Pakistan needs a dose of Trump’s madman diplomacy: Expert

Noting that the US is yet to find an effective way to gain Pakistan’s full cooperation in the fight against international terrorism, a top American expert on South Asian issues has said that the country needs a dose of President-elect Donald Trump’s madman diplomacy.

“Trump may be uniquely well positioned to deliver a credible ultimatum to Pakistan: “Begin a full-scale, verifiable, and rapid offensive against all terrorist groups on Pakistani soil, or else,” Daniel Markey, a well-known South Asian expert, wrote in Foreign Policy magazine.

“Trump’s madman qualities would make the “or else” more frightening than just about anything a Clinton (or Obama) administration could have dreamed up, as his threat need not even be thoroughly specified in order to have the desired effect,” he wrote.

“Everything, from punitive military action to public shaming, sanctions, and an outright anti-Pakistani alliance with India, could be on the table, even if such actions would affect US interests,” he said.

In a hard-hitting op-ed, Markey alleged that at worst, Pakistan is an enemy, a state sponsor of terrorism in all but name, a host to anti-Afghan, anti-Indian jihadi militants with American blood on their hands. “It is widely accepted in US policy circles that Pakistan’s military and intelligence services prefer to maintain friendly ties with some terrorists for two reasons. First, they are useful proxies to destabilise Pakistan’s neighbours and second, they would also be deadly adversaries if confronted head-on,” he said.