Imran Khan thinks tribal elders would be able to eliminate scourge of terrorism if problem is left entirely to them.
DUBAI: Imran Khan seems to believe that the singular, transformative act of voting him into power will lead to an immediate end to corruption and that the absence of corruption alone will strengthen our economy to such an extent that there will be no need for us to ask for any foreign aid.
This, quite possibly, is the single most naive part of his entire campaign. Of course, there are other points as well. He thinks that tribal elders would be able to eliminate the scourge of terrorism if the problem is left entirely to them. If militancy rose in the tribal areas so easily so many times before, how will the tribal leaders stop it now? And do his supporters really think that the Taliban will lay down their arms and become peaceful citizens once the Americans leave? Do they not know that the Taliban have been engaged in terrorists activities inside Pakistan since before 2001?
Ali Hasan
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2011.
