How Pak-US ties can improve?
By
Col M Hanif (R)
As US ally in war on terror being fought in Afghanistan for the last 10 years, Pakistan-US relations have been ridden with mutual suspicions and lack of trust in each other. The US has been accusing Pakistan of not doing enough despite the fact that Pakistan has committed large strength of its troops to fight terrorists in FATA and Swat areas (almost equal to coalition forces in Afghanistan) and suffered colossal human and economic losses in the process.
US secret attack on Osama’s hideout in Abbottabad city without prior information of Pakistan further enlarged the trust deficit. Attack on Pakistan’s Salala security check post by the US troops killing 24 military personnel was the worst incident as a result of which, in protest, Pakistan closed ground supply routes to US and NATO forces deployed in Afghanistan. After about 5 months closure of supply routes US Secretary of State, rendered apology on behalf of the US and the routes were opened by Pakistan and mutual relations started improving. Now as a result of meeting of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and US secretary of State both countries have agreed to re-start negotiations of the working groups which had been constituted for negotiating establishment of strategic partnership between two countries. But, despite these efforts the speed of improvement of relations is very slow and trust deficit still prevails which is required to be addressed on priority basis as both countries have to work together to bring peace in Afghanistan preferably before completion of withdrawal of US and NATO forces, by end of 2014.
Pakistani politico-military leadership, intellectual community and common people very well understand that keeping good relations with the US is very important for Pakistan. But what they want is that future relations with the US should be based on respecting Pakistan’s sovereignty by the US and honouring each other’s national interests. While the US wants to pursue its wider national interests as a super power it should also realize that Pakistan as US ally has also to protect its interests particularly the core national interests in the light of its constitution and aspirations of elected representatives and people. Strategic cooperation cannot be a one sided and zero sum game as probably US thinks in case of Pakistan as an ally in war on terror. Strategic community in Pakistan considers that Pakistan-US relations can be improved speedily but being a super power some meaningful and major initiatives have to be taken by the US with a view to addressing Pakistan’s concerns and turning Pakistani public opinion in its favour by addressing their expectations. In this context following suggestions and policy options are offered for the US policy makers.
US may announce a concrete plan to help meet Pakistan’s energy needs with in shortest possible time since this shortage has very badly affected Pakistan’s industrial sector and also the common people. US should announce a nuclear deal for Pakistan like India. As a consequence, majority of Pakistani people is likely to consider the US a friendly country because it will end their perception that the US is after Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. This is because people consider that nuclear deterrence is the only safety measure against India’s aggressive designs. US should declare provision of substantial economic aid to Pakistan (without strings or restrictions) for ending Pakistan’s debts, bailing out its economy due to losses suffered on account of war on terror, then Pakistani people will fully support initiatives of the Pakistan’s government in brokering a successful peace deal in Afghanistan.
The US should give assurances to Pakistan that it will not give any military foothold to India in Afghanistan and will also not accept Indian strategy of exploiting its strategic partnership with it against Pakistan’s interests with respect to Kashmir dispute and Afghanistan. It is already being done by India by terming Kashmiri’s freedom struggle as terrorism and by having increased foothold in Afghanistan; she is destabilising Balochistan using its consulates in Afghanistan. While Pakistani people are not against US- India friendship, they want that the US should consider Pakistan equally important in this region and should give equal treatment to it. The US should not insist on Pakistan to do more and may cooperate with it to carry out anti terrorist operations according to its own internal dynamics and environment. It is also not justified to say that Pakistan is providing sanctuaries to terrorists in FATA. For the last few years Taliban are controlling about 60% of Afghanistan’s territory and the US and NATO forces have not been able to expel them. Should it be said that they are providing sanctuaries to terrorists there as the US says to Pakistan regarding Taliban’s presence in FATA? In this context US is also not justified in saying that Taliban are coming from FATA to attack coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Source----Pakistan Observer