Following 2 photos are the scenes of 2 more cowardly attacks by the enemies of Pakistan in my Lahore and my Peshawar. Very sad and our prayers go to the innocents who got martyred. If anything, these cowardly acts are going to make our resolve stronger against the terrorists. Dawn coverage here and here.
Photo Credits: Dawn and M. Ramzan
Dear Readers,
While All Things Pakistan has remained alive and online, it has been dormant since June 11, 2011 - when, on the blog's 5th anniversary, we decided that it was time to move on. We have been heartened by your messages and the fact that a steady traffic has continued to enjoy the archived content on ATP. While the blog itself will remain dormant, we are now beginning to add occasional (but infrequent) new material by the original authors of the blog, mostly to archive what they may now publish elsewhere. We will also be updating older posts to make sure that new readers who stumble onto this site still find it useful.
We hope you will continue to find ATP a useful venue to reflect upon and express your Pakistaniat. - Editors
The basic rule of nationhood is – keep power away from 1)Generals 2)Religious Leaders 3)Intelligence Agencies.
For Religious Leaders (and I firmly believe it applies to any religion) look at my country’s Gujarat state. These Religious leaders will hijack your country to the point where reality will no longer make any sense.
*Even if * India is playing mischief, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Pakistan is reaping the fury of the Taliban – there is a religious identity crisis – you have allowed the Mullahs full control. Thats the nature of religion anywhere.
As Pakistanis, you need to build some *minimum* institutions – like respect for democracy. Let the Generals do their job of defending the borders.
Your Army, and Intelligence should be miles away from elections and domestic politics – but they meddle every day. How to fix that real disease? – everything else is symptoms.
* Even if* India tried its best, it cannot deliver the damage that your own Generals and Intelligence apparatus have done, to your democratic institutions.
Meengla,
1. The very next day after Rehman Malik’s claim of supplying “evidence” of India’s involvement, the foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureishi himself said that there is really no evidence and nothing to share with India. In his own words, the supposed “evidence” lacked credibility.
2. There are strong domestic reasons to make such claims of Indian involvement. It seems like nothing unites Pakistanis more than a threat from India, even if such a threat is a manufactured one. If such unity were to be used to mobilize public opinon against all terrorists, it would still do Pakistan and the world some good. However, if it is used selectively, while continuing to patronize anti-India groups, it will neither solve Pakistan’s problem, nor the world’s. The latter is what we are seeing, at least so far.
3. This Government, in its words may seem more India friendly, but not in it’s actions so far. The last time we supposedly saw an India-friendly Govt. in Pakistan was when BB came to power the first time. It was however her Govt that built up the entire anti-India jihad enterprise. So excuse me for my scepticism when you talk of an India-friendly Govt. in Pakistan. Add to the fact that the Govt. does not seem to control the country.
4. There is no question of being spotless. All intelligence agencies have their own tricks, sometimes dirty. However, when there is no history of connection with, leave alone support to any of the organizations currently targeting Pakistan, I find it incredible how many people believe it. Also, somehow there is this equating between Pakistan’s intelligence agencies with their long and established history of being more of a dirty tricks agency rather than an intelligence agency anf with no oversight by the civilian leadership with RAW, which is firmly under civilian control and is largely led by policemen. It is an inept agency in it’s own ways but the fact is that it has been built for it’s primary purpose of gathering intelligence rather than for dirty tricks.
Meengla,
1. The very next day after Rehman Malik’s claim of supplying “evidence” of India’s involvement, the foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureishi himself said that there is really no evidence and nothing to share with India. In his own words, the supposed “evidence” lacked credibility.
2. There are strong domestic reasons to make such claims of Indian involvement. It seems like nothing unites Pakistanis more than a threat from India, even if such a threat is a manufactured one. If such unity were to be used to mobilize public opinon against all terrorists, it would still do Pakistan and the world some good. However, if it is used selectively, while continuing to patronize anti-India groups, it will neither solve Pakistan’s problem, nor the world’s. The latter is what we are seeing, at least so far.
3. This Government, in its words may seem more India friendly, but not in it’s actions so far. The last time we supposedly saw an India-friendly Govt. in Pakistan was when BB came to power the first time. It was however her Govt that built up the entire anti-India jihad enterprise. So excuse me for my scepticism when you talk of an India-friendly Govt. in Pakistan. Add to the fact that the Govt. does not seem to control the country.
4. There is no question of being spotless. All intelligence agencies have their own tricks, sometimes dirty. However, when there is no history of connection with, leave alone support to any of the organizations currently targeting Pakistan, I find it incredible how many people believe it. Also, somehow there is this equating between Pakistan’s intelligence agencies with their long and established history of being more of a dirty tricks agency rather than an intelligence agency anf with no oversight by the civilian leadership with RAW, which is firmly under civilian control and is largely led by policemen. It is an inept agency in it’s own ways but the fact is that it has been built for it’s primary purpose of gathering intelligence rather than for dirty tricks.
1) Within the last one week, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister (Shah Mehmood Qureishi) came out and said that India is stalling the dialog process. Then Pakistan’s Interior Minister (Rehman Malik) came out and said that there is concrete proof of Indian involvement and that proof is handed over to the foreign ministry of Pakistan to raise the issue at appropriate fora and time. Then, only within last couple of days, President Zardari himself has written to the Op Ed of NYTimes about India’s ‘destablizing’ effect on the region.
2) The current PPP govt. is perhaps the most liberal and India-soft setup India can hope for. This govt. has been accused of a sell-out post Mumbai. But their patience is running thin especially in light of India’s non-negotiating stand.
3) @Sridhar: While I am still not fully convinced that India is helping the ‘militants’ in Pakistan I also think that India gains everything by helping the anti-Pakistan militants like the TTP. Look at it already: Pakistan has already moved a good bit of its troops away from India to Pakistan’s northwest now. While we Pakistanis acknowledge our errors and a good portion of our media and bloggers do reflect that. Indians and Indian media is the snow white and incapable of doing anything wrong. Oh, yes, might as well say that, sir!