Our Sovereignty

On 14th August, 1947 when billions of Muslims snatched their homeland from British and Hindus, all the dreams were about freedom, independence and the foundation of state which will be sovereign in its decisions and policies.

Over the years what has crudely been exposed are the fake claims of our sovereignty that our rulers harangue about at every forum at any given time. These gaping limits show our vulnerability to external dictates and inability to adopt and independent position on even internal issues. Notorious telephone calls by US-authorities to Pakistani authorities demanding a particular alteration in policies and decisions are an open secret. They have been the defining points of US-Pakistan “strategic” relationships.

As an “ally” Pakistan has always compromised its sovereignty and acquiesced in to the dictates of America. Since the early 1950s it has pursued policies which not only curtailed its sovereignty, they also reduced self-esteem and self-respect of Pakistanis to the lowest ebb.

In the name of national security, Pakistan joined the US-led alliances of Central Treaty Organisation (Cento) and South East Asian Treaty Organization (Seato) to take part in America’s war against communism. For that, it also allowed the US to establish air base near Peshawar, a bordering city of Pakistan with Afghanistan.

Pakistan paid a heavy price for its “ally” state policy when it was abandoned by Washington during the 1965 and 1971 wars. No lessons were learned by the successive regimes in post-1971 period and the same policy remained in vogue. During the 1980s, the so-called jihad against the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan and the post-September 11, 2001 events further shaded unequal relations between Pakistan and US.

Though Pakistan has received $35 billion from US in assistance since 1950, but the main beneficiaries have been an elite, and when US shows its anger that why Pakistani nation is not with the US agenda, when US is giving so much aid, it forgets that aid doesn’t reach to the masses. It also forgets to note that the masses of Pakistan are still sovereign and they don’t want alms and aids. What they want is respectable and equal relationship based on respect, cooperation, tolerance and equity.