Periscope on Pakistan

Periscope on Pakistan

Pride and Pakistan
Reading of the euphoria in Pakistani official circles over the announcement that Clinton after all will be making a brief stopover in Pakistan too, it is hard not to be struck by the obsequiousness which often surfaces in our dealings with the United States... when he comes here we can bet he will read us a lecture, the main points of which will be democracy, terrorism (Osama bin Laden) and non-proliferation (CTBT).

Clinton visit is an implied insult
Suppose for a moment that Clinton had winged his way past Pakistan. Pakistan would have survived the outcome because Pakistan is not a castle built on sand but the military government would have felt like the emperor in the story who found he was without his clothes. Now that he is coming we are relieved and grateful and in no mood to see the implicit insult that a people with slightly more pride than we seem to have, would have read in the brevity of his halt. Would Fidel, great Fidel, have put up with this? Forget Fidel, a constellation beyond our reach. Would Mahathir Mohamad have danced with joy because an American president was spending a few hours in Malaysia? But being without the one or the other, we are in a celebratory mood with no less than the Chief Executive saying, "It (the trip) vindicates the legitimacy of my government's stand and gives credence to our aim to put things right in our country."

Whom are we kidding?
Trying to fool others is a legitimate exercise in statecraft. But for self-deception, at which we are rather good, there can be few excuses. Beyond pious words and platitudes what is it that Clinton can do? Can he deliver a settlement on Kashmir? If not, whom are we kidding? We are also saying Clinton can lower the temperature between India and Pakistan. Perhaps he can but only for the moment because if the cause of tension the insurgency in Kashmir remains, the temperature will rise again and Clinton by then will be preparing to say his farewells from the White House. Whether we pursue war or peace in South Asia, when the crunch comes we will be alone, as we were (barring Chinese help) in 1965 and 1971. And as we were in Kargil just a year ago. ...When Bhutto was hanged The Economist (a UK magazine) ran a cover story with Zia's picture and the legend underneath: "We even hang our prime ministers." Bhutto's hanging did not enhance Pakistan's image. Nawaz Sharif's incarceration and the long line of armouredcars which bring him to court also do not redound to our greater glory.