Pakistan’s alleged proxies

It is easy to sit in a comfortable drawing room and pontificate about the need for Pakistan to abandon the use of proxies to further its strategic interests.

I don’t know if Pakistan is doing this at present. Kashmir has been quiet for the past four years, barring the indigenous struggle. Afghanistan’s Taliban are back in the news mostly because they get support from local Afghans angry at the U.S. occupation army and its puppet Kabul government. But for the sake of argument, let’s say it is true; that we continue to maintain some discreet links to proxies to protect our interest in Kashmir where India is blocking our water; and in Afghanistan where the Americans ignored Pakistani advice at every step of the way and innocently filled Kabul with Pakistan haters.

There are two questions that arise here. One, does Pakistan have legitimate interests to protect in the region beyond its borders? And, two, is Pakistan justified in pursuing those interests through proxies, if and when all else fails?

Of course, no country in their sane mind admits to supporting proxies beyond its borders. America never admitted to backing proxies in Chile or in Afghanistan against the Soviets. India never says it continues to funnel money and weapons to proxies fighting the government and army in Sri Lanka.

In Pakistan’s case, an outside power actually nurtured a ‘non state actor’ inside our territory – Mukti Bahini in East Pakistan – and then physically invaded our country to help the proxy militia break up the country. India did it openly and got away with it. And yet no one accuses India of ever using proxies as an instrument of foreign policy. To its credit, Pakistan has not done anything like this to anyone, despite all the noise from American and Indian circles.

There are glaring examples of how proxies were used against Pakistan, way before anyone accused us of nurturing secret friends in Kashmir or Afghanistan. We were innocent

then. What was the result? In 1984, when we were busy fighting the Soviets on behalf of the Free World, India invaded and occupied a mountain peak in Kashmir on the Pakistani side.

Foreign commentators can say what they want. It’s easy to sit thousands of miles away and play armchair strategist. But to see some Pakistani pundits do it, that’s ironic. They should know better. Like this lady member of the Pakistani ‘civil society’ delegation that visited India recently on a peace mission only to return to Pakistan and begin talking like a ‘convert’, condemning us for using proxies and blaming Pakistan squarely for the mess in the entire region.

Pakistan was overwhelmed by proxy warfare way before anyone in Islamabad thought of retaliation in kind. Instead of acting as apologists, we should tell outsiders that several other countries have used this type of indirect warfare in this part of the world. This is a war that Pakistan didn’t start but was dragged to. The BLA is active in Balochistan and somebody is at it, again.

Another member of the Pakistani peace delegation that went to India last week came back guns blazing, appearing on a television show to lecture Pakistan on how China brushed its border disputes under the carpet and focused on economic growth to become stronger and have a voice at the global geopolitical table. Sure. Pakistan would have loved to follow the same route with India on Kashmir. But did we get a break to do it? China had a breathing space. We never did. When we weren’t facing off with the Indians, the Soviets came breathing down our neck. When they were gone, the Americans and the Free World left us to deal with the mess in Afghanistan and simultaneously deal with India. We did it. Alone. Had Pakistan not done what it did, a free-for-all Afghanistan would have had become a Pakistani nightmare, divided between competing neighbouring powers.

In 2001, Pakistan gave the ultimate strategic sacrifice by ditching a friendly government in Afghanistan and help American occupy that country. We let the Americans install a government of their choice in Kabul and saw them push the terrorists inside Pakistan instead of finishing them off on the Afghan soil. We suffered billions of dollars in undocumented losses, way beyond the pittance in American aid. And what did we get? Insurgencies, terrorism and economic collapse. On top of it, India has blocked Pakistan’s water, effectively declaring a water war. This same hostile India is firmly establishing its presence near our borders in Afghanistan. And then the Americans have the audacity to come and berate us for having a soft corner for freedom fighters in Kashmir and Afghanistan. Even if we don’t want to do it, what choice do we have?

It is commendable that President Obama is willing to approach the region with an open mind. He will resolve half the problem by simply making the US strategic community understand that respecting Pakistan’s interests is the best way to achieve American interests in the region. After all, why treat Pakistan as the enemy? Unless, of course, it IS the enemy.

The writer works for Geo TV. Email: aq@ahmedquraishi.com