After the three-day Eid break,Pakistani papers were agog with the new Af-Pak strategy unveiled by US president Barack Obama. Eyebrows expectedly were raised over the text of the new plan and apprehensions made clear. The News quoted foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on December 2: Our issue is not that the US is increasing its troops in Afghanistan,but how they deploy them in Afghanistan,and also better coordination. Asked whether the input on the Afghanistan issue was also taken from the military leadership,he replied that the military leadership was on board on this issue and all civil and military leadership were united on it. Officials told Dawn that the foremost concern was their deployment in the area bordering Pakistan would have a direct implication on the country and would mean an increase in cross-border infiltration…It was a serious issue for Pakistan because reports suggested Afghanistans territory was being used as transit route for the supply of weapons to militants battling security forces in South Waziristan and Malakand division. Underscoring Pakistan s apprehensions,Daily Times reported: President Obamas new strategy must ensure there is no adverse fallout on Pakistan . Daily Times expressedstronger disapproval in its December 4 edition: Pakistan was kept in the dark over the finer parts of the review policy, diplomatic sources said. The sources said Pakistan had serious reservations over Obamas decision to send an additional 30,000 combat troops to Afghanistan .
The News added an interesting dimension by reporting Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistans view : The strategy shows the wishes and demands of the American people,who are confronting serious financial problems,have not been kept in mind. Rather the strategy was formulated to protect the interests of the generals at the Pentagon and the capitalists… It is aimed at killing two birds with one stone to reduce Afghans apathy to foreign forces and to counter criticism in the US and concern of their allies. However,it is of no use,as military casualties will also increase with the rise in the number of foreign troops in Afghanistan . In the history of Afghanistan ,none was able to capture it with deceptions,resources and high number of troops… Neither have we any base in Pakistan nor we needed such a base outside Afghanistan as we control a vast area in our own country.
Whats in a name?
The much-talked about 17th Amendment to Pakistans Constitution has an interesting roadblock the proposed renaming of NWFP. Dawn reported on December 1: Renaming of the NWFP as Pakhtunkhwah and provincial autonomy beyond the repeal of the concurrent list are stumbling blocks in the way of presentation in Parliament of a unanimous package for amending the 17th and 8th amendments to the Constitution. Daily Times added on December 2: Almost all political parties agree and there is no second opinion the province be renamed to give it an identity. The renaming of the province is the longstanding demand of the Awami National Party that proposed three names Pakhtunkhwah,Afghania and Pakhtunistan and is adamant the province be given one of the proposed names as it was one of the election slogans of the ANP.
