Donald Trump — from ‘do more’ to ‘no more’

• Easier to deal with an enemy than a frenemy

The US charges against Pakistan of sheltering militants belonging to Haqqani network and Afghan Taliban are not new. Pakistan’s response to the charges too is widely known. It is however unusual that instead of acting discretely like his predecessor, Trump has chosen to go public, take recourse to vitriolic and hurl threats, which is not precisely the way diplomacy is conducted. Trump’s latest outburst would further strengthen the perception of the US acting as a bully. This will weaken those in Pakistan who want good relations with the US while it will strengthen the extremists.

Hopefully the tweet is no more than an angry rant. The US knows more than anyone else about the invaluable help Pakistan continues to render in the region for eliminating al Qaeda and the IS. The weeding out of the TTP from North Waziristan where it was hosting a variety of lethal terrorist networks was a major contribution to peace in the region. Pakistan army cannot however go beyond limits imposed by imperatives of national security. Defeating the Afghan Taliban or the Haqqani network are the tasks for the US led allied troops and the Afghan army.

Threats extended to Pakistan by the Trump administration would be counterproductive. Pakistan has been denied aid and subjected to sanctions in the past also. It will matter little to Islamabad if new sanctions were clamped on it. Any adventurist action by the US that leads to serious consequences would generate a strong reaction in the country leaving no option for the government other than blocking the Nato supply routes to Afghanistan.

The government needs to realise that its narrative has failed to convince many in the international community. Instead of remaining permanently in a state of denial, there is a need to devise a more convincing explanation. Avoiding the temptation of entering into a shouting match with Trump, the government should put its point of view calmly and soberly before the international community. A robust diplomacy is required to reach out to major capitals to sell Pakistan’s revamped narrative.