The new cold war

It appears that the establishment is unwilling to support the US strategic aims in the region. These include making India a regional overlord acting on behalf of the USA to check the rising influence of China in South Asia. China is a time-tested friend and it does not suit Pakistan to be a part of conspiracies being hatched against it. Instead it is in Pakistan’s interest to maintain a strategic neutrality by maintaining friendly ties with both China and the USA. This is what Prime Minister Imran Khan told China Global Television Network (CGTN) during an interview. The PM also underlined the importance of CPEC for Pakistan’s economy, the people-to-people friendly ties and the joint stands taken by the two countries at international forums.

Despite Pakistan’s suggestion that the USA arrange a political settlement between the Afghan government and the Taliban before withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, the Biden Administration decided to quit within months, abandoning Afghanistan and the region to their fate. The USA now wants to set up military bases in Pakistan to launch attacks on the Afghan Taliban who continue to advance and are likely to threaten Kabul within months. Any military action launched against the Talban from Pakistan would cause problems for Islamabad. What is more, bases in Pakistan are likely to create misunderstandings with China which is against Pakistan’s national interest.

The Senate Committee on Defence and National Security on Tuesday asked the government to adhere to the recommendations given in the 2012 report of Parliamentary Committee on National Security while setting the future course of ties with the USA. The recommendations were unanimously approved by Parliament on 12 April 2012 and sent to the Defence Ministry with a note that these should be considered as Pakistan’s state policy guidelines. The prescribed terms of engagement deal with issues like bases, foreign boots on the ground and foreign intelligence operations on Pakistani territory. It was decided that no covert or overt operations inside Pakistan were to be permitted, no private security contractors and/or intelligence operatives allowed and that Pakistan’s territory would not be provided for the establishment of foreign bases. The Senate defence committee has now reminded that it is necessary to abide by Parliament’s directive.