“The fact that OBL was found and killed in a cantonment (or very near it!) does mean that some elements within the security state were sheltering him,” says Kamran Shafi.
Pakistan’s leading columnist and a public debater frequently appearing at TV talk shows, Kamran Shafi writes a regular column for daily the Dawn. He is a known critic of Pakistan military’s unconstitutional actions. In an interview with Viewpoint, he discusses various aspects of Osama ben Laden’s assassination and its implications for Pakistan. Read on:
Osama ben Laden was killed in Cantonment area, a No Go Area for civilians. Does it establish any link between Pakistan army and OBL?
Cantonments are not No Go Areas, specially now when the army itself is in the business of tarting up military lands and selling them off to the highest buyer.
The fact that OBL was found and killed in a cantonment (or very near it!) does mean that some elements within the security state were sheltering him.
Will this incident have consequences for US military aid to Pakistan?
If our Deep State goes on being too clever by half America will hit us very badly. It is important to note that the security establishment is now looking towards the Middle East potentates to rent itself out to those tottering dictatorships to off-set U.S. cut-off. But even that is risky - what if the revolution succeeds? Then what? The point I am trying to make is that the Deep State’s movers and shakers are not known for thinking things through.
Will al-Qaida and Taliban, in their bid to take revenge, target Pakistan army? Will there be more serious consequences for ordinary Pakistanis as a result?
They have threatened to do so already.
Will the PPP-government emerge stronger or would grow even weaker?
The adroitness with which the government (read Asif Zardari) is playing his cards, the PPP will emerge stronger than all other political parties.
How will military react now? And how it should have acted from the beginning?
No one can predict what the army will do or not do. How can you when hypocrisy is the moving force behind its movements. It should not have run with the hare and hunted with the hounds ... but maybe it is too late now?
Interview by Adnan Farooq