I don’t think the issue of fighting militancy is so simple. Not at all!
Let me try to explain it.
9/11 happened at a time when Pakistan was ruled by an egocentric military dictator. Military men are no different from other Pakistanis and they found an opportunity to grab money and support from the US. The military did not bother to check their own strategic assets or ever tried to change the policies of their predecessors. Rather, they were under their own historical fallacies that the infidel US would be deeply entrenched in the quagmire of Afghanistan and will finally face a defeat. So they were complacent and the militants were engaged in unchecked activities. I call it a militants’ paradise!
During the 2005 earthquake Musharaf used to appreciate the militants that they had adopted a right approach and that militancy is not something useful as if a father is happy that his rogue son is not taking drugs and attends five times prayers a day. Too much complacency I suppose!
The Lal Mosque episode was badly handled. It was badly handled because a thoughtful government might have diluted extremism over a period of time without having to provoke any animosity. The blunder was committed under the false impression that a chunk of militants cannot challenge the mighty power of the state!
The liberal intelligentsia who had an insight to the problem were themselves part of corrupt and opportunist political setup and the PPP could not calculate the murder of Benazir and the subsequent outcomes of the militants’ influence due to their tainted vision. This is indeed so sad!
An ordinary Pakistani is not educated enough to provide rational explanation for some simple phenomena like why does water flow downhill or why water vapors go up into the air. Even university professors and scientists believe that the 9/11 had not happened and the miseries in Pakistan are all inflicted by the Jews, Hindus and Christians. A police official cannot rationally interpret that the worst law and order situation is due to the corruption he is engaged in. A school teacher supposes that India does not want stability of Pakistan because it is interfering in Baluchistan. How can one argue with the teacher that by not going to the classroom and not teaching our children is the cause of our instability!
Until now and perhaps in the coming few years our leading media men and politicians will remain under the impression that the Taliban do not exist and that bomb explosions and target killing are conspiracies of the West. Parties like PML N, PTI and JI share this lunacy with the leading media men. Superb!
Nobody knows exactly who the militants in Pakistan are and who is not. Talks with whom? Operation against whom!
Let me try to explain it.
9/11 happened at a time when Pakistan was ruled by an egocentric military dictator. Military men are no different from other Pakistanis and they found an opportunity to grab money and support from the US. The military did not bother to check their own strategic assets or ever tried to change the policies of their predecessors. Rather, they were under their own historical fallacies that the infidel US would be deeply entrenched in the quagmire of Afghanistan and will finally face a defeat. So they were complacent and the militants were engaged in unchecked activities. I call it a militants’ paradise!
During the 2005 earthquake Musharaf used to appreciate the militants that they had adopted a right approach and that militancy is not something useful as if a father is happy that his rogue son is not taking drugs and attends five times prayers a day. Too much complacency I suppose!
The Lal Mosque episode was badly handled. It was badly handled because a thoughtful government might have diluted extremism over a period of time without having to provoke any animosity. The blunder was committed under the false impression that a chunk of militants cannot challenge the mighty power of the state!
The liberal intelligentsia who had an insight to the problem were themselves part of corrupt and opportunist political setup and the PPP could not calculate the murder of Benazir and the subsequent outcomes of the militants’ influence due to their tainted vision. This is indeed so sad!
An ordinary Pakistani is not educated enough to provide rational explanation for some simple phenomena like why does water flow downhill or why water vapors go up into the air. Even university professors and scientists believe that the 9/11 had not happened and the miseries in Pakistan are all inflicted by the Jews, Hindus and Christians. A police official cannot rationally interpret that the worst law and order situation is due to the corruption he is engaged in. A school teacher supposes that India does not want stability of Pakistan because it is interfering in Baluchistan. How can one argue with the teacher that by not going to the classroom and not teaching our children is the cause of our instability!
Until now and perhaps in the coming few years our leading media men and politicians will remain under the impression that the Taliban do not exist and that bomb explosions and target killing are conspiracies of the West. Parties like PML N, PTI and JI share this lunacy with the leading media men. Superb!
Nobody knows exactly who the militants in Pakistan are and who is not. Talks with whom? Operation against whom!
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