Discriminatory us balance sheet

The US during Ms Clinton's recent visit to India, has inked another 'defence' deal to beef up Indian defences with sophisticated and heavy armament, including provision of a couple of nuclear reactors, in exchange for what it hopes to find access to India's nuclear facilities. India, with its own designs and agenda in the region is busy arming itself to the teeth with nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft careers etc and would take anything to make it eligible for membership of the Big Power Club, for which it seems to have mustered support of at least Britain, France and the US, if not Germany as yet. Regardless of the preferential deal with a country which has refused to sign the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Arms Treaty, if India posed no threat to Pakistan and Pakistan was too weak to pose any threat to the huge neighbour, might one ask who against are Indian defences being beefed up? Needless to say, that the survival of the tottering US economy in recent decades, has been profusely dependent on its arms sale, the sole remaining tangible product after the crash of its automobile industry, with Japan outwitting it in the fields of electronics, automobiles and IT. It is constrained therefore to find or manufacture adversaries, pitch them against each other on a long-term, and market its military hardware. Israel against the Arabs, Iraq against Iran, India against Pakistan and China, and now Afghanistan against Pakistan are only but a few examples, where it is not in the US interest to resolve issues facing these entities but to prolong and precipitate their problems, so that its merchandise finds steady absorption. This is also another reason why Washington wishes no other country to attain nuclear capability, the acquisition of which, automatically reduces dependence of nations on conventional arms. Despite India's continued violation of the longstanding UN Resolutions for a Plebiscite in Kashmir to determine its future, perpetual subjugation and exploitation of its smaller neighbours whom it treats as client states, and Sri Lanka where it schemed, abetted and supported the Tiger Elam separatist movement for decades, while it is without doubt abetting insurgency in Pakistan's Frontier and Balochistan provinces besides financing terrorism in all corners of the country, such support from the elite club of nations, only reflects the mindset and expediencies of the developed world, unmindful of the expansionist designs and stark human rights violations by a monster in the making, which would be futile for them to realise, once the gene is out of the bottle. In pursuance of its long-term goals in the region, the US, after fragmentation of the USSR, has been wooing India, tipping it to become the regional power, designed to be used against China. Little does the US realise that India unlike Pakistan, will allow itself to be used only to the extent of its own national interests, and as a pointer, has only allowed inspection of its mundane nuclear facilities, and restricted access to the sensitive ones required by the US. It is another matter that the Americans for a start would not mind limited access and foothold, and once there, would eventually seek to make its way like the Camel into the Arab tent, clandestinely making inroads into the Indian programme. Even though ostensibly part of the double-faced Non-aligned Movement fashioned during the Cold War, India had put its eggs in the Soviet basket ever since Pakistan joining the American Block, until dismemberment of the USSR. And while extending a hand of friendship to the US, allowing it bases to fly its U-2 annoying neighbouring Soviet Union in the process, has cost Pakistan dearly, despite also serving as the vital link between China and the US through Ping Pong diplomacy, India has prospered both with the Soviets as well as with the Americans. The Balance Sheet as of today, can by no stretch of imagination be justified. But Pakistan's diplomacy and political leadership seem to be wanting as usual. Such has been the discrimination against Pakistan, that despite being part of the SEATO and CENTO, it was betrayed during the 1965 and 1971 wars with India, and faced economic sanctions on one pretext or the other. Not that one justifies its treatment of the Eastern Wing, but Pakistan was dismembered by open Indian involvement of which it makes no secret, but the free world and more so the UN, charged by its Charter to look after the interests of member nations, did nothing against the brazen interference by India in another country's internal affairs. While it was India, which exploded a nuclear device way back in 1974, no eyebrows were raised but Pressler's Amendment clamped sanctions and arms embargo upon Islamabad on mere suspicion of pursuing a nuclear programme, after Pakistan had been truly and decisively used against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Pakistan today faces the fallout of that support, with well over three million Afghan refugees it still plays host to, without any external help, many of whom are being used by militants against Pakistan besides the curse of heroin whose money is being used to arm militants and destabilise Pakistan. Instead of questioning its conduct when India repeated the nuclear detonation in 1998, it was Pakistan, which was brought under pressure not to respond. India has been rewarded with a Defence Treaty by the US, while Pakistan continues to be on the receiving end, not only from India and the Soviet Union but also from our erstwhile long term ally, the US, which has ignored Pakistan in preference to India saying that the two were not comparable. Confronted with the fact that US/NATO arms were being used by militants against Pakistani forces, the American answer has been that such arms may have been partaken by the militants in Afghanistan. Would the US like to elaborate on how it plans to prevent American arms under deal with India, getting into wrong hands or from being used against Pakistan? The defence deal between Washington and Delhi, needs to be looked upon with concern and caution. With a 'not to worry' assurance by Ms Clinton in response to pre-planned voicing of concern by India over the much trumpeted one and a half billion Dollar peanut aid per annum to Pakistan, and the justification offered by Clinton qualifying Pakistani efforts on ground against terrorism, the US has in the same breath customarily pointed its finger of suspicion to Pakistan, with Obama declaring that Pakistan would need to be watched to prevent Al-Qaeda from attacking the US. This in itself is not only an insult to the valiant efforts of Pakistan's armed forces and disrespect to Shahadat of its invaluable men in khaki, but a contradiction in terms. While such absurdities may still have to be pocketed, it is clear that although one can indeed not choose one's neighbours, one must choose friends and allies on the basis of their track record and mutual respect. Instead of taking such crap unendingly, Pakistan must look for other options, as indeed every one has the right to, and as the US has done itself in charting other supply routes and bases through the Soviet Union and Central Asia. I am sure, the Soviets would be watching and waiting intently to see the US meet the same fate in the region it had carved out for itself. Pakistan must aggressively take up the issue with Washington to decide once for all, if it trusted Pakistan, or else ask it to find someone more reliable to do its job. Pakistan on its part must put an end to this exploitation and seek other options to mutual security and economic assistance. This nation as for now, is eating grass anyway. How about doing so in earnest for a cause, tightening our belts and learning to swim. Who knows, it might become a blessing in disguise, and help release Pakistan from the clutches of the Zionist controlled IMF. The writer is a freelance columnist