dawn.com
By Tariq Anwar Khan (TAK)
> It is reassuring that informed opinion
> in Pakistan shows a deep awareness of the larger game that > India is playing on the international scene and is also
> wary of the trap of a ruinous arms race.
TAK gives too much credit to the pakis. If they did realise the larger game plan, they wouldn't play it. India spends about 2.something-4% of gdp on defence but pakis spend about 6 %gdp on defence. The only route now for paki is to keep up with India's conventional weapons. But with an economy on the brink of collapse, TAk's 'informed opinion' seems to recognize it CORRECTLY.
> It is important that Pakistan monitors international > responses to the Indian moves and factors them into its
> decision-making processes, especially the crafting of > timely diplomatic initiatives.
Which resulted in a himalayan blunder called Kargil.
> So far, India has been able to turn the > global situation to its advantage.
Teh situation turning into an advantage was already there and there was no need for the inept indian diplomats. India only had to exercise restraint even though the world had accepted that india was justified in expanding the conflict if it chose to do so.
> It has been very much a part of Indian > calculation that while it can attach pre-conditions to > nuclear restraint, the Pakistani policy-makers remain more > vulnerable to outside pressure. In the current Indian > elections, the theme of keeping Pakistan under pressure
Pakistan remains vulnerable because Washington and hence britain accept privately that pakistan is nothing but a terrorist state and that pakisland backs the afghan taliban and Osama bin laden. They know that the paki army was the main involved in kargil, and they know that arms are being supplied by the pakis. With the saudi defence minister visiting facilities that even benazir did not have access too, has made the west realize that the saudi minister was not just taking a midday walk.
> In Pakistan, much of
> the space is taken up either by utterly > irresponsible nuclear hawks who have no idea what they are
> talking about
Which is nothing but teh paki army
> Like India, Pakistan should learn to > conduct itself like a de facto nuclear weapon power.
When all the years since independence have been spent being a terrorist state, responsibilty suddenly seems something alien as intelligence, intellect and rationality.
> understand the regional implications of weakening > pakistan.
Well, there it is finally. It would be interesting to see what the reaction of the world community is when they learn that pakis are supplying nuclear know how to the saudis, and then to the iranians, ..... (and ultimately blame china and North korea who supplied pakiland first). |
