How much more?
The ANP as a party has suffered tremendous losses in the war against terror and yet they have realised the follies of appeasement. Provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar was not only targeted by the Taliban but also had to suffer losing his son at the hands of the terrorists. Even pro-appeasement politicians like Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is a borderline pro-Taliban figure, have figured on militant hit lists. The assassinations of Salmaan Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti were also inspired by the same murderous mindset. Benazir Bhutto also disregarded the threat to her life and paid the ultimate price for standing up to the militants. Above all, there are the thousands of unnamed civilians who have been killed for no other reason but living in a country where a small minority which claims to speak in the name of religion has shown utter contempt for the tenets of that religion.
Despite the murders, both of renowned politicians and the nameless, the military — the only institution capable of defeating the Taliban — has taken a head-in-the-sand approach. They see these thugs as assets to be used to further foreign policy interests in Afghanistan and India. The military’s first priority should be getting rid of this internal threat before it becomes an eternal problem. This means going into North Waziristan and any other safe haven the militants may have. It means securing our cities and protecting our elected representatives. Only then will Bashir Bilour not have died in vain.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2012.
COMMENTS (20)
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@Muhammad Saeed Babar: "The solution of “Taliban” lies in understanding the lesson from “East Pakistan” – political solution rather than army led operation. " False equivalence. 1. Was Mujib-ur Rehman elected? Yes. Are Taliban elected? No - they do not even believe in Pakistani constitution and have no desire to fight an eleciton. 2. Did Awami League people attack army headquarters, mosques, markets, playgrounds? No. TTP does that. 3. Was Awami league against women's education and blow up girls schools? No. TTP is and does.
The solution of "Taliban" lies in understanding the lesson from "East Pakistan" - political solution rather than army led operation. The real culprit is USA - Drone Attacks that also resulted in deaths of lots of civilians - innocent people. The solution is to stop funding the army led operation and start having political dialogue.
He should be remembered as a hero....
Yes of course, the destroyer of Pakistan Railway should be remembered as a Hero. Nice one ET, thanks for prolonging the myth of political martyrdom over the actual performance of a politician. Agreed his death is tragic and sorrowful but to paint him as a hero gives a whole new meaning to the term 'Naivety'.
Very precise indeed! Unfortunately the fifth largest army in the world is hostage to these handfuls of barbarians and has left us to die a slow and agonizing death.
Agreed
"Bilour has become the latest martyr in our noble quest to defeat the Taliban and he should forever be remembered as a hero who set an example to other less courageous politicians."
But its not "our" noble quest. It is the noble quest of some among us who we have shamefully left on their own. Let us not extrapolate the extraordinary bravery of one man onto 190+ million people. We are a nation of cowards. What we should be doing is lining up the Taliban against a wall and shooting them in the head one by one. Period.
Very clear editorial! Bravo!
Maybe we need dozens of USA Navy seal teams to clear the area......spare our forces the trouble....
One of the the things that the Pakistani military does not understand is - a time will come when their protege operating in the Afghanistan and Pashtun belt will move the Durand line to the banks of the Indus.
Those who came for Bilour will also come for all those Pashtuns who identify themselves as proud Pakistanis.
Brilliant! Thanks for writing the obvious that everyone is afraid of stating.
A very bold and factual editorial that can only be in the ET. Thanks for that. Every country's army is the front-line against the threats to the country and its civilians. In fact in most countries their primary function is to protect the civilians and their elected leaders but not in Pakistan. As if targeted killings of elected ANP, PPP and nationalist leaders is not enough they are maligned by the rightwing day and night. All the corruption, staling of taxes, utilities and sloth is attributed toward these secular elected leaders and their removal is justified. It is an eye opener that all corrupt unelected rightwing politicians, generals and judges are safe and live happily and safely. The only powerful force in Pakistan does not protect the elected leaders and the innocent civilians. Yet some call these terrorists as waging a Jihad!
The TTP must be completely eradicated, obliterated, exterminated, finished off for good. IF the army can not do it it I am ready to volunteer. Send me to their hideouts with guns and grenades and I will fight them till they are are finihed off or I am killed. I cannot stand this nonsense anymore. They must be killed - now or never. Their only chance is that they apologise publicly and hand themselves over to the authorites and ask Allah for forgiveness. Even the Afghan Taliban and all jihadi organisations should first get together and put and an end to this TTP evil.
Very easy to criticize military. The conflicts of this sort, anywhere in the world can never be won over by Army operations, specially when they are being done against your own people in your own country . We have been engaged in that region militarily since time immemorial. What happened and what did we achieve? if the US with all its might could not win a war against Taliban and have been in negotiations with them, why cant we take a different approach by involving the local populations politically and alienate the trouble makers? Its about changing the mindset, the perspective of this war in the minds of the people and give it a whole new dimension to it. How many times has ever president, our PM's, our interior minister visited that region and tried to take locals into confidence? There is a huge political gap there which military can never fill, even if you remain engage there for 100 more years.
The brave sacrifices of these lost Souls should not go in vain. Thousands have lost their lives in the fight against militancy and that many families lives have turned turtle. Those who believe these thugs can be used for strategic gains are living in fools paradise. The faster they realize their follies the sooner the country can get out of the pits. Hope wisdom prevails fast.
...They keep telling us they will harvest that crop soon for the hungry society of Pakistan...I think soon there may not be anybody left to eat that crop. I admire your courage to put words to the thought that is everybody 's mind. I never seen one of the largest armies in the world being so in effective and powerful as our own. They can't control five baluch tribes and one masood tribe and let them loose on us to eliminate us.... enemy is not USA and India it is within us.
In the endless list of obituaries, here is another obituary of a brave man that Pakistan lost when she badly needs one.
Well said! Bravo.
"Despite the murders, both of renowned politicians and the nameless, the military — the only institution capable of defeating the Taliban — has taken a head-in-the-sand approach. They see these thugs as assets to be used to further foreign policy interests in Afghanistan and India. The military’s first priority should be getting rid of this internal threat before it becomes an eternal problem. This means going into North Waziristan and any other safe haven the militants may have". Very boldly and well analysed. It also indicates dangerous trend of further widening the gap between the thinking of military brass and those who want terrorism to be wiped out from country. What is the problem with COAS and how much blood he needs to change his mind set that these militants not assets rather are the worst enemies of Pakistan. Where such 180 degrees difference exists between the thinking of civil and military elite of the country no one can save it from further going in to deepest crisis for its survival.
super editorial!