Deception and diplomacy usually go hand in hand in a globally aggressive world. It’s a key factor of Chinese language diplomatic arsenal in its pursuit of worldwide superpower ambitions, however its shopper state Pakistan has honed it into an artwork and is utilizing the continuing Ukraine struggle for constructing bridges with the West for its financial survival whereas wooing Russia for discounted crude oil and navy spares.
The Russian aggression on Ukraine, which started on February 24, 2022, is relentless, inflicting not solely dying and destruction but additionally producing headwinds for the revival of the post-pandemic world economic system. Other than the human disaster, the struggle has resulted in hyperinflation, excessive vitality costs, disruption of worldwide provide chains, and excessive charges of unemployment, leading to shattering the economies of weak economies within the world south. Pakistan too has been hit by the Ukraine struggle however unscrupulous Islamabad has discovered a novel technique to make income out of the struggle to revive its sunk economic system in addition to cozy to the Anglo-Saxon powers.
Whereas overtly Pakistan like its iron brother China has adopted a impartial posture in the direction of the Ukraine struggle and advocates ceasefire by mediation and negotiations, covertly it’s taking part in a double sport with each Russia and West-backed Ukraine. As one of many key causes for the extended Ukraine struggle is regular provide of weapons, ammunition, and shops to Kyiv to comprise the Russian aggression, Pakistan is performing as a bridge between NATO and Ukraine for {hardware} provide and in flip reaping income and diplomatic leverage from the West. On the flip aspect, Pakistan is wooing Russia for crude oil provides on discounted charges from Moscow in addition to replenishing the much-needed navy spares for its Russian-origin navy platforms. A basic technique of deception and double requirements.
The Pakistani position in struggle provides to Ukraine is now evident as Islamabad watchers have discovered that Pak ordnance shops like 120 mm excessive explosive cartridges, multi-barrel rocket launchers, detonators, primers, fuses, M-107 155m projectiles and ANZA Mark-II Man Transportable Air Defence Methods have made their technique to Kyiv for the on-going struggle. Inputs obtained point out that the Ukrainian navy is utilizing Pak ordnance manufacturing facility 122 mm projectiles and worldwide delivery data point out the transhipment of defence shops from Karachi to Poland and Germany. These transshipments by way of Poland and Germany not solely generate valuable overseas alternate for Pakistan but additionally put strain on the West to assist extricate Islamabad from the financial abyss the Shehbaz Sharif authorities finds itself in right now. This quid professional quo has ensured that Pakistan was faraway from the Gray Listing of the FATF in October 2022 and now West is placing strain on the IMF to ship a USD 1.1 billion bailout package deal to Pakistan regardless of the latter’s reluctance to comply with IMF conditionalities for the mortgage help. It’s understood that Pakistan can also be mulling on plans to switch 44 T-80 principal battle tanks (MBTs) to Ukraine in alternate for monetary help from the West.
This deception is nothing new for Pakistan as Moscow tasted the brunt of it in the course of the struggle to finish erstwhile Soviet Union’s Afghan occupation. US forces have been pushed into related quagmire in the identical Afghanistan with Rawalpindi utilizing the navy and monetary support from the west to revive militant forces in opposition to the Washington supported authorities whereas overtly taking part in on the aspect of America put up 9/11. Nothing may very well be starker on this deception sport when then Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted that Afghanistan had shed shackles of slavery on the day Taliban forces captured Kabul on August 15, 2021, by kicking out US forces. At this time, Islamabad holds dialogue with the US on countering trafficking of medicine from Afghanistan, whereas its deep state makes use of the identical drug cash to fund its clandestine operations in opposition to its adversaries within the area together with India. Pakistan could also be apt at this deception sport however Islamabad’s brazenness stands uncovered even earlier than Islamic nations within the Center-East as they distance themselves from Islamabad. Do the US and Russia notice that they’re nonetheless being performed by Pakistan in one other nice sport but once more.