SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Obama visit to India has sent ripples across the South Asia and specially the Pakistan. Obama’s willingness to make India a strategic partner is indeed a matter of deep concerns for Pakistan. Pakistan’s reaction to this situation matters a lot. In words of Kissinger there is not permanent friend or foe in politics but interests. Obama’s visit has led to the consolidation of Washington’s strategic partnership with New Delhi. The two countries have achieved an understanding on the civil nuclear deal. They would also initiate a project for joint production of Raven type drones, an unarmed light-weight vehicle which is used for surveillance only. India is already the world’s largest buyer of weapons, accounting for 14 per cent of global arms imports. It is considering to spend more than $130 billion on import of arms to upgrade its Soviet-era arsenal.
India can order state of the art military equipment on this scale because of the size of its economy. India’s budget is six times the size of Pakistan’s. Its exports are 12 times more than Pakistan’s. Indian investment in US touches $11 billion and creates 100,000 jobs for American citizens. India’s military modernisation can generate billions of dollars worth of business for American companies. This explains India’s rising clout with the US. Pakistan on the other hand is mostly asking the US for aid and loans.
India has relied on its economic strength to seek space in Afghanistan. It however faces competition in this respect with China. Despite Obama desiring to work jointly with India in Afghanistan, China and Pakistan cannot be dismissed on account of their physical proximity and usefulness for Kabul. The new Afghan government realises this.
In spite of its rising economic and military clout, India cannot achieve all its dreams. Now it is time for Pakistan to focus on improvement of its internal situation. Improving economy is a herculean task. Until Pakistan stops begging US, it cannot win the equal treatment by Uncle Sam. On the other hand India also need to understand that it cannot suppress Pakistan as it is a country that has equal capacity of nukes as India has. Thus both the countries need to realize what they are doing and what they ought to do.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
