Salim Bokhari
After having failed to malign Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) as an institution and its chief Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha, the biased Indo-US media has now turned their guns at Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani. American newspapers and Indian print and electronic media is on the rampage, using unauthentic references from sponsored books and hearsay, bidding to cast aspersions on the professionalism of the Pakistani Army Chief. His sin, according to a series of statements issued by low level American officials, is that he (Mr Kayani) is paying no heed to US demand for decisive action against terrorists’ safe heavens in North Waziristan.
In a report published in the New York Times by Jane Perlez, another attempt was made to malign the Pakistan Army. The report said: “General Kayani, angered by the inept handling of the country’s devastating floods and alarmed by a collapse of the economy, is pushing for a shake-up of the elected government, and in the longer term, the removal of President Asif Ali Zardari and his top lieutenants”.
But in the second paragraph, the author of the report denies his own fact by saying: “The military, preoccupied by a war against militants and reluctant to assume direct responsibility for the economic crisis, has made it clear it is not eager to take over the government, as it has many times before”.
Which part of the report should one trust is one’s dilemma. The logical answer to this illogical reporting is that why the military or its chief would push for a shakeup or for that matter ouster of President Zardari if it is not willing to take over control.
The NYT reporter further quotes from the meeting of Gen Kayani with both the president and the prime minister on Monday and alleges that the COAS confronted the participants of the meeting over incompetence and corruption in the government. He did not stop here but also alleged that General Kayani demanded of them to dismiss some federal ministers.
But the fact of the matter is that Indo-US media is not willing to forgive Gen Kayani for taking a nationalistic line on major issues. Firstly; he refused to withdraw troops from the Eastern border with India and deploy them on the Western front as was demanded by the US to appease the Indian leadership.
Secondly, Gen Kayani was very critical of the provisions of the Kerry-Lugar Bill and it was for the first time in Pakistan’s 63-year history that the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) came out with a written statement expressing Army’s indignation over certain provisions regarding promotions and postings of senior officers to be reported to the US in advance.
Thirdly; General Kayani categorically refused to oblige the American demand to launch operation in North Waziristan soon after successful military strike in South Waziristan. His argument was that he troops need a breathing space to prepare for another offensive. This certainly displeased the American leadership and US media did not hesitate to express this displeasure in its reports, columns and editorials.
Fourthly; it was General Kayani who did not agree with Interior Minister Rehman Malik decision to send the ISI Director General to India in connection with investigation of Mumbai attacks accused. This nationalistic approach shocked New Dehli. It was a very daring decision on part of Gen Kayani since he was aware that Rehman Malik was acting on the directives of the president and the prime minister.
Finally, the COAS has restricted access of the American troops to fly over freely in Pakistani airspace on the pretext of supplying and distributing relief goods to the flood victims. It is generally believed that the aircraft and helicopter to be used by the American forces were fitted with espionage and sensitive camera equipments.
In view of the above mentioned facts, it is easier to understand why the Indo-US media has targeted General Kayani to malign him in imaginative situations. It is, without an iota of doubt, an attempt to discredit the otherwise a highly professional general.
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