A Loss Of Face

IF Nawaz Sharif and I.K. Gujral thought the New York visit would earn them brownie points from Bill Clinton, they were sadly mistaken. The American referee had already waved a 'green card', signalling he was now going to adopt a "no tilt, no favourites" policy. Islamabad was disappointed.

It was being told essentially that the US was trying to distance itself from Pakistan as a long-time ally and with India as a long-time foe. "The Americans want to play on an unlevelled playing field," a Pakistani diplomat commented. Given the buildup to the New York meetings and the interest it generated in the subcontinent, it was difficult to believe that India and Pakistan had just celebrated 50 years of independence. The 'Clinton' factor so important to the two prime ministers betrayed the 'slave and master' mentality. But there was a vast contrast in the way the two presented their cases. Sharif was stuck in the regional groove (with focus on the subcontinent) while Gujral, as Tariq Altaf, additional secretary at the foreign office put it, adopted "a very universal approach" (while pleading India's candidature in the security council).

Says Dr Shirin Mazari, a well-known India-baiter: "So what was the need for the Pakistanis to focus the meeting primarily on Pakistan-India ties and show an irrational appreciation of an increasing US involvement in South Asia?" The reactions of the two prime ministers when they came out of their meeting were also poles apart. Sharif called the parleys "very good". Gujral said it all by not uttering a single word. After the foreign secretaries, even the two prime ministers could not break the deadlock over how to structure the Kashmir dialogue. Pakistanis saw Gujral "to be a little too selective about responding to overtures of friendship from Pakistan". Islamabad was also fuming because Gujral had completely ignored all the proposals that had been made by Sharif, including one on a 'no-aggression treaty'. New Delhi refused to be brought down to the regional level under the shadows of Uncle Sam.

바카라 웹사이트Back home there was appreciation for some of the issues Sharif spoke about. Here was a Pakistani prime minister who was not going to hide anything from the global village. While blaming foreign lobbies, he said they contributed to corruption, drugs and terrorism in the Islamic republic. Sharif also refused to appear apologetic about having acquired advanced technologies to deter external aggression. But by now the Americans had learnt a bitter lesson that no amount of sanctions were severe enough for Islamabad to give up its peaceful nuclear policy. "I found tremendous goodwill for Pakistan at the highest level of the US administration and I feel there is a positive change in the American attitude towards Pakistan...," Sharif told the media before leaving New York.

Finally, there was one point no was disputing either in New Delhi or Islamabad. And this was as to who prodded them to go into the next foreign secretary-level talks in two months. Game, set and match to Bill Clinton.