Pakistan military came in for a lot of criticism in a session titled “Pakistan after Osama bin Laden: Options for Pakistan” conducted in the Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP) Hall on Tuesday. The session was arranged by Mashal Books to discuss the shift in Pakistan’s foreign policy after the Abbotabad operation.
Speaking at the session, nuclear physicist and political defence analyst Dr Pervaiz Hoodbhoy said parliament’s in-camera session was mainly arranged for giving guidelines to the civil government on foreign policy in the post-Osama scenario. He said the revelations in the parliament’s joint session about the UAE control of Shamsi airbase and American bases in Pakistan are part of the military business which has been running since the 60’s.
He accused the General Headquarters of pressurising the civilian government to change its earlier stance on Osama’s killing. He said his promotion was halted by President Musharraf because of his reservations about Jihadi organisations’ relief activities in the 2005 earthquake hit areas. Journalist Khaled Ahmad explained the secret deal signed between the UAE and Pakistan after the Iranian revolution to help the UAE combat Iran-supportive elements.
He said the Pakistan Army had been misinforming the nation on India’s intentions. “India does not want to engulf Pakistan. This is just a nightmare of dollar-hungry military generals,” he said. Calling Pakistan’s dependence on foreign powers blessing in disguise, he said had it been sovereign, the military would have used nuclear weapons against India.
Former HRCP chairman IA Rehman said hypocrisy was Pakistan’s biggest problem. He said Pakistan followed the British in giving supremacy to the military generals over civilian authorities. “The British did not have roots in the locals so they employed this tactic, but it is unfortunate that we followed that example in a state of our own.”
