Adil Najam
Pakistan is in tears today. Yet again.
70+ people are dead in Wah today, as yet another cursed suicide bomber targets Pakistan and Pakistanis. The Tehrik-i-Taliban has taken responsibility for them. Only two days ago, 32 people were killed in a suicide attack on a hospital in the northern town of Dera Ismail Khan. Meanwhile incursions and attacks into Pakistani territory by American forces continue and fighting between militants and Pakistani forces rages in Bajur and other areas, killing even more.
In what continues to be war on and in Pakistan, Pakistanis continue to die. Pakistan continues to cry.
Some will call it the largest legacy of the Musharraf years. Some will read unstated messages within this murder and mayhem by these killers. Others will see it as the price in dead bodies that Pakistan pays in the War on Terror. Yet others will remind us that this is reaping what Gen. Zia-ul-haq sowed. There will be, I am sure, plenty more pontifications too - ranging from the absurd to the absurdly profound.
All I know is that today, yet again, Pakistanis die. Pakistan continues to cry.
Why must this murder and mayhem continue? I ask. When will it end? These, of course, are absurd questions themselves. Because we all know the answers. It will continue for as long as we let the killers kill and support their murders with our silence. Silence, of course, also kills. And some are condemned to cry silently.
This issue is more complicated than many comments here make it. A BIG part of the problem is that ther eis a large and growing community in Paksitan of religious parties like Jamaat, JUI, even PML(N), and of these born-again types who de facto support the cause of these extremists. Not by actual action but by convuluting Islam to justify these murderous actions. And there are too many of these people. Thea re everywhere, in every family, in every comment section, and growing. They are not ACTIVE supporters but they essentially create a false argument that somehow these Taliban were “forced” to take up these murders and its really not tehir fault. These people are teh real support base of these killers and enemies of Pakistan. Until their argument and strength is somehow controlled and reversed, the taliban will keep growing.
Saying all this while sitting in the foreign lands does nothing to the improvement of the situation, I believe. I read through these comments and they sound so similar to political slogans we’ve become used to, where no one really comes to the level of masses and feel the same anguish.
I’m interested to know what each one of us is doing or can do to improve this situation and help our nation. Something beyond just words and something above personal comfort and shelter.
> The problem is, which version of shariah will they impose?
The funny thing is, that Quaid-e-Azam advocated that Pakistan be a state where full freedom of religious, cultural and ethnic rights be maintained and allowed. Nothing but a secular state would allow that to happen.
This is very sad news, and this hit me personally as well. I have been to Wah Cantt numerous times. What I found each time I went there was how the place was progressing rapidly through construction. It was a also an unbelievably clean place with scenic views.
My question to the Pakistan authority is: What will happen in the aftermath of this bomb blast? Whenever an incident of this kind occurs, the politicians produce a round of condemnations, and move onto other things as if nothing happened. Now the central military complex of the country, described one of the most “sensitive places,” has also been rocked by one of the most devastating bomb blasts. First hospitals, sometimes funerals, sometimes police stations and now one of the most guarded places within Pakistan - the military complex, has been attacked. There truly is no safe place in Pakistan right now.
It was always our war.
is it our war now.
I think the bombing today was sad, mainly because we as a country have not truly come together as a nation to fight this ideological and tangible war against militancy. Why is it the conflict is seen as the military’s war, the U.S. war, but not our war? What will it take for us to identify with this conflict and take ownership of it. Only through a unified approach (government + military + people) will we be able to tackle this problem, and Pakistani civilians can stop falling victim to this war.
Ask yourself why?
@ Salim, May I ask what is a sub-human? Is this a new species?
Amazing now we have experts, that know it all. All of a sudden everyone is an expert. Be it Islam, Taliban and military strategies. You name it, we have them here. A lot smarter people than us here have been dealing with these issues for the past 20 plus years and they cannot find a solution.
This is a time for mourning and let be just that. All this chatter will be stifled after the Nov elections here in the US. Start using your brains, for most of you are no different than the pathetic Talibani fanatics; easily incited and ready to go for the kill.