Pak1stanFirst.com

US and mistrust

Tuesday, 07 February 2012 08:58

Politics

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The US State Department has issued an altered advisory for American citizens in Pakistan, modifying the guidelines it last set in place in April 2011. The more stringent warning is a reflection too on the change in the relationship between Washington and Islamabad, and the new tensions that have crept into it. The latest advisory stresses that since the November 2011 Nato air strike inside Pakistan animosity towards Americans has grown and they would be well advised to stay away from demonstrations and gatherings protesting this incident or others similar to it. This of course is a matter of common sense. It would obviously be unwise to venture into a situation where people are protesting the killing of citizens by the US forces or by the unmanned drones that hover over northern skies. But the advisory also cautions against other more insidious action directed against the US – such as the labelling of diplomats or others as intelligence agents, followed by possible action against them. Such events have of course occurred. Warren Weinstein, an aid expert, said to be close to 70 years in age, was abducted in August 2011 from his home in Lahore – soon before he was due to leave the country. Information surfacing in December last year indicates he may be in Al-Qaeda’s hands. Nationals of other western nations have disappeared from other places, presumably picked up by extremist forces, and have yet to be recovered.

The deepening distrust of the US in this country is hardly surprising, given its policies that are perceived to be consistently undermining Pakistan’s sovereignty. What is ironic, however, is that these should rank among the actions of a nation that is also regarded as a key ally. Pakistan’s dependence on the US is well established. Yet over the past year or so we have seen a swift decline in trust; it is hard to work together with a country which is held in such low esteem by our own people, and which in turn, as this advisory clearly states, feels threatened by them. The entire issue of relations with the US is one our government needs to very carefully assess, given the enormous implications it has and the fact that much that happens in our future is dependent on this matter and the manner in which it is handled over the coming months and years.