Languishing losers

The American system is based on competition. Only the ablest and fittest survive, losers are cut to size and left to languish.

The United States of America (USA), the only superpower of the world, was made to bite the dust in Afghanistan. It was perhaps the biggest military defeat after WW II. Losers had to flee leaving their sophisticated armaments behind.

As always, the imposed leadership of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan decided to side with the losers and continue to do so. This Ostrich approach defies logic. Recently, a joint exercise was conducted with the US Army to combat the menace of terrorism.

What was the purpose of holding this futile activity with the losing side? Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan, our immediate neighbours and brothers in faith, are the clear winners. According to a famous saying, one can choose friends but not neighbours. We must learn to live and deal with them instead of our distant friends, the habitual losers around the world.

In the year 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, the US and its Allies tried their utmost to overpower the Taliban. After two decades, in the year 2021 they had to abandon their arrogance of power and leave with the help of their trusted friend, the republic next door that is always willing to wheel and deal for dollars for the purposes of buying overseas properties for the rulers. In December 1979 the Soviet Union the other competing super-power of the world at that time tried the same feat.

Nine years later in 1989 they had to retreat, badly beaten and bruised. The economic fallout was unaffordable, which caused the collapse of the powerful USSR. At that time the winning side, called Mujahideen, was duly supported by the West and their ally next door, which had to carry the brunt of the war by accommodating over four million refugees who later refused to go home. Those who left mastered the game of cricket while living in the camps.

Today under the Taliban they have emerged as a power to be reckoned with in this international game of gentlemen where they have left us behind.

As a nation why are we always on the wrong side of history? In the Afghan War I, Bhutto was vehemently opposed. From his death cell he warned against the long-term effects of this war and urged the rulers to keep out of the conflict. The war raged on at the cost of the Republic next door.

Only a few individuals in power benefitted. After the Ojhri Camp disaster in 1988, Muhammed Khan Junejo, the elected Prime Minister (PM), decided to wrest charge of the war effort. He not only decided to sign peace accord for the Soviet withdrawal but also initiated inquiry into the Ojhri disaster, which was carried out to cover up the associated massive corruption that had taken place.

As always, the Muslim League leadership from Punjab decided to side with the establishment and the PM was sent home. Junejo was an honest, upright politician unlike his party members from Punjab. For party unity, he decided not to challenge his dismissal right away.

The case was heard by the Supreme Court much later but by that time fresh elections had been announced after the demise of the usurper. Betrayed and bruised by his own partymen, Junejo Sahib passed away in the year 1993 leaving the party in control of the pro-establishment leadership.

The floodgates of corruption were then opened, which continue to derail the Republic and its suffering masses till today.

It seems no lessons have been learnt, instead of siding with the winners and brothers in faith next door we continue to flirt with the lure of our distant paramours who have discarded us after use on several occasions in the past. From the ill-fated flight of U-2 Spy aircraft from Badaber to the overwhelming Taliban victory in 2021, we continue to rely on ‘Bewafa Dost’ (Disloyal Friend). There must be a wake-up call for the rulers.

National interests can no longer be compromised for individual gains and loyalty to the distant external masters who have always let us down.

Despite an agreement for territorial integrity of Pakistan, the nuclear-armed Seventh Fleet arrived too late in 1971; by that time Jinnah’s Pakistan had been dismembered. It was a painful separation from our Bengali brethren who had launched the struggle for an independent Muslim state in the Indian Sub-continent by forming the All-India Muslim League in 1906.

The leopard cannot change its spots, nor can the tiger change its stripes, it is a historic saying. Recent research has revealed that spots and stripes are in their genes. It acts as a camouflage to hide and hunt. On the other hand, the King of the Jungle relies more on its strength than deceit.

The leopard and the tiger despite their spots and stripes have no chance against the lion. In an open contest, they are destined to be losers. Every nation must operate like a lion in larger national interests by shunning individual gains. Spots and stripes are always misleading.

After the partition in August 1947, Hindustan became a part of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) of nations while we opted for alliances like SEATO and CENTO with the USA which limited our options with the rest of the world.

While Pakistan under the military dictator Ayub Khan and Iran under the Shah became lackeys of the USA, Hindustan under Nehru established relations with all the major powers of the world and benefitted from all of them.

The same approach continues till today, they side with their own national interests while we continue to suffer with the losers mostly carrying the burden of the aftermath. It was General Zia who entered the Afghan War I and it was General Musharraf who changed sides mid-stream in Afghan War II resulting in disastrous consequences for the people of Pakistan. Overnight our friends became our enemies.

The losers have long left but the debris remains to be cleaned. We must look inwards to clean our own house without the negative influence/directions of the losers. Massive consolidation, insulation and clean-up within our own land, is the best way forward.

The Indian fencing of the border in Kashmir is working why has it not been effective on our side with Afghanistan? Fortification and fencing not conflict with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is in best national interest of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Let the losers sulk in isolation till they learn to respect the sovereignty of other nations. Winners only associate with winners not losers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024