MastanKhanji,
I think that I have finally understood what you feel and your anguish is understandable. Many times I have felt similar things --- even about my country. At times I also get anguished and have realised out that India is currently still a poor developing country, albeit with potential, because we the people deserve no better. But then in the Indo-Pak context I also have the luxury of knowing that India is currently much better placed than Pakistan --- but that is no consolation.
Now that I know what you have been silently screaming all along I shall make my final comments in this thread in this regard; any further discussions on my part will only serve to hijack this thread.
Over the past decade you have witnessed the tangible changes that have occurred and the differing paths that Pakistan and India have taken. You are anguished that Pakistan has seemingly remained stagnant while India is talked of having a global role and the credit for this goes to the long term policies that successive Indian governments, however corrupt, have taken. We are in the active process of getting closer to US and China leaving aside past acrimony.
India being larger and having a more mature civilian leadership since independence has weathered the enmity against Pakistan with lesser shocks while Pakistan is still consumed by the same.
All the ills that currently plague India seems to be reduced due to the economic growth and future potential. You are not confident of the same for your beloved country.
All I can say is that one must have patience and believe that good times will come. 'Every dog will have his day' --- but no one knows when. It does not have to happen at the same time for all. Nations have much stronger tenor. When China was what India is today and India was then twiddling her fingers a MastanKhan who loves India would have said similar things about India. But somewhere down the line things took a positive turn for us.
You are deploring Pakistanis to do the right thing. But doing the same takes time. This is not like a regime change. India has taken more than a decade to do some things right and then 9/11 came. Changing mindsets takes time. If you are lucky you will find someone who grabs the bull by the horns --- an extremely rare event.
China and India have had such people --- and by and large their thoughts have been allowed to flower and flourish. I do not know whether Pakistan has experienced any such defining moment, but she certainly will have ! Sooner or later the positive vibes of this region as a whole will have its effect. I believe that this is inevitable.
One must give Pakistan more time and believe that Pakistan will be such that she no longer has to ride piggy-bank on others. This is the only way out, be it Pakistan or India.
But at the end of the day I feel that you must slightly lift Pakistan from the perch where you have kept her and slightly push India down. This is perhaps closer to reality.
And pray that the doldrums that Pakistan is currently in will disappear in time. I have no doubt they will. For the time being one needs to let certain things continue and work for other things to change.
I don't think that I have truly replied to your thoughts. I also believe that an unlikely future Indo-Pak conflict may not change the overall future potential of both the nations acting in concert.
Given the mistakes that you believe that Pakistan has taken, currently the JF-17 is perhaps the only option and from now on I shall, on my part, keep this thread at that only.
Thanks for reading.