While the US Administration has been assuring Pakistan of full help in countering extremist Muslim fighters, especially suicidal Talibans and Al Quaedans, Pakistan is not only indulged in home-grown wars but also foreign-propelled military experiments and gambles. This is extremely unfortunate as regards global peace as well as the particular issue of peace in South Asia.
It has now become much clearer over some years that the US Administration wishes to fulfill its needs by enabling India as the Chief in South Asia and by employing Pakistan to fight US foes in Afghanistan and Pakistan itself. The US Administration is already clear that Muslim fundamentalists in Pakistan will in no way be a help to Americans. They are also aware that by mobilizing Pakistani establishments against Muslim fundamentalists, they will face more threats and attacks on US interests in the future. However, the US ruling elites are making maximum use of Pakistani ruling elites for the time being. This sounds practically important at present, but it will harm not only Pakistan but the whole South Asian region in the long-term.
The crux of the matter is not to make South Asia an American military station but an independent, peaceful and democratic junction. The current situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan does not suggest so.
Pakistani military elites in democratic disguises often worry about the preservation of their ruling privileges—this is an attitude similar to that of Nepali rulers who resist progressive changes following every people’s democratic movement. The factor of Pakistan’s non-democratization of politics has substantially contributed to the militarization and foreignization of regime. This does not sound wholesome for the whole South Asian community.
Pakistani rulers—like Nepali rulers—do not appear to have relied on their own grassroots people for managing their political and socio-economic issues. They rely heavily on foreign forces for preserving their traditional ruling privileges. The non-transformation of people’s lives is the chief cause for the widening gulf between the rulers and the people. This situation applies to both Pakistan and Nepal—a truth undeniable in South Asia as a whole.
The more rulers depend on their own people, the more democratic they can become. The more democratic they become, the nearer they can get to people. This will prevent foreign forces from directly interfering in their home affairs. But the current situation in Pakistan is just the opposite. Although the Pakistani intellectual community revolving around the power whirlwinds may not accept this truth, this is the reality their country faces. In the name of help, they have institutionalized US interference. American military players have apparently penetrated into Pakistani military hearts. This will no doubt affect long-term Pakistani defense strategies. In this context, no powerful lobbying can be seen in favor of the need for Pakistani themselves to take initiatives in their own hands.
To take initiatives in their own hands, Pakistanis, first of all, need to democratize home politics. A strong lobbying campaign for de-militarizing the home politics is essential. Reaching grassroots population with the burning agenda of political and socio-economic transformation can be the launching pad for seeking home-grown politics. At present, extremists are benefiting from the untransformed mindset and practices. Once politics becomes people’s affairs of equality, freedom and brotherhood, no foreign forces can get the opportunity for interference. Foreign forces seek loopholes to interfere in. Such loopholes may include power-mongering and self-centered political gambles, fundamentalism, casteism, monolithic structures, and suppression of human rights, socio-economic disparity and similar factors.
Pakistanis must never forget that the US Administration has had long-term interests in South Asia. They want to establish India as the most reliable and permanent collaborator in the region. They have signed a nuclear treaty with India for nuclear cooperation. What is equally true is the fact that they will definitely abandon Pakistan after they meet their specific targets.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, talking to Pakistan’s daily newspaper the Dawn on Wednesday, had indicated that Pakistan is totally dependent on US intelligence services for carrying out military operations against extremist troublemakers. She had appreciated Pakistan’s obedience towards the US Administration working in the Pakistani ground. This is an interesting topic to discuss in modern political science, especially from sovereignty perspective.
It is natural for Pakistani rulers to welcome and accept US hegemony in the name of countering violence. But it is unnatural for them to create a favorable environment for the US Administration to interfere with other South Asian neighbors’ internal affairs. Both Indian and Pakistani rulers have helped to institutionalize US interference in South Asia. The South Asians have to perceive it as a major threat to their sovereignty and democracy.
Unfortunately, think tanks of South Asian countries are unclear as to their priorities—for their countries or for US Administration?
Implementation of human rights and social justice are the two major pre-conditions for uprooting out extremist violence. Extremists often tend to misuse people’s sufferings and existing social injustice for upgrading their violence while genuine democrats work hard to reduce people’s sufferings to prevent extremists from growing.
Considering interdependent international relations, South Asian nations need to adopt balanced foreign policies. Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan have serious flaws in their foreign policies. They rarely bother about their sovereignty and dignity.
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