A piece of paper?

 A pi

Is memo just ‘a piece of paper’ as ascribed by the government, its allies, ‘likeminded’ journalists and anchorpersons or there is more to it? To find an answer, we need to take into consideration the foreign factor, as well as, domestic political environment, including the stakes of different power centres.

In the foreign factor, USA takes the cake as there is nothing more its Administration would want but to convert Pakistan into a pliant state, see her nuclear program rolled-back, her Armed Forces undermined and the government bowing in subservience to US dictates so that their agenda in the region could be fulfilled. Does not the ‘piece of paper’ offer just that, though, I am sure, the  USA Administration did doubt the capacity of its architects to fulfil their ‘offers’ and, as such, apparently, no tangible headway was made. The contention that Mike Mullen did not take any notice of the ‘memo’, does not hold ground because his well known parting testimony to the Congressional Committee was based on the ‘admissions’ contained in this ‘paper’.

Known for his slippery character, full of ambition  and ‘intellect’, Mr Haqqani was described in mid-November 2011 by The Atlantic Magazine, USA, as the only ‘credible Pakistani official left’. It also stated, “Haqqani has been battling Pakistani Military and ISI – two organizations whose influence in Washington he has fought to weaken”. Isn’t the ‘memo’ about weakening these two institutions? And if it is just ‘a piece of paper’, why Admiral Mike Mullen initially denied its existence and when it became clear that truth could not be hidden, he admitted it? Why James Jones submitted a self-contradictory affidavit in support of Haqqani and now declines to face the commission? Why US senators, media and, most significantly, Bruce Riedel, a former CIA analyst, advisor to four US Presidents and a known Jewish lobbyist, have been so active in Haqqani’s support? Why the State Department is going out of the way to support Haqqani and has adopted a threatening posture, even causing aspersions on Pakistan’s Judiciary, against all norms of diplomacy? And finally, why the USA Administration has come out so strongly to back the Pakistan government on ‘memo-gate’? Should a ‘piece of paper’ generate all such foreign reactions? 

The government rests its case on perceived dubious credentials of Mr Mansoor Ijaz and terming the ‘memo’ as a conspiracy to undermine the democracy. Isn’t he the same man whom President Zardari met in 2009 and Haqqani continued to maintain contact regularly till disclosure about the ‘memo’. Secondly, if Mansoor Ijaz is a dicey character, why not expose him, and the conspiracy, through a judicial process? Why is the government afraid of ‘a piece of paper’ and creating hurdles in investigations being conducted by the Commission appointed by the Apex Court?

Anybody who is familiar with Pakistan’s polity understands that each government must nurture the desire to rein-in the military establishment. Though legitimate, this desire can only be fulfilled if the government achieves moral ascendancy by delivering as per the given mandate and not by conniving with a foreign power. Apparently, the government chose to adopt the latter course, as manifested in its undertakings starting with President Zardari’s initial statements inimical to Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence, followed by attempts to place ISI under Ministry of Interior, the offer of sending DG ISI to India after Mumbai attacks, contents of Kerry-Lugar Bill (in a way similar to the ‘Memo’), attempts to permit Indian ingress into Afghanistan through Afghan Transit Trade, announcement of grant of MFN status to India without the Parliament’s approval, ongoing impasse with USA in which apparently the military establishment has taken a hard stance as compared to the ruling hierarchy, and hence, a stumbling block in government-USA complicity, and so on. Is not the alleged contents contained in the ‘piece of paper’, a reflection of government’s desire to gain total control over the military establishment?     

Though the Pakistani media has, no doubt, become a potent force to safeguard our national interests, yet this strength also makes it vulnerable to exploitation for furtherance of personal agendas. Coverage of memo-gate is a manifestation of both. There are diehard journalists and anchorpersons pursuing the truth about the ‘piece of paper’, even staking their lives, while there are others who have exposed themselves by partial coverage managed through invitation of selected panellists known for their pro-government stance on memo-gate or by running programs in duos for the purpose. A few journalists even cross the limits to get themselves branded as ‘more loyal than the king’, their writings proudly displaying ‘souls for sale’. One wonders whether such anchorpersons and journalists themselves understand the consequences of their undertakings. The alleged ‘piece of paper’ has, thus, exposed so many in so short a time.

And finally, what the government ascribes as ‘a piece of paper’ has jolted the military establishment as the offers made therein directly impinge on its ability to safeguard the territorial integrity of Pakistan, besides a threat to National Security. As such, the military leadership has no option but to ensure that the truth about the ‘memo’ is revealed, if nothing else, for clearing the mistrust that has crept in between the government and different institutions. Any laxity on the issue would mean betrayal to the cause of their existence.

Thus, today, ‘a piece of paper’ is threatening National Security, has jolted government machinery and the military establishment, is causing acrimony between various state institutions, has generated worst kind of political polarization and has become instrumental in dividing the nation and, thus warrants in-depth and impartial investigations about its existence, veracity, contents and perpetrators involved, if any. The same is necessary to bring the nation back on track and, as such, it is incumbent upon the government to assist the judicial commission assigned with the task in all possible ways to ensure that the investigations are completed in time, instead of causing delays and interruptions.