November 30, 2008 (ANI)

 

Does the Intelligence chief on one country go to another because the Prime Minister of that country summons him? He doesn't. And especially not if it is the ISI chief and the Prime Minister is an Indian. It was naïve to think that Dr Manmohan Singh would tell Mr. Asif Zardari, send your ISI chief and the chief would come marching on from Wagah border. An ISI chief has never come to India and a RAW chief has never been to Islamabad. But Zardari said 'yes '. Not just the ISI chief but he would send Army Chief Ashfaq Kiyani, who is himself and ex-director general of the ISI.

 

Frankly if I was Ratan Tata, I would have invited Mr. Pasha saying "Oh do come next week, we will have the best suite in the Taj ready for you and do eat at our Chinese Restaurant, we have refurbished it for you, despite you." As for General Kiyani, he could be housed at the NSG building in Manesar, Haryana. Kiyani is an avid golfer. It would really be wonderful if he could play a round of golf in Srinagar's beautiful golf course. He can then see for himself that people in Indian Kashmir can actually play golf and watch TV and caste their vote fearlessly. Being a Punjabi, he may not really relish Kashmiri food, so he should be flown to Chandigarh where he can see that there is no such thing as Punjab separatism. Punjabis are driving their Mercs and eating their tangdi kabab in utmost peaceful surroundings. He can even visit those areas on the border where Indian troops had amassed in 2001-02 and he was Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Pakistan and was amassing troops on his side of the border. Finally he can meet with Dr A.P.J Kalam, former President. He can see for himself how India treats its nuclear scientists. It was under Kiyani's watch (when he was DG, ISI) that the A.Q. Khan scandal broke.

 

Back to the current ISI chief Ahmed Pasha. His appointment was made in Washington DC. What does one have to say about the intelligence set up of a country whose chief is picked and chosen by another country! Pasha replaced Nadeem Taj who didn't really know who his handlers were, the Pakistan government, the ISI, the Army or the Taliban. The man was double-dealing and General Musharraf was winking a la Sarah Palin while all this was going on. So Pasha, a former infantryman, can be shown the CCTV footage of the foot soldiers that killed over 150 civilians in cold blood and he can then identify which unit of his military trained these 'boys'. Unfortunately only one is living so he can meet him and ascertain for himself whether the boy is from Bradistan or Pakistan.

 

So these two gentlemen need not really worry about any visit of theirs being viewed as 'tantamount to admission of guilt' as is being termed in Pakistan. India already has the proof. What they really need to do is to tell their President that his promises to India need to be tempered in order for him not to cut such a sorry face. First President Zardari says "no first use of nukes." And within hours the clarification comes that it was an "off the cuff" remark. Does a head of state make an off the cuff remark on nuking or not nuking another country? It happens only in Pakistan. Then President Zardari says sure I will send Pasha and Kiyani. And then the military spokesperson says no, we dont have written orders. Doesn't Zardari know that he is in Pakistan where the Army/ISI does not take its orders from the civilian government? Is he naive or is he like every preceding President of Pakistan.... promise the moon and deliver a lemon?