Post Mushrraf Pakistan and its relations with USA

Post Mushrraf Pakistan and its relations with USA


Pakistan and the Indo-Pak subcontinent have witnessed a rare incident which was quite unimaginable to the people of this region several months back. Pakistan generals easily steps down and army does not back the former generals really a rare happening in Pakistan. Yes, Pakistan has started its step towards public rule frowning to the military one. Sherry Rehman, information minister of the Pakistan People’s Party said the resignation of Mushrraf was a victory for democratic forces. Today the shadow of dictatorship that has prevailed for long over this country that chapter has been closed. Sudden change from military cultured politics and regime to public representative ruled country must see a serous jolt first. Even then, it is a good omen.

The leaders of the main parties in the coalition held meetings but had not been able to bridge their differences on modalities for reinstating the judges who were deposed by Mushrraf during last year’s emergency. During the meeting they also failed to give any attention to the future of Mushrraf. Though many expected the meeting would give decision about what was going to happen to Mushrraf next. Sharif said he had no personal differences with Mushrraf who had deposed him as Prime Minister, arrested him and exiled him but added this did not mean Mushrraf should meet the same fate. Reporters have suggested that the PMI-N is no longer insisting on the trial of Mushrraf following his resignation, largely due to intervention by Saudi Arabian interlocutors. Yet more uncertainty is his political opponents had not announced whether they would grant him immunity and it was also unclear whether the man who towered over Pakistan’s political landscape would be allowed to remain in the country.


Pakistan has started experiencing sporadic turmoil and anarchy in different parts of the country just after the resignation of president Mushrraf A suicide bomber blew himself up on August 19 at a hospital in a northwestern Pakistan town that has been plagued by sectarian violence, killing at least 23 people. In another violence five soldier and thirteen Taliban militants were killed in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan. The suicide attack happened as Shai Muslims gathered to protest over the death of a man in suspected sectarian attack in the troubled town of Dera Ismail Khan. Ther are 23 confiremd dead and up to 20 wounded there .

Mushrraf’s departure from the presidency is unlikely to have a significant impact on how Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are controlled. Experts say “a 10-member committee and not just the president makes decisions on how to sue them and only a complete meltdown in governance still a distant prospect in Pakistan could put the atomic bomb in the hands of extremist.” “Pakistan nuclear assets are not one man’s property”. Maria Sultan, a defense analyst and director at the London-based South Asian Strategic Stability Institute commented Any political transition in Pakistan will have no effect on Pakistan’s nuclear assets because it has a very strong custodial control. The committee known as the National Command Authority is served by a military dominated organization with thousands of security forces and intelligence agents whose personnel are closely screened. The nuclear facilities are tightly guarded.The reality is that Pakistanis government exits on different levels. One of the levels it exists and works at is in the control of its nuclear weapons. Said Patrick Cronin, director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington .

Some diplomatic sources in Washington described President Bush as Musharraf’s last holdout in the US capital. Others in the Bush administration including Vice-president Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had long given up on Mushrraf. But Bush remained faithful to the person he considered a close ally and a personal friend.
The person who played a key role in persuading Mushrraf’s supporters in the Bush administration to stop backing the Pakistani leader is the US ambassador in Islamabad, Anne W Patterson. Ambassador Patterson argued that if Washington continued supporting Mushrraf it would end up stoking massive anti American feelings in Pakistan.
She also held a series of meetings with coalition leaders particularly PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari, and received assurances from them that Mushrraf’s departure would not undermine primary US interests in Pakistan and that Islamabad would continue to fight al –Qaeda and Taliban militants in Fata, as it did before. Chairman of the US joint chief of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen also stayed engaged with the Pakistan, making three trips to Pakistan after the February 18 elections, including a secret visit in July.In his meetings with chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani, Admiral Mullen sought and received direct assurance from him that Musharraf’s departure would not reduce Pakistan’s role in the war on terror.In Washington, Pakistan’s Ambassador Husain Haqqani used his contacts on Capitol Hill and in the US administration to win over influential lawyers and key officials. He received considerable support from his friends on Capitol Hill. These facts indicate that America’s relation with Pakistan will not change. It came to the realization of Bush that he can no longer save Mushrraf.America will retain her interest as usual in Pakistan. Mushrraf was not matter with them. But the Pakistanis want that the US should not be seen as interfering in Pakistan’s domestic political dispute.

US policy towards Pakistan in this changed scenario gets reveled through the statement of Condoleezza Rice. She says , “ Mushrraf was friend to the United Sates and one of the world’s most committed partners in the war against terrorism and extremism. Even now Pakistan is engaged in a massive operation against the militants in tribal areas along the country border with Afghanistan.” It can be deduced from her comment that they are still confident to wage the war against terror which they did involving Musharraf. We, Bangladeshis, don’t want terrorism, talibanism and American imperialism also in Pakistan. We just want to see that the wind of spring blows over Pakistan making the country healthy.

Md. Masum Billah
Programme Manager: Brac Education Programme, PACE
Phone: 9355253 (home), 01714-091431(cell)
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com