Let us be honest.

 The American raid that took place in Abbottabad a few days ago in which Osama Bin Laden was apparently killed has shocked and shaken the entire nation. The attack has left many people in a state of disbelief which is now giving way to anger, how is it possible that a small American force could penetrate deep into the heart of the country, only a few miles from Islamabad, at the heart of the Pakistan military, carry out it`s mission and then escape undetected?

As said the sages, the parliament’s high-sounding resolution on the Abbottabad episode was no silver bullet that would scare off the Americans from any future adventurism against this country. They stand proven absolutely right. US Senator John Kerry on a whistle-stop tour flew into Islamabad briefly, met the nation’s top political and military leadership and, though favourably disposed towards this country, specified a slew of immediate steps that Pakistan must take to show if it is a real partner in anti-terrorism war. And the leaders in Islamabad readily bowed down their heads in obeisance and fealty, agreeing to do what they were required to do, demonstrating thereby that all their fuming and growling in the post-Abbottabad episode was a mere charade intended for public consumption and that meant not what had they roared. But then who says this “strategic” relationship is partnership? It can’t be, and it isn’t, practically and obviously. It is a relationship between the unequal: one the world’s sole superpower and militarily the mightiest; the other barely a mid-level state, though a nuclear-power but an impoverished nation. Only the big can and will demand and dictate; and the small would cringe and obey, demands it cannot make. And that is how this partnership has worked so far and will continue working so long as the big doesn’t lose the interest in this “partnership” and ditch us has it indeed on many a time in the past. Not that partnerships have not worked healthily between two nations not equal. They have; the instances abound. But that necessarily requires a strong underpinning of mutuality of interest. And although both Washington and Islamabad say they have this mutuality, but in reality they have it not. Indeed, being a global power, America’s interests are global in every way, be it geopolitically, strategically, militarily or economically. Pakistan’s thus cannot have any much convergence in America’s, no matter how much we make of our strategic location. This clearly means this country has only to bend, bow and crawl before the United States to be acceptable as a partner, but all the time has also to be on test to prove its loyalty and trustworthiness.The monumental 9/11 intelligence failure drew America no epithets of a failed or a rogue state; the Abbottabad episode has got Pakistan both. And while the 9/11 saga drew America worldwide sympathy, the American Abbottabad adventurism has, ironically, got Pakistan widespread consternation and hardly any support, even though its territorial sanctity and sovereignty were grossly violated. That speaks much of the quality of its leadership as also of its people. Instances are not unknown where a smaller nation has worked a mutually-beneficial relationship with a bigger nation with dignity, respect and honour. Instances are not unknown either where a smaller nation, even lesser than us, has stood up to a bigger nation, even to the United States. But they have the leaders with vision, wisdom, foresight and statesmanship. We have them not. We have pigmies with pretences to tallness, flush with shallowness and superficiality, immaturity and intellectual bankruptcy, and no sense of honour and dignity. In the privacy, they cringe and crawl before the Americans like a poodle; in public, they pretentiously roar like a lion. They have no creative ideas or thoughts for this nation to be itself. Begging and borrowing is their sole forte. And our people too show no grit to pull up their leaders to act like the ones of a self-respecting sovereign state. Nor do they display the indomitable spirit to face up to a wave of ‘awe and shock’ for the sake of their independence, sovereignty and freedom. They only whine and complain. Given this, it could only be the delusion of a starry-eyed that there will be an end to America’s mounting adventurism against this country any time soon. Notwithstanding the parliament’s resolution, there will be more of CIA’s drone incursions in our territory and more of their Abbottabad-like raids. Even the roadmap drawn up by the parliament to this end will possibly go down the drain. Why to delude ourselves? Let us be honest. The change can come only if we the people change and change our leaders. But the woe is that even our youths show not a bit of the vitality, vigour, stamina and spirit that their Arab peers are showing in toppling and shaking up entrenched Arab autocracies.