Ever since Pakistan joined the SEATO and CENTO in early 50s, Pak-US relations have seen many ups and downs. So, the present standoff not only between Islamabad and Washington, but also between GHQ and the Pentagon is a matter of grave concern. This has surprisingly happened for the first time in the history of the love-hate relationship between the two allies. That too, in the middle of a joint war effort against terrorism, in which Pakistan has suffered more casualties than all the other allies, especially at a time when both the countries know that neither can win it without each other’s support.
Against this backdrop, the unilateral action in Abbottabad had not only shocked the civilian and military leadership, but also the people of Pakistan. As a result, people demanded answers from the leadership – both civilian and military; they were frustrated for being kept in the dark. No form of government can hope to survive if it ignores public sentiment.
Keeping this in view, the military authorities asked the federal government to take people into confidence before their patience runs out and also offered themselves for accountability before Parliament surely setting a rare precedent in the history of Pakistan. The President and Prime Minister agreed, and so an in-camera session of the National Assembly and Senate was held on Friday.
Both the parliamentarians and the people welcomed the briefing by the leadership of the armed forces in Friday’s joint session. DG ISI Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, PAF Chief Rao Qamar Suleman and Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations) Air Marshal Mohammad Hassan briefed the parliamentarians and responded wisely to their questions; this has helped to remove the uncertainty that prevailed for almost two weeks after the Osama’s death.
It is important to note that the civilian and military leadership jointly agreed to share a part of the briefing with the media. This decision was quite important, since it was necessary to take our own people as well as the international community into confidence; nothing was hidden and all the issues were discussed in a transparent manner.
