Pakistan is committed to probing how Osama bin Laden was able to hide in the country before al Qaeda chief was killed in an American action last month and has already rounded up more than 30 people as part of the investigation, Ambassador Husain Haqqani said on Sunday.
Haqqani revealed that Pakistani intelligence has detained or questioned several people to identify members of eliminated al-Qaeda chief’s support network. “Even if some people were arrested for collaborating with a foreign intelligence service, that would not be different from the US arresting Jonathan Pollard for spying on behalf of America’s friend Israel.”
“Allies share intelligence. They should not be found conducting espionage on one another,” he wrote in special article, put on the CNN website. The envoy argued that the bin Laden episode is a moment of introspection for both Pakistan and the United States. On the Pakistan side, a high level commission—along the lines of the 9/11 Commission and Warren Commission—will determine how bin laden lived in Pakistan without detection and how we can improve our surveillance to root out other terrorists in our country.
It will also investigate how a foreign force, albeit an ally, could penetrate our airspace and conduct a military operation without our knowledge. “On the US side, there needs to be an examination as to why the US did not feel the need to inform Pakistani leadership of the operation, being sensitive to the negative signals unilateral military action send to the people of Pakistan about our alliance.”
In an appearance on ABC channel’s This Week programme on Sunday morning, the ambassador pointed out that it was unfair to say that bin Laden was allowed to be in Pakistan and made it clear that the al-Qaeda chief “just happened to be there.” Haqqani told the channel that Pakistan and the US have been working together in the fight against al-Qaeda militants and sharing intelligence. He said it was Pakistan’s first tip that led US to ultimately to the target. He said Pakistan has been America’s ally in the anti-terror campaign and rejected the impression that it had not helpful to the US efforts along the Afghan border.
In the context of Pakistan-US relations, Haqqani noted in the writing for CNN that public recrimination and cynicism is not the way forward. “It is now time for all of us to take a deep breath and objectively evaluate the realities of the relationship between America and Pakistan in a way that furthers our shared goals and objectives.”
Commenting on mutual views – particularly on the Capitol Hill and among the Pakistani people – the ambassador wrote the US Congress complains of lack of cooperation while the standing of the US in Pakistan, which has not been high for decades, has sunk to what may be its lowest level in history. Most Pakistanis mistrust the motives of the US, believing America is somehow manipulating, exploiting, patronizing and treating them with contempt.
Haqqani reminded critics of Pakistan’s role that “there is an elected democratic government steering the bilateral relationship on our side after a long period of dictatorships supported by Washington. A democratic Pakistan will always be aligned with the values and interests of the civilized world, and clearly with the free world’s leader, the US, even when there are differences on some issues from time to time as among all friends.”
Pakistan has paid an enormous price in its fight against extremism and terrorism: 35,000 civilians killed, more Pakistani soldiers lost than all of NATO combined, 2000 police dead, the assassination of our leader Benazir Bhutto and massive losses to our economy in investment, trade and infrastructure, he wrote.
The diplomat clarified the oft-quoted inflated figures on US assistance for Pakistan.“We appreciate America’s help, but the notion that America has given Pakistan $20 billion since 9/11 needs to be seen in context. About $12 billion of this figure is Coalition Support Funds, reimbursements for expenses incurred by Pakistan in counterterrorism operations. They covered the cost of the fuel, ordnance, training and execution of counterterrorist operations.
“The blood, sweat, effort, grit and guts are those of a Pakistan that bears the brunt of the battle against terrorism, a battle clearly in the national security interests of the US.” Overcoming strains in any relationships require work and time, he underlined, while calling for toning down rhetoric.
“Both sides can and should do better to lower the decibels and strengthen the bilateral bond. Misleading headlines and selective leaks should not permanently undermine our relationship. “There will be challenging days ahead, but the mutual benefit of our alliance cannot be overstated. As US Adm Mullen recently said to Congress: “If we walk away from it (the relationship with Pakistan),it will be a much more dangerous place a decade from now, and we’ll be back.”