Pakistan Back to the Stone Age?
By Dr. Ghulam M. Haniff
St. Cloud, MN

The arrival of President Pervez Musharraf in New York City for the special session of the UN General Assembly opened up the proverbial Pandora’s box with the news that Pakistan was “blackmailed” into joining the war on terror. The revelation appeared on the pages of the New York Times initially and, later on, in interviews on television including the popular CBS newsmagazine ‘60 Minutes.’
As it was told an emissary of the US Department of State, Richard Armitage, threatened that Pakistan would be “bombed back to the stone age” if it did not cooperate with Washington in fighting terrorism. The message’s unequivocal bottom line was: either you are with us or against us.
Following the model of the US foreign policy since the days of the Secretary of State John Foster Dulles there was no room for a third option. Any alternative was inconceivable. Decades ago when India was similarly approached regarding its choice in fighting communism Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru’s sharply retorted that India was only for India.
No one bothered India since then and it has been left alone in the great power struggles. But Pakistan in Washington’s view exists, like several other countries, to serve the national interest of the United States.
The revelation by Musharraf sent shock waves to politically conscious Pakistanis who had assumed that their country was extended the privileges of an ally, with benefits galore, to side with Washington. It turns out that Islamabad was only doing its master’s bidding, the water carrier for the sahib, under threats and intimidation, much like in the days of the British Raj.
Those who had wondered about Pakistan’s sudden switch found their answers in the book ‘In the Line of Fire’ written by no other than Pervez Musharraf himself.
The text of the bestseller indicates that Pakistan blinked at the strong language, virtually an ultimatum, and made an about turn in its policy. Washington’s muscle flexing paid off. That is how the superpower deals with foreign countries. Diplomatically blunt language, trade manipulation, threats and intimidations are the tools frequently used in the conduct of its foreign relations.
What the US does is to apply the principle of ‘carrots and sticks’ as it is currently doing regarding North Korea and Iran. A nation is rewarded for knuckling under and punished for defiance. History has shown that Washington never makes threats unless it is willing and able to carry them out.
The two Gulf Wars demonstrate the application of this principle. Had Musharraf hesitated Pakistan would have been “bombed back to the stone age” without any doubt.
While making threats the US usually sets its military in motion so that its threats are not empty or bombastic in the manner of Saddam Hussein’s or of other Third World rulers but are based on capability. Historically, the rule has been: talk softly but carry a big stick.
Pakistan has been caught as a pawn in a great game of geopolitical strategy. It is moved around on a chessboard at the will of the superpower. Pakistan behaves as a pawn. For it to become a player in that game, and it can, it has to have two elements: one, a strong leadership endowed with political ingenuity and visionary thinking, and second, a large base of educated citizenry capable of providing innovative input.
Unfortunately, the country’s self-perception is highly negative, endlessly repeated, as that of small, poor, backward nation unable to move forward. Fortunately, in his meetings with Musharraf President George Push, has relentlessly emphasized the necessity for education in Pakistan. The USAID working in Pakistan has even allocated funds for educational efforts, including building of schools in the tribal areas.
The question for Pakistan at the moment is whether Musharraf arrived home with hands full to strengthen the nation or came away empty handed. No doubt, the trip was a personal triumph for President Musharraf as an author, a man who connected with movers and shakers and made appearances on television programs. The benefits to the nation are still unknown.
In any case, the work for Musharraf is cut out. He ought to develop the brainpower of the nation and its economic capability. Pakistan must capitalize on education, utilize and produce knowledge, create wealth and build power to save itself from the possibility of being “bombed back to the stone age.”

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Editor: Akhtar M. Faruqui
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