Double whammy for Pakistan

When did they run out of carrots?

America”s relationship with Pakistan makes for a great tragedy. The necessary ingredients were always there: the self-serving motives, the many flirtations, the use and abuse instincts, and of course, not unlike any great tale of woe, betrayal. The shameless pornography of this lecherous courtship can be scarcely captured in plain words, inspiring poetry where prose fails.

While sentiments may vary, as they typically do in such matters, it is not entirely unreasonable to regard Pakistan as being on the receiving end of this unholy state of affairs. This is hardly surprising, considering how partnerships based less on principles and more on expediency can, as they often do, tilt in favour of the bigger of the two countries.

And so it was in 1990, under the dubious Pressler amendment, when Pakistan got its first flavour of American caprice. Since then things between the two countries have remained consistently inconsistent. Pakistan has undergone a staged metamorphosis, suffering mutation after mutation in the American perception, from a strategic ally to a shifty foe to something even more sinister and then back to ally and so on.

While sentiments may vary, as they typically do in such matters, it is not entirely unreasonable to regard Pakistan as being on the receiving end of this unholy state of affairs. This is hardly surprising, considering how partnerships based less on principles and more on expediency can, as they often do, tilt in favour of the bigger of the two countries

So, It doesn”t come much as a surprise then that President Obama, who prefers contact with Pakistan only through drones, made history a few days ago by becoming the first US president to visit India twice in one presidency. The first of his visits occurred during his first term. This time, though, he was invited as a chief guest to India”s Republic Day. The man to receive him at the airport was Modi himself, after which ensued the unexpected: two grown men, heads of their respective states, hugging and sharing intimate boyhood details, affirming their similarly humble backgrounds, in what felt like a Bollywood flick of forlorn lovers finally united after their painful separation at birth. There was also talk of “chemistry” between the two adult men, a sentiment made manifest when Modi poured tea for his special guest. And Obama, not one to disappoint, delivered a few Shahrukh Khan dialogues in his speech to spread the love. And finally, after some mutual assurances and a fair amount of grovelling, the rendezvous came to an end; cut short by the Saudi King Abdullah”s death which of course meant that Barack had to be in Saudi Arabia to welcome the new King Salman bin Abdulaziz – he of the multiple wives and deemed medically demented; both unexceptional attributes in the Saudi monarchy.

And this is why it was such a double whammy for Pakistan. It is one thing for Obama to visit India as a way to forge an India-US alliance in the Asia-Pacific region, and to enhance bilateral trade, and render operational the civil nuclear deal paving way for US investment in Indian civil nuclear power, but for him to then proceed on to Saudi Arabia, a country that the US still considers an ally even though it has been the biggest exporter and casino online financier of Wahabi radicalism across the Muslim world for many decades now, with 15 of its citizens being part of the 19 member death squad that perpetrated 9/11, not to mention a monarchy run by a king, says quite a lot about the respect that America has for democracy, freedom and equality; principles that when violated so flagrantly appear not much more than a feeble premise to invade a few “Moslem” countries.

With China emerging as a superpower, it is clear that America is building a relationship with India as a counterpoint to China’s rapid rise — something that threatens the uni-polar order of the world as it stands today with America firmly perched above all

If American policy towards Pakistan was one of carrots and sticks, then one is forced to ask when they ran out of carrots along the way. Needless to say that Pakistan has been less than faithful in its share of the bargain. But one still wonders how such antagonism on part of the US — the second time of Obama simply skipping Pakistan when visiting India — helps its cause in the region. If anything, it will only widen the rift between the two countries that are, whether one likes or not, key players in the war on terror. Especially in the current situation with Pakistan’s military moving forward with operation Zarb-e-Azb in full speed.

Also, Obama’s visit presumably prompted a trip by Pakistan’s Army chief Raheel Sharif to China. This was done more for symbolic purposes — an affirmation of the close ties between the two allies. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi remarked that Pakistan is China”s “irreplaceable, all-weather friend”. China is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and the biggest supplier of its arms and military equipment. Gwadar port in Pakistan has been heavily invested by China and is controlled by Beijing. This will serve as the main trade centre for China in the future.

With China emerging as a superpower, it is clear that America is building a relationship with India as a counterpoint to China’s rapid rise — something that threatens the uni-polar order of the world as it stands today with America firmly perched above all. Furthermore, up north a recrudescent Russia under a hawkish Putin, a man ever keen on one-upping America, is also starting to flex its muscles.

It seems obvious that in India America has chosen a future ally. The ramifications of this alliance will yet become obvious in the coming times.