By Syed Ammar Faheem

Monday, 6th October – 2008

Who is speaking through Zardari? He has termed the freedom fighters in the Kashmir valley as ‘terrorists’. The U-turns and immature statements made by the PPP government and the President have been depressing and frustrating at the same time. They seem to be adamant to change what we have stood for over the past 60 years. Zardari has also claimed that the USA and Pakistan have an understanding on US attacks inside Pakistani territory. Suspicions are now running deep in the Pakistani society! Frustration is growing by the hour!

The nation was confused for sometime, but with all the fame and reputation that our President has earned for himself, the entire nation now looks towards the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani for guidance and some national esteem.

I have’nt written anything in a while as I really felt upset at the state of affairs and at the people apparently governing (and actually derailing the entire country towards disaster). But this latest series of statements coming from high offices has forced me to come back to my desk and make my thoughts public.

Should we call it the existence of two parallel governments in Pakistan? The PPP and the Pakistan Army? The army is clearly unwilling to put its foot down but the following few events have sent very clear messages at home and abroad that the military will not let Zardari run away with Pakistan:

  • Holding of separate independence day celebrations at PMA Kakool by the army on August the 14th, 2008
  • The COAS’s visit to China amid government attempts to anger and frustrate the Chinese government
  • The military’s defiant stance on protecting Pakistan’s sovereignty and integrity

The U-turns and immature statements made by the PPP government and the President have been depressing and frustrating at the same time. They seem to be adamant to change what we have stood for over the past 60 years, including the Kashmir issue. The President finds it better to enjoy time abroad on personal and official visits while Pakistani’s witness the most turbulent times in recent history!

Foreign policy towards India and the Kashmir Issue:

Pakistani people and the Pakistani governments in the past have whole-heartedly supported the Kashmiri cause and struggle for independence.

Things seem a little different this time. At one public forum over the internet, someone who was apparently Indian, claimed that the United States has paid 1 billion US dollars to Mr. Zardari for the neutralization of Pakistani nuclear arms and to help India achieve its target of complete Pakistani dis-integration by June 2009. While this may be too immature and hard to accept, such has been the image our President has projected that the Indians can now come out and say such things about him in public.

In his latest comment, he has literally knelt down to India. The BBC reports:

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari says India has never been a threat to Pakistan, and that militants in Indian-administered Kashmir are terrorists.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7653687.stm

Just when the Kashmiri’s are at their strongest point since 1989 and at a time when the Indian media has started asking and pressurizing the Indian government to let go of Kashmir, I still cannot comprehend how he could say such a thing in public! Any leader in the past would have thought a million times before daring to utter a word on changing Pakistan’s Kashmir policy. I am sure Benazir Bhutto would never such a thing. How could Zardari?

Here’s another one by Law minister, Farooq H. Naek on convicted Indian spy, Sarabjit Singh:

President can take any decision regarding Sarabjit Singh

LAHORE: Federal Law Minister Farooq H. Naek has said that President Asif Ali Zardari can take any decision regarding release of Indian spy Sarabjit Singh.

Taking to media persons at Kot Lakhpat jail here on Monday, Farooq Naek said that he met Sarabjit on the directive of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari.

The federal minister said that he asked the jail authorities to provide details of Singh’s case, adding president can exercise his power to release any prisoner under article 45 of the constitution.

http://geo.tv/10-6-2008/26374.htm

Sovereignty and US strikes inside Pakistani territory:

Ever since this government took over, they have maintained an extremely apologetic behavior for some strange reason. That is why the people have stopped hoping that they would do anything for the betterment of this country.

I’ll refer again to the BBC report I quoted earlier in this column.

We are going after an enemy together [On US strikes in Pakistan]:

The Wall Street Journal also reports that Mr Zardari acknowledged that the US was firing missiles at militant targets inside Pakistan with his government’s consent.

“We have an understanding, in the sense that we’re going after an enemy together,” it quotes him as saying.

Wow Mr. President! What ever happened to the rules of engagement that do not allow coalition forces to operate inside Pakistan?

In such a scenario, it has been the COAS (Gen. Kayani) and the Pakistani armed forces that have taken up a strong stand and have repeatedly confronted such attacks on Pakistani territory with strong condemnation and even through defensive military response.

I heard this comment by an old man sipping his tea at a local roadside cafe “Uski sunta kon hai [Zardari], Kayani ki suno – kaam wohi kar raha hai…” (Who listens to him [Zardari], Listen to Kayani – he’s the one working…)

With all what this government has been saying and doing, and all the lack of interest and control that the have shown to the nation… Suspicions are now running deep in the Pakistani society! Frustration is growing by the hour!

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