Though I am a staunch opponent of drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas, I must admit my enthusiasm for Imran Khan’s rally in Waziristan did die down considerably when I learnt of the attack on Malala Yousufzai. It was disturbing to the point of being physically painful. Any Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporter would have killed whoever pulled the trigger on the young girl with their own bare hands; at least that is what my sample tells me.
However, a day goes by and I begin to indulge in conspiracy theories: why this timing just when the PTI’s Waziristan march was making headlines the world over; why did Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar predictably jump at the assertion that this outrage had the potential of becoming a “turning point” for Pakistan?
Another day goes by and I rid myself of these theories. Also, by this point, I have read more than a truckload of reactionary articles in the media. Fuming mouths and rhetoric disguised as incisive rationale are the order of the day. Where is the non-reactionary thinker? Weren’t the Taliban already blowing up schools and killing innocent girls? Is it a development that has provided the ‘liberals’ enough meat to declare that they have been vindicated in their explanations of how Imran is wrong? I totally understand the pain and shock, however, some opinion-makers seem to feed on hate and self-righteousness as opposed to rationale.
It would perhaps, amount to something akin to blasphemy, but I want to use this sensitive moment to reiterate the view that negotiation with the Taliban at some level might be necessary to end this all. Those opposing negotiations with them might as well gauge their unwavering principles when it comes to negotiating with the US. Is not the US responsible for at least comparable number of innocent deaths? Whether the government has officially allowed the drone attacks or not, the fact that the attacks are being carried out without any resistance from our part, represents negotiations with the US, direct or indirect.
While it might make sense to some in our government to bow before a superpower, isn’t the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or militants in general a force to be reckoned with also? If we agree that pragmatism has to be a part of our internal and foreign policies, do the over-30,000 civilian deaths not hint towards the presence of a formidable foe? Now, that the superpower is not disagreeable to the idea of negotiations with the Taliban, why must we risk a bloodbath, be it a suicide attack or an armed attack?
Negotiations, if well-directed, could set in motion a slow process towards peace in the region, which could extend beyond the region once the onus is on the Western powers to resolve the issues that serve as fuel for militancy. Opponents of negotiations will point to the number of times dialogues with militants have failed; that is some ‘weighty’ argument for a policy that has resulted in over 30,000 civilian deaths. If this really is our war, the least we can do is separate it from the US foreign policy; and we can only achieve this if there is an end to drone strikes and when we establish a stand on the presence of Nato forces in Afghanistan.
The rising extremism is indeed our problem and needs to be dealt with. Education, and at times, an iron hand appear to be the solutions; however, to use the latter option, the government must display credibility and work for lasting peace in the region by coordinating peace activities.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2012.
COMMENTS (51)
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A radical but peaceful solution may not be simple. All regions that wish to be a part of Pakistan need to show loyalty to the country. This is according to the principles of Islam itself which tells Muslims to adhere to laws of the land. If FATA does not want to agree to this, I suggest that the government of Pakistan must seal the territory facing KP and ask residents to obtain visas to visit Pakistan. If FATA agrees to this, then this colonial non-sense of FATA should immediately be abolished and the tribals be integrated into the country fully like all other domiciles and they must respect the law of the land. They should not be allowed to have it both ways, i.e., be the citizens of the country and also wreak havoc if they disagree with other citizens or the government.
Pakistan is for Pakistanis and those who do not wish it well can and should be allowed to leave it. Even if that means giving up territory then so be it. Countries are made of citizens as well, not just territories.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the PTI goal to establish political dialogue with the various tribes, elders, communities etc of the Pashtun people (~200 - 300k population) that occupy the tribal areas, and try to win them back to our side?
I'm not so sure they're wanting to go and talk to the Taliban. The idea is more to isolate the Taliban. At that point, I'm not sure what the PTI policy is. Mine would be to go hard at the isolated groups and eliminate.
I'm not sure what PTI wants to do if they successfully win the hearts and minds of the Pasthun tribes in that region.
Now that I have read your write-up, it has many inconsistencies. First of all you are implying some kind of a relationship between drone strikes and talibanization which is not true. Please rethink it, taliban were here long before drone strikes started and their terrorism and suicide attacks were also happening. As far bowing to US policy is concerned, it can be taken as alignment of objectives, that is, they want to eliminate the terrorism and we want it too, so why would you like to lose a partner who is enemy of your enemy. Negotiations with taliban can be a way forward, but then how can you negotiate with people who would target even young girls in the name of Islam. Having said that, I sincerely wish you have a taste of taliban justice and then you will know who you are talking of negotiating with.
This is the problem with Imran, he has created a confused lot of educated followers. Here is a perfectly sane Pakistani PTI person trying to create moral equivalence between the acts of TTP and USA/West. To all the Taliban apologists including this author and his leader, Imran Khan, there is no moral equivalence here: 1. The author is wrong in saying the US has 'killed' in same numbers as TTP. The TOTAL number killed in drones is not more than 3000, with many terrorists and enemies of the state including Baitullah Mehsud and Ilyas Kashmiri. The TTP have killed more than 40000 Pakistanis. The ratio is 12+ to 1 more Pakistanis killed by Taliban. 2. The Taliban target our armed forces, security agencies, schools, hospitals, shrines, markets, funerals, sports - in short our entire way of life. The US targets elements within our border who are up in arms against them and us. The civilians are never directly targeted in isolation. Any collateral civilian deaths are deplorable - but there is no moral equivalence between the two situations. 3. The Taliban CELEBRATE killing our soldiers and civilians brutally. The have beheaded our soldiers, desecrated their bodies, and promised to do the same to anybody disagreeing with them. The US does not target and kill our soldiers and civilians. In the Salala incident, they ultimately apologized, offered compensation to families, and promised that something like this will not happen again. Again, no equivalence. 4. The Taliban does not believe in our constitution, our way of life, or our freedoms of speech, education, and religious practice/belief. They have targeted anybody even disagreeing with them (including Malala, Col. Imam, many journalists, artists). 5. The Taliban have directly attacked ALL our major state and security institutions including the GHQ, Air force, Navy, FIA, Courts etc. The US has worked with our army and the government to build state institutions. Again, no equivalence here. 6. The Taliban have blown up hundreds if not thousands of schools in Pakistan. The US is one of the largest donors for education in Pakistan.
So, for PTIs educated followers to draw a parallel between the murderous, brutal Taliban and the West or US is simply pathetic. Besides, WHAT exactly will we negotiate them for? To let us live? To allow our girls to go to school? To let foreign sports team visit Pakistan? To let artists perform without getting assassinated? And what will we offer them in return? They have never stated US exit from Afghanistan as their end goal. Their end goal is the control of territory, overthrow of our constitution, and enforcement of their rigid, intolerant salafi/takfiri shariat on all Pakistanis. They have never moved an inch on that - and all past attempts to make peace with them have failed because of that. Time for Imran to get his head out sand, and see the sunlight.
On what grounds should we negotiate with taliban? should we ask them to leave us and go to afghanistan? yeah! as if that will happen. Shall we negotiate with them to take control of pakistan? or to retain control of waziristan? are we gonna be happy if they retain control of Pakistan? it appears that all of us have a short memory. we have forgotten what happened when we negotiated with taliban and gave them swat. what happened there? women were whipped! girls were not allowed to leave homes? tourtists couldnt enter the region? are we gonna be okay with settling with such in waziristan? there are no grounds on which we can negotiate with taliban. until there is war, we will have a lower hand. the purpose of war is to tilt the balance of power to own's side. you cannot negotiate with anyone who is not willing to settele for less. the Pakistani Taliban want everything. even if there are negotiation, the same thing that happened in swat will happen!
haha author dude you cant negotiate with someone who is not willing to budge from his position and wants everything in return. for them to lay down their arms you will have to close down all girl schools, have public lashings for "indecency" and impose shariah law in the country. are you willing to do that? is imran khan willing to do that? if no then we shouldnt waste our time in negotiations. this is an ideological war and you cant do win it through negotionations you can only lose.
Probably the most confused "opinion" I have ever read on tribune....
Osama, I am sure PTI has many smart and reasonable writers. If so, then please stop writing. You are doing your party a diservice.
To compare our allignment on some policies with US to the possible negotiations with the barbarians in the mountains is not only incorrect, it belies a person who is either acutely detached from reality or does not find the ideology of the barbarians condemnable. Either way, not a fellow who should be voicing his opinion (at least if there are sensible people reading)
If you are indeed PTI's last resort for writing articles then I think you don't have a choice and you have to serve your party as best you can, but if not, then please stop.
Deeply offended and worried by your comparison
Rahat
WoT is a matter of life and death for Pakistan....if Pakistan loses this war which the establishment would love to do,most of the Pakistanis shuld kiss goodbye their way of live for a Taliban lke life style of 1996-2001 of AF......
@Badr: "The latter with nukes in hand can ruin whole of India as well. ..."
Have you thought what will happen to 'the latter'?
@Lose Dhoti: then why afghan govt and US want to negotiate with talabans
@Ashfaq: bro why u think that Imran is against the education of girls and will lead us to talabanisation . I think he is better than any other politician in Pakistan . Can u please suggest any other party or leader to me to vote for
@p r sharma:
Thank you for sharing your 5000 year old indian wisdom with spring chickens like us. Perhaps you should look up the difference between slander and critique.
very well done and people will come to know that qualified youth is the back bone of PTI. Well Done Sir I salute you
Well written article...
Your argument does not seem well thought out.
Well written article. Keep it up
The bottom line is that it is the right of parents to send their daughters to school and no one should interfere with that.Let us not mix with other issues. military or political.
I have yet to see anyone who can negotiate with Taliban....they are barbarians who will kill you simply if you were born somewhere else on the planet...discussions about negotiations with Taliban are just wishful thinking....If Imran can bring them to the negotiating table then he should do it...otherwise it is just campaign promises..
i know many will not be intrested in listening this but there are situations when you have to take sides. it need not to be a war where you have to kill to prove your point but at least you should be clear in stating your point of view and follow it with action and words. many are thinking that going back to pre 9u 11 period when talibans were ruling afghanistan and pakistan was supporting them is the ultimate solution. what they do not want to think is that if taliban rule was really that good why r we in this situation now?
First Locals must allow Pakistani Govt.'s sovereignity everywhere including over North tribal areas(eg Waziristan), then only they can grumble against drone attacks. If you are not united & disciplined at home every one will prey at you. Be it circumcised, bearded non-Muslims of some agencies behaving as Taliban leaders or Maulanas, or deadly drones, they will keep you at tenterhooks, ruin your economy and international reputation. If Govt. is incapable military must take over the country. There never was such existential threats to Pakistan as is today. For India to deal with a united disciplined peaceful Pakistan is better than dealing with 100 odd fragmented terrorist organizations not under any control. The latter with nukes in hand can ruin whole of India as well.
@Sultan: " dourous hatred for Imran. Shame on all of you–he was, is and will be right in this one!"
Disagreeing with one's policies does not deserved to be termed as hatred against the person itself.
Imran attacks those who he knows will not attack him back but wants to negotiate with those who might.Smart chap
@Sultan Ask the British and Indian governments–they will tell you.
you mean negotiating with the Pakistani government?
The question is not 'whether they will negotiate or not' or 'whether they will adhere to any peace'. The question, my simple minded countrymen, is that when the local population of the area (our tribals, yes, our own citizens) sees the government doing two things:
1) Separating Pakistan's War (as it has now become) from America's WOT by stopping drones and taking orders from Washington, Pak Army and Pak Public will not be in the cross-hairs any more (it will remain a target by the TTP)
2) Offer of dialogue with the TTP or who ever is up in arms against the country, this will show the local population that the government is serious in wanting peace.
..these tribals will willingly withdraw their support for the TTP (except of course those who's relatives have been killed by US drones, who will always seeks revenge)
Now, the TTP are mindless/brainless/sympathy less thugs who draw local support by providing the above excuses. You disarm them from their narrative, send in a limited and low-visibility specialised military force and neutralise them with the help of the local population. This is already going on to some extent but due to lack of political effort by the politicians, the army is left to do this.
And there my friends, is what has been suggested by Imran Khan and PTI, again and again. Now if you cannot comprehend beyond 'but how can you negotiate with TTP', or ' I want revenge' or 'you are a taliban sympathiser', , then I'm glad our nation's security policy is not in your hands.
Regards
Onion
@Sultan: "odourous hatred for Imran. Shame on all of you–he was, is and will be right in this one!"
Why a difference of opinion with the policies of Imran is treated as hatred for Imran. ? this is intolerance to other's views. Instead of aforesaid comment a counter view with justification would have been acceptable. . This is blind belief which does not understand the language of reasoning.
The deep issue about the Malala incident is what it reveals (again) about the taliban and just how dangerous they are. They actually believe in subjugating women to the extent that even a girl will be targeted in this way. For that reason, I feel we need to destroy every single taliban operative alive.
@R2D2 You comment is very offensive and disgusting. Osama is a very common name amongst muslims. It's not our fault that a man called Osama bin Laden decided to be a terrorist. Didn't a man called Michael attack a sikh temple. Does that mean everyone called michael is a terrorist or racist?
US does not have to live here unfortunately Pakistanis do. How do you deal with militants who don't want to negotiate? did we not negotiate in Swat?? They don't want to compromise we poor awam have to make all the sacrifices of any negotiations with them. At no cost will taliban ever stir away from their ideology not until they impose it on all Pakistan. I am sure even the strictest Pakistani muslim will not want to live under taliban rule.
Formidable foe! Someone who shoots young girls is surely formidable! Attacks their opponents then hides behind women and children, signs of valor not found any where else! Such bravery they never disclose their position, place or next destination and choose to attack with teenagers. All signs of a formidable foe.
@Falcon:
Great read--thanks for sharing. A compulsory reading for all those afflicted with reflexive, odourous hatred for Imran. Shame on all of you--he was, is and will be right in this one!
@R2D2:
Osama means a lion in Arabic. I would expect courage.
@Lose Dhoti:
May be not. Then they will be killed with clarity.
@bangash:
Ask the British and Indian governments--they will tell you.
@Sajid: Uhh No it started because you could put a face to the victim just like when time put a face of a noseless girl on its magazine. It riles you up it gives an instant reaction indeed the war in afghanistan was reactionary and now has become the greatest quagmire. No one gets up for those being blown up in waziristan. Heck no one gets up for the violence in karachi. The author is 100% correct a reactionary attack is asking for a bloodbath. War is a short term solution buying safety for a little while then it starts all over again then what, what option is left when force has been used. The author's last para is bery telling and shows us why we have problems in the first place, it is because of our negligence.
How does one negotiate with extremists ?!
There is not a single thing in this little article that says "Why Imran is right."
Yeah, they will negotiate and give up on medieval interpretation of sharia laws. This is a bunch that has been fed a Wahhabi narrative that is not native to our land or south Asian. They want us to behave like the tribals in Yemen. We are a lot more evolved than that and have a rich tradition, culture of inclusivity and diversity whether it is gender or creed. These brutes are Educated too, but they have a binary ideology. Imran has to choose if he wants to lead Pakistan into Yemeni or Afghani style backwardness where half the population is uneducated and just stays at home tending live stock.
Imran Khan Is not a good choice for this country, he is just another dictator in disguise. He will take this country closer to Taliban style governance, he may not mandate beards but we can kiss goodbye to girls education if he comes to power. He will take us further down the path of talibanisation which we can least afford.
It would perhaps, amount to something akin to blasphemy, but I want to use this sensitive moment to reiterate the view that negotiation with the Taliban at some level might be necessary to end this all.
Negotiations? As in "Peace Deals" in North Waziristan, South Waziristan and in Swat?
Are Pakistanis such gluttons for punishment?
what can you expect from a guy who has a name "osama"
I would suggest the author to read his own peace and honestly tell, isn't it reflect confusion of highest order ??
You still think they will negotiate lay down their weapons and walk away. Wishful thinking and that is where Imran is wrong
So True!!!
Who pulled the trigger on the young girl Malala? Only Those who are supporters of War on Terror, and they used some faction of Taliban. This fact is very clear that internal and external forces are still looking to face the guns with the guns. Long-term solution definitely is Negotiation, however, we have to evaluate whether ideology of TTP has any real footings or they are just bunch of hired guns by international stake-holders. Coming out of mountains and insisting their way of Islam, no one follows TTP. Hence very few followers and weak ideology. Can weak ideology be eliminated with arguments and negotiations? But this is also fact that sincere efforts had not been made to bring TTP and other factions of Taliban on Table, or all such exercise had been subjected to conspiracies by international stakeholders. Negotiations are the solutions but must include international forces and stake-holders.
Totally disagree with you Osama, and it is not as a simple math as you you have calculated. To understand the dilemma in malala case, you have to re-evaluate your thought process and ask some basic question. 1- who, when, where in any battle "Targeted" children or under age? please put your enough concentration on the word "TARGET" 2-US, soviets, germans, Brits, greeks, monguls...every other power on this world who had transpired in history, never ever Targeted a Child- or the under age. 3- Drone strikes are "Targeted" to the Known and Adult peoples, whom US thinks are their enemy. 4- Those wanted people or Enemy of US hide themselves in madrassa (laal masjid) or residential houses.. in which childrens resides. 5- When US hit thier Enemy, children dies - of course- but who to blame? if you dare so much so that you want to do JIHAD with bare hands... lets go face to face with the enemy. why risk childrens? 6- TTP before. did targeted schools... that to say..they targeted a way of life.
This Time they have "TARGETED" an under age girl, who's crime was only that she wanted girls to get education. This happened first time in the KNOWN human history.
You can not find 1 example... not even Saddam's gasification was targeted to childrens (but children dies in war- that is why war is a last resort).. and to last...IF they are so inclined to do Jihad- they must have read about islamic laws during war.
talk to them? non-sense.. total BS. tommorow they will ask you to smoke Hashish or you will be dead... what will you do then? nobody can talk to anyone if the other is holding the Gun- you can OBEY them only. in the matter of State vs TTP, state must/shall prevail.. otherwise... its horrible. total darkness.
negotiation is necessary .. need to isolate hardcore taliban who want to impose their shariah from tribal foot soldiers who joined taliban because either they were fed same theory of Zia's Era that just like soviets Americans are also occupying force and Pakistan is helping Americans in Afghanistan or they fighting in reaction of collateral damage caused by military operation and drones .. once we finish that narrative of taliban by disengaging from this war .. they wont be able to recruit foot soldiers that easily .. and a well planned surgical operation will work ..
Where is the non-reactionary thinker? Weren’t the Taliban already blowing up schools and killing innocent girls?
Tarek Bouazizi, the Tunisian who set up himself on fire and kicked off "Arab Spring" was not the first one who had committed suicide in Tunisia for the same reasons either. The question you are asking was probably asked by some cynical sympathizers of the Tunisian dictator too. Yes, many girls were killed by TTP, and many schools were blown up, we didn't react earlier enough, but when we finally did, please, don't be so cynical. It had to start one day, and it did with Malala. This outrage against TTP is not only because of Malala, this is an accumulated anger that had added up in us for every Malala killled, for every school blown.
What is this supposed to mean: "work for lasting peace in the region by coordinating peace activities."?