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USA Should Become Part of
Pakistani Discourse
 I
was in Washington for last few days. During my visit, I had
opportunity to meet many State Department officials, think tank
scholars and congressmen. I heard one common complaint from all
of them about Pakistani media. They complained that Pakistani
media was fanning anti Americanism in Pakistan.
I informed them that USA was the target of
Pakistani media because USA was not the part of Pakistani
discourse.
Many US officials visit Pakistan, but none of
them try to participate in Pakistani discourse. Of course, they
appear in joint press conferences, they give out interviews to
different TV program hosts, but they never sit with Pakistani
commentators who participate in talk shows to form or mould
Pakistani public opinion.
I explained to them that Pakistani people
were very rational people and they would give due consideration
to American arguments if they directly hear those arguments from
American officials, journalists or intellectuals.
Pakistanis need assurance that United States
is not in Afghanistan for the long-haul, USA does not want to
destabilize Pakistan; USA does not want to impose Indian will on
Pakistan; and USA does not want to undo Pakistan’s nuclear
program. They also need to know that Al Qaeda and Taliban threat
is real and it is in the interest of Pakistan to fight back and
eliminate this threat and USA can help in this matter.
The Pakistanis, who try to speak on the
behalf of United States, or try to explain US position,
immediately become under suspicion and mainstream Pakistan
rejects them considering them American agents.
If visiting US officials, journalists and
intellectuals start interacting directly with Pakistani media
and sit on various Talk Shows and discuss US-Pakistan mutual
interests, mutual differences and explain to Talk Show
commentators, and through Talk Show commentators to the people
of Pakistan, the sincerity of United States, the reasons behind
current international activity led by United States in and
around Pakistan, Pakistani media and the people of Pakistan will
start seeing things from American perspective. Or at least, it
will help them understand American perspective.
US will remain the target of Pakistani media
as long as it does not become the part of Pakistani discourse.
And US cannot become the part of Pakistani discourse until US
officials, journalists and intellectuals start participating in
media programs that shape Pakistani mainstream opinion.
Moreover, these visiting officials,
journalists and intellectuals have to understand the immediate
priorities of Pakistanis. For example, many important service
sectors are in total disarray in Pakistan. Electricity, roads,
education and health care need immediate attention. US is
pouring money in Pakistan through unmonitored process. Of
course, education is one of the sectors USA is trying to fix
through direct investment, but what about electricity? Right
now, broken electricity supply system is hitting Pakistan more
severely than backward education system. Reliable electric
supply is the fundamental requirement which affects almost every
other social, economic and political factor of a society.
In order to become part of Pakistani
discourse, visiting USA officials, journalists and intellectuals
have to play a pivotal role in assuring Pakistanis that USA is
not only aware of their concerns about American presence in
Afghanistan, their suspicions about American activities in
Northern Pakistan, and their qualms about American-Indian nexus
in the region, but USA is also aware of their difficulties
because of broken infra structure systems such as electricity
supply, health care, education and roads.
If USA uses this strategy it will not only
help to improve American image in Pakistan it will also improve
USA relations with the people of Pakistan. This strategy will
transform USA-Pakistan relationship into people to people
relationship instead of state to state relations. American
Taxpayers dollars will be spent on the projects which directly
benefit the people of Pakistan. Consequently, USA will have many
more real friends in Pakistan instead of few selfish lackeys who
transfer US money to Swiss banks as soon as the money arrives in
Pakistani accounts.
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