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.
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.