Daily Times

Former President Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari Asif Zardari urged the newly elected US President Donald J Trump to contact regional and world leaders in order to forge a new policy with regard to Afghanistan. He claimed that at the moment the battle for minds against terrorists was being lost in Afghanistan. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman also urged the US President to grasp the opportunity to handle terrorism in ways that former President Obama could not. “Donald Trump should capitalise on the opportunity to deal with terrorism what Barack Obama had lost. He should appoint a senior delegate for South Asia forthwith,” Zardari said in an interview with American media, following his appearance at the President Donald Trump’s inauguration. He advised the new leader to send a delegate like Richard Holbrook to the region, pointing out that Barack Obama had not kept in appropriate contact with any Pakistani chief executive during his tenure.

The former Pakistani president advised Trump’s opponents not to write him off, saying that he should be given a chance to leave his effects on the region. “It was premature to say anything about Trump at present,” he added. He said, “let us wait for a span of 90 days of Trump presidency and then we will see if Donald Trump just talks or he does something practically.” He underlined that Trump had gained victory in those democratic states where any possibility of defeat for Democratic Party had previously been ruled out. Although the invitation to the inauguration of President Trump to Zardari had raised a few eyebrows, considering him being an ex-President with no other current Pakistani government representative there, Mr Zardari did not waste the opportunity to highlight the issues pertaining to the Af-Pak region and South Asia in general. Under President Obama, the relations between Pakistan and the US had demerited due to events, including Abbottabad Operation, Salala base attack, etc. Also, the relations between the US and India have improved manifolds over the past decade, and a tilt towards Pakistan’s Indian neighbour at Pakistan’s expense has been witnessed. Although a misunderstanding has existed between the authorities in Islamabad and Washington, where the latter has urged Pakistan, again and again, to do more against the terrorism, Mr Zardari is right in pointing out the need for a Senior delegate for South Asia as the policies for the region should not be shaped according to the lobbying of certain individuals. A special representative in the region will be able to understand a better picture of the whole scenario and any misunderstandings, to avoid the deterioration of relations. Pakistan has been apprehensive of the recent warming of US-India ties and the increasing presence of India in Afghanistan. Pakistan has every right to be concerned about the growing presence of India in its western neighbour’s territory, as Pakistan has been a stakeholder in the ‘war on terror’, rather than India, and has been a frontline state in this war. Whether President Trump accepts Mr Zardari’s advice perhaps depends on the attitude of both Islamabad as well as the GHQ, and the expected change in posture from the US Secretary for Defence James Mattis.*