ISLAMABAD, 8 May 2004 — Its past and present engagement with the United States Afghan policy makes Pakistan vulnerable to US pressure. Islamabad’s inevitable U-turn in its post 9/11 Afghan policy and subsequent full throttle partnership in United States increasingly questionable “anti-terrorism” war has not helped to completely avert this pressure. Islamabad’s resistance to this pressure not withstanding and the statements of powerful men from Washington complementing Pakistan for its “bold” partnership in capturing wanted “terrorists”, ground realities tell another story. The location is Pakistan’s tribal areas and Afghanistan. The problem clearly is that a blundering United States policy in Iraq and a not so successful Afghan political reconstruction effort makes for bad election press. President George Bush and his men find the feel-good factor missing in media stories on US foreign policy. They need it for a Republican victory.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai too is looking for political success. It must be prefaced by security enhancement through demobilization and deweaponization of the warlords and other political opponents, a successful voter registration and holding of elections this year. Also the key man from the Washington’s “ne0con brigade” positioned in Kabul, the US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad is hoping for a successful enforcement of what Washington believes to be best for Afghanistan.
Khalilzad and his military counterpart, the US military commander in Afghanistan Gen. David Barno have repeatedly been critical of Pakistan’s tribal area operation. The two men’s mantra is “do more.” While appropriate rebuke from Islamabad and perhaps some “advice” from Washington forced Khalilzad to retract, the US general remains critical. Barno publicly instructs Pakistani forces to “kill or capture foreign militants.” Significantly on the near-settled issue of the 528 Pakistanis held in Shibbergan prison since January 2002 by the US forces, there appears to be second thoughts. According to BBC Pushto service, Afghan authorities are alleging that the some Pakistani prisoners released earlier have joined Taleban fighting against the Karzai regime.
Clearly in the coming weeks Pakistan will have to take a categorical position on 528 sons decaying in Shibbergan prisons. They need to be released immediately. The second critical issue for Pakistan on the Afghan-US front is bringing 528 suffering and starving Pakistanis home. Between the ages of twenty and fifty, having been cross-examined by the FBI already, these men are rotting in the Shibbergan prison which is under Dostum’s control. Tragically they remain there largely because of a section of the Pakistan government. Since January 2003 these young men who took up arms for the Afghans after the Oct. 7, 2001 US attack belong to no political party. These school teachers, students, cobblers, peasants who went to help their Muslim brothers under attack from the world’s most lethal war machine, are now suffering from deadly diseases like tuberculosis.
They came from areas like Nawabshah, Malakand, Larkana and Sukkur. According to Pakistan’s Ambassador Rustam Shah who visited them last year, “there is not much of a human being left in them.” Even then Dostum had demanded that Kabul take them away since he is unable to feed them.
Karzai and his Defense Minister Fahim have told the Pakistanis to take their prisoners, if allowed by the Americans. The Americans gave permission last July on the condition that they will interrogated them one last time in Pakistani jails. They would then be released.
Unfortunately Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior said politically it would be difficult to have these Pakistani prisoners interrogated by the American in Pakistan — forgetting that this would mean they would continue to suffer in Shibbergan. Naturally had anyone of those dealing with the “case” in the ministry had their own son in Shibbergan the bureaucracy would have been more humane and less unthinking. Sons of “nobodies” make no exciting political or media story too. Even after the July 2003 clearance given by President Musharraf overriding the Interior Ministry’s objection these Pakistanis have not been brought back. The state has not fulfilled its legal and moral duty of protecting its own citizens. It is nine months since July 2003 and the 528 sons of Pakistan remain trapped in near-dying conditions. According to latest BBC reports, these prisoners are being shifted to the notorious Pul-e-charkhi prison in Kabul. The deputy chief of Afghan prisons told BBC on May 4 that these prisoners would be further interrogated in Kabul.
The latest statement from Afghan authorities alleging that prisoners released earlier have joined the Taleban may amount to a change of heart in Kabul regarding release of these suffering Pakistanis. It is imperative that Islamabad now move with speed and responsibility to bring back these well-meaning, if misguided, Pakistanis.
On this key issue of the immediate repatriation of our 528 men, the government has enough leverage. Only Islamabad must show the determination and competence that the doing will take.
— Nasim Zehra is an Islamabad-based security analyst and fellow of the Harvard University Asia Center.
