Daily Times

“We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars; at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting, it is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilisation, order, and to peace”. (President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump).

Seriously? This is what we get after 16 years of trying to clean up your mess? These are the words of the American President. No surprises here. Then again, after witnessing a man like Trump taking charge of the Oval Office nothing seems to surprise me anymore. Mr. Trump, need I remind you that Pakistan has sacrificed thousands of lives for your war, not to mention the tremendous adverse effects on its own economy and development? Need I remind you that it was your country that dragged us in to its wars? Not one terrorist involved in 9/11 was a Pakistani. And let us not even get into how the Taliban came into existence in the first place.

Trump’s accusations and threats to Pakistan have spiralled US-Pakistan relations to a new low. However, there is nothing new here. We are all too familiar with the “Do More” slogan used by the US when it comes to Pakistan. The only new thing Trump brings into the equation is the lack of Diplomatic and Political protocol. There are also no surprises in Trump’s decision to deploy more troops in Afghanistan. This is exactly what Obama and Bush did despite of promising to do the contrary. It is quite evident that the overall American Foreign Policy does not change with a change in the Oval Office. All these facts lead us to question America’s true intentions in the region.

“But we will no longer use American military might to construct democracies in faraway land; those days are now over. Instead, we will work with allies and partners to protect our shared interests.” Trump’s language and approach has addressed the elephant in the room. America is no knight in shining armour: it only seeks to serve its own strategic goals. It is also clear that India will now have more American support to try and establish its influence in the region. This increased US-India partnership can also be seen as retaliation to the strong Pak-China relations especially after the One Belt One Road initiative.

There is no end in sight: even after sixteen years, America wants to remain in this region and in order to do that, it needs a ‘bad guy’ which will enable America to play the ‘Sheriff’. India is more than willing to play the role of deputy. New power blocs have been created. Pakistan is no longer considered a major non-NATO ally of America. It is China that we must now look towards and focus our alliances with. In the coming days, I see greater Defence and Economic Partnerships between USA and India. We cannot afford a reactionary foreign policy any more. It is time to be more vigilant and aggressive. All options need to be on the table be it Russia, Iran, or anywhere else.

America is no knight in shining armour: it only seeks to serve its own strategic goals. It is also clear that India will now have more American support to try and establish its influence in the region. This increased US-India partnership can also be seen as retaliation to the strong Pak-China relations especially after the One Belt One Road initiative

I do not see a direct military conflict between USA and Pakistan. Our Army is our pride. It is ready to counter any challenges. And our nuclear capabilities make us a serious power to reckon with. However, America will use the supposed existence of Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS on Pakistani soil as an excuse to try and pressurize Pakistan as well continue its covert operations in Pakistani. This will be a challenge for the Pakistani Government which must appreciate its sensitive nature and deal with cautiously while ensuring the sanctity of the sovereignty of Pakistan.

Pakistan Zindabad!

The writer is a former Pakistani Diplomat with vast experience in the USA

Published in Daily Times, August 27^th 2017.