The noises coming out of the Pakistan’s media are angry – both at the Pakistan government and particularly at the United States. Reasons include the perception that America favors India and its position on Kashmir, doesn’t appreciate Pakistani efforts in battling terrorists, and that Washington controls Pakistan’s leaders like puppets on a string.
These two editorials from Pakistan’s The Nation are a good illustration.
The first editorial published yesterday headlined Activity of Americans in Our Cities ‘Must Be Restricted’, focuses on the danger of having Americans roaming around the country’s major cities taking up residence in search of the “Quetta Shura”, charges that U.S. operatives work against Pakistan’s interests and endanger Pakistan citizens:
With the U.S. now resigned to holding a dialogue with the Afghan Taliban and its recognition that any post-withdrawal arrangement will have to include the Taliban, Washington remains determined to undermine Pakistan’s role in any future Afghan settlement. On this count, India seems to have been fairly successful, witnessed by the suspiciously timed BBC-LSE report on alleged ties between the Taliban and the state of Pakistan – a story that was printed in the British press on Sunday. [The report implicates Pakistan’s intelligence service – the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence – or ISI].
It’s time for the government to move with determination to restrict American access to our cities, where their very presence, suspicious activities and total disregard for the law pose a security risk to citizens. Given the implications, we certainly cannot afford a U.S. Consulate in Quetta – not only for the sake of Pakistan but for our neighbor and friend, Iran. How long will the government of Pakistan put the lives of its citizens in danger simply to appease the United States?
The second editorial, headlined Eliminate All NATO Convoys Through Pakistan, again charges that it is America’s very presence that results in the violence that the country is experiencing today:
Since September 11, 2001, successive Pakistan governments have ignored and often knowingly sacrificed the lives of citizens simply to further U.S. and NATO interests – unarmed drones being a prime example. Even the moving of our forces from the eastern front, where India continues to pose a threat, to the Pak-Afghan border, was done under pressure from the United States. It’s time to reverse this trend and take immediate steps to end access to Pakistan for NATO supply convoys.
READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, your most trusted translator and aggregator of foreign news and views about our nation.
Founder and Managing Editor of Worldmeets.US