The removal of terrorist state Pakistan from the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) grey list just days after the US Ambassador to Pakistan’s unprecedented visit to PoK Pakistan occupied Kashmir) has deeper connotations for Bharat and an attempt by Uncle Sam to indulge in some arm twisting and diplomatic brinkmanship.
Blome referred to PoK as AJK (Azad Jammu & Kashmir) in what is a blatant attempt by the US to interfere in Bharat’s internal affairs knowing fully well that PoK was illegally grabbed by Pakistan army, tribals and non state actors in 1947.
Ambassador Donald Blomes visit was preceded by an intentional Salvo fired by the German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock at a press conference in the presence of Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari which was later apologized by their government after a strong rebuttal from our side. Annalena invoked the united nations on Kashmir on what is a strictly a bilateral issue between the two neighbors with Pakistan a signatory to the Simla agreement of 1972.
Bharat was quick to remind Germany that that FATF & UNSC (United Nations Security Council) were still pursuing the Pakistani terrorists involved in the 9/11 attacks.
The sequence of these events happening in quick succession is not coincidental but has deeper ramifications . It’s a clear message to Bharat that the Biden administration is not happy with Bharat’s stand on the Ukrainian conflict and its supposed tilt towards Russia.
Thus inspite of our tough opposition the US went ahead with arming Pakistan with spares for it’s deadly F – 16’s which will only be deployed on our western & northern fronts inspite of claims to the contrary by the US.
In a hilarious and preposterous comment Pentagon termed the 450 million dollar sustainment package for F-16 fighter jets as a counter terrorism measure. This comes amidst president Biden’s statement at the democratic congressional campaign committee reception in Los Angeles where he called Pakistan as ‘The most dangerous nation in the world.’ “What I think is may be one of the most dangerous nations in the world, Pakistan nuclear weapons without any cohesion.”
Obviously the hawks among the democrats peeved at Bharat’s stance on Ukraine have prevailed upon the Biden administration to teach it’s ally a lesson by rubbing it the wrong way by first arming its old ally in the region with some lethal arsenal and then in a diplomatic muscle flexing move sending its ambassador to Pakistan on a visit to PoK knowing fully well that it is a part of our territory under illegal occupation by Pakistan..
Uncle Sam’s policy of supporting pariah state Pakistan in preference to the largest democracy of the world will not only undemine its relations with Bharat and lead to a trust defecit between the two democracies but it will also force Bharat to rethink on it’s strategic interests vis-a-vis the West.
It would be foolhardy for the west to believe that Bharat is a pushover sub continental player which can be forced into subjugation through such needling. Pakistans age old tendency to harbour and train terrorists will not change by such antics and the Americans have had a taste of terrorism being dished out by Pakistan in the form of 9/11 & the latter providing a safe abode to Osama Bin Laden in the heart of Pakistan while the Americans went on a leather hunt in the tora bora mountains.
The Biden administration already has its hands full in Ukraine and on the domestic front where the economy is looking down the barrel with ominous signs of recession. The NATO allies are faring no better with negative growth rates and with Russia tightening the screws on oil and gas as winter looms the so Western powers be it Germany, Britain or the US are battling for their own survival. In such a scenario the US and its European allies have made a diplomatic and political gaffe in annoying Bharat and propping up a known terrorist state like Pakistan.
(This story has been reproduced here with permission from Hindu Post.)
