Things are looking up for the beleaguered Pakistani establishment. In May, Russia joined China in extending political support to Pakistan at a time when the country appears to have been completely isolated by the West. President Vladimir Putin has made all the right gestures. He supported Islamabad when the latter took the decision to block the Nato supply routes into Afghanistan. He snubbed President Barack Obama by deciding not to attend the G-8 summit. And he is not going to attend the inaugural ceremony of the 2013 Olympic Games in Britain. The leader of this huge monolith that stretches across nine time zones has become Pakistan’s latest friend and is now focusing his attention on Asia. Pakistan’s disenchantment with the US has been steadily worsening. It has now reached the point where even sensible middle class western-oriented Pakistanis are becoming disillusioned with the former ally. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s belligerence and acerbic remarks have made things worse.
Russia’s relations with the US have deteriorated ever since Putin began his third term as president. The two countries have locked horns over the future of the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and Iran’s nuclear ambitions and missile defence. Putin has also accused foreign powers of trying to destabilise Russia by financing the biggest anti-government protests in a decade. But heck, this is nothing new. It has been going on since 1945. Ivan has always been the bad boy.
As I had pointed out in an earlier article in The Express Tribune, the first Pakistani official, who offered an olive branch to the Soviet Union was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Until 1990, Pakistan had a particularly close relationship with the US. Subsequently, the country was faced by a peculiar foreign relations situation. The visible tilt of the US towards Pakistan’s eastern neighbour with an eye on India’s huge market accentuated Pakistan’s growing dilemma. The signing of a defence pact between the US and India, stretching across 10 years made Islamabad look at different foreign policy options. And so, what was once quite unthinkable — stretching a hand of friendship to the Russian bear — suddenly seemed a viable option.
There was, of course, the dreadful episode of the Afghan war, which spawned a series of movies featuring Sylvester Stallone. Now, I don’t want to take anything away from those fierce warriors known as the Mujahideen. They were totally focused. They fought bravely and showed exemplary courage. But I wonder how many of my countrymen at the time of the heady victory, mulled over the fact that these warriors were also destroying roads, hospitals, sanatoria, community centres and schools that provided education to Afghan girls and women, or the fact that the war was becoming increasingly unpopular in the Soviet Union. I honestly believe that the Soviet forces didn’t have their heart in the battle and treated it as an unmitigated nuisance. God only knows what would have happened if the men in the politburo, standing in formal pecking order on the balcony in the Kremlin on the anniversary of the Revolution, had given the nod and decided to go the whole hog. These soldiers were, after all, descendants of the famous Red Army that fought in the Battle of Stalingrad and won the war for the Allies. Pakistan needs friends. For starters, Russia has offered to revamp the steel mill. But there is considerably more in the fruit basket.
Published In The Express Tribune, June 8th, 2012.
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But I wonder how many of my countrymen at the time of the heady victory, mulled over the fact that these warriors were also destroying roads, hospitals, sanatoria, community centres and schools that provided education to Afghan girls and women,
Mooraj Sahab, why are you talking about these 'warriors' in the past tense? By all available evidence these warriors are still doing the same at the instance of the same puppet masters. And now, in fact, they have graduated to poisoning Afghan girls who seek education.
All that has changed is the excuse. It was Ivan then, it is Uncle Sam now.
With should already be friends with Russia and everybody else Including India. We shouldn't see friendships as potential begging bowl fillers. When you do that then the world takes advantage of you.
Time to stand on our own for a change! Make friends with all but don't be reliant on any!
Dear Anwer Sahib, excellent advise but a tad late. Had this been the case back in the sixties, seventies or even the eighties things may have turned out for the better. Unfortunately for Pakistan or any other state grasping for straws will not help their cause, they may get a temporary reprieve but as we all know, Ivan could not to save Saddam, Gaddhafi and as time will tell Bashar Al Assad. We need to make friends with "Everyone" this state of ultra-nationalism is not going to build bridges, hospitals, schools, create employment or provide security to its citizens or borders.
@Sajida
Whoa! Wishful thinking on your part but you are floating away from reality
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. How many frenemies can a nation have?
Listen we want to love Russia and China (and have cordial relations with India) but we MUST have the best of relations with the US ALSO.
We cannot have one way or the other. BOTH Russia and US are important (equally so). If India can get tech transfer from Russia and become a customer of the US (by selling them goods and services) if China can learn everything from Russia and then sell goods and manufacture for the world then so can we.
We cannot afford to choose between Russia and US. BOTH and every nation is good and important to us. We need both because relying entirely on one power opens us to abuse and mistreatment. It also limits our learning abilities.
We have to have the best of relations with Russia and don't let them send our people over to China! we already have good relations with China! it is Russia we want to make up with and be friends with. Let Afghanistan be communist but let us be friendly with the Russians and the US too.
Anwer,
I support such a tilt. We are isloated and need all the friends we can muster. For starters we should boost bilateral trade many-fold. That would be showing friendship as well as boosting the economy in a positive way.
A very balanced, knowledgeable and insightful piece. How the once mighty have fallen (and not just in middle-class Pakistani minds, but in actual economic power and cultural appeal), and how the demons of yesteryear appear more virtuous by comparison. Perhaps our eastern neighbours will also sense the monumental shifts on the world stage and realise that their new-found love (our cast-off) is showing her age (and senility). I pray that it concentrates their mind on solving the Kashmir issue once and for all and then all will be love and light between us.
Antanu hit the nail on the head China, Pakistan, Russia & India would make a formidable alliance. Throw in Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan and the Central Asian States and we would become indomitable.
We are still dreaming of a cold war and big champions doling out goodies to us. China is telling us to to do more and control the jihadi inflow to xinxang. Russia has its hands full with our jihadis in chechneya and dagestan and they have " more in the fruit basket". Our beggar mentality on full display. I guess it is going to take a little time for our thinkers to wrap their minds around the fact that the world has changed, and our sending Jihadis to Niger to train terrorist there is our "more in the fruit basket" message to the world.
@BlackJack India "will only take a bigger role in world affairs when the time comes" if it didn't demographic bomb (of poor young, old educated population, it it wasn't acquifer's with a million new unregulated tube wells each year (source Indian water experts), it its land in majority wasn't expected to become infertile by Indian experts if current practices are to continue). What Pakistan cannot afford is to have this catastrophe in India.
So the disagreements between the "west" and Russia are based on Russia's close relationship with Pakistan ---- delusions of grandeur? In case you hadn't notice it Russia is the country that is facilitating the NATO northern supply route -- how's that equate to backing Pakistan? I would also add the while both China and Russia have problems with the USA they are both far closer to the USA than they are to Pakistan.
Lord Palmerston wisely said ' A country should have no permanent friends or permanent enemies, only permanent interests. '
A nice spin. The beauty of Pakistani policy and its makers is that it can make friends and enemies at its convenience, If you want to make India a friend, give MFN status to it. If you want to antagonize west Block the NATO traffic and play the taliban card, Now my question is, that Pakistan is courting Russia, will it still vouch for Chechen's freedom or compromise as in the case of china in western china. Rgds P
The visible tilt of the US towards Pakistan’s eastern neighbour with an eye on India’s huge market accentuated Pakistan’s growing dilemma. As long as Pakistan's problem is any nation's perceived closeness to India, it will always hold a losing hand of cards. India, despite its current woes on the economic front, is seen as a stable, responsible democracy that will only take a bigger role in world affairs when the time comes - and as indicated, everyone wants a piece of the still untapped market. Regarding the world's opinion of Pakistan, the less said the better. Pls remember that Russia is adopting a confrontational position vs the US - it has nothing to do with new-found love for Pakistan, and will definitely not be at the expense of a robust relationship with India. While the hype of Indo-Russian friendship may no longer inspire ballads, India has never caused any harm to Russian interests, and remains a huge potential market for the world's primary energy superpower. Russia also wants a stable Afghanistan, and once the NATO forces move out, we will see sharpening rhetoric on Pakistan's perfidy come from many of the former Soviet Republics.
A block of India, Russia, China ,Pakistan is the only alternative to make peace in the world.