Friendly spat Wednesday, 28 September 2011 04:00

Pakistan-American relations have reached a nadir. This time, the attack on the US embassy in Kabul and the bombing of a US base in Wardak have driven American officials to launch a virulent assault against Pakistan. The outgoing chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, last week described the Haqqani network, the most violent faction among Taliban militants in Afghanistan, as a “veritable arm” of Pakistan’s ISI spy agency and accused Islamabad of providing support for the group’s Sept. 13 attack on the US embassy in Kabul.

It was the most direct attack from a senior US official against Pakistan and triggered a war of words between the two sides.

Was the ISI involved in the embassy attack? Even if the US thinks so, why should they go public about it? As we seek the answers, one thing is clear: the serious rupture in relations is equally harmful for both sides. And the chances are that what we are witnessing will soon become a blip. Despite the frequent squabbles, the relations cannot head for a divorce because the stakes are too high. Verbal warnings are acceptable, but for Washington to follow them with action will be crossing the red line. The US is yet to finish the job it has undertaken in the region and Islamabad’s support is crucial for the same, and Pakistan badly needs the financial support it has been receiving from Washington for years.

The current standoff has further alienated the Pakistani public which has blamed American activities for a rise in terrorism in their country. Pakistanis say that since 2001, when Islamabad partnered with Washington to combat the Taliban and Al Qaeda, there have been 335 suicide bombings in Pakistan. Before 2001, there was one. Anti-American rallies are a regular feature on Pakistan’s streets but these days the rallies have acquired more stridency and virulence.

In such a scenario, both sides need to take corrective measures not to let the relations sink to a point of no return. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said yesterday that any unilateral military action by the United States to hunt down militants of the Haqqani network inside the country would be a violation of his country’s sovereignty. He has spoken the truth. The fight against terrorism can only be done only with the cooperation of the government in Islamabad, and a repetition of the Bin Laden adventure runs the risk of inflaming passions beyond control. At the same time, Gilani needs to address America’s concerns about his government’s alleged support to the Haqqani network.

Pakistan and America are locked in a mutually beneficial, but complicated partnership. The focus should be on making the relations more beneficial, not more complicated.