No more, absolutely not

"Seriously". The response of the anchor in utter disbelief tells the story. That one word "seriously" was loaded. It was an expression of "do you know what you are saying?" It was an amazement at an answer hardly heard before from a Pakistani leader. It was an impromptu reaction to the unexpected. This is the story of decades of "Do more" compared to a couple of years of "No more". This is a story of a Pakistan no longer willing to be an ally of wars of other people. This is a story of Pakistan not being an aid seeker in return for proxy battles. And this is a story of a Pakistan affirming its position and stance as a peace facilitator rather than a conflict promoter.

Thus, the thunder struck expression of the HBO anchor. While the public is appreciating this stance, many are questioning it. The opposition is saying that the PM will take a "U-turn". The foreign experts are saying this is an on-stage show script with back stage reality being as previous. These reactions are understandable. For half a century Pakistan has openly towed the US line - since last two decades slavishly. While Pakistan had nothing to do with 9/11 the Musharraf government buckled under US pressure and became an ally in the US war on terror. This decision cost Pakistan its security and its prosperity.

Post-Musharraf era the democratic governments played the double game. The PPP government would protest at the drone attacks but would continue to support the US operations in return for aid. This duplicity kept on adding to the damage. This was substantiated in Wikileaks. In 2010 the controversial whistleblowing site Wikileaks released numerous documents relating to Pakistan which showed the Pakistani government had "quietly acquiesced" with drone strikes even though they had publicly condemned them. In August 2008, the then Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, is reported to have said: "I don't care if they do it as long as they get the right people. We'll protest in the National Assembly and then ignore it."

Pakistan had to pay a heavy price for these policies. 700,000 Pakistanis were killed needlessly. In terms of economy, estimated loss is $ 150 billion. Pakistan was termed the most dangerous place in the world on 2010 Economist cover page. 2008-2018 was a lost decade that made our economy unstable with mass deindustrialization, declining agricultural growth, huge deficits and dipping exports. But perhaps the biggest loss was the international credibility. When leaders play double standards, and western powers know, they exploit it. That is why despite not a single attacker in 9/11 incident being Pakistani, and despite Pakistan losing more soldiers and civilians in the war of terror than the US, Pakistan was always whiplashed with "Do more".

With this backdrop the change of government in 2018 was seen as just a 5-year routine. Donald Trump had taken Pakistan to new bashing levels with his derogatory tweets. That is why in the beginning of November 2018 when President Trump in his FOX TV interview defended his administration's decision to cut off aid to Pakistan, berating the country for not doing "a damn thing for us," he expected a flurry of "Pls do not cut off aid, we will do more" type of response from the Pakistani government. Instead he received an unprecedented reprimand by PM Imran Khan, the prime minister. The PM fired back, telling the President on Twitter that he "needs to be informed about historical facts." In a series of tweets, Khan said that U.S. aid to Pakistan was a "miniscule" $20 billion, while the country lost 75,000 people and more than $123 billion fighting the "US War on Terror." He also pointed to the supply routes Pakistan provides to American forces. "Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?" The whole country thought that this defiance would cost Pakistan an even harsher "Do More". Instead President Trump over a period of time started not only acknowledging Pakistan's contribution but also started praising PM Imran Khan for his efforts to help the peace settlement in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister's visit to US was a complete change from the previous visits of heads of state. He received prime treatment from the White House. The classic example of this was when President Trump asked the PM how US can assist Pakistan, he said not through aid but trade. This was a big departure from the ex-governments who were given aid and then enslaved to do more. In the present scenario the experts are fearing a backlash of PM's refusal to accede to providing bases. Pakistan has taken the right and tough stance and needs to counter any intended and unintended consequence through a three-pronged strategy:

1. Leveraging its role in peace in Afghanistan- This is a very sensitive and complex period for Pak/Afghan/US role in the region. Americans are in a hurry to exit. Intra-Afghan dialogue is messy. Terror attacks are increasing in Afghanistan. India is trying

to play spoiler in the region. The Lahore bomb blast after years of peace is an indication of what can happen if the settlement process is delayed. Pakistan needs to pitch itself diplomatically and politically as the peace facilitator US must continue to depend upon. If the US wants to leave without total chaos in the region, engaging Pakistan is mandatory and Pakistan needs to leverage this need.

1. Self-reliant economic growth- While saying "Absolutely Not" may incur delay in the IMF and FATF clearance, Pakistan can use this as an opportunity to become economically self-reliant. Pakistan will have to broaden the tax net and focus on trade not aid to grow. If the fiscal year 2021-22 shows a GDP growth of 5% plus based on revenue generation this will give a strong signal to the world that Pakistan is no longer a pawn but a key player.

2. Creating global relevance- Pakistan's climate change contribution has already been recognized in the West. Pakistan will help Saudi Arabia in their environmental efforts. Similarly, Pakistan's position on Palestine, Kashmir and Islamophobia is gaining resonance in the world. Pakistan needs to build upon these issues to become a global voice that matters.

"Absolutely not" is not just a slogan for public consumption, it is a complete paradigm shift in the thinking and behavior of this country. This is a declaration of political independence. This is a statement of intent and purpose. This is a stance and a stand. Most importantly, this is a self-belief. As they say "the real superpower is the power of self-belief."

(The writer is reached at [email protected])

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021