Advantage from Nato supply route will not last forever: Husain Haqqani

Haqqani says Pakistan must take some responsibility, US must respect genuine concerns of its ally.

With the United States and Pakistan busy behind the scenes, hammering out terms for reopening the Nato supply route, the former Ambassador to US, Husain Haqqani appearing on CNN on Thursday, pointed out that whatever advantage Pakistan stands to gain from the Nato supply routes, it will not last forever.

Speaking on “The Brief”, hosted by Christiane Amanpour, Haqqani said, “Pakistanis have to wake up to the fact that whatever advantages they have as the ground line of communication (GLOCs) provider, that advantage is not going to last forever. As the Americans withdraw, yes, they need Pakistan to withdraw their heavy equipment. But in a worst case scenario, they can say ‘Blow up the equipment, let’s get out of here through other means.’”

“We need to crack down on these extremists for Pakistan’s sake. More Pakistanis have been killed by them than they have killed Americans…. America will leave Afghanistan someday. But we will still be haunted by the remnants.”

However, he said that the main sticking point remained a gulf of trust deficit between the two allies, and a reduced space within Pakistan to openly discuss pragmatic aspects of the troubled bilateral relation. “Look, I am, as a Pakistani, very concerned about the direction of my own country. I am among those who feel that there are elements in Pakistani society who don’t allow us to have an honest and realistic debate about foreign policy.”

“We just want to blame our neighbors, our enemies,” said Haqqani, “we don’t want to take account of what’s wrong at home.”

However, he reminded that there were genuine concerns for Pakistan in Afghanistan, which many felt were being ignored. “We are concerned about the future of Afghanistan. We don’t want India to create a kind of presence in Afghanistan that the US wouldn’t have tolerated if the Soviets had created it in Mexico during the Cold War,” he said

As a solution, the former ambassador proposed honesty. “We both need to have an honest discussion.”

He hinted that a small group of people wished to hijack the public debate for ulterior motives. “Pakistan needs to discuss its relations with the US honestly and openly within its society, instead of allowing a small group of people ideologically motivated and seeking essentially the domination of an Islamist ideology within Pakistan, but unable to get votes. They should not be allowed to dominate the discourse within Pakistan”

On the American side, Haqqani said that in his formal capacity as Ambassador, he often urged US to understand Pakistani sentimentalities. “We helped the Americans fight the Soviets in the ‘80’s and what was the result? Civil war in Afghanistan, the Americans left, we were left with the baby and we paid the price for the civil war. Then 9-11 came, we became partners with the Americans again, and this time when the Americans leave, we will still be picking up the pieces.”

“Your domestic politics and our domestic politics often come in the form of a clash, and when they clash nothing good comes out of it.”

“Talk to any Pakistani for five minutes,” he said, “and by the fifth minute he will be getting angry about America far more than he would about whoever hid Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Now there’s been a year that’s gone and we haven’t yet prosecuted anyone for hiding and protecting Osama bin Laden there. So my point is, as Pakistanis, we need to take some responsibility.”

Despite this, when Pakistan sought token retribution in the aftermath of the November 26, 2011, when a Nato airstrike killed 24 Pakistanis soldiers, it was ignored. “Pakistan demanded an apology for the Salala incident (the lethal air strike) when Pakistan’s troops were killed. America disregarded that request.”

Haqqani not returning anytime soon

Asked whether Haqqani would be returning to the fray, he said that such a scenario was not possible till the atmosphere for him cooled. “I will not go back to Pakistan for the moment,” he said. “Purely because there are elements there who have been threatening my life.”

He pointed out how progressive thinkers like former Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer was killed by his own security guard. “So until such time as the ideologically motivated hateful rhetoric against me is ending, it’s better for me to stay out.”