Inside Pakistan: The profit wars

The current leadership of the Pakistan is in a fix. On one hand, they have Saudis and the cash money being circulated heavily in Pakistan with billions of dollars spent in election money to get Nawaz as Prime Minister. On the other hand, Pakistan has to either vote for an Syrian assault or vote against it, the latter giving the indicator that does not forge well with the Saudis or the Americans. NATO has slowed down to oblivion since the drone wars but it seems that wars have risen from the dark around Pakistan, as new threat of a tactical surgical strike on Syria will eventually bring back the war to our doors.

The last government is gone, but questions remain. The policy of drones is on the tables, the weapons routes to Afghanistan re-discussed, what happened to the missing containers that disappeared from Karachi Port – all raise the big question : Is there a profit war being fought inside Pakistan. The last government successfully maneuvered the SALALA incident by backing the army and by upholding the policy of truth on the drones, however on policy lines but remained on the back foot by actually maintaining back door diplomacy with America, something that has always paid dividends. The pensive scenario that followed that S-incident forged a much deeper alliance for Pakistan with its border neighbors like Turkey, Iran, China and Russia for its geographical standpoint, making Pakistan a key strategic alliance partner. Repairing ties with USA has since been a constant method oriented strategy as we work out the differences and stand together, testing the sands of time. That fateful apology by Hillary Clinton to us after the drone strikes was never really enough nor was meant as genuine effort to appease the Generals in Pakistan. Yet after that mundane, times saw us go back on track with America , through at a very high cost to them in terms of dollars, and eventually supply losses on-route to Afghanistan which was harder to swallow in the name of mutual allies on the war on terror.

Meanwhile, there is a war out inside Pakistan , being fuelled by the same imperial forces that have ravaged Syria right now. It has been easier for insurgents to operate in the country because our political pundits are “ sellable commodities” to the highest bidder and money is aspiration in Pakistan. Few have clues on the sheer intensity on the borders and our woes with India. From the looks of it, Afghanistan is a battle zone where we are managing strategic depth helping our borders as well as helping our neighbors. India wants in and America is backing it up with Mossad s assistance. We are extremely vulnerable on our eastern borders, while we manage the situation within key cities like Karachi , Quetta, Peshawar with highly engaged law enforcement agencies working towards a win. Political will is what needs to be seen , as profit wars continue much after election fever has died down. Criminals most wanted escaped through jailbreak was another question mark, for the new government to respond to. That mysterious gunman incident was also an eye opener.

This year with prior commitments partially agreed by the PAK-US ,the trade begins again. America wants to save face and also proof their genuine role as an ally this ensuring a smooth transition to democracy but more importantly because of the role this democratic will play to support USA inside Afghanistan, with a limited but long term military presence, safe routes, weapons transfer, and mediation. This time around in 2014, it will a difficult to re-enter this region for America , unless they start another excuse for war ( which they have ) to eventually strike Iran and its allies. Bit complicated this time around as NATO defeat in Afghanistan is a fact, along heavy military casualties the highest ever, as the war eats up soldier morale and their defense systems. Transition phase would be critical as America needs Pakistan to bail them out , yet wanting to maintain tactical control within the region.

Various conspiracy theories have been debated over in Washington as well as in Islamabad in the last few years on the profit wars. Namely: why Pakistan kept lingering this peace treaty on salala ? Was it the money? Some say that the USA were spending millions in lost cargo and sunk cost for every single day of delay of their supplies to Afghanistan and they were running out of time as the war inside was costing them millions more in terms of casualties of war, plus damages in cash and kind. We also know that Germany, one of the most powerful NATO allies in the war on terror, withdrew their forces , long into the war, followed by France , Britain and other allies. USA was stranded into deep terrains and needed a lifeline – we came in and the war was won. The rest stands as history. Was this all due to a profit war ?

Washington needs economic and global growth would not want giants like Iran and China taking over trade benefits inside Asia. Obama administration wants to continue its diplomatic missions back towards South East Asian countries as economies indicate growth in Asia this decade and the next. On the other hand , Pakistan needs to stabilize relationships with the west to ensure thier constant support , post election and post wars in Afghanistan, as USA has been on the forefront in approving billions of dollars in funding projects and initiatives in Pakistan, more than another other country globally.

Lately, we saw some serious thawing of diplomatic ties upfront, but back door efforts remained to be key , as envoys continued to visit Islamabad in the hope that the best army in the world gives them the support they desperately needed. The Gwadar – China announcement was well timed by us ,in order to indirectly signal towards a reduced western presence and further NATO alliances into Pakistan or close leaving India out as there we have another tussle over water, Kashmir and insurgency war. America needs us as we are their way out of Afghanistan, while the Chinese need us for Gwadar subject to secure work conditions for investments to double. Iran is giving us hundred percent support on the IP gas supply chain making us stronger , while Russia has agreed to provide us with additional support on financing and other trade incentives. Saudia is supplying us with crucial crude oil at negligible cost while employing more than over 600,000 Pakistani through their technical support programs, helping to reduce unemployment for our skilled workers, boosting technical expertise. Need I say more- Our foreign policy managers deserve an applause.

Our systems have been going through a constant overhaul . As days go by , we are finally seeing people , more aware and more critical than ever before , leading us forward towards enlightenment and awareness. The next few months are crucial, with Pakistan leading the battle, between law and injustice, creating ripples in the water. Pakistan has clearly gained both strategically and financially out of the PAK NATO issue as sometimes wars are not fought with weapons.

The profit wars are unpredictable. They sustain themselves. Maybe we benefited more than we lost, maybe lost more than we should have gained. What is clear is that our country stands united against any outside resistance and will fight to win. We were brought into the fight – a fight for true freedom, justice and security and peace for all those who live in it. We must not give in to challenges now as out there, beyond the tunnels of deep darkness, there is light. As war lingers close to our borders, we must try secure our borders and cities. Operations against threats inside our own cities need to be managed and rectified. Justice has to swift and consistent and insurgents must be destroyed. Meanwhile, out there in the perimeter, the profit wars continue.

Zeeshan Shah is a banker and a political analyst on public policy and governance. He can be contacted at: [email protected]