Pakistan’s Ambassador to U.S. resigns; Pakistani Taliban spokesman denies ceasefire agreement; Security forces kill 18 militants in Kurram agency; Militants kill soldier in Bara sub-district; Militants bomb market in Orakzai; Pakistan to bring issue of drone strikes to UNHRC; PML-N asks for Qureshi to join party; Khan to take action against British newspaper; Pakistan committed to Afghanistan’s future, says Gilani; Pakistan and India work to implement India’s MFN status.
Memo-gate
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Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S., Hussain Haqqani, resigned from his position on Tuesday amidst a political scandal involving a secret memo, allegedly sent by the Ambassador to former U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen via Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz, requesting U.S. support of the civilian government in the event of a Pakistani military coup. Haqqani continues to deny his involvement in the memo but says he has resigned “to bring closure to this meaningless controversy threatening [Pakistan’s] fledgling democracy.” The resignation came shortly after Haqqani met with President Asif Ali Zardari, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, and was prompted by a resignation request from Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani so that a full investigation into the memo could be launched. Gilani has since appointed Sherry Rehman, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and member of the National Assembly, as Pakistan’s next Ambassador to the U.S. Rehman is highly-regarded as a “dedicated democrat,” liberal and anti-blasphemy law campaigner, and her appointment has reportedly been accepted in both the civilian and military arena. Since Haqqani’s resignation, the White House has applauded Haqqani’s role as “close partner” to the U.S. and has labeled Haqqani’s resignation an “internal issue relative to Pakistan,” while noting that the U.S. will be able to work with Ambassador Rehman in the future, Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court rejected a petition which sought to charge Haqqani with high treason as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) filed a petition for the Supreme Court to launch an investigation into the memo-gate scandal.[1]
FATA
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On Wednesday, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan denied reports that the Pakistani Taliban had reached a ceasefire or peace agreement with the Pakistani government, citing an attack on a police station in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as proof of such. Ehsan’s statement counteracted Monday’s announcement by unnamed Pakistani Taliban commanders that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had reached a peace agreement with the government over a month ago.[2]
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Security forces killed 18 militants during an aerial assault on militant “hideouts” in central Kurram agency on Wednesday as part of an “ongoing operation in the area.”[3]
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On Tuesday, militants opened fire on a security forces checkpoint in Bara sub-district, Khyber agency, killing one soldier. Security forces returned fire and conducted a search operation, apprehending numerous suspects.[4]
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Militants detonated explosives in a market near Kalaya, Orakzai agency on Tuesday, destroying six shops. No injuries were reported and 21 people have seen been arrested for their involvement in the incident.[5]
Drone Strikes
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On Wednesday, the Pakistani government announced that it would take the issue of unauthorized U.S. drone strikes within Pakistan to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for review. Prime Minister Gilani’s Adviser on Human Rights, Mustafa Nawaz Khokar, termed the drone strikes a “clear violation of human rights” and indicated that Pakistan would present drone strike data to the council.[6]
Pakistani Politics
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Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Nawaz Sharif asked former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to join the PML-N party on Tuesday, although Qureshi has yet to formally accept PML-N party membership. Meanwhile, the Express Tribune reports that students attending government schools in Gujranwala were “forced to take part” in a PML-N rally in an effort to reach attendance of over 25,000 participants.[7]
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On Wednesday, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan vowed to “take legal action against the [British] newspaper,” The Sunday Times, that reported that Khan was introduced to the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter, in a meeting with ISI spy chief Lieutenant General Pasha. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has also denied that such a meeting took place.[8]
Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations
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During a meeting with a UK-led delegation in Islamabad on Tuesday, Prime Minister Gilani reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to an investigation into the assassination of former Afghan President and peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani. Gilani also voiced commitment to supporting an “Afghan owned peace process” and said that Pakistan would work to facilitate “an independent, prosperous, stable and sovereign Afghanistan.”[9]
Pakistan-India Relations
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Pakistan and India continue to work together to improve bilateral relations and trade, however Pakistan’s Commerce Secretary has announced that the “presence of a negative trade list” created by fearful industry associations and exporters has prevented Pakistan from being able to move forward with the “practical” implementation of India’s MFN status.[10]