US economic package to pakistan ‘a peanut’
ISLAMABAD, June 28 (Online): The US economic package may be beneficial for Pervez Musharraf in his personal capacity, but it will not benefit Pakistan at all instead it would only be used to fulfil the US objectives.
This was said by former ISI Chief General Hameed Gul while giving an interview to Radio Tehran when contacted to react on President Musharraf’s meeting with US President George Bush at Camp David that had evoked conflicting reactions in Pakistan.
When asked about his opinion about the US economic package of $ 3 billion, Hameed Gul said, “The US had ridiculed the Pakistani nation and our services by amounting this package. The nation did not want to act against a Muslim country and then the Americans themselves estimated that Pakistan has suffered a loss of $ 10 billion, but now they have given peanuts to us, which we have really minded.”
Replying to a question on rumours that some secret agreement has been reached on the Kashmir issue and recognition of Israel, Hameed Gul said, “I do not believe that he will do so. After all he is a Pakistani and in view of our valour and our specific circumstances, I do not believe that such rumours are correct.”
Reacting to President Musharraf’s statement that Pakistan should review its Policy on Israel, Hameed Gul said, “If he says this, it makes no difference. It is not a democratic way, as the nation would not like to recognition of Israel.”
“If he takes any action ignoring the nation’s sentiments, its results will also come to light,” he added.
Answering a question on the future of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, Hameed Gul said the pressure on Pakistan regarding its nuclear programme has been there since the beginning but nobody in Pakistan can reverse it.
“We have achieved nuclear capability and the United States should now close this chapter but unfortunately it is the pressure from the Israelis that Pakistan or any other Muslim country should not possess nuclear capability,” he added.
Hameed Gul explained that conspiracies against Pakistan’s nuclear programme would continue but the real question is whether or not we able to counter these conspiracies through wisdom, sagacity and prudence.
“Obviously the Islamic countries cannot do so alone, we have to sit together and chalk out some strategy,” Hamid Gul said.
Commenting on the LFO issue, Hamid Gul said, “It is the government that would have to show some flexibility on the issue as nobody accepts LFO willingly.”
He said that both the ruling party and the opposition are opposed to it whereas the ruling party members are not publicly expressing their views but the opposition is aware of it and that it is accepting the LFO under compulsion, under a hanging sword.
“Therefore, it cannot last long through this artificial support,” he said.
When asked if there is any possibility of dissolving the Parliament, Hameed Gul said that there is and if such an action does take place then the situation would deteriorate.
“The responsibility of that situation would obviously lie on the people who are insisting on the LFO,” Hameed Gul said in his concluding remark.
Aid package peanuts
He said that if the CENTCOM was itself saying that Pakistan had suffered a loss of 10 billion dollars due to the Afghan situation then the least could have been that our losses were made up. Calculating at today’s purchasing power of the dollar and the advancement in technology an additional 9 to 10 billion dollars and a sizeable number of modern F- 18 air-crafts should have been demanded, he said.
The nation, the parliament as well as even concerned Ministers of defense and foreign affairs have been effectively excluded. No body knows what we are expected to deliver in return of the peanuts of 3 billion dollars.
It is obvious that policy interests of the US administration remained a decisive factor during the badly conducted negotiations. Perhaps what the Pakistani side has agreed to was so much against our interests that even the ministers were not taken in confidence, he said.
Bob Woodward, in his book points out that Gen. Musharaff joined the war against terror without asking for anything when that was the moment for him to ask for writing off the entire loan and asking for the upgraded version of F-16s.
General Musharaf was concerned only with receiving praises for himself from the American administration, since in his view such praises strengthen his unconstitutional hold on power. General Musharrf may have earned personal praise but only after bartering away vital national interests.
US economic compensation to Pakistan Peanuts!
Have to agree 3 billion is very small in comparison to the price pakistan has had to pay. What was busharraf words Pakistan first huh looks like they come second best behind american intrest yet again! Cost pakistan several airbases, security on its borders, CIA offices all over pakland and 10 billion to join American slaughter of afghanistan and they get 3 billion in return. Does’nt take einstein to work out something wrong with the maths here :2guns: :ahaa:
