ISLAMABAD:
Leader of the Awami National Party Asfandyar Wali Khan claimed on Tuesday that the assassin of Afghan peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani belonged to an Afghan refugee camp in Balochistan.
“I can confirm that the assassin of Burhanuddin Rabbani came from an Afghan muhajirin camp in Balochistan,” said the ANP leader in an interview with Express News’ “Pakistan Poochta Hain”.
This was Khan’s first exclusive interview in almost a year and will be aired today (Wednesday) at 7:05 pm.
Burhanuddin, also the former Afghan president, was assassinated by a turban bomber at his Kabul home in September. Afghanistan blamed the Pakistan-based ‘Quetta Shura’ for the murder. However, on December 13, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that Afghan refugees were behind Burhanuddin’s killing, while declining to give details.
Asfandyar further said that one of the sons of Jalaluddin Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani network, lives in Rawalpindi.
“We are in touch with the Taliban in Fata for negotiations. We will negotiate with those who are driven by ideology and who have no political agenda,” he added.
When asked about the army’s strategic depth in Afghanistan, the ANP chief asked, rhetorically, that if there was a concept of strategic depth would there have been an operation in Swat and Bajaur, and would so many troops have been killed.
Asfandyar, whose party is an ally of the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government, denied any clash between civil and military forces and was quick to defend Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s statements, seemingly criticising the military.
The Memogate controversy, a case currently being heard in the Supreme Court, has heated up tensions between the government and the military.
Defence Secretary Naeem Khalid Lodhi, in his reply to the apex court, said the government did not have ‘operational control’ over the army and the ISI.
In response, the prime minister struck a defiant note, saying his government would not accept a ‘state within [a] state,’ in a blunt reference to the military.
However, Asfandyar insisted that the incident was a ‘misunderstanding’.
“The prime minister actually just lashed out at the defence secretary, who told the parliamentary committee that he did not take the defence minister’s permission for presenting his affidavit. He had to go through the law ministry to present the affidavit, which he did not do,” said the ANP chief. “The PM then made those statements, and a misunderstanding, thus, arose.”
Asked whether a clash was imminent, he replied in the negative.
He added that in his meeting with the prime minister and the president before the statement, they all agreed on one thing: A clash between institutions will only cause destruction.
The ANP chief also ruled out the possibility of a military takeover.
Asked about his party member, Bushra Gohar’s statement that if Haqqani resigned so should DG ISI Ahmed Shuja Pasha, he said: “DG ISI should not resign. Husain Haqqani is an honourable man. He said he was implicated in the case and therefore handed in his resignation.”
The ANP chief was also asked about another party member, Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and his ‘terrible’ performance as the Railways Minister.
Asfandyar replied diplomatically: “Mr Bilour’s performance in the ministry will be taken up and discussed within the party.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2011.
COMMENTS (7)
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How come secular democratic parties do not support local democracy? This is the real democracy that is closest to the people. These people do not believe in democracy, only in getting into power and draining the Treasury. I talked to a Canadian who was in Pakistan for 6 years and returned a couple of months ago. He worked in a foreign bank. I asked him his impression. He said those in Government want to take as much out of the system as they can. Those who believe in democracy should demand that those who come to power do not fail their voters this way. Otherwise they themselves do not believe in democracy.
Of course , he is not Punjabi, so can not be classed as Pakistani ! So what are Baluchis ? Are they another version of your Non State Actors too?
The different narratives relating the assisination of Burhanuddin Rabbani lead us on a wild-goose chase. While Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar dismissed the allegation that Pakistan were involved und put the blame on the Afghan refugees in Balochistan, Afghanistan pointed the finger at the Haqqanni network. Whom do we believe? Will we learn the truth?
one more reason to kick out these millions Afghan refuges from Pakistan
mirza
We already did in the 1990s. Remember what fun we had then? And how are you enjoying the last four disasterous years?
ANP always stood for the rights of people and we are proud of its stand for democracy. If these secular nationalist parties stick together there cannot be a military takeover. Let us give democracy a few terms, to work out, just like we have given so many decades to each dictator.
Asfandyar wali Khan is the son of a great and honorable man who always stood for what was right and spent his life fighting for his country and his people. I wonder how he would feel if he knew what his son has done to his party.