Page 15 - English Tehelka Issue 5 - March 15, 2018

foreign affairs

Diplomacy set to

replace wars in new

world order

The perennially contentious relations between India and Pakistan are being overshadowed
by other nations with strategic interests such as China, the USA and those of the Middle East. • Curbing
Diplomacy and foreign relations have take drastic new turns and the times to come will be rebellion
interesting in this aspect, harcharan bains explains Pakistan
recently
banned two
iplomacy , they say, is It is obvious that Islamabad mistook could make for an exciting script for charities linked
about the next century the sentimental value of friendships a TV serial. But we will come to that to Hafiz Saeed
while politics is about among nations as a substitute for later.
the next elections. Seen hard-nosed diplomacy. It relied too But this is just one of the many
D in this perspective, the heavily on the “emotional bonds instances where an abject failure of Pakistan that supports Hafiz Saeed dominant player among the deci-
fact that global diplomacy — or between the people of Pakistan and diplomacy and foreign policy had and the global community led in China is being sion makers. In the end, because of
the lack of it — has been on a Fast China” and remained convinced till resulted in a major global decision. this case by the USA-India combine, accused of turning its brute force and because of the
Forward mode in recent months almost the proverbial Friday-after- On the face of it, that decision will who oppose all sources of terror, ap- history of the country since its in-
should encourage optimism about noon that China would stand by it affect only Pakistan and its already pear to be playing straight into the Pakistan merely ception, the army has remained
the direction international relations like a rock, and would in no case al- tottering economy. But the fact is hands of the very terror outfits in into a colony and the only force to reckon with. And
are taking or are likely to take in fu- low its arch regional enemy, India, that an economically devastated and Pakistan whom they actually want that force does not want normal
ture. But would that optimism be its moment of diplomatic triumph diplomatically isolated Pakistan is in to liquidate. finally leading relations with India because peace
justified? against Pakistan in the FATF. What the best interest of the very forces of The problem with the govern- it towards reduces the relevance and signifi-
Two major events, each emi - transpired at Paris just prior to the fi- terror which the International com- ment of Pakistan is that there is no cance of the men in uniform. Peace
nently preventable through even nal act of the high diplomatic drama munity wants Pakistan to eliminate entity with that name in that coun- bankruptcy with India destroys the narrative of
the normal course of international — or at least to stop allowing them try. There is a name-plate institution a permanent existentialist threat to
back-channel diplomacy, have left to use the Pakistani soil as a terror which is best described as the “titu- Pakistan. And once that threat is no
the Indian sub-continent in tremors, Both Pakistan that launch-pad against the people and lar” government of Pakistan which openly stated by a few of the most longer there, why would you need a
although, thankfully, India might governments of other countries. is only a soulless, unarmed and daring journalists from Pakistan, powerful army? The Generals un-
appear to be sitting on the winning supports Hafiz Although India is the first direct toothless giant with a civilian face. like Rauf Klasra, Rauf Hasan, Amir derstand this simple equation. More
side of the final equation in both Saeed and the target of these forces of terror, even But everybody knows who the boss Mateen, Ejaz Haider — to name just importantly, they also know how to
these instances. That at least is the the USA has not been immune to in that country is. Neither the army a few. And the relevance and the dub as “traitors or Indian agents” all
dominant belief among our Foreign global community attacks from these Jihadi loose can- nor its opponents question the fun- celebrity status of these Generals in those who promote this equation
Policy mandarins. It is quite another that opposes nons. America’s critical interests in damental truth of Pakistan — that their own country is dependent also As anybody even remotely
matter that even India’s victory may Afghanistan are compromised by it is neither a democratic country on the security narrative that they familiar with the way armies func-
in the end prove to be merely ‘a short all sources of the long leash which Pakistan gives nor even an honestly Islamic state: feed to their people . tion all over the world would tell us,
term gain’. But for the moment, it is to the fountainhead of international it is just a security state. As Shashi As per this narrative, Pakistan armies and diplomacy do not share
celebration time, India. terror appear to terror — Hafiz Saeed. In the name Tharoor once put it, “All over the faces a permanent existentialist a dining table. There have been only
Last week, the Paris-based Finan- be playing into of “mainstreaming the Islamic radi- world, every country possesses an threat from India every hour of the a handful exceptions to this rule –
cial Action Task Force (FATF) decid- cals”, the government and, especial- army. But in Pakistan, the army pos- day, every day of the month, every the most notable being the states-
ed to place Pakistan on the terror- the hands of the ly, the army in Pakistan continue to sesses the country.” And that army month of the year — year after year. man warrior Napoleon Bonaparte.
financing watch list after its “Loftier very terror outfits treat the internationally designated is led by Generals whose children Thus, the country — so goes the nar- But no one would enjoy the joke if
than the Himalayas and Deeper than terror outfit of Hafiz Saeed, Jamaat- study abroad and whose families rative — needs a powerful army. we begin to talk of the great French
the Oceans” friend China stunned its whom they want ud -Dawah (JuD) as “a missionary have huge stakes in countries like And the army can remain power- General and emperor in the same
ally by withdrawing support to the to liquidate and humanitarian, social welfare the USA. These Generals have no ful only if it controls the govern- breath as we speak of the Yahya
Islamic country at the last moment. organization.” Thus, ironically, both personal stakes in Pakistan — a fact ment or is, at the very least, the most Khans and Parvez Musharrafs.

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