A need for honest thinking (Zardari)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Second Editorial, Daily Times, Pakistan
May 17, 2009
Second Editorial: A need for honest thinking
France has announced that it will start talking in July about transfer of civilian nuclear technology to Pakistan “the same way as it is being transferred to India by the United States”. France has also donated 12 million euros for the IDPs in Pakistan. (President Asif Zardari’s visit to Libya may be similarly significant.) For those who have rebuked President Asif Ali Zardari for leaving Pakistan on the eve of the military operation in Swat will be perturbed by this development. Let us say that they will be embarrassed that President Zardari has done something for Pakistan that a PPP government was not expected to do.
Most critics who ignore the national economy because it is a source of shame for them think President Zardari should have rebuked President Obama for the drone attacks during his visit to the US or he should not have gone there. He should also have told the US president on his face that America was blatantly siding with India and had plans to “snatch” Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. After that presumably President Zardari should have flown home in the midst of plaudits — and not gone to the UK and shamelessly collected 10 million pounds as assistance for the refugees. Hadn’t the UK treated our students with extreme cruelty?
One TV critic saw the visit to Paris as a lavish R&R in the fleshpots of Europe. An editor actually wrote that Pakistani ministers had enjoyed a live Indian ‘mujra’ while on tour with President Zardari. Theoretically these critics have not moved forward from the standard but self-contradictory doctrine that goes like this: the Americans are dangerous because they cut and run from the area of crisis too soon; the Americans are dangerous because they plan to stay in the region for a long time to come.
Pakistan runs on money and there is no money in Pakistan because of the eight-year war that we have refused to fight. Pakistan is running today because it is on a $7 billion stand-by arrangement with the IMF and because the Americans are coming up with a $7.5 billion loan over five years and the Friends of Pakistan have pledged over $5 billion when we had asked for only $4 billion. This money is our survival in the coming days. But what do our critics say? To quote from an Urdu editorial comment: “I will get Lashkar-e Tayba to sort out India, get expatriate Pakistanis to send in $20 billion instead of $6 billion annually, and tell the Americans to keep their money.” *
May 17, 2009
Second Editorial: A need for honest thinking
France has announced that it will start talking in July about transfer of civilian nuclear technology to Pakistan “the same way as it is being transferred to India by the United States”. France has also donated 12 million euros for the IDPs in Pakistan. (President Asif Zardari’s visit to Libya may be similarly significant.) For those who have rebuked President Asif Ali Zardari for leaving Pakistan on the eve of the military operation in Swat will be perturbed by this development. Let us say that they will be embarrassed that President Zardari has done something for Pakistan that a PPP government was not expected to do.
Most critics who ignore the national economy because it is a source of shame for them think President Zardari should have rebuked President Obama for the drone attacks during his visit to the US or he should not have gone there. He should also have told the US president on his face that America was blatantly siding with India and had plans to “snatch” Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. After that presumably President Zardari should have flown home in the midst of plaudits — and not gone to the UK and shamelessly collected 10 million pounds as assistance for the refugees. Hadn’t the UK treated our students with extreme cruelty?
One TV critic saw the visit to Paris as a lavish R&R in the fleshpots of Europe. An editor actually wrote that Pakistani ministers had enjoyed a live Indian ‘mujra’ while on tour with President Zardari. Theoretically these critics have not moved forward from the standard but self-contradictory doctrine that goes like this: the Americans are dangerous because they cut and run from the area of crisis too soon; the Americans are dangerous because they plan to stay in the region for a long time to come.
Pakistan runs on money and there is no money in Pakistan because of the eight-year war that we have refused to fight. Pakistan is running today because it is on a $7 billion stand-by arrangement with the IMF and because the Americans are coming up with a $7.5 billion loan over five years and the Friends of Pakistan have pledged over $5 billion when we had asked for only $4 billion. This money is our survival in the coming days. But what do our critics say? To quote from an Urdu editorial comment: “I will get Lashkar-e Tayba to sort out India, get expatriate Pakistanis to send in $20 billion instead of $6 billion annually, and tell the Americans to keep their money.” *
Labels: America, Foreign Aid, Refugees, Swat Operation, Zardari
posted @ 11:08 AM,
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