On June 28, 2024 the National Assembly of Pakistan rejected Resolution 901, passed by United States Congress regarding election irregularities in Pakistan. Indeed, it was a very clear interference by US House of Representatives in the internal affairs of Pakistan. Parliament of Pakistan rightly responded the US Resolution 901 by saying that, “an independent and sovereign country like Pakistan will not accept any interference in its internal affairs”. Through this resolution, US House of Representatives tried to undermine the state of Pakistan, its sovereignty, independence and integrity of Pakistan. Indeed, Pakistan does not require lecturing by any state about its internal affairs, which essentially is a violation of the concept of nation state system and UN Charter. Being a super power and democratic state itself, U.S has always weakened the democracies and supported the undemocratic forces at international level. Rather U.S has always used democracy and human rights as its tools for invasions and interferences in the internal affairs of other states. Debating the post-World War-II character of United States, it has promoted maximum civil wars, insurgencies, instabilities and invasions in independent nation states world-wide.
Debating the history of US, its law makers and institutions like; CIA, FBI and even Department of Defense one would wonder that, they all are involved in destabilizing all those states or else their governments where lies the political, strategic and economic interests of US. Right or wrong, U.S has always pursued its own interests at the cost of sovereignty and integrity of other states. Most of the Asian states, African states and Latin American states have been targeted by abovementioned US institutions. In the name of democracy and human rights U.S promoted unrest in the entire Middle East, calling this US led operation as Arab Spring or Arab Uprisings. The entire exercise was aimed to strengthen the US hold over the wider Middle Eastern region through a direct and indirect threat to regional monarchies which somehow dared to defy the U.S directives. The US drama of promoting democracies in Middle East ended with more destabilization of the region in a more pronounced way and bringing entire region into its total control.
On the issue of human rights, U.S role has been quite contrary to UN Charter and even against its own liberal constitution. U.S has a history of human rights violation worldwide, starting from nuclear bombing of Japan. In a very recent act of human rights violations, US along with Europe is abetting the State of Israel in the genocide of Palestinians at Gaza through all means; provision of war munitions, finances and through political and diplomatic means. So far over 38000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel besides wounding over 90,000. As a champion of democracy, did U.S accept the mandate of Hamas, after it won the 2006 Legislative Council Elections in Palestine? U.S invasions have caused killings of millions of Iraqis and Afghans in last two decades. Indeed, internationally U.S is the biggest violator of human rights. Pakistan Parliament rightly reminded US and its law makers that, US Congress could have passed a resolution regarding massive human rights violations and genocide of Israel in Gaza. In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) India is involved in the massive human rights violations and acts of genocide ever since 1990 and US is mysteriously quite over the entire happenings. Since India serve the US interests therefore, exploitation of minorities especially Muslims in India has never attracted the attention of US and US Congress.
Neither US Constitution nor Pakistani Constitution allows any other state to probe any internal matter of Pakistan. Therefore, demanding a probe about the conduct of February 8, 2024 elections by US Congress is severe act of interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan which Pakistan has rightly refuted through a similar resolution.The Resolution 901 of US Congress is the manifestation of Operation Goldsmith 2.0 against Pakistan and its Armed Forces. Going over the background of this resolution, It is worth mentioning that, Resolution 901 expressing support for democracy and human rights situation in Pakistan was introduced in US House of Representatives by Republican Senator Richard McCormick in November 30, 2023. The Resolution was referred to US Committee on Foreign Affairs on March 21, 2024. Later it was tabled again for House consideration on June 24, 2024 and passed accordingly. The timings of intermittent tabling of Resolution 901 are quite intrigue. Moreover, the concerns expressed in Resolution 901 about democracy and human rights situation in Pakistan, are also unsubstantiated and divorced from the ground realities. Indeed, US Congress Resolution 901is an attempt to defame the armed forces of Pakistan besides undermining the sovereignty and integrity of the State of Pakistan.
US Congress Resolution 901 is a wake-up call for all stakeholders in Pakistan; the state, political parties, the people of Pakistan and the institutions of national security. This resolution has been passed at a time once Pak-US relations were heading towards a new normalcy. In the past few months there have been some predictions and indicators which proclaimed an improvement in the bilateral relationship between Washington and Islamabad. The resolution is in fact a negation of such prophecies since US Congress has a major role towards foreign policy of the US and its international relations. The resolution may aims at putting pressure on Pakistan to accept US demands which runs against the national interests of Pakistan. It is a time that, Pakistan must deliberate and secure its own national interests rather being exploited, undermined and dictated. A dynamics and independent foreign policy is the best way forward.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
