Zaheer Bhatti
TRUMP’S gamble of ‘America first’ boomeranged antagonizing Mexicans and Muslim immigrants, dismissing the Corona menace, and seeking to cause a split in the Muslim world by enticing some Arab States into recognizing the State of Israel without ensuring independence of Palestine.
His own step of shifting the US Embassy in Jerusalem recognizing it as the Jew Capital precipitating matters further.
These drastic measures have cumulatively made Trump pay a heavy price in losing the White House seat, behaving like a bad loser in elections and attracting impeachment on his way out.
One good thing though that Trump did while in office, was to disengage in fruitless wars particularly in the Middle East and Afghanistan which had cost the American economy dearly.
The United States of North America appears to be fast losing its status as the world sole superpower at the hands of the rapidly emerging economic giant of the People’s Republic of China with its Belt and Road Initiative attracting swarms of countries across the globe visualizing a shared economic future in the face of a belligerent, high-strung and self-possessed isolationist Donald Trump who, while shying away from competition, resorted to locking horns with the emerging Chinese power on unworthy grounds of blocking trade, clamping sanctions and even hurling ludicrous unsubstantiated accusations against it for causing spread of the Corona virus.
China, while advocating restraint, has matched its response per force.
Democratic Joe Biden replacing Trump, in instantly doing away with the US stand-off against Mexico and immigrant restrictions, not only gladdened the Mexicans but also the Muslim world against which it was pointedly focused.
But in seeking to reverse the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, he is risking to land the US in a quagmire, out of which his predecessor had nearly succeeded in gracefully extricating with the intricate Doha Accord facilitated by Pakistan’s painstaking efforts which rightly visualized peace in Afghanistan as peace and stability not only in Pakistan but the entire region.
It is unthinkable that the new US President would yet again get stucked into a war theatre fruitlessly activated by the Bush Administration; one which was far more unfriendly for it today than it ever was.
Joe Biden must see through the disinformation campaign launched by India against Pakistan unravelled by the European Union Disinfolab Indian Chronicle using fake UN and key official International and NGO IDs, which it had been carrying out for the last [at least] 15 years without being noticed by the powers that be, despite Pakistan crying hoarse pointing to Indian machinations; portraying Kashmiri freedom struggle as terrorism blamed on Pakistan.
Joe Biden indicating his intention to stay on, must indeed have gladdened India which has been acting as the spoiler and whose sinister smearing campaign and designs against Pakistan under cover of protracted military presence of the US and NATO in Afghanistan had served its interest best by diverting attention.
India has been successfully carrying out terrorist attacks inside Pakistan and continues to do so even today in concert with the Afghan NDS, sponsoring Afghanistan-based Tehreek Taliban Pakistan and its splinters besides Daesh.
The Afghan Taliban have proved that the collective might of NATO could not defeat the resilient Afghans in nearly two decades. Seeking foreign troops to vacate aggression and occupation of their homeland they have already rung warning bells against US second thoughts.
This must prompt serious introspection by the State Department and Pentagon which once again seem to be egoistically egging on Joe Biden into the bottomless pit.
Warming war theatres is no longer an option in the 21st Century where economic necessities have overtaken hegemonic military designs; something the world needs to learn from the Chinese who have discounted war as an option for progress.
Even though current occupant of Oval Office has sought to strengthen its Quad Alliance with Australia, Japan and India which is fair if it was only an economic agenda and not one that seeks to endanger world peace, he has concurrently made human rights excesses by India, an issue of concern without yet specifically pointing to Indian clampdown against its farming community; mainly Sikhs, as well as in its Occupied State of Kashmir which it has besieged for well over a year attempting to change its demography, besides the killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi which it was unwilling to shove under the carpet.
Pakistan, this time, must not go by default by deftly exposing Indian machinations against it and seek UN action for the Disinfolab Indian chronicle-revealed shameless deeds.
Pakistan probe world conscience and bring out the appalling human rights travesties India has caused in its occupied Jammu & Kashmir encouraged by the UN double standards; failing to implement its standing Security Council Resolutions of a plebiscite in the disputed Muslim-majority State of Kashmir between India and Pakistan for over 70 years, in contrast to carving out the State of East Timor for the Christian minority out of Muslim Indonesia in a matter of months.
Such is the magnitude of the human tragedy caused by India, that Imran Khan with his offer to Kashmiris the freedom of choice to accede to Pakistan or become independent, only reflects the unbearable emotional pain being experienced by Pakistan in the face of the tortuous life our Kashmiri flesh and blood was being made to live, which the uncouth Pakistani Opposition has portrayed as surrender.
Imran’s overture is reminiscent of an anecdote whereby in settling claim for kinship of a lad between two parties, as the jury ordered chopping the kid’s hands, one of them begged the judge not to do so surrendering his right to the other party.
The Judge who had ordered chopping only to gauge reaction of the claimants awarded kinship to the one who had surrendered. If humanity has any meaning, world conscience must avail the chance and wake up to deliver justice to the suffering, in order to justify creation of the World Body.
—The writer is a media professional, member of Pioneering team of PTV and a veteran ex Director Programmes.
