US-Pakistan

Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, resigned from his post after offering to explain himself to political and security chiefs. He has earned the ire of the country’s powerful army for allegedly writing a memo to the ex-US army chief Admiral Mike Mullen in the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden asking for help in preventing a possible military coup. Deutsche Welle spoke to senior Pakistani journalist Ghazi Salahuddin, who works for the daily The News and for the Geo television network in Karachi.

Deutsche Welle: Do you agree with the speculations floating around in the Pakistan media that Husain Haqqani was forced to resign?

Ghazi Salahuddin: Certainly. I don't think Haqqani was willing to resign but he was put in a situation where he did not have any other choice.

Does Haqqani's resignation imply that the Pakistan People’s Party-led government has conceded to the so-called 'Memogate' allegations?

No. The investigations are underway, as told to us by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. But whether the memo controversy is true or not is of no consequence. The question is why this alleged memo has caused such a severe political crisis in Pakistan. It only shows that civilian-military relations in Pakistan are very fragile. The letter, in my opinion, was just an excuse for the forces that want to undermine the rule of the civilian government.

The former ambassador was considered pro-Washington. Will his resignation affect the US-Pakistani relations that are already at their nadir?

Everybody knows that Husain Haqqani was very close to the US administration, in particular to Mike Mullen. But why would Haqqani write such a letter to him? Why didn't he just convey it verbally? And how could any ambassador write such a letter to a US official without the consent of his government? These questions remain unanswered. As far as US-Pakistani relations are concerned, they have not been good for quite some time. They worsened after the killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in May. And we must not forget that the memo referred to that particular period. The controversy suggests that after the murder of bin Laden, the Pakistani army was contemplating sacking President Asif Ali Zardari's government. So, yes, the whole controversy has something to do with the US-Pakistani relations, but I do not think it will play a decisive role in determining their future course.

Are the Pakistani army and the Zardari government on the same page vis-à-vis the Afghanistan conflict and how to deal with the Taliban? Does the civilian government versus army rift in Pakistan involve the Afghan conflict?

The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is unwilling to go after the Taliban, in particular the militant Haqqani network. The Pakistan army and the ISI are waiting for the withdrawal of NATO combat forces in 2014. They do not want any government in Afghanistan that can pose threat to their interests after the US leaves the region. They are worried about the increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan as well. The civilian government is probably more tilted towards the Americans on the militancy issue.

Your analysis implies that it is the military that calls the shots in Pakistan, and not the civilian government?

Exactly! Irrespective of that, there are many domestic factors to the whole situation. Pakistan is not doing well economically. There is absolute chaos in the country. The majority of Pakistanis are of the opinion that this government has failed to tackle their basic problems. So there is a growing frustration with the Zardari government, which is being cashed in on by politicians like Imran Khan and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. I believe the civilian government too is responsible for its unpopularity and it is not just the army that is conspiring against it.

Why do the civilian governments in Pakistan always look to the United States for protection from the army?

Because they feel weak, they feel vulnerable when it comes to the army. But then they have never been really protected by the US. The US has always preferred to deal with the Pakistan army, military dictators and autocratic leaders who can act quickly and do not have to worry about the public opinion on matters that are crucial to the US.

How do you view the appointment of Sherry Rehman as the new Pakistani ambassador to the US?

Sherry Rehman is a progressive face of Pakistan. She has been a target of the Islamist militants because of her criticism of the Blasphemy Law. Her appointment sends a message to the world that the Pakistani government is serious in its drive against Islamic militancy.

Interview: Shamil Shams
Editor: Anne Thomas