If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then … anyone who tells you it is a duck must be hiding something. So goes the logic of conspiracy theories which are gaining increasing currency in Pakistan because of the wave of gun and bomb attacks in its towns and cities.
As reported in the New York Times, India, Israel and the United States are frequently blamed for the violence, as is the U.S. security company formerly known as Blackwater.
The Pakistani Taliban, according to al Jazeera, appear to have capitalised on that by blaming Blackwater for two attacks that most shocked Pakistanis — one a suicide bombing on a market crowded with women and children in Peshawar which killed more than 100 people and the other an attack on the Islamic University in Islamabad. (more…)
A view on how the right-wing journalists try to defame and bring down any author or writer who disagrees with their views. It is time such journalists are held accountable and not allowed to merrily trample over any obstacle to their agenda. They are setting double standards when as a source of income they hold politicians accountable everyday, but yet are unwilling to accept any criticism or attempt to be held accountable by others. The beauty of being in a democracy and not a dictatorship is the ability to hold all parties involved answerable for their actions and we must not allow any one to take this liberty away from us!
Looking at the past week, one can see how resilient Pakistanis have become. Suffering numerous suicide bomb attacks and wide-spread military action, we are here yet again, still standing. But how long can we sustain ourselves at this current rate of demolition? How many times will we resist smacking the hammer on our own foot? Nowadays we seem to have become the offspring of Glenn Beck and the Republican Party. With a constant denial of the harsh reality and a love for misconstruing and fabricating baseless facts that just aim to maim the United States, we seem to be struggling. And when we struggle, we play the role of a secluded, spoilt child.
Prior to 9/11, we perfected this character, but now the circumstances have changed. We can no longer do as we please without being held accountable for our actions.Pakistan has suffered. Thousands of innocent lives have been lost at the hands of suicide bombs and ambush attacks. Women have lost husbands, sons and brothers and it is despicable at the number of families that have suffered. Much to the dismay of our right-wing journalists, I am not going to be making a presumed argument as to how India, Israel or even the United States are after Pakistan’s existence. It’s just not happening, guys! I feel it would also be fruitless to engage in a history lecture as to who gave rise to the mujahedeen since various institutions in our country groomed them. But by excluding so much, the foreign influence and historic aspect many would argue that I have no argument. But for a split second, would it be possible to sit and analyze how we can carry ourselves into the future rather than dissecting the past?
Many times a day, we read in the newspapers and on the internet, the extent by which America has extended its influence within Pakistan. From Blackwater to US diplomats wielding weapons and the constant chatter in regards to the Americans taking over our nuclear arsenal, we’ve heard it all. I would like to take this opportunity and remind my avid readers that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are not hidden in any underground garage that can be easily picked up by “US diplomat”. I have more faith in my military that protects such weapons than those journalists and commentators who seem to believe otherwise.
The United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, came and went. Although she was given a red-carpet upon landing, there were times where her reception was – well – jagged. Criticism and resentment towards the United States is understandable. Issues ranging from drone attacks (which is debatable!), alleged presence of US personnel and expansion of the US embassy are some of the concerns Pakistanis share. But how much credit have we given Hillary Clinton for taking the initiative of reaching out across the political spectrum? Firstly, she stayed for three days. Both President Bush and President Clinton had to arrive in secrecy in Pakistan, and the statements they made seem more like a photo-op than anything substantive. Upon meeting specific people, both Presidents took off and that was the end of their journey into Pakistan.
Secretary Clinton on the other hand, not only met those in office, but those outside of office as well. She took a step further and held a town-hall debate with students and met various journalists while giving time to Pashtun elders as well. But was this enough to please our right-wing journalists? Of course not! They had problems with the type of journalists she met, the transparency of the business leaders she conversed with and the lack of money she brought with her. Did they even dare comment on the extent to which she tried to rectify the failure of previous administrations? We only felt too proud, when a journalist claimed that we are fighting America’s war. Proud because we assumed someone was able to stand up to the mighty Clinton. Unfortunately, the moderator failed to realize that when a Pakistani is killed on a daily basis, it becomes the responsibility of our government and our military, thus our war.
I fail to understand how we keep asking for more aid money and assistance from around the globe, but at the same time are completely unwilling to be held accountable for the pennies we spend. We lambasted the IMF for bailing us out of near bankruptcy. No doubt the IMF places stringent conditions when offering loans, but is it safe to assume that if we had the money, we would not need to be borrowing? Pakistan’s tax-GDP ratio is a number that is so micro, I don’t think it would be visible here. On the other hand we enjoy receiving other countries money, as long as we do not tell them, where and how it is being spent. Frankly speaking, it is not fair to use aid money in this manner of secrecy, nor should we allow other countries to micromanage us, just because we have been given their aid money. This mantra of dil maange aur (the heart desires more) needs to stop. And can only stop if we are faithful to ourselves. Although we tend to be very egotistical when it comes all other issues, but taking a kashkol (begging bowl) to other countries seems to make us forget all about our ego.
Pakistan is at its wits end. We must take the reins of our future and grasp them tightly. Rooting out militants from South Waziristan is only a step towards cleansing our country of this disgusting and twisted ideology that causes inhumane persons to blow themselves up and kill others. Condemning the United States will not stop a child in Lahore from gathering a bogus understanding of Islam that will cause him to take the lives of others, nor will it rid us of the poverty in Karachi and unemployment issues in Peshawar. To counter this we need a united front in order to stop the ethnic tensions rising between us. This is where your role as a Pakistani citizen comes into play. All our lives we learnt not to point fingers at others, and now when the going gets tough, we find it only to easy blaming others for our predicaments. At the end of the day, we all know our destiny lies only in our hands; no other country has control over it. Believe it!
In Ahmed Rashid’s latest piece “Waziristan or Bust,” the renowned Pakistani journalist and author of Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, grapples with the immense pressure Pakistan faces to succeed in its Waziristan offensive.
“The success of the offensive could be critical for the fate of Pakistan which is financially broke and politically paralysed,” he writes. He connects the financial crisis with the controversial Kerry-Lugar bill, “The army was furious that the government had agreed to US-imposed conditions, which only insisted that there be civilian control of the army, democracy be maintained and the fight against extremism continued. The army with its deep tentacles in the Pakistani media and among opposition politicians, whipped up a storm of public opinion against the deal.”
All this, he laments, was utterly ridiculous as the country was crying out for aid and assistance in the midst of the terror threats, poverty, and a generally harsh quality-of-life.
The fact remains that Pakistan has to pull itself away from the brink, and the measuring standard for just that will be this offensive. Its results will be telling, a trusted barometer for whether the Zardari administration can command the army and be supported by a public eager to end extremism.
Rashid notes President Zardari seems happy to talk peace and trade with India, aid in the stabilizing of Afghanistan and improve ties with Iran. He welcomes aid from the west so that his country can become stronger and secure. Yet, there is an intense backlash against his efforts, indeed, Rashid writes, “Zardari’s attempts to build up public support for these logical civil demands have been stymied because of public disillusionment with the civilian government.”
We can all agree stability can only happen when all sides come to the table, with an agreed upon set of priorities. A common plan to combat extremism whilst working out itnernal issues is the critical key to moving the country forward.
To Rashid and countless others, that looks like a tough hill to climb.
