The Rocky Road of Pak-US Ties By Major Adil Raja(R)

“We don’t see ourselves building a broad relationship with Pakistan,” is what the US Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman said to Mr Jamshed Godrej at a talk in New Delhi, a few hours before leaving for Islamabad. With the dark perception about Pakistan, shaped by the RSS-BJP run media machine: satirically called ‘Godi (Lap) Media’ in Modi’s India, Wendy Sherman was expected to say this, since the Americans are wooing India to fight their war with China. India has suffered sometimes humiliating defeats in her battle with the dragon up north; under these circumstances, India’s marriage with the US is a done deal for now.

On the other side of the border, Wendy Sherman would not have been surprised to find the Pakistani foreign policy standing on its own feet. Avoiding confrontation and promoting commerce and trade with the world are the cornerstones of the current Pakistani foreign policy. Pakistan would look after its own national interests foremost, the Kashmir issue being on top of that table.

Going by what Wendy Sherman said in New Delhi and later in Islamabad: It is encouraging to know that the US administration realises that it must maintain contact with the current Afghan government ruled by the Taliban to avoid a humanitarian disaster and a repeat of the bloody history: from the formation of the Mujahideen till the horrific 9/11 attacks that swiftly changed the world, leading to a host of unsavoury developments. America’s reaction was of shock and utmost outrage, and it decided to respond with all its might without bothering to measure its response. Twenty years on, we know it wasn’t a wise response. The US bullied Pakistan into its alliance on the so-called war on terror and paid no heed to Pakistan’s suggestions that were based on experience and its knowledge of Afghanistan. Despite all odds, one would expect America to act with sagacity and farsightedness.

That is why it is important for it and the world to support Pakistan in its efforts to keep peace in the region.

“…we have no interest in returning to the days of the hyphenated India Pakistan” was the continuing dialogue of the US Deputy Secretary of State in her talk with Mr Godrej in New Delhi a few hours before flying to Islamabad. If it is fair for the US to clearly choose sides in this great geopolitical game of influence in Asia, then it’s equally fair for the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to have declared the future of Pakistan linked to China. Pakistan continues to play its part as a responsible nation-state having capable armed forces which took upon monumental challenges in the global war against terror and succeeded in becoming the masters of modern counterinsurgency in the world. This is the reason why Pakistani military officers are training foreign forces including the NATO armed forces.

However, India, due to its self-made political perception about Pakistan, remains suspicious of the US interaction with Pakistan. Hosting the US Deputy Secretary of State, the Pakistani National Security Advisor Dr Moeed Yusuf rightly termed human rights violations in IIOJK as a serious threat to peace in the region. Earlier, in the second half of September, addressing a regional forum, Dr Yusuf had stated that India orchestrated a hoax narrative and used Afghan soil to perpetrate terrorism against Pakistan.

While in Pakistan, Wendy Sherman while speaking to Mona Alam for PTV World, recognised the historical legitimacy of the Kashmir dispute and urged bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan to resolve the issue. The US policies are visibly toeing the lines drawn by New Delhi. But it’s not surprising or shocking this time around, since Pakistan expected the US to scapegoat it for her failure in Afghanistan. Pakistan maintained a clear-headed objective all along the last two decades anticipating the current direction of the US policies in the region.

The lack of ability to say no to the USA in the past has led them to take Pakistan for granted. The latest Pakistani foreign policy has carved an individual identity for Pakistan, as opposed to an afterthought attached to another country. The Pakistani premiers’ statements including “absolutely not” have shown the world that Pakistan is evolving, and nothing less than equal terms will be acceptable in the foreseeable future.​

Source: Published in The Nation

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