Pakistan and the West: Entwined, Entangled and Engaged
Rana Eijaz Ahmad, Abida Eijaz

Abstract
Pakistan is the most developed country in the world in its first sixty three years of history. The West is very much aware of Pakistan’s geopolitical and strategic importance in the region. It is surrounded by three nuclear powers (China, India, and Russia) and one going to be nuclear (Iran). Therefore, Pakistan and the West are intertwined, entangled, and engaged in a confused relationship owing to the turncoats on both sides. The U.S. has increased its hidden activities in Pakistan under the umbrella of Black Water or Xe. The West has certain reasons to entwine, entangle, and engage with Pakistan. It is the matter of dependence and dominance in world politics. Pakistan’s leadership is dependent upon the West for its legitimate role in the national politics. Since, the West dominates by giving aid and support to the interest groups in Pakistan. The West needs to be dominated over the world through the NATO expansion in Eurasia. For example, the U.K., the U.S. and their allies supporting the individuals (Musharaf, Zardari, Altaf Hussain, Maulana Fazlur Rehman etc.) in Pakistan for dictating their terms to control the regional politics and economic markets in South Asia. The interest groups in Pakistan are playing dual role with the U.S. and earning dollars for their party, family, and parochial interests rather pursuing national interests on one hand and making fool of the U.S. administration on the other by not fulfilling the demands of the West for winning the so-called war against terrorism. In spite of this, it suits the West for intervening in the politics of the region. The West needs to stay in Afghanistan for restricting China, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia for flourishing economically and politically. The U.S. is not interested in India, Pakistan, and Iran gas pipeline project. So, keeping India-Pakistan-Iran at daggers drawn this project could never be materialized. Keeping Afghanistan in war situation, the U.S. and its allies are justified for sitting under the umbrella of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces. War ridden Afghanistan, restricts China, Iran and Pakistan to go to Central Asian states for trade and other economic and cultural ties to become autonomous economically. As the economic autonomy is the only way to get rid of external influences. Russia had been kept engaged in Afghanistan for ten years by the U.S. with the help of Pakistan. Consequently, Russia disintegrated in 1991. In the same way, Iran to some extent India and Russia altogether are keeping the U.S. and its allies engaged in the region to shatter the U.S. into six parts. This paper is based on secondary sources and comparative method.
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