LAHORE, Aug 8: Politicians had been consciously or unconsciously playing the US game to topple various governments in Pakistan.

This was stated by former chief of army staff and Awami Qiadat Party president Mirza Aslam Beg while speaking at a meeting held in connection with the independence week celebrations at the Aiwan-i-Karkunan-i-Tehrik-i-Pakistan by the Pakistan Movement Workers Trust and Nazaria-i-Pakistan Foundation here on Thursday.

He said the political parties launched a movement against Ayub Khan which resulted in the transfer of power to another dictator Gen Yahya Khan. They launched another movement against Z. A. Bhutto and Gen Ziaul Haq had come into power, yet again they had launched a campaign against Nawaz Sharif and another military ruler had stepped in. In all these cases the US had its hidden hand.

First the US got annoyed with Ayub Khan though he had cultivated great friendship with it in the beginning of his rule. Then the US expressed its displeasure with Bhutto for initiating the nuclear programme and getting together the Islamic countries asking them to develop their natural sources and even use the oil weapon, if necessary. This weapon was used. Again the US got Sharif removed for carrying out nuclear explosion ignoring its advice, he added.

He said the engineered defeat of Mohtarama Fatima Jinnah by Ayub Khan in 1964 despite heavy polling in her favour in the former East Pakistan marked the beginning of the process of dismemberment of Pakistan. The process culminated with the elections of 1970 when Awami League swept the polls in East Pakistan and the PPP in West Pakistan. Had there been a democratically elected government in the power instead of Yahya Khan’s martial law, it could make some political adjustments and bargaining and the debacle of East Pakistan could be avoided. Unfortunately the politicians had become instrumental, he claimed.

Mr Beg said politicians had been creating such circumstances which had forced the army to take over time and again. Though army could not be condoned for its adventurism, politicians had greater responsibility than army in creating such circumstances which had forced it to step in, he added.

He said despite such vicissitudes and an enemy knocking at its door with its full military power on its borders at the behest of America, Pakistan had survived and its people had complete faith in themselves to live as a strong nation.

He expressed the hope that with this resolve they would be going to the October general elections and succeed in electing a government which could steer the country out of the crises.

The former C-in-C also discussed Pakistan’s geo-strategic position, the US role and its future plans in the central and south Asian region, its hobnobbing with India and obliging it to bring its armed forces on Pakistan’s border with a view to exerting pressure on it to roll back its nuclear programme, join hands with India to contain China and settle the Kashmir issue making the existing Line of Control as a permanent border.

He said Pakistan had not succumbed to the pressure so far and was maintaining its position though it had given some concessions to the US. The people of Pakistan and Kashmir would not accept any solution other than implementation of the UN resolutions which was its stand for the last 54 years. There could never be any compromise on principles and integrity of Pakistan, he added.

He said by test-firing Shaheen missiles recently which could hit any part of India, Pakistan had given message to the world that it was in firm control of its nuclear programme which could not be rolled back.

Referring to the US plans Mr Beg said the incident of Sept 11 had been made an excuse by America to invade Afghanistan just to contain Iran which it called as “axis of evil” and China.

He said the attack on Afghanistan was an American plan that Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan could not forge an alliance. Moreover, the US had an eye on oil resources of Iran and Central Asia after its control of the Middle East following the Gulf War which had cost the Arabs $300 billion in addition to forcible sale of the US arms worth $150 billion to them during the past 10 years.

He said it would be advisable for Pakistan that it should tactfully deal with America in the present situation which did not call for any confrontation with a very powerful country. He said Iran should also avoid any confrontation with the US.

The meeting was also addressed by Dr Rafiq Ahmad, Sardar Muhammad Chaudhry, Maulana Ahmad Ali Kasuri, Mujibur Rahman Shami and Dr Agha Yamin.