A note for America’s apologists

Nato supplies are the only pressure tactic we have on ground.

The definition of insanity according to Einstein is to keep on doing the same things and expecting a different result. As the political literature fad goes, writers relish pen lashing a topic that blows apart any school of thought not conforming to the narrative developing in the media. In Pakistani journalism today, the best way to assure print space is to write an anti-Imran Khan article based on the theme that he is a Taliban apologist and then proving how life without the US is going to be a mad hatter’s party. The conclusion of all this debate is that drones and Nato supplies are a desperate populist cover-up for the PTI’s desire to get out of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

As far as providing alternative solutions to this problem are concerned, they suggest military operations, continuing with IMF/US funding as Pakistan has to abide by MoUs to save the economy, and continued pressure on the US to stop drone attacks. Each of these solutions has been tried, tested and has failed. Military operations have been going on in Fata for almost a decade. If military operations were the answer, then the problem would have been solved a long time ago. Fata has 100,000 troops on ground, with almost 11,000 bomb sorties being thrown at the suspects to date and yet, militancy has increased multifold.

Both the US and the Taliban have used drones for their own self-interest. For the US, it is the control of this region and a sales market for their 94 billion dollar drone industry. For the terrorists, it is the jihadi narrative being used by them to convince innocent people to lay down their lives against US designs. Thus, drones, either way, are being used to take thousands of innocent lives, besides now being declared war crimes by all international reports. All the political parties and analysts agree they are a violation of our sovereignty, so what is their solution? None. All over the world, injustice is tackled progressively through talks, protests and pressure tactics that make the other party feel the pinch as well. Nato supplies are the only pinching point we have on ground. It may not stop the US from droning Pakistan but it will certainly send a stronger message than merely conveying a condemnation to the US envoy. Recently, when India violated our territory and shot down our people on the border, we condemned it and put pressure by holding back the MFN status that we were about to award them and later, we shot down their soldiers. So, if these steps are fine for India, why not for the US?

The rationale given by the US apologists will be that India does not give us aid while the US does; and as the political parties very shamelessly say on talk shows, beggars cannot be choosers. Let me clarify the picture on whether the US is providing us aid or we are providing aid to the US. According to government estimates, the war on terror has cost Pakistan $90 billion since 9/11. According to reports published between 2002 and 2010, the US Congress approved $18 billion in military and economic aid from the US. However, the Pakistan treasury only received $8.647 in direct financial payments. Add the $1.5 billion from the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill and we have received barely $10 billion while we have spent $90 billion for the US war on terror. It is the US that actually owes $80 billion to Pakistan. According to the latest study of Congressional Research Services published July 1, 2013,“International, particularly US, military and civilian aid has failed to improve Pakistan’s performance against jihadi groups operating on its soil or to help stabilise its nascent democracy. Lopsided focus on security aid after the 9/11 attacks has not delivered counterterrorism dividends, but disturbed control over state institutions and policy, delaying reforms and aggravating Pakistani public perceptions that the US is only interested in investing in a security client.”

As far as the IMF is concerned, the alternative is there. Only 0.8 million people pay their taxes and if we broaden our tax net to include the data of 3.2 million taxpayers provided by the Federal Board of Revenue, the indigenous tax potential is about $3 billion. But the government either believes in doing nothing or doing exactly as they have always done, leading to exactly the same results. Like Hamlet, the choice for us is, to be or not to be a status quo worshipper.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2013.

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