PAKISTAN.. Political crisis brought US back to the military

WASHINGTON: Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani had an unscheduled meeting with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton soon after the governor deposed the provincial government in Punjab on Feb. 25, US sources told Dawn.US special envoy for Pakistan Richard Holbrooke also attended this meeting, which, according to these sources, focused on the political situation in Pakistan.Before this meeting, the Obama administration had made it a point not to raise politics in its discussions with the army chief.A cursory look at Mr Kayani’s itinerary showed that military and security matters dominated the general’s agenda in Washington.During his week-long stay in the US, the general met Defence Secretary Robert Gates, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen and the US Army Chief General George Casey.He also met CIA Director Leone Panetto, Director National Intelligence Admiral Dennis C Blair and Commander Special Operations Command Admiral Eric T Olson to discuss security matters.But he was not scheduled to meet those officials who deal with political matters because the Americans wanted to assure the new democratic setup in Islamabad that they were sincere to strengthening democracy in Pakistan.During Gen. Kayani’s stay in Washington, another important Pakistani delegation was also in town. It was headed by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and included the ISI chief and Director General Military Operations.As Mr Qureshi later said at a news conference, it was the first time that a minister was heading a delegation that included two senior military officials and the purpose was to convey the message that ‘all branches of the Pakistani government were united under the new political setup in Islamabad,’ as the foreign minister said.Ambassador Holbrooke also stressed this point when he told several US media outlets even before the foreign minister’s delegation arrived in town that this time the ISI chief was coming as a member of a delegation headed by a civilian.The point was further stressed at a reception Ambassador Husain Haqqani hosted for the foreign minister and the army chief on Feb. 23.The foreign minister was the guest of honour at the central table, dominated by US lawmakers and political officials. The army chief shared another table with US generals and senior defence and security officials.But attitudes in Washington changed on Feb. 25, when the Supreme Court verdict declared Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif ineligible to contest elections or hold public offices and later the government imposed governor’s rule in Punjab.‘It was seen as a reckless move in Washington,’ said an insider. ‘The Americans hoped to see true democracy in Pakistan, not divisive power politics.’US policy makers felt that President Asif Ali Zardari’s policies could trigger street violence and may lead Pakistan to yet another military rule. ‘And they wanted to avoid both,’ said a source familiar with the US thinking on this issue. ‘So they decided to invite Gen. Kayani to the State Department and hear his views on the latest political developments in Islamabad.’
Informed sources in Washington say that the Americans did not consult Ambassador Haqqani before inviting the general, indicating the Americans did not want to share their concerns over the developments in Punjab with Mr Zardari’s representative in Washington.Later, the National Public Radio, one of the most respected media outlets in North America, did a programme on Mr Kayani, pointing out that the general ‘is the key to US strategy in the region.’The radio recalled that when Kayani became chief of staff just over a year ago, the appointment was met with high praise from US officials.The radio recalled that the US considers its relations with Pakistani military extremely important because of the insurgency of Taliban and al-Qaeda along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.Diplomatic observers in Washington noted that the dismissal of the Punjab government caused US policy makers to think that such actions could endanger America’s main objective: fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda militants with Pakistan’s help.‘So they decided to go back to their old ally, the military, to consult how to react,’ said one such observer.The Americans and the Pakistani military, however, agreed that while the army should play its role in strengthening the current political setup, ‘there’s no room for yet another military takeover,’ the observer said.‘And the impression the Americans got from Gen. Kayani was that he also did not want another military government in Islamabad,’ the observer added.
During the same visit to Washington, Gen. Kayani had assured US lawmakers that the army had no desire to take over the government.
During a meeting with leaders of the US Congress, the general pledged to keep the military out of politics.The most interesting assessment of Gen. Kayani’s views on this issue came from Admiral Mullen who told reporters on March 13, when Mr Kayani was busy reducing tensions between President Zardari and Mr Sharif, that the Pakistani army chief did not want to take over the government like his predecessor Pervez Musharraf did in 1999.‘I have had upwards of 10 interactions with Kayani. He wants to do the right thing for Pakistan. But he is in a very tough spot,’ Admiral Mullen said in an interview.The US military chief, however, said that while Gen. Kayani will not stage another coup, the military cannot allow the political crisis to deteriorate.Political observers in Washington noted that as the admiral had predicted, Gen. Kayani did not topple the government but he did play a key role in defusing the judicial and political crises threatening Pakistan.