Pakistan fires pro-US national security adviser

Durrani

By IAN ALLEN | intelNews.org |
News has emerged from Islamabad that the government of Pakistan has fired national security advisor Mahmood Ali Durrani. Durrani was fired late yesterday, reportedly after publicly confirming that the sole surviving attacker of the 2008 Mumbai attacks is indeed a Pakistani citizen, a claim that the Pakistani government has fervently denied. However, the confirmation was independently backed by other senior Pakistani government officials, none of whom appear to have been disciplined. The Associated Press quotes independent Pakistani political analyst Talat Masood as saying that Durrani, who was previously Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, and is known for his dovish stance vis-à-vis India, was seen by some critics in Pakistan as “too pro-American”. Masood suggested that the Pakistani government has been searching for a pretext to get rid of Durrani. If his observation is accurate, then Durrani’s ousting will be interpreted by American government officials as a clear signal of Islamabad’s refusal to abide by Washington’s policy directives in the so-called “war on terrorism”.