CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) is a federal law passed by the U.S. on July 27, 2017, to punish its adversaries by putting economic and other variety of sanctions on them. However, this law can also punish the countries doing any type of trade with America’s adversaries. India had gotten a sanction waiver under this law on the Indo-Iran Oil Trade considering the necessity. The same CAATSA is showing disapproval over the Indo-Russia S-400 Missile defence system deal, which is again a necessity for India to secure its airspace.

India being a non-aligned country since the beginning of the Cold War, never made a military alliance with any country, whereas Pakistan had joined the Capitalist Bloc which benefited it very much. During the Cold War, India was close to USSR without the joining Communist bloc, and Pakistan was close to the U.S. As a result, Pakistan received millions of dollars in the form of aid and cutting-edge military hardware from the U.S., which were used against India during the Indo-Pak wars. Sometimes in the name of supporting Afghani rebels for fighting against USSR to sometimes in the name of fighting terrorism, the U.S. has always helped Pakistan with money and military hardware.

Unfortunately, all the military hardware Pakistan got were used against India. In the form of military aid, Pakistan has received more than $33 billion till date to fight against terrorism, but all that money has been used to buy weaponry and fight against India, and support Kashmir insurgency etc. The U.S. doesn’t want other countries to trade with its adversaries, but it can do the same with adversaries of other countries.

After the February 27th air battle in which Indian MiG-21 Bison allegedly downed Pakistan’s F-16, U.S. is again going to help Pakistan upgrade its F-16 jets, which they received to fight against the militants but used against India. Every time, U.S.’s help to Pakistan has proved to be costly for India. The U.S. also wants relations with India to curtail Chinese domination in the Indian ocean and they also wish India to consider their F-21 Jet in the latest tender MMRCA 2.0 for buying 114 jets.

Such double-sided diplomacy can’t be accepted where one country is suffering from the so-called friendship of two other countries. India should enact a law in parliament through which it should be able to punish every country doing any trade, deal and contracts with Pakistan by putting trade tariffs, cancelling deals and contracts, and boycotting that country on an international level. It’s time for India to be strict and take stringent steps to make our diplomatic position stronger—as the U.S. also needs India. Political parties should unite and discuss this.