Source: The Boston Globe
HISTORY, geography, and domestic politics have all helped mold Pakistan into a large question mark for its neighbors, its allies, and itself. Intermittent military rule has had its role in this identity crisis, as have Pakistan’s major political parties, with their feudal structures and their corruption. At least as destabilizing, though, have been the entanglements of Pakistan’s powerful military intelligence agency, known as ISI, with the Taliban and other Islamist extremists.
Pakistan must be encouraged to sever the ISI from radical groups that the agency cultivated in the past. This is a matter of self-preservation. As The New York Times reported this week, some of the extremists have begun targeting the Pakistani military and government that once nurtured them.
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence originally cultivated the Afghan Taliban and homegrown militants for strategic purposes. Both were meant primarily to provide Pakistan with proxy forces against India. After Soviet forces left Afghanistan, and America brusquely lost interest in the region, the ISI backed the Taliban to counter Indian influence in Afghanistan and give Pakistan more room to respond to any threat from India.
Islamist radicals under ISI tutelage could be sheltered in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan while preparing forays into Indian-ruled Kashmir. The ISI’s manipulation of jihadists served its purposes until Sept. 11, 2001, after which the Bush administration demanded that President Pervez Musharraf choose between the Taliban and the US war on terror.
Since then, Pakistan’s strategic interests have begun to change. It is true that the $10 billion in mostly military aid Musharraf procured from Washington has been spent largely on weapons more suitable to fighting India than uprooting Al Qaeda. But the alliance with America has compelled the ISI to cut loose most of its radical Islamist proteges, particularly those who tried to kill Musharraf.
For Pakistan to achieve stability, Musharraf will have to permit free and fair elections next month. He will have to allow the revival of a free press and an independent judiciary. But Pakistan’s security services will also have to act, without ambivalence, to penetrate, divide, and destroy the jihadist monster it once helped midwife.
America can help by altering the security outlook of Pakistan’s leadership. Above all, this means taking an active diplomatic role in resolving Pakistan’s conflict with India. This will require settling the Kashmir dispute, preferably by a referendum that offers three options to residents of Indian-controlled Kashmir: stay in India, be part of Pakistan, or become independent.
Only when India and Pakistan are reconciled can Pakistan resolve its identity crisis.
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Tags: ISI, Militants, Musharraf, Pakistan, Politics, Taliban
2 responses so far ↓
1 Khwaja Aftab Ali, Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. // Jan 29, 2008 at 5:10 am
Yes, Fatima is the only hope for Pakistan from Bhutto family- she is the real Bhutto by blood and intellect. I am a regular reader of her articles and it’s hard to believe that she can have this oservation and intellect to write these articles in a young age. Her writings are based on very facts and her concern of the welfare of masses is remarkable. But before she walks in to the real field of politics, she has a lot of challenges to face. Intellectual politician like Dr. Mubasher Hasan could be a very dependable guide but do not have enogh votes which counts in democracy and the people who have votes are not dependable at all.Let the young educated people come forward and join hand with this talented young lady who has vision and charisma to lead a nation. So please Fatima, take care of yourself first and then politics. We do not want to lose you for nothing. You can lead but lead the nation carefully and wisely. All the best, An unknown founder of PPP and a former PRO, Iranian Embassy, Saudi Arabia. email.piplaw@hotmail.com
2 Khwaja Aftab Ali // Jul 27, 2008 at 3:57 am
FACTS ON THE GROUND IN PAKISTAN.Reference to the Islamic history and Pakistan’s independance period, I want to go a step further and will recomend to select/elect every Chief of Army staff as president after retirement and the present Army chief should be be given extra time for his oustanding services at national and international level and all other Corps. Commanders of the Army and COS of Airforce and Navy should be apponited Governors and Deputy Governors of the provinces and regions ( by creating regional governments in all four provinces, 2 in Punjab 1 in each province- these regions already exist based on language, culture and history , such as Saraiki, Potahari, Upper Sind-Sukkar, Dera Ismail Khan in NWFP and Gawadar- Balouch Area. And all additional bureaucrates who love to live in provincial capitals should be trasfered to these remote areas of the country. These new regions should invite and attrect the foreigner and Pakistani origin people to invest in the area to creat jobs and eliminate poverty.) This is the only way we can stop further intereption/ coup in Pakistan . After all armed forces personnel are wel diciplined and organized . And above all represent Pakistan’s divercified population.And it;s leadership do not transfer within family but earned by hardwork and talents only. Every second family in Pakistan is represented in the army one way or the other and the Pakistan Army is the only ever lasting popular party-yes it’s an important ruling party other than Bhuttos and anti-Bhuttos, Sharif brothers. With this arrangement no one is loser except few feudals and industrialists, who reprent non of the masses in Pakistan. We already have a quota system applied for superior services since 30 years and had killed thousands of innocent talented young people, why not try this arrangement for the welfare of the country which will effect none but very few so called politicians who after all deal with generals, behind the curtains.And it’s good to know that supporters of these politician are 500/600 Mafia families who live in 125 districts in Pakistan and provide so called public leadership for national, provincial and local levels. Any restriction to stop them is useless. Recent example of education condition brought their unseen educated women forward in politics. All 8000/9000 candidates in recent elections were from the same mafia group who are the biggest law breakers and around 1000 leading law breakers have been elected as new law makers who will take care of themselves but none. They all are involved in worst kind of crimes on this earth against humanity with the colaboration of junior police officials.An enquiry by a nuetral agency may prove my claim.WOULD THE EDITOR PUBLISH THIS LETTER in the larger interest of the nation. KHWAJA AFTAB ALI,(a former Secretary Iranian Embassy, Saudi Arabia,1975-88), first and only post graduate of Intellectual Property Laws on scholarship from USA. Residing in Orlando, Florida.U.S.A. email.all_languages@ hotmail.com phone 4077293983
Posted by Khwaja Aftab Ali, Advocate & I.P. Attorney, Pakistan
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