Rising death
Such scenes have been witnessed before as this is the third major attack in the same Jamrud Bazaar. This latest attack on innocent lives dashes any hope that the terrorists may have been pushed into retreat. Instead, they seem determined to reassert themselves and demonstrate they are alive and well — and ready to murder more people. We need to think why this should be so. Is there some link to the tussle for power currently rocking the TTP? This is possible, but it is only a conjecture. It is hard to know quite what has instigated this new round of killing. There is also the possibility that the attack in Jamrud targeting helpless people may be some kind of revenge for the militants killed during the battle at the airport.
Theories abound but the reality stares us in the face as 21 more people are dead while others may succumb to their injuries. And we do not know what the Taliban are planning or where they may hit next. This does not say much for the capacity of our state machinery to tackle militancy. So far, it has not worked at all against them, with the killers still able to murder at will. This is alarming. Was the action against them that we heard so much about all a charade? And, most importantly of all, where will we go from here? Who will stop the militants and how, so that this ceaseless cycle of death can be broken before further damage is inflicted on innocent people?
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2012.
COMMENTS (3)
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You can't/won't fight the Taliban for a number of reasons. You have spend a decade portraying this problem as an American issue - anyone who now speaks up is seen as an American stooge. Despite the nukes, jets, and fancy uniforms your military probably doesn't have the ability to defeat the Taliban - it certainly doesn't have the will to incur the casualties associated with a major campaign. And most importantly - you don't have the political will to even make this a priority - not a single leader in Pakistan has ever made defeating the militants a priority - not one.
The editorial is thought provoking and raised some serious questions regarding inability of the state to deal with this alarming situation in which thousands of innocent people in Pakistan have been killed by the TTP and they are able to strike at will at both civilian and well guarded places killing more people as well as damaging military installations. The military has now admitted its failure in its fight against militants by blaming the politicians squarely stating lack of political backing or consensus which had prevented them to launch decisive push against the TTP. Its ironical that Pak military has chosen such a filmsy ground for its failure which is untenable since forty thousand innocent people have already been killed and as many maimed by TTP and a democratic elected govt had given go ahead and billions of foreign aid was given to military at the cost of economy to fight militancy in the country. Such a statement raises serious doubts of internal situation prevailing in the army especially lack of motivation amongst its troops to fight the militants for which the top brass is responsible who rather than treating militants as enemy of the nation are negotiating with different cadres of TTP and thus sending a wrong message to its troops. Its a sad day for eighteen million people of Pakistan who look upon the military as their saviour but they have thrown the towel in front of these barbarians and leaving them at their mercy.
@Editor
Has anyone , during the last 4 democratic years , ever heard any Prime Minister outline national policy to deal with the threat to our survival posed by the Taliban ? Have such politicians and their parties any business to play with the destiny of tens of millions of people and their future generations ?