Pakistani
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already landed in United States, held a meeting
with John Kerry, as preamble to Nawz Obama meeting. Prior to the meeting a ‘lollypop’
has been offered to Pakistan in the shape of release of US$1.6 billion
assistance with emphasis on resumption, with military assistance amounting to paltry US$300 million.
Many Pakistanis
wonder, is this what the country looks forward? The reply is certainly in negative. The
super power has to treat Pakistan and India at par be it economic relations,
trade with Iran or assigning role in Afghanistan and Indian Ocean. Pakistan
should not be made subservient to India.
Earlier, to
finalize the agenda of the meeting US special envoy for Pakistan and
Afghanistan James Dobbins came to Pakistan and met Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the
Primer Sharif on Foreign Affairs and National Security but the focus remained
on items which may be important but vital issues were never talked about.
Nawaz-Obama
meeting is being held at a crucial time when date for withdrawal of US-led Nato
troops from Afghanistan is getting closer. After marathon talks in Kabul
between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and US Secretary of State John Kerry this
month, it was decided that a long-delayed security deal on the future of US
forces in Afghanistan is close to being completed. In this regard Dobbins had
already acknowledged that Islamabad had increased its support to the Afghan
peace process.
United Sates
recognized Pakistan’s role in facilitating direct talks between the Afghan
government and the Taliban. It was also
acknowledged that Pakistan particularly over the last six months or so, become
active in supporting an Afghan reconciliation process and urging the Afghan
Taliban to participate in the process.
It may be encouraging that Pakistan’s role in establishing sustainable
peace has been acknowledged but behind the scene India is still a devil’s role
in Afghanistan. Indian activities are aimed at establishing its hegemony in the
region.
It is
necessary to mention that the focus of Nawaz-Obama meeting may be Afghanistan
but a few points pertaining to Pakistan also needs to be included in the
agenda. The item on top of the agenda should be completion of Iran-Pakistan gas
pipeline before 2014 ends. About US$2 billion have to be raised for financing
of the project, which can’t be unless United States gives a clean signal. If
United States can grant permission to India to continue to buy oil from Iran,
why should there be an embargo on Pakistan on buying gas from Iran?
The meeting
must also focus on resolution of Kashmir, which has already led to three wars
between Pakistan and India. Both the countries are spending billions of dollars
annually on the procurement of conventional and non-conventional weapons. In
this regard India has to give people of Kashmir a chance to decide their fate.
They have been living in siege for decades and thousands of people have been
killed by the Indian security forces.
Though,
Hindu extremists say, “We will not allow another division of India on the basis
of religion”, division of Indonesia and Sudan provide a precedence for giving
people of Kashmir a chance to decide their fate. India has been blaming
Pakistan for ‘state sponsored terrorism. Pakistan has also been accusing India
for infiltration in Baluchistan. There are growing concerns that Baloch militants
are being supported by some of the US Senators, who are pleading for an
independent Baluchistan.
After having
witnessed role being played by United States in Libya, Iraq, Syria and rest of
the Middle East and North Africa and particularly in Iran, many Pakistanis strongly
believe, the super power first creates rebel groups; provide them funds and
arms only to create unrest in those countries. They also believe Pakistan is also
going the same turmoil. Lasting peace can’t be restored in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistanis
also have no doubt that militant groups operating in Pakistan are getting funds
and arms from outside Pakistan. The sole agenda of these militants is to keep
the country under turmoil so that it can’t make economic progress. However, the
US administration tends to forget that economic progress can help in
maintaining peace in the world in general and turmoil areas in particular.
