The Pakistan army on Monday rejected the US report on the November 26 Salalah attack that led to the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers. The statement of rejection issued by the military categorically maintained that the attack was unprovoked.
The army’s statement contended that the fundamental cause of the attack was the failure of US/Isaf to share its near-border operations with Pakistan at any level. Thus, it rightly argued that US/Isaf violated all mutually agreed procedures with Pakistan for near-border operations put in place to avert such uncalled for actions. And most importantly one fully agrees with the opinion that the Nato forces were acting outside their mandate. Likewise, another crucial point which rebuffs the US report is the army’s categorical argument that several emergency calls to the Nato high command to stop the attack fell on deaf ears. At the same time, what shows the double-standards in the probe was the appointment of the same General as the investigation officer who was piloting the gunship chopper that slaughtered Pakistani troops without any remorse. His appointment itself was a proof that the American side did not take seriously the concerns raised by the Pakistanis in carrying out impartial investigations, this only adding insult to injury. Imagine on the other hand, how the Americans would have reacted if Pakistani troops had opened fire on their soldiers, and later without tendering an apology stated that it would give the responsibility of carrying out the probe to the person who pulled the trigger. The US military's use of military terms like, ‘friendly fire’, etc, have been sternly rejected by the army as a smokescreen to hide the grievous and allegedly deliberate attack on Pakistani checkposts.
Meanwhile the drone attack in North Waziristan on Monday, killing five men, indicates that the drone wars are intended to continue in Pakistan. The government that has been considering possible restoration of Nato supplies must give up the thought in the wake of the army’s report and the resurgence of drone warfare. If the government gives in at this stage, it would amount to encouraging world powers to regard Pakistan’s soil as their fiefdom.