Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Story of India, US and Pakistan' that was published in Newsband

Story of India, US and Pakistan

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited the United States. This visit has left enough for Indian strategic thinkers and policymakers to mull over. The continuing volatility in the security situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s battles with the demons within, and its relations with India were broadly the three topics that dominated Mr. Sharif’s discussions with his U.S. interlocutors, with terrorism as a theme that spanned all three topics. Particular emphasis was laid on measures to prevent Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal from falling into terrorist hands.

Now there appears to be two axes in South Asia – Pakistan and China on the one side and the U.S. and India on the other. But a U.S. official put it candidly, the U.S. has global intentions that will not allow it to choose between Pakistan and India, or tilt towards either of them. He went on to clarify that relations with Pakistan and India stand on their individual merits.

U.S. appears clear that its South Asia policy involves a composite approach involving India, Pakistan and Afghanistan in its search for stability and peace,

India and Pakistan are just two sides of coins for USA which can be flipped at will. Pakistan for utilizing their strategic location against Afghanistan and India for keeping one of the largest emerging economy and service provider for US based software giants on healthy terms with US.

US should bank on India as a better ally in South Asia to take on China, than Pakistan, which goes to China with a begging bowl and can never talk to it on equal terms, which India can, given its economic might in the region. As far as Afghanistan, India has played a key role in its reconstruction and could play a positive role in that country, against the divisive and destructive role played by Pakistan there through the Haqqani Network. The US should work with India more in eliminating the Terrorist Networks that are based in Pakistan, rather than seeking their help, which will never come to them, if one understands Pakistan's duplicity over the decades. Better sense should prevail with the US policy experts, since they are making a grave mistake if they believe that Pakistan can deliver them results on 'Terrorism'.

Evidently, American did not learn anything from terrorist attacks in its soil and elsewhere by Pakistan trained militants. The entire aid to Pakistan is used to train terrorists and arming them to attack India and other nations in addition to making nuclear weapons. A few of these terrorists turned against US as well. On the one hand the US wants stringent action against terrorist nations and on the other hand it is financing terrorism through Pakistan. Even IS militants are trained by Pakistan Army & ISI directly and indirectly. US is creating danger for itself by giving more and more aids to Pakistan.

If you see from one angle, Pakistan Is good for everybody except India and present day Afghanistan. It is ready to deploy its troops if proper price is given, it is ready to provide training to army or terrorists on its soil whenever required by any organization be it CIA, Al Queda, or Saudi Arabia. It provided mujahideen to US when it required, it provides terrorists, suicide bombers in various parts of world either for a fee or free of charge depending upon the brotherly relations. It can provide its port for military purpose to China, land for CPEC corridor free of charge, without delay, without agitations by its people, it provides policemen to Bahrain, allows free flow of drugs across its border. India is too much of a saint and will never offer such things to anyone at any price.

US and Pakistan have had a stable relation since cold war days and it would be naive for anyone to believe it would undergo a radical change soon. With China making all efforts to be Pakistan's strategic partner in all area it will not suit Washington's interest to even show a trace of indifference towards Islamabad. India, therefore, needs to formulate its own strategy to meet the challenges it faces in respect to its dealings with Pakistan as well as US.