Very soon after WikiLeaks went public with thousands of classified cables, several of which pertained to Pakistan, the Defense Committee of the Cabinet met in Islamabad and termed the release of WikiLeaks diplomatic cables an attempt to harm the image of the country. The meeting termed the leaks false and unauthentic and an attempt to malign the political and military leadership of the country.
One may be forgiven for asking how actual diplomatic cables exchanged by US missions and the State Department can be false and unauthentic. One can also be forgiven for asking what has harmed the image of the country, the reported conduct of the actors in this drama, or the exposure of such conduct. The image of the country is damaged when our leaders express popular views in public while acting and speaking at total variance in private, particularly when seeking the blessings of US officials. It is the lack of character and integrity on the part of those exposed, dear sirs, which pollutes the image of this unfortunate nation, not the disclosure.
What WikiLeaks has done is to provide evidence in support of views and beliefs which were already widely held by the people of Pakistan. Where is the surprise in the revelation that the leader of a religio-political party is motivated more by worldly considerations and less by the spiritual? Did the average Pakistani not associate him with a huge gap between words and deeds? So, when we learn that he laid bare his soul and his ambitions before a na-mahram Anne Patterson (an infidel to boot), adding strength to his claims by making it clear that his still significant number of votes are up for sale, are we shocked? Not in the least, because it fits into our personality profile of the man.
Another front line leader emerges as the emperor imagining he was covered in glorious new clothes, suddenly exposed as naked and not very nice under the subterfuge. A cable sent in May 2008 reports him telling US officials that he is actually pro-American and is hurt that the US doesnt remember his deploying Pakistan troops in Suadi Arabia during the first Gulf War. How touching!
The trophy for speaking with a forked tongue, however, goes to none other than the Prime Minister. Ever since he assumed the office of PM, he has been parroting the popular line on drone attacks saying we do not allow them and we want drone technology to be given to us so that we can raise hell with hellfire missiles ourselves. One wonders if he has even the foggiest idea of the ultra sophisticated technology package which goes into this weapons system. But what does he say when he is talking to the Americans? In August 2008, he told them to continue with drone strikes so long as they target the right people. We will protest in the National Assembly and then ignore it, he is quoted as saying. What contempt for the National Assembly which voted you into power! And while we are on the subject, what apathy on the part of our elected Parliamentarians. They are quick to cry privilege breached when a patwari or a police inspector fails to do their bidding, but are unmoved by the revelation that their own PM has such contempt for them.
The moribund right represented by leaders of religions political parties predictably continues in denial. Its a conspiracy to destabilise the Muslim world, they say. One would say to them that if that were so, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia seems to be part of it. Apparently, he urged America to cut off the head of the snake and to launch a military attack on Irans nuclear programme. It also must be a conspiracy America hatched against itself, revealing Washingtons spying campaign targeting the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the rest of the UN leadership. The cables also reveal the view held by US diplomats that Russia is a virtual mafia state which uses mafia members to carry out operations like drug trafficking and bribery. Cables also mock David Camerons lack of experience. Wow! The Americans really did get carried away by their conspiracy.
We the awam have lived with such hypocrisy for far too long. No one will believe the cables are all a hoax. On the contrary, they are something which parts the curtain on the hypocritical personas of our political leadership. The cables reveal that the private positions of those in power are frequently and diametrically opposed to what they say in public. They largely serve only to confirm what was already believed by the people.
Popular belief has it that Bob Woolmer was too honorable a man to survive Pakistans defeat in the World Cup. Expecting those responsible for the national shame revealed by WikiLeaks to follow in the footsteps of Bob Woolmer would be is hoping for too much. But is it all that unreasonable to expect some resignations?
