Daily Times

Admittedly, America’s policy to deal with Pakistan revolves around the ambitions of its strategic partner India in the region. To woo India, it is poised to do everything possible even at the cost of its relations with her so-called ally Pakistan. Many epithets attributed to India’s place in the US’ grand strategy and global geopolitics emerged from Washington clearly defining the importance and value of bilateral relationship that Washington seeks to maintain with India. US called India a “rising democratic power in dynamic Asia”. Defense cooperation with India was viewed as a “linchpin” in the US’ rebalancing strategy towards Asia-Pacific. India has been designated as a “major defense partner” of the US. Add to this, the former president of the US Barack Obama hailed the India-US relations as having an enormous potential to be “one of the defining partnerships of 21St century”. Furthermore, according to Gallup’s annual world affairs survey, India is perceived by Americans as their sixth favourite nation with 71 percent of Americans viewing India favourably in 2015. A 2017, poll by Gallup found out that 74 percent Americans viewed India favourably..

On the other hand, our checkered history with the US is witness to the fact that the US always exploited us to serve its vested interests and once her interests are served, it disposes us like a tissue paper. Washington never treated us at par with India, rather it ditched us when we needed its support to maintain the balance of power in the region and to defend ourselves from our constant rival India from aggression.

To our dismay, the US did not pay any heed towards what our great Quaid foretold. Consequently our mistaken belief that the United States would rush to our help if India attacked Pakistan was shattered when Indian troops crossed our border in 1971, and entered East Pakistan. America, our ally and long time friend, did nothing to repel Indian aggression. Such are the harsh realities inherent in an unequal friendship.

Pakistan should carry on dealing with Americans by pro-actively pursuing our own national interests demonstrating no love, no hate.

US has always treated us as its satellite and therefore did not ever strive to cultivate a relationship with us on the basis of mutual respect and sovereign equality.  In this respect, the farewell address of George Washington will ever remain an important legacy for small nations like Pakistan. In that notable testament, the father of the American republic cautioned that “The strong might have interests and objectives that could be of little real importance to the weak…”

It is now high time to rid ourselves of serving the United States and to defy its dictates that serve the interests of our adversaries. A cautious analysis of US’ demands from Pakistan suggests that America with utter disregard to our sensitivities wants to please its strategic partner India.   That’s why it has adopted an India-centric policy in its dealings with Pakistan.  The pro-India wish list of the US can be summed up as follows; Americans want Pakistan not to should not seal its border with Afghanistan, as it does not suit India.

There are multiple cases that corroborate India’s involvement in orchestrating cross-border terrorism through pak-afghan border. They further require Pakistan to dismantle the Haqqani network. Moreover, they want Pakistan to roll-back CPEC as it eclipses the global and regional interests of both strategic partners. Another demand of the US from Pakistan is to eliminate Hafiz Saeed and the humanitarian organization that he is associated with- since Indian terrorists are scared of him. Besides, America also wants Pakistan to carry on hosting approximately three million Afghan refugees as they are a liability on Islamabad’s limited resources, but a valuable asset for Americans and Indians providing ready-to-use terrorists against Pakistan. Furthermore, the oval office is also keen to persuade Islamabad to demonstrate a pro-US/ India strategic shift, and thereby facilitate Bush’s doctrine of American preemptive wars in the region. US has also asked Pakistan to call back 29 dodgy NGOS which was expelled recently by Pakistan. since they were spying for RAW and CIA. Lastly, America also wants Pakistan to respect India’s role in Afghanistan because India has invested $2 billion there.

To counter this pro-India policy of United States, Pakistan should carry on dealing with Americans by pro-actively pursuing our own national interests demonstrating no love, no hate. Furthermore, complete border fencing with Afghanistan, tight aerial coupled with ground surveillance is the need of the hour.

Additionally, Pakistan should take Iran into confidence on Afghanistan in order to bolster border control with Tehran. Moreover, Pakistan must enhance its diplomatic activities with Russia, China, Turkey, Iran and Central Asia. To this end, a separate post of specialized Minister of state for the region covering the aforesaid countries should be created by the foreign office.

Apart, Pakistani diplomats, academics, politicians and intellectuals must attend every conference, talk and seminar addressed by  Indians, Afghans and Americans.

Finally, Pakistan must launch a large epistemic community with a mandate to counter the traditional US-India rhetoric against Pakistan.

To cap it all, until the US administration stops pursuing Nikki Haley’s pro-India diplomatic credo and Modi’s anti-Pakistan political narrative, Pak-US relations will continue to be plagued by mutual mistrust and inveterate suspicion.

The writer is an advocate in High Court. He can be reached at syedabdulrasool1@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, October 20^th 2018.