Dr Shakil’s doings

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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? Yes! 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 US. This Chinese man was working with China’s top security establishment and used to forward sensitive information to Americans on Chinese security apparatus. What action the US will take in saving CIA’s Chinese mole hired to serve CIA interests in this case. Only time will tell.

The two cases being similar let us see can we equal Chinese standards in protecting our national and sovereign values despite unleashing of relentless pressures.

The US did punish its nationals that worked for foreign intelligence services of Israel and Russia. None of them has been spared and are languishing in US jails for life for their crimes against the state of US.

Jonathans’, Hanssens and many others can be quoted as being a few amongst a long list of US nationals who worked for foreign intelligence services. None of them were spared and consequently subjected to harsh punishments. US did not succumb to even Israeli pressures a large community of which greatly influences US economy and politics.

Dr Shakil Afridi has been punished under FRC 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 being its citizen, he is yet to undergo a separate trial.

Robert Fisk, the famous journalistic has prophesised that Dr Shakil Afridi would be spared through appeals and reduced sentences and one fine day he would emerge in America. Can we prove ourselves contrary to the prevalent impression that Pakistanis cannot withstand pressures and succumb to US demands?

Our politicians who are tirelessly shown on TV boosting their achievements and playing with the sentiments of the people to regain power footholds have not dared to speak on the issue or lest they would earn US apathy and lose their standings in its eyes.

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 counsellor’s house during 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 the pleasantries visiting cards were 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?

ENGINEER JAVED IQBAL

Islamabad