ANP leaders said military protected Haqqanis, other militants
Jalaluddin Haqqani (R), the Taliban's Minister for Tribal Affairs, points to a map of Afghanistan while his son Naziruddin (L) looks on, during a visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, in this October 19, 2001 file photo. – Photo by Reuters (Thumbnail illustration by Faraz Aamer Khan/Dawn.com)
KARACHI: In a meeting with an American diplomat in July 2009, ANP leader Senator Afrasiab Khattak claimed that the Haqqani network, a militant group the US holds responsible for multiple attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan, was being protected by the Pakistan military.
The report is one of a number of American diplomatic cables obtained by Dawn that reveal a deep mistrust among the leadership of the ANP, the party responsible for governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about the military’s intentions regarding various militant groups in KP and FATA.
“Khattak described the Pakistani military as treating the Haqqanis ‘separately’ … from other militants,” reported Lynne Tracy, the Principal Officer at the US Consulate in Peshawar. “The Haqqani family, [Khattak] observed, has already moved out of North Waziristan.
“Part of the family, he said, is living in a rented house on the Kohat Road on the southern side of Peshawar. The other half is living in a house owned by the Haqqani family in the Rawalpindi cantonment.”
America has unsuccessfully been pressuring Pakistan to pursue the Haqqani network, which it considers one of its deadliest opponents in Afghanistan. This month the US State Department added one of Jalaluddin Haqqani’s sons to America’s list of global terrorists, on which the leader and two other sons are already listed.
In the July 2009 meeting Mr Khattak also criticised “a purported ISI plan to release Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi (TNSM) leader Sufi Mohammad” as the second Swat operation was winding down.
“Khattak told PO July 3 that ISI is intensifying pressure on NWFP Chief Minister Haider Hoti to place TNSM leader Sufi Mohammad in ‘provincial protective custody’ as part of an ISI plan to engineer the surrender of senior Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat leadership, including Mullah Fazlullah and spokesman Muslim Khan,” Ms Tracy reported.
“ISI-proposed terms … of ‘provincial custody,’ Khattak said, envisioned allowing the TNSM leader greater freedom of movement. In return, Sufi Mohammad would declare implementation of the Nizam-i-Adl regulation in Swat acceptable.” If he did so, according to Khattak’s description of the alleged ISI plan, TTP-Swat senior leadership would surrender.
In an indication of the civilian-military disconnect in the province, “Khattak declared flatly that the provincial government wanted nothing to do with this plan. Operations in Swat, he said, should come to a ‘logical conclusion’ – killing or capturing militant leadership.
“ANP leader Asfandyar Wali Khan … was also suspicious, Khattak commented, because ISI Director General Pasha had said nothing during a recent meeting about taking custody of Sufi Mohammad.”
In its comment on the meeting the Peshawar Consulate took note of the mistrust between the military and the provincial leadership and offered its own analysis about the military’s intentions: “While Khattak and other ANP leaders continue to voice respect for senior military leaders in Islamabad and Peshawar, there is tremendous suspicion of ISI and the role it is playing in the NWFP and FATA.
“Khattak commented at one point that ‘ISI’s strategy is to save the Taliban from defeat.’ ISI’s motives and activities are more complicated than that statement suggests. However, the ISI-brokered deal now being described would likely undermine any progress the military has made in reversing the public perception that the military and local Taliban are essentially the same entity.”
Suspicions about the military’s alliances can be seen at least as far back as cables written in 2006. In a meeting with the Peshawar Principal Officer in March that year, ANP chief and then Senator Asfandyar Wali Khan spoke about his plan for political reform in FATA.
One item involved “controlling ISI and the Afghan desk of the Pakistan Army in the FATA. … Operatives oftentimes support long-standing relationships with Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders that undermine the policy initiatives of senior GOP leaders.”
Later that month, Mr Khan “recommended the immediate transfer of all ISI agents from FATA that had previously worked with the Taliban and mujahideen.”
It is once the ANP is in power in KP that the relationship appears to become more interdependent. “Khan said that Kayani had so far played a ‘positive role’ when he took over ISI,” said an April 2008 cable, “closing six militant training camps identified by his party and removing ISI officers who had remained in the FATA too long.”
At the same time, however, Khan was extremely wary of the peace agreement with South Waziristan’s tribal elders being devised in April 2008. He “made clear that the agreement was drafted by Pakistan’s military, not its ruling political parties … going so far as to turn on a television to mask our conversation, perhaps reflecting ANP reservations over a deal that appears to have been largely brokered by the military rather than political forces.”
Cables referenced: WikiLeaks # 215774, 55435, 57538, 150498. All cables are available on Dawn.com.
Though more mature, yet traitors to the Pakistani national integrity and interests. Even for sake of an argument I accept that the military has Haqqanis as proxies, is it that US doesnt has its proxies?indians dont have their's??Iranians dont have their proxies?? why in the world would he openly reveal to the US diplomat that military harbours them. Asfand wali as always found sitting in Washington gives me more clearer an idea who himself and his party works for. Clearly its not Pakistani interests they are protecting nor would they want national security as prime focus. I know well for sure that they receive money for all this and a biscuit as a reward which is mere political career for 5years term (if completed)
Couple of years back on the occasion of Eid, A suicide bomber blew himself up in front of Asfandiyar Wali Khan in his hujra in Charsadda.This was an unfortunate happening for Pakhtuns. it was sad that the only leader of the pakhtuns was targeted by terrorists. But it was more sad that since that attack, Asfandiyar Khan has been held hosage to The politics of Zardari and the drawingrooms of the elites.While the pakhtuns certainly support him in the fight against terrorists But the pakhtuns also demands him to raise his voice for the plight of the innocent being killed in the Drones attacks. He needed to raise this issue with everyone, Americans, Isi, Kiyani,Zardari and the Tribal people. He doing a lip service on this issue and the pakhtuns are watching his politics of his personal concern but having no concern for innocent pakhtuns being killed in drones attacks.
So the ANP is regularly debriefed at the Peshawar Consulate. Basically CIA informants..Wow this gets better and better…
The terrorists' attack on Naval base in Karachi is a very serious security failure. There can be absolutely no excuse for this lapse after Abbotabad, attacks on Naval vehicles and armed forces' sites etc. Enough is enough. Now heads by the dozen from the top down in the armed forces must role to wake the rest up and give the people of Pakistan some hope for the future of Pakistan.
The terrorists based in waziristan also has stealth technology. that is why our army can't see them. not the taliban or terrorists but ISI and army are the real enemies of Pakistan.
I think our Punjabi dominated military establishment is not going to give up on a fantasy to control Afghanistan, a place where empires are buried…Pakistan is not even an empire, the Army/ISI should dissolved the Afghan desk and give power to the people in Pakhtunkwa as they know their own people best. We will destroy ourselves a million times more in trying to destroy Afghanistan.
We spend Millions on our intelligence agencies and they are answerable to no one? They lost East Pakistan and now they are bent upon losing what is left of Pakistan. Will the PM and President control them plz.
YAS : ITS TRUE ISI IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY BOMB BLAST IN PAKISTAN
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TRAINED TALLIBAN TALLIBAN IS B TEAM OF ISI. ISI WANT TO COME AGAIN IN GOVERNMENT. GOVT. OF PAKISTAN SHOULD BAND ON ISI BECAUSE THEY ARE USING PAKISTANI ASSETS AGAINST PAKISTAN AND THEY ARE KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE PEOPLE IN KHAYBER PUKHTOON KHWA.
These monsters were created by our military back in the eighties, the infrastructure to create these monster is still intact and growing. The only solution is to completely dismantle the network, stop the aid coming locally and internationally. Eliminate the top leadership. As reference, we must do what Indians did with Sikhs extremists.
If the attackers of Karachi Naval Base are caught alive – will they too be showered with rose petals ? Just wondering…..
See the attack today on naval base of pakistan? Never give power to anyother group other then the military of the country. See what they are doing?? God help
It was , perhaps, first time that any Pakistani leader told a truth. Attacks like the one on Navy Air base in Karachi last night is the output of our discriminatory approach towards terrorists i.e to fish Baitullah and shelter Haqqani. It seems ANP leadership had presciently discerned the then impending disaster and so felt bound to also apprise our strategic allies about it. They have shared reality to which we should surrender our selves.
ANP leaders are comparatively more mature than other political parties leaders and generals. Pakistani Generals should discard the strategy of Running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.