Compromise or bust

Diplomacy is the answer

Pakistan has a history of friendly relations with the US spread over sixty years with bad patches in between. In the past, Pakistan had often blamed the US for acting like a master or leaving Islamabad in a lurch once it had achieved its goals. This time the complaints have come from the US which has accused Pakistan’s military and ISI of duplicity. Long forgotten disputes are being dug out, as a story in the NYT published on Wednesday indicates. Attempts have no doubt been initiated from the US side to resume talks. Ambassador Munter has met the foreign secretary and US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Blake has issued a reassuring statement which maintains that Pakistan being a valuable ally, Washington wanted Islamabad on its side in the future strategy. Despite these comforting moves, there seems to be no end to the “do more” mantra which is highly disturbing for the establishment.

Pakistan is in a state of a serious standoff with the US. None of Islamabad’s traditional allies has however gone beyond stylised statements of help and support that one has heard scores of time before. While the allies continue to provide valuable help in a number of ways, none is willing to do anything that might jeopardise its national interests. This is how a realistic policy should be. There is a need on the part of Islamabad also not to indulge in pipedreams or get isolated as it cannot afford to do this in view of its economic compulsions and a hostile environment. It won’t do to taunt the US, as Khar has done, that Haqqani was once its blue eyed boy. So was OBL. There is a need again to enter into talks with the US and persuade it that an operation against the Haqqanis does not suit Pakistan at this juncture and try to find a middle ground over the issue. The task might be distasteful in view of the recent statements by Panetta and Mullen but there are no other options.

Pakistan has to set its house right before it can act with greater freedom. It has to raise taxes to get rid of the compulsion to seek foreign aid. It has to improve the quality of governance, curb corruption and resolve internal conflicts through dialogue to improve law and order. For the time, being it has to make compromises however distasteful they may be.