In the world of Pakistani diplomacy, if there is no statement from Washington in six months praising Pakistan, then this means “international” isolation.
In the real world, however, Pakistan did not suffer isolation before Nato’s Chicago summit and wouldn’t have invited one if we skipped the summit, like we did with the Bonn Conference in December.
The six-month ban on American military supplies was, and continues to work in, our favour. It is beginning to bite US military and Nato more than it is hurting us. And we did well by saying publicly that we will reopen the lines pending a new deal.
This helped pull the rug from under the hawks in Washington. But our contacts and good relations with Nato member-counties would not have been hurt if we ignored their summit meeting.
Israel was not invited because Nato member Turkey wants an Israeli apology for killing nine Turk citizens. No one in Israel is sweating it out over supposed isolation for skipping Chicago 2012. Does this mean acting tough and severing ties with US and Nato? Not at all.
There is a better strategy: Separate Nato from the United States. Maybe even consider making our blockade US-specific, allowing in supplies from European countries while blocking those belonging to the US pending a new bilateral deal. Keep in mind that this deal is achievable if the Pentagon and the CIA stop obsessing about humiliating Pakistan.
We can also put the US government on notice by announcing that an American delay in reaching a deal would raise the stakes because we can consider a separate “reverse transit” deal for using our land routes and airspace for the coming withdrawal from Afghanistan.
We have erred by lumping together Nato and the US. Our problem is limited to the United States government and military. We can, and should, separate the two publicly. And it is not too late. Pakistan should shift to this policy despite some damage to our position due to
our unnecessary participation in the Chicago summit.
Instead of waxing eloquent about alleged isolation, Pakistani officials and diplomats should engage robustly with Nato’s European members. They should know we want cooperation, but American provocations are a hurdle. After all, what stops Washington from paying Pakistan a fraction of what it is paying for the more costly northern transit routes?
Or render an apology for 26/11, when the US military – and not Nato – hunted down our soldiers one by one in a deliberate act spread over two hours? Europe is aware of how American blunders have endangered the lives of European soldiers in Afghanistan.
There are many in Brussels who can talks sense to the Americans. Most Natocountries do not approve of deliberate American provocations against Pakistan and don’t want to be dragged by the US into a confrontation with Islamabad. To shift pressure on the Americans, we should tell our European friends we’d restore supplies but the Americans should show reason in talks over a new deal.
Ambassador Sherry Rehman has engaged the American media admirably. She should now move on to the next level. The good American people deserve to know how policy hawks in the Pentagon and the CIA are unreasonably dragging the United States into an unnecessary confrontation with Pakistan that would hurt both countries. Many Americans disapprove of this policy and we should stand by their side. It is time to isolate the anti-Pakistan elements in DC.
The writer works for Geo television. Email: aqpaknationalists.com