If loss of sovereignty to US is evil, unacceptable, then loss of sovereignty to China should be equally unacceptable.
KARACHI: American drone strikes and presence of the US’ intelligence operatives have become big issues in Pakistan. Virtually a day doesn’t go by before a mournful statement comes from some major Pakistani politician expressing sorrow over the ‘fact’ that Pakistan has become an American colony. Everybody seems to have forgotten how America is spending billions in upgrading Pakistan’s human resources through provision of a large number of scholarships to its citizens. Also, what has been forgotten is the fact that it was America, which arranged a ceasefire during the 1965, the 1971 and the 1999 Kargil wars that saved Pakistan from much loss of life. Had America not intervened diplomatically during these wars, we would have lost out in a big way.
However, the last few years have also seen a slow but firm Chinese ingress into Pakistani territory. The strategically important area of the Gwadar port has been handed to China but not a single eyebrow has been raised over this move, which in my opinion, amounts to a compromise of our sovereignty. The same religious parties and Imran Khan, who have made political careers by lamenting the ‘loss of sovereignty to America’, are least bothered by this development. If loss of sovereignty to America is evil and unacceptable, then loss of sovereignty to China should also be equally unacceptable. Yet, no one is bothered about this brazen inconsistency in our position. Can somebody enlighten the public on the reason behind this contradictory position?
Osama Mustafa
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2013.
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