ISLAMABAD – Pakistan is an ally of the US in the War on Terror (WoT).Despite having done more than any other ally in the WoT, it is accused ofnot having done enough to wipe out terrorism.
Feeling neglected, Pakistan has responded with its improved relations andalliance with China and Russia. And it now says it has done enough and itis the US that has to do more now on that front.
A comparative study of what Pakistan and the USA have been doing for eachother shows the relationship has been a sad story of one-sided love.
Ignoring the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)’s invitationfor a visit in 1951, Pakistan’s then Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan flew tothe USA. In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower requested Pakistani PrimeMinister Mr Suhrawardy to lease Peshawar Air Station to the US Army forkeeping an eye on the USSR and its ballistic missile programme. Pakistanaccepted. All this annoyed the Communist regime. It threw its entire weightlater in India’s favour, armed it tooth and nail and supported itabundantly.
Pakistan opted for the US and the “Free World” but had been left to tackleeventualities on its own. It joined the SEATO and CENTO thinking that theUS/West would come to its rescue but it did quite the opposite. In 1965,when India attacked Pakistan, the USA, instead of supporting it militarilyor financially being an ally, slapped sanctions on the supply of militaryequipment to Pakistan. And in 1971, USA’s Seventh Fleet “couldn’t arrive intime” to defend it against USSR supported Indian aggression leading to itsdismemberment.
Pakistan had successfully negotiated a deal between the US and China inthe1970’s. A Chinese leader during these parleys had reportedly told the USenvoy not to neglect Pakistan. But the US quickly abandoned its ally,silently allowing India to dismember it with the support of the USSR.
The policy of doubting Pakistan’s intentions and demanding more from itwill not help the US achieve anything
In April 1979, the US administration that had whole-heartedly supported theIsraeli atomic programme and the “Jewish” Bomb, accused Pakistan of tryingto have an “Islamic” bomb and imposed sanctions on Pakistan, citingmilitary dictatorship.
However, a few months later, when it needed Pakistan’s help against the Redforces in Afghanistan, the US changed course, forgot about dictatorship andthe “Islamic Bomb” and sent Dr Berznisky with a package to Pakistan.Pakistan fought for the West. But when their interests were safeguardedwith the defeat and withdrawal of USSR from there, the US left it to bearthe sinister aftermath of the militancy alone. Agonisingly, the threat ofPakistan’s nuclear programme surfaced again. And in 1990, as the country bythen had lost its strategic importance, the US, under the Pressleramendment, imposed sanctions on Pakistan, whereby every kind of militaryassistance was banned again to Pakistan. During those years, it dideverything to deprive Pakistan of its indigenous nuclear and missiledevelopment programme.
This US’ indifference and double standards with Pakistan continued till thetragedy of 9/11 again made Pakistan’s help vital. Musharraf, the very manwho was not entitled to a Photo-session with the US President for being adictator, became their ‘friend’ overnight. All sanctions were liftedagainst Pakistan. Pakistan jumped into the WoT. But even then it was justmade a non-NATO ally. While Pakistan was denied any atomic energy, the USfinalised a civilian nuclear deal with India.
The US administration was so selfish vis-à-vis Pakistan that thoughPakistan had paid for F16 aircrafts, it neither handed over the F16s to itnor returned the money it had paid for them. Instead, it took from it themaintenance expenditures for these F16s which were held back by the US forsanctions.
Pakistan has come to help/rescue the US twice in Afghanistan. In the 1980s,it joined hands with it to defeat the invaders -the USSR. In 2001, itsupported it, though the US was itself an invader. Then it fought thepuppet regime in Kabul; now it supports their ‘puppet regime’ there. Thenthey dubbed ‘Mujahideen’ as freedom fighters and Pakistan accepted. Nowthey dub them terrorists, and it accepts even now. Pakistan allowedAmerican army to use its military bases for launching attacks on Afghansoil.
Pakistan even killed its citizens the US considered as its enemies. The USsaid Dr Abdul Qadeer is “guilty” of nuclear proliferation and he wasimmediately put under house arrest. Pakistan even arrested Mulla Zaeef –Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan – for the US for the first time everin world’s history. It had arrested more than 500 top Al-Qaeda associatesand handed them over to it. Al-Qaeda since then has attacked Pakistanileaders frequently. Al-Qaeda had not harmed Pakistan till then. Pakistanbecame their enemy when it supported the US in WoT.
The WoT and the resultant militancy and terrorism have badly impactedPakistan’s economy. Careful estimates put the overall losses at around$120bn. It has resulted in the deaths of thousands of its valiant securitypersonnel and civilians in terrorist acts. But despite all this, it openlyquestions Pakistan’s commitment to WoT and is still far from beingsatisfied.
Pakistan arrests and kills the enemies of the US -like Al-Qaeda, Daesh andAfghan Taliban -considering them its own enemies. But the US openlybefriends Pakistan’s enemies and renders them every diplomatic, military,scientific and financial help. It has had ignored and didn’t target themilitants fighting against Pakistan until recently. It attacks itsterritory (the Silala attack), meddles in its internal affairs and thuscreates problems for its leaders.
Pakistan needs to be dealt fairly and respectfully as an ally. The policyof doubting its intentions and demanding more from Pakistan will hardly dothe US any favour. It will only push Pakistan away towards more reliableallies in China and Russia.
BY Tahir Ali Khan. *The writer is an academic and researcher. He blogs atwww.tahirkatlang.wordpress.com link> andcan be reached at tahirkatlang039@gmail.com *