Chowrangi

In just four months craters are visible within ranks of Pakistan Peoples’ Party led coalition government. Allies like PML-N, ANP and JUI-F complain about not taken on board on sensitive issues like operation in NWFP, raise in Petrol Prices or War Against Terror. Inside the party, leaders like Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Naheed Khan, ND Khan and Safdar Abbassi are sidelined and replaced with personalities known more for their association with co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, than with Benazir Bhutto or PPP.

Before Elections 2008, PPP leaders used to preach about Parliament’s Supremacy and made vows to discuss everything in the Parliament. However, in last four months we have seen critical decisions being made by non-elected people. Not only that, but PPP government is making nonsensical flip-flops, whether it be raising CNG prices or placing ISI under interior ministry’s control.

About the later, it could be PPP’s old insecurity against Army and ISI. In her first tenure, Benazir Bhutto also shuffled ISI’s hierarchy and the confrontation finally led to her exit from Prime Minister House. Current PPP government is treading the same path, perhaps with slightly different objectives, that may led to similar outcome.

Nasim Zehra comments:

This decision, like all others, was undoubtedly led by the PPP co-chairman with input from other undisclosed sources. By all accounts the matter was not discussed in any cabinet meeting, it was not put before the Parliament or any parliamentary or Senate committee and none of the coalition partners were consulted. Similarly, the justification for alteration of the reporting line was not discussed with the ministry of defence or the three services chiefs or the chairman of the joints chiefs of staff committee who are the heads of institutions currently directly involved in the operations and the output of the ISI. The adviser on interior, to whose ministry the IB already reports, must have had an input in the decision.

Most recent is the statement by Defence Minster Chaudhry Ahmed Mukthar. In an exclusive interview with Geo News, he said that US President George W. Bush had expressed concerns over the role of “elements at some level in the ISI.”

“President Bush had complained that actionable intelligence shared with Pakistan got leaked much before its due time,” he said adding that President Bush also questioned as to “who is in control of ISI.”

Well, somebody out there is certainly not going to list that.

Other posts by Kashif Aziz

• Urgently Wanted : Federal Ministers - November 19th, 2008
• GEO TV Transmission blocked in Karachi? - November 17th, 2008
• American meat exporters using fradulent halal certificates - November 14th, 2008
• The case of Khanani and Kalia - November 10th, 2008
• Alcohol Exports Bring $220 Million To Pakistan - November 9th, 2008
• Open Letter of Appreciation to Government of Pakistan - November 5th, 2008
• Earthquake Strikes in Balochistan: More than 250 dead, 20,000 displaced - October 30th, 2008
• Pity the Nation - October 26th, 2008
• Lab Pay Aati Hai Dua .. Ban Kay Tamanna Meri - October 16th, 2008
• Predictions of the Century: The Fate of Sarah Palin, and Asif Ali Zardari and United States of America - October 12th, 2008