Restrictive reciprocity

It is a sign not just of the growing distance between Pakistan and the US but of our ability to act independently that Pakistan was immediately able to respond to US restrictions on Pakistani diplomats by imposing similar restrictions in return. Now, US diplomats in Pakistan will not be allowed to use tinted windows on their vehicles, will have to use only diplomatic plates on their vehicles and need government permission before renting houses, among other restrictions. Their ability to move around the country freely will also be severely curtailed. This response to the punitive measures imposed on Pakistani diplomats by the US shows that we are no longer forced to take dictation from Washington. Welcome though the prospect may be, it also means that ties between the two countries show no signs of being repaired. The US continues to insist we take action against the Haqqani Network and Afghan Taliban even as it is unwilling to act against militants in Afghanistan who threaten Pakistan. In fact, the US even vetoed a Pakistani request to add the name of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar leader Umer Khalid Khorasani to the UN Security Council sanctions committee’s list.

Khorasani was, among many other attacks, also the mastermind behind the APS attack. He is currently based in Afghanistan but has been allowed to operate freely by the Afghan government and the US. Clearly, in refusing to entertain our request to sanction Khorasani, the Trump administration is trying to avoid the embarrassment of admitting that militancy is thriving in Afghanistan even as it has increased its troop presence in the country. This too bodes ill for future ties between the two countries. The fault lies mainly with Trump himself who decided to publicly denigrate Pakistan and call for a closer relationship with India. He called on a greater Indian role in Afghanistan, knowing that nothing would irk Pakistan as much as that. Since then, his decision to cut off most aid to Pakistan and the continual insistence that we do more to fight militancy has only made matters worse. The mistreatment of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi when he made a personal trip to the US and now the restrictions placed on our diplomats show just how little regard the US has for its relationship with Pakistan. But, thanks to China replacing the US as Pakistan’s biggest donor, we now have the ability to withstand American pressure. While Pakistan should certainly not cave in as it did in the past, both Pakistan and the US should take a step back before the break becomes irreversible. As valuable as our independence is, the US is still the largest superpower in the world and maintaining warm ties is still in our interests.