Pakistan: Internal Chaos and International Isolation

by M.M. KHAJOORIA

Ali Sarwar Naqvi, a former Pakistan diplomat, in his perceptive piece titled “International Isolation” (Dawn, August 17, 2011), wrote: “As has happened several times in the past, Pakistan is facing international isolation once again. Somehow we land ourselves in a situation ever so often where we are on one side and the rest of the world is on the other.” Interestingly, he quotes four instances from history to illustrate his point. Two of these directly concern India.

First, “military action in the then East Pakistan when we thought we were right and the rest of the world thought that we were wrong”.

Second, “our military adventure in Kargil, which was considered by the rest of the world as irresponsible and likely to provoke war”.

Third, “The execution of an elected Prime Minister, deposed by extra-constitutional action. Again the world appealed to our leadership not to take the dire step, but we did.”

Fourth, “The recognition of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan: when the rest of the world, except for two countries, shunned it. We recognised it.”

“The result in each episode,” he wrote, “was international isolation, which took us a long time to get out of.”

“The terrorism and violence emanating from Pakistani territory seems to be the proverbial last straw. Many terrorist incidents, starting with the London Underground attack and the infamous Mumbai attacks in 2008 among others, were found to have a Pakistani connection or suspected of one. We have become the prime exporter of terrorism abroad, as well as its hapless victims at home..... As a result, no country worth the name now wishes to do business with us, allow our students, or our professionals and academics, or our visitors and tourists to enter its territory. Likewise, outsiders avoid coming to Pakistan.” “No wonder,” he wrote, “we are facing international isolation, and one which is far worse than we have ever experienced that may break the camel’s back.”

“It is just not the United States,” he emphasised, “that harbours a negative perception about us, it is almost the whole world that is becoming wary of us.” According to him, “the solution, though appearing difficult at first sight, is also very simple. We can put aside the other problems for the time being and concentrate on only one for the moment—the elimination and eradication of terrorism—to overcome this debilitating isolation.” Ali Sarwar Naqvi is not the only one in Pakistan to see the writing on the wall, rationally analyse the situation and come up with honest and practical responses to the ugly situation.

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IN fact, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was teetering on the edge of a terrible precipice. The nation was torn down the middle by sectarian conflict. Its polity, establishment, defence forces and society were fractured and deeply penetrated by the extreme Islamist zealots. A gasping economy was barely breathing on the oxygen provided by the US aid. The Pakistan decision to invoke sovereignty rather than express satisfaction at the elimination Osama bin Laden, the foremost leader of international terrorism, in the successful clandestine operation in Abbottabad placed so much strain on the already soured US-Pak relations that Washington could exercise the option of terminating economic aid. The signs for Pakistan were ominous.

Pakistan’s duplicity in respect of domestic and international terrorism has been completely exposed. The international community has arrived at the conclusion that Pakistan not only tolerates, but promotes and exports, terrorists and armed marauders to run riot all over the world. She allows them safe havens, provides space and facilities for running training camps. Pakistan has thus been perceived as the epicentre of international terrorism and the most dangerous place in the world.

The problem in reality is with the Pakistan Army, which back-seat drives the state band-wagon. They are averse to eliminate or even disband the so-called “home grown terrorism”, promoted and preserved as strategic assets against India. The truth is that Pakistan’s problems across-the-board are the product of the totally insane perception that India is out to destroy it and should therefore be treated as its enemy number one. It, however, seems that more and more thinking people and more importantly the common citizens of that country are seeing through the game of the Pakistan Army to use the India card as a red herring to retain their grip on the nation’s power structure. There are also indications that an influential section of the Pakistan defence establishment is tending to recognise the senselessness and stupidity of the perpetual hate India stance at the cost of Pakistan’s economic and political interests.

Moreover the speed with which Tehrik-I-Taliban, Pakistan and their collaborators are extending their reach and terror to all the nooks and corners of the country, there is not much time and not many options left with those who wish to save their country from the danger of extreme Islamist takeover. And let there be no doubt in anybody’s mind that undue delay in establishing control in Pakistan, that has placed Islamabad’s nuclear assets within the reach of terrorists, would definitely invite swift and decisive international intervention without any concern for the sovereignty of a country turning rogue. The stakes for the world community in the case are too high to brook such niceties.

M.M. Khajooria, IPS, is a former Director General of Police, J&K (now retired). He is the Chairman of the J&K Ex-Policemen’s League.