Donald Trump Showers Lavish Praise On Pakistan
30 December 2016
By Saeed Qureshi
Unpredictability is one of the glaring traits of United States'
president-elect Donlad Trump. He vehemently opposed the Obamacare during the
electioneering campaigning and announced to rescind it if elected as the
president. He categorically spoke against the Latinos, Muslims and immigrants.
He even castigated Pakistan in these words, ''Get it straight: Pakistan is not
our friend. We've given them billions and billions of dollars, and what did we
get? Betrayal and disrespect — and much worse''. He promised to build a wall
between Mexico and United States and so on.
But all of sudden, he seems to be cautious and sober. Those issues seem to be
nonexistent and taken out of his litany of tasks. He is talking of unity and
togetherness among the sections of society differing from each other on the
basis of color, race and religion. He seems to have settled down and his
aggressiveness and tempestuous rhetorical outburst appear to be transformed
into saner and guarded and placatory statements and outpourings.
In the first place with a backlog of many scandals and a person who is a cut
and dried businessman with billions of dollars asserts and cash, prevailed and
won in the political arena. His venomous remarks and vilifications of his
opponents and distractors have gone with the electoral winds, He is a totally
different Donald Trump, taking caution even in picking his cabinet members and
appointments of high executive positions.
His latest telephonic conversation with the prime minister of Pakistan is a
display of high caliber diplomacy, sobriety and statesmanship. Not even the
friendliest presidents of USA to Pakistan have ever paid such rich and
unalloyed tributes to the people of Pakistan, the prime minister and displayed
an unconditional resolve to work with Pakistan.
He has been extremely generous and full of praise for the Pakistan as well as
its people and leadership, let me quote what he said in his conversation. In
that he said: ''Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif you have a very good reputation.
You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every
way. I am looking forward to see you soon. As I am talking to you Prime
Minister, I feel I am talking to a person I have known for long. Your country
is amazing with tremendous opportunities. Pakistanis are one of the most
intelligent people. I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me
to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be
an honor and I will personally do it. Feel free to call me any time even
before 20th January that is before I assume my office.''
He readily accepted the offer of prime minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Pakistan
by saying, ''I would love to come to a fantastic country, fantastic place of
fantastic people. Please convey to the Pakistani people that they are amazing
and all Pakistanis I have known are exceptional people''
This conversation cannot be a display of mockery or subterfuge for the simple
reason that he doesn't need to do it. In the first instance, he could have
refused or postponed talking to Pakistan's prime minister which he had earlier
looked upon as a state sponsoring terrorism. It is certainly a transformation
of mindset that if sustained would be extremely helpful in further cementing
the ties between two traditional friends.
In the light of his most friendly and plausible opinion about Pakistan, one
may hope that Pakistan would still be treated as a dependable ally and both
the countries would join in mitigating the interstate tension in the
sub-continent particularly between India and Pakistan and beyond that in the
Middle East where Pakistan enjoys a great reservoir of goodwill.
Republicans traditionally have been friendly towards Pakistan. Pakistan played
an historic role in joining the coalition forces to fight the Taliban and
other radical forces in Afghanistan. In this decade, long war with Al-Qaida
and other radical militants who wanted to establish a radical empire starting
from Afghanistan to the middle east Pakistan suffered enormously.
Right or wrong or under pressure Pakistan agreed to play the role that caused
untold sufferings to Pakistan and its people. One of the most disastrous
fallout was that Pakistan itself became target of the terrorism that is still
apace. The fundamentalist bands are bent upon wreaking havoc in Pakistan
through terrorist attacks, sporadic bomb blasts and attacking schools and
military installations.
The colossal sufferings that Pakistan endured were the spillover of the war in
Afghanistan triggered by the western countries spearheaded by the United
states. Pakistan is still faced with looming threat to it internal peace and
solidarity from the religious warriors.
All these gory facets harming Pakistan in all manners must be taken into
consideration by United States and the western allies. The United States under
Donald Trump and non-traditional political figure is in the best position to
acknowledge and appreciate the historic role of liberating the Caucuses of
Central Asia namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan and even Afghanistan from the yoke of Soviet Union. Pakistan can
demonstrate goodwill and cordiality and both the countries can work to combat
the indigenous terrorism.
Hopefully there would not be any breach or friction between the cardinal
relations between the two countries. On the contrary one can hope these would
prosper and flower under Donald trump presidency who is appreciative and aware
of the regional importance of Pakistan in that part of the world.
It would be historic if president Trump stands by his words spoken to the
prime minister of Pakistan and I quote, ''I am ready and willing to play any
role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding
problems. It will be an honor and I will personally do it. Feel free to call
me any time even before 20th January that is before I assume my office.''
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EsinIslam.Com
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