Islamabad: Former PPP Senator Anwar Baig has said that that the threatening American statements have resulted to develop unity and harmony among all political parties.
In an interview to one of the New York Times, Baig said that US elections are approaching closer and Americans want a safe and respectable exit from Afghanistan and now they are making Pakistan scapegoat for the purpose.
“The majority of the public sentiment is anti-American despite the fact that the U.S. is the biggest donor to Pakistan,” Baig said by adding that US has not been able to convert this into good will. American PR in Pakistan is very poor, he added
In a report published in New York Times it is stated that the general perception in Pakistan about USA is very poor as the majority of Pakistanis believe that US is exerting pressure on Pakistan just to cover her failure in Afghanistan.
The report says that many politicians, retired army generals and popular television talk show have already made up their minds that America is on the warpath with Pakistan
Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has called on a conference of opposition political parties and government’s allies on Thursday (today)to discuss the crisis developed after worsening Pak US ties.
The report says that Islamabad, has seen a flurry of diplomatic activity with the visits of Chinese and Saudi officials. The American ambassador, Cameron Munter, has also met with President Asif Ali Zardari and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir.
After meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Meng Jianzhu, PM Gilani said that “China categorically supports Pakistan’s efforts to uphold its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” an oblique reference aimed at the United States. Earlier in an interview with Reuters, Gilani warned against any cross-border raids by American forces in Afghanistan. “We are a sovereign country,” Mr. Gilani was quoted as saying. “How can they come and raid in our country?”
Pakistan’s powerful army and intelligence chiefs, meanwhile, have conveyed their message through their posturing. Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, the army chief, canceled his Monday visit to Britain, stoking a sense of crisis. On Sunday, General Kayani led a meeting with his top military commanders. No press statement was issued, but leaks to local media outlets warned of a “stern response” to any attack on Pakistan by American forces from Afghanistan.
A military official, privy to the meeting, said that the military commanders agreed to make efforts to defuse the situation and de-escalate the tensions with the United States. However, “certain decisions were taken, primarily of some defensive nature, in the event of a possible U.S. attack,” said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Lt Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence ( ISI) also flew Monday to meet with Saudi officials. Saudi Arabia is a close ally of Pakistan.
Javed Ashraf Qazi, a retired lieutenant general and former head of the ISI, said Tuesday that the United States is “pressurizing Pakistan to hide its own failures in Afghanistan,” a widely held view here. Mr. Qazi, now a senator, was quoted as saying that “U.S. officials often lie for their own interests” and as criticizing the American media for supporting what he called government propaganda against Pakistan.
New York Times said that sharp display of anti-American sentiment is reflective of the deep divisions, mistrust and suspicions that exist between the countries. The rambunctious electronic and print media have been rife with discussions about the possible rupture between the two troubled allies. Several retired army officials have taken on a very hard line, urging the government to break ties with the United States.
The report says that such displays have been evident in the past few days, since Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a statement describing the Haqqani network, a militant group based in Pakistan’s tribal areas, as a veritable arm of the ISI. He also charged that the ISI had supported an attack this month by Haqqani militants on the American Embassy in Afghanistan.
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