Mission to Washington
 

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Mission to Washington [/SIZE]
By Inayatullah[/CENTER][/B]

Beset as the Pakistan national government is with horrendous internal problems of terrorism, law and order, power shortages and the economy, the external challenges are no less formidable. Our immediate neighbours on the east and west—India and Afghanistan, are both unfriendly if not hostile.
Nawaz Sharif soon after assuming power took to repairing the problematic relations with these two countries and hastened to woo their leaders. He sent special envoys to Delhi and Kabul and managed to meet the two leaders. President Karzai visited Islamabad and Manmohan Singh reluctantly spared some time for him in New York. While Kabul’s attitude apparently has softened a little, there has been no indication of any appreciable change for the better, on the part of India.
In fact India has renewed its campaign to demonise Pakistan as an “epicenter of terrorism” and as a country where state agencies use non-state actors to launch terrorist attacks across the borders. The Indian Prime Minister hurled these accusations at the highest levels in USA while addressing the UN General Assembly and in his meeting with President Obama. Not only the understanding reached at the New York meeting of the prime ministers to adhere to the provisions of the 2003 ceasefire agreement has been disregarded, the exchange of fire at the LoC has also continued. Upping the ante, the Indian army chief, General Bikram Singh has accused Pakistan of “mass incursions” into Kashmir and of causing some casualties on the Indian side. Some skirmishes have, indeed taken place with confirmed reports of the killing of an 11 year old Pakistani boy and three others wounded in firing by Indian troops. The Indian general’s wild accusations have been duly rebutted by his Pakistani counterpart, General Kayani.
Nawaz Sharif is about to leave for Washington in response to an invitation received from the American President Barrack H. Obama. On Pakistan’s relations with India, a former “permanent” representative of Pakistan at the UN Mr. Munir Akram in a recent column has observed that Pakistan’s deterrent capability to deter aggression could only be compromised if there is a collusion between India and a great power. Mr. Akram adds that the “US discrimination against Pakistan civilian nuclear programme and objections to its strategic response to India’s nuclear and conventional built-up are disturbing indications of policy bias if not intent”.
Mention needs to be made here of some reports in the Indian media suggesting that the Indian Prime Minister in his meeting with President Obama exhorted that latter to take up the issue of “Pakistan-based terror directed against India” at his forthcoming meeting with Nawaz Sharif. That India is seriously working for action against Pakistan is further underscored by the statements made by the Indian President during his recent visits to Turkey and Belgium. M J Akbar, a leading Indian journalist, writing last week in the Indian Express, has reported that the Indian President, Pranab Mukherjee raised the question about the infiltration of the “non-state actors”. According to Akbar, Mr. Mukharjee said that they (non state actors) do not drop down from heaven. They thrive in Pakistan territory and they cross the ceasefire line with help from the Pakistan forces stationed along that Line. He further asked: Is this help provided with permission from the Sharif government or is it an independent operation run by the Pak armed forces who run their own two-track policy on terrorists.
Where does Pakistan stand vis-à-vis USA today?
What kind of agenda and talking points will Nawaz Sharif have when he meets President Obama?
No clear answer is available notwithstanding some observations made by the PM’s Advisor on Security and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sartaj Aziz. For strategic and economic reasons Pakistan, cannot afford not to have good relations with the sole super power of the day (howsoever buffeted and dented America may be internally and shaken by many a wrong move abroad, highlighted by Vali Nasr in his latest book titled The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat).
To intelligently forge possible multiple approaches and develop clear thinking with regard to its engagement with USA, our Foreign Office, GHQ and PM’s advisors must carefully examine the contents of the following books:
How Pakistan Negotiates with the United States. Riding the Roller Coaster by (Ambassador) Teresta C. Schaffer and (Ambassador) Howard B. Schaffer. An excerpt from the Foreward by Stephen P. Cohen: “the term ‘liars’ is frequently employed by American officials to describe Pakistani negotiators but then American dealings with Pakistan remain less than credible, given the American record vis-a-vis that country over the years. Why should Americans object to Pakistan’s support of the Taliban who can serve Pakistan’s interests there against Indian encroachment”.
Avoiding Armageddon, America, India and Pakistan to the Brink and Back, by Bruce O Riedel. Shooting For a Century: The India—Pakistan Conundrum by Stephan P. Cohen Conflict Unending. India Pakistan Tensions by Sumit Ganguly. The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat by Vali Nasr. Presently USA needs Pakistan cooperation in making a smooth exit from Afghanistan and arriving at some sort of understanding with the Taliban. Pakistan’s location and its nuclear status make it an important regional country.
Because of China’s close relations with Pakistan, US would like to remain engaged with it using its economic military and diplomatic power to influence Islamabad’s foreign policy. Pakistan’s present problematic economic conditions offer an opportunity for Washington to soften Pakistanis’ anti-US sentiments.
Pakistan though vulnerable because of its internal weaknesses, has enough weight to ask for the following from USA. One, an expansion of exports to USA and an increased share of its market. Two, highlighting the sacrifices made in terms of casualties and economic losses, it should demand the cessation of the drone strikes on the ground that these are illegal and counterproductive. The possibility of disruption of the container supplies should be mentioned. Three, India’s accusations regarding firing across LoC should be rebutted and USA persuaded to agree to have the matter investigated by the UN personnel or some other international agency. Four, emphasize Pakistan strong opposition to the addition of any more permanent members of the UN Security Council (India because of its preposterous record of violation of human rights in Kashmir is, in any case, disqualified for such membership). Five, current restrictions on Pakistan for civil nuclear cooperation should be removed.
Last but not the least, Nawaz Sharif must in consultation with the army chief, make maximum efforts to totally stop the cross-border activities by the non-state actors. He should assure Obama that such intrusion shall be put down with an iron hand.
[I]
The writer is an ex-federal secretary and ambassador, and a political and international relations analyst.[/I]
[url]http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/columns/19-Oct-2013/mission-to-washington[/url]