Mohammad Jamil
Interior Minister Ch. Nisar Ali Khan is known for his bold stance against those who try to undermine Pakistan’s sovereignty or pass derogatory remarks against Pakistan and its institutions. Law enforcement agencies arrested an American national, who was declared persona non grata and deported in 2011 for his espionage activities regarding nuclear assets in Pakistan. Reportedly, he managed to enter Pakistan with the connivance or negligence on part of the immigration officials at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad. The alleged spy of the CIA was staying at a guest house, from where he was rounded up by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with the assistance of Islamabad Police. The interior ministry has suspended at least two immigration officials at the Islamabad’s airport for allowing Barrett to enter Pakistan.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, taking notice of the incident, directed the relevant authorities to constitute an inquiry committee headed by an additional secretary and sought report within 24 hours. He also directed for constituting a joint investigation team consisting officers of FIA, IB and ISI. Later in the day, an FIA team produced the arrested American national and an FIA constable before a local court in Islamabad and the magistrate granted their three-day physical remand for questioning. After the US had droned Taliban chief Mansour Akhtar in Balochistan, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had slammed the US government for carrying out air strike inside Pakistani territory saying “it was totally illegal, not acceptable and against the sovereignty and integrity of the country.” He had also rightly accused Washington of “sabotaging the peace talks with Afghan Taliban”.
Last year, when he attended the Senate after a long time, he was warmly welcomed by lawmakers and appreciated his bold stance against a statement made by deputy foreign minister of the UAE against Pakistan. The opposition senators said that Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s statement relieved them to a great extent as the insulting remarks made by a top UAE official in the wake of a joint parliamentary resolution was tantamount to underestimating Pakistan. In fact, Pakistan has seen many American betrayals, embargoes and sanctions, and every time the US achieved its objective, it ditched Pakistan. During 1965 war, the US stopped its military aid to Pakistan. Yet Pakistan became a frontline state when Soviets occupied Afghanistan in late 1970s. After Soviet forces withdrew with the cooperation of Pakistan, the US imposed sanctions on Pakistan under Pressler Amendment.
After 9/11, Pakistan joined the war on terror, and has lost more than fifty five thousand people including 5500 security personnel. Pakistan has also suffered a loss of $78 billion, and despite these sacrifices, Pakistan is being pushed to do more. For having failed in decimating Taliban militants in Afghanistan, they have been trying to make Pakistan a scapegoat by inventing a whole litany of charges of its collusion with Afghan Taliban. After 2008 elections, the PPP formed the government which was lenient towards the US. It was during this period that US diplomats had been flouting Pakistani law, and moving in the vehicles without number plates and some of them carrying unlicensed weapons. In 2010, the US had lodged a strong protest with the Government of Pakistan on the arrest of some US Embassy employees and for impounding of their vehicles in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, what they said, negating Vienna Convention.
The vehicles were impounded by the law enforcing agencies for using fake registration papers and number plates. The then prime minister had ordered setting up a top-level inquiry committee, headed by the interior minister and comprising three federal secretaries as well as the director-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The committee examined in detail whether the employees of the US Embassy and its missions had been performing their official duties within the parameters defined in Vienna Convention, or were involved in ‘extra-curricular’ activities, thus violating the laws of the land. The fact was revealed that US diplomats and embassy staffers were scouting around our cities loaded with guns and video-filming our sensitive areas. Pakistan’s military and its agencies are keeping vigil over the activities of the alien agents, and will not allow the activities that could harm Pakistan.
