Pakistan has lost control over ISI, says Mansoor Ijaz
Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz opened yet another Pandora’s Box when he claimed that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), especially its ‘S’ wing, is not only out of the Pakistan government’s control but has also directly affected the results of elections in that country.
In an interview with CNN, Mr Ijaz accused the ISI of intervening in the political affairs of Afghanistan by using the Haqqani network.
He also said that there was considerable evidence available on the secret agency’s involvement in setting the political stage in its own country.
“Many times in the past, it has been authentically and very authoritatively been reported by the Pakistan media that the ‘S’ branch was involved in manipulating the results of the elections and doing other things of such nature in Pakistan,” he said.
The same ‘S’ wing was also mentioned in the controversial memo sent to General Mike Mullen.
Mr Ijaz also said the ISI is an organ which is beyond the control of the state and that the army has tried to obstruct whatever the government had planned to do through it.
“A lot of bad things happened after May 2, behind which secret service definitely has a hand,” Mr Ijaz said. “It will take some 30 to 40 years for Pakistan’s civilian governments to bring the army under its control,” he added.
In an article published in the Financial Times, Mr Ijaz claimed that he had drafted and delivered a memo to former US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen with the help of former Pakistan ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, seeking their help to avert a military coup in Pakistan after the May 2 killing of Osama Bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad.
Pakistan’s military reacted strongly to the memo and severed its ties with the Pakistan People’s Party-led government.
Army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and other military leadership forced the government to sack Mr Haqqani for his alleged letter to the US authorities seeking their help to stop a military coup.
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