Can’t live with, can’t live without
Relations between Pakistan and the US continue to deteriorate which is against the national interests of both the countries. The US thinks that, being a super power, it can order Islamabad about. Shortsighted US generals have maintained that they can win the war against the Afghan Taliban without Pakistan’s support. The establishment in Pakistan whose thinking was cast in the moulds of Cold War believes that with China on its side, it need not address even the genuine US concerns. The unrealistic thinking on both sides has provided the terrorists a godsend opportunity to pursue their bloody agenda. The recent successes won by the Afghan Taliban indicate that the US needs support from Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistan too would find it hard to eradicate the terrorist threat to its integrity single-handedly.
With the worsening of relations, new grievances continue to be added. The US complains that its citizens are being harassed in Pakistan. The drone strike on Wednesday killing 21 in North Waziristan would further roil the establishment which is already unhappy over the stoppage of military aid. The short-sighted Pakistani officials who believe that with the clamping of travel restrictions on the Americans, there is a respite to the terrorist attacks in Pakistan are soon going to find they were living in an ivory tower. The Taliban are currently concentrating on defeating the US-led allied forces in Afghanistan. Once they succeed in their mission, they would turn on Pakistan with deadly attacks of an unprecedented ferocity.
Washington and Islamabad need to revise their positions. The US administrations have been used to dealing with docile military regimes in Pakistan which were willing to do anything to please Washington. With an elected government ruling the country, the US needs to be more tactful and avoid being abrasive. Similarly, Islamabad also has to understand that it cannot hope to defeat terrorism and bring stability to the country if it works at cross purposes with the US. Washington’s role as a master cannot be acceptable to any self-respecting Pakistani government, but the US must remain high on the list of Pakistan’s friends.