Pakistan’s Nuclear Program still an eyesore? Part 2

By adopting a highly belligerent posture, Donald Trump raised the stakes even higher. He prevented the Pak Army from receiving the CSF and made its release contingent on progress in the war on terrorism. Pakistan was accused of providing the Haqqani network (HN) with safe havens.

In order to halt the rapid progress of CPEC and the growth of the strategic relationship between Pakistan and China, the Trump administration allowed Nawaz Sharif's government to fall in July 2018.

Trump developed a personal friendship with Narendra Modi, but he also showed softer feelings for Imran Khan, the new prime minister. He deceptively offered his services to the visiting IK in July 2019 to mediate the Kashmir dispute, but shortly thereafter, on August 5, 2019, he gave Modi the go-ahead to annex the disputed Indian-occupied Kashmir.

He coerced the PTI regime to make CPEC controversial and to almost stop work on the Phase-2 projects. He also persuaded IK not to take any proactive steps in Kashmir and to prevent jihadi elements from crossing the Line of Control.

Trump thanked Pakistan for its assistance in signing the Doha peace agreement in February 2020, but he did not extend CSF or US economic assistance. Pakistan's economy was weakened by using the IMF, FATF, and India as coercive tools.

Biases of Joe Biden The hasty and humiliating withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan in August 2021 put Joe Biden under a lot of domestic pressure. Instead of being thankful to Pakistan for the occupying forces' safe withdrawal, he blamed Pakistan for the mess to cover up his embarrassment.

As a result, he ignored IK and made no effort to improve relations between Pakistan and the United States. Biden was further irritated by IK's refusal to vote against Russian aggression in the United Nations and his visit to Moscow on February 24, the day that Russian troops crossed into Ukraine.

Washington denied the allegations made by IK that Biden was responsible for overthrowing his regime in April 2022 because of his inclination toward Russia. Now, audio leaks show that IK was using a conspiracy theory to boost his declining popularity and win over the public's support.

By improving relations with the new Shahbaz Sharif regime, it appears that the Biden administration made progress toward correcting its skewed foreign policy.

The IMF, FATF, Arab Gulf States, and the EU had also softened and cooperated as a result of the US shift in attitude.

The PDM regime's optimism was shattered by Biden's statement about Pakistan's nuclear program, which gave it hope that, with their cooperation and support, it would be able to overcome its economic woes.

Biden's challenges Biden's position at home became shaky as a result of heavy criticism from Republicans, several domestic movements as a result of his failure to address social issues, and presiding over the humiliating exit from Afghanistan.

His worries were made even worse by the war in Ukraine, which is going against the interests of Europe and the United States. China is on the verge of becoming the next superpower, and Russia under President Putin has once more established itself as a formidable force. For the first time, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have resisted US demands for oil production.

Contrary to US wishes, they trade oil and gas with Russia and China in rubles and yuan. This month's high-profile visit to Riyadh by President Xi Jinping has shaken US Middle East policy. The United States is perceived as a declining power and losing friends.

Biden's attack on Pakistan's nuclear program It was very odd that Biden chose to stir up Pakistan's nuclear program in October 2022, when the timing wasn't right for the US and it needed friends a lot.

He argued, in line with the narrative of his predecessors, that Pakistan's nuclear program lacks cohesion and ranks among the world's most dangerous nations. He expressed his concern that anyone could abuse it.

To put it another way, he brought back the old story of "lack of safety and falling into the wrong hands."

The reason why Vice President Biden brought up this topic in his address to the Democratic Congressional Committee at a time when tensions between the United States and Pakistan were beginning to improve calls for a more in-depth analysis.

Pakistan's measured response The Pakistani Foreign Ministry promptly expressed its reservations in a measured and mature manner, stating that Washington and the IAEA have expressed their complete satisfaction with Pakistan's multilayered safety system and foolproof effective control of its nuclear program, which has never lapsed.

The protest note was given to Donald Blome, the US ambassador, who was summoned.

Should Pakistan keep relying on the United States?

The US State Department expressed its confidence in Pakistan's safety apparatus and its capacity to protect its nuclear assets, as well as its belief that Pakistan was an important ally, as an afterthought to control the damage.

It's possible that Biden made those remarks in response to Pakistan's decision not to vote in the United Nations to condemn the Russian attack on Ukraine. However, it does reveal the US leadership's mentality.

Pakistan ought to be content with maintaining transactional relationships with the double-dealing USA now that it has gotten used to the USA's unfair and partial attitude.

Pakistan will be plunged into the worst crisis in its history, putting its security and integrity in jeopardy if the United States, obsessed with its plan to denuclearize Pakistan, decides to further stifle Pakistan's dwindling economy at this vulnerable stage.

Pakistan's policymakers should reconsider their policy of heavily relying on the United States and the IMF, which is controlled by the United States, after six decades of betrayals. They should also prepare their future foreign policy on the assumption that the United States would never favor Pakistan over India or assist Pakistan at the expense of irritating India.

Internal threats to Pakistan's nuclear arsenal The multiple strategies used by the United States to stop Pakistan's nuclear program include tricking or trapping the country's political leaders. Benazir Bhutto was the target of the first assault when she was living in exile in London in the 1980s. In 1986, she received assistance, and in 1988, she became the first woman to serve as the prime minister of a Muslim nation. She was asked to say that she would stop the nuclear program. The military establishment, sensing the rat, prevented her from visiting the Kahuta plant and was ousted in 1990.

In exchange for reversing the nuclear program, the US and UK made possible her return from exile in October 2007 to become the third PM. She was frightened by a bomb attack at Karsaz on October 17, 2007, which she narrowly escaped. She became a danger on December 27, 2007, when she clashed with President Musharraf, with whom she was required to share power, and was kicked out.

Before heading to Washington in August 2008, PM Gilani issued a notification to move the ISI under the Interior Ministry, but COAS Gen Ashfaq Kayani stopped him. During President Zardari's trip to Washington in September 2008, he asked the so-called western friends for $200 billion to help Pakistan solve its economic problems. It was widely believed that he had secretly pledged to end the nuclear program.

In October 2011, Pakistan's ambassador in Washington, Hussain Haqqani, at the behest of President Zardari and PM Gilani, handed CJCSC Mike Mullen a Memorandum in which offers were made to allow NATO forces to freely enter FATA, obtain Pentagon approval for promotions and postings of senior officers of the army, open nuclear facilities for inspections by the IAEA, and drastically reduce the size of the armed forces. The US came closest to accomplishing its goal. Gen. Kayani and Lt. Gen. Shuja Pasha once more abandoned this horrible plan.

The country technically has defaulted because the current economic situation has become so unstable. Financial emergency has been imposed on the incumbent government. Rumors are circulating that the compromised PDM government might sell or mortgage nuclear arsenal in exchange for a bailout economic package in the wake of extreme political instability, the crumbling economy, increased insecurity in KP and Baluchistan due to terrorism, and moral, ethical, social, religious, and human values having hit rock bottom. However, the Prime Minister and Finance Minister are resolute in their belief that they can rescue the economy from its predicament and that the situation is improving. The prices of daily commodities and fuel have decreased.