A stab in the back

• Pakistan will always remain relevant in South Asia

There has been a surge in accusations being levelled against Pakistan internationally, and more specifically our premier intelligence agency, of harboring terrorists. Lead by Donald Trump, the international community speaks India’s language while blaming Pakistan for increased terror in the region. After almost two decades of warfare the west has reached the aforesaid conclusion. Isn’t the timing too convenient?

Two questions to begin with. Who, at the very outset, created these terror groups? And why have the US allied forces been unable to eradicate terrorism within the Afghan territory? It’s easy to point fingers at Pakistan and the Pakistani agencies for sponsoring terrorists within Afghanistan, but may I ask humbly, why wasn’t the CIA able to stop this sponsoring? After all CIA is the premier agency of the super power of the world. With unprecedented level of manpower and assets, globally, the agency has the capability to cut out such ancillary support by the Pakistanis.

That won’t be possible though. Not because CIA isn’t capable enough, but because the allegations levelled are baseless and frivolous. It’s satirical to suggest that an army which has incurred heavy losses in the fight against terror would support the same groups responsible for slaughtering their own children. Such nonsensical allegations do not find basis on any reasonable grounds. It’s a simple ploy to stop their own failures from being highlighted. Pakistan and most importantly the Pakistan army remains the only army which has almost defeated the physical form of terrorism. Certain isolated incidents which continue are because of a decayed mindset present within the country. Those can only be done away with proper rehabilitation and proper education for the upcoming generations.

The army has done its job. From Swat valley up till North Waziristan, the aura of terror and instability which ruled these peaks for years has been done away with, though at the cost of blood being spilt by our brave ‘Jawaans’. Gone are the days when the citizens of our cities remained embroiled in a state of constant fear. A fear of the unknown. A fear of an unexpected occurrence almost at any given place persisted for a lot many years. The army successfully eradicated this aura of instability and the citizens are once again happy to be able to live their lives.

In equivocal terms the US administration keeps issuing ambiguous statements and even attempts to take up the role of a good cop and a bad cop, with President Trump assuming the latter

A day-to-day battle, which languished for quite some time, concluded with the freedom of the entire tribal belt from the clutches of the notorious militants, many of them foreign fighters, present here for unknown reasons. These bouts of continuous fighting not only brought peace to Pakistan but on an international level. The attacks which continue originate from within Afghanistan and the US administration should answer questions pertaining to it. With limited resources, the Pakistani army has already displayed more than it was possibly achievable. Our force remains the only army to have defeated these belligerent combatants at a terrain where the two super powers of the world have faced embarrassing humiliation and one of them continues to face till date. The rocky mountainous terrain has always made it physically impossible for any force to defeat the militants. The battle hardened forces of Pakistan are the ones to have successfully mastered the art of war in the aforesaid setting and has combed out its enemies from these once beautiful and peaceful valleys.

Yet, Pakistan is blamed for harboring terrorists and even supporting some of the militant groups. It is easier and less complicated for the US to blame us for their failures in Afghanistan. How else would they justify the expenditure of billions of dollars over the past two decades? We have time and again pushed for a political solution in the Afghan conflict and yet the Americans have deafened their ears upon us. Instilling the anti-Pakistani rhetoric in the hearts of their people isn’t going to find them solace, the sort they so desire.

Pakistan is and will always remain a significant player in the South-Asian ballgame and no super power should be ignorant enough to disregard that. This new adopted policy is going to be detrimental to US interests in the near future. That so, with an increased coziness between Pakistan and China, the Americans have everything to lose in the on-going saga. Pakistan has always, obediently, been at the beck and call of the Americans and this is nearing an end, not because Pakistan stepped back but rather because the US pushed us back.

Our agencies strive to protect our interests and secure long-term benefit for the country. Such allegations are not going to push back on them for doing their jobs. It is the might of these agencies that has protected us from being conquered. Despite a tireless effort by different intelligence agencies of the world to split up Pakistan or simply instigate violent instability in the country, our organisations have defeated these deceptive designs of the enemy and have ensured that Pakistan doesn’t fall.

Moreover even their own reports have negated their policies. Just this past week, the US State Department admitted at a Congress briefing that the suspension of aid did not produce the desired results. Pakistan had already, unmistakably, informed the Trump administration that such threats will find no ground to stand upon, at least on Pakistani soil. There hasn’t been a single change in the working of Pakistan following the suspension of funds.

In equivocal terms the US administration keeps issuing ambiguous statements and even attempts to take up the role of a good cop and a bad cop, with President Trump assuming the latter. Nevertheless, it has no bearing upon our country and despite all negative propaganda and critique, the Pakistani public stands tall with its army and its agencies. As Bilawal stated in Davos, it is our army and to suggest that there is a difference would be illogical.

The apple has fallen far from the tree and there is no turning back. With the declaration of America’s hypocritical policy towards us, Pakistan needs to reassess its foreign relations on an exponential level and move forward in creating relations with nations who won’t abandon us to save themselves.