Pakistan on Dangerous Cross Roads

- Anil Narendra

The year 2012 might prove very crucial for Pakistan. Pakistan is struggling on a number of fronts simultaneously. On political front, President Asif Ali Zardari and Tehrik-e-Insaf are at logger heads. Popularity graph of Imran is shooting upwards. The second front is open between Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI Chief General Shuja Ahmed Pasha. That is why, General Kayani has negated the possibility of military rule in Pakistan, but in view of widening distance and mistrust between these two, it is difficult to say anything. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Parliamentary Committee has started investigating the memogate issue. The Pakistan Parliamentary Committee, entrusted with the investigation of the confidential letter (memogate) sent, has decided to issue summons to the-then Pakistan Ambassador to US, Hussain Haqqani, the US national of Pakistan origin, businessman Mansoor Eijaz and ISI Chief General Shuja Pasha. All these three could be asked to be present in person at the next meeting of the Parliamentary Committee, scheduled to be held on 10th January 2012. In the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in a US attack on 2nd May last year, it appears that Pakistan politics has entered a stormy phase. After this action in the internal politics of Pakistan, apprehending a military coup, President Asif Ali Zardari had written a letter to the US Administration seeking help. There is no indication of an early end to this storm in the Pak politics. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected Government's plea to handover the investigation of memogate episode to a Parliamentary Committee. Instead, the Supreme Court has constituted a three-member Committee to investigate the matter and submit its report within four weeks. All the three members of the Committee are Chief Justices of Islamabad, Baluchistan and Sindh High Courts. The Party in power, PPP is not happy with this decision of the Supreme Court and the Government will be requesting the Court to reconsider its decision, but the most serious matter is the deteriorating relations between Pakistan and US. In its report on Monday, the New York Times said, "America is now realizing the truth that the extensive security partnership with Pakistan has come to an end. Under such circumstances, US officials are, in a very limited sense, trying to save the anti-terror alliance. They are, however, aware that it would make the US capability to attack terrorists very complicated and supply in Afghanistan would be badly affected. A US Think Tank has crossed all the limits. This influential US Think Tank has said that the probable threats, US would be facing in 2012 include war with Pakistan. On the basis of interaction with the US officials and experts, The Council on Foreign Relations Centre for Preventive Action in America has prepared a list of probable threats, which US is likely to face during 2012. With reference to attack or anti-terror operations, Pakistan is quite up in this list. This list of America has been released at a time, when Pak Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani has openly challenged US and NATO. After a meeting with the Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Gillani has warned US and NATO that Pakistan Army is completely prepared to deal with any threat, as such Pakistan will retaliate with its full strength to any attempt to violate its sovereignty. At present, Pakistan has stopped NATO supplies and any future decision in this regard is to be taken by the Cabinet. All told, it can be said that Pakistan is standing at dangerous cross roads. We hope that politicians in Pakistan would succeed in tackling these serious challenges and all these apprehensions would prove wrong.