USA has never been a reliable friend of Pakistan. History proves that including the wars of 1965 and 1971, whenever we needed them, they never stood by us. As a matter of fact after using us during the Russian invasion as admitted by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton herself, we were left high and dry.
What we have done for the US by breaking USSR no one has ever done and yet we are the bad guys. On the one hand we were and are being told to do more against extremism, while on the other hand India had a free licence to open 14 missions in Afghanistan to train and send extremists into Pakistan.
Now that they would also have the Afghan transit trade facilities, more impetus will be put in to establish that we would be unable to control the situation. It is known that arms of Indian, Russian and American origin have been seized during the ongoing army operation. Also autopsies of captured fighters reveal that they were not Muslims. It is common knowledge that Israelis are training Indians to secure their Kashmir front and other borders.
Look at our neighbour, Iran. After the 1979 revolution, they did not let the Americans open their embassy for fear of espionage activities. And Pakistan having all ingredients of a regional superpower is being portrayed as a failed state. Only the oil and gas reserves of Balochistan, if explored diligently, are many times more than our internal and external debts.
A fine line exists between what should be done and what can be done. If this fine line would have been treaded delicately, USA's war on terror would not have ultimately become Pakistan's war. It is argued by a majority that General Musharraf should not have curbed all centrifugal Jihadi forces, until they finally picked up arms against the state. Oppressed as we are, we are known as oppressors and terrorists by many countries.
It is time we stop looking at what the world thinks of us and pursue the national interests. What laughing stock have we made of ourselves that the US Ambassador has a say in everything. Even a visiting Richard Holbrooke calls on the Supreme Court Chief Justice to dictate Do's and Don'ts. Much better than us is Bolivia who declared the American Ambassador as persona non grata.
This is a battle for Pakistan's survival. Let us activate the pro-Pakistani Front Line army of Mujahideen to tackle the Indians, actively engaged in sabotage here and in Afghanistan. Let the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement be rescinded. Pakistan must remember that being a nuclear power anything we get will be from a position of strength just like North Korea.
Does any American talk of the 40 billion dollars lost by us during their war on terror? Does any one talk that our tourist havens of Swat and the Frontier stand ruined. Yes, we frequently hear talks of the 10 billion doled out by the Americans during General Musharraf's reign. Often people say that Pakistan is not a banana republic, that the situation now is quite different to that of 1971.
Agreed, but if this well co-ordinated international conspiracy of destabilising Pakistan through a war in NWFP, through agitation in Balochistan, through suicide bombings in Punjab and ethnic rivalries in Sindh is allowed to succeed, we are bound to fail. Some say that at times offensive is the best defence. Is any one listening?
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