Nawaz call to Modi the right thing, says Sethi

Aapas ki Baat

LAHORE: Senior analyst Najam Sethi has said that extension to the tenure of army chief is a sensitive issue and prime minister should handle it accurately and if General Raheel refuses to take extension then the selection of next army chief will be an important issue.

He was talking to Aapas ki Baat host Muneeb Farooq on Geo News on Tuesday. Giving an in-depth analysis on the current political situation, Sethi said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has done nothing wrong by making a phone call to Narendra Modi. About Pathankot attack, the senior analyst said that Modi had also made phone call to Nawaz Sharif to condemn the APS attack on December 16, 2014. Similarly, Nawaz has called Modi to condemn the attacks. He said Jaish-i-Muhammad had accepted responsibility the first day and after it the United Jehad Council.

They are non-state actors who had state backing some day in past but no longer so. He said Jaish head Masood Azhar had a background of such activities and his stronghold is there in Bahawalpur. Pakistan should respond by clarifying what action has been taken against such people in Pakistan. Also the policy of Pakistan on jihadi groups is clear.

Sethi said India’s giving some phone calls record from Pakistan as proof is not sufficient. He said action is being taken against sectarian organisations but not against lashkars. If Pakistan took no action in next few days, the talks of Pakistan-India foreign secretaries may be postponed or there may be held a secret meeting between the security advisors of the two countries.

He said Asif Zardari is stating a principled stand that there is no holy cow and hence should be no selected accountability, but accountability of no party is being conducted except the PPP and MQM. Zardari has said that sacred cows have also created disturbances but who can dare to talk of that. The Supreme Court ordered action against so many generals but nothing was done, while the parliamentary committees have also talked of it, Sethi said.

We believed that General Raheel Sharif would take action, he said and added that initiative had been taken in this regard but nothing was done. General Kayani had hired many generals in order to save their skin, but General Raheel did not withdraw these hirings. I think Raheel Sharif has still the chance to do it but nothing has been done as had been expected. If it had happened, the repute of army and General Raheel might have shot up.

Sethi said the government should complete its tenure and judiciary should be independent and political parties should not be corrupt. Only these factors incite army to intervene in governmental affairs. Commenting on Atizaz’s statement about chances of non-completion of government tenure, he said that there were fears that Nawaz government might not complete its tenure during the sit-in and Model Town tragedy. Also, government should avoid initiating such standoffs like Pervez Musharraf’s trial, and if creates tension with army leadership, it may create troubles for him.

Regarding presence of Daesh in Pakistan, he said many Daesh affiliates have been arrested despite government denials. It means Daesh exists in Pakistan and people are being recruited to fight in Syria and when they will return to Pakistan, he said and added they will prove a big danger. Government is taking steps to deal with the danger, Sethi concluded.