ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: Quite in contrast to the national outrage against the continuing US drone attacks in Pakistani territory, there was hardly any forceful protest by a select group of parliamentarians invited to an audience with the commander of the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan, Gen David McKiernan, last week, against what Pakistan officially views as “violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Gen McKiernan was here on November 13 to brief a group of parliamentarians on Isaf activities in Afghanistan at the residence of the US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson. His visit came in the backdrop of intensification in attacks by pilotless drones that had triggered anger and protest across the country.
However, the information that has come out of the controversial briefing, criticised by some Senators for bypassing the Foreign Office, revealed that barring one or two invited parliamentarians, who made passing references to the issue there was no mention of the drone attacks at all.
According to insiders, it appeared as if the parliamentarians had even forgotten the pledge they had made in the form of a consensus resolution at the joint in-camera sitting of the parliament, just three weeks before they met the US commander.
The resolution had explicitly stated: “Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity shall be safeguarded. The nation stands united against any incursions and invasions of the homeland, and calls upon the government to deal with it effectively.”
The Isaf chief, who was believed to have come to explain the American position on drone attacks, was in fact on a PR exercise, explaining to Pakistani parliamentarians ‘all the good work’ being done in Afghanistan by foreign troops.
He told them that Isaf was engaged in reconstruction, rehabilitation and security operations in Afghanistan; and made references to provision of health facilities in far-flung areas of the war-ravaged country and distribution of millions of books among poor Afghan children.
According to one account, PPP MNA Palwasha Behram “thanked the general for making an elaborate presentation on Isaf’s reconstruction work”.
The Isaf commander is said to have been so pleased with the young parliamentarian’s remarks that he took the trouble to thank her for her compliments.
Federal Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, the account narrates, was beside herself with joy at having been invited to such an important briefing.
“She heaped praises on Gen McKiernan for his “constructive and positive” activities in Afghanistan.
MQM legislator Hyder Abbas Rizvi had more reasons to feel proud. He told the visiting general that his party was the only Pakistani political party that fully backed US actions. He went to the extent of seeking American help for dealing with Taliban entering Karachi ‘in thousands’ and threatening MQM’s leaders and party cadres.
Mr Rizvi confirmed to another Dawn reporter that he had made these remarks, but clarified that they were made before a more senior US general – the Centcom Chief, Gen David Petraeus.
A less known PML-Q MNA, Rana Asif Tauseef, however, spoke his mind on the drone issue questioning the Isaf commander as to how infiltrators sneak unnoticed through strong Isaf presence on Pak-Afghan border and attack Isaf forces in Afghanistan before returning to Fata.
The Isaf commander replied he felt sorry for the loss of innocent lives in drone attacks and that he was not mandated to speak on the matter.
Although PML-N lawmaker Ayaz Amir did not explicitly talk of the drone attacks, he did ask the allied forces to accept their failure and make an exit from the region and have it to leaving the locals to deal with their problems.