The Afghan government has accused Pakistan of being involved in the killing of its former president and peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani, saying the killer was a Pakistani citizen and that the killing was “plotted” in Quetta.
Now Afghan president Hamid Karzai is coming to Delhi tomorrow, but that is not the point of this column. Sunday’s indictment by the Afghans is a grim reminder of the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, which were also carried out by Pakistani citizens.
Perhaps the time has come for the elected Pakistani government as well as the Pakistani intelligentsia to look inward and ask itself : Why are ordinary Pakistani citizens so angry with two of their three immediate neighbours that they embark on murder missions to kill innocent people in those countries?
After all, what harm did the people of Mumbai or Kabul — specifically, the victims of the Mumbai attacks and Rabbani and his family — do to Pakistan and Pakistanis, that their lives were so brutally cut short?
Is it because India refuses to talk straight about Kashmir to Pakistan, that innocent Pakistanis are being used pawns in some grand, strategic war to bleed India with a thousand direct and indirect cuts? Is it because the Pakistani intelligentsia has clearly stated that with the withdrawal of the Americans from Afghanistan, Pakistan as its closest neighbour, must have a direct stake in the endgame?
But how does killing Rabbani or innocent people in Mumbai help achieve those desired outcomes?
The Haqqani attack on the US embassy in Kabul some days ago, which has precipitated such American anger against Pakistan, is an irrevocable turning point in US-Pakistan-Afghan relations. Remember that the Haqqani group — at least in New Delhi’s and Kabul’s eyes —is responsible for attacking not only the Indian embassy in 2009, but also last year was accused of killing several Indian medical doctors and those in the army’s education corps who had been stationed in Kabul to help teach Afghan soldiers English.
Everything Hillary Clinton and Mike Mullen and several other wise Americans are telling the Pakistanis these past few days, the Indians have already said for several years : Which is, that you can’t make a distinction between “good” terrorists and “bad” ones, because sooner than later the good ones will also turn within, and upon you.
The people of Pakistan can certainly not be held responsible for the policies of its government and the military or the ISI. Certainly, too, there was a great deal of anger and commiseration by ordinary Pakistanis when the Mumbai attacks took place, as well as several shows of solidarity.
When Karzai comes to Delhi this week, it is believed that India and Afghanistan will sign a strategic partnership agreement. What a far cry from those early years when Karzai first visited Delhi after the September 2001 attacks and hesitated to forge strategic ties because he said he never wanted to forget the generosity of the Pakistan people when they hosted several million Afghans in the time of the Russians, the ensuing civil war as well as during the Taliban years.
Still, the truth of why nation-states keep “good” terrorists on a leash was brought home to me by Bangladesh home minister Shahara Khatun in Dhaka early last month when I asked her why her government had decided to hand over Indian insurgents based in Bangladesh, back to India.
“Why should we keep them here? They only instigate criminal elements and create more problems,” Khatun said.
Maybe Pakistan should listen to her more closely.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 4th, 2011.
COMMENTS (44)
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@Hamid Javaid ..just one sample answer to your question..they gave the world "The Internet" which you are using now to post this comments as well..get a brain...
@Doctor: Doctor sahib your diagnosis is correct but the patient will not take the medicine he is on self destruct mode .
@sumeet: A little correction : Marriott was attacked in Pakistan. We captured target killers in Karachi who were trained in India. We have continuous wave of terrorism in Balochistan which is trained and financed by Indian Agencies within their Afghan Indian consulates. We do have Pictures of Baramdad Bugti with Indian officials and his Copy of Indian Passport. We have not yet forgotten Miscreant Col. Prohit, The Hindu RSS Terrorist, who should be handed over to Pakistan because he is required in 60 plus Murder cases. Hindu and Indian State Terrorism is a Phenomenon and we are well aware of that. So, stop that terrorism before you open your mouth. @akash: Question is If everyone So right US, India, Many European nations and Some Arabs as well when attacked Iraq which had nothing to do with 9/11 then, Who came out right about the claims of the weapon of Mass destruction? Iraq or the coalition? There were no WMD"S. Was that information cooked to Occupy Iraq? yes?No? If not then what was that? CIA, MI5, Mossad, and other Intelligence agencies failure or deliberate Misinformation to the masses to make a case for illegal invasion and occupation to control Iraqi resources? If that could be the case then why not that could be the case in Afghanistan? If All those agencies could Misinformed the world masses then Why would not they misinform about Afghanistan and Pakistan? Because it is this Illegal Invasion and Occupation which is fueling this Civilian resistance against the US and NATO. And every Attemp is being made to divert attention from the core reason i.e. illegal Occupation. That certainly concludes that there is no face value to Indian and US allegation at all. This is the same Logic that was applied to Iraq in 2003. @Arindom: Same can be said for you About naxals , North east and Kashmir. Same idiotic argument of Blame.? @Sanjeev: Same Price that All Muslim nation is paying for Palestine. Same Price. Let me give you dose of your own exercise here, Go find out at what price the Naxalites will settle their scores with Indian Govt. Do come back and tell me the answer. Go. and yeah, don't disappear as your countrymen do when they get embarrassed. @Eric Kumar: Are you telling me that You Know better than Bangladeshi about his own people and country? This is this stupidity that makes you Indians disliked everywhere. Should Bangladeshi be claiming that he know better than you do about your local politics and will you accept that?
@Bangladeshi: I don't know from from "Bangladeshi " got his infimation. Khatun is a excellant administer, solid defender of law and order. As for as He r comment about sending Goons back to India after they went to India Law and order is much better. majority of Bangladeshi's are very happy.
I have not got my answers yet. My questions were not only from the author but also from the Indians commenting here, the Indian pretend to be Pakistanis, and the so called liberal Pakistanis who blindly believe US accusations against Pakistan.
@Jyoti Malhotra How can you ascertain that these attacks were conducted by Pakistan or the ISI ? If you believe so than I may also have to assume that the samjhota express attack, Marriott hotel blast 2008, and several other attacks were hosted by the Indian government, not its people, then how can we forget the funding of the target killings in Karachi and rest of the country. We should be better off by not getting involve in these blame game unless we an evidence. India and Pakistan are neighbors, and their good relations are pivotal to the benefit of this whole region. As far as Afghanistan is concerned, Pakistan cannot be made the scapegoat by the US and regarding their fallout from Afghanistan, Pakistan should be taken very seriously as it is the major stakeholder in their progress in the future. Thank God you mention the generosity of the people of Pakistan for opening their hearts for the millions of refugees during the soviet war. When we cared for them then, then why would not care for them today. Karzai's tour of India is a very strategic one at this point in time, but India should talk to Taliban as they would be the ultimate heirs of the power in Afghanistan rather than Karzai as he is not faithful to anyone.
India -Afghan relations are higher than Himalayas, deeper than oceans, stronger than steel and sweeter than honey !!!
If nothing else then atleast we can surely vouch for the fact that Pakistani's in general are a very tolerant nation and surely believe in the "FREEDOM OF SPEECH" else articles like these would never have been allowed to appear on a local / Pakistani forum.
Well the writer has already ascertained the Rabbain was killed by Pakistani intelligencia.
Poorly concieved article, with an inbuilt bias.
@Agha: same denial that is sinking you..
I believe India should be looking to have a strategic partnership with the Taliban instead of Mr.Karzai.It will be the Taliban that will be sitting in Kabul, not the US citizen , who know parades as President but is in fact the Mayor of Kabul. Ms Malhotra, please do not write on subjects you have no knowledge of.The assassin ofMr. Rabbani was a guest in his house for 4 days before blowing himself up along with his host. Afghan officials are covering their assess for this monumental security failure by blaming Pakistan.
kashif, what about what is happening in palestine?the unspeakable atrocities committed by israelis which are ignored in fact encouraged. and nothing has been proven about pakistans alleged involvement in the mumbai attacks, i think you guys already have too much terrorism, violence, crime, gang wars, drug lords, etc in mumbai , maybe u should look there before raising your very sanctimonious and self righteous fingers at pakistan.. remember gujarat?the hate crimes and tyranny and oppression in india?the violence agaisnt muslims? and yeah i agree with romm.. Does indian press provide space to such like anti indian view point?
@non chalant * India and US are right… always, Pakistan is wrong always… Israel and US is right and Palestinians wrong… always… And that is the way it is… always?*
Wrong - Palestinian cause is supported by many in world including India and not many support USA and Israel. World does not follow USA(or china for that matter).
And your first point regarding Pakistan, India and US are right always, well what can I say. In this case whatever India and US is saying pretty much whole world is saying the same thing, including many muslim countries.
1.Afghanistan already has a excellent relationship with India and no one can thwart that. 2.If US-Iran ties improves, no one can prevent Baluchistan's independence with the help of Iran. 3.Chinese have bigger ambitions rather than lobbying hostile Pakistan.
So remaining is Arabian Sea, may be the deep state try to jump into the sea for strategic depth !!!
Kashif and N are right - we Pakistanis just deny everything. The world has better things to do than conspire against us. The US is fighting to fix its economy and get back on a growth path so it can continue being the world's only superpower. The Chinese are figuring out how to deal with insurgency in their Muslim provinces while trying to figure out how to open up their society. The Indians are trying to rid the country of corruption that is holding it back. Afghans are trying to rebuild their country. Israelis are dealing with the potential for Palestinian statehood and with protests from the youth who feel their country is being run by interests that don't represent their democracy.
Pakistan has only itself to blame for its problems and needs to look inwards and fix itself.
@Bangladeshi: lol and your paki brothers presented you with a bed of roses,dint they? why is it that people are never rational but emotional.
@Babloo:
Great comment! Made me laugh...
"the whole world" means ISAF (occupying Afghanistan), USA (beacon of peace), Afghanistan/current Kabul regime (who no one cares about as they're gonna be gone in a few years), and India (obsessed with Pakistan, which in turn doesn't really give a hoot about what they say. Try harder.
i strongly disagree with view point of writer that pakistan thinks talibans will be ruling afghanistan after american withdrawl and thats why pakistan is supporting talibans to have a stake in kabul.while,the fact is that afghanistan is being handed over to indians in order to destabilise pakistan thats why pakistan is only trying hard to avert that situation in future.
India and US are right... always, Pakistan is wrong always... Israel and US is right and Palestinians wrong... always... And that is the way it is... always?
"“Why should we keep them here? They only instigate criminal elements and create more problems,” Khatun" LOL yea the manipur freedom fighters dont care about crimes. Enough of this biased properganda
A question India should ask is Why do Kashmiris attack us ? Question for Afghanistan why does Haqqani an afghan attack us ?
Indian Citizen burned a train full of pakistanis in india remember that ? or afghan from kunar involved in terrorist attacks in lahore really biased article ISI will defend pakistan, and promote its interest. You keep watching bollywood, and we will keep watching India
Why does ET employ indians ? does time of india do that ? or does it only employ fake liberal pakistanis like the NYT
It is like the entire world, besides our neighbours, gets up each day to ensure our failure. This is no longer some convenient propaganda. I wish it were just that. But, I am afraid, our masses believe every bit of it.
Despite the evidence provided by India, Afghanistan, USA and ISAF in our repeated dirty shenanigans, we have mastered the art of denial. That passes of as 'ghairat' i.e. standing up to the forces who are "against" poor little Pakistan. Yet irresponsible conduct begets more of the same and worse. We are way past worse now. Something catastrophic is going to happen. We will exceed all bounds of proper conduct. Perhaps only then, might we return to being the people we can be and a nation that we ought to be. Not sure what that nation will look like.
Denial, denial and denial. When there's no logic left we justify our misdeeds by pointing to others' shortcomings and wrongdoings. I know and every single person who commented on this article knows that Jyoti is right, yet all of us are coming up with out of context responses like; "Does indian press provide space to such like anti indian view point?" and "Did you ask from Khatun what she did with extra-judicial killings by her force Rapid Action Battalion or what happened to BDR mutiny inquiry or why they restrict Hindu festivals?"
This should be stopped and we must think rationally without the petty rhetoric of our patriotism and blind-love with our spy agency. Why has Pakistan become a center of gravity for the world's accusation of supporting terrorists? Why do we have such a great number of 'imaginary enemies'; MOSAD, RAW, CIA and now Afghan NDS? If this has anything to do with the concept of "Infidels taking on Muslims", we aren't they accusing Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Bangladesh and other Muslim countries for breeding and officially supporting the miscreants?
These are the question if we ask ourselves and then try to answer them honestly, we will surely stop denying.
Recent comments from Karzai on the assassination of Rabbani and his decision to move ahead with a strategic partnership with India are an outcome of the Afghan government's realization that the Pakistani military establishment is acting against Afghans. The nightmare scenario for the Paki establishment is a strong, independent Afghanistan. In this case, the economic progress of the Pashtuns on the western side of the Durand line would stand in marked contrast to the status of Pashtuns on its eastern side. This would do more to undermine the Durand line - not from the western side from where Pakistan has never been under threat - but from the eastern side. It would inflame Paki Pashtuns, who already have a long list of grievances against the state. At least, this is the flawed reasoning of Paki security establishment.
Pak's fallacy is that it considers strategic depth to be outside its own borders - an oxymoron by any standard. The only certain way for Pak to build strategic depth is to invest in Pashtun and Baloch under-developed areas. This would give the Pashtuns and Balochis a vested interest in peace & stability in the Paki state. Unfortunately, like the Titanic, the Pakistani security establishment is too big and mighty to change direction. So, the bloodshed will only increase through 2014, in anticipation of the US drawdown.
@Bangladeshi: Please keep all Bangali politics in your own head. There is no mention of Bangladesh in this article. So refrain from making everything about your Bangladesh. OK. Thank You
Every week blah blah blah. same macarony by india and its lovers blah
Instead of a fair analysis by and independent journalist, this article is tantamount to the indian government statement. Alot can be asked from this article but just few important questions I would like you to answer. First you said
"Is it because the Pakistani intelligentsia has clearly stated that with the withdrawal of the Americans from Afghanistan, Pakistan as its closest neighbour, must have a direct stake in the endgame? But how does killing Rabbani or innocent people in Mumbai help achieve those desired outcomes?"
Exactly the question Pakistan is asking those who blame her for this. I mean what would be the benefit to Pakistan here? Are they so irrational?
Secondly, what is the proof of Pakistan' Involvement in Rabbani's murder? A confession by Afghan national? And we should believe because the US and Puppet Afghan govt say so? And will you please answer that why that bomber has not been checked properly while he resided there for four days in their guest house? Whose failure is this?
Thirdly, who invented the term Good Taliban and Bad Taliban? It was US and Afghan Govt. According to them, and to you as well, the good Taliban are the ones who would negotiate with US and Bad are those who would neither negotiate with them nor make strikes against Pakistan. Before you deny any negotiation, do search about that person who was residing in the afghan govt guest house for four days to meet with Rabbani and then blew himself. Who was he and what was he doing there?
@Agha You should start thinking why the whole world is accusing Pakistan of all bad things happening around the world
@ Author ... Why u want to teach logic to Pakistanis ?? soorrryy i should say " common sense ".. They trying to bleed india to death with thousand cuts ... and they dont realise they dying with the gashes of there own ... while trying to scratch India ...
Wonderful article Madam. I hope our Pakistani leaders are listening though I sadly doubt they are. You will also no doubt have a barrage of anti-Indian and anti-Afghan comments from my chest beating cousins who will insist that Pakistan can do no wrong, that India should let go of Kashmir, and that Afghans should be kicked out of Pakistan. Alternatively, they may claim that all of this is a CIA/Mossad/RAW conspiracy to defame Pakistan.
“Everything Hillary Clinton and Mike Mullen and several other wise Americans are telling the Pakistanis these past few days, the Indians have already said for several years : Which is, that you can’t make a distinction between “good” terrorists and “bad” ones, because sooner than later the good ones will also turn within, and upon you.” I wish US had practiced that ideology themselves. They went even further by declaring same group as good and bad in different times. What makes the terrorists (drug lords and warlords of so called northern alliance, with proven human right abuses to their name) as allies? What made”Mujahedeen” (present day Haqqanis, Taliban and Hekmatyar) allies and not terrorists in 80s and as late as 2001. What made Kurds fighting for their rights in Turkey terrorists and in Iraq as allies?
This is just our immediate neighborhood. Let’s not even talk about rest of the world especially America’s neighborhood of South America and their “Allies” there. .
This is a game of INTERESTS, no morality anywhere.
Dear jyoti I suggest the Indian Government should have a strategic partnership with the Taliban. It is they who will be ruling Kabul, not Mr. karzai! Incidentally the gentleman who killed Mr. rabbani was living in his house for four days! Please check your facts before writing ill- informed articles about subjects you have no knowledge of. This is not the same Afghanistan of the Soviet days
“Why should we keep them here? They only instigate criminal elements and create more problems,” Khatun said. Maybe Pakistan should listen to her more closely.*
The writer really knows how to crack a joke. Does the writer know about the competency of shara kahtun or is it just blind yellow journalism. If PAK have to listen to a incompetent stooge like Shara Kahtun then they are doomed for eternity. LAW & order under shahara kahtun is in total chaos. Just check out any major news paper and you would see what has india & its stooge AL has done to my country. Killing in board daylight in the capital is a daily news now. Rapes have risen exponentially & the perpetrators are mainly awami caders. Even the awami vote bank minorities are not spared. Miss Jyoti Malhotra I can understand that you guys are dancing in joy for what awami done to this country but there is a limit to being baised. You being a journalist definetely know that limit. I don't know if you would allow my comment to be posted but I can understand.if you don't.
Karzai is 100% right because he knows how the ISI is interfering in Afghanistan. He himself had very closely worked with the ISI for toppling Dr. Najibullah’s government and the governments before him and is well aware of its tactics. Kabul’s enemies had always been very dear to Islamabad and the Paki generals. We hope that the American and Indian leadership understand the present situation in the region and will not leave the task of eliminating terrorism unfinished. Leaving Afghanistan without routing the terror network in the region will not only have serious repercussions for the region but will also embolden the terrorist worldwide and given an opportunity they will try to turn this world into a living hell.
Did you ask from Khatun what she did with extra-judicial killings by her force Rapid Action Battalion or what happened to BDR mutiny inquiry or why they restrict Hindu festivals? We have our problems, India has its own & Bangladesh their own. InshaAllah we ll come out from these but Bangladesh or India are not the ideals for us, please madam don't preach us ...! And yes please write a column for mass graves in Kashmir too...!
@Jyoti Malhotra, I think you make a mistake when you assume that powers that run Pakistan are rational beings. Once that misconception is removed , everything will be clear.
a little correction.indian embassasy was attacked in 2008,not in 2009.