Of course it was an apology
April 14, 2001
The United States has said sorry, the crisis involving the spy-plane has been defused somewhat, and the US aircrew of the EP-3 is now sunning itself on the plush beaches of Oahu, Hawaii. It was an apology, was it not, that secured the agreement between China and the US? Well, to say "sorry" is to apologise is it not? That is what we were taught at school. You simply said sorry if you had wronged someone, full stop. So what is all the spinning going on as I write this: the world's great satellite media channels, including the BBC going blue in the face, trying desperately to convince us that the American "sorry" wasn't the "formal apology" China was demanding? Well, what is the BBC's idea of a "formal" apology, anyway? Should Admiral Prueher, the US ambassador to Beijing whose contrite letter finally pleased the Chinese, have worn sackcloth and ashes and sat outside his embassy in the lotus position for three days and three nights? Should he have gone into a monastery and fasted for fourteen days, for the BBC and every expert they have trotted out, to accept that the American sorry was, indeed, an apology to the Chinese?
It would do us well to go over the events of the last few days to sort this matter out. Chinese defence minister Chi Haotian, repeating Beijing's demand that the US should apologise for the mid-air collision which downed a Chinese aircraft, said this on April 9: "The US should apologise to the Chinese people and take effective measures to avoid another similar matter from happening." 'Chinese people' is the operative word here, please note. He went on to say that the US plane, "violated flight rules when it veered suddenly at the Chinese planes from a wide angle". Remember too, that the Chinese wanted an American apology for the EP-3 (which was damaged in the collision) entering China's airspace and landing on Chinese soil without permission. Now, this is what the Americans, abandoning their previous arrogant stance, said through a letter written by Ambassador Prueher to the Chinese Foreign Minister: "Please convey to the Chinese people and to the family of pilot Wang Wei that we are very sorry for their loss". 'Chinese people' is the operative word here too, kindly note. "We are very sorry for entering China's airspace and (that) the landing did not have verbal clearance." Come come BBC, come come. Of course it was an apology!
Indeed, why should the Americans not have apologised? They were doing the snooping, not China. Thank God for small mercies, however. Nine days into the crisis, and three days before it was resolved, our FO was finally wakened on Monday, April 9th. In the nick of time, so to say. It stretched, yawned, got out of bed and, wonder of wonders, issued a statement on the matter. While it sounded exactly like my suggestion printed in my wake-up call in this space last Saturday, did it have to take our mandarins so long to emerge from their torpor? Even after the wake-up call? This was China, gentlemen and ladies of the FO, a friend to whom we owe such a lot. This was China, who has always given this country unstinting support, until that is, the brilliant Nawaz Sharif and his brilliant appointees whose main claim upon his affections was that they would explain matters to him in easy Punjabi, began to systematically destroy Pakistan's old and tested friendships, with old and cherished friends.
We have reached such a state in our foreign relations, read foreign non-relations, that the Indians have the gall to say that we do not even figure in the projected natural gas pipeline between Iran and that country, and which would have traversed large tracts of ours, earning Pakistan hundreds of millions of dollars every day. We have reached such a low point in our diplomacy, read non-diplomacy, that China and Russia and the Central Asian Republics are coming into a defence pact against the aggressive export of militant Islam. We now find ourselves in a position where we are looked upon as a nuisance, as a country best to be avoided. We are in such a self-set trap, that Russia is actively seeking to have sanctions slapped upon us, while the rest of the world condemns us for the actions of our friends, the Taliban.
But there is good news too. Good news with which, mercifully, neither the government, nor its high mandarins have anything to do. And that is the spin-off of this country's God-given beauty; its good, good people; and the precious few organisations in this country which do an honest days work -- in this case the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation; and it's operational arm, Pakistan Tours Limited. I had four friends visiting Pakistan on a tour to Lahore, the Northern Areas, Peshawar, and the Khyber Pass. These were senior, retired people from Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and Norway; who after reaching the pinnacle in their respective careers, now just travel the world. Here is a sampling of what they had to say about Pakistan: "Beautiful; splendid; stupendous; friendly people; fantastic food; majestic mountains; excellent arrangements." The unanimous opinion of them all was that if the country was more tourist-friendly ie, if we did not show our fundo face too loudly, we should get in at least a million tourists every year instead of the paltry (and shameful) 40 or so thousand.
The PTDC's motels at Besham and Hunza were, as usual, well run. The experienced hotelier, Mr Sheristan Khan who spent many years in Besham, has put the one at Gilgit which was in dire straits some years ago, in good shape. He is friendly and solicitous towards his guests, and my friends were much relieved to be welcomed into his private quarters to contact their families on E-mail. Saeed Anwar Khan (the great Captain Adeeb Anwar Khan's younger brother), who and I go back many more years than I care to admit, is doing as fine a job as ever of running PTL efficiently and well, ably assisted by Anwar Sajid. How we fought, when I insisted he send a certain driver with my party. Saeed said that the one he was giving us this time would be as good, if not better. With pride in his voice, he said that all his drivers were excellent! How right he was. Razi Khan was as good as the quite superb Amir Khan who took another set of friends and I to China several years ago. Let me also appreciate young Raees, another PTL driver who took other friends of mine up north only last week. They too came back praising his driving skills, his helpful attitude. These are the unsung heroes of Pakistan, in the much-reviled Public Sector, mark -- little guys doing their jobs quietly; not recognised, not appreciated by the State for the honour they bring to the country.
Instead, whom does the State honour? The fat and lazy and arrogant and conceited bureaucrats, who hold this country by the throat. Who lord it over the luckless people of this country, and do what they will, whenever it takes their fancy, secure in the embrace of others of their own kind. Who care not a whit about what is good for the country, or what will take it to certain disaster.
The author is a former press attache and was press secretary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto