Pakistan Security: Interior Minister to take Pragmatic Steps

By Zaheerul Hassan

Shocking and sad news was waiting for me, once I reached after Jumma prayers back to my home. But of course, it would have been more miserable and shocking for the relatives of victims who have been martyred in attack during prayers in Shia Muslim’s Mosque at Peshawar. Killing of MPA Sajid Qureshi and his son “Waqas” again would have been proven a great setback for ther love ones. The deceased MPA and sons were targeted once they were coming back after saying Jumma Prayers.  These attacks are part of prevailing blast wave in the country. The enemies of Pakistan have become more actives since couple of days just after coming into power of the new government.Some of the thoughts about the competency of Interior Minister have been shared with me by one of my reader. The same is being reproduced for the consumption of my readers     (Quote) Apparently, attacking Shia Mosque in Peshwar, hitting Quaid residency in Ziarat, Quetta and Mardan blasts give the impression that aim of launchers could be to evoke sectarian issue, separation of Balochistan, cause politically instability and geographical insecurity in Pakistan.

President, Prime Minister, Chief of Army Staff and political leaderships condemned the ongoing blast wave and asked militants to come on table instead playing in foreign hands for fomenting terrorism in the country. Prime Minister Nawaz Shreif also stressed that foreign funding need to the terrorists has to be stopped by taking effective steps.   However, his newly appointed Interior Minister Chaudary Nisar Ali Khan probably failed to grasp the seriousness of the issue.    Append below is a commentary on the speech of Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan in the National Assembly. The views expressed are shared by most patriotic Pakistanis. The new Government is making blunders rather early in the day. Let us not forget that India and America have long used our press and politicians to advance their agenda by imposing policies involving: 1) demonization of the armed forces, 2) undermining the economy by lowering tax to GDP ratio and increasing deficit financing. The policy on Baluchistan and the new budget is along the same lines as that of five years of Zardari rule. Every new government of Pakistan has been worse than the one it succeeded. We thought that the present Government would be an exception. But the portents are not good. Choudary Nisar Ali Khan, the ten days old Interior Minister, on 18 June 2013 addressed the National Assembly on return from Quetta and Ziarat. He was angry, not on the terrorists, but it seemed on the security agencies, which incidentally fall under his domain. He blamed them, the Police, FC, intelligence agencies, to be everywhere in Quetta, yet incapable of stopping the terror attacks. It seemed just by virtue of his having become the Interior Minister, and saying that the terrorists should talk, the terrorists would start ‘talking’ peace and overnight give up killings and destructions.   In his angry discourse, addressing the Speaker, he betrayed no knowledge of RAW, CIA, Mossad being behind the insurgency in Balochistan, something dearly-departed Rehman Malik would not tire of saying. He also did not betray knowledge of a handful of ‘angry-Baloch’ under the protection of CIA, MI6 in USA and Europe was regularly claiming responsibility for their works of terrorism in Balochistan. And of course, he seems not to know that a number of Twitters accounts, Facebooks nonsense, all anti-Pakistan, were being operated from the USA and Europe under the guidance of MI6 and CIA. Poor Nisar Ali is unaware of almost everything!   Before anyone could hold Choudary Nisar Ali, the Interior Minister, responsible for some 30 deaths, destruction of Quaid’s Residency in Ziarat, death and mayhem in Women’s University, Quetta, he was on the offensive against the forces under him, his subordinates. He almost blamed the security agencies of the crime, by wondering, how could it happen? That the Lj and BLA had claimed responsibility did not draw a single comment from him. He DID NOT condemn BLA, Lj or TTP etc. He also did not suggest even an outline of the grand-strategy to control insurgency/militancy, which he should have evolved by now. After all, the elections’ result is now over a month old.

This raises several questions; is he competent to hold the office? His integrity? Wisdom?

Does he realise that insurgency/militancy/terrorism cannot be wished away by establishing ‘naka’, making guards stand here and there and making sweet noises about ‘willing-to-talk-to-angry-Baloch’?  These Passive Defensive Measures simply just cannot stop insurgency/militancy or terrorism. Look at US, waging a Terror War all over the World! And yet the juggernaut of Terror is thriving. US is fighting Terror, aggressively, blatantly, throwing the UN Charter to winds and going whole hog! Hah. Look at it Choudary Sahib! But Obama has not WONDERED at his forces and CIA, neither has he tried to blame them for doing the Terror themselves!! Violence of this nature has never been stopped without the use of counter violence. And counter violence, not against the foot-soldiers, but murderous violence against their leaders, their fund providers, their centre-of-gravity, their bases, their training areas, even their sympathisers, sometimes their families, eliminating foreign support, both material and moral through diplomacy, all with a view to dissuade insurgents/militants  by dominating their will. War is a very dirty game, insurgency, dirtier and counter-insurgency must be the dirtiest. Look at the cities of Syria as an example.   He does not seem to know it. Perhaps these few lines would help him, should he happen to read them?

Or is it a case of integrity? He, like his master NS, wants to settle the score with Army for booting him out in 1999? He is letting no chance go by where he does not show his contempt for the Army as an Institution. During the recent PPP regime, as head of Public Accounts Committee, he had eyes only for military related audit objections. His tone, style and comments were derogatory for armed forces. He does not remember while abusing Army that his father was a Lt Col and his brother a Lt Gen; both very honourable persons. They must be turning in their graves. He has now openly talked on TV about ‘asking Army Chief not to interfere’ in Balochistan, implying that all the target-killings in Balochistan by BLA, BRA, Lj, TTP etc are being done by Army or his favourite whipping boy, ISI. This is the same language which US, CIA and RAW speak. Has he been compromised?

Or does he lack wisdom? He has been called Mr. Beens. Does that name have a sound reason? Probably yes. He wears a feminine wig which makes him look very immature, conceited, and self-important and egoist. Why can the show his bald head? Mian Sahib would not think less of him because of it.  Even his brother used to say that ‘Nisar is very hot headed, emotional’. These are brotherly polite words to describe an unwise person. Choudary Nisar was responsible in 1998-99 to advice NS to attack the SC, then sack CJ, then sack Gen Jahangir Karamat and finally sack, no, tried to sack Gen Mussharaf! There must be many more such incidents where Mian Sahib listened to him to the detriment of his rule and Pakistan. However, only Mian Sahib would know the extent of damage.

It seems, Nisar Ali lacks competence, integrity as well as wisdom to hold the office of the Interior Minister. God help Pakistan. And of course, may God also help him. He may against manage to get Mian Sahib’s government booted out in foreseeable future.   He seems to be working hard for it!! (unquote)

Anyhow, Interior Minister Chaudary Nisar Ali should assist provinces and should take pragmatic steps to crush foreign sponsored militancy instead of giving ultimatum to Sindh government and criticizing the security and intelligence agencies under his government domain. He should bravely condemn MI6, CIA, Mossad and India for supporting militancy in Pakistan.

The Writer can be approached through zameer36@gmail.com