THERE was a wonderful moment in the first television debate between US presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump when an exasperated Clinton swatted away another absurd claim by her rival with the memorable words: “Donald I know you live in your own reality.”

Living in a self-created and delusional universe isn’t unique to Trump. Many politicians across the world appear to have found refuge in their unreal little worlds, sheltered from tough facts and brutal truths.

Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to name a few, appear to inhabit their own comfortable worlds, far removed from the horror of wars and violence.

Here in Europe, Britain’s Brexiteers and Prime Minister Theresa May are happy bunnies in their sweet and nostalgic Little England illusion while the pound plunges and foreign investors start making plans for their own exit from Britain.

And now many members of the Pakistani establishment have been formally out as long-standing members of an expanding club of people who live, act and work within their own strange reality.

The existence of such a parallel universe is the only explanation one can find to make sense of the furious reaction by the Pakistani government to Cyril Almeida’s exclusive story on a civil-military split over how to deal with militant groups.

To lucid Pakistan-watchers outside the country, it is difficult to understand what the outrage is all about. Certainly Cyril has pinpointed a specific meeting and those attending it. But actually he is just stating the obvious, what everyone has known for years.

If anything the article reassures an anxious world that Pakistan’s policies may — finally — be changing, that the prime minister is worried about his country’s international standing and that he intends to do something about it.

Outside the Islamabad bubble, it is a truth universally acknowledged that Pakistan is becoming increasingly isolated on the global stage.

It’s long been public knowledge that the army and the civilians in Pakistan don’t see eye to eye on most things.

And it’s no secret that not just India but also Afghanistan and Iran are getting fed up with Pakistan — and are saying so in international arena.

Just last week in Brussels, Pakistan’s international isolation was hammered home to this correspondent after a much-publicised international donors’ conference on Afghanistan.

It was during an informal meeting with a senior EU diplomat. The Afghanistan conference had just ended and while the EU was happy about the outcome — the donors had made generous pledges — there was deep concern about the continuing lack of peace and stability in the country.

Everybody was blaming Islamabad for the violence and instability in Afghanistan, the diplomat underlined. “What we see is a Pakistan that is very isolated. Everyone is pointing their fingers at Islamabad. It is very disturbing.”

When I asked if the message had been conveyed to Sartaj Aziz, who was representing Pakistan at the conference, the answer was “not directly — but the writing is on the wall. It’s clear to everyone”.

Indeed. But only for those who want to see it. This correspondent has met many other EU diplomats — different nationalities, different expertise — who emphasise the same concern over and over again: Pakistan’s confusing policy towards the many militant “non-state” actors who appear to be under its control is damaging its international reputation and standing.

The world’s patience is beginning to wear thin, not least because the second largest number of refugees and migrants who have reached Europe in the last year are from Afghanistan.

If Afghanistan was a more stable, less violent country, the argument goes, there would be fewer Afghans coming to Europe. And since Pakistan is not being helpful in the quest for Afghan peace, it’s time to stop being nice to Islamabad.

Yes, people listen politely when Aziz and others repeat the “same old, same old” arguments about Pakistan’s commitment to peace. In Brussels, Aziz also reportedly told a think tank audience that India was “sponsoring terrorist campaigns in Pakistan to foment separatist movements” and was also guilty of “ceasefire violations”.

He also added that “India opposes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor for no apparent reason than to obstruct the economic development of Pakistan”.

Once again, yes, Europeans are courteous enough to listen to Aziz and other Pakistani diplomats. But they also listen to other countries and other more power and more convincing voices.

No surprise then that Pakistan’s narrative and the world’s patience are beginning to wear thin.

Pakistani diplomats in Europe and American have known this is the case for a very long time. But speaking truth to power is difficult and many may not have conveyed the bad news of Pakistan’s lost clout to their bosses in Islamabad.

Cyril’s article reassures us that at least some people in the country are waking up to an uncomfortable and inconvenient reality. And as they say, knowledge is power. Hopefully.

—The writer is Dawn’s correspondent in Brussels

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2016