Prime Minister Imran Khan is in the US on an official visit. His discussions will centre around topics like Afghanistan, Pakistan’s anti-terror campaign, and restoration of suspended US military aid to its Asian ally in the fight against terror. Notably, Khan took along with him two military generals – the army chief and the head of the ISI military intelligence. This is the first time a Pakistani leader did so during his US visit, and this might be proof of how elected leaders are progressively on a weak wicket in Pakistan. Notably, the US interacts with Pakistan at both political and military levels, unlike India which refuses to have any dialogue with the Pakistani generals.
India need not expect much from the meeting Khan will have with President Donald Trump on Monday, more so on the issue of terror. The US is neither a friend of Pakistan nor of India. It rather engages in a puppet show to further its economic and strategic interests. Both India and Pakistan are major purchasers of military ware. They come from either the US or Europe. The more these two Asian nations fight, the more the sale of military ware from the West. No serious issues exist between India and Pakistan other than Kashmir. Pakistan occupies a part of Kashmir and India another. The matter could as well be left at that. It would mean both India and Pakistan being able to set apart more of their funds for their economic development. PM Modi had famously suggested to the Pakistani leadership, “Let us rather join hands and fight poverty.”
Chances are that the powerful clique of western powers would laugh away such proposals. Pakistan is straining every nerve to feed its military with modern weapons. The result is a major economic crisis hurting its people. Imran Khan has no money to check into a luxury hotel in the US due to its season of austerity and opted to stay in the ambassador’s residence. But, his military generals would keep asking for more.
China too is engaged in a major arms build-up, but it can afford to do so because of its success on the economic front. Faced with these two sides, India has less money for defence acquisitions, and our jawans make do with outdated guns, set as they are against the hi-tech firepower of the two rivals. By arms build-up, Pakistan scores a point over India, but this could be an invitation to trouble for the Islamic nation in the long run, as people are hit badly.