News & Comment
F16s Sale Denied: When will Pakistan’s Leaders Learn?

News

This week the United States told Pakistan it will have to finance the purchase of U.S. F-16 fighter jets itself after members of the U.S. Congress objected to the use of government funds to pay for them. The U.S. government said in February it had approved the sale to Pakistan of up to eight F-16 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp LMT.N, as well as radar and other equipment in a deal valued at $699 million. Predictably, Pakistan reacted angrily, but can its leadership change?

Comment

The U.S. State Department Representative John Kirby said that congressional opposition meant funds from the U.S. government's Foreign Military Financing allocation could not be used to purchase the aircraft. Moreover, Kirby said the State Department opposed putting conditions on the use of such funds and believed that effective engagement with Pakistan, including by supporting its counter-terrorism effort, was "critical" to promoting democracy and economic stability in the country.

Once again, Pakistan is facing difficulties in procuring weapons from America. As expected American politicians, want Pakistan to do more in America’s fight against Islam. The familiar pattern of the White House “supporting” Pakistan and the Congress withdrawing support is a well-known tactic employed by Washington to force Pakistan to change its behavior. If history is any guide, Pakistan’s civil and military leaders— after some bluster—will amend their behavior and continue the slaughter of Muslims in return for F16s.

In this latest saga, the problem is not America, but the entire civil and military leadership that believes it can cut deals with a super-power in exchange for some benefit. There are a myriad of issues, during which the Pakistani leadership failed to secure any benefit for Pakistan. These include: unstinting support for 9/11, the abandonment of Kashmir, Pakistan’s crippled economy, security of Pakistani nukes, release of Raymond Davis, the Abbottabad operation, and military operations in the tribal area. Pakistan reward hitherto has been an economic loss of 150 billion dollars, millions of internally displaced Pakistani citizens and Pakistanis have become constant victims of terror attacks. So why persist with such a one sided relationship?

The present civil and military leadership is enamored with America, and cannot see life without servitude to Washington. This blind obedience clouds the judgement of the establishment and prevents the emancipation of Pakistan from the clutches of the American vulture.

Slogans such as ditching America in preference for China and Russia have been raised many times before but to no avail. China has pledged 46 billion dollars in investment, but the Pakistani elite still remains fixated on Washington that finds it painful to part with a few million dollars.

This slave mentality has produced generations of leaders that cannot imagine life without America, and each time the Pakistani nation has suffered immensely. What is required is an alternative leadership that has made liberation of Pakistan and its subsequent unification with all Muslim countries its primary goal. This leadership believes in the return of the Khilafah "Caliphate" Rashida (Caliphate) upon the method of the Prophethood and obedience to Allah (swt) as the way forward. The Muslims of Pakistan must rally behind this leadership and work to restore the true Islamic state thereby returning sovereignty, dignity and honour to Pakistan. Allah says:

(يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ)

“Oh you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.” [TMQ: 8: 24]

Written for The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Abdul Majeed Bhatti