tribune.com.

pk

Crisis in Europe and Pakistan’s interests |

The Express Tribune
Inam Ul Haque March 10, 2022
7-9 minutes

For majority of countries in developing and under-developed world, it does not

matter which power bloc is ascendant
the writer is a retired major general and has an interest in international
relations and political sociology he can be reached at tayyarinam hotmail com
and tweets 20 inam
The writer is a retired major general and has an interest in International
Relations and Political Sociology. He can be reached at
tayyarinam@hotmail.com and tweets @20_Inam

Years ago, during a call-on with a high-level Western military delegation in the
initial days of Libyan crisis; when the head of the delegation was squarely
asked if the Western motive in Libya was oil; his shrugged reply was a
sheepish smile. It is naïve to consider the West always acting in a just and
rational way. Ideology is not always the casus belli of conflict. A liberal way of
life needs to be guarded and protected through violent means, if necessary. A
life made possible by economic prosperity through ruthless exploitation of
resources belonging mostly to the poorer countries; by controlling global
economic levers; and by cultivating and corrupting the elite of dependent
nations, who are generally steeped in Western culture and ethos.
Lofty ideals like human rights, minority inclusivity, equal opportunity and
freedom of expression, etc are generally for ‘others’. These ideals are mostly
used to provide cover for coercive manipulation. Haven’t we all, in some
degree, experienced the so called ‘white privilege’ that acts brazenly through
double standards? Over 50 nations would collude to bomb Afghan civilians in
errant strikes, then make a deal and just walk away with the head country
stealing the poor country’s money. The mighty and the powerful would invade
Iraq over flimsy, engineered and shamefully indefensible excuses. And never
feel any shame, guilt or remorse. Even double standards are put to shame.
It goes like this. When the die is cast (sensing any real or perceived threat to
Western ethos); the official machinery, the ‘international establishment’, the
intellectual community… from think-tanks of all shades and colours to the so-
called independent and conscientious media, while embracing the official line,
would ‘manufacture’ a reality. The ubiquitous chorus/power of media would
mould public perception around the world, and make the humanity believe in
this ‘manufactured reality’. And then action in its various manifestations would
follow, from arm-twisting like sanctions to outright invasion and occupation.
And when the military coercion would subside; aid would flow, with most of it
going back to the West in consultancy fees and other ‘charges’. Population of
the affected country would invariably never benefit from the ‘noble’ Western
mission of empathy, support and protection of rights, values and people.
Therefore, for majority of the countries in developing and under-developed
world, it does not matter which power bloc is ascendant. If abstentions in the
UNGA on Ukraine Crisis are any guide, this plain reality is also substantiated
by data. US dominance versus Sino-Russian rise hardly matters to the poor of
the world. Yes, their governments discreetly yearn for a multipolar world, where
they have ‘some’ stake; compared to the black and white reality of
unipolarity.
As is the norm since the Gulf Wars, mostly in these engineered crises, the
bystanders are asked to take sides. The instance of European embassies
issuing an open letter to social media, completely disregarding the diplomatic
protocol, to pressurise Pakistan into ‘condemning Russia over Ukraine’ is a
case in point. They don’t see protracted atrocities committed elsewhere, as if
Afghans, Kashmiris and Palestinians are lesser human beings. Social media,
thankfully, has exposed such brazen display of ‘white-privilege’ not only in
media coverage of the current crisis, but also over land borders when ‘people
of colour’ are mostly sidelined and/or left to fend for themselves. Such
instances obscure the empathy, that humanity in difficulty deserves, across
Ukraine and Russia irrespective of the ‘colour of skin’… in Dr King’s words.
In today’s connected world, wars are ‘wired’… to borrow from Thomas L
Freidman of The New York Times, but what if the wire is hacked by the West.
With almost total blackout of the Russian point of view during the ongoing
crisis, the pal-bearers of liberal and independent Western media are pushing
just one narrative…casting the ‘other’ side essentially evil. The consequent
choice with the poor and the weak is either ‘with us or with them’… to
paraphrase senior Bush’s after 9/11. And the price of defiance is generally
steep.
In reality, such brazen partisanship puts leadership of the smaller/weaker
countries like Pakistan in a quandary. Acting in accordance with public
conscience, mostly puts the ruling elite at odds with the West; and siding with
the West would engender domestic political cost.
Our political mosaic has elements with variable Pakistaniyyat. The pro-West
cabal (sizeable, influential and moneyed) in media, political class, the
dynasties and bureaucracy, would do the Western bidding irrespective,
believing this to be essentially Pakistan’s bidding. In so doing, they would
appear articulate, data-driven and convincing. It was hilariously ironic to see a
famous political pundit putting across import/export figures, to plead the case
for siding with the West in this crisis. As if ‘national interest’ is just
import/export figures ‘at present’.
Pakistan followed a gutsy policy (thanks mainly to the miltablishment) during
Afghan war; and its recent decision to go ahead with PM’s visit to Russia has
been courageous and far-sighted. Steering away from ‘bloc politics’, choosing
friends and allies strictly in accordance with enduring national interest(s) and
moving towards ‘geopolitical neutrality’ are commendable and wise moves by
our policymakers. ‘Geoeconomic neutrality’, understandably is hard to come
by…as the West still depends on Russian oil and gas.
Therefore, reading the situation correctly is existential for Pakistan, and so is
our correct alignment. The government’s awoed policy emphasising ceasefire,
end to hostilities, humanitarian aid and resolution of the crisis through dialogue
are all correct policy pointers. We ‘must not’ take sides. Both Russia and
Ukraine are Pakistan’s friends; Russia is closer to home, is an important
regional stakeholder and a rising partner in energy, defence and diplomacy;
and with Ukraine, Pakistan enjoys longstanding defence and people-to-people
ties. And both are essentially conjoined twins.
On a human level, it is sad how the West/NATO has turned this neighborhood
brawl into a much wider ‘conflict by proxies’, supplying over 17,000 anti-tank
weapons and SAMs to Ukraine at warped speed; along with Turkish armed
drones. Logistics from Poland and Romania; deployment of ‘cyber-mission
teams’; deliberating transfer of Mig-29 fleet from Poland to bolster Ukrainian air
power; and ‘persistent engagement’ with Russia in cyberspace are not so
hidden efforts to prolong the fighting.
One hopes that NATO avoids being a co-combatant, transcending —
wittingly/unwittingly — this local conflict into a nuclear world war with
disastrous consequences. Russia is unlike US/NATO’s recent adversaries.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2022.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive
all updates on all our daily pieces.