Lutf Blog: US Diplomatic Cables, now declassified (or released) via wiki leaks, give an interesting insight into the Spring and Summer of 1974. United States has always enjoyed great influence in Pakistani establishment and certain details present in the diplomatic correspondence of that time show a government under threat.
It appears that Bhutto maintained a neutral stance to avoid any embarrassment on the humanitarian front, but hid behind the parliament to make his decisions. Also, the US diplomats reported on the agitations as ‘generally under control’ and ignored the human cost of the violence.
Here are a few excerpts I found to be of interest.
‘VIRTUALLY ALL OUR CONTACTS MAINTAIN THAT MILITARY AND CIVIL SERVICES ARE “FULL” OF AHMADIYAS, WHEN PINNED DOWN, ONLY NAME WHICH GENERALLY COMES TO MIND IS RECENTLY RETIRED AIR MARSHAL CHAUDHRY. ACCORDING TO ONE SENIOR CIVIL SERVANT, GOP HAS LOOKED INTO MATTER AND FOUND THAT SENIOR-MOST AHMADIYA IS (UNNAMED) PROVINCIAL SECRETARY IN SIND.’
(1974 June 7, 12:31 (Friday), Lahore)
JAMAAT-I-ISLAMI LEADER MIAN TUFAIL MOHAMMAD REPORTEDLY SENT TELEGRAM TO SAUDI ARABIA OVER WEEKEND REQUESTING KING FAISAL’S INTERVENTION TO HELP SOLVE SECTARIAN QUESTION. IN TELEGRAM, MOHAMMAD REPORTEDLY REMINDED MONARCH THAT ISSUES SHOULD BE VIEWED IN LIGHT OF DECISIONS TAKEN DURING RABITA-E-ALAM-E-ISLAMI CONFERENCE HELD LAST APRIL IN JIDDA. (ACCORDING TO LOCAL SOURCE, CONFERENCE DECIDED TO CONDEMN AHMADIYAS AS AGENTS OF ISRAEL AND INTERNATIONAL ZIONISM, AND TO DECLARE AHMADIYAS AS NON-MUSLIMS THROUGHOUT ISLAMIC WORLD.)
1974 June 17, 11:46 (Monday) Lahore)
TEHRIK ISTIQLAL LEADER ASGHAR KHAN HELD PRESS CONFERENCE IN LAYRE JUNE 14, WHICH FOR FIRST TIME IN MONTHS GOT HIM CONSIDERABLE (ADVERSE) PUBLICITY. APPARENTLY, NO JOURNALIST OF ANY PERSUASION WAS SATISFIED WITH AIR MARSHAL’S COMMENT THAT AHMADIYA COMMUNITY WAS “ALREADY A TINY MINORITY,” ALTHOUGH HE DID STATE THAT HE FIRMLY BELIEVED IN FINALITY OF PROPHET MOHAMMAD (KHATM-E-NABUWWAT).
1974 June 17, 11:46 (Monday) Lahore)
Categories: Ahmadis And Pakistan, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Asia
Is it not interesting that the US Government knew what Z.A. Bhutto had in mind and did nothing to promote ‘Human Rights’ at the time? (and nothing later either)
See also in the book A MAN OF GOD where it showed that the US Embassy knew what was coming, but did not warn the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at…
Well it seems after wilileaks nothing is officially a secret. In another leak my full meeting with US Charge was detailed out. Thanks God I am no longer in that country or would have been immediately asked to leave. The sole interest of US is thier national interest. It is an empire and would use even human rights issues to further its national interest.