A priceless opportunity!
Let us squeeze every little bit of advantage that we can from our dangerous course of brinkmanship with the US.
Sometime a go, I wrote an article carried by CounterPunch titled, “Has Pakistan declared its independence?” (of the US). Apparently, it not only has, but is prepared to go as far as necessary in the dangerous game of “Chicken” currently being played out with the US. If there is no longer a ‘good cop, bad cop’ game being played by the US and the entire US establishment is united in levelling accusations against Pakistan, it seems that so is the Pakistani establishment and, the political leadership has gone so far as to attempt bringing all political parties on board.
There is, however, no doubt that the present situation is fraught with danger. Pakistan is facing, perhaps the greatest crisis of its existence, by challenging the might of the US at “Chicken”. But great crises have always offered great opportunities; if someone is wise enough to grab them!
Pakistan has, over time, become a nation divided within: ethnic divisions and grievances, sectarianism, increasing religious intolerance and diversity of religious interpretations, and finally, of course, the diverse sources of terrorism.
However, I can recall moments of crises when the nation was united: the 1965 Indo-Pak War; even 1971 when, despite defeat, there was a semblance of unity; and the judicial crisis created by Pervez Musharraf. All of these united the nation and the last one, in fact, forced the dictator to quit and leave the country. Also consider what happened when the Taliban took over Swat after the infamous peace deal there — this also united the nation to support the use of force to exterminate this evil within us. This last determination, to root out extremism from within, is present to this day.
Now to the present. Given the force of the anti-American feeling in this country and the general feeling that our politico-military masters have never had the gumption to stand up to the US and say “No”, this ‘declaration of independence’, whatever its other fallout(s), again offers a priceless opportunity to unite the nation.
Currently, no political party can muster a gathering of an impressive crowd as a show of strength; the people are fed up with our current lot of politicians, across the divides. However, if the all parties conference that the prime minister has called for, was to, unanimously, ask the people merely to come out in the streets in front of their homes/offices/places of business/shops, or wherever they are at a certain time of the day, for five minutes, to express their solidarity with the policy of ‘not succumbing to US pressure’, I think the response would be astounding and, if covered by the media extensively, will certainly give the US pause to reconsider unilateral action against a united Pakistan!
But far more priceless is the opportunity to address the real existential threat to Pakistan from increasing religious extremism, not in our tribal areas but all over the country, including (most of all) Punjab; the breeding ground for terrorists and suicide bombers being preached to hate by our Saudi-funded madrassas; a fact that our political leaders are not even prepared to recognise. After all, the logic behind the breeding of this hate against the Pakistani state stems from the accusation that ‘our politico-military leadership consists of gutless idiots who have sold themselves and the hapless citizens of this country to the greatest kafir (infidel) of all; the US —the country that provides unconditional support to Israel so that Israel can slaughter innocent Muslims at will. The same US that is at war with Muslims the world over, in illegal occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan’.
Well, if that is the logic for declaring all citizens of Pakistan as indifels and, therefore, legitimate targets for suicide attacks, then here is that leadership demonstrating its will to “challenge the US might and face the consequences”! That hate can now be garnished and redirected towards a (perceived) common threat and prevented from being directed within to target the innocent citizens of the country. With a nation united in its stand to respond to a unilateral US action, the opportunities are as many as we can make. This opportunity can be seized to bring peace to Karachi, it might even have some impact on the disillusioned and disgruntled, hopeless Baloch youth.
If we have decided on the dangerous course of brinkmanship with the US and are determined not to blink, let us squeeze every little bit of advantage that we can from it.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2011.
There is, however, no doubt that the present situation is fraught with danger. Pakistan is facing, perhaps the greatest crisis of its existence, by challenging the might of the US at “Chicken”. But great crises have always offered great opportunities; if someone is wise enough to grab them!
Pakistan has, over time, become a nation divided within: ethnic divisions and grievances, sectarianism, increasing religious intolerance and diversity of religious interpretations, and finally, of course, the diverse sources of terrorism.
However, I can recall moments of crises when the nation was united: the 1965 Indo-Pak War; even 1971 when, despite defeat, there was a semblance of unity; and the judicial crisis created by Pervez Musharraf. All of these united the nation and the last one, in fact, forced the dictator to quit and leave the country. Also consider what happened when the Taliban took over Swat after the infamous peace deal there — this also united the nation to support the use of force to exterminate this evil within us. This last determination, to root out extremism from within, is present to this day.
Now to the present. Given the force of the anti-American feeling in this country and the general feeling that our politico-military masters have never had the gumption to stand up to the US and say “No”, this ‘declaration of independence’, whatever its other fallout(s), again offers a priceless opportunity to unite the nation.
Currently, no political party can muster a gathering of an impressive crowd as a show of strength; the people are fed up with our current lot of politicians, across the divides. However, if the all parties conference that the prime minister has called for, was to, unanimously, ask the people merely to come out in the streets in front of their homes/offices/places of business/shops, or wherever they are at a certain time of the day, for five minutes, to express their solidarity with the policy of ‘not succumbing to US pressure’, I think the response would be astounding and, if covered by the media extensively, will certainly give the US pause to reconsider unilateral action against a united Pakistan!
But far more priceless is the opportunity to address the real existential threat to Pakistan from increasing religious extremism, not in our tribal areas but all over the country, including (most of all) Punjab; the breeding ground for terrorists and suicide bombers being preached to hate by our Saudi-funded madrassas; a fact that our political leaders are not even prepared to recognise. After all, the logic behind the breeding of this hate against the Pakistani state stems from the accusation that ‘our politico-military leadership consists of gutless idiots who have sold themselves and the hapless citizens of this country to the greatest kafir (infidel) of all; the US —the country that provides unconditional support to Israel so that Israel can slaughter innocent Muslims at will. The same US that is at war with Muslims the world over, in illegal occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan’.
Well, if that is the logic for declaring all citizens of Pakistan as indifels and, therefore, legitimate targets for suicide attacks, then here is that leadership demonstrating its will to “challenge the US might and face the consequences”! That hate can now be garnished and redirected towards a (perceived) common threat and prevented from being directed within to target the innocent citizens of the country. With a nation united in its stand to respond to a unilateral US action, the opportunities are as many as we can make. This opportunity can be seized to bring peace to Karachi, it might even have some impact on the disillusioned and disgruntled, hopeless Baloch youth.
If we have decided on the dangerous course of brinkmanship with the US and are determined not to blink, let us squeeze every little bit of advantage that we can from it.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2011.