THE other day, out of the blue, someone asked where I was on September 11, 2001.
I was in Bangladesh at the time and enjoying a children’s play at the Dhaka American School with my wife and family. All of a sudden my phone lit up with messages and I stepped out of the auditorium to take a call to be told that two planes had struck the World Trade Centre in New York. I went back inside and my wife asked “What happened?” I responded “The world just changed forever”. That was 9/11 for me. Twenty four years on, perhaps it is time to reflect on that day, the new world order, the impact on Pakistan and perhaps recalibrate and reverse some of the emergent counterproductive trends. Arguably, 9-11 profoundly reshaped global security, politics and economics. Pakistan became the centre of the shifts and the impact on Pakistan was profound. First, Pakistan found itself centre stage in the US “War on Terror” and became a frontline ally of the US. It received over $30 billion in aid and its strategic importance skyrocketed due to the proximity to Afghanistan, but Pakistan and US nosedived into a transactional relationship and Pakistan essentially became a “mercenary” nation as far as the US was concerned.
Second, Pakistan’s participation in the war on terror exponentially increased terrorism inside Pakistan. The result has been the death of 70,000 Pakistanis since 2001. Third, Pakistan’s economy suffered damages exceeding $150 billion due to instability, capital flight and perceptions of insecurity linked to terrorism. FDI declined and tourism and trade suffered. Fourth, radicalization spread in Pakistan due to militant groups, Afghan refugee crisis increased, domestic displacements skyrocketed and civil-military imbalance increased with the military coming out as a clear political winner. Finally, after suffering extensively on so many fronts, Pakistan still ended up with strained ties with both US and Afghanistan and was accused of “double game” for sheltering Taliban and Osama bin Laden. To pour salt on the wounds, Pakistan became increasingly ostracized and the combination of above factors made travel, trade and diplomacy more difficult for Pakistan.
The impact on the world was also notable and profoundly changed the landscape of the world. Under its “War on Terror” doctrine, US launched wars on Afghanistan and Iraq leading to regime changes and instabilities in the regions. US made counterterrorism the defining feature of international relations. Security and surveillance took precedence over individual rights, for US and non-US citizens alike. Islamophobia rose in western and eastern nations with Muslim communities’ worldwide facing increased suspicion and discrimination. Islam was linked worldwide with extremism. The impact on economies was also extensive. After the initial market crashes, airline industry crisis and energy markets disruption, the long-term impact was the changed budget priorities of US – massive spending on wars and security. Ironically, as the world focused more on counterterrorism as its number one priority, radicalization increased, particularly in countries where US waged war and caused regime changes, giving rise to groups like ISIS.
Clearly, there were no winners after September 11, except perhaps the world’s war machine. Individuals lost as their freedoms became subservient to security concerns, Pakistan became embroiled in perpetual isolation and suffering and the US opened a Pandora ’s Box of instability and carnage, spending trillions of dollars over the decades since 2001. It is remarkable that the actions of not millions, not thousands, not even hundreds, but merely a handful of people, changed the world forever. As noted above, September 11 had a dastardly impact on Pakistan and the world. But we should look ahead. Under the current US regime, I don’t see much hope for a reversal of the negative trends started by 9/11 in the US. However, Pakistan is sitting in a different place now. For the first time since 9/11, Pakistan has gained some credibility in the world. Furthermore, rather than being a helpless go-along partner of the US, it has emerged as a military power on the world stage – not operating with equipment provided by the US, but having its own extensive defence manufacturing capabilities.
Pakistan needs to capitalize on its new standing in the world based on increased credibility and proven diplomatic and military prowess. It should also relook at its role in the region where it has also emerged is a strong player. Reaching out to Bangladesh and other South Asian countries towards a more integrated region should be the goal. Pakistan is standing at the cross roads of being an equal among equals. Let us ensure that Pakistan’s sacrifices since 9/11 have not been in vain and it has learnt from its mistakes since then. Pakistan should never again be a puppet or proxy state to any power of the world and should never again sacrifice Pakistan’s national interest for any amount of arm twisting or promise of aid.
—The writer is a former Senior Advisor to the Government and a sector development specialist. He is a member of the APP Think Tank and Pakistan’s Buddhist Heritage Promotion Ambassador for Green Tourism, a company under SIFC.
