Conversations with several insiders and subject matter experts point to a set of meetings on October 19^th in Islamabad.  General David Petraeus  and US Senator John Kerry reached Islamabad on Sunday (October 18^th). It was reported in local media that the meetings were about Waziristan operations but in reality talks with top Pakistani General were limited to the $7.5 billion dollar aid package. “They wanted to understand how this aid package violates Pakistan’s sovereignty. And, they wanted to hear it from the horses mouth,” said a diplomatic source.

Gen. Patreause and Sen. Kerry were sent to Pakistan after US President Barack Obama signed a record 7.5 billion dollar package tripling non-military aid to the nuclear-armed Muslim nation to boost its campaign against a virulent Islamist insurgency. Although the Zaradari government defended the package, Pakistan’s powerful military sparked a domestic showdown, expressing grave reservations about conditions that hinge some of the funds on efforts to battle Islamist extremism. The bill prevents the funding from being used for nuclear proliferation, to support militants or to attack neighboring countries — namely India — and calls for a cut-off in aid if Pakistan fails to crack down on extremists.

United States Central Command chief Gen David Petraeus and Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs committee Senator John Kerry on Monday October 19^th  held separate meetings with the Pakistan Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashraf Kayani and the outcome of those meetings were an immediate yanking of the anti-KLB campaign from Pakistani private TV channels. When Central Command chief Gen David Petraeus went to the GHQ he categorically told Gen Kayani to halt anti-KLB campaign. “Gen. Kayani was told in absolutely clear terms that the Obama administration will not tolerate another Honduras,” said a source very close to this conversation. 

It is interesting that three of my sources mentioned Honduras while talking about the possible outcome of anti-KLB campaign in Pakistan.

On June 28th Honduran soldiers roused democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya from his bed at gunpoint and flew him to Costa Rica. The coup d’etat was the first in Central America in over a quarter century. The coup, led by the Honduran Gen. Romeo Vasquez, was condemned by the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, the Organization of American States and all of Honduras’ immediate national neighbors.

The Obama administration initially did not legally classify Zelaya’s ouster as a coup, which would automatically trigger a suspension of aid. However the administration subsequently suspended military cooperation with the country. Honduran controversy has been extremely embarrassing for the Obama administration which had come to power on the rhetoric that America should seize supporting tyrants and military dictators.

In Pakistan, Zardari administration was portrayed by the media as too deferential to the United States. Pakistani journalists who unconditionally support their Army started the campaign against KLB and coalesced anti-Western politicians, and Muslim fundamentalists — implausibly claiming that Pakistan’s sovereignty was undermined and the country could end up as a U.S. neo-colony. Some of it is untrue!

To begin with, Pakistan has been an American neo-colony for last six decades and most of that time it was under a military dictorship. And, most importantly Pakistan has been an American satellite state because of it’s army. Pakistan’s military operates on the U.S. financial and technological assistance and it will receive even more support in the near future as it targets Taliban strongholds. Therefore conditions placed by the U.S. Congress on $7.5 billion in economic aid to Pakistan over the next five years should not have been of major consequence to Pakistani generals.

Sen. Kerry brought the carrot while Gen. Patreus had the stick.  Gen. Kayani was assured that his military will get monies and equipment that he has asked for but if he pulled a fast one, the Obama administration would at once severe its ties with Pakistan army. 

Sen. Kerry’s meeting was held earlier in the day and Gen. Patreaus arrived at the GHQ in the afternoon. General Kayani counseled his peers and advisors and by the end of October 19^th and it was decided that Kerry-Lugar Bill will not be publicly condemned. Five Pakistani journalists were contacted the very same night and told not beat the dead horse.

It is undoubtedly true that Pakistani government is too deferential to the Americans. Not that I condone it but this is not new.  Bone of contention here was the ‘non-military’ aid. This aid package was historic because it earmarked monies for health, education, infrastructure and civil society. Pakistan army felt left-out.  Although Pakistan army has backed out of KLB but democratic government is still hanging on the balance. NRO, food security, energy crisis all loom over Zardari’s head.

Pakistani media is packed with stories of corruption – same TV anchors who had become Hugo Chavez of Pakistan on army’s behest opposing Kerry-Lugar bill have now launched vociferous campaign against Zaradri government exposing corruption of ruling politicians. Not a single anchor has ever asked what happened to corrupt Generals. Why are corrupt army officials beyond criticism?

From trafficking heroin to grabbing precious land; from taking kick-back on purchase of equipment (sub-marines included) Pakistan army has looted everything we have ever had. Why then, I wonder, Pakistanis only discuss civilian corruption? Managing PR fiasco was easy for the Obama administration. They had to remind the source of opposition of an old proverb: you can’t bite the hand that feeds you. Pakistani Generals understood and complied.

With division of India to include a separate homeland for muslims, a million people lost their lives and a conflict between two communities became a war between two countries. Until now, this conflict has consumed the two states to the point that poverty and illiteracy is rampant in both countries while Europe and USA, the actors of the two world wars seem to have turned that bloody page of history into peaceful progress and prosperity.

Sir Cyril Radcliffe, who had never been to India before, presided over dividing of borders of a country few times larger than Britain and hastily, within two weeks, the boundaries of Pakistan was carved out with West and East wings of the new country separated by a thousand miles. With a British General as the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan army, war between Pakistan and India started to take shape in Kashmir within a few weeks after independence.

Second world war saw the decline of the British empire and the rise of USA marked a new conflict, the Cold war. Americans took over the mantle from the British and Pakistan became a US ally. USA invested in building Pakistan army and the army took over the country in 1958. Democracy in Pakistan has been an elusive dream since, as the country turned into a war front against India and Russia.

After a bloody break-up of East Pakistan in 1971 Pakistanis started afresh with a new constitution but the army deposed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977 and got him executed with the help of a judiciary. In 1979 Americans started a war against Soviet Union in Afghanistan and Pakistan became the fountain of Jihadist ideology and organization.

Military rulers used the country to build a business- empire of their own that produces missiles to corn flakes and owns the best urban and rural real estate. Feudal and elite politicians squandered country’s wealth in building their own private paradise.

US war in Afghanistan opened a divide between Pakistan army and US. General Musharraf had to exit Islamabad. Democracy, weak but growing has many problems to tackle and the response of politicians appear removed from the gravity and urgency of the situation.

Pakistanis face rolling black-out for extended periods. Baluchistan demands autonomy and rights over its resources. War in NWFP continues. Stumped by the fear of bankruptcy and disintegration of the country, some Pakistanis advance revolution as the only way to cure all ills. Inept political leadership, US role in the region, abolition of feudalism and eradicating religious extremism are cited as some reasons for a revolt.

How do they intend to carry out a revolution is not discussed, though eagerness to dismantle the democratic set-up and replace it with honest, patriotic, people loving, god-abiding leaders, is expressed in public conversations.

These concerned Pakistanis believe that democracy and elections would keep churning out the same corrupt politicians. Democracy empowers people, they concede, but people need jobs, food, electricity and health-care, they argue. They would not mind curbing democracy and freedom of expression to provide for immediate relief, they say.

A revolution without a revolutionary party could only mean a military take over. General Ayub Khan referred to his military coup as revolution. In his book ‘Friends not masters’ he wrote, “…revolutions take long and painstaking preparation, detailed planning, clandestine meetings, and country-wide movement of troops. In our case there was little preparation. It was handled as a military operation”

After living in a turmoil for 62 years, Pakistanis understand that democracy and freedom of expression are valuable qualities that make their lives worth hoping for a better future. General Zia once said, “The Maulvi has got stuck on the T.V. screen; and let me tell you he will remain stuck there.”

On this anniversary of Pakistan let us hope that democracy stays in Pakistan and grows stronger to establish a rule of law that delivers against all those who think of themselves beyond law. Let us support the judiciary to become stronger and capable of dealing with the rich, the mighty, the feudal lords, military or ISI under the constitution of Pakistan. Let us get the maulvi un-stuck from the TV screen.

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Rashid Malik can be reached at m_a_rashid@hotmail.com