Pakistan can stand up for itself

The controversy surrounding Pakistan in the wake of the WikiLeaks revelations last week is neither surprising nor out of character given the periodic attacks on the south Asian country. There are references to the Pakistan military's behind-the-scenes role in influencing political trends, the country's relations with some of its key partners and even US attempts to seize control of nuclear waste coming out of an old US supplied experimental reactor.

But a bigger question remains broadly outside the spotlight. The extent to which its diplomats have failed to overcome some of the key obstacles faced by Washington suggests nothing but a middling role for the world's so-called superpower.

In Pakistan's case, the leaks show how a foreign ministry official commendably stood his ground in a dialogue with one of his US counterparts. He cited the country's robust media as a potent watchdog on matters such as even the slightest whiff of revelations suggesting the handing over of nuclear fuel to Washington.

On other matters, the documents have revealed telling remarks attributed to General Ashfaq Kiyani, Pakistan's army chief of staff, for having discussed the replacement of a civilian president — Asif Ali Zardari — with another. Though impossible to verify, these remarks have simply revealed a well-known reality — the power of Pakistan's military that continues to dominate the country's civilian rulers.

It is possible that more revelations will surface as time goes by, raising further questions over the environment that we live in today.

For many Pakistanis, the ultimate question of exactly who runs the country now becomes even more profound. Is it the US which is increasingly calling the shots in the nuclear-armed south Asian country?

Is it Pakistan's military which squarely dominates the scene? Or indeed, is it some of Pakistan's close allies that have become the trendsetters for the country?

There are no easy answers to these compelling questions, but simply pointers. The very fact that the WikiLeaks documents have rapidly made the rounds globally only suggests the extent to which the present day global environment has become linked to a rapid flow of information.

The publicity given to this case in countries like Pakistan further suggests that the technological advancements which threw up the term ‘the global village' are no more just the purview of the industrialised western world.

But in policy terms, there are implications for the future of the conduct of diplomacy as well as the way the US relates to a range of actors across the world.

The most obvious fallout will indeed be the inevitable lack of trust between US diplomats and government officials versus a range of their counterparts across the world.

Confidentiality

A precedent which demonstrates the failure of the US to build a water tight and secure system for the protection of confidential information now simply suggests that the idea of maintaining confidentiality surrounding the US and its foreign partners has simply been thrown out of the window.

But there are two other profound implications for the future of US relations in the era of globalisation. On the one hand, it is essential to appreciate the ways in which many of Washington's foreign partners have indeed chosen to defy US pressure.

The case of Pakistan — described recently by a senior Pakistani military commander as the ‘most bullied US ally' — amply suggests the country's vulnerability. But in choosing to defy Washington over US demands for the return of spent nuclear fuel, and that too from a US-supplied experimental reactor, also amply demonstrates the country's determination to occasionally adopt an independent posture.

On the other hand, it is vital to appreciate the extent to which a free flow of information has indeed become an empowering trend at the popular level. The people of Pakistan, long accustomed to military rule, have continued to seek democracy.

More importantly, many across the nuclear-armed country are increasingly eager to practice democracy and preserve the values of freedom that it brings along, all as a way to promote their freedom of choice.

While Pakistan's leaders focus on the controversies unleashed by the WikiLeaks revelations, the country in fact may find itself better off in the wake of the revelations that squarely demonstrate the futility of seeking to keep the people in the dark.

- Farhan Bokhari is a Pakistan-based commentator who writes on political and economic matters.