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| Pakistan-US relationship is at its lowest ebb | | | Karan Bandesha | 11/15/2011 10:44:49 PM |
| | Former President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, has recently described the relationship between Pakistan and the United States as "terrible". "Pakistan-United States relations are terrible. They are at the lowest ebb," Musharraf said at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington in the last week of October. "It's the most unfortunate thing because -- I fear it is unfortunate because we have to have commonality of thought and action if we want to defeat terrorism and -- if you're going to combat terrorism and extremism," he added. Pakistan is fast getting the reputation of being a betrayer. It has betrayed the US by playing a double game in the global war against terror and fleecing the country of billions of dollars. Now it is betraying China by fanning insurgency in the Muslim dominant regions of the country. Even though Pakistan is considered to be an Islamic fundamentalist country by the west, the Islamic nations consider it to be a stooge of the US and China and do not wish to maintain relations with it. Thus, Pakistan's isolation in the world community is almost complete. Notwithstanding all evidences against it, Pakistan continues to be in denial mode. Neither has it stopped attacks in Afghanistan by its proxy, the Haqqani network, nor is it relenting in its anti-India pursuit of sending armed infiltrators across the line of control (LOC). China continues to be perturbed by clandestine Pakistani support to militants in the Xinjiang region. It is for America that Pakistan has become a constant headache since it is using American equipment against American soldiers. Here is a country which is dependent on the United States, (in 2010 alone, it received an aid package of $ 4.4 billion). It is besieged by Jihadis from within who are encouraged not only to attack neighbours like India but also its principal benefactor, the US. Till now the US has been swallowing its bile and has sought to keep peace, given the fact that 60 per cent of the supplies for the ISAF and US forces go through Pakistan. It is, however, looking for other options and is sad id to have made an effort to open up a northern route through Russia and the Central Asian Republics. On its part, Pakistan has been shamelessly exposed in the midnight raid to kill Osama bin laden, numerous Al- Qaeda and Taliban leaders are being hunted out from hiding places in the border belt of Pakistan by US drones. In Afghanistan, where the stakes have suddenly increased post the decision to withdraw NATO forces, instead of facilitating negotiations, Pakistan has gone all hog to foil every attempt by the Taliban to negotiate with the Karzai government. The recent assassination of the former Afghan President Rabbani is a clear indicator that Pakistan does not practice what it preaches. It wants its proxy, the Haqqani network, to become a dominant actor in the region. In a blunt message to Pakistan, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has demanded greater cooperation to "squeeze" the Haqqani network. "It's like that old story -- you can't keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours. Eventually those snakes are going to turn on whoever has them in the backyard," Clinton said during a joint news conference with the Pakistani Foreign Minister in Pakistan recently. Is there any requirement of more evidence to act against Pakistan? America surely does not think so, as was exemplified by Hillary Clintons recent warnings, muted in diplomatic jargon for the sake of cordial relations. The question now is - what if the US gives\ Pakistan an ultimatum on the Haqqani issue by saying that if Islamabad does not act, it would, and very visibly begin building up forces for the purpose near North Waziristan? What if it obtains a UN sanction to pursue that goal? Pakistan may think China will pull it chestnuts out of the fire, but given its past track record, and its generallym ruthlessly pragmatic role, Beijing could well step aside and let Islamabad stew in its own juice. Pakistan's leaders, especially the military should understand that their devious plans have backfired. If they are buying time under the illusion that it is only a matter of a year and the US will pull out of the region, they may be in for a nasty surprise. The US would not like to repeat a "departure from Saigon" like situation, with the Haqqani's firing AK 47s in celebration at departing helicopters from Bagram, nor will it allow Afghanistan to be run by to a motley Taliban crew or a puppet of Pakistan. A great deal of responsibility for bringing Pakistan down to a soft landing rests with the US. After decades of pandering to Pakistan's fantasies, it is the US which has to apply its military might and financial clout to bring the political process back on track in Pakistan. As the US- Pak stand-off worsened, we saw Karzai visiting India recently, purportedly for signing of some agreements. Actually, it was a sounding board to see if India is ready to play a new role as USm vacates space in Afghanistan. In New Delhi, there is an inevitable sense of `déjà vu' as it watches the meltdown of US coziness with Pakistan. Since the mid 1950s, the gullible Americans had been fooled to be a party to Islamabad's project of maintaining strategic parity with India. Though India should wish the Americans well, it is best for us to watch this bout from the sidelines. The US is two continents and an ocean away, but Pakistan is our neighbour, so we must pursue a policy which will not lead to any self defeating long term bitterness. |
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