Ex-foreign minister said military plays bloated role in the politics. Democratically elected prime minister has “much less freedom than he ought to have.
Hina Rabbani Khar has said that Pakistan’s military still plays a bloated role in the country’s politics.
She claiming that the democratically elected prime minister has “much less freedom than he ought to have.
Ex-foreign minister said military plays bloated role in the politics.
First female FM, made these remarks on Al Jazeera English’s ‘Head to Head’ segment at a time.
When the military appears to be more powerful and assertive.
Peoples Party, which ruled the country from 2008-13 after the assassination of its leader Benazir Bhutto.
They generally considered complacent with the powerful military establishment during its rule.
Except on few occasions, when the PPP regime differed with the military, otherwise, it was a smooth sailing all along.
She was elevated as foreign minister, after resignation of her predecessor Shah Mehmood Qureshi following a row with PPP high command.
Over less proactive approach in dealing with American violations of Pakistani airspace on its western border.
She saying that she “would be very happy if the Kashmiri people get the choice to choose between Pakistan, India or even an independent state.
A third option, which is not included in the United Nations Security Council Resolution on the dispute.
Khar further said that Pakistan was ‘guilty of being incompetent’ when it came to the presence of Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad.
She denied any role of the previous Zardari-led PPP regime in protecting the slain al Qaeda chief.
Hina dismissed last year’s claim by former Defence Minister, Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar that his government knew about the presence of Bin Laden.
She said Mukhtar “doesn’t know the first thing that he’s talking about.”
“He knows nothing about the defence, or the foreign policy of Pakistan,” she remarked.
Mukhtar, a senior PPP member who remained two-time federal minister in past governments, is still considered as close buddy of Mr Zardari.
Ex-foreign minister said military plays bloated role in the politics.
On US drone strikes in Pakistan, Khar said that the PPP government, in which she served as FM, did not support the drone programme.
Drone strikes are counterproductive, what does counterproductive mean.
It means that they are actually fuelling extremism, and assisting people to attract more people towards extremism.
They were against Pakistan’s territorial integrity.”
When challenged on a US State Department cable revealing that former Prime Minister Yousaf had given tacit support for the drone strikes.
Rabbani Khar argues that he never said this.
“When I was in the room” and that she was “pretty much in every important meeting.”
“It not possible for me to believe that things change so much because of my presence in the room.
Or not some of these things could misrepresented or misreported.
Responding to a question on Pakistan’s alleged support of military groups.
The ex-minister said while there were “waves of truth” to the claims.
But they were “relics of the past” and were “super-imposing on what the present was.”
Pakistan did not have the ability, to be able to take on every terror network within the region all at the same time.
As far as sponsoring and funding them was concerned, clearly.
I would like to believe that under our watch, that was not the policy direction at all.”
