PPP Media Cell
Pakistan is no more a one window operation of military dictator — who cowed down with one telephone call by middle order official of US State Department. There will be no free lunches either as US has already suspended military aid to Pakistan to demonstrate its talk will walk.
The Turkish president has also warned the US and Israel of their insidious activities against Pakistan and Iran. This expression of solidarity cannot be defined in words. It begs all descriptions. Thank you very much indeed, Mr. President of Turkey.
The US president’s stern warning will not succeed to buckle the democratic government of Pakistan to his unqualified whims. Time will witness that the political leadership of all shades will serve, protect and promote the national interests with requisite courage guided by pragmatism, sanity and equanimity, while successive dictators‘ acquiescence shamefully undermined the nation’s dignity and honour. Democratic governments serve the country in accordance with the aspirations of the people while dictators’ endeavours are focused to perpetuate their illegitimate rule caring less the sensitivities of the people. Dictators of Pakistan were no different who fought wars with neighbouring country with predictable controversial outcomes. All territorial losses beyond repair are their heart-sinking legacies including the Afghan war. The civilians added Gwadar into the landmass of the country and also retrieved thousands square miles of territory lost during military dictator’s watch. Pakistan history is replete with the laudable achievements during civilian/democratic governments while dictatorships with huge national embarrassments. Fortunately, the Security Establishment of today is cognizant of the dispiriting history.
The political leadership of the country has reacted in mature manners to the US President Trump’s threat to Pakistan “to do more” — to dismantle safe havens of Afghan Taliban (Haqqani Network) allegedly on Pakistan territory. Pakistan is being held responsible for the US military’s failures in Afghanistan because of its alleged surreptitious and unscrupulous policy of playing on the both sides of the street. If Pakistan, the caveat entails, continues to rely on “deceit and lies” in return to billions of dollars from the US, the bluff will have more than proportionate deadly consequences for the country. The US has already stopped 235 million dollars military assistance to Pakistan to demonstrate what may unfold in the future as well. More may be in the pipeline if the country refuses to offer quid pro quo to the American dollars.
The New York Times, in its edition of November 1, 2017, quoted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as having stated,’ without drugs, this war would have been long over, adding, ‘heroin is very important driver of war’. It is shocking to narrate the startling findings of the US State Department to the effect that 90% of heroin in the streets of Canada and about 85% in Britain can be safely traced back to Afghanistan. Demand of the drug remains high in North America’. In this perspective, it is unfair to totally blame Pakistan for the US failures in Afghanistan.
The messy conditions in Afghanistan also offer ideal conditions to Afghan Taliban to give tough time to the superpower and its huge military machine. Afghanistan is mired in mega corruption, bad governance and sharp division within the government coalition and its forces are deeply demoralised. The US administration and its allies may focus to eliminate the sources of billions of dollars drug money of Afghan Taliban as an important component of war on terror. If this is tackled comprehensively, according to Afghan president, the Taliban armed resistance will run out of steam, and blame game tactics become redundant.
At the same time, Pakistan government may give top priority to address the well-entrenched perception of the presence of safe havens of terrorists on its soil to unleash hell in the neighbouring country.
The international community is not fully convinced of the non-existence of safe havens on Pakistani soil as the leaders of the foreign countries confronted Pakistani delegates on this count when they visited various capitals to apprise them of the human rights violations in Indian Held Kashmir. There is an urgent need to figure out the framework, based on the narrative of seeing is believing, to convince the world and will disarm the US that safe havens are the figment of the imagination. Short of that the allegations of safe havens will get deeper and deeper leaving the country in the oasis of isolation and marginalisation.
It is good enough that the Pakistan leadership has demonstrated its determination not to be deterred by the US threats while continuing the fight against terrorism as its own war and not of others. The National Security Committee and the Cabinet meeting held quite recently decided to give ‘measured response” to the US warning while resolutely maintaining to defend the country’s sovereignty and dignity. Pakistan has been vehemently denying the existence of such safe havens on Pakistani soil. How come Afghan Taliban would seek havens in other country when about half of the landmass of Afghanistan is under their control, Pakistani officials argue? The US, its allies and the international community at large unfortunately are equally susceptible of Pakistan’s stance of non-existence of safe havens in the country. The world is not going to bail out Pakistan till it is convinced to the contrary. It is written in stone and be sure that prospects of benefit of doubt are not there for Pakistan when superpower and its allies are on the other side of the equation.
Ironically, the disqualified prime minister in his recent press conference also referred to the well-entrenched perception of the international community that does not accept the non-existence of the safe havens of Afghan Taliban on Pakistani soil despite Pakistan’s successful operation within the country with staggering successes. Pakistan has to bear huge cost both in blood and treasure to flush out terrorists and dismantle their networks located in Fata region through Zarb-i-Azb military operation. Disqualified prime minister’s words imply that the security establishment of Pakistan has been running the foreign and security policy to the exclusion of the civilian government and therefore the plausibility of skeletons in the closet may not be ruled out.
The top leader of the PML-N should have not divulged this at this time as it will put the state and its institutions on the back foot. He even warned to spill more beans if “conspiracies” against his party behind the scene are not stopped forthwith. This is bad. The optics of such disclosures is bound to push the country in a tight diplomatic corner from where our foreign friends may find it extremely difficult to put their weight behind our case while remaining within the ambit of international conventions and laws. The people expect of the PML-N top leader to keep the national interest above the political considerations, and not be carried away by the hostile political environment. He may desist from resorting to such revelations those may fall in the list of state secrets.
Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah had earlier demanded the immediate convening of the joint session of the Parliament to formulate the national response reflective of the aspirations of the people in the face of US potent threat.
But, now all the parties held the meeting of Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) in which it was decided to keep the US administration engaged without compromising the national honour and dignity. The Committee is expected to meet again during the second week of this month to formulate guidelines to be followed to tackle the emerging challenges having direct bearings on the security situation in the country and beyond. The top leadership of the military is also expected to attend the meeting for its input in formulating of the parliamentary guide lines on the Afghan policy. It is legitimate and most appropriate forum and its recommendations most probably will have positive impact in the international community in particular and within the country in general.
There is no dearth of views judging Pakistan-Afghan policy as miserable policy because it has created hostile environment for Pakistan within and without. It is a fail-fail policy that may be reviewed to address the concern of the international community and regional countries alike. Its lack of coherence, clarity and transparency has led the country to the diplomatic isolation, and the only superpower is standing against us openly, the power whose behest Pakistan was forced to jump in the inferno when military dictators were holding the reign of the country.
Pakistan, most probably, had avoided the Afghan war if the country was then ruled by the democratic government. Such governments invariably seek the resolution of conflicts through diplomatic channels and seldom resort to strong arms tactics. On the contrary, dictatorship stokes conflicts to create hostile environment on purpose—war mongering to consolidate and perpetuate their rule. Afghan policy is the legacy of the dictatorship that may be jettisoned for good. We cannot chew more.
The Parliamentary Committee on National Security representing all the political parties has already thankfully given mature response of not to be sucked in collision course despite the threats of the US president juxtaposed with tirade after tirade against Pakistan. The Committee in its next meeting is expected to frame the guidelines reflective of the collective wisdom of the House of Parliament and in accordance with the aspirations of the people.
The international community may be favourably poised to listen it as the voice of the nation on the issue. At present, the international community considers the Afghan policy without civilian inputs and thus lacks the credibility and clarity and hence the cascade of allegations. The Parliament may rise to the occasion and assert its meaningful presence in the domains of foreign and security because sitting in the oblivion is no more an option. Pakistan has suffered hugely due to the absence of the parliamentary oversight over the foreign and security domains, and now the situation has come to this pass akin to enough is enough.
muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com
