CYRIL
ALMEIDA Dawn,
October 6th, 2016
ISLAMABAD: In a blunt, orchestrated and unprecedented warning, the
civilian government has informed the military leadership of a growing
international isolation of Pakistan and sought consensus on several key actions
by the state.
As a result of the most recent meeting, an undisclosed one on the day of
the All Parties’ Conference on Monday, at least two sets of actions have been
agreed.
First, ISI DG Gen Rizwan Akhtar, accompanied by National Security
Adviser Nasser Janjua, is to travel to each of the four provinces with a
message for provincial apex committees and ISI sector commanders.
The message: military-led intelligence agencies are not to interfere if
law enforcement acts against militant groups that are banned or until now
considered off-limits for civilian action. Gen Akhtar’s inter-provincial tour
has begun with a visit to Lahore.
Second, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed that fresh attempts be
made to conclude the Pathankot investigation and restart the stalled Mumbai
attacks-related trials in a Rawalpindi antiterrorism court.
Those decisions, taken after an extraordinary verbal confrontation
between Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the ISI DG, appear to indicate
a high-stakes new approach by the PML-N government.
The following account is based on conversations with Dawn of individuals
present in the crucial meetings this week.
All declined to speak on the record and none of the attributed
statements were confirmed by the individuals mentioned.
Foreign secretary’s
presentation
On Monday, on the day of the All Parties’ Conference, Foreign Secretary
Aizaz Chaudhry gave a separate, exclusive presentation in the Prime Minister’s
Office to a small group of civil and military officials.
The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Sharif and included senior
cabinet and provincial officials. On the military side, ISI DG Rizwan Akhtar
led the representatives.
The presentation by the foreign secretary summarised the results of the
recent diplomatic outreach by Pakistan, the crux being that Pakistan faces
diplomatic isolation and that the government’s talking points have been met
with indifference in major world capitals.
On the US, Mr Chaudhry said that relations have deteriorated and will
likely further deteriorate because of the American demand that action be taken
against the Haqqani network. On India, Mr Chaudhry stated that the completion
of the Pathankot investigation and some visible action against Jaish-i-Mohammad
were the principal demands.
Then, to a hushed but surprised room, Mr Chaudhry suggested that while
China has reiterated its support for Pakistan, it too has indicated a
preference for a change in course by Pakistan. Specifically, while Chinese
authorities have conveyed their willingness to keep putting
on technical hold a UN ban on Jaish-i-Mohammad leader Masood Azhar,
they have questioned the logic of doing so repeatedly.
Extraordinary
exchange
The foreign secretary’s unexpectedly blunt conclusions triggered an
astonishing and potentially ground-shifting exchange between the ISI DG and
several civilian officials.
In response to Foreign Secretary Chaudhry’s conclusions, Gen Akhtar
asked what steps could be taken to prevent the drift towards isolation. Mr
Chaudhry’s reply was direct and emphatic: the principal international demands
are for action against Masood Azhar and the Jaish-i-Mohmmad; Hafiz Saeed and
the Lashkar-e-Taiba; and the Haqqani network.
To that, Gen Akhtar offered that the government should arrest whomever
it deems necessary, though it is unclear whether he was referring to particular
individuals or members of banned groups generally. At that point came the
stunning and unexpectedly bold intervention by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz
Sharif.
Addressing Gen Akhtar, the younger Sharif complained that whenever
action has been taken against certain groups by civilian authorities, the
security establishment has worked behind the scenes to set the arrested free.
Astounded onlookers describe a stunned room that was immediately aware of the
extraordinary, unprecedented nature of the exchange.
To defuse tensions, Prime Minister Sharif himself addressed Gen Akhtar
and said that policies pursued in the past were state policies and as such they
were the collective responsibility of the state and that the ISI DG was not
being accused of complicity in present-day events.
PM’s strategy?
Several eyewitnesses to the incredible events of Monday believe that the
foreign secretary’s presentation and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s
intervention were orchestrated by the prime minister to stir the military to
action, leading to the decision to dispatch the ISI DG on an inter-provincial
tour.
Yet, according to the accounts shared with Dawn, the sparring between
the ISI DG and civilian officials did not degenerate into acrimony.
Earlier in the meeting, ISI DG Gen Akhtar stated that not only is it the
military’s policy to not distinguish between militant groups, but that the
military is committed to that policy prevailing. The ISI chief did mention
concerns about the timing of action against several groups, citing the need to
not be seen as buckling to Indian pressure or abandoning the Kashmiri people.
Gen Akhtar also readily agreed to tour the provinces at the direction of
the prime minister, issue fresh orders to ISI sector commanders and meet with
provincial apex committees to chalk out specific actions that need to be taken
in various provinces.
According to several government officials, Monday’s confrontation was
part of a high-stakes gamble by Prime Minister Sharif to try and forestall
further diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. In separate meetings with the army
chief, participants describe an animated and energised Mr Sharif, who has
argued that Pakistan faces real isolation if policy adjustments are not made.
Government officials, however, are divided about whether Prime Minister
Sharif’s gamble will pay off. According to one official, commenting on the ISI
DG’s commitments, “This is what we prayed to hear all our lives. Let’s see if
it happens.”
Another government official offered: “Wait till November to see if
action will be taken. By then a lot of things will be settled.”
Military officials declined to comment.
Clarification:
The spokesman for Prime Minister Office on Thursday denied a story
appearing in Dawn on Oct 6 regarding “purported deliberations” of a meeting
held on security issues. The spokesman termed contents of the story not only
speculative but misleading and factually incorrect, describing it as an
“amalgamation of fiction and fabrication”.
Dispelling the impression created by the report, headlined “Act against
militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military”, he said
that intelligence agencies, particularly the ISI, are working in line with the
state policy in the best interest of the nation, both at the federal and
provincial levels to act against terrorists of all hue and colour without any
discrimination. Indeed the Army’s and ISI’s role and contributions towards
implementation of NAP have been proactive and unwavering, the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the office of the chief minister of Punjab also denied the comments
attributed to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in the news story.
Dismissing it as a baseless table story, he emphasised that besides his
respect for the institution of the armed forces, on an individual level he also
had the highest respect for the present ISI DG for his professionalism,
commitment to duty and sincerity of purpose.
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