Pakistan first, India later
Imran Bajwa
With over thirty thousand Pakistanis killed and over a hundred thousand injured (still counting) and the whole nation terrorised and hopeless, one may ask whose war is it anyways. And what were the bounties for the “ Frontline State”.
The world image of Pakistan is going to its lowest abyss, flight of talent and capital, rampant inflation, rising debt or the move over from Klashnikovs to ball bearings.
America had been a true friend all along.
Very few people realise that a total of 14 Americans (al Qaeda’s original enemy), got killed within Pakistan since 9/11. These included twelve American servicemen, Daniel Pearl (journalist) and a diplomat.
This war on terror had also been a colossal failure for the Pakistani security establishment, something their Indian rivals can indeed rejoice on. Who in Pakistan actually owned major stakes in the economics of this longest war in US history. Pakistan’s Armed Forces, international and local NGO’s and Gen (r) Musharraf.
Pakistani citizens, generally, just got USAID wheat sacks besides makeshift tents and that too in emergencies like floods and the IDP situations.
Let’s now examine these facts and how they contributed to ordinary lives in Pakistan.
Out of the $17 billion or so allotted to Pakistan by the US, so far, as support for the war on terror, over two thirds have gone directly into the war effort and war machine.
The armed forces bought around $6 billion worth of arms and armaments, mostly India specific, during the last nine years, as also admitted by Musharraf. More then half of this money, already paid, under the Foreign Military Fund (FMF), provided by the US, never actually got to Pakistan. The shopping list includes F16s, naval reconnaissance planes and frigates, bombs and missiles. (See attached Table I)
These weapons allotted or delivered during the last nine years were roughly double than the total US arms imported by Pakistan during the last 55 years ie 1947- 2003. Hats off to the Pakistani defence establishment for having such a silent victory.
Let Indians creep about it now and belatedly join this new arms race with Pakistan.
Over half of the above investment in arms and ammunitions were covered by the Americans through the FMF Facility, while the remaining half has been the committed share of the Pakistani government ie $3 billion.
It is interesting to note that Pakistan is perhaps the only country in the world, which actually pays for half of the weapons it buys from the US. This is a historic pattern with Pakistan and being America’s frontline ally didn’t change the rules of business for the US. Other Muslim allies of US like Jordan and Egypt don’t pay any significant money for American arms despite the fact that Egyptian imports of US arms are actually ten times that of Pakistan.
It is even interesting to see how this arms business was a win-win for both parties involved. The establishment filled its armouries, after a long time, for any potential war with India while America sold its weapons to a third world country at a direct cost and bagged matching orders ie $3.5 billion from India. To amply top that, the Indian Air Force, only last week, announced plans to buy another $29 billion worth of weapons and fighters with a major chunk again going to the US. When realised, that makes 10 times the Pakistani defence purchases since 9/11.
American troops might leave the region in the near future, but the arms business will keep flowing back home from South Asia.
Another big chunk of $8 billion have been paved against the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) and the Pakistan Counter-insurgency Capability Fund (PCCF). These funds were reimbursed directly to the Pakistan Army against logistics and war effort, as per claims provided directly by them.
The Americans reportedly didn’t pay anything to Pakistan against depreciation of her arms and also for combat related losses of life and injury.
The condolence payment or compensation for every American soldier killed in the war on terror is $400,000 while no compensation has reportedly been paid to the dependants of Pakistani soldiers who died in the line of duty. Even civilian deaths are not compensated.
The final beneficiary of the American funding to Pakistan for the war on terror was Gen (r) Musharraf. He, obviously, extended his unconstitutional rule over Pakistan besides doing what he liked doing, stuffing long denied collectible arms in Pakistan’s national armoury. The general thought he did an excellent job for Pakistan without realising that he was just another customer in this global trade in armaments and the business of war. “Pakistan first, India later”.
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
Pakistan first, India later
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