Dr. Tariq Rahman

Pakistan newspapers are full of news about Pakistani citizens being arrested by the American FBI. The News of 20^th December 2002 gave chilling news about the arrest of Dr. Ahmed Javed Khawaja from his home along with other male members of his house. A few months earlier Dr. Amir Aziz was arrested in the same manner. Besides these high profile cases, there are over four hundred other cases of Pakistani citizens being arrested and handed over to the United States. In many of these arrests American functionaries, said to be from the FBI, had a hand. Indeed the tribal people of FATA complained that Americans came looking for suspects even in their houses.

The argument in favour of these arrests is that if terrorism is to be eradicated then anyone with any contact with terrorists must be arrested. There is, however, the point that this is a question of dignity, of resistance to domination and of sovereignty. It is because these psychological, political and legal questions are involved that we see so much anger in Pakistan against such high-handed actions. An indicator of this anger is the fact that Aimal Kansi’s death become such an emotive issue. Had he been killed on the same charges ---killing two people --- in any other country but the United States, nobody except his relatives would have mentioned him. Indeed, had he been executed before Nine Eleven, he would have been mourned but not made into such a big hero as he did become after America’s “War on Terrorism” which people in Baluchistan ( Kansi’s home province) and the N.W.F.P saw from close quarters.

Another indicator is the victory of the religious parties itself. Since they were the only ones who said they would not allow the Americans to operate in Pakistan or use any military base in this country, they won the votes of the people. If another indicator is needed one should read letters to editors and articles in the press. Aimal Kansi got several articles in his favour, the arrested doctor Amir Aziz got several notices and the present arrest is being commented upon at present.

So what are both educated and illiterate Pakistanis; both the right- and the left- leaning intellectuals; liberal as well as religious opinion-makers protesting against? In my opinion they are protesting against the erosion of sovereignty and the insult to their egos this entails. I am not talking about the political aspect of sovereignty. I am talking about psychological sovereignty. This second aspect is the feeling of being equal as citizens to other citizens of independent countries. People know that they are poorer than Americans; that they do not live in air conditioned houses; that their educational level is generally lower than that of industrial societies. They also accept humiliation when they travel abroad though, of course, Europeans and Americans are given privileged treatment in Pakistan. All this the people know and experience. But somewhere in their minds is the fiction of sovereignty, the illusion of equality under law; the idea that, in their own country, they cannot be touched by any foreign power. This feeling was created when Pakistani was carved out the British Indian empire. Indeed, it was the aspiration to the status of being citizens of a free state and not the subjects of a foreign king which made most of our educated classes struggle for Pakistan. However, when the FBI agents arrest Pakistanis, this illusion is shattered. This is galling for people. They feel that they have been sold down the river and sold for a song --- for a song which they cannot even hear because their life remains squalid as it ever was.

If one reads the letters, essays and speeches made by educated Pakistanis about Aimal Kansi’s arrest it becomes clear that from day one these writers were protecting against the manner is which he was arrested and taken away from the country. Had the laws of Pakistan been followed; had our own people tried Kansi and others according to the law; had the press reported the proceedings of the court in all cases every day, the people would not have felt insulted. They would even have accepted the final handing over of convicted criminals --- provided they had been proved to be criminals in a fair trial --- to any foreign country under bilateral arrangements. Since this does not happen the people feel that the state of Pakistan is a lackey of the United States. This kind of feeling is humiliating and humiliation turns to anger --- anger which ends up as antiestablishment vote in the previous election.

I have mentioned the psychological dimension of sovereignty; the one which make us feel dignified, independent and equal to other citizens of other countries. This is because I am not enamoured of political sovereignty as such. It has, after all, resulted in the assertion of power and precipitated wars. An ideal world would be one in which nobody should be so sovereign as to start a war and nobody so lacking in sovereignty as to be ruled over and dictated by others. However, such a world does not exist. And since it does not, no country can afford to lose its political sovereignty. If Pakistanis are arrested by foreigners on its own soil without the due process of Pakistani law and international law, the political sovereignty of this country is eroded. Such on erosion will not be taken lightly by the people of this country.

It will produce resentment, as it has so far, and this will mean further radicalization. This radicalization will create more militant resistance to the United States. This is not in the interest of Pakistan as militant groups can push out moderates and our fragile parliamentary democracy. It is also not in the interest of the United States as it cannot afford to alienate even the liberal and educated classes of Pakistan. Moreover if such militant groups take over Pakistan it will create a loss of sovereignty which will allow the state to be polarized and become ungovernable. This is what happened in Afghanistan after the Communists lost legitimacy and, after their fall, there was a power vacuum which no single sovereign centre of power could fill. Thus, Pakistan’s political sovereignty is important for stability of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East and should not be eroded. In this lies the long-term interest of everybody including the United States.