Political observers in the federal capital point out that the foreign minister might have been aware of the John Kerry-Lugar Bill’s formative stages through Mr. Zain H Qureshi. If that was the case the analysts have reason to ask as to what was the rationale of foreign minister’s rushing to Washington to seek “ clarification” or in-depth briefing from the horse’s mouth. If all this was Act One of a melodrama, Act Two was rushing back to Islamabad with John Kerry’s assurance. Based on that was foreign minister’s rhetorical statement in the parliament.
The analysts say, supporters of the Bill are trying to weave a tale which at best can be termed as cow-and-bull story. They point to the posture of our ‘His Excellency’ in Washington, our ambassador Hussain Haqqani who sounds more like John Kerry’s spokesman than Pakistan’s envoy.
Whatever the shades and shadows, the debate over the John Kerry-Lugar Bill will enter decisive phase very soon with foreign ministry cutting a sorry figure with embarrassment writ large on the faces of those trying to defend the Bill in the forefront”, one analyst observed.
Sounds like some bluster, cross communicating, diversions and confusion definitely occurring .. just what we need with a nation with nukes.
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Excerpt:
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Genuine Pakistani concerns about the Kerry-Lugar bill have been summarily dismissed thanks to arrogant US congressmen, a politicized Pakistani ambassador in Washington, and an inept pro-US elected government in Islamabad that has lost the trust of a majority of Pakistanis.
US Vice President Joe Biden should seriously look into who turned his brilliant idea into a huge blunder.
When the Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi stood in Washington last night to say, ‘This is a historic document’ and tried to act excited, a distinct look of confusion was visible on the faces of the two Americans standing to his right and left: Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Congressman Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
For a second it seemed as if both Mr. Kerry and Mr. Berman were looking at Mr. Qureshi and saying to themselves, ‘Is this guy for real?’
There is a reason why the two seemed distrustful of the minister.
Only a few hours earlier the Pakistani Foreign Minister addressed a press conference with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton where Mr. Qureshi appeared far more excited about the Kerry-Lugar aid bill than his host.
[Ms. Clinton had to point out a couple of times she couldn’t be more ‘eloquent’ than the Pakistani minister in describing the aid bill.] At one point, Mr. Qureshi rebuffed a Pakistani journalist who said Pakistanis back home were concerned about offensive language in some clauses.
“I’m very glad that they [Americans] have no intentions of micromanaging Pakistan, nor will Pakistan permit micromanagement,” Qureshi said. “Never will we allow any compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty.”
But no sooner he returned to Islamabad than he was back on the plane to Washington. He had no choice, especially after an uproar in the country where a clear majority in the parliament, media, the public opinion and in the armed forces accused his government of accepting humiliating language that stops short of accusing Pakistan of running terrorist training camps and continuing to proliferate nuclear knowhow, both of which are accusations not backed by any evidence except unsourced US media reports and noise on the US think-tank circuit.
The language in at least one clause is carefully drafted to push the civilian government to pick up fights with the military on issues ranging from officer promotions to excluding military input from nuclear-related policy.
So when Mr. Qureshi was back in Washington acting excited all over again, both Kerry and Berman were understandably unsure whether they should believe the minister or wait for him to go to Islamabad, get an earful again and come back with more reservations.
But a far more serious issue is how Washington’s establishment appears to have dismissed genuine Pakistani concerns with a mere ‘explanatory’ note. You just have to admire the sense of humor behind naming this piece of paper a ‘joint explanatory statement’ that will be attached to the Kerry-Lugar bill.
http://pakalert.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/urgent-an-explanatory-note-from-washington-to-pakistan/