Was the green light given to CIA during the last round? Can our Foreign Minister Qureshi tell us if President Zardari gave the green light for CIA to kill innocent Paksitanis? Who in Islamabad is responsible for the deaths of innocent and patriotic Pakistanis in our tribal belt?

 

BY HARRISS KHAN | Thursday, 21 October 2010.
WWW.PAKNATIONALISTS.COM

 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—The Pakistani delegation headed by our very own foreign minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Hussain Qureshi is in session with the U.S delegation in Washington for the third round of the strategic dialogue, headed by secretary of state Hillary Rodham. The word strategic is enthralling but the moment a sane person comes to know about the outcome of these US-PAK strategic dialogues they instantly say, ‘It’s just a discourse between U.S and Pakistan for no better outcome.’

The recently published book, Obama’s Wars, is full of taunts against Pakistan, portraying it as a tainted ally. Not to mention a report by a Washington think tank accusing Pakistan of diverting flood money to its nuclear program. And the Obama administration report to Congress stating Pakistan is not doing enough against Al-Qaeda and Taliban. All of this leaves a bad taste in the mouth just before starting a strategic dialogue and clearly shows that U.S is pressurizing Pakistan by this rhetoric and storming up a public perception that Pakistan is the reason why America is losing Afghanistan.

Will our very own foreign minister ever tell us what Pakistan got out of this strategic dialogue? What Pakistan gained and lost? 

These are million-dollar questions in the minds of 180 million people of Pakistan thrown at out rulers but with no answers in the offing. After the second round of strategic talks in Islamabad, the suppressed and sandwiched Pakistanis saw increased drone attacks. Did the U.S get a go-ahead during that round of talks? Or is Bob Woodward right when he states in his book that President Zardari told a former CIA director, “Collateral damage worries you Americans. It does not worry me”?

Who will clear this haze and let the nation know about the man who is responsible for deaths of the innocent and patriot people of FATA?

Our sovereignty is challenged almost every day. Back in 2008 at Gora Pai in the Mohmand tribal region of Pakistan, 11 soldiers of Pakistan Army lost their lives due to coalition forces’ indiscriminate firing. Later, American officials called it a “regrettable incident.” Our government did nothing in retaliation. Late last month NATO helicopters crossed in Kurram Agency and killed three of our soldiers again and this time came a befitting response from Pakistan fully endorsed by the ordinary public to choke ISAF supply lines. At this critical juncture, the whole nation is asking one question: Why are the US and ISAF forces killing its own ally? Will this grave issue be taken up in the ongoing strategic dialogue?

Afghanistan has become a quagmire for the US and its allies and just for face-saving Pakistan is being pulled in slowly to be blamed for the failures in Afghanistan. One must remember the days when U.S forces were badly hurt in Vietnam and “operation creep” was launched to bomb Laos and Cambodia to shift the blame on them.

Pakistan foreign policy experts have very few moves left on the chess board of “strategic dialogue.”

 

Mr. Harriss Khan is a columnist for PakNationalists.com. See his bio on the right sidebar. Reach him at

 

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