National Sovereignty Cannot Be Secured without Elimination of Aid

Pakistan’s political and military leadership has proclaimed that American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s statement about India playing a leadership role in the region is irresponsible and has bluntly stated that India acting as the region’s policeman is unacceptable. In a meeting between Prime Minister Syed Yousef Raza Gilani and Army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kiani, there were detailed discussions about the current Pakistani relationship with America, the arrest of Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai and Gen. Pasha’s recent trip to America. Both of them agreed that American leaders should avoid making statements that can cause disagreement. Cooperation with America will be on the basis of equality and there will not be any compromise on the country’s security and dignity.

It is a refreshing fact that Pakistan’s political and religious leadership is not only reviewing America’s antagonistic attitude seriously but is also making America aware of Pakistan’s implemented safeguards. In our opinion, the political and military leadership should also consider the positions America has adopted towards Pakistan as unacceptable to the people here under any condition. It is the entire nation’s demand that we take a second look at our relationship with America and do not put up with any kind of unfairness. If we give America too much leeway, it will want to force us to accept India as a superior. All negative American actions should be answered accordingly and its diplomats’ actions should also be brought within the confines of diplomatic protocol. Their free movements within the country should be restricted, and all the foreigners who are masquerading as diplomats should be expelled from the country. Any American who is involved in illegal activities should be arrested like Raymond Davis, but should not be released like Raymond Davis was. We believe that if Pakistani political leadership had stuck to its guns in the Raymond Davis case, then today America would be acting differently. In reality, we are still eating the bitter fruits of our mistakes. If we had not compromised with our independence and had treated the drones in the same way as Iran, then today Washington would be talking to us on an equal footing and would have abandoned the underhanded attitude that it has adopted.

It is imperative, for the protection of national security and sovereignty, that the foreign aid being used for blackmail should be refused, because it is impossible for us to take foreign aid and refuse to be dictated. When Washington gives us money, it thinks that we are its slaves and that it has the right to treat us any way it likes. If we look at the situation carefully we will see that the seeds Americans have sown here in Pakistan have been because of the loans and aid they have provided; if we had gotten ourselves free of these loans and aid then we would not be in this position today. This aid and these loans have obliterated our national sovereignty, and from time to time our political officials make statements like “we will not let anything happen to our sovereignty just to change the taste in our mouths.” People laugh at our political leadership and ask what is wrong with it when it makes statements about national sovereignty when there are drone attacks going on constantly in the background.

In truth, we have only one option available if we want to live with dignity and that is to learn to live in a simple and frugal manner, including relying only on our own resources. If our political and military leadership starts living in a simple way then the nation will also adopt a frugal life.

We will have to change our lifestyle, and through it we will be able to bring a silent revolution. If our political and military leadership adopts simplicity when it comes to clothing, cars and food and the nation finds out that its prime minister, president and army chief eat the same food common people do, and like everyone else their kids study at the same Pakistani schools and in case of illness they use Pakistani hospitals instead of foreign ones, then there is no reason that the nation will not back up its leaders. As soon as we cross this threshold, our life of dishonor will end and we will begin to rise as one of the honorable nations of the world. There is no other way to maintain our security and sovereignty than by our political leadership announcing that from now on Pakistan will not accept any aid or loans from any country or any foreign organization. This would be the beginning of a beautiful journey.