Strategic Panorama 2009 - 2010 - IEEE

The AF PAK scenario
country as a threat to Pakistan’s existence as a viable state and begin to
overcome more than 60 years of war and hatred between the region’s two
nuclear powers.
While India asserts itself in the world as an emerging power and builds
an extraordinary military might, it should not be forgotten that unless
sound mechanisms are established for resolving its conflicts with Pakistan
this might and the stability of the whole area will be built on fragile and
insecure foundations.
Broad mindedness and collaboration of the neighbouring countries,
especially India, will be keys to ensuring that Pakistan changes its national
security priorities and has the means to face up to its internal enemies and
to achieve the economic and social development it needs.
We Europeans have much to do in Pakistan. As Pakistan’s biggest
trade partners and one of its main donors, the European Union should now
follow a suitable political strategy that complements what is being done
in Afghanistan and helps contain and defeat Jihadism and the Taliban
groups in Pakistan. The main component of this strategy should be security,
but nor should we neglect trade issues, support for democratic institutions,
social development, human rights and issues such as the capacity
building and training of the police forces and the reform of justice.
That Europe pays insufficient attention to Pakistan is easily proven by
the scant number of visits made by European leaders and the low level of
talks between Europe and the Islamabad authorities, the sole exception
being the United Kingdom. At this crucial moment Pakistan should become
one of the compulsory destinations of the High Representative of the
EU.
If we acknowledge the significance of Pakistan, of which its nuclear
capability is a key factor, and the huge danger to regional peace and
world stability that losing this country or seeing it disintegrated as a result
of Jihadism and terrorism would signify, we should also acknowledge the
need to urgently reconsider the goals of the western and European presence
and politics.
Fortunately this is changing and the US and Europe are beginning to
devote significant efforts to Pakistan. The US made General Musharraf’s
Pakistan a key ally in the fight against terrorism, declaring it a «major non-
NATO ally» in 2004, and have granted it some 10 billion dollars worth of aid
since 2001, of which 75% was for military and counterterrorism assistan-
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