WHEN the relationship between Pakistan and United States turned sour after Salala incident in May 2011, it was feared that allied forces could lose the plot on war against terror. The two year long stalemate has allowed both countries to reassess the importance of their engagement and define common goals to safeguard their national interests. In this regard, the recent agreement between US Secretary of State John Kerry and new leadership of Pakistan to deepen their partnership and revive the strategic dialogue is a good omen for regional stability.
With the allied forces slated to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, a stable and prosperous Pakistan is key to ensuring a safe exit from the war-ravaged country. The US fully appreciates Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating a dialogue process with the Taleban and end violence in neighboring Afghanistan. The country has also led from the front and sacrificed the lives of several thousands of civilians and security forces in the fight against terror. Pakistan’s turbulent north region, which borders Afghanistan, is key to withdrawal of US forces from the region as it is remains a key logistics route. To achieve its objectives, the US administration has expressed its interest to develop its mercurial relationship with Pakistan on a broader and more comprehensive level.
However, the strategic dialogue faces several thorny issues that have remained in the spotlight of Pakistan’s public. Drone attacks that violate Pakistan’s sovereignty and the return of Dr. Aafia top the list of these contentious issues. The US government needs to urgently resolve these outstanding issues to change its perception in Pakistan and overcome other obstacles to counterterrorism. At the same time, the US should also extend greater financial support to Pakistan and encourage US-based companies to explore the country’s tremendous business potential. Any US support to overcome the country’s crippling energy crisis and sluggish economic growth would be welcomed by Pakistan. The US has already previously warned Pakistan that any decision to import gas from Iran to deal with the country’s persistent energy shortages would prove counterproductive and harm regional stability.
Reviving relations with Pakistan are also in the interest of America’s greater designs for the Asian region. The US is seeking to protect its strategic interests by trying to contain China’s growing influence in the region. China’s military and economic rise has posed a serious challenge to US dominance in the region. As Pakistan and China historically enjoy brotherly relations, the US efforts to revitalize its relationship with Pakistan may face a limitation and strategic dialogue may only yield mixed results. Warm ties between the US and India may also help the peace process between India and its archrival Pakistan. By bringing the two sides on a negotiation table, the US can actively play its role in ensuring regional peace and stability. Nevertheless, Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir issue could prove to be an irritant in the dialogue and disrupt the peace efforts. At the same time, Pakistan may use its influence on Iran to convince its neighbor to surrender its nuclear ambitions as desired by the US and global community.
Despite its limitations, close cooperation between Pakistan and the US remains in the best interests of South Asia. Full restoration of bilateral ties between the two countries, based on mutual respect and understanding, would help Pakistan to deal with its internal and external challenges, while at the same time promote US interests in the region.
• This article is exclusive to Arab News.
US-Pak ties key to region’s stability
US-Pak ties key to region’s stability
Two women shot on campus of small technical college near Los Angeles
- The Los Angeles Police Department said officers detained a male subject from a car matching the description of a vehicle linked to the shooting
- The school went on lockdown for at least an hour after the shooting
The shooting occurred around 4 p.m. in an office at the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology campus in Inglewood, where Mayor James Butts said the suspect was believed to be a former employee.
Aerial TV video showed a heavy police presence outside the campus in the city, which abuts Los Angeles to the southwest.
One of the victims was in critical condition, Butts said. The Los Angeles County Fire Department confirmed on the social platform X that two people were taken to the hospital.
A person was taken into custody after initially leaving the scene, Butts said.
The Los Angeles Police Department said officers detained a male subject from a car matching the description of a vehicle linked to the shooting, which had been sent to local law enforcement agencies by the Inglewood Police Department. The Inglewood police did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
The school went on lockdown for at least an hour after the shooting.
Chris Becker, president and chief administrator of the campus, told KABC-TV that the campus is patrolled regularly and, as an aviation school, safety is one of its primary focuses.
“It’s a peaceful campus,” Becker said. “It’s a nice community of students and teachers and staff.”
The Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology has campuses across the country. The college’s Inglewood location, about a mile (about 1.5 kilometers) from the Los Angeles International Airport, accommodates 500 students and offers training programs focused on aviation maintenance technology, according to its website.
On World Press Freedom Day, Pakistan honors journalists killed in Gaza
- Israel’s war on Gaza has killed 232 journalists, an average of 13 per month, making it the deadliest conflict for media workers
- President Asif Ali Zardari says media is indispensable in promoting dialogue, highlighting social, economic and environmental issues
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday hailed journalists who lost their lives while reporting in conflict zones like Gaza, saying their dedication continues to inspire others.
The statement came on the World Press Freedom Day on May 3 that aims to raise awareness about the importance of press freedom and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed 232 journalists – an average of 13 per month – making it the deadliest conflict for media workers ever recorded, according to a report by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs’ Costs of War project issued on April 1.
More journalists have been killed in Gaza than in both world wars, the Vietnam War, the wars in Yugoslavia and the United States war in Afghanistan combined. The 18-month Israeli war, which began after the Oct. 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas, has also killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, laying waste to almost all of Gaza.
“[We] honor the sacrifices made by those who have lost their lives in pursuit of truth, especially reporting in conflict zones like Gaza and Palestine,” President Zardari said in his statement on the day.
“Their courage and dedication continue to inspire us.”
The media is indispensable in promoting dialogue, highlighting issues of social, economic and environmental significance, uncovering corruption and advocating for the marginalized communities, according to the Pakistan president.
Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees the right to freedom of speech and a free press, subject to “certain restrictions.”
Pakistan ranks 152nd out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press freedom index, and journalists in the country have long complained of increasing state pressure on traditional media. Social media platform X is officially banned, but accessible using VPNs, while YouTube and TikTok have faced bans in the past.
“We have taken a number of steps for the protection and welfare of journalists, but more needs to be done by providing them a safe, secure, and enabling environment,” Zardari said.
“A culture where journalists feel secure to perform their duties without fear and harassment is the need of the time. I urge the media to uphold the highest standards of journalism, accuracy, and professionalism.”
Gunman kills three in Thailand’s conflict-hit south
- Violence frequently rocks the kingdom’s southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala
- In 2004, Thai security forces shot into a crowd of protesters outside a police station in Tak Bai, killing seven
BANGKOK: A gunman has shot dead three people including a child in Thailand’s insurgency-hit south, police said Saturday, as authorities pursued the suspect.
The attacker opened fire late Friday in a residential area of Tak Bai district in Narathiwat province, one of three Muslim-majority provinces in Thailand’s far south gripped by a decades-long separatist insurgency.
Three people were killed, including a nine-year-old girl and a 75-year-old man, police said.
“One victim died at the scene, and two others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital,” local police officer Watthana Thurarat told AFP, adding that two more people were wounded.
Police believe the suspect, who remains at large, is linked to a rebel group, Watthana said.
Violence frequently rocks the kingdom’s southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala, where separatists seeking greater autonomy for the religiously distinct region have killed more than 7,000 people since 2004.
However, attacks on unarmed civilians in residential areas remain relatively rare, with most targeting security personnel.
In 2004, Thai security forces shot into a crowd of protesters outside a police station in Tak Bai, killing seven.
Subsequently, 78 others suffocated in the back of military trucks after they were arrested — a deadly crackdown widely seen as a trigger for the southern unrest in the Buddhist-majority country.
Last year, a Thai court dismissed the long-delayed Tak Bai case, brought by victims’ families against seven officials, when the statute of limitations expired.
Analysts have warned the decision could further inflame tensions in the region.
Six killed, dozens injured in India temple stampede
- Stampedes during large Hindu religious gatherings are routinely reported in India
NEW DELHI: At least six people were killed and 55 were injured in a stampede at an Indian temple in the western coastal state of Goa where hundreds of devout Hindus had assembled, police official said on Saturday.
The stampede occurred on Friday night during the annual Shri Lairai Zatra festival in Shirgao village, which is popular for its events including fire-walking.
“Devotees were witnessing a religious ceremony and the frenzy caused during the rituals triggered a stampede,” said V.S. Chadonkar, a police officer in Goa’s state capital Panjim.
“Six people lost their lives and at least eight were critically injured,” he said.
Stampedes during large Hindu religious gatherings are routinely reported in India, as huge crowds gather in tight spaces often ignoring safety protocol.
Pakistan will strike any Indian structure built to divert its water, minister says
- India suspended a key water-sharing treaty with Pakistan after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi has blamed on Pakistan
- Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack that killed 26 tourists and described India’s suspension of the treaty as an ‘act of war’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will destroy any structure built by India to divert its share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday, amid heightened tensions between the two countries over an attack in the Kashmir region.
India suspended on April 23 the World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 that ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, saying it would last until “Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”
The development came a day after an attack killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam tourist town. India said two of the three militants who attacked tourists were from Pakistan. Islamabad denied the allegation and said any attempt to stop or divert the flow of Pakistan’s water will be considered an “act of war.”
Speaking to a private news channel on Friday night, Asif said diverting Pakistan’s water was also a “face of aggression” against the country and entire nations could die of thirst and hunger because of it.
“That will be aggression against Pakistan,” he said. “So, even if they made an architectural attempt of this kind, then Pakistan will destroy that structure.”
Pakistan has rights to the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower, according to the Indus Waters Treaty. India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow. India can use the western rivers for limited purposes such as power generation and irrigation, without storing or diverting large volumes.
Asif’s comments came hours after Pakistan’s top generals blamed the April 22 attack on New Delhi’s “governance failures” and its strategy of using such incidents for political gains, warning Pakistani security forces were ready to respond to any attack on the country’s sovereignty.
Pakistan Army’s top brass gathered at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Friday to review the geo-strategic environment, with a particular focus on the Pakistan-India standoff and the broader regional security situation, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.
“The Forum noted, with serious concern, India’s consistent pattern of exploitation of crises to achieve political and military objectives. They have been following a predictable template — whereby internal governance failures are externalized,” the ISPR said.
“These incidents have often coincided with unilateral moves by India to alter the status quo, as seen in 2019 when India similarly exploited the Pulwama incident to unilaterally alter the status quo of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, through revocation of Article 370,” it added.
The 2019 Pulwama attack killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel and was also blamed on Pakistan before New Delhi revoked the region’s special constitutional status to integrate it in the Indian union, a move repeatedly condemned by Islamabad.
Tensions have been high in the South Asian region since last week’s attack in Kashmir, a situation exacerbated by retaliatory actions between the two nuclear-armed rivals, including the expulsion of diplomats and citizens, border closures and airspace shutdowns.
Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. They have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, a region split between them, since gaining independence from the former British colonial rule in 1947.
On Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with envoys from Gulf allies and briefed them on Islamabad’s stance regarding the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, seeking to defuse tensions.
The international community has encouraged both sides to exercise restraint and resolve the crisis through dialogue.
