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by A.H.Amin
Pakistans role the Afghan War being waged post 9/11 has been ambiguous all along.
While Pakistans military establishment which has controlled Pakistans Afghan and India foreign policy since 1977 saw Afghanistanas its backyard and a training ground for Pakistani non state proxies,Pakistans military junta was forced to be a US ally at gunpoint in the post 9/11 period.
It is funny hearing about claims of Pakistani state about war on terror and losses it has suffered ! A brief examination of claims :---
We supported the USA and lost as a result many billions
Pakistan agreed to support USA when forced with an ultimatum . From 2001 to 2008 Pakistani economoy witnessed record growth and no losses as claimed. The losses that Pakistani economy suffered came after 2008 as a result of internal failures like failure to have a workable energy policy dating from 1970s , political infighting etc.
Pakistan gained a major economic advantage out of it and the post 9/11 Pakistan saw a major economic growth all along thans to US aid and Afghan war from November 2001 till as late as early 2008.
An article by Pakistans leading economist Dr Ashfaque thus stated “Pakistan positioned itself as one of the four fastest growing economies in the Asian region during 2000-07 with its growth averaging 7.0 per cent per year for most of this period. As a result of strong economic growth, Pakistan succeeded in reducing poverty by one-half, creating almost 13 million jobs, halving the country's debt burden, raising foreign exchange reserves to a comfortable position and propping the country's exchange rate, restoring investors' confidence and most importantly, taking Pakistan out of the IMF Program.”
Note that before becoming an ambiguous US ally in post 9/11 , Pakistan was under sanctions before 9/11 and its economy was near collapse.
Real reason why Pakistani economy is bankrupt
1. Tax evasion by rich . Tax as part of GDP has declined in last 20 years from 18 %to 9 % of GDP.
2. Massive exploitation and monopolies where 2 % own 80 % of wealth and pay nominal taxes while the 98 % population with 20 % wealth is taxed by taxes on fuel electric and utilities to raise 91 % of GDP.
3. Massive corruption by government officials who as per admission of ex Finance Minister Tareen are involved in corruption of 50 Billion Rs per year.
Why should we (Pakistani Establishment) be supporting Taliban against whom our troops have suffered 5000 casualties and our civilians more than 10,000 ?
This is because Taliban groups attacking Pakistan Army are attacking Pakistani military and civilians as revenge against their non combatants and combatants killed by Pakistani military in 2003-9 and these Taliban groups have little or nominal connection with vast bulk of Taliban grouos fighting US/NATO in Afghanistan.
We deployed 80,000 Troops to support USA in war on terror ?
The Pakistani troop deployment in FATA was done after General Musharraf became angry with an assassination attempt which was linked to FATA militants. From 2001 till 2010 no regular Pakistani troops were deployed on some 1500 Km border with Afghanistan where some 80 % of Afghan Taliban were opposing US/NATO and some 70 % of US forces were deployed.
Pakistan contrary to common held beliefs did not deploy any of its regular forces against Taliban fighting against US forces in Afghanistan.All along the 1500 Km border opposite Kandahar,Paktika , Helmand and Nimroz !
Contrary to prevalent myths Pakistan did not send its forces into FATA and Waziristan to aid US forces in Afghanistan but out of retaliation against the 2003-4 assasination attempt on Musharraf linked to FATA militants.
The militant backlash against Pakistani military had little link with US military actions in Afghanistan but a major link with excessive use of force by Pakistani military in FATA resulting inmajor collateraldamage.
The Swat Rebellion of 2008-9 also did not have any major link with US operations in Afghanistan but was a result of excessiveuse of military force in Lal Masjid in Islamabad which was avoidable and unnecessary.
Similarly the Balochistan war also had little connection with US presence in Afghanistan or Indian conspiracies but the major reason was excessive use of force by the usurper Musharraf against the Baloch and an attempt to change the demography of Balochistan by projects of ulterior motivation like Gwadar Port,Greater Kachi Canal and Mirani Dam.
The major crisis of Pakistan is internal while the Pakistani establishment seeks to externalise it .
The major reason of growth of religious militancy in Pakistan is misuse of religion by Pakistani establishment and conveniently abandoning it when it suits them.
The major reason of Pakistans economic problems post 2008 was the fallout of excessive use of military force by Musharraf and the resultant political instability.
Pakistans civilians have failed but they failed because of the mess that they inherited from a usurper military regime.
But the important fact is that Pakistans civilians do not control Pakistans Afghan or India policy , so failure if any will be squarely the failure of Pakistans security establishment in the final summing up.
It is time that the Pakistani establishment does some inner thinking and the Pakistani media stop blaming Blackwater,USA,Israel and India for sabotage carried out by Pakistans vested interests to achieve their narrow class agendas
Pakistans role the Afghan War being waged post 9/11 has been ambiguous all along.
While Pakistans military establishment which has controlled Pakistans Afghan and India foreign policy since 1977 saw Afghanistanas its backyard and a training ground for Pakistani non state proxies,Pakistans military junta was forced to be a US ally at gunpoint in the post 9/11 period.
It is funny hearing about claims of Pakistani state about war on terror and losses it has suffered ! A brief examination of claims :---
We supported the USA and lost as a result many billions
Pakistan agreed to support USA when forced with an ultimatum . From 2001 to 2008 Pakistani economoy witnessed record growth and no losses as claimed. The losses that Pakistani economy suffered came after 2008 as a result of internal failures like failure to have a workable energy policy dating from 1970s , political infighting etc.
Pakistan gained a major economic advantage out of it and the post 9/11 Pakistan saw a major economic growth all along thans to US aid and Afghan war from November 2001 till as late as early 2008.
An article by Pakistans leading economist Dr Ashfaque thus stated “Pakistan positioned itself as one of the four fastest growing economies in the Asian region during 2000-07 with its growth averaging 7.0 per cent per year for most of this period. As a result of strong economic growth, Pakistan succeeded in reducing poverty by one-half, creating almost 13 million jobs, halving the country's debt burden, raising foreign exchange reserves to a comfortable position and propping the country's exchange rate, restoring investors' confidence and most importantly, taking Pakistan out of the IMF Program.”
Note that before becoming an ambiguous US ally in post 9/11 , Pakistan was under sanctions before 9/11 and its economy was near collapse.
Real reason why Pakistani economy is bankrupt
1. Tax evasion by rich . Tax as part of GDP has declined in last 20 years from 18 %to 9 % of GDP.
2. Massive exploitation and monopolies where 2 % own 80 % of wealth and pay nominal taxes while the 98 % population with 20 % wealth is taxed by taxes on fuel electric and utilities to raise 91 % of GDP.
3. Massive corruption by government officials who as per admission of ex Finance Minister Tareen are involved in corruption of 50 Billion Rs per year.
Why should we (Pakistani Establishment) be supporting Taliban against whom our troops have suffered 5000 casualties and our civilians more than 10,000 ?
This is because Taliban groups attacking Pakistan Army are attacking Pakistani military and civilians as revenge against their non combatants and combatants killed by Pakistani military in 2003-9 and these Taliban groups have little or nominal connection with vast bulk of Taliban grouos fighting US/NATO in Afghanistan.
We deployed 80,000 Troops to support USA in war on terror ?
The Pakistani troop deployment in FATA was done after General Musharraf became angry with an assassination attempt which was linked to FATA militants. From 2001 till 2010 no regular Pakistani troops were deployed on some 1500 Km border with Afghanistan where some 80 % of Afghan Taliban were opposing US/NATO and some 70 % of US forces were deployed.
Pakistan contrary to common held beliefs did not deploy any of its regular forces against Taliban fighting against US forces in Afghanistan.All along the 1500 Km border opposite Kandahar,Paktika , Helmand and Nimroz !
Contrary to prevalent myths Pakistan did not send its forces into FATA and Waziristan to aid US forces in Afghanistan but out of retaliation against the 2003-4 assasination attempt on Musharraf linked to FATA militants.
The militant backlash against Pakistani military had little link with US military actions in Afghanistan but a major link with excessive use of force by Pakistani military in FATA resulting inmajor collateraldamage.
The Swat Rebellion of 2008-9 also did not have any major link with US operations in Afghanistan but was a result of excessiveuse of military force in Lal Masjid in Islamabad which was avoidable and unnecessary.
Similarly the Balochistan war also had little connection with US presence in Afghanistan or Indian conspiracies but the major reason was excessive use of force by the usurper Musharraf against the Baloch and an attempt to change the demography of Balochistan by projects of ulterior motivation like Gwadar Port,Greater Kachi Canal and Mirani Dam.
The major crisis of Pakistan is internal while the Pakistani establishment seeks to externalise it .
The major reason of growth of religious militancy in Pakistan is misuse of religion by Pakistani establishment and conveniently abandoning it when it suits them.
The major reason of Pakistans economic problems post 2008 was the fallout of excessive use of military force by Musharraf and the resultant political instability.
Pakistans civilians have failed but they failed because of the mess that they inherited from a usurper military regime.
But the important fact is that Pakistans civilians do not control Pakistans Afghan or India policy , so failure if any will be squarely the failure of Pakistans security establishment in the final summing up.
It is time that the Pakistani establishment does some inner thinking and the Pakistani media stop blaming Blackwater,USA,Israel and India for sabotage carried out by Pakistans vested interests to achieve their narrow class agendas
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