It is generally surmised that when our Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif goes to Washington to attend Nuclear Safety Summit, Pakistan’s nuclear programme is going to be the main topic of discussion.
MNS has already taken some noticeable Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) to convince Washington that Islamabad today is in the hands that can be depended upon in pursuing the objectives dear to Washington, New Dehli and those world powers that are in agreement with them.
It goes without saying that Washington has never been happy with nuclearization of Pakistan. And now besides Israel the darling of the U.S Administrations for decades, India, the recent darling of American leaders, regards Pakistan’s nuclear capability as the main hindrance in bringing about stable peace in this region.
The battle field short-range missiles of Pakistan are a nightmare for the Indians.
Mian Nawaz Sharif is up against a Herculean task. He will be under pressure in Washington to freeze our missile programme and to take steps towards rolling back our nuclear capability in turn for some token favours (like sale of obsolete F16s). And he will be in no position to oblige his ‘well-wishers’ for the simple reason that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is an ‘out of bound area’ for our politicians.
Off course Mian Sahib has done his best to convince both Washington and New Dehli that he is genuinely willing to go as far as he is allowed by the Powers-That-Be in Pakistan. He has already taken three significant steps that come in the category of CBMs. He has filed an FIR in Gujranwala against his own country. He has got passed from Punjab Assembly a bill that is a clear mockery of Islamic traditions. And he has hanged Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of Salman Taseer whose liberalism had made him a darling of the anti-Islamic forces in Pakistan.
It is likely that Mian Sahib will take more steps to enhance his liberal image in the eyes of the West.
But will he be able to defend his power through this strategy?
