America’s bloated arrogance

On Friday, acting Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Alice Wells said that the United States wants Pakistan to move quickly to show good faith in supporting efforts to counter militants operating in Afghanistan and in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table. On her return after accompanying US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on a visit to the region including Pakistan, she was talking to reporters and said: “This is about Pakistan’s sovereign choice. This is not about America giving dictation. We’ve described our strategy, but it’s up to them whether or not they want to work with us on this strategy. And if they don’t, we’ll adjust accordingly.” The US continues to implement President Trump’s policy on South Asia according Pakistan is being pressurized to do what the US wants it to do, but envisaging an important role for India in Afghanistan.
In fact, the US and Afghanistan want to scapegoat Pakistan for their failures, as the Taliban has control over 50 per cent of Afghan territory. They know that Pakistan neither has leverage nor the influence over the Taliban leaders and commanders to bring them to negotiating the table, yet they raise the demand which Pakistan cannot meet. Recently, when the ISI and military officials rescued a US-Canadian couple including their three children who were Taliban’s hostages, President Donald Trump had thanked Pakistan. After prolonged period of mistrust, there was a feeling of euphoria that relations between Pakistan and the US could be on positive trajectory. Operation was conducted by the ISI and army after receiving actionable intelligence from the US. It was a high risk operation, which could have resulted in many casualties; however, one Pakistani soldier embraced shahadat and two were seriously injured.
The rescue was started with a tip off from US intelligence that suggested that abductees were being moved from Afghanistan to Pakistan’s Kurram Agency. But within twenty four hours of their recovery, American media started propaganda that they were on Pakistani soil for the last five years. It was despite the fact that the US had already confirmed that intelligence was provided to Pakistan about the movement of the US-Canadian family including their three children from Afghanistan to Pakistan’s tribal area. Despite Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war on terror, Americans have been grumbling that Pakistan refuses to take dictation on the matters that run counter to Pakistan’s national interest. In 2009, they were angry on throwing spanner in their work by stopping some of their diplomats and contractor’s personnel who had been running in cars with fake number plates, carrying weapons and making video films of sensitive installations and cantonments of Pakistan.
Despite all sacrifices and imperiling our security for the US sake, what Pakistan got in return except betrayals, sanctions and insinuations from the ally? During 1965 war with India, a snap embargo was placed on all US military supplies, including spare parts for our military predominantly equipped with American weaponry. Pakistan’s people know their American “friends” more for betrayal than for any fidelity, and that list of betrayals while already very long is now increasing spectacularly. America’s decision to give India a role in Afghanistan is tantamount to providing India opportunity to encircle Pakistan from western border as well. Strategic Partnership Agreement between Afghanistan and India was also done on America’s behest. Although the-then Afghan President Hamid Karzai had said the strategic partnership pact signed with India was not directed against any other country, Pakistan’s security was imperiled by this agreement.