Pakistan is fighting a war of terror or I may say war of error at the behest of the USA since the shady 9/11 event. And in doing so, many fine officers and men of Pakistan Army and countless innocent and humble civilians have succumbed to this erroneous war for the sake of someone else. The USA in return has pumped in billions of dollar to boost the military muscle of the Pakistan army that is required for the success of the war and easing pressure on the ISAF, and more so the US troops in Afghanistan.
The USA despite many claims and promises has yet to draw a road map to industries the troubled northern areas where militancy germinates because of poverty and lack of job opportunities. The unemployed youth are thus recruited by the militant organizations and made to die in suicide attacks and fight their own brethren.
But when the US president visits India, it announces deals worth $10 billion to India which will provide jobs to some 50,000 Indian workers. I don’t envy that since the USA has long lasting friendly relations with India, being the biggest democracy in the world and an old pal. My only disappointment is that had similar, even smaller gestures, made for Pakistan, specially in the recruitment areas of the militants over the past ten years, the situation would have been far different and better today.
The battle of winning the hearts and minds of the people through economic reforms is much easier to win rather than firing missiles and making people more hostile and angry, rather than being made friendly. Perhaps the USA wants to keep Pakistan embroiled in this war for its own long term goals in the area. That is why instead of making friends, it is making more enemies here. Our policy makers and those sitting in the comfortable air-conditioned offices in Islamabad, who get to visit USA very often on official visits, fail to raise their voice to fight the menace with a different strategy rather than that of dumping explosives on the “suspected targets.”
We have already run short of time to review our policy paradigm and to insist on USA to change it for better rather than for worse. Let us not have different and biased policies for an old bigger friend and a fragile small “friend” being used in own interests only. If we continue to sit idle and keep getting aid that has its indirect use for the US, there would be no let up in incidents like suicide bombings and drone attacks inside Pakistan.
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