On drones

Will we get it right?

It is time that the government, including all national security state institutions, put an end to the double talk and rhetoric on the US drone attacks in Pakistan’s troubled tribal areas, and do some straight talking on this controversial issue. Signs are that it may finally happen in the upcoming joint parliamentary debate.

From Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Washington, all the Pakistan voices are giving an identical message. Unilateral drone strikes are not on. In Islamabad – the elected voices, the president, the prime minister, from Rawalpindi – the GHQ and in Washington – Ambassador Sherry Rehman. The new ISI Chief has yet to speak, but that he will within the established parameters, there is no doubt. There is no confusion and no WikiLeaks talk going on!

As being reported in the press, Pakistan’s message regarding no unilateral strikes has been repeatedly conveyed to all the key players in Washington to remove all doubts where Pakistan actually stands on the matter.

In London, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar made it clear in her meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton while in Washington, Ambassador Rehman in meetings with Senior State Department, White House and Pentagon officials including CENTCOM chief General Mattis.

As the American press reports, Pakistan’s emphasis on no unilateral drone strikes, it is notably also reporting some hopeful response from the Obama Administration. Like Secretary Clinton’s latest statement that despite differences engagement is necessary, the earlier testimony of General Mattis is also significant. Instead of reacting to Pakistan’s position on drones or opting for the usual mantra of do more, Mattis said Pakistan ‘s sacrifices are to be commended, no senior officials knew of OBL in Pakistan and that Pakistan is an important partner and differences should be worked out.

Obviously, Washington in trouble is getting wiser but Pakistan has also got its act together and has conducted diplomacy in a coherent and coordinated manner. No mixed signals and no confused talk and no policy jibes at each other through the media. Islamabad has done some learning and hopefully so has Washington.

Pakistan’s message has not been no strikes but no unilateral strikes – a message being given to Washington repeatedly for the last half a decade. But then whatever the problems were, Islamabad-Rawalpindi kept the engagement going. After US-led Nato attack on the Salala military check post, Islamabad-Rawalpindi got it right, and more importantly together.

We need to review, Pakistan told the Americans. And review we did, while keeping the engagement going in Washington. Engagement to understand positions and exchange views, but for no new understandings. Understanding will most likely be reached after the parliamentary debate.

Significantly. a major impediment, that of the absence of trust factor, seems to be also be receding, and on both sides. It has been straight talk. Pakistan’s bottom line of no unilateral attacks, alert us know beforehand and there has to be a joint cooperative dimension to the use of drones. That should help reduce the civilian casualties.

But on the home front, the real task is important. The task of ending the double-talk and the double play with the people of Pakistan.

People should be told the truth, the truth that privately people from the government, including the army, acknowledge – that there is usefulness to these drone attacks. The government must openly share the compulsions that compel these and constraints that forbid the government to shoot down the drones that admittedly also kill innocent civilians.

Privately officials from the government and military concede that in certain inaccessible areas drones are the only way to get to the militants.

On drones, political point-scoring must end. In the parliament, it is expected that the parliamentarians, from PML(Q), MQM and ANP will support joint Pakistan-US use of drones. The government will have to also convince the people of Pakistan that why limited and joint use of drones is necessary.

The writer is a senior journalist and has been a diplomatic correspondent for leading dailies. She was an Alfred Friendly Press Fellow at The Chicago Tribune in the US and a Press Fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge, UK. She can be reached via email at [email protected]