Breach of sovereignty but they have their uses, says ex-ISI chief. PHOTO: AFP/ FILE
Suspicions on this count will be raised further by the leaked comments of the former ISI chief Lieutenant General (retd), Ahmed Shuja Pasha, who told the Abbotabad Commission that the drone attacks “had their uses”. The contents of that document strongly suggest Pakistan has for years covertly backed the drones. The former ISI chief, in his comments, also said it was no longer easy to stop the incursions by unmanned aircraft and that in the past, the Shamsi airbase had indeed been used by the Americans. This has, of course, never been officially acknowledged by our government. It should be noted that the drone attacks, which began in 2004, were initially approved by former army chief General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. He should be asked about his decision.
Given the leaked information, and all the conjecture that existed even before this, it is time to come clean. The PML-N government, now in power, has stated publicly many times that it is opposed to drone attacks and sees them as counterproductive as far as tackling militancy goes. If this is indeed genuinely its position, it needs to take the matter up with the US and make its desire to end the strikes known. If, for any reason, it is unable to do so or if there is a dichotomy of opinion amongst forces within the country, then we must be told about it. After all, we have been lied to for far too long, creating confusion in minds. In a democracy, people must not be fooled on so crucial an issue, central to our sovereignty, but must be informed of the full facts, whatever they may be, as well as the government’s real role in the drone affair and all that it entails.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2013.
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@Dr M Tariq Majeed: Out of curiosity, did any of the 30,000 plus Pakistanis slaughtered by the beloved good/bad Taliban suicide bombers/killers ever have a chance to "surrender"? (Violation of human rights???) Did any of the Taliban/militants/civilians killed by Pakistani army artillery or attack helicopters during operations ever get the chance to surrender??? (Hmm, another possible violation of Human Rights, what say you Herr Doktor???)
@csmann:
Both things are wrong. Loss of civilian lives including innocent children is wrong and against basic human rights.
Are drones helping to stop this loss?
@Dr M Tariq Majeed: True,but Taliban & co. specifically target innocents including children and women.What about their basic human rights?
Whatever the understanding is on this issue, the drones are simply making things worse. A drone does not distinguish between target and civilians like suckling babies, infants, pre-teen children and women. Similarly, drones do not give the opportunity to surrender, is not against the basic right of a human life?
@Unbelievable: "UN Ambassador recently made a speech denying that any terrorist find sanctuary within Pakistan?" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thats True. OBL was a statesman.
So the Editor expects the govt to stand tall and finally tell the people the truth? Is this the same govt who's UN Ambassador recently made a speech denying that any terrorist find sanctuary within Pakistan?
In this spirit, I'd like to bring to the attention of the editors and readers post-9/11 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373. UNSCR 1373 changed international law to make it the binding sovereign obligation of member-states to eliminate terror-training camps, terror havens, and terror financing on their territories. Failure to do so - as in North Wazirstan or the search for Osama bin Laden - nulls a member-states sovereignty in this regard.
Pakistanis can at once draw the appropriate conclusions: for over a decade, they've been in the wrong legally and morally by not taking the battle against terror seriously and continuing to serve as a training and staging area for terrorists who then deploy for action against Afghanistan, India, and the United States. Pakistanis can no longer value their nation as the untouchable nuclear-armed sanctuary for "stateless actors" who then commit terror abroad.
The age of Pakistan sponsoring terror is over.
UNSCR 1373 is the reason why no other nation, including China, is willing to condemn specific U.S. military actions in Pakistan as violations of Pakistani sovereignty when it is confirmed that terrorists were the targets and only fatalities. For in such cases Pakistan has little credibility to claim it is fighting them, hence it has no standing to complain about sovereignty violations.
You cannot rely on the U.S. to help you with this domestic battle: our politicians think short-term and won't mention UNSCR 1373 specifically, so as not to embarrass Pakistan. The Indians, I imagine, await the next terror incident to wield this hammer.
*> In a democracy, people must not be
The government has to keep the people fooled because the people will oppose anything and everything that even remotely looks pro-USA or pro-India or pro-West or by any stretch of imagination, anti-Islam.
Actually the government has painted itself into a corner - it's hands are tied. As a result of decades of policy of promotion of Islamic right-wing ideology, the masses and their ideology has taken on a life of it's own, snowballed out of the government's control.
It has no option, but keep fooling the people when anti-terrorist actions are needed. The alternative is re-education and reversal of 65 years of brainwashing of the Pakistani people.