Pakistan cannot afford to part ways with America

Letting go of America’s hand not an option for Pakistan

No matter how much we try to run away from the truth, we eventually have to embrace it. One such truth that we, the Pakistani nation, need to accept is that we simply cannot take a stand against America under any circumstances.

The creation of Pakistan was made possible through huge sacrifices and compromises, ones that were expected to have an impact on the heath of the country for a long time to come. While a competent leader could have helped the newly-born state to find stability, the early death of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan deprived Pakistan of such leadership.

The leaders that eventually took the steering wheel were more concerned about staying in power than concentrating on the well-being of a country that was struggling to cope with the numerous issues, ranging from limited resources for development to hostile neighbours.

During the power struggle, the Pakistan leaders began to turn towards other countries for support, primarily Saudi Arab and America. The latter took this opportunity to find an entry into Asia, from where it could not only stop Russia from becoming a serious threat, but also keep a close watch on China and other countries.

The strategic importance of Pakistan in the region was of utmost importance to America, something that the Pakistan leadership was fully aware of. Rather than using this to the country’s advantage, the power-holders began to use it to their own advantage instead. America was more than happy to fulfil the selfish wishes of the leaders as long as they allowed it to stay in the region and freely carry out its operations.

Gradually, the power struggle between the leaders of Pakistan reached a point where the interests of the country began to get completely ignored. That is when America came to the rescue, offering funds and loans to allow the country to meet its annual budget and also to initiate development projects.

These loans increased over the years, eventually reaching a point where it became extremely difficult to repay or even survive without them. The leaders, however, were not bothered by how much the country owed America as long as their own bank accounts were being filled. With an external source of money, the taxes and other revenues were being considered as their own pocket money.

Very little has changed today as the taxes are still being used for other purposes while the funds and loans by America and other countries are keeping the country running. These funds and loans not only crucial for the government, but is equally important for the armed forces.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=20161

Posted by Muhammad Qasim Hassan on Apr 5 2012. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.