To save the country from further embarrassment, those in authority should understand that the time for denial is over.
LAHORE: The Americans, it seems, have proved what US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last year; that America knows and believe, that some people in the Pakistan government know where Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda and Taliban leaders are hiding in Pakistan. But Pakistan was in a state of denial and would always say that if “actionable intelligence” was provided, it would act on it.
Afghan president Hamid Karzai has been saying for some time that the war against terrorism should be fought in Pakistan instead of Afghanistan. India has been also claiming that Pakistan provides sanctuaries to terrorists. Unfortunately, our ideology-driven nation has been denying the truth. Is it not ironic that Pakistan, which has suffered much economically and sacrificed the most in the war against terrorism in recent year, is seen as providing sanctuaries to terrorists?
It seems that we have enemies in our own ranks. To save the country from further embarrassment, those in authority should understand that the time for denial is over. The state and establishment must realise that certain ideologies have failed to keep the country safe. It is unfortunate that some people believe that the killing of Osama bin Laden is a drama played out by the Americans for their own interest. It is time to abandon the idea that there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Taliban. America is likely to seek explanations from the Pakistan government and security establishment that how was it possible for bin Laden to be living in a place like Abbottabad for so long.
ST Hussain
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2011.
