Daily Times

Recent terrorist attacks in Peshawar, Pakistan, France and Germany have jolted the people round the globe. The US Secretary of State John Kerry has assured Pakistan of American cooperation and support in counterterrorism measures to wipe out terrorism and extremism. India, unfortunately, has not extended cooperation to Pakistan’s peace initiatives. Pakistan is fighting against terrorism on all fronts. The Indian leadership’s attitude makes things worse. India’s nationalistic policy of Hinduisation and hegemonic approach towards neighbouring countries, specially towards Pakistan, is a bitter reality. India’s distasteful behaviour will not facilitate it to achieve its ‘great power ambitions’.

Behaviours and attitudes essential for solving problems and tackling issues are difficult to cultivate. Bilateralism with India has failed. Before his trip to Pakistan it would have been appropriate and desirable for John Kerry to talk to Indian officials about Pakistan’s sufferings due to the menace of terrorism. Third-party intervention has become necessary to improve Pak-India relations.

‘Carrot and stick’ has become a pattern of Pak-US relations. Americans come to Pakistan when they need us, be it the Afghan jihad or the US invasion of Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks. General Ziaul Haq was used by the US in the first instance and then General Pervez Musharraf was used through coercive diplomacy.

Things were not all that bad in Pakistan-US relations. If there was betrayal, it was temporary. However, the US’s backing of India is a matter of concern for Pakistan and other countries in the region. The US needs to do something tangible to improve its image. A popular perception is that terrorism has spread throughout the globe because of the wrong policies of the US. A pre-emptive war strategy is very dangerous.

Pakistan remains optimistic about the prospects of peace, stability and socio-economic development in the region. The current scenario gives hope of improved Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. There is need for a holistic approach to the issue of terrorism and extremism. It requires the civil and military leadership to be on the same page for a long-lasting remedy through a permanent national security institutional set-up.

Pakistan needs statesmanship to confront its difficult neighbour India. The country needs to review foreign policy in the light of past experiences and lessons learnt. The need is for urgent institutional reforms to improve the efficacy and efficiency of the delivery system.

Real change and progress in Pakistan is possible only through education. Educational reforms would be the hallmark of seeing Pakistan on the road to change that helps reduce poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, unemployment, and improves the standard of living of the people, ensuring better health and housing and educational opportunities.

Good politics can ensure good governance to enable the government to establish law and order and the writ of the state. Good governance means responsible, accountable, transparent and participative administration. The 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan had impacted Pakistan’s internal and external environment, bringing new challenges to confront and issues to be tackled. My book Post 9/11 Pakistan highlights the thoughts and opinions and ground realities in Pakistan, most of which remained obscured from the international media, as Pakistan has fought internally and externally for the war on terror.

Our journey as a nation, following 9/11, has been on a rough and bumpy road. The more the game changes the more it remains the same. The US has formally ended the war in Afghanistan. The analysis I had offered in my book Post 9/11 Pakistan is still valid as the menace of terrorism has gone out of control. The need to address national security concerns is greater than ever before. Nothing significant has changed in the style and tone of governance nor in the national politics. The dynamics of politics and diplomacy require a clear focus on Pakistan’s national interests and policies that contribute to developing a better image of Pakistan, especially in terms of evolution of Pakistan-US and Afghan-India relations since 9/11 in the context of the war on terror.

No theories are required to explain what is happening around us. Explanations can be found by studying the prevailing conditions, sociopolitical forces and socio-cultural processes, especially the forces that have come into play since September 11, 2001. We have now reluctantly owned what was the US’s war against terror.

Prejudices can be reduced by having correct perceptions developed through understanding our own self and others. The hate-love relationship is reciprocal. It is not one-way communication. Unresolved issues need to be resolved. Concerns over policies, action, beliefs, misperceptions, prejudices and threats of varying nature have to be addressed. Hegemonic approach and dictation hardly help solve problems.

Politics is a game of hide-and-seek. The psychology of politics is dependent on what you wish to hide and what you seek as part of strategic goals, missions, and ideology. Because this game of politics creates communication gaps, it becomes a source of ultimate conflict, perhaps a never-ending conflict. This calls for alternative approaches and effective counterterrorism strategies.

People wish for an effective implementation of the National Action Plan in 2015. The hope is in the prime minister’s public commitment to lead the war against terrorism. Under the current situation in the country, there is no room for street politics, protests and dharnas (sit-ins). Mr Imran Khan would be well advised not to go for steps in his politics that would give an opportunity to the terrorists to exploit the situation to do further harm to Pakistan and its people.

The writer is a former director, National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), a political analyst, public policy expert and an author. His book Post 9/11 Pakistan has been published in the US