The United Nations General Assembly session proved to
be a proverbial sticky wicket for Pakistan as it was all at loss, and was out
for a duck.
Of late, Pakistan has been failing to read the new pitch
laid out by the United States. Accustomed to playing on a placid wicket with
straight deliveries, Pakistan has been facing bouncers since the ascendency of
Donald Trump as President of the United States. An overly aggressive and
intimidatory President Trump has queered the pitch for Pakistan by bowling
“Bodyline” deliveries, threatening diplomatic relations between the two
countries.
Caught unawares
Taking off from his offensive statements while announcing
the US administration’s Afghanistan policy last month, Trump trumped Pakistan
again during his maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly. Though
he did not hit Pakistan directly, its inconvenience was obvious.
“We must deny the
terrorists safe haven, transit, funding, and any form of support for their vile
and sinister ideology,” Trump said adding “we must drive them out of our
nations. It is time to expose and hold responsible those countries who support
and finance terror groups.” No prizes for guessing who was on the firing line. While
staving off the bouncer, Pakistan took a body blow and dropped to its knees in
agony.
Pakistan might have brazened it out, but Trump had succeeded
in inflicting excruciating pain on its no-more ally. By naming the Taliban and al-Qaeda along with
Hezbollah, the message was clearly directed at Pakistan and Iran. That Pakistan
has been providing sanctuary to the first two militant groups along with
several others who are active in Afghanistan jeopardizing the US interests is
now an open secret. Afghanistan has not missed any opportunity in naming and
shaming Pakistan at all international forums for aiding and hosting militants
who carry out attacks on its territory. Trump’s fresh denunciation of Pakistan
came a month after he had singled out it for harbouring Afghan Taliban and
other militants while unveiling Afghanistan policy.
Early this year, the US administration had rattled Pakistan
when the Pentagon refused to pay $350 million in military aid to it for not
doing enough to tackle terrorism. But Islamabad chose to gloss over it as a
“wide delivery” as Washington had often suspended and waived off its aid to its
once close ally several times in the past.
But recent developments don’t augur well for Pakistan. The
new US dispensation is unlikely to allow itself to be blackmailed as Pakistan
has been doing in the past.
Stumped!
While Pakistan was still smarting from verbal missiles from
the US President, the Chinese policy on Kashmir came as a rude shock. China
stumped Pakistan by refusing to bat on behalf of its all-weather ally over
Kashmir. Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s demand that the UN
Security Council resolution on Kashmir should be implemented did not curry any
favour from China, which instead called upon New Delhi and Islamabad to resolve
the Kashmir issue bilaterally.
Within hours of Abbasi’s address at the UN session, Chinese
foreign ministry dismissed calls for implementation of the UN resolution on the
Kashmir issue. “The Kashmir issue is left over from history. China hopes India
and Pakistan can increase dialogue and communication and properly handle
relevant issues and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability,” Chinese
foreign ministry spokesman said.
China has steadfastly maintained its position on Kashmir
refusing any sort of intervention. In fact, way back in 2009, it had turned
down the demand of the Indian Kashmiri separatist outfit, the All Parties
Hurriyat Conference, which had claimed that Beijing had a role to play in
Kashmir as part of the disputed region was under its control.
Pakistani prime minister’s googly was well read by China as
it saw through its game plan of trying to fish in the troubled waters in the
wake of mistrust between Beijing and New Delhi over Doklam issue. That the two
countries could resolve the over two-month-long Doklam issue peacefully ahead
of the BRICS summit, caused more anxiety to Pakistan. China had earlier yorked
Pakistan when it along with four other BRICS nations named militant groups
based in Pakistan as a security concern in the region and sought decisive
action against them. Some of the terror groups named were Taliban, Al-Qaeda,
the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, all hosted by Pakistan.
Dismissed hit-wicket
If that was not enough then Pakistan's Permanent
Representative to the United Nations Dr. Maleeha Lodhi got her country
dismissed hit wicket by holding aloft a photograph of a severely injured young girl,
claiming that she was a Kashmiri victim of Indian atrocities. “This is the face
of Indian democracy,” she claimed while showing the photograph. As it appeared,
the girl in photograph was not a Kashmiri as claimed by Lodhi but a citizen of
Gaza who suffered injuries during Israeli air raids in 2014. The photo was
taken by award winning photo journalist Heidi Levine in a hospital in Gaza.
Lodhi’s goof-up not only embarrassed Pakistan, but it invited
criticism from all quarters, including people from her own country. Pakistani
citizens took to twitter and other social media platforms to lambast Lodhi for
bringing disrepute to the country and showing it in a poor light. Her action
certainly defaced Pakistani democracy. To make matters worse for Pakistan, UN
General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak has said that he would certainly
think about suggestions to prevent the platform from being used to depict fake
pictures.
After suffering humiliation from all quarters, the red-faced
Pakistan has no option but to surrender. Alas, Pakistan continues to refuse to
listen and learn. Even on the back foot, it tried to play to the (domestic)
gallery by painting the US as the main villain for the growth of militant
groups. In a Q&A session at the Asia Society in New York early this week,
Pakistani foreign minister Khawaja Asif said by "wrongly" supporting
the US in a "proxy war" in Afghanistan against the Soviets in the
1980s, Pakistan paid a very high price. Jihadist elements were nurtured by both
the US and Pakistan during this conflict. "Don't blame us for Saeed
(referring to Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attack that
killed 166 Indians and foreigners), these people were your darlings 20 years
ago, they were being dined and wined in the White House. Now you say go to
hell, Pakistan," said Asif.
Faces red card
It is high time Pakistan learns its mistakes from the past
and joins the global campaign against terror. Times have changed. There is
growing clamour against terrorism. If Pakistan does not want to play ball, then
it stares at facing red card. The ball is in Pakistan’s court.
