FRANKLY, it’s getting quite tiresome. As Pakistan and the US engage in another bout of public recrimination, squabbles and finger-pointing, I squirm in embarrassment for both sides.

What happened to the days of ‘no drama Obama’ when US foreign policy was less about public passion and more about subtle pressure and — this goes much further back — when Pakistan still managed to conduct itself with a semblance of dignity on the global stage? I want to say to the swaggering Pakistani security establishment and clearly befuddled US officials: enough already. Stop behaving like drama queens, forge a relationship between consenting adults, warts and all. Adults don’t have to love each other to work together. Call it a marriage of convenience and get on with it. It’s time America and Pakistan stopped the noise and engaged in some much-needed quiet diplomacy. My suggestion: as they are already in the US to smooth ruffled feathers, ISI chief Gen Shuja Pasha and others should exploit Pakistan’s under-exploited ‘mango power’. True, associations with the alleged crate of exploding mangoes which, according to the brilliant writer Mohammed Hanif, brought down the plane transporting the late dictator Ziaul Haq, may not go down too well with the angry generals in the Pentagon. But one bite of the chaunsa mangoes that Pasha and others offer, and the generals could turn into little pussycats. Ah, the Pakistani mango! And oh, Pakistanis’ obsession with mangoes! I admit I like the self-appointed ‘king of fruits’ and often buy mangoes in the local supermarket. Childhood memories are stirred for a fleeting moment or two. Mangoes are nice in salads with prawns and salmon. As a dessert, they are better than chocolate cake. But even though I like mangoes and eat them with pleasure, I can’t wax lyrical about the fruit. Though I recognise that for a country in desperate need of something … anything … someone ... to take pride in, mangoes are a godsend. The potency of mangoes — and their — mythical reputation in Pakistan and many other parts of South Asia, was brought home to me last week when, as it does most years, the Pakistani embassy in Brussels held a ‘mango extravaganza’ in a prestigious local hotel whose chef has finessed the art of turning mangoes into pieces of culinary magic. Mango sashimi, mango with crab, mango sushi, mango spring rolls, mango samosas, mango juice, mango sorbet … all laid out like an emperor’s banquet, tempting us with promises of delicious pleasure. Everybody was captivated by the effort and passion involved in producing the countless works of mango art. And, quite justifiably, Pakistani diplomats basked in the reflected glory of the country’s most potent export. As people milled around the laden table, tasting this and that, oohing and aahing after each bite, I realised that all the focus on mangoes was a Good Thing. First, because Pakistanis can feel justifiably proud of producing a fruit with quasi-magical qualities. That has to be good for the soul, a morale booster at a time when there is little else that most Pakistanis can take pride in. Second, as they tuck into mango halva and mango cake, even the most sceptical Pakistan-watchers can — for a moment — forget about the country’s sad record of suicide bombings, terrorism and violence. Perhaps, they even think: “A country that can produce such a heavenly fruit, can’t be all that bad.” That’s probably overstating the case. But consider for a moment: mangoes are Pakistan’s true soft power. As readers of this column know, I am a great believer in the power of soft diplomacy. Leading US academic Joseph Nye, who came up with the term some years ago, may have taken his thinking further and now talks about ‘smart power’. But I still think soft power — the ability to impress, influence and convert by non-military means — is best. It’s the soft power represented by the country’s singers, writers, journalists — and, once upon a time, cricketers — that keeps alive people’s interest in Pakistan. But ‘mango power’ with its ability to overcome barriers of class, colour and creed appears by far to be the best.

Fortunately, Islamabad appears to have realised this. As I sat down to write this column I came across a report that Pakistan had started to export a consignment of high-quality mangoes to the US after trying for a long time to tap into the American fruit market. The Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) with support from the commerce ministry had made all arrangements to send the shipment of Pakistani mangoes to the US by the end of July, the Online news agency reported. The first consignment would be sent July 27. It would comprise the chaunsa variety. Approximately 1,200 kg will be sent. Good move. The US has banned Pakistani mangoes for decades because the fruit doesn’t meet its Department of Agriculture’s requirements for pest management at the orchard and post-harvest level. Another, even more moving, article said that because of the US import ban, mango-starved Pakistani-Americans were being forced to travel north to Canada to indulge in their passion for the fruit. “A number of mango-crazed Americans, mostly of Pakistani descent, make the trek to Toronto where Pakistani mangoes are found in abundance in ethnic groceries from the beginning of May until mid-August,” the report said. I may not share their obsession, but I have nothing but respect for mango-lovers in Pakistan and elsewhere. The writer is Dawn’s correspondent in Brussels.