‘US hero and Pakistan’s villain’

Head of PPP Media Cell

Only a minister of an elected government of Pakistan has the guts of giving befitting response to Donald Trumpt, Republican nominee for the US presidential election, who recently boasted to get Dr Shakil Afridi released from the Pakistan jail ‘within minutes’ because he knew how to get it done. His attempt of undermining and ridiculing the sovereign country was least expected of him and therefore deserved to be paid in the same coin. The rejoinder did the same; “country is not US colony”, perfectly representing the sentiments of the people of the country.

This type of paying back the compliments was not possible during dictators’ watch. Autocrats’ ministers or even dictators themselves could not afford the type of retribution. For, they solely depended on America for the longevity of their illegitimate rule, and kept the nation their hostage for the fulfillment of their personal obsession to power. They knew they were on the slippery slope and Americans could pull the rug from underneath their feet any time. Autocrats and American relationship was like of master and servant. They did American biddings without the consideration of second thought for the sake of perpetuating their rule. They did not feel infamy even describing Pakistan as a ‘client state’. General Ziaul Haq jumped in the Afghan war as US proxy. General Musharraf gave in to the US after Richard Armitage made a telephone call to him after 9/11 threatening, ‘you are a friend or foe.’

Donald Trumpet’s blustering is inconsequential at present. But if, God forbid, he is elected as the US president his proclivity for rollercoaster is likely to put tremendous pressure on the system of checks-and-balances of the US constitution as well. His chances of winning the elections may shrink with his frequent unguarded and divisive statements during the forthcoming election trail. But, he is full of surprises and may win the US presidential elections as well because winning the Republican nomination was not less than a miracle in the face of starling negatives he braced all along. American people are sensible people who will make right choice while electing their president. However, Republicans are apprehensive and their fears are not unfounded about Trump’s prospects of winning elections because of his racist, sexist, anti-Muslims and anti-Spanish utterances. Former US president Bush declared that he would not support Donald Trump. He was not alone to oppose Donald Trump. British Prime Minister David Cameron minced no words when he said,’ David Trumpt is divisive, stupid and wrong.’ His recent public denunciation of China ‘raping America’ gave credence to the narrative that he was a loose cannon capable of shooting down the Americans vital interests just like that. The showdowns between the Capitol Hill and the White House may become norm than exception if he becomes the president of the USA.

Donald Trump’s bellicose to release Dr Shakil Afridi lacks diplomatic subtlety. He is a Pakistani national who spied for America to locate the most wanted man; OBL. He betrayed his country for the sake of his personal monetary gains. He has been sentenced to jail imprisonment by the Pakistani court on charges of working against his country. In US, he is considered as hero and the US government has been insisting at the highest level to secure his release and take him to the US for the tumultuous welcome.

Without going into the merits or demerits of the case, the US should not resort to dictate its terms to Pakistan. The wheels of backdoor diplomacy should be activated for the amicable settlement of the issue instead of raising it in the full glare of media. The arms twisting of Pakistan should be avoided because it will be counter-productive. Application of soft approach may yield positive results in a democratic Pakistan where the government, like in US, have to accord the highest consideration to the sensitivities of the public opinion.

The issue of Dr Afridi has been impeding the relations between the US and Pakistan for quite some time. The US has been using the carrot and stick diplomacy by incrementally cutting down the financial assistance to browbeat Pakistan to submission. But, the Pakistan government cannot afford to accept US diktat due to the likely public back lash. The Pakistan’s security establishment will also like to keep him here because his release will hit the headlines again on media the world over highlighting the alleged abetment or mortifying complacency or both of the security establishment of Pakistan as US Seals penetrated deep into Pakistan territory and killed OBL and returned to their basis in Afghanistan safely.

US Congress has also decided to cut Pakistan’s financial and military assistance for not taking action against Haqqani network. The environment at the Capitol Hill is not favourable to Pakistan because the Congress Foreign Relations Committee has made it clear to the Obama administration that it will not approve financial assistance to Pakistan under the Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the purchase of F-16 for PAF. Pakistan had to make full payment if it wanted to buy US fighter planes. This decision also exhibits US added frustration. Congressmen’s decision regarding F-16 was mainly based on the allegation that the country did not take action against Haqqani Network despite the repeated assurances. The committee alleged that Pakistan had been working against the US interests in the region and therefore did not deserve American tax payers’ money.

In such gridlock, the US administration plays an important role in convincing the Congressmen about the importance of reviewing their decision keeping in view the US geo-political interests. Generally, the administration succeeds in rallying round the lawmakers who agree on the condition of unequivocal assurances preceded by certification by the administration to address their reservations leading to halting US assistance.

This time, the enthusiasm of the US Administration to take up the matter with Foreign Relations Committee seemed devoid of matching zest suggesting its comfort level with Pakistan is not palatable. It may be recalled that the US president and the US Security Advisor Susan Rice have strongly urged Pakistan to take action against Haqqani Network in the not too distant past. The US Administration is not satisfied because the network has been reportedly continuing deadly terrorist attacks inside Afghanistan. It is quite clear that US will not settle less than Pakistan not only taking action against the Afghan Taliban network in Pakistan but also be seen as having taken such action. 

The Afghan president’s recent outcry may have proved as final straw for the US Administration to arrive at the decision against Pakistan. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in his recent address to the Parliament minced no words in alleging Pakistan for not taking action against Haqqani network notwithstanding its stated policy not to differentiate between good Taliban and bad Taliban. Afghan President pointed finger to the Haqqani network for grotesque terrorist attacks in his country that had found safe havens in Pakistan. The US had also been harping on the same tune and reportedly handed out warning to Pakistan at the fairly high level to take action against Afghan Taliban in Pakistan failing which the present level of co-operation would be in jeopardy. The snag in the US financial assistance to Pakistan seemed to be the culmination of the same frustration of US and Afghanistan.

War against terrorism and extremism will be an uphill task for Pakistan without US financial and military assistance that constitutes important components. It will be a serious setback that may make big difference to the disadvantage of Pakistan also. Taliban will be much happy to see Afghanistan and US government on one side and Pakistan on the opposite. The security situation will remain precarious in both the countries till such time that the three countries do not find a common ground to fight out Taliban of all hues as a shared priority. The diplomatic channel should be moved on fast track basis to figure out a convergence among Pakistan, US and Afghanistan followed by a coherent policy and its implementation holistically. Without such approach they will continue to bleed and bleed profusely attributed to their shortsightedness and poor judgment of the grave emerging situation with inexorable delirious consequences.

Pakistan should be seen as implement its stated policy of not discriminating between the good and bad Taliban notwithstanding the complexity of easier said than done. Pakistan has no choice but to delegtimise, disrupts and dismantles Afghan Taliban network allegedly on its soil as the international community patience is tipping over the edges. The reluctance or seeing the other way in implementation of this policy will not suffice. Pakistan should stop considering Afghan Taliban as asset to the satisfaction of the world. Those are, in fact, fire balls poised to burn their patrons as well. The situation demands that the two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, must cut out a role for themselves as a paragon of co-operation. At present, it seems their feet are struck on an accelerator and are heading towards abyss, tragically.

muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com