Karachi: Hussain Haqqani, a former Pakistani envoy to the United States, has gone on record to say that the American government has committed a mistake by approving the sale of weapons worth one billion dollars to Pakistan as they could be used to "fight or menace" India.
According to The Express Tribune, in a scathing piece published in the Wall Street Journal, Haqqani, who is living in the US under self-imposed exile since 2012, questioned the Obama administration`s recent decision to sell US-made helicopters, missiles to Pakistan. The article is titled, `Why are We Sending This Attack Helicopter to Pakistan?`
The former envoy noted that the weapon sale would only spark conflict in the South Asian region without serving the purpose of helping Pakistan fight terrorists. He wrote, "Pakistan`s failure to tackle its jihadist challenge is not the result of a lack of arms but reflects an absence of will." Haqqani added that the arms race with India continued to be the dominant force in Pakistan`s foreign and domestic policies.
The article pointed out that after mistrusting Pakistan at the time of the Navy SEAL operation in May 2011 that found and killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad, it was a mystery why President Barack Obama has suddenly placed so much trust on Pakistani military. Haqqani also wondered if the US government was simply lazy in its approach with Islamabad, as providing helicopters and missiles was easier than chalking out alternative strategies to push an "errant ally" to change its behavior.
The former ambassador also argued that the military equipments provided by the US will be used against militants in Balochistan, bordering Iran, and along the disputed border in Kashmir rather than against militants in tribal areas.
The article said that if the Obama administration really believed that Pakistan`s military had changed its priorities then it should consider leasing helicopters to Pakistan and verify where they are deployed before approving a sale.
