We should not negotiate with leadership of the perpetrators of such terrorist acts, Instead, we should hit them hard.
KARACHI: This is with reference to your coverage of the attacks — three so far — on buses of the Pakistan Navy in Karachi. If we have to make any headway in tackling these blackmailing cowards who continue to kill innocent people at will, then we should not negotiate with the leadership of the perpetrators of such terrorist acts. Instead, we should hit them hard. This is essential because the state needs to send the militants a loud and clear message that it will not tolerate any challenge to its writ.
The military must also ask forgiveness for sins it has committed by creating the Frankenstein (our proud strategic asset created to fight proxy wars in Kashmir) that is now attacking us. Our problem is not the resolve of the terrorists but our own inability to take a clear stand and declare without distinction a war against all home-grown terrorists.
What we also need is for the military to alter its India-centric mindset so that precious resources can be diverted to give the fight against terrorism much-needed thrust and direction.
Lt-col (retd) Muhammad Ali Ehsan
Published in The Express Tribune, April 29th, 2011.
