Foreign Office has no information if any expelled US official is now back

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ISLAMABAD: The All Parties Conference (APC) resolution adopted on September 29, 2011 still awaits implementation just like the two previously unanimously adopted resolutions of the parliament that have been forgotten altogether amid reports that many of the US personnel, who had left Pakistan early this year following Raymond Davis episode and the May 2 Abbottabad attack are back on their jobs.

The latest statement of US congressmen quoting President Asif Ali Zardari that he would help the US eradicate the Haqqani Network is yet another sign of the executive’s serious breach of the APC resolution, which had actually met after the US pressure to launch military operation against the Haqqani network was not accepted by the Pakistan Army.

Informed sources said the two episodes of Raymond Davis and May 2 had enabled Pakistan to push out unwanted American officials, most of whom were suspected to be CIA agents. However, in recent months innumerable US men have come back to rejoin their previous assignments as was agreed between the two countries during Musharraf’s tenure and later expanded by the present PPP government.

The sources said the aviation base in Quetta was one of the organisations where a number of US officials were deputed but had left early this year. Now, it is said that almost all of them are back.

The parliament and the politicians here have been demanding from the government and the establishment to share with the people all covert and overt agreements that were made with the US authorities by the present regime or during General Musharraf’s tenure. However, no such agreements have been shared with the people or the parliament as yet either by the government or the establishment. While the ISPR did not respond to The News questions about the return of the US officials or regarding the president’s statement as quoted by the US congressmen, the Foreign Office when approached said that it has no information about the return of many of those US officials who had left the country early this year.

Regarding the president’s statement, the FO said that when clarification was sought from the Presidency, the later explained that the president simply explained the government’s policy on war on terror, which is to combat terrorism. The FO said the president informed the visiting US congressmen that it is for the security forces to decide in the national interest when to launch an offensive against whom. The FO spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied how the president was quoted by the US congressmen.

Pakistan’s ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani when approached said he has no knowledge about the return of unknown number of US officials, who had left Pakistan after the Raymond Davis case and the May 2 episode. He suggested that the authorities in Pakistan should be contacted on this issue. US embassy spokesperson Mark Stroh when approached for his comments over the return of US officials and to ascertain if a new agreement has reached between Pakistan and the US on the issue of drone attacks, he too avoided to give a straight reply.

Mark, in his written reply said: “The number of US diplomatic officials present in Pakistan is reached by mutual agreement between the Government of the United States and the Government of Pakistan. While we typically do not comment publicly on the exact number of officials present in any country, including Pakistan, this number is known to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant sections of the Pakistani Government. The United States values its relationship with Pakistan, and all of our diplomatic officials are working to build and improve the ties between our two countries and people in such areas as the energy sector, education, economic development, security, and trade.

Though the ISPR avoided to respond to The News queries, the military publication Hilal in its last month edition’s editorial note talked of the implementation of the APC resolution in letter and spirit.

The APC resolution, which while subtly rejecting the existing policy of war on terror had asked for new direction and new policy aimed at initiating negotiations with local Taliban and extremist groups to ensure peace, remains unimplemented as yet. “Pakistan must initiate dialogue with a view to negotiating peace with our own people in the tribal areas and a proper mechanism for this be put in place,” said the 13-point resolution unanimously passed at the APC. However, no dialogue process with local Taliban has been initiated so far.

The APC resolution had not only given respect to the parliamentary resolution by resolving, “All earlier unanimous resolutions of parliament and recommendations of the joint parliamentary committee on national security must be implemented” but also sought the formation of a parliamentary committee to oversee the implementation of earlier resolutions as well as the APC resolution and progress on the same be made public on a monthly basis.” Despite the lapse of over six months, the parliamentary committee has not been formed.

Neither the political parties, which participated in the APC, nor the parliament is aware of what is going on between Washington and Islamabad both at the political and military levels. The recent reports from Washington, which talked of a foreseeable shift in the policy of drone attacks to the extent of US informing Pakistan before breaching the latter’s sovereignty, is believed to be the consequence of secret talks between the two countries.

Whatever is the case, drone attacks can’t be allowed as per the unanimously adopted resolutions of the parliament. The PAC resolution had also talked of self-reliance for which it focused on internal economic and tax reforms as well as resource mobilisation and the curbing of corruption.

However, the Gilani regime that is known worldwide for corruption and bad governance has yet to show any sign of improvement. Instead the state institutions are fast collapsing amid unconfirmed reports that the organisations like PIA are being deliberately pushed to death to pave the way for the launching of a new airlines to be owned by some top rulers and possibly named as Indus Airlines.

Foreign Office has no information if any expelled US official is now back

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Our Govt is in bed with US..what benefit we can expect from them....