Adil Najam
Taliban murderers are at it again. An increased rampage of suicide bombings and blasts in Peshawar, in Lahore, in Nowshera, in Hangu, and all over Pakistan. As the operation against them intensifies in the Swat region, they are bringing more terror to the rest of Pakistan. From their statements, they take responsibility for and seem quite proud about killing Pakistanis, murdering Muslims, targeting Mosques, spreading mayhem.
Does this signify an act of desperation on the part of the Taliban, or an act of expansion?
Yesterday it was a blast at a five-star hotel in Peshawar. Today it was the targetted murder of a major anti-Taliban religious leader in Lahore and the destruction of a mosque in Nowshera. But these are just two data points in a continuum of killing Pakistanis, destroying mosques, and massacaring Muslims who disagree with their doctrine of hate that has accelerated recently and is likely to increase even more.
There is little pioint in repeating the gory details of these bouts of murder by the Taliban. We know the details already. And what we know will change soon enough. And more bombs will be added.
It is clear that the Taliban know exactly what they are doing. They are spreading mayhem. They are breeding fear. They are terrorizing Pakistanis. They are doing all this for a reason. The real battle is for the hearts and minds of Pakistanis.
They made the religious argument and that seems to be working less and less for them today. Now they are threatening our daily existence in the attempt to break the will of the public.
The question is: Will they succeed? Will we give in to their terror? Will they be able to scare us – the people of Pakistan – into retreat? Will we bow to their venom and murder?
These are not easy choices for those who actually live where the bombs are blowing up, where limbs are flying, where children are dying. This was always a war on Pakistan that Pakistanis themselves would have to fight. the Taliban are making it ever more personal for ordinary Pakistanis, every day.
The Taliban are hoping we will make the wrong decision. That we will side with our personal safety rather than our national security. Will we?
This country needs a positive revolution and this can be done only by the civil society of Pakistan. But the question that comes up is who is going to lead it upfront and what kind of support will it get for today the civil society of Pakistan is very much divided on ethnic lines and many say that I am a Punjabi, or Sindhi or from this tribe, but there are very few who say that I am Pakistani from the heart. For this to happen the politicians right from 1960
If IRA, Basq separatists in Spain or Tamils are any example, a continuity of pressure on these thugs will eventually dissipate them.
At the same time it is important to have socio-economic development and uplift in these areas.
Furthermore, the draconian Frontier Crimes Regulation must be scrubbed and political parties be allowed in FATA…
Also of tremendous importance is the political stability of the country.
One of the ardent supporter of the military operation in the Malakand Agency, and one of the most argumentative and sane religiouis figure against the suicide attacks and the terrorism describes the great man Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi, who was martyred in a suicide attack in his office in Jamia Naeemia in Lahore after the Juma prayer.
Dr. Sarfaraz Naeemi was the head of the Tahafuzz-e-Namoos-e-Rasalat Movement and secretary-general of the Tanzimat Madaris Deeniya. Dr Sarfraz had also give a Fatwa against the suicide attacks in 2005 and he wasn
its more of desperation than expension. ……. Lets pray to Allah that this violance ends, give us peace and calmness. Otherwise, these talibans and people with soft corner for them will kill us, our families and that too in the name of religion.
@ Adil Najam. People like you who remain vague in their statements have a part in it. My posts were repeatedly banned from ATP only becasue I pointed out explicitly who are behind such attack. We all know the people, the ideology, the school of thought that is intolerant and militant in nature. These are the people who have their ideological and financial roots in Saudi Arabia and GCC. Intolerant animals who can bomb shrines and mazars, who can hand both the living and the dead and who can not do anything better but label others Kafir and Mushriq. And yet time and again you failed to do that.