Articles of the year 2013
Published on September 04th 2013
It is surprising that a simple task of getting to the truth behind the memo has been made to look so frighteningly difficult and is getting more obscure by the day.
In the beginning let us assume Pres.Asif Zardari was having a panic attack, and he was calling Haqqani frantically, for help and advice. He suspected that there was a coup being planned, and that Haqqani should find a way to counter this attempt. Instead of dissuading the President from any such paranoic thoughts, Haqqani fed the demons,and well known for good convoluted thinking put together a cunning plan. In the stratospheric air of the Presidency where behind every flowerpot spooks are hidden, and many unexplained acts were blamed on the 'hidden' hands. No stretching of the imagination was required. Pakistani folklore now includes the ISI,MI,and IB, as serious bogeys to be feared, and only discussed in hushed whispers.
For Haqqani, long the Spinmaster, this was an opportunity not to be missed.He informed President Zardari, that he had just the man, and wonder of wonders one who also knew his way around the Pentagon and the members of the State Dept. Thus were enlisted the services of a slick operative Mansur Ijaz with the right connections in and around Washington, and the Pentagon. Together they drafted the plan which was named the "memo" ,which was leaked in various western newspapers in which artists ,like Shahin Sehbai, seeing that, the story was highly explosive,as it cast the Army in the villain's role of preparing for yet another Martial Law Putsch to remove him (Zardari ).
They both devised a plan to bring the Americans on board, for this they required the help of people at a distance from the Zardari network. Competence was important,sadly lacking amongst the PPP officers, so Haqqani proposed the outsider Ijaz and, conveniently a US citizen, well connected in Washington circles, and with a powerful self-promotional agenda. He was also used to convince Zardari that he was close enough to Adm Mullen to use Gen Patreus to become their conduit to Obama.Also Zardari was further convinced that he had no credibility with the Americans that the Haqqani plot was engineered to accommodate Ijaz and to convince them and leave no connection to Zardari lest the Pakistan Army decide to retaliate. As the plot unfolded , and true to form Haqqani was the first to buckle, and after a few pointed questions, he fell apart.That is when the Prime Minister Gillani, having spent many years in jail, and being made of sterner stuff insisted on Haqqani's resignation on the spot.
By this time Gen Pasha was in play, and confirmed that the plot was nonexistent, and was being used by Haqqani and Ijaz to prove their loyalty, and prevent the non-coup -- at a price. When the plot was exposed by Gen Pasha, Haqqani begged the US to get him out of Pakistan, as (they) were out to get him.
The role of the Prime Minister was brilliant. With only three of them in the room, he insisted on Haqqani's resignation, for his mind was not cluttered by ghosts, and he saw through Haqqani immediately. He has done Pakistan, and President a huge favour
by removing Haqqani from amongst us. The army has yet to digest the Memo report, and their next move will be predicated on its contents. Suffice to say that no amount attempting pass the buck will wash. The facts are known to too many people. It is now a matter of a few days,and his days are numbered Playing for such high stakes, you cannot afford to bluff with weak hand,and no God Father to rescue you. Especially when you have bet against the Army itself. In a recent article he has again blamed Pakistan for double dealing, and has stated that the Pakistanis are not to be trusted !
Charges of treason are in the air, and the jury is out. The Memo commission will soonthe decide.