Dr Shakil Afridi is “our man in Pakistan”, so says the US through The Wall Street Journal. One fails to understand that if he really was an American man as they now claim then why in the first place US had to publicly announce Dr Shakil’s complicity in the secret operation? Did CIA betray him? It sure did and dumped him once his services were no longer required.
There is another CIA mole who was recently nabbed by Chinese authorities for spying for the US. This Chinese man (name withheld) was working with China’s top security establishment and used to forward sensitive information to Americans on Chinese security apparatus.
What action will the US take in saving CIA’s Chinese mole hired to serve CIA interests in this case, only time will tell. Since the case of this mole and that of Dr Afridi are somewhat similar, we will see which country will set a higher standard in protecting its national and sovereign values despite unleashing of relentless pressures.
The US has punished its nationals that worked for foreign intelligence services of Russia in the past. None of them has been spared and are languishing in US jails for life for their crimes against the US state. There are many a Hanssen who worked for foreign intelligence services. None of them were spared and consequently subjected to harsh punishments.
Dr Shakil Afridi has been punished under FCR regulations for crimes committed by him within the territorial jurisdiction of Khyber agency. Those crimes included fraternisation with banned militant outfits, using his clinic to treat militants and his relationship with the dreaded militant leader Mangal Bagh. He used to support militants financially also. For his crime for colluding with a foreign intelligence service CIA against the interests of Pakistan, he is yet to undergo a separate trial. Robert Fisk, the famous journalist has cojectured that Dr Shakil Afridi will be spared through appeals and reduced sentences and that he will appear in America one fine day. Can we disprove the prevalent impression that Pakistanis cannot withstand US pressures?
Incidentally, in one of the social functions that I attended a few days back it came to light that a US commercial attaché, a lady in Islamabad’s US embassy contacted all the PAEC suppliers and invited them to a feast in the commercial consular’s house during the summer of 2009 at Street 1 of sector F-6/3.
Even those companies that were not registered with DGDP but dealt in the related supplies were also invited. Besides pleasantries, visiting cards were also exchanged on the occasion between the US embassy officials and the suppliers and the function lasted for over three hours. Does it mean that more Shakil Afridis are in the offing?
JAVED IQBAL
Islamabad
