New Delhi, Sep 3 : Pakistan’s leaders have decided to engage in a game of petty politics with “arch enemy” India even when their country is being hit by a natural catastrophe of extraordinary magnitude.The torrential rains of the monsoon, brought on by climate change, have destroyed more than three-quarters of the nation.
Millions of people are stranded and trying to find food, shelter, and medicines.
Food inflation shot up to a 47-year-high of 27.3 percent in August.The global lender of the last resort the IMF has warned that the escalating inflation could cause tensions and protests in the cash-strapped country.
Federal Finance Minister Miftah Ismail wants Pakistan to import at a minimum vegetables from India to help ease the food shortages.However, the issue has become an issue of contention with the Opposition headed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan setting off a scuffle over the plan.
The struggling Shehbaz Sharif government is turning to Iran and Afghanistan for tomatoes and onions but it isn’t certain how far the two neighbors are able to oblige Pakistan.
The Imran Khan regime had prohibited commerce with India about three years ago, after New Delhi did away with the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under the Indian constitution as part of its efforts to combat with the threat of terrorism that originates from Pakistani soil as well as emanating from Kashmir in Pakistan.
The Imran Khan regime also pushed for the normalization of hostages on the other side to a reverse of the ruling.
Now, driven by political pressures the hanging-by-threat Premier Sharif and his tense coalition government are now saying “no imports from India regardless of the circumstances”.
A reminder of the words of late Zulfiqar Bhutto had declared: “Pakistanis will eat grass but they will also be armed with the ability to explode.”
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto the great-grandfather of the current Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was the sole responsible for the dissolution of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971, when he refused to allow the main group (Awami League of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman) to form a government.
It is going to be interesting to see what the UN terror watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decides to lift Pakistan from the bottom of the grey list (since the year 2018).The FATF team is set to arrive in Islamabad for an on-the-spot examination of the steps taken to stop the financing of terror and the laundering of money in the country of pure as Pakistanis are proud to call their country.
Pakistan’s appeal to the FATF and the money lending institutions is “take an open mind”.This is an appeal to not be distracted by any lapses and ensure the an influx of funds into Pakistan with an unending desire for foreign dollars.
With the approval of the Prime Minister, Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa wooed with the Pentagon as well as the White House in the only way Pakistan could: he facilitated the launch from of the drone strike in Kabul from an Pakistani airfile which killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Egyptian successor of Osama bin Laden who was at the top of Al Qaeda.And Americans are going further to assist the former NATO allies without harping on its past blunders.
The Pakistani government is proud of the IMF announcement of special assistance in monetary terms and promises of certain wealthy Muslim countries.However, no hint of any assistance from the country that lies across the border will reach the bewildered Pakistanis.
Pakistanis will be more willing to endure any kind of pain and suffering, rather than accept anything from India.
“Resolve” Kashmir first is the first step, says Shehbaz Sharif before he will think of taking any Indian assistance.
He reiterated what Imran Khan stated during the time he was the prime minister.Shehbaz is pushed to repeat his own rhetoric since his time he was in the Opposition.
A suggestion from Khan one year ago that Pakistan might resume trade with India was slammed by the PML-N who controlled the remote by the party’s chief, Nawaz Sharif from a luxurious pad in London.
Now comes the turn of Imran Khan’s raging Imran Khan to slam any idea of returning trade ties with India even for a short time.
He uses the rhetoric of the rhetoric that the Sharif brothers, who served as opposition leaders to maintain the politically beneficial deep anti-India sentiment that has been nurtured since the day Pakistan was made a part of British India 75 years ago.
Certain sections, though in they are a minority, recognize that, while the disagreements about Kashmir will not be resolved anytime in the near future however it is in Pakistan’s best interest to engage in trade with India.The most optimistic of them also see a significant economic benefits arising from trade relationships with India.However, they are able to speak out in fear of being accused of acting as agents of the enemies.
India is watching the Pakistani double-talk on the possibility of resuming trade with some trepidation and maybe a little amusement.The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his sympathy for the people affected but has not said anything about trade with Pakistan or sending relief to Pakistan.
His decision-making process could have been in the direction of the experience of India in its efforts to aid the Eastern neighbor.
Pakistan was flooded and struck by a massive earthquake twice in recent years.
In both instances, India offered an aid as a kind gesture to its neighbours.What did Pakistan respond?
The relief materials including medicines and food items supplied by India were deemed inadequate and’quality-questionable’ as well as a plane’s load of rehabilitation materials for victims of the earthquake wasn’t accepted.The announcement of the financial aid was called “peanuts” with politicians even going to the extent of saying that India of being inefficient in helping a neighbor in need.
This is surely being considered in the mind of the current government on Raisina Hill in New Delhi.
Remaining quiet in the face of narrow-minded, petty politics is more effective than making public promises that are used as a basis for India criticism.
