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Who should be held responsible: retired General Pervez Musharraf, President Asif Ali Zardari or COAS Gen. Ashfaque Parvez Kayani? They can’t shun their responsibility for the rise in CIA drone attacks in Pakistan in the past three years and someone will have to become answerable in front of the Pakistani nation.
SALIM BOKHARI | Monday | 22 November 2010
WWW.PAKNATIONALISTS.COM
LAHORE, Pakistan—The increase in the American drone attacks in the South and North Waziristan has now become unbearable. The stage has come where our leadership should pick up the guts to tell US President Barack Obama enough is enough. The main question is who should be held responsible for allowing the ruthless killing of innocent civilians in collateral damage- former military dictator Gen. (retd) Pervez Musharraf, COAS Ashfaq Parvez Kayani or President Asif Ali Zardari? Although no immediate answer is available, yet none of them can shun responsibility and the day is not far off when they will have to account for their role.
Even if we argue that this is being done to eliminate Al-Qaeda and extremist elements from the tribal region, nothing justified carrying out 200-plus drone attacks since they started in 2004, killing well over 2,000 innocent civilians as only 30 suspected terrorists were hit. The ratio of striking against the Al-Qaeda operatives achieved by these drone attacks, according to military estimates is as low as 2.5 per cent, which is not enviable by any standards.
Unanimous resolutions the Senate and the National Assembly passed in November 2008 in a session open to public and similar four others adopted by the provincial legislatures fell on deaf ears of the ruling elite, let alone impacting the masters of our destiny sitting in Pentagon and CIA who can be held accountable for this agonizing human tragedy. Violations of Pakistan’s territorial integrity and disregard for its national sovereignty as an independent state are continuing unabated and there appears to be no move by the Pakistani government to seek an end to it. Each time drones come and fire missiles inside Pakistan, the Foreign Office issues a mildly-worded condemnation. Sometimes even a condemnation is not considered necessary. Often the Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi reacts only to justify American attacks.
The Washington Post has come out with a hilarious report that says that the American military leadership is seeking expansion in areas where drones could launch attacks, impliedly meaning to stretch the operations to Balochistan and Southern Punjab. It will be a big folly on part of the United States to go for such an adventure as it might lead to popular uprising against the sitting rulers.
It is worth mentioning here that a former Chief of Air Staff had said categorically that the PAF has the ability to shoot down drone aircraft provided the government has the political will to do so. Similarly, sometime back former Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. (retd.) Mirza Aslam Baig had also said that American drones should be targeted when they violate Pakistani airspace.
Former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, in an interview, explained that the agreement between the Musharraf regime and Washington was limited to allowing CIA drones to gather intelligence and share it with Pakistan so that Pak Army could carry out operations to eliminate terrorists. Under no circumstances, Kasuri insists, were the Americans given permission to carry out attacks within Pakistani borders.
It is about time that the Troika – comprising the president, the prime minister and the COAS – put their heads together and worked out a policy about US military attacks inside Pakistan. Pakistan has already paid a heavy price in term of lives of military personnel and civilian population besides ruining its economy. The attacks have created a situation that no investor is willing to invest in Pakistan. We are suffering due to suicide bombings, explosions and target killings in every nook and corner of the country.
The assertion made by President Obama during his recent address to the Indian Parliament that a stable Pakistan is in the interest of Washington and New Delhi is nothing but farce-eyewash. Obama says India is interested in peace in Pakistan when he hardly needs any more evidence that India is sponsoring terrorism in Balochistan and trying to take control of areas in Afghanistan along the Pakistan border. The US role is duplicitous as well. The United States has deployed a large number of Blackwater and other security personnel to keep the province bleeding.
Our leadership has to come out with a workable solution to drone attacks failing which it should get ready to face people’s anger. It must take into consideration that the Americans would not hesitate to leave us alone the moment their objectives are achieved. In our case the list of US betrayal is very long. Compelling ground realities call for a decision in the best national interest. Will our sitting leadership take that decision without wasting any further time is a million-dollar question.
Mr. Bokhari is the editor of The Nation. This is an edited version of a report first published by The Nation. Reach Mr. Bokhari at
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BUT the thing is if the civilian government is lame and are a sell-outs, then what the ARMY is doing about it??? why can’t the Pakistan Air force stop this “whole-sale” killing of innocent people? What is the ARMY doing with the Rs. 441 billion budget we the people are providing to them which is increasing every year???
All these “Is” (Zardari, Gilani, Kiyani) than are more dangerous and lethal than the enemy itself??? To be honest, we are facing an “internal” threat, right???
No one is going to own it BUT WE KNOW that all the above “Inglorious B*sterds” are fully and totally involved in it…..
If coas wont act, it shows that the system is wrong. Everyone is screaming to stop the drones, expel xe, close down us bases etc and yet the military wont act because they claim to take orders from the thin fake veneer of “democratic systems” government.
The government is claimed to be ” rule of the people, by the people, for the people” what a sick joke that is hey ?
You have to realise you cannot walk a fine line of “politics” zig zagging this way then that way, pleasing the kufr west 1 minute then cheating the people the next.
You have to take the side of pakistan and muslims and Islam. This means practising it 100% and ripping up the fake deen you invented yourself.
The only Deen acceptable to Allah(swt) is Islam (Tmq)
No one is going to own it ……….. not the politicians, nor COAS, nor the bureaucracy, and certainly the government … they know not to talk with their mouths (read pockets) full.
People need to workout and execute the solution. A critical part of the solution to prevent resurfacing of these parasites is to purge them all en masse. Their treason is beyond rehabilitation.
Mr. Salim Bukhari, it is an undeniable fact that by not only continuing but extending Musharraf’s policy, Asif Zardari is very much in the shoes of Musharraf. It is mainly Asif Zardari who is responsible for ever increasing drone attacks and other CIA/Black Water anti-Pak activities inside and outside Pakistan ( e.g., in India, Afghanistan, Israel, Washington and London etc., etc.,)
Besides, Nawaz Sharif, Kyani, our Prime Minister Gilani, Foreign Minister Qureshi, Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, Haqqani and other cronies of Zardari are equally responsible too as they are definitely contributing against the interest of Pakistan through their actions and/or in-actions. Asif Zardari has definitely become a super-slave of Americans; be it Obama government, ‘the Invisibe Government’, Mosad, R.A.W or any other entity who feeds millions of $ to his overseas open or hidden accounts. He is an absolute ‘crook’ as evidenced by his past and present both. Bribery has been his tool throughout for receiving or giving for accomplishment of others or his evil designs. No one is wrong when they call him by the name of ‘Dajjal’, ‘Dracula’ or ‘Rasputin’. He has surpassed all our past ruling villains/dictators in enmity of the state and people combined. There is no limit of his hunger for amassing wealth and he can go to any unbelievable length against interest of anyone except himself. It does not require any serious findings, as it is a common knowledge fact that all, repeat all our ministers (Fedl or Provl, including the PM and CMs), senators, MNAs, MPAs, are all dummies and his bought-ups; even the Leaders of Opposition in Senate and NA have their prices paid up from time to time and their up-roars are mere ‘Topi-Dramas’.
People like me, who reckon Kyani as a staunch patriot wonder as to why and how he is keeping mum when the very interest of the state/nation is at the stake. Nothing and no one is above the National Interest. Is it now the only alternative left that people en-mass rise against the sitting government and bring about a ‘bloody revolution’ ?? Like Iran surround the American Embassy/Consular Offices, imprison the Americans therin and do what is deemed impossible and unthinkable. PML(C, Q, N, etc), ANP, MQM, JUI, JI are all liable too under the Vicarious Liability and cannot absolve themselves from the responsibility of siding with /playing in the hands of the Enemy of Pakistan. Now it is high time that Kyani must Think, think and think !!!. Zardari definitely is an enemy of DEMOCRACY, and 98% of the People of Pakistan.
Totally agree with Mr. Aleem’s comment.
When would these criminal stooges come to some sense and make their criminal partners to stop killing innocent people in Pakistan, through target practices of ‘Drone’ flights. These Drone fliers should be happy to have brought down Twin Towers in New York on 9/11. Those were the two historically perfect Drone hits. In any case, these zionists can find other targets in America. Is there on single politician to suggest shooting down any Drone that enters Pakistani space. Let our boys also enjoy target practice on free Drone as well.
SALIM BOKHARI Sahib — When such hidden following ACTIVITIES shall take place — what do you think — Americans & NATO would NOT Take any un-due ADVANTAGE?
Read the following ISI Supported Newspaper — Confirm Report!
*Chan-Been = To Scrutinize the Visa Process as happened at Dubai.
*Iss Per Mokamil Chup Sadhay Hoay = ALL Opposition Parties of Pakistan are Silent specially PML(N) rather – Nawaz Shairf & Co. is not concerned likewise on American & NATO – Droned Attacks on Innocent Homeland Pakistanis.
Americanoun Ko VISAY Baghair —- *Chan-Been Kay Phir Say Mil-Nay — Lagay-
NS & Co. Aur Degar Opposition Jamatien – *Iss Per Mokamil Chup Sadhay Hoay-
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