US President Joe Biden’s comment that Pakistan is ‘one of the most dangerous nations in the world’ has set the cat among the pigeons. Pakistan’s leadership is attributing this to the country’s recent vote on the Ukraine crisis at the United Nations. And, indeed, Biden’s statement does come as a surprise as, of late, the US has been going out of its way to mend fences with Pakistan. The matter can be understood, however, in the context of what it desires on the Ukraine issue. Visits by US officials to POK were to pressure India on its ‘neutrality’ and unwillingness to break entirely with Russia. Now, Pakistan’s ‘neutrality’ towards that country has miffed Biden.
All of this indicates the superficiality with which politics is being conducted on the world stage no matter how serious the issues. In the case of the US, it is almost as if opinion on social media is politicians’ primary concern, which is why there seems to be no consistency or strategy behind their policies. Not having a long term view on the direction their nation and society need to take, they keep changing their minds, which naturally has an adverse impact on geo-politics. Being concerned about public opinion is a ‘weakness’ of democracies, particularly when compared to the comfort autocrats like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping enjoy in this regard. But, it leaves nations wishing to have a stable relationship with the US wondering what will come next. One needs only to look at Pakistan’s condition today despite having been a committed ally of the US in the region for decades.
There are some experts who believe the US may be laying the grounds for another round of military rule in Pakistan – one pretext would be that the nuclear arsenal would be in safer, more trustworthy hands. The recent visit of General Qamar Bajwa to the US may have thrown up this solution to the ongoing and escalating political quarrel between the Sharifs and Imran Khan. At a time when China is considered by the US as its biggest rival, this would require Pakistan distancing itself from its forever friend. The permutations and combinations emerging from this are likely to keep diplomats burning the midnight oil in many countries. Unfortunately, none of this is leading in any way to the resolution of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, which is causing the most damage to the world economy and security, particularly at a time when climate change requires committed global action.
