Our War

They say the war on my land is not “our war”.

Then why am I targeted, amputated and killed?

They command that your land is ours-  so listen to us,

I wonder how could they call it their land!

My children are shrieking during the worst nightmares,

Remembering the scattered limbs of their loved ones,

And their mother is bathing in the blood dipped tears

Which mirror her how handsome was her man.

Still you call it your land?

Still you call it not our war!

(Thanks Farid Gul Momand for the necessary correction)

A dialogue between Obama and CIA Chief

Obama (Sipping his tea): Hi! Chief what’s the latest from Afghanistan?

Chief: Good Morning Sir! (Pausing for a while and waiting for the president’s response.) Sir, there is a report in The News Pakistan that Taliban are preparing for a deadly spring offensive. The TTP has joined hands with Afghan Taliban and their strength might have increased manifold.

Obama (Taking a big sip from his cup): Oh! This is worrisome. What are your agents doing! We should have known it earlier.

Chief: Sir, we don’t have first hand sources from those areas. All we rely on is local media and information from second hand sources such as politicians, NGOs and Afghan intelligence. ISI is also not cooperating with us. Our media is also beating about the bush and the Think Tanks are becoming more dormant.

Obama (Emptying his cup of tea): What is the situation in Pakistan?

Chief: Sir, the PPP, ANP and MQM are under attacks from Taliban and it seems they will not be able to win elections. Maulan Fazal ur Rahman’s popularity is growing in KPK. Imran is becoming the major stakeholder and his popularity has reached a decisive level in Punjab and KPK.

Obama: (Looks worried):  What about the dialogue process with the Taliban?

Chief: Sir, we are not moving an inch further. Our friends in Saudi Arabia are trying to use their influence but the Taliban want a full control on Afghanistan and a subsequent recognition by the US.

Obama (Angrily): Somebody must tell these stupid fellows that this cannot be happened. How can we recognize a hardliner Islamic State which can possibly attack the US! They must agree on some power-share. Why is the ISI not convincing them?

Chief: Sir, the Saudis and ISI are on the same page. They think that the Taliban should be given full control to end this war.

Obama (thinking): We cannot agree with this formula. We’ll not rely on any guarantor either as we had been attacked from the same land.

Chief: True Sir. If right-wingers come to power in Pakistan we would be having more trouble on the border side and our exit strategy will be affected.

Obama (Looking more worried): Let me discuss it with my secretaries. I wonder what our ambassadors are doing in Afghanistan and Pakistan! We must also listen to our think-tanks and media. I must also consult my democrat congressmen. This Afghanistan is turning into a quagmire. 

Terrorism vs. Peace in the Af-Pak Region

In my view the ongoing conflict in the region is not the product of a perceived indigenous movement of Taliban who are supposed to be linked with international terrorists’ organizations such as Al-Qaeda and whose only purpose is to defeat the mighty superpower, the US and thus subdue all nations one by one and establish Islamic Caliphate. The conflict in the region is historical continuation of the US hegemony which is challenged by no other but its close friends and allies:  Saudi Arabia and the Pakistani establishment. While the US came to Afghanistan under compulsion after the 9/11 attacks, the Saudis and Pakistani establishment want to engage her in this conflict for different reasons. The Saudis who predominantly profess extremist Wahabi interpretation of Islam need influence through Al-Qaeda and Taliban in the region and the propagation of Wahabi Culture for future strategic and economic interests. These might include the ever increasing obsession of the Saudi regime with the Shias as a major threat to their power not only in the Middle East but also in other parts such as South and Central Asia.  Their economic interest may range from obtaining cheap labourers for internal labour market, revenue generation through increase number of devotees who could perform Hajj and Umra regularly and creating an enabling environment for the expansion of their corporate ventures in the region. The Saudis would also need to create a nuisance value for themselves to avoid any criticism on its internal human rights abuses; they would keep themselves in power with US’ support amid ever-increasing domestic and regional revolts such as the Arab Spring and they would wish to obtain military aid from the US in case of any foreign aggression.  For Pakistan US presence in Afghanistan is like a jackpot as the policy pursued during Musharaf regime earned for Pakistan billion of dollars through this war. For Pakistan, terrorism also brought an opportunity to be a major stakeholder in this game and thus the old security doctrine of “strategic depth” is automatically justified and further pursued with renewed zeal as India is expanding her influence in Afghanistan. This is a war fought with the power of ideas in which the Arabs and Pakistanis and their supporters are using Wahabi/Deobandi Islam as a soft-war tool while the US, her allies and supporters  are supporting democracy, human rights,  education and rule of law as soft-war propaganda.

Peace is an illusion in the capitalist world. They (capitalist) impose wars and simultaneously set sup camps for IDPs. They fund the teaching of peace education to the war-affected children and channelize their depression so that they do not revolt. This is how they operate. In this system peace is a long term process and can only be established once enabling environment for capitalism is created where you accept free market in its totality, allow global corporations to operate unchecked and share major chunk of your resources with the wealthiest.

This is the whole rotten capitalist system which takes pride in testing new technology for warfare. This system is getting more ambivalent towards its old friends of Islamic ideologues and fanciest regimes. However, it cannot get rid of both for some obvious reasons as the system also carries symbiotic relations with Islamic ideologues and autocratic regimes. Its hollow slogans of democracy (controlled democracies in most cases), human rights, education for children and girls and empowerment of youth and women are bearing no fruits despite wasting huge charity funds.. Only a handful of liberal apologists are getting benefits from the system. The rest of the population is alienated and are the victims of all kinds of hatred  besides being poor, having less to eat, having no healthcare and no better prospects for their future.

The left must understand that it has a historical burden on its shoulders. The leftists must understand that merely awarding distinction to a certain individual is not genuine activism. The left must be critical of the excesses of the capitalism. It must be sensitive towards the symbiotic relationship of capitalism and religious militancy. The left must understand that social and political emancipation requires genuine political ideology, commitment and struggle. A leader, an intellectual or activists does not merely teach. She/he leads by example. She/he is full of empathy for all those who are alienated by the system. And finally leadership is not merely the name of an individual. Leadership is an institution. A leader does not beg for vote. She/he can deliver without votes. 

Talibanization and Pakhtun Politics

Talibanization and Pakhtun Politics

As an ordinary political worker my understanding is that the ongoing conflict in the region is not the product of contesting discourses of the left and right in Pakhtun society. It is historical continuation of the US hegemony in the region which is challenged by no other but its closest friends and allies the Sauadi/Wahabis and the Pakistani establishment. While the US came to Afghanistan under compulsion, the Saudis and Pakistani establishment want to engage them in this conflict for different reasons. The Arabs needs influence through Taliban in the region and propagation of Arab Culture for future strategic and economic interests. The Arab also needs to create a nuisance value for themselves so that no criticism is received on its internal human rights violation and that they continuously enjoy the support of the US for keeping themselves in Power. For Pakistan US presence in Afghanistan is like a jackpot as Pakistan has received more than 10 billion of dollars in the last 12 years. This is a war fought with the power of ideas in which the Arabs and Pakistanis are using Wahabi/Deobandi Islam and terrorism while the US is supporting democracy, human rights and rule of law. Pakhtuns have very limited options.

The educated and enlightened Pakhtuns understand the zeitgeist or the spirit of the time. It is the spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time. Now the spirit of our time is characterized by Free Market, Liberal Democracy, International Cooperation and understanding and implementation of Human rights. For social and economic development Pakhtun intelligentsia is against Taliban and their Wahbi ideology because it is against the zeitgeist and which perpetuates violence, isolationism and enmity with the world at large. Indigenous and genuine Pakhtun Political Parties have to follow the intelligentsia.

New Constitution for Pakistan

New Constitution for Pakistan

(The purpose of this article is to generate a healthy debate about a stable and progressive Paksitan)

Parliamentary system in Pakistan is based on the concept of coordination of power between the legislatures (National Assembly) and the executive (Prime Minister and his cabinet). This system is different from the presidential system which is based on the separation of power. Moreover, the constitution ensures a bicameral legislature (two houses of the parliament i.e. National Assembly and Senate). The senate is called upper house of the parliament because it is equally represented by the provinces and any legislation (mostly major legislation such as constitutional amendment) requires two third majorities by the senate as well.  Currently, budget is only passed by the National Assembly which is not good. It should also have be passed by the senate to give more autonomy and say to the provinces in financial matters.

Now, in Pakistan the flaw does not lie in the existing democratic practices. The same system works well in UK and India. The problem is that Pakistan has been facing structural problems (constitutional problem) since its inception. The problems further dates backs to the British support for the creation of Pakistan at the expense of suppressing indigenous voices such as those of Pashtuns. I don’t want to go into the details of the history. What is done is done. I simply want to tell you that Pakistan has been facing structural problems which include giving superior powers to only Muhajir and Punjabis (to be more specific Muhajir and Punjabi civil and military bureaucracy). That was why Bangladesh was separated from Pakistan due to the excesses of the civil and military bureaucracy, Punjabi politicians as well as intelligentsia.

The 1973 constitution was also not signed by the Baluchs and Pakhtuns were divided into three administrative units. As per ethnic distribution of the country Pashtuns should have their own province but that was  how their strength was divided.

The constitution of Pakistan has been consistently tarnished by military and controlled democracies to suit their anti-India and pro-capitalist foreign policy which gave them strength at the expense of poverty and problems for the whole population. From the objective resolution onwards attempts have been made to make Pakistan a theocratic state and Zia regime was the culmination of this Deobandi/Wahabi Islamic state.

Solution: This existing constitutional arrangement and structural setup of the country is rotten. The procedure you suggested should better be adopted for the formation of a Constituent Assembly with the single task of framing a new constitution for Pakistan based on the principal of federalism, liberal democracy and pluralism. 

The constitution should recognize India and Afghanistan as neighbor and should encourage confederating merger with both India and Afghanistan (close neighbors) like the European Union. From a Pakhtun Perspective, a single Pakhtun province stretching from Chitral to Bolan should be formed with maximum provincial autonomy. The constitution should also encourage decentralization of administration and resources to the districts and tehsils level through Local Body Setup. 

Vote

I don’t speak of science,

I don’t speak of arts,

I only speak my mind

And want to tell you

That I’ve seen many

Who will stoop so low

To ask for your vote.

Whether he is of the “right” or the “left”,

From immature like a PTI worker

To the “sages” of today

Will beg you, tempt you, threaten you harass you,

But only to snatch what is purely yours.

And then there are the “masters of the game”

Who will tell you democracy is shame.

So the choice is yours,

Choose yourself and none other,

Make a mistake with a will to redress it in future;

We all make mistakes, so once more

Till all the “blood suckers” feed, satiate

And tell you it’s your turn to play the game.