Sovereignty is a very complex issue even though it may seem simple enough. While the issue of US drones violating our sovereignty has come up again and again, former Pakistan ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani has raised a relevant point concerning other violations of sovereignty. Speaking in Washington at the launch of the Asia Society’s report on the US and South Asia after Afghanistan, the former ambassador spoke candidly, stating that his country was not using its full force against the militants operating from its territory and also violating its sovereignty.
This is an issue that has not been discussed often enough in our own country, with hype built only around the drone strikes. The fact, however, is that the militants, as anti-State players, are misusing Pakistan’s territory and need to be stopped. They are undoubtedly the real culprits. Logically speaking, if there were no militants, there would be no drones. The entire problem would be solved. But as Haqqani stated, Pakistan is not demonstrating the will required to root out militants. This needs to be found along with the recognition that the real threat to our nation comes from the heavily armed outfits marching across our northern areas, rather than the strikes made by unmanned planes. It is true that such strikes ignite a degree of anger and thus spur on militancy but this is a relatively minor matter, blown out of proportion compared to the threat of militancy from within. It would be worth compiling a list of just how many top militant figures the drones have taken out since 2004.
The key challenge is to fight militancy more forcefully from within the country. Washington’s strategies need to be based around persuading Islamabad to work towards this. A broader approach is needed. As Haqqani said, engagement with the military and intelligence apparatus alone has not been effective. It is not hard to say why. Nonetheless, civilians need to be involved in the campaign against militancy and a problem that acts as a major threat to our nation needs to be discussed far more openly and widely on all possible forums to do away with the current fixation on drones alone.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 13th, 2012.
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Jahandad
Mirza did not mention Pushtoons.
A good guess would be that you yourselves are not a Pushtoon.
@nathan: "He was a US citizen and Pakistan ambassador to US at the same time "
Untrue. His WIFE was a dual citizen. HE was only a Pakistani citizen at the time he was an ambassador.
Hussain Haqqani should stop identifying himself with Pakistan. This selfish man is a US citizen and always talks in the same language as that of the US administration. As ambassador of Pakistan he always tried to keep his US masters happy so that he can keep his job and position secured in US. People of Pakistan must condemn him for making such statements. Pakistan with in its meager financial and military resources has fought to the best of its ability, against the terrorists who are being armed and launched by foreign intelligence agencies from the Afghan soil. Even US and NATO with their far superior resources have not been able to achieve any measure of success in their fight against Taliban and it will be naive to expect Pakistan doing anything better than the much better equipped US forces. On what authority Haqqani laments Pakistan for not doing enough. Why can't he tell the US to build up Pakistan's military capacity to deal with the terrorist threat. Why can't he tell the US to stop arming the TTP. Why can't he tell US to hand over Mullah Fazalullah to Pakistan. We know he will never toe any other line which may offend his US masters and thus he may fall from the grace.
The drones have undoubtedly killed or maimed several Al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives, but are they not partially to blame for the huge rise in violence, sectarianism and extremism our country has witnessed in the last 8-9 years? The editorial acknowledges that the 'drones cause a certain degree of anger' but regrettably fails to connect this to the internal militancy we face. Indeed, as long as the United States continues its drone program, militancy will continue to grow and destabilize the country. Without a doubt Pakistan must 'do more' to control the spread of militancy, but when the State is perceived, by some, as a mercenary of the US, and by others as complicit with the militants, it finds itself powerless to control the narrative. The country can ill-afford more militancy, but unlike the suggestions of this editorial, perhaps Washington should start listening to Islamabad's ideas, and take a more pragmatic look at what happens in the region. Drone strikes, in their current form, are illegal and kill too many civilians providing a useful source of recruitment for militants and the justification for 'Jihad', against the West and against the Pakistani State. Merely slaughtering the people of Waziristan won't solve our problems - people will become more disillusioned with the State and resort to more dangerous levels of violence (as the current trends suggest). A better approach would be to win the war of 'hearts and minds' of the tribal people and help reconstruct these areas, give those people a voice rather than treat them like drone fodder. I sometimes forget the bubble of the English-speaking class of Pakistan; how they look down on the poor and the illiterate, and how uninterested they are in anyone but themselves. Unfortunately, half-baked editorials such as these smack of this disgusting colonial hangover we've inherited. Even the liberals of far-away Britain realize that drone strikes promote militancy and extremism, coupled with the unthinkable economic difficulties these communities face. It would be nice if the Tribune could present the 'other side' for once, and investigate the real reasons for militancy in Pakistan. If the BBC, a very Western media corporation can come up with an excellent documentary on the drone war and get input from militants, the US and Pakistani military as well as politicians (who all seem to agree that a change in strategy is needed), surely something similar can be achieved by our eminent journalists?
@ Jahandad agree with you 100%, but you forgot to mention that for the same reasons that you mentioned, the best terrorists are also Pushtun. Look around you and you shall find the faces and names, let me not be blamed for naming any.
We didn't hear any debate nor any consensus was developed when Army decided to launch an operation in Swat against militants.What we saw all of a sudden, prime minister coming on tv and announcing the launch of operation.Who cares for consensus in this country.The dire situation of this country is itself a consensus. Does one need more consensus?.There is a conflict of intrests. It's a matter of- One grave and two bodies.
This is such a simple point, Even children should understand it.
Sovereignty is over land a nation controls and for which one takes responsibility. If Pakistan does not take responsibility for the actions of people living over some land then it does not have sovereignty.
The Taliban and other non State actors have many Godfathers among those who wield Power. These Power brokers need these indoctrinated souls to use them as foot soldiers or proxies for settling scores with opponents and other criminal activity. Since no one wants to bell the cat it is natural that Politicians will use Malala to milk some electoral gains. It is much easier than combating the Taliban. The issue of Nobel Peace Prize is irrelevant to the context of your arguments.
I cant agree more on the main point of the oped.
But it is rich for people like Haqqani to talk of violation of sovereignty. He was a US citizen and Pakistan ambassador to US at the same time . Did that not make a joke of sovereignty? In a similar case, long back the government of India wanted a personal friend of Vajpayee and political worker to be given an envoy status in USA. USA refused because though he was an Indian citizen he had a US green card. In Haqqani case US did not object because sovereignty of Pakistan is something they don't take seriously.
Remember . "These are the people who will sell their mother for 10 $".
Lots of people have made a joke of Pakistan sovereignty including Haqqani.
Nathan.
No one outside of Pakistan thinks that you have a sovereign right to provide de facto sanctuary to terrorist who attack your neighbors and allies. You want to get rid of the drone attacks - get rid of the terrorist.