Zaheer-ud-din Babar
Chris Butler says:
“Trust is earned when action meet words.”
Pak American relation’s future is still unpredictable as apparently both sides believe that sooner or later they overcome all and settle all of their issues but obviously it’s not so easy. Recently, Prime Minster of Pakistan(Imran Khan) ,in an interview for Washington post, clearly stated that Pakistan wants honorable relations with America. He also said: “I have never wanted a relationship where Pakistan is treated like a hired gun -give money to fight someone else war. It not only cost us human lives, devastation of our tribal areas, but it also cast our dignity.”
No doubt that Pakistan wants broad based relations with America but Islamabad cannot simply stay quiet whilst under accusations from President Trump. America has claimed that it is the sole super power in the world , which is why third world country like Pakistan never want any confrontation with America. But the issue is that Washington never understands the problems of Islamabad. In recent years, Washington’s high officials have openly criticized Pakistan .American again and again says that Pakistan cannot fulfill it’s promises. The American political and military leadership has claimed that the issue of Afghanistan is not solved because Islamabad does not cooperate. Some sources claimed that after the 16 years war of Afghanistan America very much understood that the end of this war was unlikely, thus Washington, in order to save face , convinced the American people that the reason for war not ending is not Taliban but Pakistan .On 19th November, President Trump once again openly blasted Pakistan that it’s government helped Osama bin laden ,the mastermind of 9/11, to hide in the country. Trump also defended his decision to pull hundred of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan .In this regard, Prime minister Imran khan hit back on President Donald Trump during a TV interview. Prime minister of Pakistan has said that Pakistan has suffered 75,000 causalities and lost 123 US billion dollars in the war of terror, despite the fact that no Pakistanis were involved in Sep 11 attacks.
It is understood that America’s real problem is Afghan war. From 2001 till present day, American forces cannot claim to be winners. Now many western media reports say that Taliban fighters almost control 70 percent of the country’s territory. Kabul itself is no more safe for high officials of America and Afghanistan. Washington and Kabul again and again claim that Taliban leadership is in Pakistan from where they plan and control this ongoing war. America has still not openly accepted that the Afghan war is much more difficult to win than it was before. In comparison to this war, Vietnam looks like a piece of cake. In recent year , BBC research shows that Taliban now control and threaten much more territory then when foreign troops left in 2014.Moreover, America blames Pakistan for 16 years of failure in Afghanistan. Washington does not consider Pakistan’s sincere efforts like Operation Zarb-e-azb or Operation Raddul Fasaad and blames Pakistan that security forces launched these operations only when terrorist organizations turned against national interests of country .It is sad that America forgets the reality that extremism is a universal phenomenon. Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Taliban movements are based on some ideology. Till today, war of Afghanistan proved the victory of this war is not by using power but through talks between key players .Pakistan is ready to play its role if Washington sincerely wants to move forward. Apparently, this is the only way to end the on going Pak -American tension.
