Yesterday, it was reported in the media that US/NATO have agreed to pay USD one million per day for the use of land route through Pakistan. In simple words, the Pakistani negotiators have agreed to peanuts and apparently they are happy. When such an offer was made to President General Zia, he refused the offer and called it peanuts forcing the US to come with a much better offer. Does this mean that Zia was a better negotiator?
The price of USD one million a day is not really sufficient as already the pending CSF amount of USD 2.5 billions is still outstanding. We should first make the US pay our arrears and ask them to pay an amount, may be USD three millions per day, upfront and with no credit to the US anymore. The additional amount must also be asked for the maintenance of the used land route.
The US needs us badly as the years 2012 and 2013 are very important for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. We should learn to make use of this opportunity by asking for more. We should be sticking to our terms of apology and no drone attacks to extract much more. The US has always used carrots and stick policy for Pakistan and they played a bluff knowing the weaknesses in our leaders.
We need to have a proper “think tank” to study all moves and recommend necessary actions viz a viz the US offers. The present rulers and all major parties must select the members of such a think tank who should deliberate upon all international issues keeping in mind what’s best for our country and without any vested interests. Let us not be bluffed or fooled by any country/super power.
RASHID MAQSOOD
Lahore
