As a nation’s youth and its future’s architect, I feel the need to
point out the failures of our civil society. As a society, we blame
our leaders for weak democracy and its institutions, yet what we
fail to understand is our own contribution to this sad state of
affairs. We as a nation, from our roots and culture, have always
waited for a miracle or a brilliant individual to rally us, be it
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan or Mohammad Ali Jinnah. What we do not realize
is that by carrying this tradition of inactivity forward we
ourselves are becoming the biggest obstacle in the way of that
miracle. In my experience, I have come across hundreds of educated
and learned people who are capable of writing books on the problems
facing the country, yet they cannot afford the pain of raising a
single voice in public let alone as much as lifting a pen. We all
are very much aware of the reasons that our country is failing yet
we choose the easy way out; migrate to some other prosperous country
and reap the benefits of someone else’s struggle. A dead society
does not benefit the country; rather it has the adverse effect of
allowing the leaders a free pass to do whatever they please. Perhaps
people would point fingers at me and say that all I have done is act
in the same manner as of those people I am trying to point out but I
hope that this letter manages to influence at least one ‘armchair’
critic to stand up for what he believes in as the more active a
civil society is the better checks it would be able to keep on the
government and its institutions. —Islamabad
Pre-emptive provocation
Eschmall Sardar
By launching pre-emptive attacks on GHQ, Peshawar and Islamabad,
probably the Hakeemullah-led Mehsud group wants to instigate the
armed forces to launch the much needed operation in South Waziristan
according to the TTP’s choosing. But the army has already announced
to start the operation some time in winter, which means the army
would not fall prey to the Mehsud-group’s trap and like to
consolidate its position on ground, gather enough intelligence about
the strongholds of the terrorists and engage them according to their
own strategy.
It is being speculated that the army had previously been unwilling
to go into Waziristan and the earlier offensives had ended in
failure, which is wrong. The same impression was created before the
army launched operation Rah-e-Rast in Swat. The results came out
contrary to the expectations of the enemies and masterminds. The
sweep in Swat was unprecedented and much ahead of stipulated time.
However, fleeing terrorists shifted to Bajaur and Waziristan,
joining the Mehsud group. The army targeted hideouts of terrorists
in Bajaur who staged the war scene both in North and South
Waziristan to engage the military force for a much longer time to
exhaust it out. Sure, it was difficult to fight against an estimated
10,000 well-armed fighters there, but the military strategists
wanted to tread carefully. They very wisely refused to be trapped
into opening the war in both the Waziristans without doing enough
homework and announced the operation in winter.
The Saturday’s attack on GHQ, Friday’s bomb blast in Peshawar and
Thursday’s suicide bombing inside the WFP offices in Islamabad
should be taken as provocative acts by the Taliban, which are
pre-emptive in nature against the army’s will to launch operation in
Waziristan, that is likely within weeks. This must be considered
however as a pressure tactic, which cannot deter the army from its
resolve to hit them hard, decisively this time. This is the time,
the nation, political junta and the people from all walks of life
come together at the back of the army. This war we will have to
fight till its end and elimination of the menace of terrorism from
our country. —Peshawar
Entangling US in Afghanistan
Hamza Ali
The Nobel-Peace winning Obama is facing very strong opposition at
home against what they call the bloody useless US war in
Afghanistan. People demand calling the American troops back as early
as possible. Gordon Duff has termed Afghanistan as another Vietnam.
More and more western analysts and security experts are giving
similar assessments. Call for quitting Afghanistan is getting
louder.
Ignoring the changing sentiments of people of US and western
countries, India, the Karzai regime in Kabul, Israel, weapons
merchants in USA and those involved in drug trade are constantly
airing frightening scenarios about US troops’ withdrawal from
Afghanistan. They caution US leaders that the vacuum created would
not only result in victory of religious extremist forces but also
would have a profound impact on the entire Muslim world thereby
making the US more vulnerable. They advise them not to abandon
Afghanistan till the elimination of terrorism irrespective of human
and financial costs incurred.
In their selfish urge to fulfil respective ambitions, they don’t
care if America ruins its economy, loses soldiers in futile war, and
smudges its prestige and status as a sole superpower. India and
ruling cabal in Kabul would be biggest losers in case Washington
decides to quit since it would result in exit of Karzai and his team
and return of Taliban and rollback of rising influence of India.
India has invested over $1.2 billion in various development projects
in Afghanistan and has managed to make deep inroads in all spheres.
It is now keen to increase its military presence and become a key
player in Afghan affairs to be able to encircle Pakistan and spread
its influence in mineral rich Central Asian states. India
established an airbase in Tajikistan which became operational in
2007 and where 14 Indian MiG-31 bombers are parked. Farkhor base
gives IAF option to strike Pakistan from the rear. It has also
helped Afghanistan in connecting Kandahar with Chahbahar Port in
Sistan province of Iran thereby removing dependence of landlocked
Afghanistan on Pakistan.
India would therefore not like to lose these strategic benefits and
in consonance with Israel, which has huge influence over Washington
would keep advising USA to convert Afghanistan into a permanent
military base. Both are digging the grave of USA but myopic US
leadership is so dumb that it is totally banking upon the two grave
diggers. Zionism and Hindutva are global movements with a history of
fascism and pro-imperialism. Israel which practices apartheid and
commits atrocities on daily basis with no restraint on barbarity is
called democratic friend by USA. Same is true for India. Both Israel
and India serve as proverbial glove to hide the US hand and its
hypocrisy. —Via email
People support army
Jiya Lajja
It is heartening to note that the people of Pakistan throughout the
country on Sunday came out in rage condemning the terrorist attack
at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. Politicians, senior
government officials, people from all walks of life and in all
cities termed it a conspiracy against the country. To them the
incident has exposed the real enemies of Pakistan who have
challenged the country’s very existence and should be brought to
justice. The terrorists have become frustrated and targeted one of
the state’s most sensitive institutions to tarnish the nation’s
image. We have already achieved great success against these elements
with nationwide support and we would never allow them to continue
their terrorist activities. Such acts are a conspiracy against and
the government should deal with such anti-state elements sternly.
The attack on the GHQ is actually an attack on the dignity of the
country and the entire nation stands with the armed forces. The
terrorists, after being rooted out from Swat and Malakand division,
are desperate and such an attack depicted their frustration. The
armed forces would find the countrymen beside them in the war
against terrorism and the fight would continue til the last
terrorist is killed. Such acts cannot weaken the strong resolve of
the nation against the menace of terrorism. The terrorists do not
have any religion and creed and the nation needs to stand united to
foil the designs of such elements. The terrorists involved in the
attack are open enemies of Pakistan. The people prayed for eternal
peace of the departed souls of the soldiers who embraced martyrdom
in the attack and courage to the bereaved families to bear their
loss with patience. —Peshawar
Are nukes in control?
Farooq Adil
As expected the ‘wild’ west has started trumpeting that the nuclear
arsenal are not safe in Pakistan. The US Secretary of State, Hillary
Clinton and British home minister apparently dispelled the
impression but indirectly highlight this issue. The immediate
reaction from the hostile countries leads the people of Pakistan to
believe that the Saturday’s attack on GHQ was not the handiwork of
local terrorists but the masterminds and planners were themselves
who have now started hallablooing about the safety of our nukes.
That’s why one is compelled to believe the Punjab police’s findings
about the mastermind terrorist Aqeel alias Dr Usman, who was
arrested on Sunday from the GHQ compound in critical condition, that
the man is the RAW trained Indian agent and is working under the
umbrella of Mehsud group, which means the Saturday incident was not
the local one but it has connections abroad. The coming days would
however unfold the whole drama staged on the international scene to
implicate Pakistan in the nuclear proliferation network and
declaring its security forces too weak to guard its nuclear and
strategic assets. Our media has to play the due role and the people
need to be united against such conspiracies. —Nowshera
