Fierce clashes are taking place between security forces and militants in Bajaur and Swat. While the former is resorting to gunship helicopters, artillery and mortar fire and causing colossal collateral damage, the militants are attacking police stations and military targets and making use of suicide bombers and bomb attacks. After suicide attack in Wah on 21 August, another attack took place in Swat on 23rd killing 70. Bomb blasts in Attock on 24 August destroyed a market selling CDs and another blast occurred in a hotel in Sihala. 22 suicide attacks took place from January-July 2008 killing 332 people. 60 cases had taken place in 2007 killing 770. Baitullah is hounded and despite reports of his poor health he is not giving up and has reportedly nominated his three successors to carry forward the agenda of Tehrik-i-Taliban. He claims to have 1000 suicide bombers lined up; besides ANP ministers and Sherpao, certain federal ministers including Zardari have been put on the hit list. Sectarian frenzy in Kurram continues and death toll climbs each day. Matani and Badhber townships near Peshawar are still restive. People rendered homeless are living under appalling conditions and relief measures are inadequate.
Announcement of policy of dialogue by PPP government soon after taking over power was a ruse to segregate non-militants from militants within the tribal belt and after winning over the former pitching them against the latter. Policy of selective use of force was abandoned and several fronts opened up at a time. Excessive force has been purposely used in Swat and Bajaur to force the local residents to leave their homes and move elsewhere to deny the shield provided by them to the militants. Latter’s hideouts are now being pounded more vigorously to force them to surrender. Anti-Taliban lashkars have also been formed to combat the Taliban in each agency.
Taking a cue from military strategy, that offence is the best defence, PM Gillani used military language saying that war on terror cannot be won defensively but the battle had to be taken to the doorsteps of the extremists. He naively added that ‘we are not attacked from outside military but from within’. While USA sent its forces across seven seas to save its most secured homeland from terrorism, our rulers instead of keeping the flames of war outside and gaining perimeter of security have chosen to apply this strategy on its own soil. He is either totally clueless or deliberately chooses to be ignorant about the nefarious activities of RAW-RAM-CIA-Mossad nexus based in Kabul working as a close-knit team to destabilise Pakistan. His pearls of wisdom to confront the faceless enemy through public support must have been music for our adversaries. His three-pronged strategy resembles Musharraf’s two-pronged strategy except that in the latter’s concept, one prong was to be implemented by USA to address root causes of terrorism. Gillani has chosen to free USA of its responsibility and has taken the entire load on his shoulders.
Bad policies of rulers compel extremists to resort to suicide attacks. Instead of policymakers, the poor suffer as has happened in each suicide or bomb attack. In Wah attacks, 70 poor labourers died while the same number got injured. Rulers as usual spoke in harsh tones describing the act as despicable and cowardly and vowing that they would never bow before extremists and that they will be brought to justice. Rehman Malik threatened that Bajaur operation would continue till the elimination of all ant-state elements. While conveying their concerns in strongest words they ignored what atrocities were being perpetrated on the people of FATA. 300,000 people have been uprooted from Bajaur alone and all told 700,000 are living under open sky in miserable conditions.
What if the 7 lakh displaced persons had crossed over to Afghanistan? In 1971, one of the chief excuses behind Indian invasion was refugee issue. Instead of condemning the illegal occupation of Afghanistan and exerting moral pressure on USA to withdraw its forces to end extremism and terrorism in the region, they are callously strengthening their hands and inadvertently allowing them to destabilise Pakistan. To befool the people they keep singing US-tutored song that ‘war on terror is not America’s war but Pakistan’s own war’. Some English newspapers are dutifully promoting this theme.
It must not be forgotten that the militants charged with ideological motivation have much greater war stamina than the army. They can afford to keep fighting for years under adverse conditions. They had kept fighting the Soviet forces for ten years till they were defeated and withdrew in humiliation. Can our army afford to fight the so-called faceless enemy that long and waste so much of its war munitions purchased at an exorbitant price meant for actual war. We had run short of ammunition and spare parts in both wars with India and we still do not have more than one month war stamina. Untrustworthy USA is known for closing the tap when its support is needed the most.
In a ten-year Iran-Iraq war instigated by USA, the two neighbouring Muslim countries kept fighting relentlessly without achieving any results. The bloodiest battles were fought in Fao Peninsula where the American imagery satellite would pass on information to each side to ensure that none could achieve a breakthrough. The idea was to kill two birds with one stone by bleeding both and making them lose their warrior elements and munitions and make Israel the unchallenged power of Middle East. Taking advantage of the war, Israeli planes destroyed Iraqi nuclear plant at Osirak. USA is playing the same strategy in Pakistan to weaken Pak Army and best fighters of tribal belt by pitching the two against each other and having bled the two sufficiently, quietly extract nuclear teeth and make India the dominant power of South Asia.
The American leadership having ditched Musharraf after making best use of him for nine years has now expressed its full confidence in PPP government and assured them to work in close collaboration. $1.5 billion annual aid has already been promised and few F-16s have been handed over to use them against the militants if required. Having enflamed FATA and Frontier Regions the stage is gradually being prepared for a civil war. Our rulers at the behest of their so-called mentors are prodding the pro-government tribal elders to battle the militants and eliminate them. Once the civil war breaks out it would give a good reason to the international peace-keeping forces to step in to provide security and relief and rehabilitate the devastated areas. They have resorted to this gory drama in several countries in Africa to extract gold, oil and other mineral resources and to keep Horn of Africa under US influence. Probe of Benazir by UN is yet another ruse to force their entry and stay put for a long time till the achievement of all their objectives.
Our rulers are worried about the stability of Afghanistan and security of occupation forces and are not bothered about the stability of Pakistan. They are least concerned about hundreds of Pakistanis handed over by Musharraf regime to USA languishing in Bagram and Guantanamo Bay prisons without access to justice. Dr Aafia is one case of cruelty and high-handedness of Americans which has come to light. While forcing the Pashtun and Baloch to turn their guns towards own army, they refuse to free themselves of the tight embrace of enemies of Pakistan that are relentlessly stabbing us in the back and consider them genuine friends. They have bought friendship of untrustworthy USA and India and enmity of own people who have remained loyal and patriotic towards Pakistan.
PPP leadership is too willing to play US game and turn Pakistan into an Indian satellite in return for power and monetary benefits. If the nation is to be blessed with Zardari as the president what was so wrong with his predecessor? Having sold their souls to grab power and pelf these soulless rulers are mere puppets dancing to the tunes of their mentors. We just celebrated our 61st independence day with fervour not realising that charlatans have quietly bartered away our sovereignty.
Announcement of policy of dialogue by PPP government soon after taking over power was a ruse to segregate non-militants from militants within the tribal belt and after winning over the former pitching them against the latter. Policy of selective use of force was abandoned and several fronts opened up at a time. Excessive force has been purposely used in Swat and Bajaur to force the local residents to leave their homes and move elsewhere to deny the shield provided by them to the militants. Latter’s hideouts are now being pounded more vigorously to force them to surrender. Anti-Taliban lashkars have also been formed to combat the Taliban in each agency.
Taking a cue from military strategy, that offence is the best defence, PM Gillani used military language saying that war on terror cannot be won defensively but the battle had to be taken to the doorsteps of the extremists. He naively added that ‘we are not attacked from outside military but from within’. While USA sent its forces across seven seas to save its most secured homeland from terrorism, our rulers instead of keeping the flames of war outside and gaining perimeter of security have chosen to apply this strategy on its own soil. He is either totally clueless or deliberately chooses to be ignorant about the nefarious activities of RAW-RAM-CIA-Mossad nexus based in Kabul working as a close-knit team to destabilise Pakistan. His pearls of wisdom to confront the faceless enemy through public support must have been music for our adversaries. His three-pronged strategy resembles Musharraf’s two-pronged strategy except that in the latter’s concept, one prong was to be implemented by USA to address root causes of terrorism. Gillani has chosen to free USA of its responsibility and has taken the entire load on his shoulders.
Bad policies of rulers compel extremists to resort to suicide attacks. Instead of policymakers, the poor suffer as has happened in each suicide or bomb attack. In Wah attacks, 70 poor labourers died while the same number got injured. Rulers as usual spoke in harsh tones describing the act as despicable and cowardly and vowing that they would never bow before extremists and that they will be brought to justice. Rehman Malik threatened that Bajaur operation would continue till the elimination of all ant-state elements. While conveying their concerns in strongest words they ignored what atrocities were being perpetrated on the people of FATA. 300,000 people have been uprooted from Bajaur alone and all told 700,000 are living under open sky in miserable conditions.
What if the 7 lakh displaced persons had crossed over to Afghanistan? In 1971, one of the chief excuses behind Indian invasion was refugee issue. Instead of condemning the illegal occupation of Afghanistan and exerting moral pressure on USA to withdraw its forces to end extremism and terrorism in the region, they are callously strengthening their hands and inadvertently allowing them to destabilise Pakistan. To befool the people they keep singing US-tutored song that ‘war on terror is not America’s war but Pakistan’s own war’. Some English newspapers are dutifully promoting this theme.
It must not be forgotten that the militants charged with ideological motivation have much greater war stamina than the army. They can afford to keep fighting for years under adverse conditions. They had kept fighting the Soviet forces for ten years till they were defeated and withdrew in humiliation. Can our army afford to fight the so-called faceless enemy that long and waste so much of its war munitions purchased at an exorbitant price meant for actual war. We had run short of ammunition and spare parts in both wars with India and we still do not have more than one month war stamina. Untrustworthy USA is known for closing the tap when its support is needed the most.
In a ten-year Iran-Iraq war instigated by USA, the two neighbouring Muslim countries kept fighting relentlessly without achieving any results. The bloodiest battles were fought in Fao Peninsula where the American imagery satellite would pass on information to each side to ensure that none could achieve a breakthrough. The idea was to kill two birds with one stone by bleeding both and making them lose their warrior elements and munitions and make Israel the unchallenged power of Middle East. Taking advantage of the war, Israeli planes destroyed Iraqi nuclear plant at Osirak. USA is playing the same strategy in Pakistan to weaken Pak Army and best fighters of tribal belt by pitching the two against each other and having bled the two sufficiently, quietly extract nuclear teeth and make India the dominant power of South Asia.
The American leadership having ditched Musharraf after making best use of him for nine years has now expressed its full confidence in PPP government and assured them to work in close collaboration. $1.5 billion annual aid has already been promised and few F-16s have been handed over to use them against the militants if required. Having enflamed FATA and Frontier Regions the stage is gradually being prepared for a civil war. Our rulers at the behest of their so-called mentors are prodding the pro-government tribal elders to battle the militants and eliminate them. Once the civil war breaks out it would give a good reason to the international peace-keeping forces to step in to provide security and relief and rehabilitate the devastated areas. They have resorted to this gory drama in several countries in Africa to extract gold, oil and other mineral resources and to keep Horn of Africa under US influence. Probe of Benazir by UN is yet another ruse to force their entry and stay put for a long time till the achievement of all their objectives.
Our rulers are worried about the stability of Afghanistan and security of occupation forces and are not bothered about the stability of Pakistan. They are least concerned about hundreds of Pakistanis handed over by Musharraf regime to USA languishing in Bagram and Guantanamo Bay prisons without access to justice. Dr Aafia is one case of cruelty and high-handedness of Americans which has come to light. While forcing the Pashtun and Baloch to turn their guns towards own army, they refuse to free themselves of the tight embrace of enemies of Pakistan that are relentlessly stabbing us in the back and consider them genuine friends. They have bought friendship of untrustworthy USA and India and enmity of own people who have remained loyal and patriotic towards Pakistan.
PPP leadership is too willing to play US game and turn Pakistan into an Indian satellite in return for power and monetary benefits. If the nation is to be blessed with Zardari as the president what was so wrong with his predecessor? Having sold their souls to grab power and pelf these soulless rulers are mere puppets dancing to the tunes of their mentors. We just celebrated our 61st independence day with fervour not realising that charlatans have quietly bartered away our sovereignty.
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