Pakistan has become the victim of the wrath of the US and its allies as they are continuously failing to succeed against Taliban in Afghanistan. After the “do more mantra” and labelling Pakistan of lying and deceiving Washington, the Trump administration has taken yet another step to pressurise Pakistan to kneel before American demands. In a motion tabled by the US and UK that nominated Pakistan to be put on a watch-list of countries considered non-compliant with global anti-terror financing measure, Germany and France have also joined them.
Will Pakistan be able to convince the sponsors of the motion of its earnest measures against terror financing before the meeting of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that is to take place on 18th of February? Pakistan needs to get involved in intense lobbying with all four sponsors to persuade them of Islamabad’s nonpartisan actions against all organisations and individuals that have been proscribed by the United Nations. The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved new rules to block financial assistance of the banned outfits including those entities listed as terrorist entities by United Nations Security Council. Islamabad is trying hard to live up to its commitment to allow no haven to any terror outfit on its soil.
Nevertheless, like any other country, Islamabad can also fail in being unable to keep a proper check on every proscribed outfit. Such failure should not be equated as country’s likeness for terror outfits. However, Washington’s policy towards Pakistan is different. While on paper officials in Washington say that the successes in the war on terror could not have been possible without Islamabad’s assistance, in reality, White House does not respect the role of the latter in the so-called war on terror. The recent motion of putting Pakistan on the watch-list of countries non-compliant with global anti-terror financing measures is an example of making Pakistan scapegoat for American failures in controlling terrorism.
Instead of taking coercive measures and relying on bullying tactics against Pakistan, the US needs to work on trust building if it wants to reap positive results of the bilateral partnership. Bullying and hurling accusation against Islamabad will prove not only counter-productive; it will also affect the bilateral relations of the two countries. Pakistan is not an American colony. Pakistan, being a sovereign country, cannot be forced to work against its national interests. Interior Minister, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal puts it aptly when he says, “By finger-pointing, we only make the disruptors of peace win.” To achieve win-win situation in Afghanistan, America must bring softness in its attitude towards Pakistan.