Pakistan Redefining its Role in Terror War

December 15, 2011


By: Haroon Baloch


Over ninety countries' delegates foregathered in Bonn, Germany on the 5^th December for Afghanistan's future but the most significant ally in war on terror and Afghanistan's all-weathered neighbor – Pakistan boycotted the moot. Global leaders including US Secretary of States Hillary Rodham Clinton, the German Chancellor Angela Dorothea Merkel, Britain's Prime Minister David W. D. Cameron and others accentuated Pakistan to attend the moot, and nothing more this time Pakistan stood steadfastly against the callous attitude of its so called "ally" in terror war the NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF). Loss that Pakistan endured was huge; likewise the aftermaths could be anticipated.

Salalah Incident and Pakistan's Role in Terror War

The November 26^th, 2011, 1:05 am, the midnight had so far proven to be the worst moments ever in the last 11 years for Pakistan – United States relationships. Two NATO-led-ISAF Apache choppers, one AC-130 Gunship and a couple of jetfighters made a drive across the Pak-Afghan border from eastern Afghan province Kunar and violently attacked the Pakistan army's patrolling posts; Volcano and Boulder in Mohmand Agency, roughly 260 Km. (161.5 miles) in the northwest of Islamabad. The unprovoked engagement with Pakistani forces lasted for over two hours in two episodes and 26 army men were martyred including two officers; Major Mujahid Hussain and Captain Usman Ali whereas 13 others were injured.

Pakistan and Afghanistan mutually share 2640 Km (1641 miles) long porous international border, the Durand Line, which divides the ethnic Pushtuns of both the countries. Over half a century before the partition of Sub-continent, Foreign Secretary of British-India Henry Mortimer Durand and Afghan leader (Ameer) Abdur Rehman Khan signed a pact in 1893 which was about not to exercise interference beyond the frontier between Afghanistan and the then British-India and now Pakistan. This border is widely considered to be the most dangerous place on earth.

After US intervention in Afghanistan in October 2001, especially Kabul's takeover by NATO-led-ISAF forces, Taliban and Al-Qaeda groups were vigorously pushed to the eastern borders and hence in the absence of protective fence at Durand Line, miscreants at large crossed the border and found strongholds in Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan.

The FATA comprises of seven Tribal Districts (Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, North Waziristan and South Waziristan) commonly known as Agencies; semi-autonomous tribal areas positioned between the Pakistani provinces Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa in northwest and Balochistan in Southwest. Geographically FATA, due to its rather rough terrain and harsh weathers, is suitable for miscreants to carryout their activities. US always pushed Pakistan to wash out the miscreants' safe heavens.

Owing US deliberations of carrying out operation in FATA, Pakistan army launched military offensives in Bajaur Agency in August 2008, South Waziristan Agency in October 2009, Kurram and Orakzai operations in March 2010 and successfully executed them to establishing the writ of the state. A similar operation was also carried out in Mohmand Agency in December 2009 following the deadly suicide attempt in Yakaghund market that claimed 104 human lives and over 120 wounded. Till 16 September 2011, 90 percent of the agency was reportedly washed out of the miscreants and patrolling posts were established on the border to prevent cross border movements of terrorists.

Public Rage against NATO

Despite holding Border Cooperation Mechanism (BCM) between Pakistan and NATO-led-ISAF, a total of 101 Pakistani troops have been martyred and 287 wounded in the hands of ISAF cross border attacks to date. Gora Parai standoff on September 15^th, 2008 being the first violation of Pakistani sovereignty by NATO-led-ISAF forces was protested loudly by Pakistan. Since then such sort of violation to country's sovereignty never stopped. US drone attacks in FATA and civilian deaths is a separate chapter.

Every time Pakistan protested and blocked NATO supplies to Afghanistan. Currently, over 60 percent of NATO supplies (oil, food, and other logistics including ammunition) in Afghanistan pass through Pakistani routes i.e. via Chaman, Balochistan and Landi Kotal, Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa borders. Pakistan has provided the maximum cooperation to NATO in the war against terror except military troops for Afghanistan and has suffered the maximum in the hands of terrorists and its allies too.

Whenever NATO-led-ISAF made direct intervention in Pakistani territories, a huge wave of public rage has created problems for political leadership of the country. Country-wide protests delivered a strong message to US and allied forces to stop their deliberate or accidental interventions inside Pakistan. A huge demonstration lead by the members of business and civil society marched to the US Embassy in Pakistani capital, Islamabad and handed over a letter of memorandum to embassy officials and registered their anger against NATO aggression. Recent incident of Salalah in light of the May 2, 2011 invasion jolted the government at all grounds even military establishment has been facing tough times and decided to permanently cut off all NATO supplies.

Afghanistan Endgame  

There exists no second thought on significance of Afghanistan for international powers when it comes to the 'dirty endgame'. United States in major, all other NATO member countries in minor are the important stakeholders, but without Pakistan it seems a vague desire to attain the results. Recent Bonn Conference is the evidence of this so called assumption.

Pakistan presence was missed at large in the conference. US Secretary of States Hillary Clinton during the conference said, "We regretted the choice that they made, because today’s conference was an important milestone toward the kind of security and stability that is important for Pakistan as well as for Afghanistan. We continue to believe that Pakistan has a crucial role to play."

The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey on December 9^th, 2011 said in his interview to Washington Post, "Pakistan's influence in Afghanistan needs to be tackled. We have to work hard to end its influence on our Afghan mission."

Pakistan advocates its legitimate right be respected in terms of its influence and interests in the region, particularly in Afghanistan in the wake of endgame. Contrary to this reality, United States wants to permanently maintain its military basis in Afghanistan as same as in Iraq and also to share the leading role with India, which Pakistan believes is a threat to its interests in Afghanistan.

India's role on its western border is unacceptable for Pakistan. Since India has established its consulates in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan, its consequences have started coming forth in terms of accelerating and strengthening separatist movement in Pakistani province Balochistan, the strategic strength of the country. Pakistan has already unveiled the evidences about the anti-Pakistan activities of Indian intelligence agency, the Research and Analytical Wing (RAW) in Balochistan and its financial and weaponry support to the separatists.

Secondly, Pakistan's role in the development of Afghanistan will also be overshadowed before the large Indian economy. Pakistan fears that India's overwhelming role in the social development of Afghanistan may boost anti-Pakistan aspirations in Afghans who already believe Pakistan the responsible of all their destruction opposing the fact that after Soviet's invasion in Afghanistan in late 1970s, Pakistan was the second home of around 5 million Afghans.

Foreign Policy Shift and Expected US Reaction

All political as well as institutional forces of the country decided to revisit Pakistan-US and Pakistan-NATO relationships. Immediately following the November 26^th incident, Defense Committee of Cabinet (DCC) met to analyze the situation and decided to strongly protest against ISAF's callous attitude towards Pakistani sovereignty, and to implement the May 12^th, 2011 resolution of the joint parliament in letter and spirit where it is intimated that in case of any ISAF's aggression inside Pakistani territory, leadership of the country will explore all other options. Pakistan also decided to boycott the Bonn Conference 2011 at all levels in protest and to block NATO supplies.

 

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani requested the Parliamentary Committee of National Security to take up the issue on November 28^th, 2011 and formulate the recommendations so to forward this matter into in-camera joint session of the parliament. The Director General Military Operation (DGMO) Major General Ashfaq Nadeem also briefed the committee about cooperation between Pakistan Army and NATO-led-ISAF, Border Cooperation Mechanism and past history of border violations.

Keeping all the circumstance in mind, the committee summoned on defense and foreign ministry officials to give their point of views and also directed to provide details of all previously existing written and verbal agreements with US and NATO.

On December 8th, 2011, foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Basit talking about the Bonn Conference said, "Pakistan boycotted it in the best interest of the country. But not attending the Bonn Conference should not be assessed as our total disassociation from our aspiration to promote peace and security in Afghanistan. Peace and stability in Afghanistan is indeed in our own larger national interest and Pakistan will continue doing whatever it can to facilitate the process of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan". He further said, "There are times when you review certain aspects of your foreign policy and that we are presently doing."

In the background of foreign policy shift, Pakistan called in its envoy's from fifteen important destinations in the Envoy's Conference where assessed the situation and formulated their recommendations regarding certain foreign policy points. Whatever Pakistan makes changes in its foreign policy, it would never be a wish to become diplomatically isolated in the world.

Since OBL execution in Pakistan, US lawmakers are continuously stressing Obama administration to cut down in the annual aid (around US $1.5 billion) currently Pakistan receives for its cooperation in war against terror. Pakistan received a sum of US $5.3 billions during 2002-2007 in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) whereas billions more were pledged to strengthen Pakistan's military as well as civilian institutions. US Congress unanimously approved the Kerry-Berman-Lugar (KBL) bill in October 2009 though which US assured its $7.5 billion financial assistance to Pakistan for the next five years (though fiscal year 2010-2014).

Following Pakistan's review of certain foreign policy aspects, particularly that of relating to US terms of reengagement on war against terror as urged by the Pakistani parliament, it seems very obvious to yield in discontinuation of US pledged financial assistance, which eventually will lead to further deteriorate economy of Pakistan and increment in inflation at gross root level. At the same time people of Pakistan ambition to not rely on foreign assistance especially US aid because of their belief in US exploitation to grab advantages linked with it. They aspire Pakistani economy to become self sufficient and nondependent. The only way out of this labyrinth is to address the governance system of its instaurations, generate more taxes, and tightly check the corruption and mishandling of funds.

As far as war on terror is concerned, Pakistan needs to public its previous engagements with US and NATO-led-ISAF, redefine the terms of engagements and also bring them in black and white since there are some many things of cooperation that were pledged by Pakistan verbally and disguisedly. Pakistan has cooperated with international community on war against terror all the times and it will not be suitable for its own to leave this ground if it really wants the extermination of extremism from the region and establishing peace. On the other hand it is more important for international community to give up its cynical behavior toward Pakistan's efforts in combating terrorism, stop humiliating its sovereignty and attacking its important ally.