LAHORE, Dec 9: Former chief of army staff Gen Jehangir Karamat (retired) on Sunday ruled out the possibility of a shift in Pakistan’s Kashmir policy in view of the current geo-political situation in the region.
Talking to reporters at an ‘iftar’ arranged by PML (LM) leader Humayun Akhtar Khan here, he said there was no chance of any shift because of the US pressure. “We have been under similar pressure in the past but the thing which is to be done is done,” he said.
According to him, since India was not ready to budge from its stand on the issue, Pakistan, too, could not deviate from its over 50 years old position.
Karamat said the deweaponization campaign and the government plan to be hard on extremist religious parties had nothing to do with the movement in Kashmir.
The deweaponization, he said, would strengthen the country internally which was necessary because of volatile situation along the borders.
TALIBAN: According to the former army chief, the Taliban movement began when the internal situation in Afghanistan was chaotic. The Taliban started deweaponization and brought peace to the country and that was why they were considered as the “saviours” not only by Pakistan but by the “big” powers also.
He said at that time no-one had considered as to where the Taliban movement was heading for.
To a question, he said the Afghan policy was not changed in the past probably due to internal pressure.
Karamat said the policy shift after the Sept 11 attacks on America had benefited Pakistan. “It will bring more benefits in future,” he hoped.
In his view, a balance was being created between the powers of the president and the prime minister through the constitutional package by the government. “If this is done the president will head the National Security Council (NSC) which will include the prime minister, services chiefs and the finance, foreign affairs and interior ministers.”
Under the constitution, he said, the prime minister could also head the NSC.
Supporting the council, he said it should be formed to know “which decision had been taken by whom. “At present no-one knows as to who had recognised the Taliban government and frozen the foreign currency accounts.”
He said either the Defence Cabinet Committee (DCC) be activated or the NSC be formed to clarify who was taking important decisions.
Karamat said he as chief of the army staff had proposed the NSC with the intention of including army in the decision making process so that “no mistakes were committed.” As there was a political government at that time, the proposed NSC would have been headed by the prime minister.
He said at present the provinces were being represented by their governors in the NSC because there was no political setup. They were on the NSC because they were implementing the government policies. He said the council’s shape would change after the induction of a political government. Karamat said the situation at borders with India was satisfactory and Pakistan had extended its border with Afghanistan merely for better surveillance. It was no violation of any agreement, he said.
AKHTAR: Speaking on the occasion, PML(LM) leader Humayun Akhtar Khan said the PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s recent visit to India had indicated that the government was not making any deal with her party.
He said he wanted unification of both factions of the PML so that no other party could take advantage of their differences in the next general elections.
Asked whether he favoured the unification with or without Mr Nawaz Sharif, he said this aspect had not yet been considered.
Prominent among others who attended the party were PML(LM) President Mian Azhar and Punjab President Chaudhry Pervez Ilahi, Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, Mian Khurshid Kasuri, Gen K M Azhar (retired), Dr Basharat Elahi, Naeem Chattha, Salman Taseer, Shahzada Alam Munnoo, Imtiaz Rafi Butt, Gen Wajahat Hussain (retired), Justice Javed Iqbal (retired) and Lahore Nazim Mian Aamir.