Donald Trump's Praise for Pakistan: An Analysis (Ishraq A. Hashmi)

 

The famous philosopher and intellectual Nietzsche said: "Some people are unpredictable. They appear suddenly, without any cause or reason, without any consideration or justification, like fate. These people shine like lightning; they are both terrifying and oppressive. But their greatness is so overwhelming that even if one wants to hate them, one cannot. The force that keeps them active and active is a fierce sense of pride. Exactly the kind of pride that an artist feels after creating a timeless work of art or a mother feels after giving birth to a child." Nietzsche's statement is true, if not completely, but partially, of US President Donald Trump. You cannot say anything about such people with complete confidence. There is no way to predict which direction they will lean in in the future. For example, in the circles of Pakistan and India where there was jubilation before Donald Trump was elected president for the second time, there are now rows of mourning. While the children of the revolution, the lovers of Imran, had high hopes for Trump's return to the White House, Modi's followers in India were in high spirits.

Here, the good news was being spread that after Donald Trump takes oath as President, the first thing he would do would be to call Rawalpindi and ask for my friend Imran Khan to be released immediately. Similarly, the good news was being spread there that Trump is Modi's friend and that his re-election as US President would usher in a new era in US-India relations. The Rawalpindi telephone call came from Washington, but it was to thank Field Marshal Asim Munir. And since then, the US President has not only missed any opportunity to praise and glorify the commander-in-chief of the Pakistani army, but also remembers Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in good words. Like Imran's lovers, Modi's lovers are also sad and depressed. Last week, they were so shocked that the poor man has not yet come out of this situation.

The US President not only announced the imposition of a 25% tariff and fine on India but also imposed a ban on seven Indian companies that were involved in purchasing oil from Iran. The US President had not yet been able to handle this sudden situation when he dropped the bombshell of a historic agreement with Pakistan to jointly explore vast oil reserves with Pakistan and did not forget to joke that perhaps one day Pakistan would be exporting oil to India. Not only this, but everyone was waiting to see how much tariff the US administration would impose on Pakistani products. It turned out that 25% was imposed on India, while 20% tariff was imposed on Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, but 19% tariff was imposed on Pakistani products. US President Donald Trump's method of surprising and disturbing is very old. When this gentleman was first elected as the US President, his success in itself was no less than a miracle, but before taking oath as the President, he made a telephone call to Pakistan and made everyone's efforts.

I still remember it very well. On December 1, 2016, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spoke to the newly elected US President Donald Trump on the phone. When the contents of the conversation came out, I felt that perhaps some impersonator had tried to take Nawaz Sharif's "back" by impersonating Donald Trump. Because Trump called Nawaz Sharif the greatest human being. He said that you have a great reputation and are showing unparalleled performance, the effects of which can be seen in every field. If the conversation had continued here, it would have been digestible, but Trump said, while talking to you, it feels like we have been friends for years. When Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif invited him to visit Pakistan, not only did he immediately accept but also said that your country is very wonderful and Pakistanis are among the most intelligent people. Before saying goodbye, Trump also said that you can call me any time before my oath-taking on January 20. And then Trump called Nawaz Sharif a “terrific guy”.

I contacted the Prime Minister’s Press Secretary, Muhiuddin Ahmed Wani, and then spoke to the Information Group Officer, Shafqat Jalil. Muhiuddin Wani is now the Secretary of the Inter-Provincial Ministry in Islamabad, while Shafqat Jalil, who later served as the Principal Information Officer and Secretary Information, has retired. Both these friends confirmed that the call was genuine and all records are available in this regard. If the lovers of Imran and the lovers of Modi had taken this telephone call made on December 1, 2016 seriously and learned a lesson, perhaps they would not have had to see this day. We have seen many ups and downs during the Pak-US relations. We faced the American coldness during the era of President Eisenhower but then witnessed the warmth during the era of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

We rejected the peanut-sized "generosity" of US President Carter with contempt and then accepted Reagan's offer. We faced restrictions on nuclear explosions during the era of US President Bill Clinton and then achieved the status of a frontline state in the war on terror with the arrival of George Bush. There is no prediction regarding how long the series of favors and kindnesses continued under Donald Trump will continue, but as long as the scale is tilted in our favor, we can remember the autumn seasons. Instead of wasting these moments, we should enjoy spring. It faced the American coldness during the era, but then witnessed the warmth of the era of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. It rejected the peanut-sized "generosity" of US President Carter with contempt and then accepted Reagan's offer. It faced sanctions on nuclear explosions during the era of US President Bill Clinton and then achieved the status of a frontline state in the war on terrorism with the arrival of George Bush.

There is no prediction regarding how long the series of favors and kindnesses continued under Donald Trump will continue, but as long as the scale is tilted in our favor, we should enjoy the spring instead of wasting these moments by mentioning the autumn seasons. It faced the American coldness during the era, but then witnessed the warmth of the era of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. It rejected the peanut-sized "generosity" of US President Carter with contempt and then accepted Reagan's offer. It faced sanctions on nuclear explosions during the era of US President Bill Clinton and then achieved the status of a frontline state in the war on terrorism with the arrival of George Bush. There is no prediction regarding how long the series of favors and kindnesses continued under Donald Trump will continue, but as long as the scale is tilted in our favor, we should enjoy the spring instead of wasting these moments by mentioning the autumn seasons.