US-Pakistan relations

For the second time in less than a month, a high-level American official has reiterated the Bush administration's commitment to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in economic and security matters. On Tuesday, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage had wide-ranging talks with President Pervez Musharraf, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri and other Pakistani officials. During the meetings, Mr Armitage highlighted the Bush administration's priorities in the next four years.

According to the Foreign Office spokesman, these included broadening bilateral relations in economic and security areas. Last month, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca, appreciating Islamabad's role in the war on terror, pledged America's "long-term commitment" to Pakistan in economic and security matters. These assurances deserve to be welcomed, but history shows that "a long-term commitment" is what has been missing in America's relations with Pakistan during the last half a century.

In the fifties and sixties, Pakistan was America's "most allied ally", being a member of Seato and Cento, besides having a bilateral military pact with the US. But both had different motives for entering into this relationship, which, with the benefit of hindsight, appears to have been based on expediency. For Pakistan, the motive was to seek security through these military alliances and get economic and military aid; for the US the predominant consideration was to meet the perceived communist threat, make Pakistan a member of its chain of worldwide military alliances, and have bases on its soil.

Once the communist threat abated, America lost all interest in Pakistan. Which turned out to be a myopic policy, for America was back in Pakistan with its overt and covert economic and military aid when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Once again, when the Soviet tide rolled back, America washed its hands of both Afghanistan and Pakistan. 9/11 has brought them back on the scene.

Pakistan is situated in an area where South Asia, Central Asia, South-West Asia and the Gulf converge. In this region, the US has vital economic and strategic interests. The two countries can, thus, profit from mutual cooperation if they base their relationship on long-term interests common to both. Pakistan wants peace in the region, and it needs faster development of its economic and human resources.

For this, Islamabad needs a solution of regional disputes, besides foreign technology and investment. A Pakistan well-developed economically and stable politically would be an asset to the US, provided Washington helps in a solution of regional disputes, including Kashmir, and enhances cooperation with this country in economic and security matters on a long-term basis.

At the same time, the Pakistani leadership, both in government and in opposition, needs to take stock of the domestic scene. Democratic institutions are still fragile in Pakistan, the political scene is dominated by the military, and the opposition has failed to come up with alternative socio-economic policies that could make the people think that an alternative leadership was available.

Economically, Pakistan remains a poor country with low levels of literacy, health, housing and environment. As for law and order, terrorism continues to stalk the land. Such a Pakistan can be of little interest to any foreign power, whatever its interests in the region.

Deportation from Oman

Among factors that have given a bad image to Pakistan is illegal immigration. As a news item reveals, the deportation by Oman of 602 more Pakistanis brings the number of those expelled from that country to 33,000 in four years. If to this are added Pakistanis deported from other countries, the number reaches mind-boggling proportions. Most of them are poor and illiterate people from rural areas. They left the country because of lack of job opportunities. Which is a reflection on our ability to have a more productive agricultural sector.

Pakistan is lucky because its agriculture is dependent on irrigation and not on the vagaries of nature. Unfortunately, several factors have inhibited the growth of agriculture, the foremost being an outdated land-ownership pattern that does not give the tiller of the soil a strong stake in productivity. Invariably, our peasant is poor and illiterate. For that reason he is left with only one option - to go to the cities in search of jobs. There, he often falls victim to "the Dubai syndrome".

The way the unscrupulous among the recruiting agents exploit these people is a story unto itself. They ask them to pledge many months' salaries in advance before being smuggled to the Gulf countries. Invariably, it is the illegal immigrants who are caught and punished and not the recruiting agents who thrive on the former's misery. The only way to stop illegal emigration is first to improve the country's economic condition and provide jobs to the people so that the compulsion to migrate is not there. At the same time, the government should keep an eye on the activities of recruiting agents.

The illiterate emigrants often do not know the basics of modern travel and immigration rules. Consequently, they lend themselves to manipulation by recruiting agents. What the government can do is to do some "debriefing" when a batch of illegal immigrants returns, find out who sent them abroad illegally and take action against those responsible. This should include jail terms, besides cancelling the recruiting companies' licence to operate.

Violence in a Karachi suburb

The shooting to death of three people in Karachi's Shah Faisal Colony on Tuesday night has left the sprawling suburb in a state of shock. Wednesday saw the angry Sunni Tehrik protesters set several vehicles on fire and shops and businesses shut down. The attack has been blamed on the activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, who reportedly indulged in a gun battle with the religious organization's workers over the 'ownership' of a local mosque and the collection of Ramazan donations.

The Sindh governor had earlier warned citizens against giving cash donations to anyone claiming to be an MQM worker. While police investigations may reveal the truth of the matter, the collection of donations has long been a point of contention among various religious and political groups, especially on occasions such as Eid. The authorities concerned have failed time and again to enforce a ban on such collections that often lead to violence.

It is not enough for those in positions of authority to say that their party workers have been refrained from collecting cash or other donations. Despite such pronouncements, the situation on the ground remains unchanged, and many have to oblige the gun-toting activists who go from door to door demanding donations.

The latest incident could have been avoided if the law enforcement agencies had stopped religious and political groups from forcible collections. The government should now ensure that those found responsible for the killings on Tuesday are brought to justice without any political considerations coming in the way. The ban imposed on donation collection from time to time should be made permanent and enforced effectively.

This is necessary to avoid a recurrence of similar violence, which becomes the norm in the days and weeks ahead of Eidul Azha, when the collection of hides is a major source of contention among various religious and political groups.