Daily Times

According to a story published in a local newspaper, the civilian government, in a blunt and unprecedented warning, has informed the military leadership of growing international isolation of Pakistan, and has sought consensus on several key actions by the state. As a result of the most recent meeting, at least two sets of action have been agreed upon. First, DG ISI General 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 that military-led intelligence agencies are not to interfere if law enforcement agencies act against militant groups that are banned or until now considered off-limits for civilian action. 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.

But perhaps the most astonishing part of the meeting was the extraordinary verbal confrontation between Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the DG ISI. CM Sharif had reportedly 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. To defuse tensions and to avoid any kind of misunderstandings, Prime Minister Sharif himself addressed General 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 DG ISI was not being accused of complicity in present-day events.

Similar concerns were voiced by Senator Aitzaz Ahsan while addressing the joint session of parliament the next day. He reiterated that the government had been unsuccessful in implementing the National Action Plan as certain elements accused of propagating terror in other countries continue to stage rallies and freely collect funds even in cities like Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

While such a move on behalf of the civilian government is indeed unprecedented, it does show that Pakistan is indeed being isolated in the world arena, which is in contrast to the earlier government claims. The indifferent response from the power capitals towards Pakistan’s demands for an investigation into Kashmir rights issue signals the looming threat of isolation.

The move on the part of the PML-N suggests a major departure from state policies. The explicit mention of Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-i-Taiba and Haqqani Network does support the claims of the international community of Pakistan’s compartmentalisation of militant groups. Even if the statement has come as a surprise to many, this is the standard procedure in a democracy. It is the civilian government that has the authority to formulate policies and ordering military action if required.

The development shows that the government has realised that it cannot afford to live in denial anymore. Calls for fresh investigations into the Pathankot attack and the restart of Mumbai attacks trials show government’s reiterated stance amid rising tensions in the region. The relations with both India and the US have deteriorated because of incidents of terrorism, which are allegedly being propagated by groups operating from Pakistan.

Recently, China vetoed a UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohamad leader Masood Azhar, but not without questioning Pakistan’s logic behind it. The world power dynamics are changing. No matter how good an ally China is, at some point, Pakistan would have to give logical responses to such questions. It is about time that Pakistan categorically strengthened its resolve to elimination of any such elements operating on or from Pakistani soil. India has used the terrorism card to avoid tensions in Kashmir being highlighted at the world level. If Pakistan is sincere in doing something for the Kashmir issue, it would have to go all out against terrorism, and thereby denying India the leverage it keeps using over Pakistan.

The image of Pakistan has been tarnished over the years especially following the 9/11 tragedy and the consequent war on terror. There is a desperate need to come clean with its policies. At this critical point in time, government should realise that it cannot properly function without a foreign minister. Already much has been lost on the diplomatic front, and there is an urgent need to have sane minds re-establish Pakistan’s image in front of the world powers. *