Adil Najam
I open the ‘top stories’ page of The News today and two headlines scream out at me. The first tells me that twelve people, including three women and two children have died in a US drone attack in Orakzai. The second tells me that militants have killed five in an ambush on a police van in Dir. All this while the tears from the carnage at Lahore are not yet dry. For what? For whom? Why?
The Americans tell us that they must do what they are doing because they have to stamp out terror. The militants say that they too must do what they are doing because they are fighting the enemies of Islam.
All I know is that it is Pakistanis who continue to do the dying. For what? For whom? Why?
For the life of me I cannot understand how the US thinks it will root out terror by lobbing bombs at Pakistani women and children. Nor how these militants think they are helping Islam or fighting America by killing Muslims and Pakistani, bombing girls schools, or terrorizing civilian populations.
It is obvious that the Americans are not winning their “war on terror” through these tactics. Nor are the militants and extremists making any dent in America or its policies through their terror. Every minute of every day is a reminder of the face that terror has not been “defeated,” nor is Islam any more “safe.” All we know for sure is that innocent Pakistanis are dying. For what? For whom? Why?
The Obama Administration says it will give Pakistan $1.5 billion a year for development. Economists estimate that the war on terror cost Pakistan $6-8 billion last year. I don’t find either number relevant. All I know is that over a thousand Pakistanis died last year in this conflict. For what? For whom? Why?
The newspapers are full of statements and analysis. They offer little solace, and even less insight. They only add to a noise that is now no less deafening than all the bombs themselves. We must speak out and act up against the forces that spread terror in our country. But we cannot remain silent on the deaths of Pakistanis by those who claim to be our friends.
No one seems to care about the death of ordinary Pakistanis. They deaths don’t even merit a statement of condolence, of remorse. Everyone seems to have a ‘great cause’ to fight for. A cause greater than the life of a child, a mother, a father. The Americans have ‘Terror’ to fight. The religious extremists and militants have ‘Islam’ to save. The Pakistan government has no clue who or what they are fighting for, with or against. In the midst of all of this, ordinary Pakistanis become mere ‘collateral.’ For what? For whom? Why?
Today, my words are not the voice of analysis. Today, my voice is the voice of angst. I know that my words will make little difference. I know my voice has neither reach nor influence. But let me say to all and any who may be out there to listen: We are not collateral.
And so, today, once again, its was Pakistanis who died. Pakistanis who cried (1, 2, 3). For what? For whom? Why?
(Note: Pictures above are from funerals of those who died during the terrorist attacks in Lahore).
Far too many people aren’t bothered or moved by the suffering other people face, they’ll decide to do something only after this suffering becomes a personal problem, that they personally face in their everyday life.
Adil Sahab raises a very interesting point, in that these militants and the US drone attacks both accomplish the same objectives, they destabilize Pakistan, make it look like a failed state, and indiscriminately kill innocent Pakistanis. It isn’t hard to see that even a relatively small militia needs a steady supply line. They need hundreds or thousands of rifles, a steady supply of ammunition for these rifles, intelligence info on what to target and when. And food, it’s no small feat, providing food three times a day, to even a thousand people. During the Afghan-Soviet war, Pakistan provided this supply line to the Afghan mujahidden, using caravans of donkeys laden with supplies and what not. A very pertinent question is, where do these militants get their supply line from?
And Al-Qaeda just looks like an arm of the CIA. When Bush was raving against Iran, Osama Bin Laden’s son was supposed to be in Iran, and Al-Qaeda was supposidly launching attacks into Iraq, from Iran. Now that the US says it’s very concerned that Pakistan’ll turn into a failed state and some militants will get the nukes, all the Al-Qaeda suddenly props up here. If the US decided to deal with Venezuela, I bet all the Al-Queda will suddenly and conveniently be found there. Each drone attack gets these Al-Qaeda militants fresh recruits from the tribal areas, because relatives of people killed in those drone attacks want revenge, according to their pakthunwali code of honor. And all these militants kill people and stage incidents that really help the US in it’s assertion that Pakistan’s fast becoming a failed state.
Mush already sold everything out, and the US probably already knows where key Pak nuke installations are, and I wouldn’t be surprised if US special ops teams start coming in and trying to take them out. Or maybe Israel gets to stage another air assault, like they did to destroy Iraq’s nuke facilities in the early 80’s when Iraq was a key friend of the US. It is a documented fact that an Israeli attempt to attack the Pak nuke facility at Kahuta, was foiled in the late 80’s, and an airforce officer is still imprisoned for selling out state secrets, in that incident . And in 2006 Israel attacked and destroyed Syria’s nuclear research facility. What form of justice, or perverted ideology, gives the US and it’s friend the right to decide who can or can’t have nuclear weapons.
And all the while, our US backed, widely unpopular political leadership provides the US with airstrips for these drones, while professing that they’re unable to do anything to stop the drone attacks.
This is very powerful words. Thank yo for writing this. We have to condemn everyone killing Pakistanis, may they be US drones or Taliban criminals.
Does’nt the US realize that these bombs are not helping them meet their strategic objectives and only alienate Pakistanis and strengthen the rhetoric of the terrorists?
This is the way to go. Make our own policies and protect our own interests including getting rid of the extremists and terrorist.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Lahore/02-Apr-2009/Rulers-must-refuse-US-aid-says-Imran-Khan
Well it also doesn’t help that there are a lot of Pakistanis in the diaspora (especially in England) that express full support for the Taliban and their vision of an Islamic state.
Why don’t any of you do something about the extremists that support the Taliban in the UK in order to prevent them from killing more Pakistanis?