To hide the truth?
Haqqani’s erstwhile mentor Asif Ali Zardari for some time now has disassociated himself from him. Nonetheless the former ambassador — a political appointee — claims in his controversial article that whatever he was up to in Washington was with the approval of his political masters in Islamabad
Scapegoating is our favourite national pastime. This time the enigmatic Husain Haqqani — partly owing to his own deeds — is in the dock.
Haqqani, also known by his friends as HH, has stirred up a hornet’s nest by writing an article in the Washington Post. He claims that the connections he had developed with key figures of the Obama team as ambassador in Washington led to the discovery and elimination of Osama bin laden at Abbotabad.
Haqqani’s erstwhile mentor Asif Ali Zardari for some time now has disassociated himself from him. Nonetheless the former ambassador — a political appointee — claims in his controversial article that whatever he was up to in Washington was with the approval of his political masters in Islamabad.
In this context the PPP members of parliament now demanding another commission to probe Haqqani’s latest claim sounds rather opportunistic. HH has nonetheless agreed to depose in front of the proposed parliamentary commission.
The whole matter smacks of doublespeak. The fact that US Navy Seals eliminated Osama bin laden on 2 May 2011 by violating our air space and sovereignty, is conveniently swept under the carpet. Was it a grave security lapse or a deliberate collusion?
Why does the government not release the Abbotabad Commission report that probed the whole matter under the chairmanship of justice Javaid Iqbal? Clearly the National Assembly and Senate could pass resolutions demanding the report be made public inclusive of the dissenting notes?
Of course the Report like some of other reports in the past including the Hamood Ur Rehman Commission report or the findings of the Lahore police carnage of June 2014 by a Lahore High Court judge have not seen the light of day.
The final judgment expected this week — whether it is unanimous or split — will determine the future political scenario. Sharif’s supporters buttressed by some eminent lawyers are hoping there is no way he can be disqualified
The whole idea behind forming such commissions is not only to punish those involved but also to have a cathartic effect on public opinion. To date we do not know with certainty whether the Pakistani security and intelligence apparatus was complicit in taking out Osama bin laden or was it really a case of not being aware of the US Navy Seals on our soil till it was too late.
In either case the military and intelligence leadership of the time had a lot of egg on its face. It is rather nebulous to claim that those, whose business was to know, did not know that OBL was living for eight years just a stone’s throw away from the Kakul Military Academy.
Furthermore, on the night of the incident the US Navy Seals got away with murder on our soil without the knowledge of our spooks. According to a leaked draft of the Abbotabad Commission: the ISI (at the time) had become more political and less professional.
The COAS in 2011, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the ISI chief are both retired and living in Islamabad. Why not ask them? After all both gentlemen were upright and thoroughly professional soldiers. They should be held answerable about what happened on their watch.
But, while holding no brief for HH, he is an easy target to take pot shots at. Knowing full well that he will be unwilling to return to Pakistan on a one-way ticket it is easy to demand his scalp.
It sounds quite opportunistic on part of former PPP Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to ask for Haqqani’s probe. Why not him too as he was the prime minister at the time?
This is not the first time that Haqqani is involved in controversy. While he was ambassador in Washington in November 2011, publication of a memo asking for help to rein in the military exposed a clear a rift between a shaky government and then country’s powerful generals.
The memo that was purportedly written by the ambassador to the US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen. Haqqani of course denied having sent such a communication through his Blackberry phone. Nevertheless as a consequence he lost his job.
The Supreme Court Commission to probe Memogate in its findings however asserted on 12 June that, “It was inconvertibly established that Husain Haqqani had written the memo and was being called back to Pakistan to face likely charges of treason.”
Obviously Haqqani is not coming back to Pakistan soon. Why would he? He is comfortably ensconced in the US capital working with a think tank and well connected with the movers and shakers in Washington.
And this is his constituency now. Two years back while on a visit to the American capital Haqqani (an old friend) and his wife Farah Naz Ispahani hosted a dinner for me. Guests included Robin Raphael, at that time a consultant with the State Department, and former ambassador to Pakistan Wendy Chamberlain.
I noticed that there was not a single Pakistani amongst the short guest list. When I probed HH he humorously responded that, “Pakistani diplomats in Washington keep away from me and vice versa.”
Civilised nations appoint judicial commissions on matters of national importance to determine where they went wrong; not only to punish those found guilty but also to correct future course of action. That is why in a democracy such probes are made public.
Take the case of the 9/11 Commission Report. Soon after it was released, the full report was available in bookstores all over the world.
Hence instead of chasing mirages, our exalted legislators should be demanding the release and publication of all the reports hidden under the carpet, including the Abbotabad Commission Report.
A legislation that makes it compulsory to release such reports within 30 days of their submission is reportedly on the anvil. Will it see the light of day when another commission is possibly going to be formed by the Supreme Court bench in soon to be announced Panamagate probe against the prime minister and his family?
The apex court had reserved its judgment on 23 February. Despite a lapse of three weeks the five member bench headed by justice Asif Khosa is yet to release its judgment.
Obviously the learned judges are faced with a Hobson’s choice. To do or not to do? And of course probably there is not complete unanimity on the matter.
The final judgment expected this week — whether it is unanimous or split — will determine the future political scenario. Sharif’s supporters buttressed by some eminent lawyers are hoping there is no way he can be disqualified.
On the other hand the PTI, along with its supporters, is confident that on the face of compelling evidence the judiciary cannot let Sharif off the hook. In anticipation Imran Khan has cancelled his scheduled visit to China.
Whatever the outcome the judiciary is once again at the crossroads in its checkered history.
