Ten years down the road we have to realize that Pakistan’s ‘partnership’ in the US war against terror has cost us dearly. During Musharraf regime it was a one sided affair, still Americans were pressurizing for “Do More” which ultimately resulted in Lal Masjid episode and bulldozing the constitution by imposing emergency as Army Chief to topple the Chief Justice of Pakistan unlawfully. One wonders if CIA operatives like Raymond Davis had any role in creating chaotic conditions. The country is at the fringe of economic collapse and the military action of the Pakistani army in Fata, Balochistan and elsewhere have resulted partly in spreading terrorist attacks and violence throughout the country and may be some of these CIA contractors also have a hand in worsening our domestic political situation and creating hopelessness, now that missing link to US support to TTP has come to surface, we should be rather bold in dealing with US and those who want to compromise will meet their doom soon, we should say no to North Waziristan operation, which will create unrest in our internal administration. In the wake of this war against our own population millions of citizens have been dislocated and are suffering a miserable life in camps and as displaced guests in the homes of their relatives. The partnership in the war on terror had been a lonely decision made by the former military dictator Musharraf who had pledged unconditional support to the US war in Afghanistan. This decision had not been popular at that time and it is becoming even more unpopular these days. Nevertheless, this false and unpopular decision has been upheld by the current PPP government during the recent three years of their rule for their own, selfish reasons: without US help and launching of an infamous NRO they would not be ruling Pakistan today. That is why they are bound by their pledges to the US and are upholding their acceptance for US drone attacks on Pakistani territory killing hundreds or even thousands of Pakistanis in the tribal areas. Ruthless mercenaries of the PPP regime like Hussain Haqqani have opened a new chapter in this ‘partnership’ by issuing hundreds of Pakistani visas to American CIA agents and security personal with unclear and doubtful agenda so much so that today our Foreign Office has no clue as to who is moving around in Pakistan and doing what. The most recent expression of this situation is the Davis affair where one of those CIA agents went on rampage in Lahore in broad daylight killing two Pakistanis. That he was a CIA agent was visible from day one on account of the amount of equipment which was found in his car comprising of cameras containing pictures of sensitive places, a whole weapon arsenal with ammunition for a small war and satellite GPS communication system. The fact of Davis CIA belonging and his assignments has been since confirmed by western media and the CIA itself. Now the interesting part of the discussion is that still the US is claiming diplomatic status for a CIA agent of theirs. Has this become a diplomatic mission these days? Should Pakistani envoys abroad be equipped from now onwards like Mr. Davis has been equipped? The question is in the court and we will hear the verdict soon. However a lot of pressure is being used on the families of the victims to get Davis out of Pakistan short circuits the process of law. Even a maternal uncle of victim Fahims wife Shumaila Kanwal, who died by committing suicide two weeks later, her uncle Mohammad Sarwer pursuing this case in court was first threatened of dire consequences if he continues to follow it, that news has appeared about some people forcing entry in his house late in the night and administered heavy dose of poisoned pills to kill Mr. Sarwer. He was rushed to local hospital where stomach wash was carried out to save his life. A question arises government is busy for nearly last one month in finding an excuse for Murderer Davis to be sent back while no effort is visible to save and protect the life & property of its citizen. It has further been reported that Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s mother’s house in Gulshan-e-Iqbal was broken in by unidentified men looking for Dr. Aafia’s Pakistani passport, which her mother had revealed to be in her custody few days earlier in TV programme capital talk, when the police guards posted for security of the house were conspicuously missing on that night. That does not mean that the Pakistani public is going to accept a verdict conceding diplomatic status to Davis. As Suleman Taseer affair has shown religious emotions awakened through the war on terror are running high and any such manipulated decision to facilitate Raymond Davis may trigger a public uprising and violence of unprecedented order. And that would not only be the religious parties and organizations but the broad public who will merge their other economic and personal problems with the one against the US and go wild. That is how and why the US-Pakistani relations have hit an all-time low and peace in this country has become fragile in the wake of this crisis. Therefore, the court verdict will have a distinct political dimension. It appears that the Zardari-led PPP is still trying to defend and rescue their government by supporting the US demand for diplomatic immunity the number of defecting sections of Pakistanis is growing. Even in their own PPP rows people with a consciousness intact are defecting like Foreign Minister Qureshi did. Another defecting section is the ISI whose relations with the US and CIA are anyway strained and this affair will surely not bring any relaxation. The Pakistani army who are taking the brunt of the war against terror in our country will surely also be thinking about their stand, while they have traditionally good relations with the US and depend for weapon supplies on them they also have a heightened realization of Pakistan’s national interest which is clearly at stake in this case, Remains the so-called ‘civil society’ of Pakistan, the two per cent westernized Pakistanis who throw their lot with the US where they park their money also and whose passport they might be carrying. The curse of this strategic partnership, which has not only heavily burdened us financially because of war on terror but has resulted in squeezing the purchasing power of the lower income groups who are also forced to commit suicides. This is a rather thin basis for the strategic partnership and even that might break any time. Therefore, it is time to review this strategic partnership. Yes, economically it is said that we are depending on the US and US dominated agencies like IMF, WB and others. But this dependency is anyway rather a curse and should not be perpetuated and we must work our plans ourselves and try to stand on our own two legs commanding some respect in the comity of nations. That means the future of US-Pakistani relations is rather bleak and the sooner we realize it and draw the consequences the better it would be for Pakistan. Pakistan has many other options but the problem is that we have visionless leaders, if we had leaders like the team working in foreign office under Shah Mahmud Qureshi our foreign allies would not dare to poke their nose in our domestic affairs. Our economic and financial managers also would not have dared to torn the national fabric to suit their foreign masters and multiply the number of people living below poverty line because of their borrowed plans. Our only survival lies in strengthening ties with China and Iran but as a student of history and International relations I feel that time is running against us on that option also, as our these time tested friends own national interest might demand otherwise. So why delay any further and why not come out with a crystal clear policy to change our alignment with our immediate neighbours, who may also need us at this point in time. Strengthen relations with Shanghai Cooperation Council things will certainly change for better and we can live and enjoy respect as an Independent country and not as a banana republic. Choice is ours. |