‘We need to solve ours problems on our own’

LAHORE:

“Our army needs to be strong. Our ideology of making the same mistakes as past rulers is causing us horrific damage. Running after money does not do us any good.

We need to solve ours problems on our own,” human rights advocate IA Rehman said on Tuesday.

Rehman was speaking at a Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP) seminar on Pakistan after Osama bin Laden: Options for Pakistan. The seminar, organised by Mashal Books, aimed at analysing the affects of Bin Laden’s killing on Pakistan. Speakers discussed the background of Pakistan’s contribution in the war against terrorism through its army, politicians, judiciary, intelligence agencies and jihadi organisations.

Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy, a prominent human rights activist, kicked-off the seminar with his address.

He said that the lack of leadership in Pakistan had brought the country to its current political and security point.

He regretted that the army had never allowed the politicians to take decisions regarding foreign relations. He said both the government and the army had kept themselves busy in “someone else’s” war. He said the Pakistani government and the people needed to realise that enemies were internal and not India or America.

Dr Hoodbhoy’s address was followed by columnist Khaled Ahmed.  He said that Pakistan needed foreign aid and the parliamentary resolution did not make any sense.

Abdul Majeed, from the audience, said that Pakistan, by not killing or catching Bin Laden itself, had lost on opportunity to prove that the country did not support terrorism.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2011.