Janjua’s warning to India serves greater national interest

Comment

ISLAMABAD: Why did Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval leak to the media confidential intelligence warnings that were related to a possible terrorist attack on religious sites and processions in Gujarat?

There is no official confirmation of passing on this intelligence by either Islamabad or New Delhi but the Indian media quoting diplomatic and security forces wrote that it was Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Lt Gen (R) Naseer Janjua who passed on this warning on Saturday. Everyone at the Foreign Office at least appears to have gone into hiding pointing fingers to the Prime Minister’s Office which houses the office of the National Security Advisor.

Pakistan passing on intelligence warning to world capitals specially after 9/11 is nothing new. In fact as Wikileaks noted, at one time Pakistan’s ISI had even before the Mumbai attacks warned Israel to watch out for its assets in India.

The News had reported at the time that when a senior ISI spook was asked for this cooperation between two states that do not recognise each other, he replied, “We often do this in the greater national interest”.

European capitals at the time had thanked Pakistan for intelligence warnings specially for London and Madrid. Janjua and Doval have been in contact with each other bypassing both the Foreign Offices after they had their first formal meeting in Bangkok last year.

Specially after the Pathankot air base terrorist attack they have been in touch almost daily. “What this leaked information really tells the world is that Pakistan could not prevent these jihadis to cross into India, and Janjua is now telling Doval to watch his back”, is how one official saw this media leak.

The Indian Express called it an “unprecedented intelligence warning-----but there was enough credible sourcing for the matter to be taken seriously”. If it is true that such intelligence was really passed over, then this is a game change where there is enough confidence between the two ‘enemies’ to learn to tackle terrorism jointly.

But this in itself also puts Pakistan in the spotlight when after the very frank confession by Advisor on Foreign Policy Sartaj Aziz, that Pakistan has been hosting the Afghan Taliban, questions are bound to be raised why Pakistan is not taking on these jihadis mainly from the Punjab?

The Indian Express added, “India, a diplomat said, believes the intelligence was provided “to pre-empt a potential crisis in bilateral relations, even war”. “Lots of pressure has been mounted by India and the United States, and perhaps it is paying off,” said the source.”

PPP's Senator Sherry Rehman also expressed her surprise at this media leak where in a Tweet she remarked, "Cooperation on terror is a good move between Pakistan and India. But why did Pakistan have to hear about the NSA to NSA information from the Indian media?"

Was it really necessary for India to embarrass Pakistan by this friendly tip on Saturday? According to official circles such cooperation between different countries and their agencies happens in routine. It shows Pakistan's greatness and greater national interest was served by supplying the information by NSA to India.