- MML’s registration redoubles distrust abroad
Pakistan is presently in the eye-centre of many political storms, but there is one looming on the horizon with the potential to develop into a destructive Category V eruption. This scary metaphorical weather outlook is occasioned by what ostensibly appears to be a ‘normal’ political party, the Milli Muslim League, with a progressive (website) manifesto, but with one tiny bit of fine-print: it is backed by Hafiz Saeed, US -declared terrorist with a head bounty and the alleged mastermind behind 2008 Mumbai attack, which poisons Indo-Pak relations even today. The right hand is apparently unaware of what the left hand is doing for, though the Election Commission of Pakistan refused to entertain MML’s registration as a legal political entity, the Islamabad High Court granted it last week, causing much ear-scratching abroad and reviving the debate about Pakistan’s alleged patronage of terrorism. The accusation of ‘mainstreaming’ of extremists by the establishment and double standards were also aired.
In February 2018, Pakistan narrowly escaped being placed on the watchdog Financial Action Task Force’s money laundering, terrorist- financing grey list, though that is a temporary reprieve rather than a pardon, with reportedly even China and Saudi Arabia voting against us. The country is still in FATF’s cross talk and cross-hairs. More damningly, the resolution passed at BRICS summit hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2017 last year, directly criticised Pakistan for harbouring militant groups (specifically naming Haqqani network and Lashkar-i-Taiba) and endangering regional security. A gloating Narendra Modi termed Pakistan the ‘mother ship of terrorism’. As regards Jaish-e–Mohammad, it is over optimistic to expect China to indefinitely veto resolutions declaring it a UN blacklist terrorist group, without some concrete action by Islamabad. The new (or latest!) US secretary of state is also a hardliner on Pakistan and terrorist safe havens, and made an indirect public threat against it on January 7, while CIA chief.
Our friends and allies, a fast vanishing species, have been sorely tested by many ambiguities such as the MML affair. A calm official policy of reflection and reappraisal is needed, otherwise not-so -splendid isolation, a pariah status and dreaded encirclement will be our lot.
