ISLAMABAD: A growing number of Pakistanis are questioning if the rapid withdrawal from its territory of diplomatic personnel representing major nations is a vote of no-confidence against Pakistan’s ability and commitment to rein in extremists or the sign of these countries turning their backs on Pakistan yet again.
Unable to downplay withdrawal of diplomatic staff by leading partners of the international coalition against terrorism, Pakistani officials now complain that the decision of each nation to abandon Pakistan sends a wrong signal to the terrorists and amounts to nothing short of kneeling before their false threats.
The United States was the first to pull out its “non-essential” staff and dependents from Pakistan following the grenade attack in an Islamabad church in March.
Britain, the most proactive western power in the war against terror outside the US, followed in the American footsteps last week when it decided to recall more than 150 diplomatic personnel out of Pakistan. It shut all three chancelleries, four British Council offices besides advising its citizens to leave the country and not to undertake other than essential travel to Pakistan.
France followed suit later in the week, and asked its nationals in Pakistan “whose presence is not essential to make arrangements to leave the country.”
Germany was the last to ask its diplomatic staff to flee Pakistan. It announced on Saturday its decision to recall non-essential diplomatic staff working in Pakistan because of increased terrorist threats.
Other countries have issued specific travel advisories to their citizens recommending that they defer all travel plans to Pakistan, and their nationals already in Pakistan have been advised to consider leaving. Among these are Canada, Australia, New Zealand and EU countries. More are reportedly on the verge of recalling their “non-essential” personnel.
Reports in recent weeks of major security threats including suicide bomb attacks, have put missions of the western countries on forefront on high security alert.
Kidnapping and subsequent murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in January, killing of US embassy staff in the attack on the church in Islamabad’s diplomatic enclave in March and killing of 11 French nationals in a suicide bombing outside a Karachi hotel earlier this month haunt foreign nationals and their respective governments.
Understandably their confidence in the Pakistan’s law-enforcing agencies is at the lowest ebb. Also, they do not entirely trust the Pakistani intelligence agencies. They suspect certain elements within the agencies may be supporters of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban who are reportedly planning strikes against western interests — a fanciful perception created by the western media.
Many civil officers and professionals question the sincerity of the US as a friend of Pakistan. “The US made provisions of billions of dollars to protect itself after the 9/11 terror attacks, but what did they do to help us create the capacity to fight terrorism at the frontline of their war against terror,” queries M. Aumir, a lawyer, adding to answer his own question: “Tell their citizens not to set foot in Pakistan!”
Pakistan’s Information Minister, Nisar Memon, made a pertinent point in this context sometime back. He noted that after the unprecedented September 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington people did not just pack up their businesses and leave the place.
Pakistan, acting as a frontline state in the ongoing global war against terrorism, has been bending over backwards to accommodate requests by the United States but the US and its coalition partners appear to have little faith in steps taken by Pakistan to protect foreign nationals.
In a bid to fortify security around the diplomatic enclave following the attack on the Protestant International Church, tighter controls have been employed making access to the embassies a daunting task. These security measures have turned the diplomatic enclave into a virtual ‘no-go area’ much to the annoyance and discomfort of the local population..
Islamabad Capital administration also recently approved 33 million-rupee security plan for the diplomatic enclave which includes 8.25km-fence around its periphery. But clearly the western countries are not too impressed by these extra-ordinary security measures taken at the expense of inconveniencing the local residents who feel they are being treated like aliens.
The western states’ decision to recall all “non-essential” personnel from Pakistan and travel advisories issued by them to their citizens do not augur well for the country’s economy. It will only add to the already blighted investment and tourism climate in Pakistan.
However, the western countries defend their right to be “cautious and extremely careful” in such a situation. Endorsing the British government’s decision to recall its citizens from Pakistan the European Union Commissioner for External Affairs said during his recent visit here: “If I was in place of Jack Straw (British foreign secretary) I would have done the same thing.”