Adil Najam
What follows below is a repost. I had originally written this on July 19, 2007 after bomb blasts in Hangu, Hub and Kohat, which had themselves followed at the heels of blasts in Islamabad. Today, we just had two blasts in Rawalpindi with more than 15 people already being reported dead.
The continuing story here is of a nation at war with extremists. It is Pakistanis who are being killed here. Pakistanis who are being targeted. This is vile, this is cowardly and this is inhuman. While we are all distracted by the continuing political circus, the big story here is for Pakistan’s survival and the all-out war that has been declared on Pakistan by extremists and fanatics. Where ever you stand on politics, we must stand with Pakistan in this war and against extremists who have been murdering Paksitanis all over the place.
ORIGINAL POST
Suicide attacks today in Hangu, in Hub, in Kohat today.
This adds to the blast in Islamabad a few days ago and many others in the NWFP over the last many days. Even for a part of the world which has gotten tragically used to needless death and murder by suicide killers, this is crossing a threshold. The headline above may seem sensational to some, but is it really.
It is too simple to blame this on the Lal Masjid episode or just on the fact that we have a military government. I must say I get literally ’sick’ of attempts to turn these massive manifestations of a truly divided society into petty political sloganeering for whatever someon’s political preferences is. Thsi is NOT a time for propaganda; this is a time for real thought and real action. By all of us. This, as we at ATP have repeatedly argued, is a society at war with itself. And the war is now beginning to get much more bloody. The most recent attack (Kohat) was in a mosque. Most have targetted security forces; i.e., the apparatus of the state.
Let me be clear here. There is NOTHING ‘Islamic’ about any of these murderous attacks. This is not just anti-government. This is anti-state. This is anti-Pakistan. Indeed, this is anti-humanity. This in inhuman.
Here are the three breaking news items at The News: On Kohat killings (since writing this, number of dead is now up to 20):
A bomb blast in a mosque of Pathan Lines in Kohat Cantt. killed 11 and wounded several persons Thursday night. Immediately after the explosion, security personnel has cordoned the affected area and nobody is allowed to enter the area. According to the unconfirmed reports, it was a suicide bomb attack. However, the official sources did not confirm it.
On Hub killings:
The blast at RCD Highway in Balochistan’s Hub town Thursday claimed 30 lives, while 30 others were wounded in the incident, sources said. Several injured have been admitted at hospitals of Karachi in a critical condition. According to reports suicide bomber detonated the bomb when a convoy of Chinese engineers was passing through the RCD Highway in Hub. The vehicle carrying the Chinese however passed unscathed from the place, while four police mobile vans accompanying the convoy were caught in the blast. After the blast the panic-stricken security guards of Chinese engineers and policemen opened indiscriminate firing killing and wounding several nearby people. Thirty persons including policemen and passersby were killed in the blast, sources said… The huge explosion also destroyed 15 vehicles and motorbikes and damaged 25 nearby houses and shops. Thirty wounded persons were admitted at Karachi’s Civil Hospital, while three others were brought to Jinnah Hospital. Four wounded at the Civil Hospital were succumbed to their injuries, hospital sources said.
On Hangu killings:
A suicide bomber rammed explosives laden car with the gate of Police Training College, Hangu killing eight persons and wounding 26 others on Thursday morning. The bomber struck his car to the gate of the college causing eight deaths and injuring 26 others, police sources said. Civil Hospital Hangu has received 26 wounded persons, hospital sources said. Ten wounded persons were in a critical state and emergency has been declared in the hospital, sources added. Police have cordoned off the area and Peshawar-Hangu road has been closed for all traffic.
Writing earlier in The News, I had written that simply cause-and-effect will not do anymore because what we have is a society and state crumbling at its seams. Each doubtful of the other.
… there is the deepening cleavage between state and society. The difference between Lal Masjid and other similar situations — e.g., the 1993 standoff at Waco, Texas — is that in our case the state had such little credibility that each of its actions was deemed suspect by the media and the public. There was constant chatter that this was a ‘topi drama’ orchestrated by intelligence agencies. There were incessant rumours about how the operation was orchestrated. There were unending doubts about its timing. All of this was not simply a display of our inherent cynicism, these were manifestations of a society that has no trust in its state. This was not just a lack of trust in the government, it was a lack of trust in the state. And that is a truly ugly cleavage.
I truly hope I am wrong. But if I am not, then we really need to stop shouting and start thinking. Anger is never a substitute for analysis; and neither is of much use if it does not lead to real action for real change.
I want the right to practice my religion on my own. I do not want anyone else to impose their religious views upon mine. Whether I am a good muslim or a bad muslim is between me and my God. If my views make me a secular extremist then I am proud to be one.
Inciting hate and intolerance is not justifiable under any condition. If we cannot agree upon this basic principle, then we will tear ourselves apart as a people. Newton’s 3rd law is a law of physics, not a law of society. Mohammad showed us that on numerous occasions when he forgave his enemies.
There is something seriously wrong with the version of Islam that is being preached in Pakistan and we need to ban all Madrassas and have them under Government control.
If Pakistanis don’t wake up and deal with this issue NOW then this country is doomed!!!!. I say Musharaf enforce martial law and get rid of these extremists once and for all.
We easily quote verses like ” if one person is killed then its equal to killng all of humanity ” yet in the name of Islam we have technically killed every single being in the universe 100 times over.
This Saudi brand of Islam has to be eradicated becuase the Russians have left afghanistan and these schools need to be closed and replaced by government schools.
I don’t know when is Musharaf going to wake up !!!! and deal with these Mullahs who kill their own people.
These Mullahs should have a network like Edhi and help humanity instead of killing them.
I must say, I am deeply deeply sad that so many people are actually defending teh murderers who did this! Shame on all of you who support such murderous acts. We are so blinded by our hate for the military govt (I do not support it either) that we are actaully supporting these fanatics who are the true enemies of Pakistan and of Islam.
There is no evidence so far to suggest that these were suicide blasts. The bus explosion was so much more powerful than any suicide explosion that we have seen so far. Also the target for these blasts were civilians rather than law enforcement or military personnel, which would have suggested any link with the ongoing operations in the agencies. These incidents have to be viewed in the context of the political upheavel that is going on, rather than the trouble on the borders.
The present event of war of the Army against the terrorists can not be termed as “War on Pakistan” or “War against Pakistan”. We can only say that there is a an internal war in Pakistan. There is no Foreign Army attacking Pakistan. In that case whole Pakistan Army and Pakistani People would have been defending the country. Also, the present war can not be termed as a civil war either. We had one 26 years ago when a majority of Pakistanis got rid of the Pakistani Army and its colonial domination. Presently, we are far from this kind of situation.
Still, it does not mean that Pakistan and its people are not in danger. This is the danger coming from two factions of armed groups. I will call it a war between two Mafia Families, fighting for the control of their territories. Army generals are behaving as Italian Dons and on the other side there are some prominent self-proclaimed Islamic Scholars who are no less than Sicilian Dons.
The solution to get out of this situation is to get rid of all these Dons. In the Army we know who they are. They should be forced to retire. In the case of Terrorists, there is the difficulty that some of them are in the hiding and a few of them are not openly involved. In this case the Police and ISI (reformed and under civil authority) should be given the task to find them and bring them to justice. Of course, the retired officers should also be judged for their crimes.
The solution seems to be simple but its application will need the involvement of the whole nation to clean the society from these Mafia Dons and their Families.
We can only get rid of extremists and suicide bombers if the 160 million people of Pakistan are involved in Government formation. Give these poor people a sense of participation and belonging. This country was liberated by people and not by Khakis.
Khakis better go back to the barracks and let the people to decide the fate of their homeland.Its people, who should define the “National interest” or “National Security”. We don’t want a few stiff necked goofs to decide the fate of 160 million people on the instructions of their western masters.
Every country has an army but Pak Army has got a country— an open playing field. They are into every thing- politics, Business, Banking, Industry, Construction, Administration.Musharaf must be thinking that he made a mistake while appointing the chief justice of supreme court. Had he chosen a fellow general as chief justice he would have been a happy guy today. I think Pakistan’s name should be changed from “Islami Jamhooria Pakistan” to
“Banana Faujia Pakistan”
Assalamau Laikum,
Pakistan has been going in circles looking for it’s identity for over 60 years. One has not been forthcomiing easily…so the army took control. Joining forces with the religious parties was a natural extension for the army, it all made sense.
The training and subsequent deployment of soldiers of the deen led to many innocents dying in other parts of the world.
The ISI and goverment sent them to foreign and see off ferangi. This was OK for Mujahdeen was doing it for Islam….and as long as it was Kaffir dying …did we care?….no ofcourse not ….long may it continue was the call from the ISI….did we ordinary peoples condemn it….no…muslims were not being killed so it was OK.
This is a terrible stain on the thinking of the establishment…the peoples of Pak as well as the government were seen as instigigators of violence.
Well 9/11 and Mushi’e decision to join the war on terror changed things on the ground. Now, Amerike bombs were killing Allah T’allah’s SWT chosen and THIS (all of a sudden) did matter to us. Now we started to look inwards and realised that perhaps we OURSELVES could be in danger. Never forget that in raising snakes…you could be bitten too….and so this is happening to us.
The absolute core of this issue is that Pakistan was created on religious grounds…and that we are all living a lie …because we are not following Allah T’allah’s SWT divine laws to govern our country …we are thus being punished by Allah SWT and by our peoples ….living the lie is not comfortable for us…why are we so afraid of shariat….THIS is the solution to our problems.
Let us all get closer to Allah T’allah and follow tenents of shariat….this will reduce corruption, natural Islamic leaders will arise and guide the country with assurity and in the way of Prophet Muhammed SAW.
All else is false….only by following the Koran Sharif is where the salvation of Pak lies. Forget about Benizar and Nawaz, we need new younger leaders….those who understand the ways of the world, are modern …but love shariat too.