Viewpoint
A Pressing Task for Pakistani Americans
By Dr. Mujahid Ghazi
Chicago, IL
In retaliation to the death of Osama bin Laden Pakistan has been declared the prime target by the terrorist outfits. Attacks on Pakistan’s security forces have already begun and in the latest attack 80 young cadets were killed in an explosion in Charsadda, in the northwest frontier of Pakistan.
Drone attacks have also increased killing more people, probably to spread chaos and insecurity among the ranks of al-Qaida and Taliban following the death of OBL. Pakistan’s parliament has unanimously passed a resolution condemning the drone attacks and the recent operation in Abbotabad. They declared it as an attack on the sovereignty of Pakistan and demanded of the US to put an end to such attacks. The resolution also sent a strong message to the US that if these attacks were not stopped, Pakistan will block the supply route of arms and ammunition to US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. The American government has not yet reacted to the resolution presumably because they think it is just a face-saving measure to calm the nation. Amidst this increasingly tense situation and mounting rift between Pakistan and the US, the “Crisis Man” Senator John Kerry, Democrat from Massachusetts, who is the Chairman of the Foreign Relation Committee arrived in Pakistan not to show empathy but to ask the Pakistani government to show “a real demonstration of commitment” to fight the terrorist groups in the coming months.
Pakistan has already been in a grave situation with respect to its national security and economic crisis. It has always supported the US in its war on terror. If it was not the cooperation of the Pakistani Government and its security forces, US had no chance to come so far in Afghanistan. Pakistan provided safe passage to military and non-military supplies to the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan and is still doing so. Pakistan has always shared intelligence with the US which resulted in capturing/killing of a large number of al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders and operatives. Pakistan’s brave nation and security personnel have given their lives to fight terrorism. Until the passage of the unanimous NA resolution Pakistan had never raised any serious concerns over the infamous drone attacks. As a strong ally Pakistan has always supported the US on various issues in the General Assembly of the UN. Now, surrendering to the Pakistan phobic campaign of the US media and the lobbies working against Pakistan, Senator John Kerry is asking Pakistan “to show commitment” or the US will stop its $3 billion/annum aid to Pakistan. He made the observation in an interview before he left for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“He will also raise an issue of Pakistan's escalating production of nuclear fuel. Members of Congress, in closed sessions, have complained that if Pakistan continued to escalate production of nuclear fuel then it would jeopardize the funding,” says a news report.
It is easy to blame the Pakistan’s diplomatic mission to US for not playing its cards right but it is also imperative to analyze the role of the Pakistani American Diaspora. We have people who have donated millions in the election campaigns of senators and congressmen. We have people who have contributed hugely towards the election campaign of President Obama. We have people who are delegates in both Republican and Democratic parties. Now is the time that they should stand up and support the cause of Pakistan. They are the ones who can educate the house representatives and senators about the real situation in Pakistan instead of submitting to the unjust treatment and exploitation against their country of birth. Pakistan needs them more than at any time in the past.
The current situation demands that all politically active members of the Pakistani American community meet at a national level and develop a consensus and an action plan to address these issues. If Pakistan loses US aid, a strategy has to be discussed and chalked out to support Pakistan in the absence of US aid. May be the millions donated towards election campaigns be diverted to aid Pakistan and its poor and needy through organizations like Islamic Relief, Helping Hands and HDF which are already working on several humanitarian projects in Pakistan.
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