Opinion Pakistan’s big O

A statement,widely termed as “bland” and an expression of Pakistan’s “helplessness”,was issued later that day: “This operation was conducted by the US forces in accordance with declared US policy that Osama bin Laden will be eliminated in a direct action by the US forces,wherever found in the world.” Facing much heat from all quarters for leaving questions unanswered,the government issued a rejoinder the next day,reported Dawn on May 4: “This… unauthorised unilateral action cannot be taken as a rule… The government of Pakistan expresses its deep concerns and reservations on the manner in which the government of the US carried out this operation without prior information or authorisation from the government of Pakistan… ‘Red lines’ earlier conveyed to the Obama administration by Pakistan had specifically stressed on ‘no foreign boots on Pakistani soil’.” The article,however,questioned the revision in Pakistan’s tone in a day’s space: “Did the blowback the military got over the perceived violation of national sovereignty push the foreign office to restate its policy of ‘no tolerance’ for foreign military action on its soil? The message,on the face of it,seemed to have been designed to silence public criticism and questioning at home about the conduct of the operation,but it also contained a nuanced note for the international audience,particularly India,which has been mulling plans for a long time for targeting groups based on Pakistani soil it considers as a threat.”

It was reported on May 4 that “in absentia” funeral prayers for Osama were offered in Karachi by Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawah,who extolled his “contribution to Islam”.

The May 4 editorial in Daily Times was severe: “Pakistan has been double-dealing for too long now and the circumstances in which Osama bin Laden was found are all very troublesome. If we have helped the US track down and kill the most wanted man,we need to tell it as it is. If we shared intelligence and then wiped our hands clean of the whole matter,then the public has another thing to think about. Our defence budget shoots through the roof every year,slashing funds for the development and social sectors. If the army and the government had ‘no idea’ about what was going on in a garrison town,we need to rethink our priorities.” On May 6,the army chief,General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani was reported as announcing that US troops will be brought down to the “minimum essential level” in Pakistan.

The new team

A major political event in Pakistan was overshadowed by Osama. After the PML-N walked out of the federal coalition early this year,the PPP-led government in Islamabad was batting on a sticky wicket. To complete its lineup,it chose to ally with its erstwhile adversary,PML-Q,of which they had said “Q for qaatil” after Benazir Bhutto was assassinated when they were in power. Daily Times quoted PM Yousuf Raza Gilani on May 2 as saying the coalition was “in interest of the country,for its stability and need of the hour.” It was also agreed between the two allies that new provinces be carved out of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The News reported: “The two parties agreed to… creation of new provinces,especially in southern Punjab (Seraiki) and Hazara…” This move is aimed to benefit both the PPP and PML-Q,as the PML-N enjoys strong backing in both Punjab and the Hazara Division of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.