08/10/2017

CAUGHT, STUMPED, HIT WICKET: RED CARD AWAITS PAKISTAN

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.




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