KPK provincial govt may not have jurisdiction over FATA and may not succeed in stoping the extra-judicial and illegal drones attacks there, however it can have a say about the NATO supply route which passes through KPK. Whether it succeeds in this area remains to be seen.
ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf stated on Friday the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may cut NATO supply line passing through its jurisdiction.
“The party may cut NATO supply line passing through Khyber where it has formed government,” Dr Shireen Mazari, PTI secretary information, said, adding Imran Khan had been aiming to move an anti-drones resolution in Lower House of Parliament.
“We have already made it clear to other political groups that drone attacks inside Pakistani territory were unacceptable; we need to stop them,” added Mazari, a formidable critic of US policies.
She said when “certain quarters told us that striking a drone down was beyond the mandate of the provincial government”, the PTI started considering any possibility of cutting NATO supply route through Khyber into Afghanistan.
Undoubtedly, this anti-drones approach of PTI may prove disastrous for the US and allied forces if the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sticks to it.
Pakistan suspended Nato supply line in November 2011, angrily denouncing violation of its sovereignty after a drone strike on an army outpost killed at least 25 soldiers.
The suspension was not dropped until Obama administration made an unconditional apology to Pakistan in 2012.
Reports say the US had to incur losses of millions of dollars on air transportation of supplies to Nato forces stationed in Afghanistan.
Insiders told The Nation on Friday the Khyer Pakhtunkhwa government was seriously mulling a cut on NATO supply line if the US did not stop violating Pakistan’s sovereignty by firing drones into the Tribal Areas.
Sources added Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was in the middle of drawing up a petition to move international human rights watchdogs against inhumane drone strikes that trampled human rights.
Do it, and don't lift the ban until all drone strikes halt completely. If drone strike happens after resumption of supplies, consider confiscating the supplies. FATA can use a nice yard sale to pay for development, or to reconstruct drone-stricken areas. Two can play that game.
PS: A more appropriate News Headline would have been 'KPK Govt. may cut....." because it's a Governmental decision, and party name shouldn't overshadow policies. Just a thought.
Can a provincial govt. overrule a federal order? What if the Fed. orders the provincial govt. to comply? Isn't the Governor the representative of the State and won't KPK have a federally appointed governor?
I am just asking if this will be a legal matter at the Federal level and can they even do that?
Otherwise yes - go for it! stop them yanks from sending those drones....chokem' ...smokem' out (in the words of BushII)
Do you feel that it won't come to this, or that drones will continue but KPK Govt. will not disrupt supplies?
Lets see what happens, its a delicate balance. KPK should increase pressure on the federal government to have the drones halted. If KPK unilaterally stops the containers at the province's borders, wont they be setting a bad precedence? For the time being lets believe that the provincial government halts the supplies, the question is does the government have the guts to face the federation, military and the US unilaterally?
but if they do nothing about it, people will remind them of the protests they conducted against drones in Peshawar and Karachi. We need to keep in mind Pti has got it's votes mainly due to its stand against drones and war on terror. If they stand idle now the opponents would point out that there's no difference in ptis policies as compared to them and if they take action that would be construed as defying the federation. Damned if they do, damned if they don't situation.
PTI would soon find out that criticizing others is easier. Now they have a government of their own, every time they break a promise of their own they'd be reminded by the people as well as opposition.
The militants dont believe in the writ of the state in any case. Anyways the supplies have been going on for the past 10 years, except a few containers which were looted by the militants. Besides the militant groups are paid to let the supplies pass (especially in Afghanistan) therefore it does not suit the militants as well to have the supplies halted. If you recall no major attack on NATO supplies has taken place after the closure of borders after Salala incident, as the closure hurt the militants as well economically. The supplies are a lifeline for the militants.
I would hope KP government do it and put the money where the mouth is.
Also expect them to arm the mujahideen who currently are being killed by these Amreeki kuffar and their dreadful drones.
Way to go PTI. The killing of Wali-ur-Rehman must be avenged.
NATO will just send the supplies through another source and then put pressure on the Pak govt to reopen the lines through KP. Drones will continue as they should.
Lets see what happens, its a delicate balance. KPK should increase pressure on the federal government to have the drones halted. If KPK unilaterally stops the containers at the province's borders, wont they be setting a bad precedence? For the time being lets believe that the provincial government halts the supplies, the question is does the government have the guts to face the federation, military and the US unilaterally?
but if they do nothing about it, people will remind them of the protests they conducted against drones in Peshawar and Karachi. We need to keep in mind Pti has got it's votes mainly due to its stand against drones and war on terror. If they stand idle now the opponents would point out that there's no difference in ptis policies as compared to them and if they take action that would be construed as defying the federation. Damned if they do, damned if they don't situation.
governance is always like that, its all about balanced approach and timely actions. right thing done on wrong time can screw-up the whole game. I personally think we HAVE TO stop military supplies (ammunition and military hardware etc), we also HAVE TO stop drones by any means. its both provincial and federal govts responsibility to do this, one cannot put the blame on the other, both have to do their part. this notion of "we cannot go against federal govt's policies" is not going to work. KP govt has to pressurize federal govt to take appropriate actions. work with intelligence people, take them in confidence, find weak points of the troops-on-the-run, do whatever we can to clean this mess
this re-confirms the stance of many that Talibans are not one group with no differences among them. Wali-ur-rehman represented the ones who wanted to negotiate, Hakimullah doesnt. There is a hope. We need to pursue the right people to come to the table, give them reassurance and help them against their rivals within their group.
1) ISAF/NATO forces are operating inside Afghanistan on the mandate of UN security council resolution which Pakistan is also the signatory. In principle even federal government of Pakistan can't block the supply lines let alone a province.
2) A single province can't go against the federal government, foreign affairs, military action & national counter-terrorism policy is not under the domain of KP gov. So they should better spend time on their campaign promises of ending corruption in 90 days and else.
3) Northern Areas of Pakistan hold enormous development opportunities - i would like to see in coming months how IK mobilize the oversees Pakistanis to invest in development of KP & specially tourist areas.
in the meantime Pervaiz Khattak should stop giving gov slots to his family members the count is at 3 as of writing.
this re-confirms the stance of many that Talibans are not one group with no differences among them. Wali-ur-rehman represented the ones who wanted to negotiate, Hakimullah doesnt. There is a hope. We need to pursue the right people to come to the table, give them reassurance and help them against their rivals within their group.
...and who told you that Dawn Newspaper?
Obama already gave the policy statement few days ago and i can assure you even if all 180 million people will be on roads they can't stop the drones they are here and they are going to stay for a long time. US forces are mostly using predators even in the worst case scenario a drone is down they will probably start using stealth RQ-170 or X-47 which are technological superior and fly at such high alltitude where none of PAF weapons can reach.
Mind you MQ-1 commonly known as Predator is in service of USAF from 1994, the mighty USAF have more stuff under there sleeves.
Pakistan is nuclear power but its still no match to US assets deployed inside Afghanistan which are going to stay after 2014 too.
The solution to end the war is fighting and economical development to take care of extremism, that's all.
If history is the guide, then insurgencies are always defeated first. The rambling of IK & NS to negotiate with TTP is wrong and will result in nothing. TTP is not fighting because we are part of US-led war they are fighting because of there sick religious beliefs of world domination.
