Ijaz Shah – the right man for Afghan peace process

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani officials have said the newly-appointed Interior Minister Ijaz Shah is an expert on Afghanistan as he had worked on the issue when the US war on terrorism was at its peak in early 21st century.

Elected MNA from Nankana Sahib, Ijaz Shah is a former spy chief and close ally of Pervez Musharraf who has long been accused of deep ties to militant groups. The appointment of retired Brigadier Ijaz Shah has been heavily criticised by the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), whose slain former leader Benazir Bhutto regarded him as a deadly enemy. Some analysts said it suggested Pakistan’s military continued to wield heavy influence over the civilian administration - a persistent allegation since Khan took office eight months ago that both his government and the generals deny, a foreign wire service reported.

In an interview with the BBC after his appointment, Shah said he had left his institution a long time ago.

“I am a civilian and have participated in elections.” The prime minister’s office and the information ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Shah was among four persons named by Bhutto in a letter written to then President Pervez Musharraf months before her assassination as suspects who should be investigated if she was killed. “Are you trying to send a message to the world that we have terrorists and the abettors of terrorists in our cabinet?” PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto told the National Assembly this week, referring to Shah’s appointment. “This cannot happen.”

Shah’s office did not respond to a request for an interview or a list of questions sent by Reuters, but earlier this month then Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told local newspaper Dawn that “he is a clean man” and had been cleared of all allegations against him in a government inquiry.

The sweeping cabinet reshuffle comes as Pakistan is trying to attract foreign investment and present itself as a reformed country. But critics say the inclusion of an “old school” figure such as Shah in the government shows little has changed.

Under Musharraf, who as army chief seized power in a 1999 coup and ruled until 2008, Shah served as head of the military’s leading spy agency in the Punjab province, and was later appointed the head of the civilian Intelligence Bureau.

He oversaw the surrender of wanted militant Omar Saeed Shaikh, who masterminded the kidnapping and killing of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl in 2002.

That contributed to allegations he had been close to Islamist groups based along lawless border with Afghanistan.

“The biggest controversy is his links with the Afghan jihad and figures like Omar Saeed Sheikh,” author and analyst Ayesha Siddiqa told Reuters.

Allegations leveled by the United States, Afghanistan and others regarding sheltering militants has based along its borders.

When The News reporter tried to contact high officials late at Saturday night, they were not available; however authorities said that Ijaz Shah has done a lot on Afghan front and he knows people and problems related to that issue, and his appointment will help the US in its initiative to have peace in Afghanistan as Pakistan is a major stakeholder in Afghan peace process. Talks between the Afghan authorities and the Taliban have been stalled for now but its expected that they will restart soon. The Taliban have also announced fresh spring offensive which has been criticised widely.

They said that it is a sincere effort from Pakistan civilian government that they want a peaceful neighbor on the western front. Prime Minister Imran Khan the other day had resolved that Pakistan will not interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

“Afghanistan conflict has brought great suffering for both Afghanistan and Pakistan over the last 40 years. Now, after a long wait, the Afghanistan peace process presents a historic opportunity for peace in the region and Pakistan is fully supporting the process including the next logical step of Intra-Afghan Dialogue wherein Afghans will themselves decide the future of their country”, Prime Minister Khan had said in a statement.

The officials said that it was a positive thinking on part of the prime minister to resolve decades old Afghan imbroglio that he chose a person who knows how the things should go.

The officials said that had Ijaz Shah was involved in assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the last PPP government would have unearthed this. After a complete investigation would have been carried out to prove his involvement. They said that all were mere allegations.

On the other hand ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf officials said that the party wants to strengthen it self in the province of Punjab and Ijaz Shah has defeated a prominent PML-N leader Dr Shizra Mansab in the elections. They said that earlier Nankana Sahib was a stronghold of the PML-N.

Under Khan’s government, Islamabad has been trying to convince the outside world that it will not tolerate militants operating from inside Pakistan.

Pakistan currently finds itself on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list” for inadequately dealing with money laundering and terrorism financing, a designation that makes it harder for the country to access international markets at a time when its economy is stumbling.

Convincing the FATF that it is making sufficient efforts to crack down on militancy will be harder with a controversial figure such as Shah in the cabinet, said PPP Senator Mustafa Khokhar.

“Ijaz Shah’s appointment just reinforces the perception that nothing has changed in Pakistani politics,” political analyst Aamer Ahmed Khan told the wire service.