Have the Taliban accepted Pakistan as a democratic country run under a constitution?
JUBAIL, SAUDI ARABIA: The Pakistani government has again taken on a task which is bound to fail from the onset. One may question the wisdom of holding an All Parties Conference (APC) while all parties that attended it are also represented in parliament. Why isn’t the issue of terrorism then debated in parliament? Given the push for talks with the Taliban, it is pertinent to ask a few questions.
Have the Taliban accepted Pakistan as a democratic country run under a constitution? Have they stepped back from their demand to implement their version of Sharia wrapped in tribal customs? Do they now accept the prevailing judicial system? Have they agreed to the right of females to acquire an education, as well as their right to work? Do they recognise Pakistan as a multicultural/multi-religious country? There is no indication that the Taliban have backed down even an inch from these demands.
In my opinion, the APC was an exercise in futility. It was an exercise by the government to pass on the responsibility (and blame) to others of resolving issues that it should be handling. It is the government of the day which has to take the mantle to counter terrorism.
Masood Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, September 11th, 2013.
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