Embarrassed by recent Taliban attack at the US embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta blamed the Haqqani group and warned Pakistan to retaliate against the network inside Pakistan. The remarks of various US officials against Pakistan have always created ripples in the tranquil and peaceful environment to discredit and disregard Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism or to put Pakistan on distrustful and suspicious topmost chart.
US lawmakers had shown their resentment for Pakistan sometimes wrapped in Kerry-Lugar Bill and sometimes straightaway declaring Pakistan a “distrustful ally” in the war on terror. Sometimes they accuse Pakistan army and ISI of supporting Afghan insurgents.
Last month, a US official announced the new task-oriented management style of US. According to the new plan, Pakistan has to make progress in four different areas termed as baskets containing different to-do lists. The four baskets are: Pakistan’s cooperation in exploiting the bin Laden compound; Pakistan’s cooperation with the war in Afghanistan; Pakistan’s cooperation with the US in conducting joint counterterrorism operations; and cooperation in improving the overall bilateral relations. The security assistance programme is conditioned to more areas of work in order to normalise relations between the two states.
The year 2011 has brought abrupt changes in Pak-US ties due to mistakes or misadventures of the US itself although the relationship has seen ups and downs in last 10 years. Raymond Davis case inflicted multiple fractures to Pak-US relations followed by US intrusion inside Pakistan in the garb of “Operation Geronimo”.
Despite Pakistan’s true resolve to combat terrorism-backed insurgency in its areas, the US has always criticised the quantum of efforts of Pakistan government and its security forces to fight this menace. Pakistan has deployed maximum of its resources at western borders in order to deny cross-border movement, targeting terrorists’ sanctuaries in FATA, helping US-led NATO coalition in terms of logistic space and information sharing. After capturing and handing over more than 700 top terrorists, inflicting attrition to Al-Qaeda and Taliban, providing logistic bases to US, deploying 150,000 of troops at western border, establishing nearly 1,100 check posts at Pak-Afghan border, intelligence sharing about Bin Laden, sacrificing 3,500 of its brave military men and other 8,000 wounded, losing more than 30,000 of innocent civilians, millions of IDPs, upheaval metropolitans’ peace, withdrawal of foreign investments and backlash in trade, and an economy on edge; what’s in Pakistan’s pocket?
In return, Pakistan has received few billion dollars which were in fact the services charges for airbases, logistic and intelligence services provided to US and Nato forces, few hundred night vision devices for 150,000 troops, few Bell 412s and Cobras with already developed malfunctions, border violations, illegal and inaccurate Predator strikes and loss of innocent lives, foreign intrusions and raids, 90000 of US-Nato alliance for whole Afghanistan, 2583 total loss of 43 nations, less than 200 US/Nato/ANA border posts, flushing out of terrorists into Pakistan as a result of operations in Afghanistan, secret US intelligence network, TTP and Punjabi Taliban, became Taliban’ Enemy No 1, media’s criticism against Pakistan not coming up to the desired standards, allegations against ISI for supporting insurgents in Afghanistan, pressure for NWA operation, creating doubts about security of Pakistani nukes, $68 billion loss in the last 10 years, flux of unauthorised WikiLeaks, panic and insecurity among Pakistan people and much more.
The US is fighting WoT is a fact and Pakistan has sacrificed and exerted more than any other WoT ally is an on ground reality and a tag in the history.
Pakistan is not ready to get dictation from US against its policies regarding relations with Afghanistan, time of NWA operation, security of nuclear assets, IP gas deal etc. At the same very time, Pakistan has asked US to put in writing the perimeters of Pak-US ties along with all dos and don’ts so that both sides work their plans accordingly.
BILAL RASHID
Islamabad
"tranquil and peaceful environment"" ???? where?? in pak?? what are you smoking??? anyway , soon pak will be squashed into one big parking lot by US and NATO
Environment in relation to the world not within Pakistan. Loose remarks, unauthentic leaks and bashing officials lead to a make over of Pakistan which look ugly.
well observed and well written artical .
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