When this country had an Eastern wing and a Western wing, and the Federation of Pakistan was constituted of East Pakistan and West Pakistan, we had a strong logic in favour of regarding ourselves, in the context of global politics, a part of the South Asia, or of the Indian Sub-continent.
With the breakup of Pakistan and emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign state in December 1971, the whole geo-political rationale changed. This was instantly recognized by ZAB who initiated a commendable campaign to make Pakistan a leading force in the World of the Crescent whose centre of power was the West Asia. With the breakup of the Soviet Union after Pakistan’s stunning victory in the Afghan Jehad under the leadership of General Zia ul Haque, Bhutto’s vision of Pakistan leading the Muslim world suddenly acquired more pronounced dimensions. Today with the emergence of Pakistan China Economic Corridor, and Gwadar port acquiring the status of a new potential centre of gravity in terms of Commerce and Trade, Pakistan should no longer be seen as a South Asian country. Pakistan belongs to the West and North-West Asia, and will never allow itself to be sucked into India-dominated South Asia.
This is strictly a Washington-New Dehli authored script which may have some appeal for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif because of his obsessive passion for the growth of his Business Empire, but will be rejected forcefully by the people of this country.
We belong to where we belong to and where we came from.
I think this message was communicated to our political leadership in strong terms in the National Command & Control authority meeting on the 24th of February 2016.
