Karzai admits presence of 200 Baloch’s in Afghanistan: Leaks

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Karzai admits presence of 200 Baloch’s in Afghanistan: Leaks


KABUL, (SANA): Afghan President Hamid Karzai has finally admitted the presence of more than 200 Baloch leaders including grandson of late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, Brahmdagh Bugti in his country, according to WikiLeaks cables; this was revealed by Afgan president during a meeting with a UN official in February 2009.

The Afghan government has been reluctant to publicly admit the Baloch leaders’ presence in the country despite Islamabad’s repeated requests for his extradition to Pakistan where the authorities blame them for instigating an uprising in the restive Balochistan province.

According to WikiLeaks, during a meeting in 2007 with the then US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, Karzai had expressed his unawareness about the presence of Baloch leaders including Brahmdagh’s presence in Afghanistan.

When Boucher asked him if he knew anything about the Baloch leaders, he said he was aware that around 200 Bugtis, “with their sons and money”, had entered his country to seek shelter. According to Karzai, he had advised them to go to the United Nations for asylum but they were frightened. Besides, Karzai added that the UN had declined to deal with the issue considering it “too sensitive.”

Although Karzai told Boucher that he was not interested to allow Baloch leaders in Afghanistan, he argued that Bugtis would blame the United States if Afghanistan turned them in. He declined to call Brahmdagh a terrorist. “Fomenting uprising doesn’t make one terrorist,” he said when Boucher told him that Pakistan had been blaming Brahmdagh for stirring unrest in Balochistan. For Karzai, the matter was so “sensitive” that he asked US officials to stop taking notes during the meeting.

The Afghan president went on to add that the Nawab Akbar Bugti was highly respected in the United States. “Karzai explained that Bugti had once tried to call Karzai but he had refused for the sake of good relations with Pakistan. Now he cannot forgive himself for refusing,” says a cable released by WikiLeaks.

Meanwhile in another WikiLeaks cable revealed that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) took back its support of government for NRO on pressure from the US and Britain.

According to a US State Department cable released by WikiLeaks, Interior Minister Rehman Malik suspected that the “establishment” was out to get President Asif Zardari and that (MQM) was being influenced by the US and the UK.

In a meeting held on November 9, 2009, Malik claimed to then US ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson that the MQM had repeatedly stated that both the US and the UK had urged the party to oppose the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) a move that led the government to withdraw the legislation from parliamentary consideration and placed the future of Zardari at risk.

In a November 9 meeting with Ambassador Patterson, Interior Minister Rehman Malik requested that the USG (United States government) issue a public statement in support of Pakistani democracy. He suggested that such a statement would be useful in protecting President Asif Ali Zardari from military-induced pressure for Zardari to leave office. In addition, it would help dispel persistent charges from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) that the United States and the United Kingdom had urged it to withdraw support for the National Reconciliation Ordinance, thereby placing Zardari at risk.

Malik assessed that Saudi Arabia and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) were cooperating with the military and MQM to bring down President Zardari. Despite these charges, Malik was optimistic that the Supreme Court would not/not strip Zardari of his presidential immunity and suggested that even if it did, the government would simply cease prosecution of Zardari`s cases, thereby allowing him to continue to hold office.

Rehman Malik met on November 9 with Ambassador Patterson to provide a read-out of his meetings with senior officials of the (MQM) in Dubai. Throughout the meeting, Malik was clearly nervous that the USG was distancing itself both from him and President Zardari. Malik claimed that during the course of his Dubai meetings, the MQM had repeatedly stated that both the United States and the United Kingdom had urged the party to oppose the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) — a move that led the government to withdraw the legislation from parliamentary consideration and placed the future of President Zardari at risk. Malik claimed that the MQM stated it had received this message during the Sindh Governor`s recent trip to the United States and that Altaf Hussain had been approached by the British government in London. Ambassador strongly denied these allegations, stating that the USG had not/not had any such discussions with the Sindh Governor.

Minister Malik inquired as to whether the Ambassador was aware that the “establishment” — local short-hand for the military and the intelligence services — was involved in working against the NRO and for President Zardari`s departure. Ambassador told Rehman that we were aware of such allegations. Malik reported that the MQM had told him directly in the Dubai meetings that the military was involved, although Malik personally did not/not believe that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani was involved in the plotting.

Rehman Malik also claimed that the MQM was meeting regularly with the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and that PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif was, in turn, pressuring Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to disqualify President Zardari. Malik also assessed that Saudi Arabia was working to unseat President Zardari. Malik intended to visit Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz, Chief of Saudi General Intelligence, in Saudi Arabia and then travel on to London to meet with MQM Chief Altaf Hussain.

Malik suggested that the best way to deal with military pressure would be for President Zardari to make internal changes within the military hierarchy. Malik proposed that Zardari recreate the Deputy Chief of Army Staff position and move Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Ahmad Shuja Pasha into that position in March 2010. Zardari could then commit to elevating Pasha to COAS in October 2010 on the expiration of Kayani`s term. Malik suggested that Kayani could then be moved to Chairman of the Joint Staff. Comment: Malik seemed to believe that ISI DG Pasha was unilaterally behind the push to oust Zardari — which we know is not the case.

Despite these concerns, Malik reiterated the government`s line that Zardari is not in any real danger on expiration of the NRO. He asserted that the Chief Justice would not revoke Zardari`s presidential immunity. Even if he did, Malik claimed that the Interior Minister can instruct prosecutors to dismiss charges in any court case.

He shared that, in one of his own corruption cases, this had been done, and that in another case, the Supreme Court had ruled his imprisonment illegal. Malik also added that President Zardari had the ability to pardon anyone.

Malik pressed the Ambassador for issuance of a strong statement from the United States. Ambassador inquired as to the content and the audience. Malik suggested that it be a public statement saying that the United States supported democracy in Pakistan.

Meanwhile WikiLeaks also revealed in leaked cables that President Zardari Asif Ali Zardari told the then US ambassador Anne W. Patterson that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) hardly enjoyed support of 20 per cent population of Sindh.
Although, the party has adopted an aggressive posture but we want to take them along. The party always emerges victorious only on the basis of delimitation of constituencies, president further told the US ambassador.

Meanwhile WikiLeaks also revealed in leaked cables that American senator John Kerry had imposed the restriction of better relations of Pakistan with India for obtaining civil nuclear cooperation from united stats of America.

John Kerry during his meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari had clearly mentioned that Pakistan would have to make new security arrangement with India for obtaining nuclear cooperation of US.
The diplomatic cable sent by Ambassador Patterson to Washington says that John Kerry also asked the President Zardari to strengthen democratic institutions of the country for the purpose of acquiring civil nuclear cooperation.

John Kerry also told President Zardari that the A.K. Khan Network was posing great threat for Pakistani people.

Meanwhile about the Mumbai attacks President Zardari said that in his view it was the work of Indians, adding that the dialogue is the only way ahead for better relations between Pakistan and India.
Pakistan had assured its full cooperation in the investigations of these attacks; meanwhile the Americans used to take Pakistani advice on the suicide attacks.

Meanwhile Speaker of House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi during her meeting with former president Pervez Musharraf had said that every society should have to declare suicide attacks as unacceptable thing on the point Pervez Musharraf said that all the societies should have solve the mystery of suicide attacks by their own.

During the meeting both the leaders also agreed to work for declaring the suicide attacks as un-Islamic.
President Zardari and Pervez Musharraf were use to inform US officials that if the problems of unemployment, poverty and illiteracy were solved than many problems of the Pakistan would be solved.

Karzai admits presence of 200 Baloch