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| August 21, 2006 | Monday | Rajab 25, 1427 |
PML-N critical of foreign policy: Lebanon issue
LAHORE, Aug 20: The PML-N is against sending troops to Lebanon because it will neither improve the country’s image among Afro-Arabs nor serve the cause of Lebanese.
It has also criticised the German government for moving a resolution in the United Nations Security Council on Lebanon issue that hurt feelings of Muslims.
Party’s foreign liaison coordinator Muhammad Mahdi fears that sending troops to Beirut will further damage Pakistan’s image among Muslims of African and Arab origins who are already disturbed at Musharraf regime’s pro-US policies.
“The troops in Lebanon will meet the same fate they have witnessed in Somalia,” he told Dawn on Sunday.
He said Islamabad’s foreign policy was also to be blamed for Israeli attack on Lebanon as it had worked to improve the image of Zions by glorifying their withdrawal from Gaza, applauding (former Israeli) prime minister Ariel Sharon as “man of peace”, hastening to arrange a meeting of foreign minister Khursheed Mahmood Kasuri with his Israeli counterpart.
He alleged that Gen Musharraf had gone an extra mile by initiating contacts with Israelis to get support of American Jewish lobby for his “illegal” rule.
The PML-N leader was also critical of prime minister Shaukat Aziz’s “negative” role at the OIC meeting where Iranian president Ahmedinejad was declaring the Lebanon crisis as an issue of the Ummah while Mr Aziz was calling it a regional problem.
“Had there been my party ruling the country it would have openly stood with the Lebanese offering them support like it had done for Bosnians.”
Mahdi was disappointed at the German policy on Lebanon crisis. He said Germany was gaining popularity among Arab world owing to its stance on Iran issue and its image was developing as a country with an independent foreign policy.
But Berlin’s resolution in the UNSC that did not hold the aggressor accountable had hurt feelings of the Muslim world, he said and added that the step had also invited criticism from within Germany.
He, however, was satisfied to see that the European Union had not bowed to the US pressure for declaring Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.
Answering a question, he said the Musharraf regime had provided a much-needed relief to the US and Israel by disclosing the so-called plane conspiracy at a time when the two countries were facing the wrath of the world on the Lebanon issue.
“The plot has been used to divert global attention from atrocities being committed on innocent Lebanese by Israel forces with the moral support and arms of US.”
By doing so Gen Musharraf had also given this message to the West that he was indispensable for curbing terrorism.
The army dictator had earlier handed over innocent Pakistanis to Americans though local investigators had not found them linked with any terrorist activity. Even Americans had to release these innocent civilians later from their notorious Guantanamo Bay camp.
Replying to another question, he said Islamabad had earlier severed its relations with Cairo by siding with the aggressors on Suez Canal issue.
He did not believe that by refusing to offer direct help to the US in its attacks on Afghanistan would have endangered the country.
“If despite having nuclear arsenals we have to be so coward then we should give up offering so many sacrifices for our atomic programme.”
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