via media-eye

Pakistani Parliamentarians talk about sovereignty and national integrity. We are always using pompous sounding words, words that have no meaning at all in our particular context. When I read in the newspaper that our parliamentarians have unanimously passed a resolutions calling upon the Federal Government to take all necessary steps in order to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and in the aftermath of the US attack in the border areas of the country, I could not help smiling.

When our parliament does not want to do anything about an issue and want to give an outward impression that it will take strong measures, it passes resolutions. A number of resolutions have been passed by our parliament without any result. Remember the resolution passed regarding the publication of caricatures of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in Danish newspapers. Does it have any effect on any country in world? Was the government of Denmark least perturbed by our resolution? Countries have to look upon other countries even for their basic needs have to compromise their sovereignty. This is an established principle in the world. If anyone thinks otherwise, he lives in a fool’s paradise.

The United States has been saying for quite some time now that it will take unilateral action inside Pakistani territory if it has actionable intelligence. The United States has been paying the government of Pakistan for military operation in the tribal areas of the country. It now says that the government of Pakistan has not been doing enough to check the growth of Al Qaeda elements in its tribal areas. Now that the US forces have brazenly violated our “sovereignty” and according to reports appearing in the US media, it appears that more such violations will take place in the future as well, what can the government of Pakistan practically do? Can they afford to attack US forces and repulse them?

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, during his inaugural visit to the United States had also talked about sovereignty of the country. The visit was termed a success. How can the visit be a success if the US paid no heed to the sayings of the Prime Minister? The only way in which some success can be attributed to this visit is that the some dollars were obtained. We must choose between dollars and sovereignty.