On equal footing

PRIME Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s meeting with US President Bush later this month would be significant in a number of ways. There is a wide spectrum of issues likely to be discussed, yet it would be the War on Terror that would provide the backdrop to the visit. Understandably this would be the Washington’s focus. But the meeting at the Oval Office provides an opportunity to Islamabad to turn the tables around. It must strike while the iron is hot. The Bush’s government is in the twilight of its life with a president who appears to be nothing more than a lame duck. Because of the frustration that American adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused, the US public tends to view the Republicans with scepticism. The US policy for the past many years that was solely marked by a Neo-con philosophy has left the Republicans in the lurch. Therefore, it is the right moment for us to reflect on our choice of being an errand boy.

During his visit, the PM is expected to talk to other members of the US power circles, but one would wish to see Mr Gilani have a heart-to-heart with Senators Barack Obama and John McCain the presumptive presidential candidate as well, and softening their views on Pakistan. Despite the fact that Obama badmouthed Islamabad for giving a safe haven to militant groups, yet this could be ascribed to his lack of experience on foreign policy or to the rhetoric of his election campaign, which could be easily rectified, provided he is apprised of the true picture. Time must also be taken out to strengthen members of Pakistani diaspora and turning them into an effective lobby.

On the other side of the tunnel, the threat by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm Mike Mullen, that the US can take military action against Al-Qaeda and Taliban hideouts in Pakistan without informing Islamabad, is a sad commentary on the nature of Pak-US relations. The Americans have time and again bombed our tribal areas. One can understand the logic of the US anxiety in the fight against militancy, but Islamabad has its own problems and worries. So far the proxy role it has been playing has highly destabilized the country. While the US drones flying at great altitudes bomb our tribal areas, the militants resort to suicide bombings all around the country. The carrot-and-stick approach on part of the US is not just a mockery of the bilateral relationship, it is a bad way of rewarding a front line state. By reminding the Americans of the wrongs they have been doing and persuading them to make amends in their policy, Mr Gilani would be doing a great service to his nation.