Constant vigilance
The US always sought India as an ally. It offers a bigger market and is seen by Americans as a relatively more open society. The Indian-American diaspora is better assimilated in the United States than Pakistani-Americans.
Pakistan’s government and media have created an artificial bubble for several years that does not allow Pakistanis to realise our low international standing. Few countries have a favorable opinion of Pakistan and even in China only 30 Percent of people have a positive view of Pakistan, according to global opinion surveys conducted by the Pew Foundation. Our passport is ranked as the second worst passport for international travel as it requires a visa for more countries than even a Somali passport.
Commenting on the issue, Husain Haqqani, Former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States told DNA that we are isolated and are perceived as a terrorist incubator but we prefer to live in denial.
Our default response to international criticism is to blame India or Afghanistan for our problems and abuse those who point out our shortcomings and difficulties.
“We are an aid dependent nation that acts as if others do themselves a favor by giving us aid,” said Haqqani adding that we also fail to realise that we lack international support on the Kashmir issue.
Everyone applauded when our PM spoke of Kashmir at the UN General Assembly last year but almost no one pointed out that no other country said a word about Kashmir in the same UN General Assembly session.
Haqqani believes that it is patently absurd to believe that sending 20 special envoys will change how countries around the world look at Kashmir or Pakistan. The exercise will generate headlines at home, nothing else.
He rightly pointed out in a candid conversation with DNA that Pakistan needs to have a realist foreign policy, based on expectations commensurate to our size and economic capacity.
“We must recognise that the advantages we had of being the west’s allies during the cold war, when India was non-aligned, are over.”
Haqqani shared at that time, western nations, especially the United States, helped us advance our arguments at the UN and elsewhere in return for our assistance in anti-communist intelligence gathering or even the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan.
We now need to be realistic in how much, and in what ways, we can compete with India. We need to fend for our security but we should not make opposing India the end all and be all of our existence. We need to prioritise better, have fewer feuds with other nations, end terrorism and our association with it and build our economy and society to make ourselves attractive as friends and allies.
It is not hard to do but it requires realism and analysis that goes beyond patting ourselves on our back and adopting ideological rhetoric as a substitute for policy.
Agreeing with Haqqani, senior PPP leader and Former Pakistan ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman feared there was a strategic storm brewing in this context and there was no focal person senior enough to give it ministerial attention.
“The government has not been taking developments in America seriously. It has disregarded how Washington works, especially after its phased withdrawal from Afghanistan. There is after many decades no lobbyist for Congressional engagement in Washington and no concerted effort to explain Pakistan’s security limits or needs” – Sherry Rehman
“The government has not been taking developments in America seriously. It has disregarded how Washington works, especially after its phased withdrawal from Afghanistan. There is after many decades no lobbyist for Congressional engagement in Washington and no concerted effort to explain Pakistan’s security limits or needs,” she said. Currently, India employs four different lobbyists for its strategic aims in Washington.
Senator Rehman also thinks that blaming India for the loss of the F-16s’ payment was not enough, “but they too employ four different lobbyists and use their influential community at all points.”
Foreign Policy, Foreign Minister
Haqqani was of the opinion that Pakistan’s power structure, with the dominance of the military and its worldview, leaves little room for civilians’ significantly altering foreign policy.
In most countries, elected leaders can make fundamental changes, like Nixon reaching out to China, but in Pakistan’s case the national interest is pre-defined and civilian leaders cannot afford to make fundamental changes in defining what really the best for the country is ‘Handling’ foreign policy within that constraint limits civilian leaders’ ability and their ‘performance’ is similarly constrained. A full time foreign minister would be useful but our international problems will not go away with appointment of a foreign minister.
The PM’s real job should not be conduct of foreign policy but to make major decisions about the country’s direction. The more portfolios he keeps to himself, the less time he has for big thinking, he said.
Senator Sherry Rehman also said that right now Pakistan does not even have a foreign minister, which is an egregious deficit especially at such difficult times,” she added.
US – Pakistan relations
While shedding light on US-Pakistan relations Haqqani shared that relations with the United States changed after 9/11 and especially after May 2011 with the Abbottabad raid.
“Pakistan now lacks the goodwill within US administration and policy circles that it had during and immediately after the Cold War. Our inability and unwillingness to change our policies despite repeated American requests and demands has led to a situation that leads Americans to trust India more than they trust Pakistan,” he said.
The US always sought India as an ally. It offers a bigger market and is seen by Americans as a relatively more open society. The Indian-American diaspora is better assimilated in the United States than Pakistani-Americans. Pakistan’s policies relating to terrorism, in particular, and our inability or unwillingness to help the U.S. in Afghanistan have only ensured that America’s embrace is closer not only with India but also with Afghanistan.
Senator Rehman also feels that Washington was a tough town at all times but the tension over the F-16s was a symbol of worsening ties which will not mend themselves without serious and coordinated effort at a sustained institutional level.
However, Haqqani said that we seem to be putting all our eggs in China’s basket, not realising that we had to reach out to china in the 1960s mainly because our dependence on the U.S. did not fulfill our expectations.
“I am afraid we will lose the U.S. only to realise a few years later that China, too, has interests that do not coincide with ours,” he feared.
Senator Rehman said the public narrative about Pakistan in America after Bin Laden was found there was never great, “but we did keep ties at an even and constructive keel despite onerous security challenges.”
Senator Rehman maintained, “Today I am afraid the government has its own parochial agendas which miss the greater scheme of things. The rising graph of insecurity in Afghanistan will also be laid at Islamabad’s door which may be entirely unfair given the political disunity next door, but I am afraid no one is awake at the foreign policy wheel in Islamabad right now to even be vigilant to protect us from the blame game.”
Strange that Pakistanis should carry such a US hangup.. Instead of taking a leaf out of its western neighbor, Iran, which not only treated America with a well justified contempt and got away with it. US, with all its high fallutin' talk, is nothing more than a war economy of the WW2 era. Anyone who sides with it, is bound to face the evil effects of this aspect. It is now beyond a pale of doubt that the 9/11 was an inside American job, which only the mainstream America would like you to gulp down without questioning. The fifteen odd years that have lapsed since 9/11 took place, have exposed America as a war mongering bully, hell bent on destroying the sovereignty of any nation that it fancies, as it did with both Iraq and Afghanistan. If Indians are well placed to side with this evil, then it should be a boon for the Pakistanis, not a bane as the author is trying his best to make it out to be. It is high time for Pakistanis to take a second look at what America has done to them. They should take the leaf out of the Iranian book at the earliest and delouse themselves of everything American, rather than self-genuflect over the scum that is America.
Iran is a democracy for last 20 years unlike Pakistan which is under military rule for more than 40 years after its independence(10years military rule of last 20 years). Pains me that 3 generations ago we fought for independence shoulder to shoulder with British and now we are at each other. Hope by grace of God, this world will be once more a peaceful place.
There is one fundamental difference between Pakistan and Iran. Iran does not depend on alms. it has oil. Beggars can't be choosers. So author is right. Pakistani military is cancer on Pakistani society. Thanks to Pakistani military Bangladesh is gone, .Balochistan wants to leave, while there is no chance that Kashmir will ever join Pakistan. What Pakistan need is a leader like Stalin or Castro to put military in it's place. Nawaz Sharif tried to bring military under control but he failed as Mussaraf successfully carried out coup.
Very balanced analysis of situation. Unfortunately even if people get to know this, they could do very little when Army controls foreign policy decision making. Closer pakistan gets to China, the stronger the Armies control.
Dear MIA, look around and come out of your hole. It is not just america but no country wants to do business with Pakistan. I don't think everybody in Pak is a terrorist but just nobody wish to travel to Pak. Nobody wish to have Pak stamp on their passport. A country with so much isolation can not bring prosperity to its people. Come on wake up. Look at your per capita income. Pak used to be much better than India and had good standing. Where is it today? Please wake up and talk some senses.
Well, the estimate about Pakistans Isolation and importance of US-Pakistan Relations for Pakistan is right and yes Pakistani Nation (incl. media) in General lives in Kind of bubble having Little idea of its Isolation and importance of good Relations with the west, especially the US. It seems majority wants the Relations with the US to worsen rather improve. However the reasons behind this situation given by Ms. Rehman and Mr. Haqqani (both have been ambassadors to the US – and their ambassadorsship brought Little benefit to the Country) are not so on the spot.
The key Points missing are:-
1- Pakistan at home Needs to sort out its home. This includes Tackling Terrorism, law and order and delivering governance. No one in the world trust currupt leaders who have their own wealth abroad but want other Investors to bring their Money in Pakistan.
2- Pakistani Govt Needs to fight Pakistans case at international Level for which it Needs appropriate ability and international Standing which sadly both PPP and PMLN badly lack. Hence no one listens one NS talks about Kashmir or Mr. Zardari (indirectly admitting his failure and incapability to serve) asks West to hash out a marshal plan for Pakistan like they did for EU after WW2.
Pakistans Afghan or India Policy is not to blame neither is Military to blame. If this was the case then why in Musharraf era was not only Pakistans economy doing well but also its international Standing was much better. All These renewed F-16s, Non-Nato ally Status, Military civillian aid came then. The aid now is less than a Billion while then was around 3 Billion USD.
Perhaps we have a better Chance of improving it if the 'civilians' with swiss bank accounts and names in panama papers admit that they have badly failed the Country.
There is Little hope it can be fixed any soon, if at all.
Dear Sir, you must be a ex-Pak military. Can you give one example of a large country like Pak doing better with military leadership? If government is not elected, how would they know what people desire?
If Musha Gov did well, why is Pak isolated so much? Why did per capita dwindle so much? Do you have one area where People of Pak prosper under Musha rule? Wake up and please stop exploiting Pak people sentiments for want of power control….
it appears that you are missing key point
During Mussaraf's time US needed Pakistan to keep it's forces in Afghanistan supplied, as it's relation with Iran were bad and not too good with Russia and other former USSR states. The situation has changed now. Iran is no longer among Axis of evil.
Previously due to it's weird leadership India was not reliable factor for US in fight against terror in Afghanistan. But with change in regime. and more business minded people running the country, India, has seized the opportunity and aligned with Iran to keep western interests, not to mention it's own interests, safe in Afghanistan. This has changed the situation. Suddenly Pakistan's importance as pass way to landlocked Afghanistan is not important. Therefore. US does not need Pakistan that much and so has reduced aid and demanding more. actions against global terrorists.
US still needs Pakistan even more now as they want to withdraw from Afganistan. I think its failure of Pakistani govt. to sell its case to the US govt that it can be trusted. Pakistans image is tarnished especially after OBL episode but it can be improved if there is a leader. Current pakistani prime minister cannot even thank a forign president without a written script of that in his pocket, how can he convince Western media and masses that Pakistan wasnt complicit in harboring OBL.
India cannot solve Afghanistan nor can replace Pakistans role there, trying to do so will only result in a disaster for everybody involved. Just see how much influence India has on all the parties involved in Afghan conflict. India has good relations with Northern Allaince consisting govt which is itself riddled with internal conflicts and lacks credibility even among Afghans. India has zero influence or relations with Afghan Taliban who control large parts of Afghanistan and are now threatening major cities.
In Afghanistan India, Iran and US has common interest of not allowing Taliban take over. So if they are willing to pump money they can achieve it. After all Communist government of Najibullah fall not because of mujahidin but because money stopped coming from Soviet Union. It is only then Uzbeks , Tajiks and other minorities deserted Pashtoon Najibullah.
Well, i think not. The money alone cannot stop Taliban. Give Afghan govt 1 trillion USD today and withdraw western troops. I bet Taliban will take kabul in months if not weeks. That money will go to the pockets of warlords.
I think even Pakistan doesnt want the Taliban to take over completely as last time it turned out to be a disaster. They (pk) are looking to counter indian influence that is aimed at using Afghanistan against Pakistan. If there is good leadership in India, Pakistan , they can solve their problems themselves without using Afghanistan. But thats unfortunately is not the case.
Musharaf was no leader he was dictator. He left us lurching with our naked body and worst Govt. Of PPP who sucked us dry. We have beef with PPP that they just carried rhetorically and did nothing and double player like Hussain Haqqani who was American citizen playing both side. It is good that Pakistan is not toiling hard to grab the American arm. May be or may be not but worth of getting out of pit hole can only make this nation proud. NS is fighting ISI side kicks to press him to give advantage to Army. There are elements who are helping army to support their concept of “it is their Goverment and their country and civvies are born to pay for their right to live”. Pakistan Govt. is doing its best and if anyone can get out of this pit hole it is none other than civillians. This Goverment is building infrastructure once it is done Pakistan play it’s own game by becoming a working nation not living on dreams not selling our land not playing double games and specially add value to ourself. I may agree with HH Analysis but his rotten smell makes it useless.
@Ex. Pakistani,
dear friend, There is no need of so many things, just working on grass rot level things such as education and keeping religion at home and not in schools, offices and diplomacy will give Pakistan a better future and respect. This is a slow but reliable solution. Take time…10-15 yrs but a country will surely can stand up on its own and when people are sober, they will find out ways to earn for themselves and so for the country and so you wont need anyone's help, Don't need to try to pursue others that you are a good guy and etc….
This is a solution that India can follow to improve too….
This is exactly the problem with Pak. People are more worried about outside the country and less about their own people…. Wake up and have some senses. Why do you worry what happens in Afghanistan? You can’t provide / influence a good life to your own people and worried About your stupid influence in Afghanistan or Kashmir?
Pak army has gotten all Paki thinking about non-issues diverted attention from killing of their own people by the Army or Army trained militias…
Come on….
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