Dr Muhammad Khan
HUSSAIN Haqqani, the former Pakistani Ambassador to US has finally confessed that he helped the CIA operatives and US Special Forces in getting stationed in Pakistan to ultimately hunt Osma Bin Laden (OBL) in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011. In his written confession to ‘The Washington Post’ Hussain Haqqani said with clarity that, he had the blessing of his political bosses in Pakistan; then President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani. This confession has sufficiently elucidated the misperception many in Pakistan might have about the consent of Government of Pakistan, then ruling the country. Mr Haqqani said in a statement that, “Friends I made from the Obama campaign were able to ask, three years later, as National Security Council officials, for help in stationing US Special Operations and intelligence personnel on the ground in Pakistan. I brought the request directly to Pakistan’s civilian leaders, who approved.†It is worth mentioning that three successive incidents took place in Pakistan as a result of bulk issuance of the visas to US nationals. First, it was the incident of Raymond Davis, who killed two Pakistanis in broad daylight in Lahore and was able to successfully escape from the place of incident on January 27, 2011. He was a former US soldier and working as CIA agent in private US firm in Pakistan. He was apprehended but, since he had the diplomatic immunity, therefore was released on March 16, 2011 and gracefully deported to US. Later, it was the famous Operation Neptune Spear of killing OBL in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011 at midnight by US Navy SEALs. Later it was the Salala Attacks, on November 26, 2011. US and NATO forces deliberately launched an offensive on the Pakistani military posts at Salala, killing twenty-four Pakistani soldiers. This was a most tragic incident by US forces in the recent history of Pakistan. Being partner in the global war on terror, it was breach of trust and a clear offensive on Pakistan. This event took both the countries’ relationship at daggers drawn and Pakistan stopped US and NATO logistic support for almost seven months. After the Lahore incident, the Raymond Davos episode, it was widely known that, Pakistani authorities have issued bulk visas to US nationals and these visas were either with diplomatic immunity or else as official visas. The people of Pakistan were widely inquisitive to know as to why hundreds of thousands of the US nationals, mostly the men of Special Forces working for various US intelligence agencies, particularly CIA were given Pakistani visas and who is to be held responsible for that. Pakistani media has been quite informative and vocal, in indicating the influxes’ of the so-called US diplomats on various occasions. As established now by Hussain Haqqani, Pakistani authorities of that time were behind this silly game for issuance of visas to US national and particularly to its spying agents in the garb of diplomats without any prior security clearance and on short notices. This practice has been more frequent during year 2009/10. Pakistani Embassy in US had made a record issue of visas during that tenure. As per rules of the business, issuance of visas in such an enormous number would have called for the formal approval of the Federal Cabinet. Nevertheless, there has been one man show or maximum the decision of the few in the Government, allowing this heavy influx of the US nationals, against the national interest of Pakistan, for promotion of the personal relationship.
It is worth mentioning that, these people were disguised mostly as the US officials, embassy staffers, diplomats, journalists and media men. Unfortunately, the authorities in Pakistan never questioned the US, as to why such a huge force is being inducted in Pakistan and for what special assignments. DynCorp and Blackwater (Xe), private security companies of the USA, were issued hundreds of visas. These companies have been found involved in spying activities in Pakistan. Despite the reservations from the intelligence agencies of Pakistan, DynCorp was issued exclusive visas for over 50 personnel in 2010.
It is learnt that, Pakistani Embassy in Washington was empowered to issue any number of visas to US nationals for a period of one year, without making a reference to the intelligence agencies of Pakistan. Upon this undesired flexibility, Pakistani Embassy issued 400 visas to US nationals in first two days, including a holiday. As indicated by records, from January 2010 to July 2010, Pakistani Embassy in Washington, issued 1895, officials and diplomatic visas, then, from July 14, 2010, to 30 August, 2010, another 1445 visas were issued to US citizens by Pakistani embassy in US. Following the special power given to Pakistani Ambassador in Washington, for the issuance of visas, it is estimated that approximately 3,555 U.S. diplomats, military officials and employees of allied agencies were issued visas in 2010.
In most of the cases, once security forces tried to be strict on the checking of the US nationals, entering into Pakistan, Political leadership under Zardari stopped them from checking procedures for these US nationals, issued with special visas. The question arises, as to why such a heavy number of US nationals were given visas without security clearance. Why US needed to raise the level of its manpower to such an extent in Pakistan. From 2009 to 2011, U.S expanded its mission in Islamabad through a fortified embassy compound by spending over billions of USDs on its construction. Besides, U.S reinforced its consulates in Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore. The former Ambassador, Peterson, had also visited Quetta and met many Baloch nationalists there in 2010. Unfortunately, there have been no worthwhile voices on these expansionist designs of US in Pakistan from various circles.
After the revelation from Mr Hussain Haqqani, should there be a doubt about those, who compromised on the national interests and sovereignty of Pakistan. Let us, see the developments taking place in next few months. The nation expects a very strict action against those, who were involved in this entire process of sabotaging the national security of Pakistan. Apart from the actions against these people by the incumbent rulers, should the people of Pakistan elect them again as their future rulers?