Western Criticism
of Pakistan is Wrongheaded and Unfair
Is the Western media making matters
worse by criticizing Pakistan's intelligence service and military for failing
to identify the location of Osama bin Laden? According to this editorial from
China's state-run Global Times, to foster a successful and peaceful
Pakistan, the United States and the West should do as China does.
Since the death of Osama bin
Laden, the U.S. media has been asking how the world's most wanted man could
have lived for years in a hideout in Pakistan. Friction between the United
States and Pakistan has focused on the role of the latter's intelligence sector,
triggering a backlash from Islamabad, which has described the raid that killed
Bin Laden as a violation of its sovereignty by the United States. Some in the
Indian media went a step further, calling for attacks on anti-India terrorists
in Pakistan.
Such critiques are not only
unfair, but dangerous.
Standing at the beachhead of
the war on terror, the Pakistan government in recent years has taken risks
beyond the imagination of the West. Pakistan has suffered huge losses from the
war, making it a victim of social disruption and violent incidents as well as
the assassination of Benazir
Bhutto, who was one of that nation's most outstanding leaders.
U.S. media criticism
indicates that it doesn't see Pakistan as a genuine ally that deserves respect,
but a performer of the American interest. In the eyes of many Americans, Pakistan
is nothing but a country that has been bought and maneuvered by U.S. dollars.
As to the reaction in India, media
seems to lack any restraint. Indian society's geopolitical observations about the
region are worrisome. Extremism in India may stunt its efforts to become a more
responsible power in South Asia.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
In the era of the Internet, Western
arrogance toward third world nations creates uneasiness in the political forum.
Without any restraint, the Western media has exaggerated the situation and set
a bad example for India, which boasts of being a fully open society in terms of
media coverage. Hard-won compromises between India and other governments are
often distorted.
Pakistan is one of the most
complex countries in the Muslim world, with a mix of modern democracy and
tribal-based autonomy. Being a populous country with nuclear weapons, Pakistan's
stability is vital for the entire region. It would be ridiculous and wrong to
force Pakistan to bend to external pressure. Respect rather than oppression
from the West is what would help that nation realize true modernization.
China, a heart-felt friend of
Pakistan, has also suffered from terrorism in recent years. Its frontier provinces
are occasionally disturbed by extremists from within Pakistan. But this hasn't caused
deterioration in bilateral ties. The mutual respect between China and Pakistan is
something else that surpasses the imagination of some Western countries.
In this way, China has set an
example for the West on how to treat Pakistan as a sincere and cooperative
partner.
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