Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Against the well-known reservations, serious and furious, about Kerry-Lugar Bill (KLB), the ex-foreign minister and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Sardar Asif Ahmad Ali, joining debate on the US aid bill for Pakistan, urged the opposition to shun rhetoric and make cold calculation about the US legislation.

In his hour-long speech he mentioned the problem of militancy and economic difficulties of the country and asked the opposition to see beyond try to see beyond $ 7.5 billion, for the bill will be renewable after five years. Conceding that the bill is intrusive he called for convergence of policies with that of the US rather than walking on the path of confrontation.

Mr. Asif Ali, who once presided over the process of the formation of Taliban brigade and helped it, with the active assistance and support of the 'superpower, to capture most parts of the neighboring Afghanistan, said that the language of the US bill provides enough reason to be outrageous but a line needed to be drawn between self-respect and vanity.

Frenzied opposition

A day earlier (October 7) when the debate on KLB was opened in the 16^th session of the lower house, Chaudhry Nisar Ahmad, the opposition leader, had blasted the KLB and termed its every page and line an open assault on the 'sovereignty' of Pakistan.

The Prime Minister in his speech said that the Parliament to accept or reject the. He assured the House that the decision would be taken in consultation with the political forces and the army and that his government will maintain and preserve the sense of consensus politics.

Mr. Asif Ali's speech was preceded by that of the parliamentary leader of the PML-Q, which, going by numbers, constitutes the third largest party in Pakistan. Terming the grant made available to Pakistan as a peanut against the losses to the national exchequer, the parliamentary leader of the ex-ruling party, Mr. Faisal Saleh Hayat, said that the US legislation on Pakistan is insult to the soldiers and citizens who have laid their lives in connection with the war on terror.

Mr. Faisal raised objection to the US bill for the reason it seeks enhancing the capacity of the parliamentarians to carry out their job. He said while deciding the fate of the KBL, the fact should be kept in mind that it has created confusion and pitted the vital institutions of Pakistan against each other (a veiled reference about press release of the GHQ that had showed serious concerns about the bill).

PPP on back foot

The strings attached to the bill that call the government to curb nuclear proliferation network and terrorist groups and make it sure that the army and secret agencies remain subordinated to civil authority have brought unrestrained criticism from the opposition, army and hypersensitive media forcing the government to send the foreign minister back to Washington to convey the concerns raised by these quarters.

The helplessness of the PPP was reflected in the statement of ISPR, released after a Corpse Commander Conference, which showed serious concerns on Kerry-Lugar Bill. The development took place when Parliament was in session and was debating on the US legislation.

Mr. Farhatullah Babar, the spokesman of the presidency, pointed out that the issue should have been raised in the Defense Committee of the cabinet or the concerned ministry. He said that KLB was purely US legislation and it was up to Parliament to accept it or not.

The coalition partners did not come to the help of the presidency that had termed the bill as the victory of the government. Both the ANP and MQM said they were considering the details and would take decisions in due time. But when cleared their position they voiced concern over "some controversial clauses" of the bill, and recommended changes.

The Awami National Party (ANP) in its press release of Saturday rejected the limitations and certification clause of the Kerry-Lugar bill as it was "tantamount to interference" in the country's internal affairs. The statement said that the "limitations" attached to the US legislation for aid to Islamabad "overshadowed the US intentions" of building a lasting relationship with the people of Pakistan.

The ANP has also criticized the "blanket provisions" in the bill seeking "access" to the people accused of nuclear proliferation and promotions of military cadres, and termed these provisions "micromanagement of the internal affairs of the country and unacceptable and undesirable".

Senator Ilyas Bilour said that corruption and embezzlement of $12 billion of US aid by the previous regime had compelled Americans to attach such stern conditions with the Kerry-Lugar bill. He said clauses 201 and 203 needed revision and amendment.

"It is ... unfortunate that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has embarked upon an emergency visit to the US without taking coalition partners into confidence'" Mr. Babar Ghauri said adding that the MQM would not accept any clauses against Pakistan's sovereignty. However, he asked the political parties to refrain from abusing the Americans, as they were trying to help Pakistan. "We have to mend our ways and uproot extremism and militancy from our country otherwise there is no solution to the existing evils," he added.

Dilemma

Mr. Shaukat Tarin has wanred that the country's economy will be in deep trouble if the Parliament rejects the US aid bill or delays its acceptance.

"We will not be able to get about $800 million, of which $500 million are due from the US as part of its $1 billion pledge committed to Islamabad by Washington in Tokyo for two budgetary years, and the remaining amount which is due in another head will also not land," the Finance Minister said in an interview on yesterday adding that US administration was to give the said amount along with the $1.5 billion under Kerry-Lugar Bill.

It is estimated that Pakistan has received $33.6 billion as economic assistance and $8.9 billion as military aid from the US in last fifty years. The US was more generous when military was in the driving seat and gave $25.8 billion as economic assistance and $7.1 billion as military aid during such 32 years.

According to Mr. Tarin, the only option to bridge the $800 million gap is to avail IMF's special facility from which Pakistan has already got a loan amounting $400 million in the first quarter. Pakistan had gone for this option when it did not receive funds from Friends of Democratic Pakistan forum as per the Tokyo pledges.