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ENDING his voyage to India, the US Secretary of State,
Colin Powel travels to Pakistan, amid a ray of hope for peace
in the risky region of South Asia, perceptibly with an
in-depth focus on issues of global significance with instant
solution of the longed issues, of-course with nuke’s and
Kashmir atop.
Endorsing an old rhetoric of India vis-à-vis the [so-called]
infiltration in held-Kashmir, a paradoxical facet as well as
'seeking assurances on Pakistan's nukes, Powel is now visiting
Pakistan for crucial and critical talks with the Pakistani
leaders on a wide range of subjects including Pak-US
relations, peace and stability in the region, with zest for
indexation of US troops onto the tribal belt as well identical
queries like the anti-terror combat plus nuclear
non-proliferation.
Virtually the Secretary is in Islamabad amidst highly
provocative reports in the Western media about various US
demands on Pakistan in connection with non-proliferation and
anti-terror war in Afghanistan. A hint about this aspect is
overt from what Powell has said during the course of his
interaction with media in New Delhi on Tuesday. As a matter of
fact, he has left ‘no stone unturned’ to gratify and appease
the age-old American aficionado [New Delhi] and that too,
ironically by eschewing the real cause of risks, the Kashmir
dispute, the much-needed and much-awaited peace and
tranquility in this region.
Prima Facie, the US officials are also resorting to calculated
and on purpose accusations against Islamabad, regrettably on a
regular basis and raising doubts and apprehensions against
Pakistan’s pledges against terrorism. Pakistan, in a way, is
being pressurized to fight terrorism ‘as per Washington’s
wishes and whims’. Lets’ be realistic. This type of the US
approach is neither friendly nor fair. It’s rather
arm-twisting and aloof act, which no venerated sovereign state
would ever abide.
It’s awful that Pakistan’s help to the US to fight terrorism
is being seen by the Bush administration’s stalwarts with
mistrust [despite the loss of precious and lovely lives in a
Wana episode(s)] and albeit being acquainted with the veracity
that the Pakistan had sided with the United States against the
wishes of its’ masses.
As a matter of fact, Pakistan has suffered a lot as an upshot
of its support to the US war on terror in Afghanistan, yet by
now, has got nothing in return. Eventually, even a layman with
abode in Pakistan feels as, hurt and mortified in the wake of
the arduous media crusade, unleashed towards Pakistan. It’s,
therefore, hoped that Powell will try to address Pakistan’s
sniffles n’ dilemmas rather than being more demanding [beyond
one’s mind eye] while on its’ soil.
Pakistan has already done enough on account of anti-terror war
and nuclear non-proliferation. Pakistan cannot obviously do
any more on these counts. Simultaneously, alike any other
nation, Islamabad should not be expected to sacrifice its
national interests for the sake of specific n’ pointed US
aspires.
Going by the index of the history, a significant, in fact a
vital, crucial and critical facet, which surfaces is that US
has never been a trustworthy n’ steadfast friend [of Pakistan]
in the gone-bye epoch and it’s highly implausible that it
shall be so — even in the times ahead.
Washington is already developing strategic partnership with
India [one way or the other] and on the contrary, it’s
exploiting Pakistan for its own peculiar motifs n’ motives.
Above all, one is forced to lift eye-brows on a pragmatic
question, which can in simple words be posed as after all
this, what has Pakistan gained out of its support to the US in
its war against terrorism in Afghanistan?
Like the US proxy war against defunct Soviet Union in which
Pakistan was overwhelmed with Kalashnikov and drug culture,
the country is today confronted with the pest-like nuisance of
terrorists from Afghanistan. Attempts on the life of President
of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf and sectarian violence
in Balochistan represent the glaring fall-out of the US
military intervention in Afghanistan and overtly for
Pakistan’s support to its anti-terror hazardous challenges.
As is envisioned in the prologue of this memo, we feel
optimistic that Colin Powell, who has this time come to this
limb of the orb [South Asia] very well prepared [than before]
would, in no way, set aside from his mind the actual n’
authentic essence and spirit of his previous trips.
With this acuity, the right-hand man of the Bush
administration is expected of laying emphasis on the
evaporation of the entire factors, still placing perils for
peace in South Asia, with the instant solution of the Kashmir
dispute atop — instead of liquefying his vibrant energies on
topics of less import.
Of-late, one of Powell’s deputies, the charismatic n’
captivating Christina Rocca has categorically n’ miraculously
rather marvelously been very ‘kind n’ considerate’ rather
vocal enough on the process of normalization of Indo-Pakistan
ties with her exclusive zeal for the solution of the Kashmir
issue, the core dispute, in a style which reflects the
truthful aspirations of the people of the Himalayan
State — though India, for the moment doesn’t think so; what a
hilarious, mirthful n’ funny, yet all-sure a deceitful n’
furtive approach of New Delhi?.
No-doubt, as an authority on the South Asian affairs the
elegant Rocca is enormously well-versed with the perilous
impact — if this issue [of Kashmir] remained afloat n’ up in the
air. Without casing or cataloging an agenda for Collin Powell
for his trip to Pakistan, we hope that his visit to South Asia
explicitly to Pakistan shall with a bit of luck prove
prolific, provided he fixes his priorities in a fashion, they
are ought to be folioed.
A gaze n’ glance by the Secretary on the episodes of the
recent past would unveil the fact that most of the US ventures
by n’ large have been abortive, virtually taking a shape of
turbulent turmoil in place of enormous respects, regards n’
veneration, which is ought to be the authentic right of the
solitary super-power — the United States. Just have a look on
the realms like Afghanistan n’ Iraq, which are still
camouflaged with haziness without an obvious forceful flash
for future.
Manifestly, let the power [of Bush or Powell] prevail for
preclusion n’ prevention of the actual axis of evils, the
paucity, poverty, provocations, pretentious, pompous n’ so on
and so forth — for the eventual affluence of humankind with
dignity, honor and equilibrium.
As for terrorism, there can’t be two opinions about the
hideous acts and deeds of all those fanatically caged in such
a reckless mindset. The whole world shall stand hands-in-hands
with the United States to pulverize all such mucky logos,
wherever they dwell provided Washington goes by parameters of
objectivity with no uncalled for favoritism, bias n’ prejudice
towards any-one, irrespective of ones’ faith, color, creed,
cast, credo or gender.
Millennium’s global village looks towards the United States to
take care of every-one’s legitimate rights [exclusively
people’s birth right of self-determination] as a rock-hard
shield. Likewise, it [US] as the champion of the civilized
world is ought to ensure that gaucherie for flagrant violation
of human rights wherever this toxic bacterium n’ bug [despite
the advent of the 21st century, equipped with novel gadgets]
persists is obliterated n’ extinguished with an all-out
potency n’ that too, at-once. Divergence from such realities
has, in fact, no room in the contemporary epoch except an
final discomfiture, both for the masters and their own nation
n’ neophytes.
As is known to all, history is n’ has always been indexed to
learn lessons [of the past] by no means, just to make it a
piece of décor for personal or public archives or annals. So
why not to seek a paradigm [lesson] from such a funnel, or in
other words, via such a guide [not simply, as a book] — yet even
otherwise?
© 2004 Mumtaz Hamid
Rao - Pakistan Times |
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