Republic of India every bit a friend, piece Pakistan’s institution views Republic of Republic of India every bit an eternal enemy.
Pakistanis desire the US to ignore that departure together with boot the bucket on to assist Islamic Republic of Pakistan on the hope of small-scale cooperative steps. But recognition of that departure of interests is at the inwardness of President Trump’s unwillingness to revert to the old designing of praising Islamic Republic of Pakistan inward the hope that it volition eventually alter its policies to tally America’s interests.
How produce you lot consider Indian involvement inward Baluchistan every bit confessed past times Research & Analysis Wing [India’s unusual intelligence agency] spy Kulbhushan Jadhav?
That Republic of Republic of India together with Islamic Republic of Pakistan spy on each other is non much of a secret, nor is the claim past times both sides that the other supports insurgencies within its territory.
Many Pakistanis believe at that spot is Indian involvement inward Baluchistan. The inquiry is whether that belief tin interpret into testify that is accepted past times the international community. Islamic Republic of Pakistan has delivered multiple dossiers to Republic of Republic of India together with the international community but the Pakistani side has also grudgingly acknowledged that these produce non incorporate “material evidence.” Sartaj Aziz [deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan] ane time remarked that the primary utilization of these dossiers is to “help ready a narrative most India’s patronage of subversive activities inward Pakistan.”
On the Jadhav case, too, Islamic Republic of Pakistan has succeeded inward convincing Pakistanis of his existence a spy but his confessions receive got had trivial final result exterior Pakistan. Pakistanis must intend most why their example is believed less together with less on the international level. It is almost every bit if at that spot are 2 parallel narratives, ane that finds resonance alongside Pakistanis together with ane that resonates with the residuum of the world.
How produce you lot consider Indian involvement inward Afghanistan, concerns regarding which were shared past times the civil-military leadership during [then-US secretarial assistant of state] Rex Tillerson’s see to Islamic Republic of Pakistan inward October?
Again, the concerns shared past times Pakistan’s leaders together with officials on Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan are deemed less convincing past times their unusual interlocutors, notwithstanding the passion with which these are repeated. Pakistan’s fears of unopen relations betwixt Republic of Republic of India together with Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan are non novel together with appointment dorsum to the years at ane time after independence. But the residuum of the footing asks for specifics of how Republic of Republic of India threatens Islamic Republic of Pakistan through Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan without having whatsoever troops or other military machine presence there.
The persuasion exterior Islamic Republic of Pakistan is that if Islamic Republic of Pakistan felt threatened past times an Indian military machine presence inward Afghanistan, that would survive legitimate. Concern most covert operations across the Durand Line would also survive considered seriously. But if Afghans studying inward Republic of Republic of India or Indians edifice roads inward Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan are cited every bit threats to Pakistan’s security, thus others consider it every bit a psychological rather than a political or military machine issue.
In the concluding 2 decades Islamic Republic of Pakistan has justified its back upward for the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani Network, together with other jihadi groups on grounds of safety concerns from India. When Americans say, “So far every bit nosotros know Republic of Republic of India has no offensive military machine presence inward Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan together with at that spot is no testify that the Afghans are willing to survive role of India’s alleged computer programme for a two-front state of war with Pakistan,” Pakistanis seldom offering a convincing response. Pakistan’s leaders entirely inquiry Afghanistan’s credence of economical assistance from Republic of Republic of India fifty-fifty though Islamic Republic of Pakistan does non receive got the capacity to render such assistance itself.
Is Pakistan’s back upward for jihadist factions the unmarried mutual constituent negatively impacting Islamabad relations with other countries? Do you lot consider that existence addressed?
Pakistan today is to a greater extent than isolated together with has fewer friends inward the international community. That clearly has primarily to produce with Pakistan’s back upward for jihadi groups together with its reluctance to alter its policy despite the affect on other countries together with itself.
There are fewer countries willing to convey Pakistan’s request of persuasion on Kashmir, fewer countries where a Pakistani tin go without a visa, together with fewer friends inward multilateral fora.
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