Pakistan nowhere in Obama visit to region

[Indian1]

—US President to 'fly' over Pakistan for Kabul

—Diplomats call it Pakistan's failure

—Term it as a bid to lower Pakistan's status to Afghanistan

Salim Bokhari

LAHORE—US President Barack Obama is giving a cold shoulder to Pakistan during a forthcoming visit to India and Kabul despite the fact that Pakistan is a frontline ally in the war on terror.

Mr Obama will undertake a four-day visit to India from November 7 to 10 preparations for which are on. From New Delhi, he will fly straight to Kabul, diplomatic sources confided to The Daily Mail here on Thursday.

However, during his week-long journey to the South Asian region, President Obama has no plans to make even a brief stop-over in Islamabad despite the fact that Pakistan is the oldest ally of the United States and had been declared a Non-NATO ally by the Bush administration.

Talking to The Daily Mail, diplomatic observers have termed this development a 'complete failure' of the Pakistan Foreign Office which has failed to persuade American officials to include Islamabad in President Obama's itinerary. "It is also the failure of the Pakistan Embassy in Washington which is either not aware of Mr Obama's proposed visit to South Asia or has demonstrated a total indifference towards the issue," one of the observers quipped.

The observers say that at a time when Pakistan and Afghanistan are tagged together as ******, it is a bid to undermine or lower Pakistan's status to Afghanistan. However, the Foreign Office, in one of its routine weekly meetings, has explained that since Pakistan and Afghanistan share borders and both are fighting the war on terror, the term ****** is justified.

One of the observers further observed that the US administration has always believed that Pakistan is a strategically-located state and is fighting the war on terror as a frontline country. The sacrifices offered by the Pakistani armed forces have largely been endorsed by successive senior NATO and US generals. He said questions are being raised in the diplomatic community as to what message the American officials wish to convey to Islamabad by completely ignoring Pakistan during Mr Obama's travel to two South Asian capitals.

President Obama was invited to India by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to the United States a few months back. This invitation was responded by President Obama by saying "during his state visit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh graciously invited me and my family to India this year, and I happily accepted his invitation, and as I confirmed to him when we spoke last week, I am delighted to announce tonight that I plan to visit India in early November".

The US president went on to say "he looked forward to advancing the US-India partnership to experiencing all that India and its people and its incredible ancient culture had to offer".

Has President Obama not conveniently forgotten that Pakistan is the hub of two most ancient civilizations of the world namely Gandhara and Indus Valley?

Obama didn't stop here and added "so when it comes to the sphere of our work, building a future of greater prosperity, opportunity and security for our people, there is no doubt I have to go to India. But even more, I am proud to go to India and I look forward to the history that we will make together, progress that will be treasured not just by this generation but by generations to come".

"No one takes any exception to the sentiments expressed by President Obama for his India visitors. But the question is that where have all those slogans gone that were chanted about Pakistan forcing us to own the American battle as ours namely the war on terror?" quipped a retired senior Foreign Office official who declined to be named.

In addition, the official said Mr Obama is visiting India at a time when the entire Held Kashmir is experiencing the worst bloodbath at the hands of Indian soldiers who are ruthlessly killing innocent un-armed Kashmiri youth. Would Obama be in a position to claim himself as a champion of human rights? It is anybody's guess!

Pakistan nowhere in Obama visit to region

 

[Indian1]

We don't know for sure. After all, he might just stop in Islamabad for a few hours just to 'send the signal'.

Such last minute changes are not very unusual.

 

[Areesh]

Thanks Obama. Thank you very much. This is the only good thing you have done till now after becoming the president.

 

[Tuahaa]

Like I said before, we are their slaves, not their allies

 

[Indian1]

I personally believe that there is no way Obama will visit New delhi and Kabul BUT NOT Islamabad...It will send a really really negative signal to Pakistan.

I do not think he will do it.

 

[Indian1]

The influential pro-Pakistan lobby has launched a concerted campaign urging US President Barack Obama [ Images ] to visit Pakistan during his trip to India [ Images ] November 6-9.

The pro-Pakistan lobby comprises Pakistani American physicians and business leaders, the Pakistan Political Action Committee -- PakPAC -- Islamabad's [ Images ] million dollar a year lobbyists under the umbrella of the Pakistan American Leadership Centre.

The Pakistan American Leadership Centre said, "President Obama's visit to Pakistan would send a strong signal of partnership and respect and reaffirm a mutual commitment to broadening our strategic alliance into the kind of multidimensional relationship initiated by the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue earlier this year."

"As an organisation representing Pakistani Americans and dedicated to fostering positive relations between the US and Pakistan, we strongly feel that such a visit would strengthen US public diplomacy efforts and engagement in Pakistan at a time when public polls in both countries show an increasingly negative perception of the other," it said.

Taha A Gaya, executive director of PALC told rediff.com that now besides the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue, the devastating floods in Pakistan, which Obama himself had described as "widespread an unprecedented flooding," made it even more important that "the President visits Pakistan because it would send such a strong signal for him to go there and show solidarity and visit some of the affected areas."

Gaya noted that Dr Rajiv Shah, Administrator US Agency for International Development -- the highest ranking Indian American in the Obama administration -- had already visited Pakistan twice in the wake of the floods and met with President Asif Ali Zardari [ Images ], Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, and other top civilian and military leaders as had Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Senator John F Kerry "and President Obama should do the same and continue to extend a helping US hand to the people of Pakistan as they reconstruct their homes and lives."

"So, it would go a long way in sending a message to the Pakistan people that 'Look, we are with you, we support you 100 percent, this is a humanitarian catastrophe that Pakistan is having'," he said, and reiterated, "having this kind of message coming from the top would send a very clear message that he is with the Pakistani people and that Pakistan is not being used simply for America's narrow strategic interests."

Gaya said, it makes both humanitarian and logistical sense for Obama to visit Pakistan because he is going to be in the area visiting India, and even if he could spare a few hours in Pakistan during his three-day visit to India "it would be a great show of solidarity with the Pakistani people that he and his administration keep talking about."

The US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke [ Images ], briefing the media Monday along with Shah, after returning from Pakistan after reviewing the devastating floods in that country said, Pakistan continues to get the highest level of attention from the Obama administration, second only to Afghanistan.'

Noting that "Pakistan is the only country in the world in which Secretary of State (Hillary) Clinton we have chaired three strategic dialogues in six months -- in March in Washington, July co-chaired in Islamabad and next month in Washington again (on October 22)," Holbrooke argued "the amount of attention Pakistan is getting from the highest levels of the US government is unmatched by any other country in the world, with the obvious attention of Afghanistan."

Gaya said an Obama visit to Pakistan would carry with it "a lot of symbolism, and there will be a lot of value to that. His rhetoric has been very good on Pakistan and to demonstrate that in tangible terms with his presence would be just a wonderful gesture to the Pakistani people, particularly now in the wake of these devastating floods."

He implied that Obama's visiting the region and not visiting Pakistan, which is considers a strategic partner and moreover now with the crippling floods would be very hurtful and insulting to the Pakistani people.

"It's as simple as if you and I are friends and I always say if you come to DC, you have to come visit my house and you come to DC and not visit me, obviously I will be very hurt and insulted."

Gaya said, "So, it's kind of that kind of sensitivity. It's like if you come to my neighbourhood, you have to come to my house if you are really my friend. You have to stay with me and you have to let me feed you and you and I have to check on each other and see how we are doing and catch up."

White House officials have said that as of now, there are no plans on the President's itinerary besides India to include any other country during his trip in November, but one official said, "Nothing is set in stone, and there can always be changes and stop-overs when such trips are being planned to one region or another."

Aziz Haniffa in Washington, DC

Lobbying on to add Pakistan in Obama's tour plan: Rediff.com India News

 

[hecj]

i want obama not to visit india also,gr8 for pakistan.he deserves visits to afganistan only.

 

[Indian1]

^^^

 

[mjnaushad]

Another Rahul_Indian

 

[su-47]

I think it will be a huge blunder on his part not to visit Pakistan. Pak is supposed to be a MAJOR non-NATO ally. So visiting Pakistan's archenemy and not visiting Pakistan will obviously distance US from her allies. It will be a major failure that serves no purpose.

I dont know what Obama is doing. Honestly, his foreign policy is a mess.

 

[Indian1]

I think it will be a huge blunder on his part not to visit Pakistan. Pak is supposed to be a MAJOR non-NATO ally. So visiting Pakistan's archenemy and not visiting Pakistan will obviously distance US from her allies. It will be a major failure that serves no purpose.

I dont know what Obama is doing. Honestly, his foreign policy is a mess.

Well it serves India's purpose fine but I don't think it's going to happen.

 

[TheInvisible]

Its just a pressure tactics to gain few points over Pakistan. The plans will change at the last moment to accommodate Pakistan after the points are scored.

 

[DGMO]

I personally believe that there is no way Obama will visit New delhi and Kabul BUT NOT Islamabad...It will send a really really negative signal to Pakistan.

I do not think he will do it.

I agree, I think it would be an unbelieveable snub if he didn't.

Even Clinton stopped off to meet Musharraf, and that was after his coup which was severely condemned, and Kargil which didn't go down well in Washington.

If he doesn't, then as you say, the signal to the Govt, as well as the people of Pakistan will be stark and hugely insulting.

 

[Developereo]

The influential pro-Pakistan lobby

Good one, thanks

I didn't know rediff had a humor section also...

 

[koolguy786]

I agree, I think it would be an unbelieveable snub if he didn't.

Even Clinton stopped off to meet Musharraf, and that was after his coup which was severely condemned, and Kargil which didn't go down well in Washington.

If he doesn't, then as you say, the signal to the Govt, as well as the people of Pakistan will be stark and hugely insulting.

Sir what do you think will be the consequences if he did not come?