An open letter to the PM of Pakistan (fwd)

Altaf Bhimji altaf at wco.com
Thu May 14 08:40:43 PDT 1998


Subject: An open letter to the PM of Pakistan

An open letter by concerned Pakistani expatriates to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif.

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DRAFT LETTER TO THE PM ...

Respected Prime Minister of Pakistan

Mian Muhammed Nawaz Sharif Sahib

Pakistan again stands at a critical juncture in its history. The

recent nuclear detonations by India have jeopardized the stability

of the entire region and has put Pakistan's security at a severe

risk. As patriotic Pakistanis who are currently not resident in

Pakistan, we stand by our leadership and our country in this sombre

hour of reflection and decision.

Respected Prime Minister, though the current situation is very

tense in the sub-continent due to the rash actions of our

belligerent

neighbour, we should not fail to recognize that history has granted

us a golden opportunity that can be decidedly turned into

Pakistan's favor. By sheer lack of foresight, India has put

Pakistan in a dominant position globally, evidenced by unanimous

condemnation of India's actions. This position can be translated

into substantial

political and economic gains for Pakistan. In addition, we have

also been granted the luxury of producing a deliberated response to

India

which translates into a maximal benefit for Pakistan. It would be

unfortunate if we do not benefit from this unique position.

It is our humble advice that Pakistan not follow India's footsteps

immediately to detonate a nuclear device of its own. Instead it

should

demand a substantial price from all the concerned countries across

the world for its restraint. We suggest some of the demands:

1) That Pakistan be provided a guaranteed nuclear umbrella by China

or the West, with nuclear weapons on our soil, with the guarantee

that they

will be used in case of a nuclear aggression against Pakistan.

2) That Pakistan be provided with a comprehensive anti-ballistic

missile defense system, including early warning systems and

anti-ballistic

missile weaponry.

3) That the inventory of Pakistan's conventional forces be brought

up to par with NATO standards. This will guarantee that any

conventional

military misadventure by India will not be translated into a

necessity for the use of nuclear weapons in a desparate situation.

The cost of

re-equipment of Pakistani forces and our subsequent military

budgets for the next decade be borne by nations not wishing a

nuclear arms

race in South Asia.

4) That Pakistan be provided with substantial economic and

developmental aid over the coming decades to stabilize the region.

5) The latest detonations by India clearly demonstrate the regional

political circumstances which have placed severe demands on the

Pakistani economy over the last decade. Pakistan has repeatedly tried to

bring this matter to the attention of the global community. However

Pakistan's efforts in this regard have sadly not been recognized.

Therefore, Pakistan should be

compensated for the additional economic burden it has had to bear

over the last decade in terms of relaxation of the conditionalities

related to

Pakistan's foreign debt.

Respected Prime Minister, we realize that there is intense pressure

within our dear homeland to respond to the aggression of India.

However, we must not let the heat of the moment drive us into a

course of action that denies us any aspect of this golden

opportunity. This is a moment for calm and deliberated decision,

and we hope that you will show your characteristic foresight in

this

matter.

We would like to re-iterate that this immediate course of action

does not preclude the testing of a nuclear device of our own at any

time in the

future. However, this course of action allows us to fully exploit

the unique opportunity afforded to us at the moment.



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