Mian M Aslam Awan
ASSASSINATION of Iranin General Qasem Soleimani on Iraqi territory connotes the attack on
the Sovereignty of Iraq. There is a widespread panic amongst whole world’s sane minds that America’s war-mongering and hegemonic designs are most likely to eclipse the horizon with looming large clouds of nuclear war threats. Anti-Iran and pro-Iran countries will have to incur a direct or indirect risk of being proxy states in looming large war apprehensions. Pakistan being Iran’s immediate neighbouring state and having natural proclivity towards America will have to face an imminent apprehension of being at irks whether to support America’s designs to use the Pak land against Iran. In case of refusal to America to let Pak territory America may adopt hostile and manoeuvring attitude which is pernicious to the interests of Pakistan and in case Pak civil and military leadership permit to use its territory as foothold against Iran Pakistan will also be at irking situation and annoy the Muslim sentiments all over the world and if have the third option of being a silent spectator to the war haunted phenomenon is not feasible anyway. There is no two opinions that Pak civil and military leadership will exhibit a balanced and careful exposure to this extraordinary grave situation. Uncommon strategic events do not occur suddenly, these are the results of prolonged rumination. General Qasem Soleimani of Iran has been assassinated by America and in retaliation Iran has announced to take revenge and planned to hit America’s important installations. Iran may adopt the strategy to hit America warships by missiles, present in the nearby oceans. Tensions between America and Iran has risen to a horrible point. American Foreign Secretary Mike Pompeo has discussed the situation with the important leaders of the region including Pakistan and Afghanistan.
America, in pursuit of its hegemonic designs, goes to the extent of making some certain regions simmer and boil in escalated tension. Iran is Pakistan’s nearest brethren Islamic country sharing borders with each other and after 9/11 being in proxy war with Afghanistan Pakistan became the inevitable partner of the warring states because America has dragged Pakistan into the tussled situation. Pakistan had to face cumbersome repercussions due to being involved in the war. Terrorism is the gift of Afghan war, which Pakistan is still facing and Pak Army is still paying heavy costs counting the ever increasing number of martyrs within its ranks. Pakistan in addition to heavy toll of martyrdom have incurred heavy economic burden on its weak economy. If the tension between Iran and America go escalated, which will surely go unfettered, middle east in particular and whole world in common will continue burning for indefinite span of time. Iranian leadership has been caused a severe blow by assassination of Qasem Soleimani and some others and the incident is not such as could be ignored by Iran, thus it retaliated by attacking US bases in Iraq. Iran had vowed to teach an ever remembering lesson to America. Nature of the incident was such as no wise leadership of any country could not intervene or ask Iran not to retaliate.
Going back to the near past and having analytical review of the US strategy one will find himself focusing on a series of events and war inflicted by America in different regions. There is not even a single country on the globe, which is not directly or indirectly driven into escalated tensions. America has arisen itself to the status of world watchdog. Being directly involved in Afghan War Pakistan has witnessed a long experience of escalated tensions and ensuing repercussions. A large number of Afghan refugees is a chronic burden on the fragile economy of Pakistan. General Zia allied Pakistan with America to oust Russian forces from Afghanistan and after a prolonged war Russia was driven out of Afghanistan but Pakistan became a scapegoat and had to face a multiple series of problems as a cost of being America’s war proxy. General Musharaf, also, extended warm welcome to America and again became a proxy in Afghan-America relations. Again Pakistan had to offer successive series of invaluable sacrifices. Terrorism and a host of thorny problems became the part and parcel of Pak-fortune. We are still notching these thorns from our flesh.
Now again America has planned and made concealed attempt to make Pakistan its proxy in tension with Iran. As mentioned above, Iran is Pakistan’s neighbouring country and it is quite impossible for Pakistan to keep itself aloof of the visiting tensions in the region. In some way or the other Pakistan will have to show proclivity towards America and America’s big wig will surely expect, like in the near past Pakistan playing the role of a proxy state. Those at helm of affairs cannot afford the displeasure and animosity of world giant. On the other hand, Pakistan cannot afford to oppose Iran and the third option of being an intact spectator is, also, not a dispensation agreeable to Pakistan. The scenario is leading towards a horrible war enveloping the whole world into its igniting flames. These flames would accelerate the tensions, leading towards inevitable third world war which would be lethal to whole mankind. Pak civil and military leadership is also required to smack ground realities and avoid to be a proxy state for the third time and make itself a fuel to the burning fire. America’s power organs are required to close their leads and devise an expedited concerted strategy to save mankind from the impending colossal destruction, only the imagination of which makes one shiver with horror.
—The writer is a freelance columnist and independent analyst based in Lahore.