Author: Husain Haqqani
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: October 3, 2003
Musharraf's promise-action gap means
Western public opinion doesn't trust him Western governments describe
Pakistan as an ally in the ''global war against terrorism'', and General
Musharraf has President George W. Bush's endorsement for being ''tight
in the war against Al Qaeda''.
But doubts characterise public perceptions
about Pakistan's role. A recent article in Time magazine asked, ''Is Pakistan
a friend or foe?'' New York Times ran an editorial titled ''A troubled
ally''. And a recent opinion piece in Washington Post was captioned ''Doubts
about an ally''.
Several new books contain charges
ranging from past sponsorship of Al Qaeda to an official cover-up in the
Daniel Pearl murder to revived backing for the Taliban.A politically savvy
government in Islamabad would have tackled each allegation, both in terms
of changing policies that invite such charges as well as in reassuring
the world that Pakistan has made a clean break from its ''soft state''
days preceding September 11, 2001.
But Musharraf's regime treats international
public opinion with the same contempt it has for the Pakistani electorate.
He, however, does not appear to realise the credibility problem he faces.
In Pakistan, the general's word is questioned only in very gentle terms.
But the global stage brings harsher scrutiny.
During his recent visit to Canada,
an article in the country's most influential daily, Globe and Mail - captioned
''Ottawa's unwelcome visitor'' - greeted Musharraf. Written by Professor
David von Praagh, it began with the words, ''Today, Canada has the distinction
of welcoming the leader of what, by any fair reading of mounting evidence,
is a state supporting terrorism.''
It ended with the following advice
for the Canadian prime minister, ''The best thing that Prime Minister Jean
Chretien can do is inform General Musharraf that Canada has an important
stake in what happens in Afghanistan and in the war against terrorism in
general. The worst thing Mr Chretien can do is accept an expected Musharraf
lecture about Western mistreatment of Muslims, and leave the impression
that Pakistan does not present a big problem.''
It seems Chretien did not heed von
Praagh's advice. But democracies respond to public opinion and it is only
a matter of time before policies of western governments starts matching
perceptions of their thinking classes.
While in Canada, Musharraf didn't
help his case by telling Globe and Mail he now believed Osama bin Laden
to be alive and ''moving freely between Afghanistan and Pakistan''.
According to Globe and Mail, ''General
Musharraf compared the pursuit of Osama bin Laden to that of Che Guevara,
the Latin American Communist revolutionary who was chased through the jungle
and shot to death in 1967 by Bolivian troops working with the CIA.'' Asked
whether bin Laden is alive, he replied: ''Yes, indeed. I am reasonably
sure.''
Compare that with the general's
previous pronouncements that bin Laden was dead. ''I think now, frankly,
he is dead for the reason that he is a patient, a kidney patient,'' Musharraf
said in an interview with CNN on January 18, 2002.
But soon after the capture of bin
Laden's deputy Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Musharraf started saying he believed
bin Laden was alive.
In the Globe and Mail interview,
he insisted blame for the failure to capture bin Laden must be shared,
''If I'm to blame, President Bush is equally to blame.''
The general described the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border as impossible to seal - an explanation used by the US and Pakistan
during their support of the mujahideen against the Soviet Union in the
1980s.
His statement that ''the hunt for
Al Qaeda leaders was going slowly until Pakistani intelligence efforts
were improved in the border areas'' also invited cynicism from those who
think Pakistan has been controlling the show in Afghanistan for two decades
and is not short of intelligence there.
The cynical view is Musharraf is
painting this picture only to secure American-made helicopters and military
technology. At a time when their intentions are seen with suspicion, Musharraf
and his colleagues would serve their interests better by saying less and
meaning whatever they say. Too clever by half pronouncements only invite
ridicule.
The author is visiting scholar at
the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC. He earlier
served as adviser to Pakistani prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir
Bhutto