WASHINGTON, NEW YORK: In the latest leaked US diplomatic cables, it has been suggested that instead of being a failed state, Pakistan was then facing rough and tough challenges.The cables revealed that Pakistan Army was facing shortage of weaponry while the President Asif Ali Zardari was blind to key challenges his country was countering.Pakistan needed international assistance to overcome sufferings of people, the leaked diplomatic cables suggested, citing a briefing prepared for US Embassy in Islamabad by US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke on February 4, 2009.According to aforementioned briefing, Pakistan was not a failed state, though the national institutions were weak, however, they can sustain in crisis situations.Media was labeled careless occasionally, but was termed as powerful, with civil society, gaining strength day-by-day, according to the briefing revealed by WikiLeaks.
The reveals suggested that Pakistani nation, many a time, proved that it had power enough to face and address challenges caused by natural disasters like earthquakes and corruption by government, yet, Pakistan was in the face of tough challenges.Democratic institutions should be strengthened in order to safeguard democratic government in Pakistan, the briefing said, insisting that the county needed international assistance to relieve people of crises like electricity load shedding, poverty, inflation, lawlessness and unemployment.Meanwhile in another secret diplomatic cables exposed that India had planned limited and sudden attack on Pakistan as response over 2001 Parliament attack.The 3,038 cables sent from the US embassy in New Delhi to Washington have exposed that India was not willing to attack Pakistan even after 2008 Mumbai attacks.The cables sent from US Embassy said that India commenced ‘Cold Start’, a military doctrine, which involves joint operations between Army, Navy, and Air Force, after 2001 Parliament attack but the Army was not able to execute it properly.The cables sent by US ambassador to India Timothy Roemor on Feb 16, 2010 said that, “Indian forces could have significant problems consolidating initial gains due to logistical difficulties and slow reinforcement.”US cables also expressed that India always worried about the nuclear weapons of Pakistan.US officials described the Cold Start doctrine, “In order to avoid the Indian Army’s slow and lumbering military mobilization process and preserve the element of surprise in attack, Cold Start attacks could begin within 72 hours after the attack order has been given”The cables leaked by WikiLeaks also added that Pakistan is not worried at all about India’s Cold Start doctrine – Sananews
