My way or the Highway

National Security Committee (NSC) in its recent meeting has made it abundantly clear that US interference in the country’s affairs was though detestable but the same cannot be equated with “conspiracy” hatched by the US to topple PTI government as being clamored by PTI Chairman Imran Khan with his lungs out in his public discourses since he was ousted by the Opposition through the vote of no-confidence. He was sadly oblivious of a well-established democratic modus operandi in the parliamentary system of government where Opposition was deemed as a government-in waiting. But, ironically, PTI leadership’s self-righteousness appreciates no bounds.

It may be mentioned here that earlier, DG ISPR also maintained quite clearly while contradicting the version of the PTI leadership that was foaming at the mouth while asserting that the change of its government was the result of the US conspiracy that was primarily fueled because of Imran Khan’s “absolutely not” narrative in his interview hinting that his government would not even consider the provision of bases to the US to deal with the aftermaths of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan during the month of August last year. It may be very relevant to state here that both the US and Pakistan governments had categorically maintained that the US had not asked for the provision of bases in Pakistan and therefore the question of providing the same or otherwise, by Pakistan was indeed the figment of the imagination of those who were engaged in making mountains out molehills. Ironically, the PTI leadership loved the juggernaut, ‘my way or the highway. That is what the PTI leadership had been embarking upon since it was sent home packing through the vote of no-confidence early this month.

It seems the PTI leadership is determined to create social, political and economic mess of preponderous proportion in the country in order to force all the stakeholders to agree to it bidding -- to hold early elections as it considers it is riding the wave of the popular support that may not be sustainable for longer period of time due to the fear of battering of its narrative. Its narrative may not be able to withstand the test of time entailing separating the grain from the chaff. The incumbent president and Punjab governor’s refusal to administer the oath to the federal and provincial cabinets are clear manifestations of the PTI leadership intention to create chaos in the country in order to pave way back to the corridor of power.

The leadership is sadly mistaken because all its flip flops may fail because PTI government had nothing promising to fall back upon. The sense of righteousness and good governance of the incumbent government may turn the tide against the PTI because the people of this country had suffered hugely due to spiraling inflation, massive unemployment, surge of poverty and hunger.

The muzzling of the freedom of media and the plight of the families, whose loved ones have disappeared without trace and notwithstanding the repeated foreign policy debacles, were not minor crimes those could be brushed under the carpet.

PTI chairman fierce attacks against the state institutions in the recent past may not bode well by any stretch of imagination, more so for the PTI because the sense of righteousness of the people will prevail upon when emotions will give way to rationality, objectivity and logic embracing thinking. The PTI leadership wont of putting pressure on the state institutions when these were deemed as working against Party’s interests might not bode well this time around. The PTI leadership may consider taking U-turn for its own benevolent reasons because without course-correction it may be treading on the path of digging holes to sink deeper unabatedly. It is well known pearl of wisdom, ‘if you want to get out of the hole stop digging. But, unfortunately, that is mostly likely to fall on its deaf ear if track record is cited as the evidence. Against all odds, it is hoped that better sense may prevail sooner than later.

It may look like abrupt digression but its relevance may feel in the following in our context. Russia would have definitely not mounted military onslaught on Ukraine if the country had been a nuclear power. The veracity of this doctrine can be judged that nuclear deterrence held peace throughout the “Cold War Era” notwithstanding the Cuban crisis that brought two Super Powers (USSR and USA) close to the brink of nuclear war but the horror of mutual destruction forced the superpowers not to unleash the dogs of war and the crisis fizzled out finally because the instinct of survival and civilization with better prospects life were so powerful that made the two superpowers back-off without taking into consideration of the hurting of their pride. Better sense prevailed due to the prohibitive consequence of nuclear war that could not be wished away or pushed away. Any miscalculation would have turned the whole planet as the rubble of radioactive waste with no prospects of life. It would have been the end of the civilization and indeed the end of the life on this wonderful exceptional planet, Earth.

It may be fair to put across an inquisitive question to all fair-minded and cognitively rational Pakistanis who may like to ponder upon the question to find out the answer in their earnest. The question is: can they (people) imagine the existence of even a battered and polarized Pakistan of today had the country not have been a nuclear power equipped with state of the art missile technology capable of delivering the payload against the enemy targets? The answer may surely be big ‘No’ because the country’s nuclear arsenal equipped with the missile technology would surely serve as an effective and absolute deterrence to the warmonger enemy country that might contemplate the military adventure in the absence of nuclear capability of this country.

The nuclear power status of Pakistan has indeed underwritten the defense of the country known as the full –spectrum nuclear deterrence”. The enemy country would not wade to undertake military adventure of any kind due to the fear of “mutually assured destruction” wherein there would be no victor to celebrate the victory and no defeated country to mourn the defeat. It will be all over both for the victor and the vanquished without an iota of benefit of doubt.

The people of Pakistan must be extremely grateful to Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto whose foresight and vision conceptualized that Pakistan’s security and its freedom could not be guaranteed without its attaining the nuclear status particularly after India undertook nuclear test (smiling Buddha) during early seventy’s.

The Indian nuclear test diametrically altered the balance of power in the region posing grave danger to the peace and security to the entire region in general and to Pakistan, in particular. India’s de-facto expansionist and hegemonic designs were imbedded in its history as it occupied numerous princely states after 1947 even though they declared their joining Pakistan state. India’s quest for expansionism did not stop as it is strategically focused to subdue Pakistan considering it as the only hurdle in the region to challenge the Indian hegemony.

Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, guided by his vision, decided to make Pakistan a nuclear power not only to ward off existential threat to Pakistan from its arch enemy India but also because of compelling survival considerations that evidently could not be sacrificed at the altar of the diplomatic expediencies or the pressure from the USA or it allies. As such, ZAB laid the solid foundations of Pakistan’s nuclear programme when he convened the conference in Multan(1970) in which prominent Pakistani scenarists working in other countries were invited including Dr, Abdul Qadeer Khan, known by the people as the father of Pakistan’s atom bomb. According to credible reports, Pakistan made the atomic bomb during eighty’s. The country’s leadership decided to conduct six nuclear tests in May, 1998 only after India conducted its four nuclear tests. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s remarkable contribution in the form of equipping the country’s defense with the missile technology was critical for the attainment of ‘full-spectrum nuclear deterrence’ because nuclear warheads without the state of art delivery system would have not served the purpose of this country’s security.

The three time prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s courage earned rich tributes not only in Pakistan but throughout the Muslim world that was proud of Pakistan’s achievement considering it as their own feat. It may be mentioned here, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif decided to go ahead with nuclear tests despite the US President’s Clinton warning wrapped in incentives of billions of dollars in aid should Pakistan desist from conducting nuclear tests. The trading off was not accepted by Nawaz Sharif, civilian vision, as Pakistan conducted six nuclear tests and Pakistan proudly became the recognised member of the international nuclear club.

Tail peace. People immensely appreciate Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for directing the CDA to build Faiz Ahmed Faiz Metro station. The legendary literary personality indeed whose obituary was prominently and elaborately published by London Times, a rare distinction.

muhammadshaheedi@yhoo.com