Pakistan

Taliban apologists

Farrukh Sarwar June 05, 2010

ISLAMABAD: For the past few months I have been watching many media reports by people whose sympathies quite clearly lie with the Taliban. I cannot understand how anybody can defend the Taliban given all that they have done to this country and its people. The irony is that a majority is against the actions and radical views of the Taliban, but what one hears in the media is quite lop-sided as much of the discourse comes from these apologists. We need this to stop because the extremists, as can be seen from what happened to the people of Swat, are no one’s friends. Politicians who think that by doing so they can get some votes are only fooling themselves.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (5)

KK | 14 years ago | Reply Finaly some common sense. We also have a problem with our politicians being divided on this issue, apart from certain elements in the ISI and the Army. The reason why the politicians are divided is because of the votes, which means that our own people value Taliban to a certain extent. An example would be Sirajul Islam above. Politicians have a responsibility to give direction to the people for the betterment of the country, even if it takes away their votes temporarily. Thats SHOULD be the responsibility. They are the one's who can change the mentality and the direction of the people because they have Power. But our politicians seems to not have matured yet. Still continue fighting with each other, keep blaming each other. Its good to have rivalry but to live in the past can be harmful. People like PML-N's candidate rubbing shoulders with taliban and extremists openly is a shame. When will our politicians stand up for once and openly join hands against these barbaric people.

Faheem | 14 years ago | Reply There was peace in Afghanistan yes, but that only compared to the level of destruction that prevailed previously. Poppy production was down, yes, but is that the only level of measure for a countries success? If Americans or the West wanted to deny that the Taliban sorted the poppy problem, would they publish statistics to the contrary? I'm not saying going around policing the world is a good thing, I am against it. I am not "shy" to say it to anyone. I interact with a lot of people from the West, and I tell them the same thing. And you know what, they all agree. Peace deal with the Taliban? There can be no peace deal. How can there be one when an ideology is fundamentally based on the principle that its their way or the high way. They will not accept any other sect, let alone any other religion than theirs. Can anyone deny that. Pakistan was a country made for a minority, cause were mistreated. Sadly we are doing the same to our minorities. Yes, International politics is a dirty game, but like KK mentioned, as citizens of this republic, what have we done to prevent it? Have we done anything to strengthen institutions in our country? But that's not the point here. We really have to go beyond this entire, "its not our fault, we are angels, its RAW" scam. Hell we can't even feed our own people. I mean what is the conspiracy against? Was there ever a period in our history where we were so good that we could have even been a regional power? Point being, we don't need anyone else to "destroy" us, we're doing a pretty good job at it ourselves. We have to solve our problems.

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KK | 14 years ago | Reply Seems like Siraj and Zaidi are the same people. Please get out of your shell. The "two jeeps and a truck" job to overthrow the nawazoo government was done because of Nawaz Sharif's own actions. Please do not come out and try to justify that his actions were neat and clean. How can a PM sack a COAS when he's on tour and not allow his plane to land at a national airport? Ok he can sack, but to ask him to turn around with low fuel and ask him to land in India. Are you NUTS? Your statement of looking into a picture of Musharraf with dogs and him bowing down shows your mantality and the size and depth of your brain. Please stop with these statements. You sound like PML-N's mouthpiece. Stop involving the bloody RAW and CIA and Mossad and all other outsiders into our own problems. Face it already. Stop living behind a veil. We have a homegrown problem. Askign to search through history, then search through the Afghan war era and look at the big picture. Its frustrating to see people like you two come out and claim that everything wrong happening in our country is the fault of the Army and "outsiders" Would we also please stop maligning the Army and ISI on every front? Have we forgotten who has fought our wars all these years? Do you really think that the army would at all give the country over to US and RAW or whoever you please to think about as an outsider. Now, this does not mean that army does not have issues. But please do not mock our jawans by questioning their loyalties. We maybe corrupt but we are not traitors. And why blame just the army? Have we EVER TRIED TO BLAME OURSELVES? IF we hate corruption SO MUCH, then why don't we DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? Why do we continue to feed our corrupt leaders mouth? People don't understand how twisted and complicated the whole process is. If we do not face our own demons today, it will be a LONG LONG time before we become a calm and peaceful place to live in.

Ali Zaidi | 14 years ago | Reply I agree with Siraj! Note also that the US was after Pakistan for the past few months to step up army action in NW and to start the same in South Punjab. Surprisingly the Government was showing reluctance. Not so surprisingly 2 things happen: 1. A so-called 'Jihadi' stands up in Times Square and allegedly tries to blow up a car full of explosives. 2. Ahmedis are attacked and killed. (NB These were Lahori Ahmedi's denounced by the mainstream Ahmediyya community as dissidents!) And guess what, the alleged perpetrators of both these attacks claimed to be trained in NW and the Lahore incident attackers claimed to come from South Punjab. There are many more examples of this (e.g. a grainy video emerging just when the Government was brokering a peace deal with the Swati fighters, much to the annoyance of the US, and the Government was then forced to back out of the negotiations) It is very easy to close our eyes and blame all that is wrong at the "Taliban" or the "Al-Qaeda". Just because we don't want to open our eyes to the truth that the US and indeed other agents like the RAW can be playing a crafty game with us, doesn't make the truth go away.

M.SIRAJUL ISLAM | 14 years ago | Reply You people have decided to each of the events separately. You do not bother to correlate all the happenings around you. Just start from the Drama of 12th October 1998, when an elected government was dethroned by just two jeeps loaded with arms and a truck. It was a well planned drama of Washington. It was two years before 9/11 . To take all the steps after 9/11 a army dictator was suited to them . It is very clear that a popular vote will always resist such a move. Therefore it was the need of the hour to change the regime in Pakistan. Pakistan Army ( who are made to obey their guardains in Washington) is very much available to cater that needs. Pakistan Army had played that role very cleverly in the past too. It is not the time to discuss all. Musharraf Government was installed and he showed the willingness to go allout to meet the demand of the Pantagon. ( For this you must take into account the photograph of Musharraf with dogs in his hand in the newspaper in his early days of dictatorial rule). That photograph was giving a clear message to Washington that "I am ready to obey your orders". At that times there were no bomb attacks in pakistan, no suicidal attacks in any areas. Also peace was restored in Afghanistan. Poppy cultivation was at the lowest ebb in those days. These facts are not in the air. You can check the Whitehouse statements of those days in which they have admitted that poppy cultivation has reduced a lot. Please let it go what was the modus of Operandi of the rulers. It was not your business. They were not poking their nose in your busuness. Then all of a sudden, Weapon of mass destruction (WMD) drama was staged by US Ad ministration in Iraq and under the cover Millions of Iraqis were murdered and whole Iraq was mad rubbles. No one dared to ask US, why !! Why they took that action in Iraq !! Just an excuse on Media is not sufficient. The bloods of of the innocents should be answered . It was US who invited terrorism, who instituted the militants every where. When your rights are abducted these peoples have to take the laws into their hands. After the drama of WMD, US has to come into Pakistan. You must take into the much trumpeted slogan of SUB SE PUHLE PAKISTAN odf Musharraf. It was an eyewash. By this slogan he wanted to keep muslims of Pakistan awat from Iraq. The media started the drum beating that we have to see our own busuness and not to look into the affairs of Muslims in Iraq . it was all US instituted slogan. Then 9/11 drama was staged and under the cover US came into Afghanistan. Then starts the extrimism. You must have to take into all the events before blaming anyone. Why you are shy to say that all happening under the name of extremism is only the US instituted. All the bombings in pakistan is only the job of that forces. Who are allies of US. Why you are shy to say that Killings of Ahmadis are the job of US Intelligence agencies. To provide an inroads to to the further Military intervention in Pakistan. Why you are shy that Bombing of Ashura Procession was the job of US forces and Blackwater. US agencies are behind the creation of MUNGAL BHAG, MOLVE FAZLULLAH and so many. It is the Millions dollar question that why Munghal Bhag was not got killed by Pakistani Military agencies. Why Fazlullah was left alive. Would any one will standup and reply why all the so called Talibans are left alive and no drone attacks have killed anyone of them

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