Pakistani Americans Are Disappointed!
By Anila Ali
Irvine , Ca
Pakistan is our key ally in the battle against the extremists - the Taliban . Every day many innocent Pakistanis are killed in the military action. Over two million of the poorest Pakistanis were displaced due to the military action against the Taliban in the Northern areas of Pakistan. The people of Pakistan saw the warped philosophy of the Taliban and stood behind the military action and the US on this very sensitive issue.
Some aspects we need to take into account as we formulate our policy towards Pakistan are:
1. The Pakistanis feel they get sidelined; they get used and then left in the lurch.
An example is what occurred after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan . Pakistan was the key ally of the US in ousting the Russians from Afghanistan . The gun and drug culture seeped into Pakistan's cities and neighborhoods primarily during that time. After the Russians left, we Americans left the people without help, without infrastructure, without hope, thus the US lost a lot of credibility in Pakistan and Afghanistan became a breeding ground for Al-Qaeda.
2. We need to remember that there is a basic lack of trust between India and Pakistan and Afghanistan and Pakistan. We cannot sandwich the policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan and call it "AfPak". This has caused resentment amongst Pakistanis who question the policy. Afghanistan's infrastructure, institutions need to be rebuilt completely. However, Pakistan has all its infrastructure, its institutions are functional and we have seen evidence of this when the lawyers took to the streets in the civil movement recently to restore the judges who were fired by Zardari.
Pakistan's needs must be understood, if we are to gain the support and the goodwill of the people of Pakistan in our efforts to annihilate Al-Qaeda, promote moderate thinking in the Muslim world , and end anti-Americanism in the Muslim world. Therefore, the " Afpak" needs to go and a new "PakPolicy" needs to formulated.
3. Despite a very successful army action against the Taliban in the north, the drone attacks that are killing many innocent women and children are not halting. Thus the Pakistanis are questioning US sincerity towards Pakistan. The attacks must STOP!!!
4. The US must step up and encourage India and Pakistan to resume peace talks. The US can pressure both nations in reaching a compromise so that the billions of poor in India and Pakistan can enjoy a better life. The Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan met at the recent Sharm-al-Shaik conference but we can really negotiate peace. With this peace process , it becomes even more important to resolve the Kashmir issue . No lasting peace can achieved without resolving the Kashmir issue over which India and Pakistan have gone to war thrice - in 1947, 1965, and 1991.
Lastly, the Pakistani Americans feel disenfranchised when they get a call from the White House saying their request for a congratulatory message from the President on Pakistan's Independence Day Celebration on August 8th, 2009 at the Exposition Park L.A. is denied because "they have too many requests." This makes us ponder: Do Pakistani Americans have any voice in this administration?
