Wicked games

By ZoneAsia-Pk

A former Pakistani ambassador to the US has taken upon himself to act on behalf of the Indian lobby to tarnish Pakistan’s image at a most opportune time for the latter. He wants the state to ‘reimagine’ itself and rid itself of its obsession with India if it wishes to become a stable country in the future—this is most damaging to Pakistan especially at a time when the country is grappling with challenges of gargantuan proportions. The individual’s role as the chief architect of the secret memorandum issued while serving as Pakistan’s ambassador to the US is a well-known fact. In attempting to appear non-partisan and even patriotic, the said individual has gone far enough to imply in his writings that this is perhaps the critique needed to put the country back on the path towards prosperity.

Of course, the anti-Pakistan bias is glaringly evident when the very ideology that brought the marginalized peoples in pre-partition India together for the formation of a new homeland by asserting the right to self-determination. The most ridiculous fact in this entire smear campaign remains that a man who clearly opposes all that Pakistan stands for, discredits the sacrifices of those who worked day in and day out to cut a revolution out of the heart of history (in the words of his leader Mr. Bhutto) once felt comfortable representing it resorting to seek American help to cut the ‘military establishment’ to size for… personal redemption? It is perhaps worthy of mention that he has served not once but thrice as an advisor to three former Pakistani Prime Ministers: had he actually been a neutral individual, his critique of the Pakistani state and ideology would have carried some weight.

Additionally, being the champion of civilian supremacy, he perhaps appreciates the importance of forging a consensus better than common folk. If that was truly the case, then both professional and personal integrity should have compelled the self-styled democrat to walk the talk. Posing as a ‘hostage’ in Pakistan, the diplomat-turned author has the sympathies of the west on his side and all the encouragement that he needs. He now pens articles with a singular theme that claim that Pakistan’s only salvation lies in submission to the will of the powerful and the tormentors from its past. Not only is this preposterous, defeatist narrative sickening, it is telling of the fact that in today’s world, the ‘intelligentsia’ can become an effective weapon in the hands of the powerful and can help propagate the narrative that is well in-sync with its agenda.