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India-US Nuclear Agreement
Pakistan military
establishment likes it or not, the nuclear agreement between
India and US has landed as a dirty egg on its face.
Of course, US President, George W. Bush has
tried to pacify Islamabad by making few kind remarks, but
practically, by signing this agreement, he has clearly defined
the direction and depth of relationship between India and United
States. And this has happened on the watch of a military ruler
who left no stone unturned to do American chores in his part of
the world.
Where does Pakistan stand in US scheme of
things?
General Musharraf’s wobbly statements are the
best mirror of Pakistan’s status in US scheme of things.
“Pakistan is strategically located”….”We have
all our options open”……”We also signed similar agreements with
China.”
Come on general, what else?
God knows who whispered this magical sentence
in the ears of Pakistani establishment that Pakistan was
strategically located. How much tax Pakistan is going to extract
out of its strategic location? As a matter of fact, Pakistan
should make a bigger claim than saying that it is located at
strategic position. It may claim it is center of the world or
even center of the Universe. Who is going to challenge them? But
Pakistani establishment forgets that things are happening
without anyone giving damn about its strategic location. What
else they want to happen in Afghanistan and in the rest of the
Asia Minor to make Pakistani establishment believe that their
strategic location doesn’t worth a cent?
“We have all our options open.” Someone may
ask what options? This sentence sounds too good coming out of
general Musharraf’s lips. Who knows better than him that his all
options can be eliminated only with one phone call? Options are
for the people who have “heavy mandate.”
“We signed similar agreements with China.”
What is common between China and Pakistan?
First of all, why Pakistani establishment
keeps Pakistanis’ imagination captivated with outside powers?
United States, China, and Saudi Arabia and so on so forth. Why
it doesn’t let people look back at themselves and rely on their
own strengths?
China may be Pakistan’s great friend, but it
is a totalitarian country like Pakistan. It doesn’t allow its
people to elect their representatives freely. It does not allow
plurality and dissent. It is afraid of democracy. Perhaps that
is why China and Pakistan appreciate each other so much.
Pakistan’s military establishment must know,
there is nothing like a free society. Freedom only comes when
people are allowed to freely choose their representatives and be
part of decision making process. Controlled and uniformed
democracies can only create half asses—like general Musharraf
who only see world in black and white.
India and United States are two democracies.
That is why United States calls India its natural ally. That is
why United States signs such agreements with India.
These are 21st century realities
and Pakistan’s military establishment cannot understand it with
1958 frame of mind paradigm.
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