News & Comment
Pakistan must learn to Differentiate between a True Friend and a Flattering Foe

News

Militants tried to storm the Chinese consulate in Karachi on Friday 23rd November, but were thwarted in their bid by personnel of the police and other law enforcing agencies. The Chinese embassy issued a statement that “any attempt to undermine China-Pakistan relationship is doomed to fail”. (Source: Dawn)

Comment

The declared terrorist organization, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), promptly claimed responsibility for the attack. This gives an impression of an evil attacking the sovereignty of Pakistan while all was going well and we were busy moving on the road to prosperity.

In fact it’s a tale of treachery and deceit going on for the last several years. The Chinese increasing influence in Gawadar to the extent that they have been given the operations of the port, can be a triggering point for the people who are deprived of their rights and already fighting on a nationalist basis. The BLA has a history of attacking the forces and in return many members go missing. “Every disappeared Baloch leads to many more youngsters taking up arms. Every attack on the security forces leads to more disappearances. It is an endless cycle of violence that has been going on for years.” (Defence.pk) Baloch are brave and dignified people, and labelling them as betrayers and double crossers or friends of India will never help Pakistan. On the same note Baloch freedom fighters should be careful on what grounds and for what cause they are fighting and whose help they are taking and by taking India’s help who they will be helping.

China is considered by the establishment as the ultimate saviour of Pakistan and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is believed to be able to remove all the plagues faced by the Pakistani people. The Government of Pakistan has been hiding the fact that this project is mainly based and designed for the benefit of China. Whatever good will come to us we will have to pay for it heavily.

Pakistan needs to understand that China has selfish reasons to maintain good relations with Pakistan because of its strategic location crucial to China’s OBOR (One Belt One Road) programme. This will open new doors to Chinese industry in the neighbouring countries. And China, like all colonial powers, will get a chance to exploit the resources of these countries, like oil from the Mideast will reach China through a Gwadar-Xinjiang pipeline.

People and authorities of Pakistan must take a lesson from the history of the subcontinent. How the East India Company turned trade into the looting of India. A country that manufactured every kind of product, that was far greater than any in Europe or any other in Asia, was destroyed by this Company. A country that flourished and produced all the riches fell in the trap and came under British rule and lost all its glory. Different resistance groups fighting for local tasks not only divert the whole country from the original cause but it also makes them an easy target to be manipulated and used against their own interest and as a result get the blame for all the mischief. The resistance groups need to look at the larger interest and understand that the enemy of all people of Pakistan, whatever province or tribe they may belong to is the same. China has entered this country in the name of progress, industry and trade. The announced import of goods will have an underlying impact of silent export of precious resources and death of local industry.

People of Pakistan, whatever ethnicity they may belong to must gather to their combined interest and protect whatever is left from looting and give the responsibility of protection to the one who is worthy of it and fears Allah. The Muslim Ummah is a big body and being scattered has made it vulnerable to the vultures like China and India. A Caliph, the true leader of Muslims will not only protect the people living under him but will also bring ease for the Muslims of Xing Jiang and energies of so called freedom fighters will be utilized in the true form, in Jihad.

Rasool Allah (saw) said: «لاَ يُلْدَغُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مِنْ جُحْرٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ» “The believer should not be stung from the same hole twice.”

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Ikhlaq Jehan