Abstract:
The decision by the Pakistani leadership to unconditionally support
the US in its war on terror after the 9/11 attacks has had long-term
consequences. Now that the US intervention in Afghanistan is rapidly
moving towards its denouement, the implications have become painfully
clear. At the time the decision was made, the prevalent environment
dictated the government of Pakistan to act quickly in favour of the USA.
To defy the US would have meant grave consequences. Pakistan lacked
the means and resources to chart an independent path. In this atmosphere
of overwhelming coercion and fear, the only rational choice was total and
complete cooperation. The government of Pakistan chose to
unconditionally side with the US. This paper argues that the decisionmaking process is short-circuited when a single person is calling the
shots, and the long-term consequences can be less than satisfactory. A
multi-layered decision-making process not only buys time for the decision
makers, but it also makes for greater responsibility and reduces the
negative fallout to a large extent. A holistic response requires greater
participation from all stakeholders. It also needs courage and imagination
on the part of all concerned parties. An extraordinary situation must be
thought through in great detail before making a strategic commitment.
