Votel’s words
Pakistan is now regarded by the world’s sole superpower as a ‘country of importance'
Until recently deemed the biggest irritant to peace in Afghanistan by the US, Pakistan is now regarded by the world’s sole superpower as a ‘country of importance’ — not just in the context of the Afghan endgame, but for all times to come.
General Joseph Votel’s testimony before the Armed Services Committee of the US Senate is sure to be music to the ears of those in the power corridors of Islamabad.
The US Centcom chief has told the senators’ panel that “as a state possessing nuclear weapons that sits at the nexus of Russian, Chinese, Indian, Iranian, and US geopolitical interests, Pakistan will always retain its importance to the US”.
Gen Votel has even gone to the extent of assuring Pakistan that its ‘equities’ would be acknowledged and addressed in any future agreement in Afghanistan.
The word ‘equities’ may have been a new entry to the diplomatic lexicon, but it unlikely refers to anything or anybody other than the Taliban.
Only recently, it was beyond US officials to speak about Pakistan without hurling accusations and threats. When unveiling his Afghanistan and South Asian strategy in August 2017, President Donald Trump warned Pakistan to ‘do more’ to rein in ‘the agents of chaos’ or face sanctions like aid cuts and lose its status as a major non-Nato ally.
Trump stepped up the pressure, choosing ‘Pakistan’s non-compliance’ as the subject of his first tweet for the year 2018. Therein he accused Pakistan of ‘lies and deceit’ and of ‘providing safe havens’ to terrorists, sending a clear-cut message that there would be ‘no more’ aid.
And that was soon followed by military aid cuts to Pakistan and exclusion of its military officers from coveted training and educational programmes that had been a hallmark of the bilateral military relations for more than a decade.
And a key US general now tells senators that Pakistan “has played a more helpful role, a more constructive role in helping us move forward”.
This transformation in US policy and attitude is a fruit of Pakistan’s successful foreign policy.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2019.
General Joseph Votel’s testimony before the Armed Services Committee of the US Senate is sure to be music to the ears of those in the power corridors of Islamabad.
The US Centcom chief has told the senators’ panel that “as a state possessing nuclear weapons that sits at the nexus of Russian, Chinese, Indian, Iranian, and US geopolitical interests, Pakistan will always retain its importance to the US”.
Gen Votel has even gone to the extent of assuring Pakistan that its ‘equities’ would be acknowledged and addressed in any future agreement in Afghanistan.
The word ‘equities’ may have been a new entry to the diplomatic lexicon, but it unlikely refers to anything or anybody other than the Taliban.
Only recently, it was beyond US officials to speak about Pakistan without hurling accusations and threats. When unveiling his Afghanistan and South Asian strategy in August 2017, President Donald Trump warned Pakistan to ‘do more’ to rein in ‘the agents of chaos’ or face sanctions like aid cuts and lose its status as a major non-Nato ally.
Trump stepped up the pressure, choosing ‘Pakistan’s non-compliance’ as the subject of his first tweet for the year 2018. Therein he accused Pakistan of ‘lies and deceit’ and of ‘providing safe havens’ to terrorists, sending a clear-cut message that there would be ‘no more’ aid.
And that was soon followed by military aid cuts to Pakistan and exclusion of its military officers from coveted training and educational programmes that had been a hallmark of the bilateral military relations for more than a decade.
And a key US general now tells senators that Pakistan “has played a more helpful role, a more constructive role in helping us move forward”.
This transformation in US policy and attitude is a fruit of Pakistan’s successful foreign policy.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2019.