Top brass to face tough questions at APC

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital hosts the biggest-ever political gathering for many years when leaders of almost all political and religious organisations meet on Thursday at an All-Party Conference convened by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to discuss the situation arising out of serious allegations levelled by US officials against Pakistan’s armed forces and its intelligence agency, the ISI.
The nation has pinned great hopes on leaders representing all shades of opinion to evolve a framework for the country’s foreign and security policies and to set direction for its progress on genuinely independent lines.
The top military leadership invited to the conference may face some tough questions, especially from the PML-N chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif, and leaders of nationalist and religious parties about what is considered to be ambiguous relationship with the West, particularly the United States, and military’s engagement on western borders.
The conference has one-point agenda — national security in the aftermath of security challenges emerging from outside the country.
Because of the US allegations that the ISI is hand in glove with the Haqqani network, the two countries are facing a tough challenge to keep their alliance intact in the so-called war against terrorism.
Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne will attend the conference while ISI Director General Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha is expected to make a detailed presentation on national security concerns besetting the country vis-à-vis US interests in Afghanistan.
It will be an in-camera briefing, but Mr Sharif has made his intentions clear by saying that will not only raise all important issues and ask tough questions, but also address the media after the conference.
Private TV channels quoted him as saying that “real hard facts” should be shared with the political leadership of the country.
Talking to Dawn, PML-N’s spokesperson Senator Mushahidullah Khan said Mr Sharif and the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan would ensure that something concrete came out of the APC.
He said the party leadership had decided to fully participate in the conference because the nature of tension between Pakistan and the US had risen to the maximum. He said the PPP-led government had developed so many grey areas that nothing positive could be expected from it.
Since his return from exile in Saudi Arabia in 2007, Mr Sharif has been critical of the army’s overwhelming role in the country’s foreign and defence policies. And there is a perception that because of this he is no more welcome in the military establishment.
Nationalist parties in Balochistan have also expressed reservations over the military’s role in the province. They are likely raise the issue at the conference which, observers suggest, may include target killings in Karachi and lawlessness in Balochistan.
It will be the third APC under the present government. The first was held on Dec 2, 2008, in the aftermath of Mumbai attacks when India threatened to take punitive actions. The conference presided over by the prime minister had lasted more than five hours.
A seven-point declaration issued after the conference stated that the leaders and representatives of political parties unanimously condemned the Mumbai attacks and expressed unwavering resolve of the Pakistani nation to defend its honour and dignity, sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity. It said all political parties and democratic forces firmly supported the government and the armed forces in defending Pakistan’s security.
The second APC was held on May 18, 2009, which lasted about nine hours. Its 16-point resolution unanimously backed the government’s counter-insurgency operation in Swat and Malakand division and resolved to try to unite the nation in the face of insurgency.
To come up with such sweeping resolutions at Thursday’s APC will be a tough call for the participants because the US has been an ally of Pakistan for a long time and particularly after 9/11. Besides receiving military and economic aid, Pakistan heavily banks on the US for its exports. American is the main trading partner of Pakistan and, therefore, economic managers of the country will advise the participants to take a moderate line in the final resolution.
The APC is expected to be attended by about 55 leaders who will be briefed not only by security officials but also by ministers of foreign and interior affairs and finance.
According to a spokesman of the Prime Minister House, political leaders who have confirmed their participation are: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, MQM’s Haider Abbas Rizvi, ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan, JUI-F Amir Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML-F’s Haji Khuda Bux Rajar, Fata MNA Haji Munir Khan Aurakzai, PPP-S chief Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi of the National People’s Party, Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri of BNP-A, Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Syed Munawar Hassan, former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, PKMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Senator Salim Saifullah Khan of PML (like-minded), PML-A chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, PTI chief Imran Khan, Hasil Khan Bazenjo of NPB, Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi of TJP, Senator Shahid Hassan Bugti of JWP, Dr Tahir-ul- Qadri of Tahrik-i-Minhajul Quran, Hamid Ali Shah Moosvi of TNFJ, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq of JUI-S, Sarwat Ejaz Qadri of Sunni Tahrik, Muhammad Hanif Tayyab of Nizam-i-Mustafa Party, Sahibzada Abu Khair Muhammad Zubair of JUP-N, Pir Fazal Haq of Jamiat Mashaikh, Sahibzada Muhammad Fazal Karim of Sunni Ittehad Council, Dr Paul Bhatti, Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Harmony, Ameer Hussain Gilani, Mufti Feroze Din Hazarvi of Muttahida Ulema Forum, Abdul Qadeer Khamosh, Allama Tahir Ashrafi of Ulema Council Bait-ul-Aman, Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan, former AJK prime minister and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Leader of Opposition in Senate.

No disagreement in Pentagon on Pakistan role: US

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon rejected reports Wednesday of disagreement among US officials over Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan after the top US military officer accused Islamabad of backing extremists.
A Pentagon spokesman said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta endorsed the view of Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told senators last week that Haqqani militants targeting Nato forces were a “veritable arm” of Pakistan’s main intelligence agency.
“The secretary and the chairman both agree that there are unacceptable links between elements of the Pakistani government and the Haqqanis,” press secretary George Little told reporters.
The Pakistani elements backing the Haqqani network “include the ISI” spy agency, he said.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday some defense and other officials disagreed with Mullen’s remarks and that the admiral had overstated the role of the ISI.
Unnamed officials told the Post that US intelligence reports did not have clear evidence Pakistan was exerting control over the Haqqanis, blamed for deadly attacks on US and Nato troops.
But Little said there was a “consensus view” in the Pentagon about the links between Pakistan and the Haqqani network, which operates out of sanctuaries in Pakistan.
“Everyone here understands there’s a link between elements of the Pakistani government and the Haqqanis,” he said.
“At the analytic level, there’s no disagreement,” he added.
Mullen’s outspoken comments to the Senate Armed Services Committee carried special significance as he has devoted much of his four-year tenure to cultivating relations with his Pakistani counterpart and has often tried to explain to American audiences the challenges facing the leadership in Islamabad.

White House will not second admiral on Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The White House is refusing to endorse controversial criticism of Pakistan leveled by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen.

White House press secretary Jay Carney was asked about Mullen’s claim in congressional testimony last week that the Haqqani insurgent network ”acts as a veritable arm” of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

The comment has upset Pakistan and stirred concern among some US officials at a time when the US must work with Pakistan.

Carney said that Mullen’s statement is ”not language I would use.”

But he said the comment is ”consistent with our position” and tried to dismiss questions about it as a ”matter of semantics.”

Carney reiterated that the Haqqani network has safe havens in Pakistan and Pakistan needs to take action to address that.

Partnership between Pakistan-US difficult to revive: Mullen

WASHINGTON: US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen on Wednesday told the Wall Street Journal that attacks against US soldiers in Afghanistan will not be tolerated, DawnNews reported.

He stated that the partnership approach between the US and Pakistan would be hard to revive now.

Mullen told the WSJ that the US will be very firm in its approach with Pakistan and its battle against terrorism. He said that he believed that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had supported the Haqqani network, which is the militant group the US blames for the Kabul attack. Mullen blamed the ISI for providing “logistic support” to the Haqqani network.

He said the US wanted a strong relationship with Pakistan, however, given the current situation, it will take time to restore those relations and trust

PIA grounded 10 planes, passengers face long delays

The passengers of national carrier are facing delays of up to 10 of 39 PIA aircraft were grounded because of technical faults, report said on Wednesday. In Peshawar PIA flight PK tied in UAE-255 made an emergency landing here after developing a technical fault at one of its generators. According to sources, the flight was scheduled to land in the city of Al Ain and carrying 95 passengers. Another Islamabad to Skardu PIA flight PK-451 alloy was also canceled while other scheduled flights between Karachi and Muscat PK-225 PK-356 Lahore to Islamabad have been cancelled. Earlier Tuesday, a flight bound for Islamabad Karachi PK-369, leading some lawmakers, has made an emergency landing in Multan after developing a technical fault.

US missile strike kills three in South Waziristan

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Pakistani intelligence officials say an American missile strike has killed at least three people in a militant stronghold near the Afghan border.
The two officials say a pair of missiles struck a house near the town of Wana in South Waziristan on Tuesday.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk with reporters.
Washington has fired scores of missiles into northwest Pakistan since 2008 to target Taliban and al-Qaida operatives.
The latest strike comes at a time when tension are already high between Washington and Islamabad following a recent claim by a top US military officer, Adm. Mike Mullen, that Pakistan’s main spy agency backed those militants who carried out attacks against American targets in Afghanistan. Pakistan has denied the allegation

Resolution to stop aid moved in US Congress

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers are continuing their assault on Pakistan here and quietly moved a resolution in Congress, asking for cutting all but nuclear-safety assistance to the country.
The move contrasts sharply with recent efforts by US and Pakistani governments aimed at reducing tensions over Islamabad’s alleged links to the Haqqani network of militants.
On Monday evening, US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Marc Grossman, spoke with Ambassador Husain Haqqani and conveyed Washington’s desire to deescalate tensions.
Mr Grossman is believed to have told the ambassador that “the US considers Pakistan an ally and despite challenges and disagreements will continue to work with the country’s democratic leadership”.
Also on Monday, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh met US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides and both agreed to resolve the dispute through “diplomatic means”, official sources said.
“Mr Nides agreed that current adversarial heights and the war of words need to be reduced,” said a diplomatic source.
In another move aimed at de-escalation, Mr Grossman and Ambassador Haqqani plan to address a joint news conference on Wednesday and talk about the efforts both sides have so far made to overcome the crisis.
But temperatures remain high in both chambers of the US Congress where lawmakers continue to attack Pakistan, with some even suggesting that Washington should now encourage India to take a higher profile in Afghanistan.
The current crisis in bilateral relations began last week after scathing remarks by Admiral Mike Mullen, outgoing Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who spoke openly of the links between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and the Haqqani network.
Soon after the admiral’s statement, Congressman Ted Poe, a Republican from Texas, tabled H. R. 3013, also known as the Pakistan Accountability Act, a piece of legislation which, if passed by Congress, will freeze all US aid to Pakistan with the exception of funds that are designated to help secure nuclear weapons.
The Pakistan Accountability Act stipulates that:
(a) Prohibition:- Except as provided in subsection (b), assistance may not be provided to Pakistan under any provision of law.
(b) Exception:- Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to assistance to ensure the security of nuclear weapons.
(c) Effective Date:- This Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply with respect to amounts
allocated for assistance to Pakistan that are unexpended on or after such date.
“Ever since we found Osama bin Laden living the high life in Abbottabad, we’ve had our suspicions about Pakistan,” Congressman Poe told the House while introducing the resolution.
“Turns out they are disloyal, deceptive, and a danger to the United States. This so-called ally takes billions in US aid, while at the same time supporting the militants who attack us.”