On Friday 10 hour long closed-door session of a special joint sitting held in parliament. Lt. Gen. Pasha addressed the lawmakers. Following are some points to be shared with the public.
Targets inside India 'identified' if it attacks Pakistan
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| Public carry a rally in support of Inter-Services Intelligence |
Targets inside India 'identified' if it attacks Pakistan
Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha has warned India that any Abbottabad-like attack by it would invite a befitting response from Pakistan as targets inside the country "had already been identified" and "rehearsal" carried out.
In an response to statements from New Delhi that India too can carry out strikes inside Pakistan, Pasha said any attack from the east would invite a befitting response.
He said a contingency plan is in place and targets inside "India had already been identified".
Pasha told the lawmakers: "We have also carried out rehearsal for it."
Earlier on May 5, Pakistan Army and the government had reacted sharply warning India against any Abbottabad-like "misadventure", saying it would be responded to "very strongly" that could lead to a "terrible catastrophe".
The warning had come after a meeting of the Corps Commanders chaired by Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani which decided to reduce the level of US military personnel in Pakistan and threatened to review intelligence cooperation with it, if a repeat of "violation of sovereignty" like on May 2 occurred.
Reacting to statements by Army Chief Gen VK Singh and Air Chief Air Marshal PV Naik that India has the capacity to carry out an operation similar to US forces eliminating Laden, first Pakistan foreign secretary had told a press conference that any country that attempts to "mimic" the unilateral act of the US will find it has made a "basic miscalculation".
Chief shot back at ‘favour-seeking’ Nisar
Reported yesterday was a fiery speech by Nisar against the military establishment – but it emerged, through fresh information, that the DG ISI did not just stand there and take the tirade.
Pasha, who has been at the receiving end of a number of fiery speeches by the PML-N leader over the last few weeks, is said to have shocked Nisar by replying in the same token.
Nisar is said to have risen out of his seat for his speech right as the question and answer session was to begin. But a “visibly angry” Pasha snubbed Nisar in front of a full house.
Pasha claimed that he ‘knew’ why he was being targeted by the leader of the opposition as of late – alleging that Nisar had asked him for a personal favour, which he, as DG ISI, refused to extend.
Since then, said Pasha, Nisar had launched a number of tirades against him in particular and the military in general. However, Pasha said he would not reveal what the favour was on the floor of the august house – but would if asked outside.
An embarrassed Chaudhry Nisar was said to have been taken aback as Pasha continued with his ‘counter-attack’. The DG ISI kept on grilling Nisar, asking the PML-N leader if he knew what the effects of his recent tirades had been. Pasha told the house that on a recent trip to the US he was told by CIA chief Leon Panetta in an important meeting: ‘Look, General Pasha – how can we trust you when your own country’s opposition leader is saying that you cannot be believed?’
Pasha said that, despite having answers to all questions during that session, he did not have an answer to that question by the CIA chief.
“What should I tell the Americans?” the DG ISI asked in a bitter tone, addressing all the parliamentarians.
Pasha’s frustration seemed to be born out of an awkward moment. Pasha, besieged by the politicians, had offered to resign – and upon this offer, some members from the opposition benches shouted, “Please accept his resignation.”
The tension grew palpably when Pasha finished his counterattack. It was expected that Chaudhry Nisar, known for his hard stance and fiery speeches, would retaliate and at least refute the wild charges. But he remained seated.
It got worse for Nisar when his fellow party member, Javed Hashmi, who spent five years in jail during the Musharraf regime, got up to shower praise on the army
Interestingly enough, Chaudhry Nisar later praised the efforts of the generals.
President Zardari, PM Gilani ordered Raymond Davis release
CIA contractor and killer of two Pakistanis Raymond Davis was handed over to the US on orders of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, a PML-N MP quoted DG ISI.
Senator Mushahidullah said Gen Pasha stated: “We advised the government to resolve the issue. But we did what we were finally asked by the president and the prime minister to do.”
The issue of Raymond Davis figured when Pasha faced critical inquires from the PPP’s Fauzia Wahab besides the PML-N’s Mushahidullah and Anusha Rehman.
“Pasha later said the ISI has acted on the advice of the prime minister and the president,” confirmed another MNA. He left untouched the questions like who paid the blood money, where the deal was done and the present whereabouts of the families, thereby confirming the suspicions already lingering in the mind of the public and politicians.
He said that as the ISI chief has talked about forging unity in the nation at this point of time on the Abbottabad episode, there would be instant matchless national harmony and cohesion, more than that of the 1965 war, if just two announcements are made: one, Gen Pasha should declare that from now onward his agency would not make or break political parties, or create favourites in any political force by taking certain politicians to its safe houses; second, the Army chief or the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on his behalf should announce that the military would never destabilise the democratic system or impose martial law.
Responding to this, Lt-Gen Pasha, according to Mushahidullah, said: “On our own, we have decided to stay away from politics; and when I meet the Army chief, he too says there will be no derailing of the democratic system.”
The senator said in his remarks that it was a pity that the colonel and the major who tortured Makhdoom Javed Hashmi in the Sarwar Road Lahore police station served in the Army later as well and one of them recently retired as general.
Gen Shuja Pasha raised many eyebrows when he disclosed that there was not a single written Pak-US agreement over counter-terrorism operations inside the country starting from drone strikes to providing logistic facilities and joint operations.
He, therefore, stressed on the government to put in writing the degree of cooperation and the extent of operations to be carried out jointly or single-handedly in Pakistan.
Pasha also apprised the parliamentarians of the backlash of the ongoing Afghan war on Pakistan that, he said, would continue suffering for another five to 10 years.
As he spoke on the question of slippage of al-Qaeda leadership into Pakistan after 9/11, the ISI chief argued they could have been sorted out inside Afghanistan had the US shared information with the Pakistani authorities but this was not done despite repeated requests.
Background interviews with different lawmakers revealed the briefing went well after a bumpy start as Pasha’s opening remarks offended parliamentarians, in particular the PML-N, as they were said to be ‘couched in taunts and showed arrogance’.
The ISI DG, for example, opened his speech complaining about the indifference of the political class towards the sacrifices the spy agency had rendered in the war against terrorism after losing 86 officials whose families were now being looked after by the agency. As he said this, many lawmakers raised their hands to affirm that they had either met the families or spoke to the ISI officials regarding them.
Senator Pervez Rashid intervened, pointing towards Pasha’s speech terming it ‘political’, and saying they still have many questions to answer but that the spy chief must remain focused to the point for which he has been summoned. Opposition leader Ch Nisar Ali Khan and Tehmina Daultana echoed the same line, thereby putting Pasha and his supporters on the defensive.
According to insiders, Pasha spoke at length answering several key questions. Among them were the reported Pak-US agreements on drone strikes, unilateral strikes inside Pakistan in hunt for high-value targets, logistic facilities to Americans and granting them permission to operate inside Pakistan.
There have been many reports in the western media indicating that Pakistan had agreed on unilateral strikes, like the Osama bin Laden operation, drone strikes and the use of Pakistani bases by the Americans. A denial of these reports by the spy chief before the joint sitting of parliament was considered highly significant.
Senator Mushahidullah said Gen Pasha stated: “We advised the government to resolve the issue. But we did what we were finally asked by the president and the prime minister to do.”
The issue of Raymond Davis figured when Pasha faced critical inquires from the PPP’s Fauzia Wahab besides the PML-N’s Mushahidullah and Anusha Rehman.
“Pasha later said the ISI has acted on the advice of the prime minister and the president,” confirmed another MNA. He left untouched the questions like who paid the blood money, where the deal was done and the present whereabouts of the families, thereby confirming the suspicions already lingering in the mind of the public and politicians.
He said that as the ISI chief has talked about forging unity in the nation at this point of time on the Abbottabad episode, there would be instant matchless national harmony and cohesion, more than that of the 1965 war, if just two announcements are made: one, Gen Pasha should declare that from now onward his agency would not make or break political parties, or create favourites in any political force by taking certain politicians to its safe houses; second, the Army chief or the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on his behalf should announce that the military would never destabilise the democratic system or impose martial law.
Responding to this, Lt-Gen Pasha, according to Mushahidullah, said: “On our own, we have decided to stay away from politics; and when I meet the Army chief, he too says there will be no derailing of the democratic system.”
The senator said in his remarks that it was a pity that the colonel and the major who tortured Makhdoom Javed Hashmi in the Sarwar Road Lahore police station served in the Army later as well and one of them recently retired as general.
Gen Shuja Pasha raised many eyebrows when he disclosed that there was not a single written Pak-US agreement over counter-terrorism operations inside the country starting from drone strikes to providing logistic facilities and joint operations.
He, therefore, stressed on the government to put in writing the degree of cooperation and the extent of operations to be carried out jointly or single-handedly in Pakistan.
Pasha also apprised the parliamentarians of the backlash of the ongoing Afghan war on Pakistan that, he said, would continue suffering for another five to 10 years.
As he spoke on the question of slippage of al-Qaeda leadership into Pakistan after 9/11, the ISI chief argued they could have been sorted out inside Afghanistan had the US shared information with the Pakistani authorities but this was not done despite repeated requests.
Background interviews with different lawmakers revealed the briefing went well after a bumpy start as Pasha’s opening remarks offended parliamentarians, in particular the PML-N, as they were said to be ‘couched in taunts and showed arrogance’.
The ISI DG, for example, opened his speech complaining about the indifference of the political class towards the sacrifices the spy agency had rendered in the war against terrorism after losing 86 officials whose families were now being looked after by the agency. As he said this, many lawmakers raised their hands to affirm that they had either met the families or spoke to the ISI officials regarding them.
Senator Pervez Rashid intervened, pointing towards Pasha’s speech terming it ‘political’, and saying they still have many questions to answer but that the spy chief must remain focused to the point for which he has been summoned. Opposition leader Ch Nisar Ali Khan and Tehmina Daultana echoed the same line, thereby putting Pasha and his supporters on the defensive.
According to insiders, Pasha spoke at length answering several key questions. Among them were the reported Pak-US agreements on drone strikes, unilateral strikes inside Pakistan in hunt for high-value targets, logistic facilities to Americans and granting them permission to operate inside Pakistan.
There have been many reports in the western media indicating that Pakistan had agreed on unilateral strikes, like the Osama bin Laden operation, drone strikes and the use of Pakistani bases by the Americans. A denial of these reports by the spy chief before the joint sitting of parliament was considered highly significant.
A reality check
Lt-Gen Pasha was not the only serviceman to have his moment.
Pakistan’s deputy air chief was said to have deflated the prevalent nationalistic fervor in an emotionally-charged house as the parliamentarians were discussing the prospects of shooting down trespassing US drones.
The deputy air chief had been bombarded with constant questions by charged politicians whether or not the Pakistan Air Force was capable of shooting down intruding unmanned US aircraft.
Finally, the deputy air chief interjected: They have the capability of doing so, if asked. But, the leaders should understand the repercussions before debating this, such as a US attack.
After this analysis, when deputy air chief sought the permission of the parliamentarians to shoot USA drones, he found no takers. Sources said that, afterwards, the parliamentarians did not press the issue of shooting down drones.
CIA agents in our midst
The DG ISI also claimed in the session that the CIA was paying many important Pakistanis to protect their interests – and that the ISI had all the details of these people. However, sources said, none have been identified.
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