Pakistan’s increasing isolation
Whatever the outcome of the issue of NSG membership, two old friends, the US
and UK, have declined to announce support for Pakistan. Pakistan, it seems, is
gradually painting itself into a corner. While two high ranking US officials have
been sent to Islamabad to ‘defuse tension’, it is widely understood that Pakistan’s
leverage with the US is in decline. Meanwhile, United States, Britain and France
have reaffirmed their support to India’s desire to become a member of the four
export control regimes, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and Missile
Technology Control Regime (MTCR).What is more the three have also supported
India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
Two major policies devised by the establishment, which successive governments
have been made to follow, are leading to estrangement with old friends and
allies. The first is the policy of cherry-picking which requires sparing some of the
useful terrorist networks which launch attacks abroad and taking out the bad
terrorists targeting Pakistan. This has spoiled Pakistan’s relations with the US and
Afghanistan. It has also provided India a handle to seek security alliances with
countries who have suffered from Pakistan-based terrorists, as Modi’s address to
US Congress indicates.
The US and EU have also reservations about Pakistan’s expanding nuclear arsenal
and delivery systems. It is easy to persuade a world which is wary of a possible
nuclear holocaust that terrorists can get hold of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in
case of social unrest. While conceding that Pakistan has improved its nuclear
security, the US Congressional Research Service (CRS) warns that ‘instability’ in
Pakistan has “called the extent and durability of these reforms into question.”
Unless Pakistan clears areas under its control of terrorists of all types and gives
priority to diplomacy in the resolution of interstate disputes Pakistan is likely to
be increasingly isolated.
