Burhanuddin Hasan


In May this year America launched an attack on Abottabad to kill Osama bin Laden who had been hiding there for about six years. This was probably the world’s biggest “breaking news” and President Obama’s crowning glory and a historic trophy for the United States.

America was surprised that its closest ally in its war on terror; Pakistan did not inform her about such a long presence of the world’s greatest terrorist who was being hounded by US ever since Osama engineered an attack on twin trade towers in New York killing 3000 people. American attack by special helicopters was swift and productive. After Osama was killed and his body thrown in the sea, the US asked Pakistan whether it was aware of Osama’s presence only one hundred miles away from its Capital for about six years, the government, the army and ISI all expressed ignorance. They were not even aware that US helicopters entered the Pakistan territory and attacked Osama’s compound in Abottabad killing him and a few others. I was in the US at that time and read these stories in the newspapers and followed them on TV Channels. Nobody believed Pakistan. But America did not make an issue of it. But Pakistan’s inefficiency in such a serious matter was fully exposed.

It was at that time that some high ups in the government thought that it was the best time to put the entire blame on armed forces and convince the US that they should be brought under the full control of the civilian government under the overall supervision of the US government. To activate the plan only two people were taken into confidence, the Pakistan ambassador in Washington Hussain Haqqani, a good writer and an American businessman of Pakistani origin Mansoor Ijaz who also has connections with the Pakistan Ambassadors and the US government. It is not yet known who originated the idea to write a secret “Memo” to the Chief of American armed forces at that time; Admiral Mike Mullen (now retired) who was also close to Pakistani high ups in the government as well as in the armed forces.

When the story leaked Admiral Mullen said he did not remember receiving any such memo. Naturally, it was not signed. He must have filed it somewhere and then forgot about it. Later he found it and said he had got it but later forgot all about it. It is surprising that Mr Haqqani, who allegedly drafted the memo (he denies it) must have known that nobody let alone the US army Chief will not bother about an unsigned memo and throw it away, which he did. It is also amazing that a diplomat like Mr Haqqani and the businessman Mr Aijaz will consider it worthwhile to draft and type a memo on a very sensitive subject and deliver it unsigned to a person of the status of Admiral Mullen. It is also unbelievable that Mansoor Ijaz will have his article published on such a sensitive subject an American newspaper. Now that this memo has been published in Pakistan also it is necessary that the persons responsible for writing and delivering it must be identified and punished. Obviously this is such a sensitive matter that the person who initiated it must be identified. This will not be possible through routine official enquiry. The PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif in his public address in Faisalabad demanded an immediate enquiry at the highest level. Otherwise he will take the matter to the Supreme Court. The memo has generated so much heat that people will not believe any enquiry short of the Apex court.

Mr. Sharif warned that if the federal government failed to launch an investigation in a couple of days and fix the responsibility within nine days, he himself and PML-N’s Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Sindh, Punjab and KPK chapters would approach the Supreme Court with a request to take up the matter. He said President Zardari had applauded the covert US operation in Abbotabad in his articles published in Washington Post and New York Times and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani termed it a “great victory”.

Mian Nawaz Sharif also said, “The country cannot be run in the manner adopted by the current rules, including bargaining on national sovereignty and people’s self respect. The former prime minister said his party would not sit in assemblies whose decisions were being ignored and violated. Nawaz Sharif said that he had been utterly disappointed by the rulers and it was the defining moment when people should be ready to bring about a change. He said that after coming to power, his party would work for a bright future for the youth, create jobs and empower laborers. Such promises are often made by politicians but never fulfilled.