Pakistan
Succumbing to US Pressure
And finally
Pakistan has opened Nato supply route, without demanding any transit fee on
simple sorry by Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State.
In return Pakistan is
likely to get US$1.1 billion due under Coalition Support Fund, which has been subject
of wrangling between the two countries.
Pakistan’s claims often rejected and
smaller sums approved by Washington for reimbursement. It is not a favor
because the amount had been approved and already gone through the process and pertains
to services rendered before closure of the supply route.
The
announcement coming from the two governments suggest that the suspension of Nato
supplies was not in the interest of Pakistan, which seem incorrect. In fact Nato
had to incur almost three times the expense in using alternate routes. On top
of all opening of route was necessary for withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan,
expected to commence in 2014.
Most offending
is one of the editorials published in The New York Times alleging that the
military of the 'crippled and chaotic' state continues to play a double game of
accepting aid from America while enabling the Afghan Taliban. It also said that
Pakistan's political system is growing ‘ever more dysfunctional’.
Pakistanis fail
to understand because on one hand says the US administration says it needs
Pakistan’s help in reopening a critical supply route to Afghanistan and in
urging the Taliban to engage in peace talks so that combat troops can be withdrawn
from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and on the other hand Defense Secretary Leon
Panetta says “reaching the limits of our patience.”
According to
the editorial the US President, Barak Obama declined to hold an official
meeting with President of Pakistan, Asif Zardari at the NATO summit meeting in Chicago
in May. It also said The United States has little choice but to continue drone
attacks on militants in Pakistan. It has urged India to become more involved in
Afghanistan. Surprising was the phrase ‘Pakistan is paranoid about India’,
which it sees as a mortal adversary.
Equally disturbing
for Pakistan and United States should be the threats from Pakistani Taliban to
attack Nato supply trucks and kill its drivers if they tried to resume supplies
to troops in Afghanistan. Prior to the closure they have carried out dozens of attacks;
disrupting supplies destined for Afghanistan, and have repeatedly warned of
more if Pakistan reopened supply route.
Opening up of
Nato route is likely to get fierce response from religious groups and
politicians who have been demanding Pakistan should pull itself out of proxy US
war in Afghanistan. Opponents of the present regime enjoy street power and if
these demonstrations turn violent containing these would be difficult.