The Human Rights Crisis in Northwest Pakistan

Fazal ur Rehman Afridi

The recently unveiled report titled “As If Hell Fell On Me”, by Amnesty International (AI), depict a horrifically dismal picture of the Human rights situation in Northwest of Pakistan, with particular emphasis on atrocities committed by the security forces of Pakistan and Taliban. The report is a red-card by Amnesty handed over to Pakistan- playing foul in the field of Human Rights. Focusing mainly on the deteriorating Human Rights situation in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Amnesty was having no choice but to declare FATA to be a Human Rights Free Zone. Keeping in view the stature of Amnesty as defender of the Human Rights on International level, this report can work as an eye opener for the Western World, which is hesitant to declare Northwest of Pakistan a war zone mainly due to political hypocrisy and vested interest. The report is not complete and comprehensive partly due to the fact that the representatives of Amnesty International were not allowed to enter FATA to directly meet, talk, investigate and interrogate the people and the security forces: to assess the situation on the ground objectively by itself.

The current sporadic and continuous low intensity fighting in FATA and Northwest of Pakistan represent a war theater. A war zone far more dangerous and bloodier than Afghanistan and Iraq resulting in dozens of casualties on daily basis. The astronomical human and material cost of this ongoing strife has pushed Pakistan hard enough to overtake Afghanistan and Iraq. Mass graves discovered at different locations in Swat as confirmed by HRCP, AI and HRW: reminds of the Serb genocide of 1995 in the city of Srebrenica in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Many more undiscovered Mass-graves are waiting to be unearthed, if and when International Human Rights Organizations will be allowed to enter FATA.

The magnitude and scale of torture, killing and forced disappearances by Military Establishment of Pakistan dwarfs the Chilean Dictator, General Augusto Pinochet. The Supreme Court of Pakistan is powerless, as its orders to produce missing persons before the court for trial are thrown into dustbin by Military Establishment.

The situation is pathetically dismal in areas of Freedom of expression and liberty of the Press. Pakistan holds the unenviable top position in the world with the highest number of journalists killed so far this year. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and FATA are lawless with complete break-down of Law & order. Government security agencies and Taliban show scant respect for the rule of law and supremacy of the constitution.

A brief description of Human Rights violations by Taliban and the governemt of Pakistan (Military) are enumerated by Amnesty International as under:

TALIBAN ATROCITIES:

1. Many of the Taleban’s acts constitute crimes under international law. They are also crimes under Pakistan’s law but in the absence of suitable judicial structures and the Pakistan government’s inability or lack of will to protect the local population from such crimes, these crimes have been committed with impunity”. The Pakistan-based Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, have both estimated more than 11,000 Casualties in 2009 only in North-West of Pakistan.

2. In 2008 and 2009, Amnesty International documented 114 cases of attacks by the Taleban against locally prominent persons, including government officials, tribal leaders allied with the government, Journalists, aid workers and human rights activists. These attacks resulted in at least 256 deaths of civilians belonging to the aforementioned groups.

3. Taliban have imposed a strict social codes on civilians, forcing men to wear long Beards, wear caps, perform prayers and women to wear full veils or burqas. These and other actions are abuses of a whole range of human rights of local residents, including to life, to liberty and security of the person, to non-discrimination, freedom of expression, religion, association and movement, and the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment.

4. The Taleban have systematically abused the right to life, and to freedom from arbitrary detention, torture, gender, religious, and ethnic discrimination, and the right to free expression—among other internationally recognized human rights”, the report says.

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS COMMITTED BY PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT (MILITARY):

1. Pakistan has deployed tanks, artillery, jet fighters and bombers, helicopter gunships, and thousands of regular military troops to FATA for the first time in the history of Pakistan. The research conduct by Amnesty International shows that the Pakistani military has not taken sufficient care to minimize the risk to civilians, often resorting to indiscriminate or disproportionate force in its operations. Pakistani government forces have detained hundreds, if not thousands, of FATA residents on suspicion of cooperating with the Pakistani Taleban.

2. Cedible media reports suggest that some 2,500 people were in detention in the first half of 2010…the numbers subjected to enforced disappearances could be much higher. These detainees are not held under any clear legal framework under Pakistan’s law, the report confirms. Hundreds of thousands of FATA’s nearly four million residents have fled the increasing brutality of the Pakistani Taleban and of the government’s military response.

3. Amnesty International has documented multiple instances of the military blocking members of the Mehsud tribe from using major roads to flee the conflict zone during its military operation of Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan.

These violations presented by Amnesty International is just like scratching the surface. Now, I would like to see as to which International mechanism exists, through which the Taliban and Military commanders who committed and ordered these abuses and brutalities to be brought to justice at an appropriate time. The following International Criminal, Human Rights and Humanitarians laws and other UN conventions have been violated:

Under international criminal law (ICL), individuals may be held criminally responsible for certain violations of international human rights law (IHRL), such as torture and enforced disappearance, for crimes against humanity and genocide, and for serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), such as war crimes. International human rights law applies both in peacetime and during armed conflict and is legally binding on states and has implications for non-state actors.

International humanitarian law (IHL) also known as the law of armed conflict, is binding on all parties to an armed conflict (regardless of whether the conflict is international or non-international), including non-state armed groups.

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), though not itself a binding treaty, articulates some of the most basic rights that all UN member states pledge to promote and protect pursuant to the Charter of the United Nations. A number of the UDHR provisions, including the prohibition on discrimination and the right to equality before the law, prohibition on torture and other ill-treatment, and the right to fair trial by an independent and impartial tribunal are violated by the government of Pakistan.

Under the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) , Pakistan is required to ensure that women enjoy equal rights and access as are provided to men in a range of fields such as holding public office, education, employment, health care, other areas of economic and social life CEDAW requires Pakistan to accord to women equality with men before the law, including a legal capacity in civil matters identical to that of men and the same opportunities to exercise that capacity, and equal treatment in all stages of procedure in courts and tribunals. The draconian black law of Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) imposed on FATA residents clearly violets CEDAW and UDHR as most of its articles particularly Clauses 21, 22, 40 FCR are barbaric medieval-aged interpretation of laws. Under the clause of collective responsibility, tribesmen are arrested and sentenced some times for 14 years without trial in the courts of Pakistan for the crimes they have not committed. A women can be imprisoned without any trial before any court of law, without a right to appeal: if her husband or father-in-law accuse her of extra-marital relationship. Hundreds of children are languishing in prisons for the crimes they have not committed under 40 FCR in contravention to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Constitution of Pakistan of 1973 explicitly excludes FATA from the legal, judicial and parliamentary system of Pakistan, including barring residents from full representation in parliament and bringing appeals to a higher courts of Pakistan. One does not understand as to how a state can maintain its membership of UN when its laws and Constitution clearly violate all International Human Rights instruments, treaties, laws and conventions.

“Finally, it is worth recalling that members of the Pakistan government or army and the insurgency movements may be subject to criminal prosecutions under international criminal law, in relation to war crimes, crimes against humanity, or other crimes under international law” Amnesty International confirms.

This statement of Amnesty International which clearly put the responsibility on the government of Pakistan or Army and the Taliban should be taken seriously by US, EU and relevant institutions like International Court of Justice (ICJ) to take measures to bring the culprits to justice, otherwise the world will witness a genocide in comparable in the history of Mankind.

I fully appreciate the efforts of Amnesty International for documenting this report with razor-beam focus on violations of IHRL, IHL, UDHR, CEDAW, CRC and the relevant Geneva conventions in Northwest of Pakistan, particularly FATA.

But, inspite of dozens of reports and mountains of information piled up by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan: analysis by think-tanks like Rand and Council for Foreign Relations: the protests, condemnations and reports filed by Press freedom organization like Reporters without Borders(RSF), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and World Association for Newspapers (WAN): Annual Human Rights reports both by US and European governments, expressing concern over Human Rights abuses both by the State of Pakistan and Taliban in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: no Inquiry under an International Inquiry Commission (my proposal) has been conducted to verify and ascertain the factual situation on the ground which is far more dangerous than reported. A full-fledge war is going on in the Northern Part of Pakistan but still the Western countries are reluctant to declare it a war zone. Northwest of Pakistan needs to be declared a Safe Area under International protection, in order to protect the Pashtun race from ongoing Genocide by Punjabi Military Establishment.

The human rights abuses and violation of IHRL and IHL documented in this report is just a tip of an iceberg. Despite the fact that this effort of Amnesty International is a bold step in the right direction but the international community cannot relieve itself of its main responsibility to make the government of Pakistan accountable for the human right abuses that are taking place under the nose of the military establishment or to put it more precisely, with the active connivance or orders of the higher Command of the Military.

The merciless killing of innocent Pashtun Nation by the Pakistani Military will continue until the International Community act with resolute commitment taking tough measures to bring the higher command of Military to justice by invoking the relevant articles of the IHRL, IHL and Geneva Convention of 1949.

We cannot wait to see the situation convert into just like the tragedy of the Genocide of Srebrenica, Bosnia & Herzegovina or worst in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. Unconfirmed reports suggests that more civilians have been killed in violation of International Humanitarian law than one can imagine. It needs to stopped immediately, otherwise the resultant balkanization of Pakistan will be more tormenting and ferocious than one can imagine leaving the un-healing scars of war and destruction dividing Pashtuns and Punjabi communities of Pakistan on blood lines. Again, I would also like to remind the International Court of Justice to take notice of the War Crimes committed by the government of Pakistan and Taliban to bring the culprits to justice.

DILEMA OF PASHTUN LEADERSHIP OF PAKISTAN IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM

The plight of the people of Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan (FATA) does not seems to be on the priority list of the present government and military establishment. FATA is bleeding, military operations in South Waziristan, Mohmand, Khyber and Orakzai agencies are underway killing innocent tribesmen while people like Wali ur Rehman are making press conferences from areas (Miranshah Fort) supposed to be under army control. The whole Fata and N-WFP is like a war zone, ordinary pashtuns are being killed both by Talibans and military secret agencies with impunity. Nearly half a million refugees from FATA are living in abject conditions, while government under orders from ARMY establishment is not allowing local and international NGOs like ICRC to help them. Journalists are completely barred from entering and reporting on FATA, Only government or military version of information is available to the international community.

Pakistan Army is using fighter Jets, gunship helicopters and long range artillery against civilians indiscriminately. More civilians are killed then the extremists elements in these operations, which are basically not targeting Talibans and other extremists rather ordinary civilians are killed on daily basis in the ongoing military operations in South Waziristan, Orakzai, Kurram, Khyber, Mohmand and Bajawar Agencies, besides in the FR regions of Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Peshawar and Kohat. It is a clear violation of the Geneva Convention and International Community must rise to condemn it. If record is history, Pakistan has not killed a single Taliban leader in its 7 years army operations in FATA and in settle areas like SWAT, while the civilian deaths are about 30000, which is horrible reality beyond imagination. Molvi Fazlullah former Waali-e-Swat, Tariq Afridi, the King of Darra Adam Khel, Hakimullah Mahsood the Emir of the de-facto "Islamic Emirate of Waziristan. Haji Mangal Bagh Afridi the de-fecto Political Agent of Khyber Agency,Maulvi Faqir Mohammad the undisputed lord of the ring in Bajaur Agency, Umar Khalid the DC of districts of Charsadda and shabqadar, Molvi Gul Bahadar, Molvi Nazir and Jalaludin Haqani are presiding over the rotating Presidency of North Waziristan are all alive and no body dares to touch these fanatics. Even Baitullah Mehsood was killed by US in a drone attack rather than by Pakistan. Pakistan must be made accountable for its violations of all moral and international norms in its so called war against terrorism. According to a news report published in The News on January 15, 2010, 12 dead bodies of unidentified persons have been recovered from Akhurwal area of Darra Adam Khel, F.R. Kohat, which speak clearly of the atrocities committed by the security forces of Pakistan in the area in collusion with Talibans of Darra Adam Khel. It is after the publication of a Report by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on the issue of Mass Graves in Swat and my assertions that the bodies of innocent people being killed in FATA are shifted in Trucks to other areas of Pakistan to be buried, have cautioned the secret agencies and now innocent people are being killed by these unbridled secret agencies and then thrown out in the streets. It is a clear cut genocide of Pashtuns and International Community should take notice ot it. Particularly, US must make Pakistan accountable for its help provided to the Talibans Fighting in Afghanistan. The reason for Every US and NATO soldier killed and wounded in Afghanistan can be traced to Pakistan which is actively supporting Talibans in Afghanistan by providing them training, sanctuaries and finances. It is a well known fact that Taliban Quetta Shura, Gul Badin Hikmat Yar Group and Haqqani Network of Noth Waziristan are supported by so-called rogue elements in ISI. It is ironical that how a super power of the world with a formidable secret service like CIA cannot detect the secret support in terms of training, logistics, finances and sanctuaries provided by Pakistan to Talibans fighting in Afghanistan. If the current trend and policies continue the US and its NATO allies are going to face the same fate as former USSR did. US tax payers must ask the White House to explain as to how the money is spent to finance the war on terrorism. Pakistan must be made accountable for the money it is receiving for war on Terror. The money aimed at eradicating terrorism should not be used to buy weapons to be used against US and Allied Forces in Afghanistan. This aid money should not be used to train and provide sanctuaries to Talians. As the tricks and treaturies of Pak-Army have been exposed in war on terror, now it is using different means to pressure US not to give priority to Civilian Government. While no protest were recorded for the military aid , it is openly expressing its reservations of Civilian Aid through Kerry-Lugar Bill. Hurdles have been surmounted to stop giving visas to personnel destined to monitor the aid provided under US $ 7.5 billions spanning over a period of 5 years. The reports are published deliberately about stopping of the US Diplomatic cars and the rude behaviour of US Citizens or diplomats and criticising the civilian government for releasing these diplomats. Concerted media campaign have been launched in Print and Electronic media by journalists and anchor persons on the pay-rolls of ISI are some of the clear examples how the military establishment is trying to flare public anger. The money given for war on terror is used to create anger among public against USA. In this way they are killing two birds with one bullet. On one hand they are black-mailing the civilian government and on the other they are bargaining with the US to evade accountability, stop civilian aid which can be used for the betterment of the people of Pakistan rather then going into the pockets of few Generals, and give them free hand in war on terror to pursue it in their own way and terms and conditions, no matter how detrimental it may be to the US and Pashtuns interests.

US Afghan centred-strategy has failed. Now, time has come for the US to re-think its military, political and diplomatic strategies in the region, by isolating the Al-Qaeda and Talibans Internationally with particular emphasis on Pakistan and Saudi Arabia who ae financing and training Talibans. If US is interested in the real solution of Afghan conflict it must attack the root cause and the root cause lies in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

The pashtun nationalists sentiments are on rise against Punjabi dominated army, which will lead to more chaotic situation in future. Pashtuns are being killed mercilessly and International community is a silent spectator. But, Punjab should know that it will not receive bouquet of flowers from Pashtuns, for their killing spree in FATA and N-WFP. Resultantly, the urban centers of Punjab, like Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan have been attacked. For the first time in the history of Pakistan THE ARMY GHQ is attacked and the aura of invincibility of ARMY is gone. As written in my previous articles that Karachi is on the verge of explosion, that has turned into truth when 45 Shiite processionists were killed in a bomb blast and the resultant setting on fire the markets and shops indiscriminately by furious mobs or organised politico-criminal mafia in Karachi. It is to be noted that before setting on fire the shops and markets right from Light House to Bolton Market, the criminals gangs looted and plundered the markets. An illegal money market was also the target of these attackers, from where it is believed that billions and trillions of illegal currency was looted. Whether this money goes into the pockets of MQM gangsters or ISI-Tablian-Terrorist-Network, in both cases the losers will be Pashtuns because this money will either be used in Karachi or in Pakhtunkhwa to kill innocent pashtuns.

The phenomenon of target killing has re-surfaced and dozens of activists of different political parties, interest groups and religious groups are killed on daily basis. The MQM is threatening to resign and sit in the opposition if its workers are continued to be killed. While other political and religious parties & sectarian and ethnic groups are blaming MQM for killing their activists. The scale of killing cannot be gauged independently due to self-censor, threats and pressures from all the actors involved in the game of blood and flesh. Pashtuns are openly threatened to leave Karachi or face the music of death. Many pashtuns have been killed, their properties including shops, houses, cars and buses have been destroyed and hurdles are mounted to stop them earn their livelihood with dignity. Ironically, here too our Pashtun leadership is silent.

I would like to appeal once again to the leadership of Pashtuns particularly, Asfandyar Wali Khan, Afzal Khan Lala, Abdul Latif Afridi, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Afrasiab Khattak to keep a keen eye on the fast changing situation in Pakistan and its implications for Pashtun nation. In his meetings with Americans and Europeans leaders, he should forward the case of Pashtuns in such a way so that Pashtun interests are protected in the future emerging situation in Pakistan particularly the plight of pashtuns in Punjab, Baluchistan and Karachi. He should also be aware of the fact that Pakistan is on the road to Balkanisation. While maintaining Anti-taliban policy, he should inform and encourage the moderate educated nationalist pashtuns to be prepared for any eventuality, in case that Balkanisation happen. Talibans and Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan have clear-cut goals and objectives to use Pashtun youth as fodder for their mercenary war against Afghanistan, India, USA and NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan to eradicate terrorism and extremism. It is high time for the Pashtun leadership to evolve a new strategy for the Pashtun nation to protect them from the 1400 years old puritanical religious obscurantist ideology and the political and military strategic depth policy of anti pashtun elements. A grand Jirga of Pashtuns from Pakistan and Afghanistan is a need of the hour for creating a consensus on the future of Pashtuns. There is a need of a permanent body(Thank Tank) of Pashtuns like CENTRE FOR PASHTUN STRATEGIC STUDIES IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM, for devising plans for the protection of the interests of Pashtuns in the region based in UK, USA or France. We cannot put our head into sand like an ostrich and waiting others to define our destiny. We should rise to the occasion and demand our rights and fight for our rights politically and diplomatically on International forums. I would appeal in particular to Pashtun DIASPOR in Europe, UK, USA and Middle East to come forward with funding the Pashtun Lashkars that are fighting the oppression and Terrorism of Talibans in FATA and Pakhtunkhwa. They should also support morally and financially the Pashtun-Development-Oriented-Institutions like The Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy (AIRRA) and The Bacha Khan Education Foundation (BKEF). Pashtuns should be ready well equipped politically, financially, ideologically and diplomatically for a NEW STATE OF PAKHTUNKHWA. I have a vision of a Great State of Pashtun Nation which includes Afghanistan, certain parts of Baluchistan, complete FATA and and N-WFP.

THE MYTH OF STRATEGIC DEPTH: PAKISTAN MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT IN REAL TROUBLE NOW

The recent statement by the former Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Mullah Abdus Salam Zaeef that Pakistan should not be included in the Afghan reconciliation talks because it is not trustworthy. He observed that including Pakistan into talks will complicate the process. He advised Pakistan to bring order to its own house first and then mingle into the affairs of Afghanistan. This means that even Talibans are realising that enough is enough and they will not be used any more by the Pakistan Army a proxy to promote the medieval Wahabist Ideology of Saudi Arabia.
It is a first slap on the face of the Pakistan Military Establishment (PME), which has been involved in Afghanistan for the last 4 decades using Pashtuns first against the Former USSR and after 9/11 the same army took U-Turn not only turning its back to Talibans but working as a proxy just for money to kill innocent Pashtuns in Afghanistan, FATA and N-WFP. Now, what this hypocrat Pak military leadership think about its so-called strategic depth or rather Stretegic Escape for which hundreds of thousands of innocent during Pashtuns have been killed after the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and now in the War against terrorism. Have they achieved that so-called strategic depth? Still Pakistan believe that it is a trustworthy party in the war on terrorism? The Talibans, ISIs buddies and proxies who provided substance to the so-called myth of strategic depth have also turned against Pakistan. Pakistan is virtually out of the Afghan Peace Process. Amost all the parties to the conflict including Northern Alliance, Talibans, President Karzai, USA, Iran and Russia simply do not trust Pakistan as a reliable party. Pakistan has been playing double game with all these important actors at the Afghan war stage for its pity vested interest jeopardizing the peace of this war ravaged region.
By the way, who can trust an army whose former Chief, General Pervez Musharaf openly declares in his book that he has been selling Pakistanis for dollars to CIA. Pakistan played double games both with Pashtuns and USA & NATO forces in Afghanistan. All military operations since 2004 in FATA and then in Swat 2009 have not Witnessed a single Taliban leader either killed or arrested. Rather, Talibans have been informed in advance to vacate the areas before these so-called operations and then started killing innocent civilians pashtuns by airiel bombardment of fighters, gunship helicopters and long range artillery in clear violation of the Geneva Convention.
I do not know how can General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani can dare to tell Journalists at NATO Headquarters in Brussels that Pakistan Army is not playing a double game with US and NATO forces in Afghanistan and it is ready to provide training to Afghan Police and Army. It is proved beyond doubt that the Pakistan Army and its affiliated secret service ISI has been passing on information received from USA to Talibans to protect them from US attacks. Similarly, Talibans have also been trained to protect themselves from new advanced war technologies and develop counter-attack strategies and tactics to inflict maximum damage on US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. The present re-resurgence of Talibans in Afghanistan would not have been possible without the support of Pakistan Army and its secret service ISI, which is providing training, logistics, finances and sanctuaries to Talibans. It is well-known fact that ISI is enlisting the services of retired army offices to work under the garb of social work for certain days in months to provide training to Talibans and actively help Talibans conduct attacks on Allied forces in Afghanistan. Such operations are kept secret even from the families of those officers enlisted for these operations. Due to the same reason, distrust seems to prevail between Pakistan and India in the resumption of Dialogue to resolve the the 63 years old conflicts between the two nuclear armed neighbours. In a response to Prime Minister Yousof Raza Gilanis demand for information exchange between India and Pakistan on militants involved in terrorist activities, an Indian Political analyst made a very interesting observation which says, " Pakistan would want India to share actionable intelligence with Pakistan, which they can pass on to their terror tanzims (organisations)! Something the ISI did with information shared by the CIA on the South Waziristan militants"
The generals are harping the tune of being trustworthy but in reality their claims are exposed to both friends and foes. On the other hand, Karachi has exploded as I have been predicting for quite some time. The game of blood-litting has started first with the explosion at the Karbala procession of Shia and then the blood-bath of target killing of Pashtuns and again two planted bomb explosions, one at the Chehlem of Shia procession and the other at the Jinnah Hospital Karachi where the victims fo the first blast were treated. Such atrocities are not witnessed even in War Zones in the world where hospitals are targeted in such a shameless manner. The Troika of ISI, Talibans and MQM have again started killing innocent Pashtuns in Karachi. MQM in its effort to prove to USA that it is the sole-power at Karachi to deal with, is involved in heinous crimes against humanity in cohute with secret military agencies of Pakistan to marginalise pashtuns socially. economically and politically. It should be an eye opener for those pashtuns who are being used by Pakistan Military Establishment (PME) in Afghanistan to further its interests. Pak military establishment is not interested in resolving the problems of Pashtuns rather it is playing a dirty game by supporting ethnic Pashtun Talibans at one front in Afghanistan and killing them at another at Karachi by actively supporting a gang of criminals and thugs with a political label called MQM.
The involvement of Pakistan Army in Drugs-smuggling and distribution to run its secret operations, selling nuclear secrets to Libya and Iran, earning huge commissions on controversial arms-deals and killing innocent French Engineers at Karachi in 2002 when they could not receive the promised kick-backs, are few examples which depict the real face of this rogue army. This Sacred Cow (ARMY) is responsible for the drug-addiction of 6 millions Pakistanis as the same army smuggled and distributed drugs in the streets of Pakistan to earn money for its so-called secret operations. The Washington Post published the story of renowned Pakistani Journalist Kamran Khan according to which in 1991, Nawaz Sharif ( then Prime Minister) was presented a foolproof plan to generate money by dealing in drugs by General Aslam Beg (then Army Chief) along with Major-General Asad Durrani, chief of the ISI.. They asked for his permission to associate themselves with the drug trade, assuring him of full secrecy and no chance of any trail leading back to them. Nawaz remarked that on hearing this he felt the roof had caved in on him. He told them he could have nothing to do with such a plan and refused to give his approval. Drug money was and is used by ISI to finance not only the Afghanistan war, but also the proxy war against India in Punjab and Kashmir. The former Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) was the ISI's main international financial vehicle to launder drug money. According to report of the United Nations Drug Control Programme the ISI annually makes around $ 2.5 billion through this source. Besides it is involved in printing of fake currency notes through the National Jehad Council at its printing press at Muzaffarabad in so-called Azad Kashmir.
Former President of Pakistan General Zia-ul Haq was also implied in the drug trade. In 1985, a Norwegian government investigation led to the arrest of a Pakistani drug dealer who was President Zia’s personal finance manager. When arrested, his briefcase contained Zia’s personal banking records. Similarly, his close friend and then Governor of N-WFP was considered to be the Drug King of the area, earning billions of dollars in drug money until killed cold-blood close to his house despite huge security. It is believed that ISI was involved in his killing, fearing that he may disclose the facts of ISI dirty drug business.
The kidnapping and subsequent killing of Wall Street Journal Journalist Daniel Pearl was also organised by the groups trained, financed and supported by ISI. Pakistani police named a banned Islamic group, the Jaish-e- Mohamed (the Army of Mohamed), for the killing, an organisation set up by the ISI to fight in Kashmir and now involved in jihadi operations Afghanistan along with Talibans. One simply does not understand the logic behind PME philosophy of using unfair, criminal and un-ethical means to promote a so-called Holly Cause of Islamic values. The discrepencies in policy options by considering the same thing good for Afghanistan and bad for Pakistan. Strategic Depth or strategic strength is achieved by winning hearts and minds of the people, by cultivating enduring relationships based on strong foundations rather than imposing wars on other nations and groups. If you achieve such strategic depth by means of war then you will have to maintain it by war and war is never the solution. The problem with Pakistan is that Civilian political leadership has never been given power to make Internal and External policies. PME always used civilian leadership to further its own interests. Foreign Affairs, defence and security have been no-go-areas for them. Now, with the independence of media and judiciary, politicians have started complaining about their problems which handicapped them in resolving the internal and external problems. Three senators of Pakistan including a Federal Minister have openly admitted that they are not consulted in any issues related to military operations in different areas of FATA and managing the foreign affairs of Pakistan. MNAs, Senators,ministers, even the President and Prime Minister are not taken into confidence on these military operations and evolution of foreign affairs. If military seems to be winning, it is applauded. When there are failures civilian leadership is blamed. The time has come now that we have to accept the truth that military minds can only think wars, Pakistan need civilian leadership to think peace.