For four decades, our liberal-democrats have opposed the overbearing American ‘interference’ in Pakistan. And for their patriotism, they have been castigated, banned and imprisoned by successive pro-US right-wing regimes in this country.
It is curious that while these liberals are silent today our right-wingers are trying to drum up anti-American hysteria. Suddenly, the anti-imperialist vocabulary of the one has been usurped by the other. Why should this reversal of roles have taken place now?
The end of the cold war has something to do with it. When Pakistan became a client-state of the USA soon after independence, the interest of the right-wing Vice-Regal legatees of the anti-democratic colonial state — army, bureaucracy and landed elites — coincided exactly with the regional ambitions of the United States to ‘contain’ the Soviet Union. It was a perfect relationship tempered by a simple philosophy: you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours, and to hell with notions of democracy and sovereignty.
The communist system has now crumbled, capitalism has triumphed and the American think they have arrived at the “end of history”. So now is obviously a good time for them to emphasise the winning virtues of American apple-pie: freedom, democracy and free enterprise. In pursuit of a new global blueprint, now is apparently also a suitable moment to reverse the regional aberrations necessitated by the political compulsions of the last four decades. Thus, Saddam Hussein has overnight become the Thief of Baghdad, Hafiz al Assad has been transformed from a ‘terrorist’ into a valuable ‘friend’ and the good King of Jordon is at a loose end.
Since the front line has been rubbed out, Pakistan is not required to defend it any more. So a quick solution acceptable to all its neighbours, not just Pakistan, is desirable in Afghanistan. And, as per Mr. Oakley, “the US feels strongly that an accelerated arms race between India and Pakistan would bring both parties less security rather than more — as in the Middle-East…. the rush to spend more for defence… needs to stop before it creates more regional instability… it will also devour the resources so badly needed for economic development… there should be greater emphasis and effort directed at the development and strengthening of democratic institutions and more popular participation in government: greater respect for human and civil rights, greater effort to resolve ethnic and regional grievances…”.
This must surely be music to the ears of the liberals. But by the same criterion, and more important, it must positively be anathema to the rightists. Having gorged themselves on quite a contrary diet for 43 years, they are now being tutored by the US on the virtues of slimming down and making space for others on the bus. No wonder, they are all hopping mad.
In its hysterical rage, the powerful right-wing will most certainly thrash about in the desperate years ahead. For too long it has dreamed of possessing Kabul and Soviet Central Asia to abandon these visions without a whimper today. For too long it has trampled upon freedom, democracy and human rights to embrace them willingly today. For too long it has gobbled up the national cake to allow more than crumbs to the people today. For too long its raison d’etre has been fuelled by its enmity with India. How can it suddenly abandon its nuclear programme, trim down its defence budgets, relinquish the chance of a lifetime to liberate Kashmir and avenge East Pakistan?
Benazir Bhutto seems to have stumbled on the political scene at a most unpropitious time in the militocracy’s transition. By force of personal circumstance (she is Bhutto’s daughter) rather than by political choice (her programme is hardly different from anyone else’s), she finds herself pitted against the Ziaists and supported by the new-look Americans. Unfortunately, her problem is exacerbated by the fact that her survival is dependent upon the democratic process precisely when the praetorians and their hangers-on are determined to protect their ambitions and privileges by scuttling it.
That is why, with Benazir in the middle, the liberals are silent and the rightists are screaming over the American ‘interference’ in Pakistan these days.