Pragmatism needed
The joint session of parliament which started on Tuesday failed to initiate a debate in earnest and had to be postponed after three sittings. The progress was stalled by differences developing over the consensus document outlining new terms of engagement with the US and NATO. The consensus developed by the parliamentary committee on national security turned out to be short lived as some of the signatories including the PML(N) and the JUI(F) developed second thoughts about certain proposals. While some of the provisions might have suffered from drafting flaws, pressure exerted by extremist organisations too played a role in the withdrawal of support for the jointly prepared document.
It has now been fifteen months since Pakistan scaled down its ties with the US and NATO to the minimum. The cooling off has hurt Pakistan more than anyone else. The decisions about new parameters of relations cannot be left on the back burner indefinitely. The delay has already compromised Pakistan’s interests. Some of the NATO countries have started withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan. The US is scheduled to complete the drawdown by the end of 2014. Once the process is complete, Pakistan will be in the unenviable position of dealing with not only the Pakistani extremists but also their counterparts in Afghanistan. From total dependence on the US, Islamabad has gone to the equally harmful extreme of total alienation. By boycotting the Bonn conference, it has further painted itself in a corner. As things stand the country has no Afghan policy except empty phrases like “Afghan-led solution to Afghan problems” or clichés like “ties based on trust.”
Terrorism being an existential threat to the international community the world wants Pakistan to play its role in its eradication. As PM Gilani put it, it is not a matter of the US alone, but 48 countries. The meeting of the civil and military leaders at the prime minister’s house has reportedly concluded on a positive note. The PML(N) after airing reservations earlier has now agreed conditionally to the proposals. If the opposition has any meaningful reservations, these should be resolved by the time the joint session begins on March 5. The parliament has then to move apace towards formulating a realistic policy that best serves the interests of Pakistan while taking into account the security concerns of its allies also.
