Huge grunts and roars for a formal apology over the Salala camp incident seem rubbish and bogus as 4 NATO containers made their way in to Afghanistan, past the Pakistani border on Saturday.  This movement past the “Durrand Line” may be considered as a resumption of the NATO supplies, though the Pakistani authorities claim it to be diplomatic cargo and not the NATO supplies.

The puzzling issue is the flexibility allowed by the Pakistani authorities over the NATO supplies. Was Pakistan enjoying good diplomatic ties with the US or the NATO forces amid the Salala issue, weren’t the attacks at the Salala base camp enough to teach Pakistani leaders a lesson and be rigid on a stance? May be not, may be the cash involved in the transaction was enough to bury the 24 bodies of the slain martyrs of the Salala camp.

History has proved that the Pakistani government has always been good with respect to its stuttering stance with the US. Pakistan has never been able to support its own legitimate cause when it comes to dealing with the US. The US, on the contrary, has always enjoyed the superiority position and has continued to thrash Pakistan’s so called sovereignty.

We, as a nation have always been shown a “thumbs down” approach by the US and that attitude has been compensated with handful of foreign aid. We have seen several incidents through which we should have learnt a lesson and kept a proper stance but I guess money triumphs in almost every case.

The Aafia Siddiqui case is a very good example where our country was unable to get the benefit from the Vienna convention, though the US was able to evacuate its agent, Raymond Davis, from Pakistan using the same international treaty on diplomatic relations. The diversity between the two cases was just that Aafia was framed whilst Davis was exposed. It takes more than customary effort to let someone leave after catching him red-handed and that is something the Pakistani authorities excel at.

Davis left the Pakistani scenario after the families of the victims agreed to some “blood-money”, but premonitions are that the families of the victims were forcibly agreed to opt for the “blood-money” rather than losing their lives. Who would have forced the families of the victims, if not the government authorities themselves?

With respect to the NATO supplies, Pakistan was owed a formal apology but that issue was lingered on by the US authorities until recently 4 US containers made their way into Afghanistan. The government’s stance had always been in favour of the resumption of the NATO supplies but they too need a formal apology to display their worth to the public. The government seems to be “down on its knees, asking for an apology” from the US authorities. The US authorities, on the contrary, have also hinted towards a monetary compensation for the Salala camp incident rather than an apology. This reason may well be another incentive for the Pakistani authorities, considering their “not-so-greedy” approach.

India, on the contrary, has been able to gain an apology from the US over Shahrukh Khan’s incident, where the actor was detained for 90 minutes at the White Plains airport in April 2012. Is it because the 90 minutes of the actor more valuable than the lives of the 24 martyred soldiers? It is rather because the Indian authorities showed solidarity towards the incident and remained firm over supporting their national.

With all these issues and Pakistan being the major contributor towards the war on terrorism, the Secretary of the United States, Ms. Hillary Clinton, travels to India just to state that Pakistan needs to do more with respect to terrorism issues and mending ties with the US.

The resumption of NATO supplies in such scenario clearly indicates that we are a weak nation with no self-respect and dignity. It seems as if our leaders have put on a price tag on the graves of the martyrs of the Salala base camp. We are a wealthy, sovereign and kind nation that has been brought to its knees by an addiction to foreign aid, social insincerity and distrust of one another. We are asking for respect from others when we have none for ourselves and our own countrymen. Admiration is something that is not demanded, it is earned.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the above article are of the writer’s only and do not necessarily represent Aaj.tv/Aaj News policies.