For Pakistanis, the latest talks between
the United States and Pakistani officials in Washington, D.C. are just a repeat
of what they've seen played out on their television screens so many times before.
Even with the addition of the new chief of
army staff, General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani, to the delegation, a wide-ranging
agenda, and renewed commitment to partnership from both sides, most Pakistanis do
not see a change in the status quo.
After it was announced
that the United States would provide aid for power plants in Pakistan, a
right-wing colleague of mine remarked: "Why don't we just hand over our
country to [the United States] now." On local television stations analysts
have been speculating that Kayani's inclusion is a sign that the military and
the government are putting up a united front is hard for most Pakistanis to
believe, as is the impression Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are working hard to promote -- that U.S.-Pakistan
relations are taking a turn
for the better.
Perhaps to give the impression that they
are a key player in the region, Pakistan has gone along with a long list of U.S.
demands, from acquiescing to the Coalition Support Funds to paying for the support
for thermal power plants on the list. Ayaz Amir, a member of Pakistan Muslim
League (Nawaz), the second largest party in the parliament, told me over the
phone "I think we've set our expectations too high and our wish list is a
bit too wishy-washy. We should've focused on one or two specific areas. Instead
we've gone in with unrealistic expectations. These talks are no different from
previous phases in our history, so we should not be carried away with this."
Cyril Almeida, a columnist
at the daily newspaper Dawn, said
during a phone interview, that during
these talks we will likely see Pakistan
making a push for what's already on the table -- for example support for the
war against militancy, aid, infrastructure development, etc. "There's
nothing new that you would expect either to announce, or nothing new that
either side will learn about the other side. However, it is important whenever
they meet, but at the same time, I don't see it as being a deal changer."
After 9 years of being ruled by a military
ruler, the former president, General Pervez Musharraf, one saw Gen. Kayani, taking a backseat. But thanks to the
ruling party the Pakistan People's Party mishandling of the reinstatement of
deposed judges, one has seen the COAS nudge and push the government into
handling domestic issues with more tact. According to Almeida, "From the
Pakistani perspective, what is more important is that General Kayani is now
increasingly comfortable with a high profile public role in Pakistan's foreign
policy. From giving briefings to the media, chairing a meeting with the
country's foreign secretaries and being seated in meetings with the Prime
Minister, he is becoming uncomfortably comfortable in his newfound role as the
"go to person" on Pakistan's foreign policy."
At the end of the day, even if the United
States promises the moon (which it won't), and even if the Pakistani government
comes back empty handed, or laden with promises, the situation in Pakistan will
remain the same. Even with a lull in recent terror attacks, Pakistanis are
braced every single day for the worst to happen. The current electricity
shortfall in the country is now at 5,000 megawatts, meaning electricity cuts off
from anywhere between 4 - 12 hours a day. Prime Minister Gilani is promising the world to
Pakistanis at the moment, saying the delegation will discuss everything from
power plants to Afia Siddiqui's case. The media wing of Pakistan's army -- the Inter Services Public Relations -- sends daily dispatches reporting
such events as: "X number of militants was killed in army operations in
the tribal areas," in an attempt to show that all is well in the country.
While this dialogue between the U.S.
administration and the Pakistani government will surely continue, one wonders if all that is promised
will be delivered. And with Pakistan's
current government's record being so dismal on everything from implementing
constitutional reforms to infrastructure development, it is highly likely that the Pakistan-U.S. talks will remain just that: talk.
Huma Imtiaz works as a journalist in Pakistan.
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