happening. Foreign interference will continue as long our politicians and the military continue to abide by commitments made during Mr Musharraf’s government. Pakistan desperately needs to break away from those disastrous commitments. But we can’t pick and choose. We can’t ditch the 2007 US-brokered BB-Mush deal alone. The deal is apparently tied to other conditions that have to do with serving US interests in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Gen Kayani was Mr Musharraf’s interlocutor with BB and the Americans on the deal and NRO. I don’t know his personal views but as a soldier he was bound to either resign or follow the COAS orders. I am sure Gen Kayani continues to uphold the conditions of the deal like all the other parties to the secret understanding. That’s why PPPP is still in power and the current political setup is intact. But even if Gen Kayani wanted to opt out, which people like me would strongly urge him to do, it is not possible to do so without also breaking our word on other commitments that Mr Musharraf had made with the Americans and we are stuck with now. A decision to turn the tables on the deal alone is not possible. If Gen Kayani is going to turn the tables, it will have to be a clean break and we have to be ready for the consequences. Dealing with this situation is what statecraft and men’s mettle is all about. To be fair, it is a very difficult call.
Except Pakistan, every country involved in our region has reviewed and changed policies in the past eight years. We are the only country strictly following the American diktat. We can’t even stop ourselves from telling Washington no on transferring enriched uranium abroad. We never intended to do so but couldn’t tell the former US envoy no, as one US diplomatic cable shows. There is no way we can ensure the emergence of a strong, proud and prosperous Pakistan in the remaining nine decades of this century with this kind of mindset where our entire foreign and military policies are tailored around one or two foreign countries and where our elite is scared to undergo tough times without foreign handouts.
Pakistanis want to see a strong, prosperous and independent Pakistan and are willing to pay the price. But our decision-makers will have to level with our people on the pressures they face and take the nation along. It’s either this or chaos ahead. Right or wrong, the Wikileaks have shown our leaderships to be weak and insecure. This could embolden future rebellions against a State seen in the same light.
The writer works for Geo television.
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