By Aasim Zafar Khan
May 26th 2012
With the double, triple games going on involving Pakistan, the United States, the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, one just doesn’t know where our loyalties lie anymore.
It’s tough to know where we stand these days. With the Chicago debacle at an end, and the Nato supplies impasse still unresolved, Pakistan needs to ask itself (and answer) some hard questions, to wade through the confusion which seems to exist in all the three avenues of power in the country.
Relationship status: First and foremost: what’s our status with the Americans? Still sleeping partners? Estranged? Filed for divorce? Some counselling required but there’s hope still? Most analysts are of the view that things will never be the same, that’s fine. They also agree that Pakistan and the United States continue to need each other. And this need is not going to disappear anytime soon.
Once withdrawal time arrives for the US, Pakistan stands to earn a whole lot of dollars. Or steal or bleed. Or all three. For Pakistan, of course, the need for aid, the failing on the brink of destruction, economy, and lack of friends with cash. We need the money the Americans have. Actually, by holding back on the reopening of Nato supplies, in a Machiavellian way, we’re saying we don’t want Nato/US to succeed in Afghanistan. That’s not a good signal to send.
Also, the fact that we’re bickering over the value of the Coalition Support Fund payments due to us shows how we’re just in it for the money, not really for eradicating terrorism/Al-Qaeda etc. Another not so good signal. So let’s open the routes, let’s not bicker so much on the total amount, and for once realise, that we need the Americans.
Islamabad or Rawalpindi: Ask ten people who’s calling the shots in Pakistan, and we’re bound to get a few differing answers. A few, the naïve, will say it’s the democratic government, but the majority will point to the barracks. The insistence of an apology can only come from one place, and it’s not parliament.
After all, politicians must realise that ‘an apology’ is just a few words, they don’t mean anything. And also, the fact that pride/honour have no place in politics either (just look at our politicians). So then, where’s the democracy folks? Where’s the politics? For how long will we continue to be strong-armed into submitting to the will of a non-political force?
Reset the trust: Nobody trusts Pakistan anymore. We must take out the Egyptian if he is here. We have the capability and the intelligence too. We should do it, before another Abbottabad happens. As things stand, the Americans will take unilateral action inside our territory to take out Zawahiri.
Whatever little chance we have of salvaging anything from the current situation will be gone overnight. This one action will have a twofold effect: a) it will tell the Americans/Nato that we are serious in combating terrorism, that we are on their side, so to speak. And b) it will send the strongest possible signal to those at home who continue to use terrorists/terrorism as a strategic tool.
Pakistan’s history is chequered with moments where we missed the opportunity to set things right. We had a couple recently as well. As the clock ticks away, and the Nato supply routes continue to be blocked, and we remain obstinate over an apology, the chance of setting things right grows dimmer still.
By Aasim Zafar Khan
May 26th 2012
With the double, triple games going on involving Pakistan, the United States, the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, one just doesn’t know where our loyalties lie anymore.
It’s tough to know where we stand these days. With the Chicago debacle at an end, and the Nato supplies impasse still unresolved, Pakistan needs to ask itself (and answer) some hard questions, to wade through the confusion which seems to exist in all the three avenues of power in the country.
Relationship status: First and foremost: what’s our status with the Americans? Still sleeping partners? Estranged? Filed for divorce? Some counselling required but there’s hope still? Most analysts are of the view that things will never be the same, that’s fine. They also agree that Pakistan and the United States continue to need each other. And this need is not going to disappear anytime soon.
Once withdrawal time arrives for the US, Pakistan stands to earn a whole lot of dollars. Or steal or bleed. Or all three. For Pakistan, of course, the need for aid, the failing on the brink of destruction, economy, and lack of friends with cash. We need the money the Americans have. Actually, by holding back on the reopening of Nato supplies, in a Machiavellian way, we’re saying we don’t want Nato/US to succeed in Afghanistan. That’s not a good signal to send.
Also, the fact that we’re bickering over the value of the Coalition Support Fund payments due to us shows how we’re just in it for the money, not really for eradicating terrorism/Al-Qaeda etc. Another not so good signal. So let’s open the routes, let’s not bicker so much on the total amount, and for once realise, that we need the Americans.
Islamabad or Rawalpindi: Ask ten people who’s calling the shots in Pakistan, and we’re bound to get a few differing answers. A few, the naïve, will say it’s the democratic government, but the majority will point to the barracks. The insistence of an apology can only come from one place, and it’s not parliament.
After all, politicians must realise that ‘an apology’ is just a few words, they don’t mean anything. And also, the fact that pride/honour have no place in politics either (just look at our politicians). So then, where’s the democracy folks? Where’s the politics? For how long will we continue to be strong-armed into submitting to the will of a non-political force?
Reset the trust: Nobody trusts Pakistan anymore. We must take out the Egyptian if he is here. We have the capability and the intelligence too. We should do it, before another Abbottabad happens. As things stand, the Americans will take unilateral action inside our territory to take out Zawahiri.
Whatever little chance we have of salvaging anything from the current situation will be gone overnight. This one action will have a twofold effect: a) it will tell the Americans/Nato that we are serious in combating terrorism, that we are on their side, so to speak. And b) it will send the strongest possible signal to those at home who continue to use terrorists/terrorism as a strategic tool.
Pakistan’s history is chequered with moments where we missed the opportunity to set things right. We had a couple recently as well. As the clock ticks away, and the Nato supply routes continue to be blocked, and we remain obstinate over an apology, the chance of setting things right grows dimmer still.