are we getting isolated

[Guest guest]

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/feb2003-daily/09-02-2003/oped/o1.htmAre we

getting isolated?Dr Farrukh SaleemThe writer is an Islamabad-basedfreelance

columnistfarrukh15 (AT) hotmail (DOT) comThank our stars that we don't have oil. The bomb

plus oil and we would have been taken on even before Iraq.On January 21, Robert

Blackwill, US Ambassador to India, addressed the US Chamber of Commerce. The US

Ambassador said, "We will not become a mediator. We have no blueprints to solve

the differences between India and Pakistan. You will not see any administration

officials getting of an airplane in either Delhi or Islamabad with a map case

under their arm and saying how they can fix their differences" adding that "the

Bush administration did not want to determine India-US relations through the

optic of India's relations with Pakistan."On January 23, Nancy Powell, US envoy

to Pakistan, addressed the American Business Council (ABC). The US Ambassador

explicitly warned the government of Pakistan that it "must ensure its pledges

are implemented to prevent infiltration across the LoC and end the use of

Pakistan as a platform for terrorism."Blackwill does not want to act as a

mediator in the India-Pakistan dispute and Powell is convinced that Pakistan is

being used as a "platform for terrorism". And, America is the best of our

friends.Fortunately, we have other friends besides America. China our 'all

weather' friend with whom we share a 523 km border and then there are Iran and

Afghanistan.Let's review what our friends in the region are up to.What was, for

example, China's role in our Kargil affair? While all the limelight was stolen

by the Sharif-Clinton deal in Washington one of the major reasons why our army

had agreed to withdraw was because of Chinese refusal to back us in our Kargil

war aims.In addition to Chinese newfound neutrality, India and China have

signed an accord "pledging to reduce troops and respect the cease-fire lines

along their long Himalayan border." The accord says that "pending a final

resolution, both countries agree to respect and observe the 'line of actual

control' that separates their troops and promise not to resort to force or

threats of force".By the end of December 2002, China-India bilateral trade

volume was nearing the four-billion dollar mark for the first time in history

(Pak-China trade hovers around a billion dollars). Last year, China and India

signed six new agreements to cooperate in at least four more sectors. The new

sectors include peaceful development of outer space, water conservancy, science

and culture. More recently, China's National Tourism Administration and India's

Department of Tourism signed an agreement under which China accorded India the

'Authorized Destination Status' removing restriction on Chinese citizens

travelling in groups to India.On to Iran, our other friend. On January 25,

President Seyeed Mohammad Khatami and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee

signed seven accords including a landmark New Delhi Declaration. Over the past

year India and Iran have signed a dozen other agreements of economic

cooperation. Iran has a lot of natural gas and India is willing to pay billions

for it. Russia's Gazprom has been looking at building a pipeline from Iran to

India via Pakistan. More recently, New Delhi has been voicing reservations of

the pipeline's feasibility on security grounds (Pakistan is having serious

problems keeping its own pipelines intact). Gazprom has now agreed to

Iran-India offshore pipe study bypassing Pakistan altogether.Last year, India

decided to enter into a preferential business agreement with Afghanistan. As a

consequence, some 150 Indian companies, including the Tatas, the Hero group,

Godrej, Bajaj International, Escorts, TVS, Dabur, Kirloskar Electric, Usha

International and Atlas Cycles are now targeting Afghanistan. India-Afghanistan

cooperation is expected to cover agriculture, automobile and auto parts,

construction, consultancy, consumer durables, education, health care and

information and communication technology.On January 29, the European Parliament

passed the following resolution: "The Parliament adopted a joint resolution

condemning North Korea's decision to withdraw from the Non Proliferation Treaty

and calls on North Korea to reverse this decision. Members of the European

Parliament also condemn the decision of the Government of Pakistan to provide

the North Korean Government with uranium enrichment technology......." Our

Foreign Office immediately denied the allegation but in the bigger picture its

the word of our Foreign Office versus the same from Belgium, Germany, Greece,

Austria, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, France, UK, Holland, Spain, Luxembourg,

Ireland, Italy and Portugal all put together.The talk all around us is about

China-India trade, Iran-India pipeline, Afghanistan-India cooperation and

Pakistan-North Korea teamwork. If the region goes the way it is all that we are

going to be left with is our $650 million worth of Ukrainian tanks, billion

dollar Agostas, F-16 fighting Falcons, stingers, side-winders, TOW missiles

and, not to forget, our big fat bomb.President Vladimir Putin's Rossiyskaya

Federatsiya is going to be our comrade from now on. Three things to remember.

First, a mere few weeks ago Putin told the world that Pakistan's nukes were not

in safe hands. Second, Rosoboronexport, Russia's arms exporting corporation,

supplies some 90% of India's annual arms needs. Third, Russia wants to dip into

our hard-earned foreign exchange reserves in exchange for its killing machines

but we have nothing to sell to Russia.Are we back on the road to isolation?

Consider, for instance, that from within the continent of Europe Pakistan

claims to have diplomatic ties with Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia

& Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France,

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,

Romania, Russia, Slovak, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the

U.K. That's a total of twenty-eight countries. No one gives us visas and the

only European airline that still comes to Pakistan is Swissair.Lufthansa has

been coming to Pakistan for the past 39 years. It no longer does. KLM has been

coming to Karachi for the past 72 years. It no longer does. British Airways

operates 529,807 flights a year to 263 destinations in 97 countries but not

even one of those flights has Pakistan as its destination. Air France flies to

191 destinations in 85 countries but has now stopped coming to Pakistan.

Alitalia use to visit Pakistan 8 times a week. No more. How are we different

from Libya, Iraq or Sudan?

Discover your Indian Roots at - http://www.esamskriti.comTo mail -

exploreindia (AT) vsnl (DOT) net.Long Live Sanatan / Kshatriya Dharam. Become an

Intellectual KshatriyaGenerate Positive Vibrations lifelong worldwide.Aap ka

din mangalmaya rahe or Shubh dinam astu or Have a Nice DayUnity preceedes

Strength Synchronize your efforts, avoid duplication.THINK, ACT, INFLUENCE, to

Un write back.Create Positive Karmas by being Focussed, controlling

senses, will power & determinationNever boasts about yr victory and

successKnowledge, Wealth, Happiness are meant to be sharedBe Open Minded, pick

up what yu like from the world

 

Stop cribbing, ACTION is what the Indian scriptures talk aboutTake the battle

into the enemy camp, SET THE AGENDA, be proactiveIn an argument, no emotions,

be detached, get yr facts right, then attack with the precision of a missile