The writer is a producer at Express News
Explosion after explosion, death after death and wound after wound is what our countrymen face these days. The election campaign, which was never even in full swing, has become milder. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan continue to misuse religion as a means of destruction but this time, they seem to be confused.
Firstly, the Taliban are confused about which political parties are secular. The basis of their threat against the PPP, the MQM and the ANP trio is that it has a secular ideology. However, they also announced that the PTI and the PML-N will be allowed to carry on their election campaigns. Have they not gone through the manifestos of these two parties, which support Western-style democracy, have not really Sharia law, and have never spoken about banishing the interest-based economic system?
Secondly, the Taliban believe that the PPP, the MQM and the ANP have pro-West agendas as they supported America’s war on terror on Pakistani soil and did nothing to stop drone attacks. But the same Taliban have no problems with the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. They have forgotten that these two parties were a part of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), which supported many of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s policies. Whether it was the drone attacks or Nato supplies, both were being carried out under the MMA’s nose during Musharraf’s time.
Thirdly, Pakistan’s Taliban seem to be confused about democracy when they called on voters to rebel against the democratic system. The TTP’s spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, said that the “dark night of brutality” would continue if people did not reject the democratic system. In another video, he termed democracy a system of infidels. Here also, the Taliban ignored that the parties not on their hit list, including religious parties, completely support democracy and are pro-elections. It is only Tahirul Qadri’s Tehreek Minhaj-ul-Quran and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek that are somehow in line with Taliban’s viewpoint of boycotting elections.
Another thing, which the Taliban miscalculated, is the benefit they have provided to the parties they are targeting. By attacking the PPP, the ANP and the MQM, the Taliban have actually increased the sympathies of the public for them and diverted the questions being raised on the performance of the coalition government. These parties, instead of explaining to people why they could not deliver in the past five years, are now talking about being victims themselves and trying to convert bloodshed into voting numbers.
The confused actions of the Taliban, instead of winning them success or popularity, are actually going against them. Their supporters, whoever they may be, must also think about what essentially the Taliban want to achieve. Do they actually have a clear agenda or are they just behaving like our politicians, who also beat about the bush instead of targeting real issues?
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2013.
COMMENTS (22)
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@Enlightened:
The Talibans are not the creators; they simply copy and are taking over the policeman role of the USCENTCOM of destabilisation in the region under their control. The people of Pakistan are resilient enough to put up with the Talibans as they did with the yanks and the Brits before them.
Rex Minor
The Taliban are not confused, they fully know what they are doing. They want to derail the elections in Pakistan with their stepped-up violence. Fear is a tactic they have always used. The killings of innocents and blasts are not only to deter the political parties to campaign openly and freely, but also for the public, so they do not come out and vote. The only way to beat these thugs in their own game is to go out and vote. It is sad to see even today when over 49,000 Pakistanis have been killed by these terrorists some are still blaming the United States for these bombings. These common enemies have been attacking us for ages. They are a disease that needs to be cured and the only way it can be done is by making all their agendas fail. The security forces in the region are doing their work, and now is the time for the people to do theirs by rejecting the terrorist and going out to vote.
Abdul Quddus DET-United States Central Command
@Rex Minor: Not a positive statement but I tend to agree with you.
Ovais saab,
You can't be serious here...
Very very disappointing
Not the Talibans, but the author is confused. The Talibans have become a power factor in the region, ater having defeated squarely the yanks and their allies as well as the Pakistan military. Nothing and nothing can or will move withut their approval. To prove this factor, they will blow up every now and then some campaign gatherings of one or other political parties whom they want to remind, that th BIG BROTHER is watching them and will act in case they ......? No political establishment has anylonger the free pass.
Rex Minor
Hey I heard that the Taliban are creating their own political party in several countries and will be fighting elections like other normal parties in the coming years. Any news on this ?
@mkz: Many things. Gateway to asia from UAE, Nuclear possesion which Taliban always dream of, mobilizing our army against NATO, probably unstabling pakistan to weaken china a bit?
All in all, they are trying to access our parliament and having adjustments with some political parties ensuring to weaken their political enemies.
Nice, very nice. Your article is pointed and punches holes in their opinions and follow-ups. Salams
Its not the Taliban who are confused rather its Pak Army and the political parties who are in an absolute confusion. First of all, when we glance at the major issues in the country then we come across the sectarian hatred amongst people where the majority and the minorities are at the same page which is an absolute digust. Minorities are enjoying the high posts in mililtary as well as in political parties. There are some parties that are completley dedicated to serve their chosen groups or minorities. TTP is clearly blowing away them all one after the other. Finally, there should be no doubt that TTP will be ruling from Islamabad in near future and thats not my prediction/opinion but the Facts. PEACE
All blames to TTP.. But what about these political parties? What have they done from the last five years? Please read JIT report issued by the Law enforcement agencies of Pakistan in Supreme court of Pakistan.
@Mirza:
I find it hard to believe you actually read the article and I am sorry to say but your comment seems 'confused'. The author is making an underlying assumption that the TTP want to gain support for their cause and eventually 'rule' Pakistan.
Whether or not that is a correct assumption is a different debate.
Please don't write this off as pro-TTP just because you didnt understand the issue.
Taliban has a very clear agenda, they want to take all of us back to the stone age. The people of Pakistan are a confused lot, because they are unable to reconcile their 1400 year old religious belief system with modern times. Once they are able to do that, they will be progressing and prospering like other progressive and prosperous nation. For example, Muslim most worry about life after death, rather than life before death, once they start, at least, giving equal importance to both before and after death life, things will start getting better.
Seriously mate ..???
We have become so weak and vulnerable that we start talking of murderous thugs blowing innocent people as though they are a 'valid political force'..
A very confusing article..
I am sorry to say that I have never seen a more pro TTP write-up in ET. When a defense lawyer tries to justify wrongful acts of a criminal he/she uses the word “confused”. It is a fact that based upon the historic facts TTP has singled out the liberal, secular and nationalist parties for their target practice. However, they have given a full approval to the two main rightwing parties of Punjab.
Even if there is not much difference in their manifesto there is a direct connection and sympathy between TTP and the rightwing parties. TTP’s attacks on the three parties have been anything but confused actions. They have been brazen, planned for max damage, ruthless, cold blooded bombings and murders.
TTP may not believe in democracy in the long run but they know full well that it is an easy way to gain power for the rightwing parties. They have the examples of Algeria, Egypt and others where fundamentalists have come to power not on the barrel of the gun but via elections. Once TTP favorites are in power their mission would become easier.
I disagree with the author that Taliban are confused instead quite clearly using brutal methods to achieve their objective. As a matter of fact they are one who are calling the shots as some parties are either at their mercy and others dancing to their tune. They have also outwitted the security forces who are unable to stop bomb blasts and killings. Frankly speaking they, have created more confusion amongst the parties about their support to them which would be cleared once the elections are over as they after coming to power would be targeted too along with the innocent civilians to enforce their ideology.
Seems the monster is still there? 10 years USSR war, then 10 years US-NATO, and now into pakistan. BIG MONSTER
Who is reaping the benefits from this? It is now a fact that mercenaries and pseudo-jihadists are nurtured to keep the pot boiling.
Sometimes impressionable minds are drawn into violence due to political issues by such forces that provoke them in the name of God and Islam, and provide them with logistics for the bombing attacks.
Which in turn give US justification for drone and military operations.
Why such blasts and suicide bombings are occurring regularly?
Were there such blasts and suicide bombings before 9/11?
Who plants bombs in cars, carts and luggage of unsuspecting individuals, and then projects them as blasts and suicide bombings?
Thousands have been killed as a result of terrorism in the country since the 9/11 and that its forces have for years in Waziristan due to various incentives (like Aid, Political Backing in Islamabad, Peshawar, Greater Mardan, Pindi) and extensions (Gen Kiyani).
There are many things to answer before we generalize. Looking for conspiracies behind everything seems absurd, but something is fishy down there.
Nicely done. You have tried to give an explanation to the sheer madness taking place an partly succeeded.
Who cares if the Taliban have a plan. The question is does Pakistan have a plan?
I think the author has missed all the points. The Taliban are probably the only entity who actually have a plan.
Loved this. This is what I have thought for a long time. They are seriously confused if they think they are going to 'make' Pakistan their country. We are too powerful a people for that to happen. My next question is, why Pakistan? Why on earth have they picked a country like Pakistan, where they have NO popular support to create their God-forsaken country?
It seems to fishy, perhaps greater powers are involved.
Nevertheless, they are dwindling out. Too many people know what is right in Pakistan even if there are many exceptions.
Great stuff, equate terrorists thugs with politicians, to take pot shots at politicos, would you rather the TTP organized itself to become more effective?