Pakistan Boycotts Upcoming Bonn Conference

By Zaheerul Hassan

On November 29, 2011 Pakistani cabinet announced a boycott and has decided not to attend the upcoming Bonn conference as a protest," a government official said after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in Lahore. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar briefed the Cabinet about the incident and described the ongoing diplomatic efforts to highlight the violation of Pakistan's territorial sovereignty, which is also a violation of the international law.  Earlier, Pakistan suspended the supply to the NATO troops located in Afghanistan and also asked America to vacate the Shamsi Airbase within 15 days.  NATO supply convoys heading for the border have been halted just after the NATO airstrike of November 26 at Salala check post, about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) from the Afghan border in the Mohmand region of Pakistan’s tribal belt. In the said air raid 24 Pakistani soldiers including two o fficers have been martyred. The visible wedge between Pakistan, NATO and the US relationship has been noticed despite showing Obama’s and NATO’s officials concern over the incident.  In this connection, China and Russian have categorically condemned NATO’s helicopter’s unprovoked and indiscriminate firing on Pakistani troops.

President Asif Ali Zardari has refused a request of the United Arab Emirates to review Pakistan's decision of telling the US to vacate the Shamsi airbase within 15 days. According to the sources President refused UAE's Foreign Minister’s request and stated that he could not change the decision of Defence Committee of the Cabinet.  Meanwhile, Pakistani representative in UNO also launches a protest against NATO helicopter’s attack while writing a letter to the UN Security Council.

 Major General Athar Abass, DG ISPR has rejected regrets from the U.S. and NATO over the killing of Pakistani soldiers in deadly which continued for two hours.  He also revealed that "The NATO strike can have grave consequences,”. The army spokesman said it’s not the first attack, earlier 72 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and nearly 250 injured in NATO strikes in three years.  During the latest attack, Pakistani concerned military operational authorities has followed all laid down standing operating procedures. Pakistani authorities has contacted their concerned NATO and ISAF counterparts and informed them that Pakistani Check post is under NATO’s attack. But surprisingly the NATO’s command channels    have intentionally denied the real information and replied that operation against militants in the Mohmand Agency is under its way. Meanwhile, the NATO fighter planes and helicopters struck two border posts and killed 24 soldiers and injured 13 others. Irony of this attack is that the NATO instead of seeking apology, claimed that its special mission had come under attack from Pakistani soil. In this regards on November 29, during a media briefing, Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Waheed Arshad and Director General Military Operations (DGMO) General Ashfaq said  that  there had been no violation by Pakistan on the Mohmand Agency border. NATO and ISAF were aware of the border check posts in the area and had fired on them from 12:05am to 2:15am. They also added that the inquiries into the June 2008, September 2010 and July 2011 incidents had no results either.  DGMO has said that despite procedures being in place and presence of four Pakistani, ISAF, Afghanistan joint coordination centers, the attack took place. The Pakistani officer at the Tactical Operation Centre in Afghanistan had been misinformed, they said, adding that an American sergeant had told him that a Pakistan check post had fired on Special Forces in the border area and had changed his statement after seven minutes saying the fire had come from a different check post. Moreover, The NATO representatives were told to immediately stop firing but the attacks continued.

In short, the NATOs’ under discussion aggression has damaged peaceful and speedy exit of American forces from the region. According to credible international media reports after Obama killing, 67% democratic and 63% republicans are in the opinion of saying goodbye to ongoing unfruitful Afghan war. They know that in addition to the live losses, trillions of $ dollars are being spent in this war. American economy is crumbling and deteriorating day by day.  Thus, Obama’s administration instead of playing in the hands of Jews and Indian sponsored lobbies would be more concern to improve the US economy will like to respect the public opinion and attract the masses in the forthcoming presidential elections.  

Obama, ISAF commander, Chief of  American Armed Forces and NATO Secretary General Sunday expressed regret over the losses of Pakistani soldiers and supported investigation into the incident but at the same time number of American senators demanded and have  raised serious questions about the extent of cooperation between supposed close allies in fighting terrorism. In this connection Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Senate's No. 2 Republican said that there's a lot of diplomacy that has to occur and it has to be tough diplomacy in the sense that they need to understand that our support for them financially is dependent upon their cooperation with us. The US senators have also threaten that aid to Pakistan should be stopped since it is directly connected to the cooperation in war on terror.

Actually, the NATOs’ unprovoked attack reflects the notions of those elements that are not interested in disengagement of America from the region. These elements are very much effective in CIA and Pentagon’s nerve centre and are in favour of placing India as regional watchdog.

Nonetheless, the NATO’s attack on Pakistani Check Post would also be a setback to the in progress peace process. In retaliation, Pakistan has announced Boycott of upcoming Bonn conference on Afghan issue. The major other stake holder of Afghan crises “true Taliban leadership” has also refused to attend the conference. Therefore, it can be said that NATOs’ attack is an attempt to sabotage the Afghan peace process or, to test Pakistani response or to provoke Pakistan or to create regional instability and thus providing a chance to extend their stay in Afghanistan.