While the world tries to contain China- an increasingly belligerent rogue-State, it also needs to wake up to Pakistan threat as it mimics the characteristics of it all-weather ally, Beijing. With human rights violations, international crimes and now even Intellectual Property (IP) theft- Islamabad is trying to imbibe all the detestable characteristics of its ‘sugar daddy,’ China.
Earlier this month, 65-year-old Pakistani-American based in Illinois was arrested for exporting high-performance computer equipment and software application solutions from the US to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) without the necessary approval from the government. The 65-year old has been identified as Obaidullah Syed, owner of the Pakistan-based Business System International (BSI) Private Limited and the Chicago-based BSI USA.
According to an indictment returned in the District Court in Chicago, Syed and BSI conspired with company officials in Pakistan and exported computer equipment from the US to Pakistan without requisite approval from the US Department of Commerce.
Pakistan has always been a rogue and irresponsible nuclear power. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the ‘Father’ of Pakistan’s atomic bomb had himself confessed that he sold nuclear technology to countries like North Korea, Iran and Libya. As such Pakistan’s behaviour as an irresponsible nuclear state is no big news now but what is striking here is the similarity between China and Pakistan.
Till now, the US was cracking down on Chinese espionage networks that were trying to steal the American Intellectual Property (IP). But now there is also a new threat emerging in the form of Pakistan. Islamabad could now start using Pakistani citizens or even Pakistani origin individuals in other parts of the world to steal technology, including Nuclear technology.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Pakistan has actually gone a long way as a wannabe China. Talk about human rights violations and tormenting minorities. While the world is deeply concerned with Chinese excesses on Uyghur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists, Pakistan has also been tormenting minorities, including religious minorities, as well as Shias and Ahmadiyyas.
And then an Islamist Pakistan is as much a bully neighbour as a Communist China. While the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) tries to terrorise its neighbours through illegal incursions and patent aggression, Pakistan uses terrorism as an instrument of state policy. In fact, the roots of all major terror attacks in the Sub-continent or even other parts of the world can be traced to Pakistan.
Pakistan commits international crimes much like China, and there are only subtle differences in the kind of hawkishness that Pakistan and China demonstrate.
Pakistan’s global crime network runs pretty deep. In Africa, for example, Pakistan’s external intelligence agency- the Inter-Services Intelligence has formed a deep drug supply chain. Similarly in Europe, there have been frequent manifestations of Pakistan’s rogue behaviour.
Earlier this month, 30 Pakistani illegal immigrants got detained in Greece for their ‘aggressive behaviour’. Times Now quoted a source as saying, “About 25-30 illegal Pakistanis were held captive by Greeks due to former’s aggressive behaviour at the workplace on Crete Island during the last week of August 2020. They could be released after intervention by the Pakistani Embassy, Athens.”
In the United Kingdom also, Pakistani-origin grooming gangs have turned out to be a major menace. These gangs target girls for sexual abuse and exploitation. A recent UK report even called for action against such Pakistani gangs targeting British Sikh girls.
In fact, Islamabad has been trying to create new terror routes into Europe. In fact, recently, the Bosnian government summoned the Pakistani Ambassador in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. The Pakistani Ambassador was given a serious dressing down over the entry of two Pakistan-sponsored terrorists who entered as illegals.
Pakistan has no qualms against acting like a terror-sponsoring rogue State. The world should continue to focus on China, but it shouldn’t spare China’s Vassal State Pakistan either. Islamabad can be just as obnoxious as China and therefore, the world must wake up to the Pakistan threat.