Economic ties with China (II)
Pakistanis should focus on reaching to a level where other countries, not only China will also want to invest.
Economic ties with China
Our trade with China runs into billions of dollars and that is something which is not worthless.
Talking to the Taliban
Are we simply going to ask outlaws to put down their arms and join the mainstream of the country’s politics?
PPP’s failure
The top leadership of the PPP is responsible for its electoral rout in K-P, Punjab and Balochistan.
Qualities of a government official
Those who hold elected or paid public office are expected to be judged on higher moral yardstick than ordinary people.
Negotiating with the TTP (II)
The TTP were provided an opportunity in Swat, but the killing never stopped.
Negotiating with the TTP
Lesson for Pakistan is fairly obvious, irrespective of intricacies of negotiation theory presented in this article.
South Waziristan revolution
People of South and North Waziristan have been ignored by the elected governments of Pakistan for the last 60 years.
Flight of capital
There is a powerful lobby in Pakistan which facilitates massive flight of the country’s capital.
“If America can engage in dialogue with the Taliban in Afghanistan, then why can we not use this tool to settle the same issue in Pakistan?”
America is an occupying force looking to exit Afghanistan with as less of a hassle as possible. Second, the US has not stopped fighting the Taliban as it trys to negotiate, which by all indications is not working or have stalled anyways.
Pakistan is a sovereign state, plagued by the Taliban threat. We are not going to “exit” anywhere, and the Taliban operating in Pakistan have no appetite to negotiate, they have previously broken agreements singed in the earlier parts of the nougties. We have used negotiations in the past and it hasnt worked because the Taliban and those who support them believe that they are winning and they have the wider support of Pakistani society. In this environment, why would they want to drop their weapons and “negotiate” with the Pakistani state that has already ceded sovereignty to it in large swaths of the country?
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Mr Saifi might be unaware but the Govt of Pakistan has already tried dialogue, peace deals and even surrender in Swat while dealing with militant groups. The result was the Taliban continued their violence. Imran Khan is peddling failed policies in dealing with militancy.
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The Americans are fighting a war against the Taliban while trying to engage the relatively moderate elements in dialogue if such a sub-group does in fact exist – and I don’t see the drones disappearing during these attempts. Dialogue is always pragmatic but cooking up excuses to allow non-state actors to control state territory is not. The reason that the war in Afghanistan is unsuccessful is that the insurgents escape across the border to safe havens in Pakistan. If these safe havens are denied to them, these militants will have no option but to yield or to fight to the death – Pakistan should employ the same means to fight militants within its territory. Comparing N Waziristan to Balochistan or Iraq or Timbuktu is a favorite ploy of Taliban (and Imran Khan) apologists – if you can’t argue your way out, confuse the situation to the extent that no one else can.
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“Did we ever try using these methods before engaging in war?” Yes, we did, there was a cease-fire, but the terrorists took advantage of the lull and spread to other areas. You can’t trust the Taliban: they will not be satisfied until they have gained complete control of Pakistan. We have to fight them, because they’re not reasonable people, and even if it takes another ten years, we have to do our best to eliminate them.
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Author,
Dialouge with taliban for what-begging their mercy? or accepting their unconstitutional demand just because they are armed with weapon.
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Imran Saifi ,You are a TTP supporter or a follower of Zias legacy. People like you are responsible to end the Pakistan. I wonder how media printed your letter. Pakistan is at the end of the rope,All negotiation have failed. Only option is to get rid of this menace from the
root with all Pakistani supporters. Now this war is for survival. You do not like our Islam and our South Asian culture Please go and live in Afghanistan.
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Author is 100% Perfect. This is primarily US’s war, not over and we were just involved due to American pressure, otherwise all was fine before 911
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There are Taliban attacks happening all around Pakistan and there are no Americans there with Boots on the ground….it is clearly Pakistans war and if they continue with denial they will be consumed by the Taliban on their own soil…
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Author is right on spot ….war itself is a problem…how can it solve the problem?Recommend
One simple question: Would America have negotiated with Taliban if they had occupied 10 square mile of American Territory?
Ruthless, imaginable force would have descended upon the Taliban. Same with, say India. When Pakistan occupied its heights, Indian soldiers went against the Terrain to regain it.
Moral of the story: When its your land, its your land. No negotiations.
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We are very rightly confused about the ownership of this ‘War OF Terror”.
If this was ‘our’ war, the first most visible thing would have been an upgrade in the security environment. It is for every one to see that instead of an upgrade, there is a constant deterioration.
The US created its Homeland Security Department, and regardless of the hue & cry over the Fundamental Rights Abuse, it went ahead with ensuring the protection of Life & Property of its Citizens.
We in Pakistan only saw the mushrooming of unmanned road blocks, as if by some divine decree they will detect and deter any would be terrorist, where in reality they could just be kicked away by any ordinary mortal.
I, for one, will agree on its ownership, if our establishment can show the guts in first owning up to creating these monsters, then using all means in denouncing them, and then if all fails, go after completely eliminating them.
Otherwise its absolute connivance, for a few dollars more.
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Just wondering, where’s the ghairat in accepting a bully’s demands after his threats to bomb your cities.
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This is our war because USA is negotiating to leave. We can’t leave so we need to fight…
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@Nadir: We have made forcefully this war our own otherwise this was has never been our. Actually Pakistan army broken all previous agreements with Taliban diffferent groups.
For the information of all coment writers still ther are some Taliban groups in fata our army made some agreements and both sides are still obeying the agreement.
This war can only stop when we will negotiate. Otherwise this war will have never end.
Check this video
http://www.zemtv.com/2012/08/15/balochistan-is-used-by-world-powers-russian-media-report/
Check there links.
http://orientalreview.org/2012/05/31/balochistan-crossroads-of-proxy-war/comment-page-1/
http://stuartbramhall.aegauthorblogs.com/tag/balochistan/
None of these writers are Pakistani’s
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You can say in the very beginning it may not have been your war. Fact is, it most certainly is your war now.
Though, considering all the big talk Pakistanis make about being able to take on the US is true, then you consciously decided to enter it and own it instead of being tough guys. Run your mouth about the past all you want. The present and future reality is you are at war and will be even if you remove the US from the equation. You can disown the “war on terror” but all that means is that you’re involved in two wars and you’ll need to think up a catchy name for the second one.Recommend
“Pardon me, readers, but I would like to remind everyone that our military has been in Balochistan for years now and the problems of the province have not been resolved. The same is the case with the situation we face in Fata”
How very simplistic or disengenios argument. The problem in Baluchistan will be solved the minute we agree to complete autonomy and control of natural resources to Baluch people. They are fighting for their rights and redress of grievances (real or percieved). They damn care how we Punjabis live our life. Baluch militants are not on a divine mission.
I would willingly give up FATA / PATA to these barbarians if it would save our neck. But even a dimwit (except you) knows that it is not possible. We can keep ceding, keep retreating but it will make no difference. SWAT is a prime example.
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Nato has already started negotiations with good taliban. They want us to get fully involved and fight their proxy war for ever. They always try to open new fronts, sell their weapon and fight on other soil.
Iran has thousands miles border with Afganistan. Neither they ask help from America nor fight their war. Iran is at peace and has relatively better relation with Afghanistan. We are fooled to keep on fighting. Let see how we win peace with war.
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