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Arab, treason and plot: Army finally rebuts claims of Pasha coup plot
ISLAMABAD (The Express Tribune) – The chorus of resignation calls, which were fuelled by some serious allegations against the country’s intelligence chief, has managed to elicit a response – finally.
The military denied that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief visited some Arab countries soon after the May 2 Abbottabad raid to discuss a military coup against the civilian government.
Earlier, on December 13, a blog in the UK daily The Independent, quoted Mansoor Ijaz, the Pakistani-origin American businessman, and self-proclaimed whistleblower in the Memogate scandal, as saying: “Their [US intelligence] information was that Pasha had travelled to a few Arab countries to talk about what the necessary line of action would be in the event that they had to remove Zardari from power, and so forth.”
Calls for resignation
The revelation led to first audible calls for Director General (DG) ISI Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha’s resignation on the parliament floor.
Gilani’s comments signify new rift between military, civilian govt
ISLAMABAD (The Express Tribune) – In today’s episode we take a look at Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s comments in the National Assembly. Gilani’s comments point towards a new spat between the military and the government after the Memogate scandal.
Kamran Yousaf, Senior Reporter for The Express Tribune in Islamabad, says that Pakistan has a chequered history when it comes to power tussles between the two institutions. He says that no one can tell what will happen as a result of this latest spat.
Gilani, while addressing the National Assembly, had said that the establishment would always remain answerable to the parliament.
Commenting on the May 2 raid in Abbottabad that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the premier had said: “I formed a commission to investigate how OBL [Osama bin Laden] was residing in Pakistan for six years.”
He said that people had begun asking him about the issuance of visas, but he wants to ask who issued the visa to Bin Laden, making an obvious link to the lax security measures at the Pak-Afghan border.
The prime minister had said, “There can’t be a state within the state; they [establishment] would always be answerable to the parliament… All institutions of the country are answerable to the parliament.”
See also my recent diary – Pakistan’s Protectorate of Terror – Kabul Attack Kills 60
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Uninvited occupying forces talking “peace” with a delegation of the AfghanTaliban instead of the sovereign state Afghanistan making a deal. Perhaps we don’t discuss any policy with the Pakistan leaders since May 2, 2011 either. I suppose we can uninvite ourselves once more and leave Afghanistan to ___ (insert a name).
Outstanding article in The New Yorker earlier this year:
My conclusion, this can be an early phase of exploratory talks with the Taliban. Perhaps to release Guatanamo prisoners. Afghanistan and Pakistan must be part of a negotiated settlement. Problem for the Obama administration, both nations are unreliable partners. In the meantime, Pakistan through the ISI and Haqqani terror network are responsible for gruesome attacks on Kabul.
[From another thread – Almost an A-Plus ]
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.".
From the outset it was clear the harsh Pakistan words towards NATO/ISAF and the US were inspired for internal politics. Ever since earlier affairs this year: CIA undercover murder of two Pakistanis and the OBL killing in Abbottabad, the Pakistan regime has gone all out to express their “sovereignty”. Still the Pakistan leaders are seen as slaves of enemy number 1, the United States, by domestic terror groups under protection of the ISI.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."