World agencies may influence important decisions as part of hybrid war: Rabbani

ISLAMABAD: Former chairman Senate Senator Mian Raza Rabbani Tuesday feared world agencies would use their leverage in the hybrid war in influencing Pakistan’s decisions with reference to its national security and strategic interests.

Rabbani emphasised that the Special Committee of the Senate, engaged in deliberations with Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) should intensify dialogue and on such issues, a meeting of the Senate Committee of the Whole be summoned as well, inviting all the stakeholders.

This, he said, while giving his reaction to the recent tragic incident in North Waziristan. Rabbani noted that to dissent was a right guaranteed under the law and the use of state force was to be rear and minimum. “For the moment I will not go into the merits of this argument, with reference to the tragic incident in North Waziristan where innocent citizens lost their lives. However, he said that as a concerned citizen and political worker, he would raise certain points here.

Pakistan’s neighbour India has designs to destabilise us and become the policeman of the region. RAW and other intelligence agencies operations in Pakistan and, RAW’s presence in Afghanistan is a fact.

The US, Israeli and Indian nexus, its repercussions in the region. Pakistan being in a nut cracker due to the growing US Iran tension. What will be the consequences of the Taliban-US talks on the region, these coupled with a host of other strategic issues face the state.

“In addition the economic crises and Pakistan’s surrender of its economic sovereignty to the IMF has raised grave concerns as to the leverage these international agencies will have in the hybrid war in influencing Pakistan’s decisions with reference to its national security and strategic interests,” Rabbani said.

In the light of the existing realities and the haunting lessons of Pakistan’s history, Rabbani emphasised it was essential that the state realises and addresses through political dialogue the grievances of its nationalities.

“The use of state force or banning such organisations will only further complicate the issue and provide an opportunity to the enemies of the state to exploit the situation,” he maintained.

The state, he contended, must enter into a political dialogue and the best way forward was that the Special Committee of the Senate, which is seized of the issue of the PTM, should intensify its dialogue.

The Committee of the Whole of the Senate of Pakistan, he proposed, should be summoned and all relevant stakeholders be invited for a dialogue to address the issues.