US aid is not proportionate to Pakistan’s sacrifices

Asif Haroon Raja

Under the guise of global war on terror to rid the world from the scourge of terrorism, Pakistan was coerced and roped in and made to fight a proxy war against its own people. So-called temporary reprieve which Gen Musharraf bought from USA proved too costly. The nation is paying for his sins for over nine years and is still suffering due to America’s high-handed tactics and meddlesome role in our domestic affairs. By allowing US officials to micro-manage domestic affairs, Pakistan has been reduced to a status of a lackey of USA and made so helpless that it cannot even protest against drone attacks and ever growing presence of US security personnel in federal and provincial capitals of Pakistan. Floods gave an added excuse to USA to smuggle in its special forces and to also maximize economic pressure.

US Secretary of States Hilary Clinton’s diplomacy revolves around terrorism, Al-Qaeda phobia, threat to homeland security and the remedy she has to these multiple threats is to push Pakistan to do more. This mantra is fixed for Pakistan only since it is the only country ever ready to do more even if it is sapped of energy and capacity. This hymn has never been applied on coalition troops in Afghanistan which are genuinely in need to do more. Their financial, arms and troop needs are met with promptitude, their personal security and comforts taken care of. The US has never felt the pinch of spending $5 billion every month since October 2001. With 30,000 additional troops, expenditure has further increased. 

However, when it comes to Pakistan, the US becomes so tight fisted that it pales even Hindu Banias and Jews in miserliness. It gave only $10.5 billion to Pakistan for the period 2002-2009 but made so much of fuss as if it had opened gates of treasure stores of Qaroon. Over 50% of aid money was siphoned back to US treasury, while 30% was meant for repayment of services rendered. Practically only 20% of the much hyped amount was spent on development works and for meeting the needs of over 100,000 troops employed on counter terrorism duties.

A mountain is now being made over $1.5 billion annual aid under Kerry Lugar Bill (KLB) tied to stringent conditions. Purpose is to keep releasing tiny amounts after watching progress made on the given dictates and to stop the flow if slackness or reluctance is noticed. Such are the ways of imperialist powers towards lackeys. Beneath her charming and ever smiling face, Hilary is an iron lady. She disarms faint-hearted with her dazzling smiles, but starts frowning when someone tries to resist her charms. All our leaders who exchanged pleasantries or discussed official matters with her in Washington or in Islamabad, instead of fighting Pakistan’s case got tongue-tied and meekly acquiesced to all her demands.

We can recall how imperiously she sat between the two pawns on 6 May in Washington and made our President sign the MoU on Pak-Afghan trade transit (PATT) without even reading it. India was quietly fitted into the scheme to allow it to transport its goods to and from Afghanistan via Wagah. This spectacle was repeated on 18 July in Kabul when she and Holbrooke stood behind heavy-eyed Amin Fahim to ensure that he signed the final PATT without understanding the contents of agreement. Once the damage was done and domestic pressure mounted, the rulers vainly tried to hide their ineptness by deceptively explaining that the agreement was still to be finalized. PATT, which has since been operationalised has serious ramifications on own security and economics. RAW already misusing Afghan soil to destabilize Pakistan can make use of this access to transport armaments from India at a large scale. Moreover, there is no earthly reason to give one-way lucrative concession to India when it is choking Pakistan by blocking water in rivers and is unprepared to settle Kashmir dispute.

Another example was that of our Foreign Minister Qureshi joined by our Ambassador in Washington Hussein Haqqani. In the presence of effervescent Hillary, both started to sing songs of praises in respect of KLB and kept humming till Gen Kayani put a stopper in their mouths reminding them that the so-called generous bill had inbuilt security repercussions. On her last visit to Pakistan, under heavy cover of security provided by Blackwater, which was over and above Pakistan’s security, Hillary moved about freely chatting with cross section of people and tried to give an impression that she was warm and friendly. When quizzed about harmful aspects of KLB, she haughtily retorted, ‘If you want it take it, if you don’t, reject it’. She brazenly accused leadership of Pakistan of being in the knowledge of Al-Qaeda leadership based in FATA since 2002.

In the wake of Times Square incident, she flared up and adopted a bellicose stance, threatening Pakistan of dire consequences had a link been established.  On 18 July after landing at Islamabad, she reiterated that ‘should an attack be traced to Pakistan, it would have a very devastating impact on Pak-US relations’. Bob Woodword has also reconfirmed thinking of higher leadership in his recently published book ‘Obama’s wars’. He reveals that there are military plans to hit 160 targets inside Pakistan in case any terrorist attack in USA linked with Pakistan took place.   

Hillary presided over both PATT and KLB that were damaging for Pakistan. It is ironic that USA is so concerned about Afghanistan and Indian interests but where Pakistan’s interests are involved, it adopts a callous and unjust attitude. It is not even prepared to grant any concession by way of increase in export quota to US markets, which if granted will benefit Pakistan economically without causing any loss to USA. Both the US and EU have so far not allowed Pakistani business community access to their markets which is a very nominal gesture of appreciation in return for what all Pakistan has sacrificed to fight US war on terror. Economic losses have crossed $50 billion and civilian and security forces casualties are exceptionally high. Investment has dried up, stocks have crashed, business is down and energy crisis have become acute. All economic indicators have gone in negative.

Reconstruction Opportunity Zones Program for FATA envisaged exporting duty free products to USA to create more employment opportunities and usher in prosperity. The bill was passed by Congress in June 2009, but so far no progress has been made because of which after clearing phase, holding phase in South Waziristan hasn’t progressed to building phase entailing development. Swat too is till to be rebuilt and Shariat courts under Nizam-e-Adl have not started working. Although Republicans and Congress are putting hurdles but Obama sitting in driving seat should have ensured its implementation.

Notwithstanding poor governance mismanagement and corruption, which have contributed a great deal towards Pakistan’s economic meltdown, fight against faceless enemy duly fanned by foreign agencies, devastation caused by floods, India’s hostile posturing and its water manipulation strategy are major causes of Pakistan’s ailments.  Presence of three million Afghan refugees since 1980 is another huge economic burden. They are also causing social and security problems since foreign agencies are making good use of them to carryout sabotage and espionage activities. No steps have been taken by international community for their return.

Tall promises made by so-called Friends of Pakistan Forum to ease economic difficulties of Pakistan have so far proved illusive. Ongoing third round of strategic dialogue in Washington is also likely to meet similar fate. As opposed to what has been given to Pakistan, India has been rewarded handsomely without making any contribution towards war on terror. It will be further rewarded when President Obama visits India in first week of November.                           

While dealing with Pakistan, the US behaves like a typical coquettish woman who promises a lot but bestows little. Since September 2001, the US leaders have been making tall promises but on ground delivered very little when compared with Pakistan’s sacrifices to protect US interests. Even now after passage of KLB followed by commencement of strategic dialogue, the US is resorting to its old tactics of promising a lot but at the end of the day offering peanuts. Reasons proffered for stingy response range from its dissatisfaction over progress achieved in war on terror, to alleged nuclear proliferation, to secret links with Taliban or Congress factor. The US Congress under the strong influence of American Jews has been traditionally anti-Pakistan and pro-India and has always sat over aid bills of Pakistan.

In case the US wants current efforts of negotiations with Taliban for a political settlement to succeed, it must stop mistrusting Pakistan and should make it a key component of future negotiations. The US should deliver economic, military and nuclear assistance proportionate to sacrifices rendered by Pakistan. It should seriously consider pulling out Pakistan from debt trap by writing off its foreign debt. These gestures will go a long way in cementing Pak-US relations on solid foundations. Pakistan’s economic prosperity will help in stabilizing democracy and political and social structures and in defeating forces of obscurantism, thereby paving the way towards regional peace and stability.