The use of weapons by our own forces may well help to convince people that we ourselves need to combat the militants. PHOTO: AFP
Drones may be controversial in our country with the attacks by unmanned aerial aircraft by the US having most recently triggered a blockade of Nato routes, but there can be no doubt at all that Pakistan will be locked in a battle against militancy for a very long time to come. It is vital to our future that we win this war, which has affected our own country more negatively than any other nation in the world. It is, therefore, our war to fight. Indeed, removing the US from the equation may help to solve many of the problems that today surround this conflict. Our own fleet of drones could play an important part in this. For the future, the aircraft named Burraq and Shahpar could play a crucial role in a situation that endangers our country and all of us within it. They could help us take out the militants and, if used judiciously, do so without the controversy created by the involvement of the US in the equation.
It is also encouraging that we possess the technology required to build our own weaponry, and design it to meet our specific needs. Given our experience over the past years, we well understand precisely what these needs are. The use of weapons by our own forces may well help to convince people that we ourselves need to combat the militants who have killed tens of thousands of our own citizens, and that we are capable of doing this without outside aid. The war we are fighting is one that we openly need to lay claim to, so that the ambiguity and confusion that currently surrounds the issue can be driven away and replaced by greater clarity, giving us a better chance of defeating the people of violence who have created mayhem across our state and today continue to threaten it.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2013.
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In my opinion, developments of Drones or nay kind of weaponry’s for Pakistan are not good. .Pakistan Army claimed to be good. What we have gained in last 66 years is not hidden. Half of the country is lost. Instead of handing over the half country they could have gone into the jungle of that time East Pakistan like last Japanese solders was surrender in 1980’s in Philippine and he was still fighting. In war history many nations Like Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and other have proven to be dying for the cause.
Pakistan needs reduced arm race and concentrate on economic, marine food and agricultural development. Remove poverty corruptions and enforce law to the max (not like CJ style). Divide provinces to smaller states and divisions for administrative purpose.
Make a 200 sq km in center and touching the boundaries of all 4 provinces. The new capitol, so no one complain. All nations can come and enjoys the opportunity. It should be duty free zone for new Industrial development. It will closer to central Asia Iran. India and to the Arabian seas. This nation of 180 million or more is very soon to be 400 million peoples or more
Mosiqar
So what are we going to have now? Just WHO may I ask is going to be Pakistan's "Alan Grayson" (the chap in the American Congress or Senate who recently took up the issue of "collateral damage" of CIA-operated drones) ??? By around 2020 are we going to see in the Pakistani Senate or National Assembly (or "Shoora" if the likes of the TTP are in command in Islamabad instead by then!) that these UAVs and those that operate them (hopefully they are Pakistanis, and not Americans or Indians or Afghans... or perhaps even Israelis!) are "brought to book" and punished for daring to spill innocent blood while taking out "terrorists" -- or does one mean "martyrs" ...???
To the best of my knowledge Pakistan drones are strictly surveillance drones and if that's correct then they are likely to be used solely on the eastern border. Lets not forget that after most drone attacks it becomes apparent that the location of the bad guys was well known by the locals and we can assume that includes the ISI. Mushud was living openly down the street from the local Pakistan military outpost and in the last drone attack everyone apparently knew that the Madrassas was the spiritual headquarters of the Haqqani. You don't need an eye in the sky - you need the backbone to confront the Taliban.