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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