Dear Friends,
The position of Pakistan on the world scene is changing rapidly. After the dismissal of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the mass demonstrations calling for his reinstatement, it appeared to many that now we had proof that Pakistan was not under the Rule of Law. I had several telephone calls from our Interfaith International member that he was in the ‘lock-up’ for a couple of days because he had been demonstrating with other lawyers for the reinstatement of the Chief Justice Chaudry. Even the USA is having headaches about its ally in the ‘war against terrorism’ when it appears that the Rule of Law is not applied in Pakistan.
We have a surrealistic situation at the United Nations in Geneva : the ambassador of Pakistan speaks upon every agenda item of the Human Rights Council, representing the OIC (Organisation of the Islamic Conference) and criticising the ‘Western nations’ etc. who discriminate against Muslims and defame Islam, when in fact more Muslims are being killed in Pakistan these days than almost anywhere else except perhaps in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The Pakistan delegation to the United Nations in Geneva has threatened our organisation, Interfaith International, that if we continue to let our members speak either in the plenary or in a ‘briefing’ against Pakistan about the repression of people in Baluchistan, the Pakistan government will go to the ‘NGO Committee of Nineteen’ and try to have our organisation expelled from ‘consultative status’ with United Nations. This hardly seems to be in accord with Pakistan as a great champion of Islam and protector of Muslim people.
Which country in the world other than Pakistan has so many internal problems which might come before the United Nations Human Rights bodies : a military not a civilian leader ; an all-present destructive and oppressive ISI which grew rapidly with support from USA and some democratic nations when Pakistanis and Afghans were mobilised to fight communism in Afghanistan. This same ISI is now able to set up and topple governments in Pakistan, although it does little against terrorism ; there are also unfortunate populations who do not want to be under the oppressive rule of Islamabad such as the Baluch and many Kashmiris ; and there is a weakened political opposition who can be either chased away by General Musharraf or killed by the ISI and its hit-squads.
Is this the kind of country which should be teaching other nations at the Human Rights Council that it is a great defender of Islamic ideals ?
What are the policy options for the international community ? One of the most evident causes of the present situation in Pakistan is the support which has been given to certain elements in Pakistan by the Western powers. It is now becoming clear that dividing the British Empire of the Sub-Continent into two countries with differing religions may have avoided interreligious bloodshed but also we should not forget that Great Britain was looking for a ally (i.e. Pakistan) to combat the Soviet Union and its ally India. After the USA replaced Britain as a major actor in the area, and after the Shah fell in Iran in 1979, Americans needed new allies such as Pakistan to ‘contain the Soviets’. The CIA helped the ‘mujaidin’ of Afghan origin and, in fact, strengthened the kind of forces which now make up the kernel of the Pakistani ISI. This also indirectly strengthened the misconception that Pakistan could only be ruled successfully by the military. Even today, the USA and other powers, in their ‘war against terror’ are strengthening the power of the Pakistani military while not weaking at all the power of extremism. The best solution is to de-militarise the situation as soon as possible.
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