There has been a lot of focus on whether Pakistan will become the next target. A government spokesman was quoted by The News (18 March 2003) denying that Pakistan was under any risk. Later Chaudhury Shuajaat Hussain also commented (The News, 24 March 2003) that nuclear programme of Pakistan is in safe hands and that Pakistan will not be the next target after Iraq.
Corps Commander Lt. Gen Zarrar Azim was quoted (Dawn, 27 March 2003) stating that the US could not target Pakistan because of its nuclear capability, as it had been there for the last one decade.
However Maj Gen (retd) Shafiq Ahmad feels Pakistan should be cautious. According to him (‘Beware Pakistan’, The Nation, 25 March 2003) “Pakistan was already one of those evil countries on the list of the USA. But due to our support in war on Afghanistan we were not pronounced as such. Moreover, Pakistan continues to be a desired ally to deal with Usama-Bin-Ladin and Taliban re-emergence in Afghanistan. Hence an open declaration of Pakistan as 'axis of evil' is not likely to be pronounced as yet…Pakistan has two characteristics. One, that it is an Islamic country, not just by name but also in reality and spirit. Secondly it is a nuclear country. Both these ingredients are primary targets of USA…America had a misconception that Pakistan may not be as Islamic as was thought to be. This impression was created when Pakistan took a U-turn and supported USA in Afghanistan. But the emergence of the Mutahiddah-Majlis-I-Amal (MMA) party in two provinces of Pakistan and its very successful public meetings in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore recently must have cleared any such doubts 
Pakistan’s Options
Since Pakistan is ‘nuclear power’, ‘moderate Muslim country and occupies a ‘geostrategic position’ MI Hussain strongly feels that (“Pakistan’s options,  Dawn, 21 March 2003) “Pakistan should now more actively seek the friendship of Russia, France and Germany, as part of the formation of a broader kind of informal alliance on the basis of common interests and shared values. The suspense and speculation about voting on the controversial second resolution may have abated for the present but such moments of decision may arise at any time as the Iraq crisis simmers on. In any case, Pakistan must remain unwaveringly opposed to war against Iraq, especially whom diplomacy has not yet exhausted its potential for bringing a peaceful end to the crisis. 
According to Imtiaz Alam, (‘Of shock and awe’, The News, 24 March 2003) “Pakistan must not join the US war of aggression against Iraq, and it has rightly distanced. At the same time, it should not leave any stone unturned in removing all excuses to make it yet another Iraq. After sorting out Iraq, depending on its cost, the US will be in a position to settle scores with what it and also the international community considers as rogue states, in some cases, with the approval of UN Security Council, such as North Korea. 
Facebook
Blink
Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl
Google
Simpy
Spurl
Y! MyWeb
