The moment critics of Pakistan gets offensive and steps forward in their anti-Pakistan tirade, rulers in Islamabad get defensive and step back to find excuses for wrongs they are not responsible for. Instead of taking a principled stand and making the world realise that Pakistan has done enough and doing enough in fight against terrorism, the scared government fails to come up with a little courage to say what it ought to say — mind your language and mind your own business. But, perhaps, it is too much to ask a government that is stretching out its bowl to foreign donors for cash and kinds to stay afloat.
British Prime Minister David Cameron mimicked India while accusing Pakistan of exporting terrorism. The British prime minister ignored all diplomatic norms in his bid to please India at the cost of Pakistan . The response of the British government was stunning — Cameron refused to withdraw his comment and a Downing Street spokesperson told The News that “Cameron will again ask the Pakistani president to crack down on militants within its borders”.
Though UK High Commissioner in Islamabad was conveyed Pakistani concerns, best was Information Minister Kaira's statement that another such remark by David Cameron may strain Pak-UK relations — as if the first one was not enough to shake Islamabad out of slumber.
Before Cameron's state, the Guardian carried a story on the alleged ISI links with Taliban based on Wikileaks. While Wikileaks has detailed these alleged covert links between Pakistan 's premier intelligence agency and the Taliban, it has not really leaked anything substantial that could put the ISI in dock — every charge goes without evidence.
Furthering the leaks agenda, US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates sent a clear message to Islamabad by hinting that the decisive operation against Taliban could be one “on both sides of the border”. “We are increasing our forces in eastern Afghanistan that will help us do this,” Gates told ABC's programme “This Week”.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai also showed his true colours when he urged the Nato forces to take the war on terror across the border into Pakistan . Karzai's desperation might be the result of his realisation that he is no more the horse Pakistan is betting on. And he seems to be legitimate in his musings as Pakistan is counting on its trusted and pampered allies Taliban who are not inimical to Islamabad 's interests.
The volte-face by British Premier and the threatening posture by US officials point to a major shift in Western perspective of what is happening in this region.
The US has finally woken up to the reality and groping in the dark how to wriggle out of the mess it has created in Afghanistan during a decade of rudderless war on terror. The US is looking for a scapegoat to escape the altar in Afghanistan — Pakistan and ISI being the best choices. The US and allies are finding it hard to declare victory in Afghanistan in the near future. And they are also unable to go home accepting a terrible defeat thus invoking the ire of war weary public that had paid for the senseless genocide of innocent people in Afghanistan for a whole decade.
Pakistan is there to share the burden of war but is not willing to take responsibility for the chaos that is emerging in Afghanistan and Pakistani tribal areas. Pakistan Army and ISI are facing growing international pressure to distance themselves from Haqqani network and friendly militants that were groomed for Held Kashmir and make no distinction between good Taliban and bad Taliban. Whereas, Pakistan wants to keep some allies intact to fall back on after US and Nato pull out of Afghanistan . The memories of the war-torn country after Russian withdrawal still haunt the regional players, including Pakistan and India , and they are bracing for getting through the mess once again. Pakistan is banking upon friendly Taliban engaged in Afghanistan and based in North Waziristan to fill the vacuum after US withdrawal to stave off infighting among warlords and anarchy in Afghanistan , thus having a stable and friendly neighbour.
Those calling the shots from GHQ have been keeping their cards very close to their chests. The West is cashing in on the murky grounds that our armed forces and the spotlighted spy agency are treading upon. While Pakistan army is fighting Taliban and their affiliates across the country, it is also coddling some of them at the same time. The government must declare their friends and foes or it might risk lending itself to more charges of promoting terrorists. If the government supports Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Toiba, let it be known. And if not, then it should stop bluffing and send the world a clear message by taking on all extremists head on without labelling some bad Taliban and some good Taliban.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Offensive West
village
Back to the village
By Mazhar Khan Jadoon
I was finding it difficult to convince my friend to resume his urban life. "Your city has nothing to offer. It does not help me become a man who is happy with his life. Depression, frustration, never-ending daily chores… This is all your city offers."
"Hold on," I tried to stop him raising both my hands, but could not. He went on "Can you see this smoke of the cigarette reaching out to the sky," he pointed out to a blue streak of smoke ascending from the burning end of the cigarette I was holding. It was a wonderful view from where we were sitting on a hilltop in his village. "Yes, I can see. What's the point?" I asked.
"It is the clean environment and fresh air that you don't find in big cities," he boasted. "Breathe deeply and you will feel the difference," he advised, and I did exactly that. I could feel the cool and fresh air running through every cell of my body. "You will have to go to some big hospital in the city to get such pure oxygen," he taunted.
"Is it not escapism? Are you not trying to run away from your responsibilities," I tried to confront him philosophically. "Yes, I have escaped from the prevalent corruption in urban society, unending loadshedding, crushing pricehike, rude behaviours, injustice, rising crime and deadly blasts. I am tired of living in fear," he retorted angrily.
"Now just hold your breath and stay silent for a while, and try to listen to the sounds around you," he said. I thought he was up to another trick. I could listen to the breeze, chirping birds and some chuckling kids playing at an open place down the hill.
"In the night, all you can hear is silence – pindrop silence – that you need for a sound sleep. You wake up fresh in the morning, with no migraine or stress hangovers. Spend a few nights in this serene village, and your nightmares will turn into pleasant dreams," he advised me.
He went on to talk about the precious moments and relations lost while pursuing vague temptations. "People like you and me keep running all the time trying to maintain the pace for staying in the race. We are like racing horses; looked after and fed till we agree to participate and shot down once we are unable to run."
My friend also had this dream of building a two-kanal house in Defence marking a space for a green lawn, erecting fountains and decorating it with pebbles brought from villages. "After calculating the cost, I realised I won't be able to even purchase land for the house of dream. Then it dawned on me that I could enjoy all these facilities in this village. I have a simple but big house here, surrounded by natural fountains with green fields all around. I need no cages to keep birds as the trees in my lawn house thousands of birds of different hues. My life is in harmony with these birds. They let me know when it is dusk, the time to come home and rest, and they announce the dawn with their own sound that is so soothing. We used to pay our bills for electricity, but now we pay for unending loadshedding. Now I don't have to pay these bills as I get up with birds and go to sleep with birds. Can you keep so many birds in your city house?
My friend still had a lot to say, about organic food and stuff but I got up fearing I might be the next one to sail against the tide – leave a noisy city and settle in a calm village.